Wednesday, January 10, 2024

#1 STEVE HUNTER THE DEACON SPEAKS , HAPPY FOREVER MARK VOLMAN, Jake Gyllenhaal Roadhouse

 


1)THE DEACON, STEVE HUNTER SPEAKS 

    Steve Hunter takes Rusty Kershaw's Cajun vocal inflections like ten decibels deeper and reinvents "Back Door Man" in a way that Doors' fans won't recognize.   

     "The Ballad of John Henry Gates," the railroad man, might actually be about who Amazon notes had a tune written that is "the most recorded folk song in American history" - that being "The Ballad of John Henry." Who was also a railroad man.  It doesn't matter, it is a unique original with Hunter's earthy voice making it more blues/folk and interesting in its story of drinking, violence and "showing his love with the back of his hand."

     "Waiting on a Friend" is faithful to the Rolling Stones hit of 1981, though it started being written in 1971 and 1972 by Producer Jimmy Miller for Goats Head Soup.  Hunter sounds very Mick Taylor in his guitar work, and Taylor is on the original tape, but not on the hit record.  Either Keith or Ronny or both decide to sound like Taylor, which is fine, the guitar playing is so eloquent on the hit, as it is here.

     "Sweet Jane" is the song that Steve wrote "Intro" for on the 1973 Lou Reed tour, and on the Rock 'n' Roll Animal album (a variation of "Intro" is on the Swept Away Steve Hunter disc, an incarnation entitled "Streets of Eldorado.")  Hunter sings the lyrics to this and "Waiting On A Friend" distinctly, so if you didn't know the lyrics  then, you do now.

     

       


SWEET JANE (CLIP)  https://youtu.be/n5uzFpl-yq8



https://www.allmusic.com/search/albums/swept+away




2  HAPPY FOREVER

Happy Forever
My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More
Mark Volman with John Cody  http://jawbonepress.com/happy-forever/

About the authors
In a career that has been anything but typical, Mark Volman has gone from topping the pop charts to losing the legal rights to his own name. After hitting #1 with The Turtles, Mark and singing partner Howard Kaylan (aka Flo & Eddie) had a stint with Frank Zappa & The Mothers, then went on to sing with everyone from T. Rex to The Ramones to Bruce Springsteen to Blondie, achieving cumulative sales in excess of one hundred million copies. They also enjoyed concurrent careers as voice actors and musicians in animation (Strawberry Shortcake / Care Bears) and as radio hosts in Los Angeles and New York, where they rubbed shoulders with Howard Stern. Then, in the biggest change of all, Mark returned to school, earning three degrees and running innovative programs in Los Angeles and Nashville. He continues to entertain every summer as host of the Happy Together tour.

John Cody is a freelance musician (drummer) who has toured and recorded with over two hundred artists. In addition, he has written and taught about music history for various publications and schools. This is his first book. He lives on the west coast of Canada. For more information about his music and writing, visit www.johncodyonline.com

4)Turtles   Charles Rosenay Interview



5)Marci Chin   I WANNA



Haven't had this much fun with a record since
1979 when Marianne Faithful released "Why'd Ya Do It."

Marcy's disc jumps off the turntable (or CD player) with
power and glory: "Hey Mrs. Walker please don't be mad" she plays with Wheeler Walker Jr.  to good effect.  It wonderfully takes Walker's X rated song to task, and does it in an inspiring way.

Remember when Liz Phair recorded Exile in Guyville going
square after the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St?   The Stones
classic was said to be the blueprint for Phair's 1993 debut.

Marcy Chin takes a leapfrog over Wheeler Walker Jr., Liz Phair
and the Rolling Stones' new album, Hackney Diamonds with a
big burst of energy that is more fun than all of the above.

Beware, some four letter words, a song for brave radio
programmers. 
Right now you can enjoy the raw majesty of March Chin.

 


DIRECTED BY: Doug Liman

SCREENPLAY BY: Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry

BASED ON: the motion picture “Road House” screenplay by David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin 

STORY BY: Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry, David Lee Henry

PRODUCED BY: Joel Silver p.g.a.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: JJ Hook, Alison Winter, Aaron Auch, Audie Attar

CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Conor McGregor, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, B.K. Cannon, Beau Knapp, Darren Barnet, Dominique Columbus, Bob Menery, Catfish Jean, Kevin Carroll, Travis Van Winkle, Hannah Lanier

 

SYNOPSIS: 

In this adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the 80s cult classic, ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.

 

RUNTIME: 1 hour 54 mins

 

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7)Original Roadhouse Soundtrack



Road House [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Review by Joe Viglione

Actor Patrick Swayze isn't thought of as a vocalist, though he sang "She's Like the Wind" with Wendy Fraser on 1987's Dirty Dancing soundtrack and intentionally inflicted his dreadful rendition of "I'm Henry VIII" on Whoopi Goldberg and 1990's Ghost movie (thankfully, failing to make it onto the soundtrack to that film). So the surprise here is that, under the guiding hand of David Kershenbaum, he sounds like a clone of Bryan Adams on songwriter Willie Nile's very '80s "Raising Heaven (In Hell Tonight)." The Road House film and its subsequent companion long-player came a year after John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band released their album of the same name, so maybe it was an intentional Arista marketing attempt to get some of that Eddie and the Cruisers luster by way of Dirty Dancing, or maybe this was just the expected image of the 1980s. It's always nice to hear the Jeff Healey Band, which starts the festivities off with a somewhat interesting cover of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues." Hardly as menacing as Jim Morrison (or even Blue Öyster Cult), it appropriately slips into title-track status with Jimmy Iovine's bar band production. Bob Seger does a respectable cover of Fats Domino's "Blue Monday," but it too sounds like fade-into-the-background area musicians having some fun on a Friday night. Of the ten songs here, the only thing that really breaks on through is Otis Redding performing his own "These Arms of Mine." Little Feat is fun with "Rad Gumbo" and Jeff Healey finally flexes his muscles on Dylan's "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky," the third of Healey's four entries. It has that something extra missing from his earlier jaunts and Seger's track. Austin singer Kris McKay is a surprise on Maria McKee's "A Good Heart," getting a chance here prior to her What Love Endures album debut on Arista, which came the year after this. Swayze closes things out with another big '80s David Kershenbaum sound on "Cliff's Edge," a tune he actually co-wrote. Surprisingly, it's not a bad song and features -- believe it or not -- the album's best hook. This didn't do for Jimmy Iovine what the Dirty Dancing soundtrack did for Jimmy Ienner, and with Seger, Healey, Little Feat, and Otis Redding on board, a lot more was expected of it. When Patrick Swayze writes the best hook on an album you're on, it's pretty obvious that Road House was just another gig.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/road-house-original-motion-picture-soundtrack--mw0000203571




8)Ricky Byrd  Rhapsody in Blues

https://youtu.be/bcTVP3N9M8A

We Bostonians knew Ricky Byrd when he joined Tom Dickie and the Leland Bros. in Susan (1977,) prior to joining Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, landing him in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.  Wikipedia notes that Byrd has performed with, recorded or toured with a who's who of notables from the Who to Alice Cooper, the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. 

"Rhapsody in Blues" is a powerful amalgam of sounds starting with a stomp.  The three minutes and four seconds graduate into a Jeff Beck-ish climb over the rhythm with different guitar's answering each other  By the 1:33 mark it is a cascade of sounds, majestic and melodic.   When was the last time an instrumental work topped the charts?  This production has all of the elements.  One of Ricky's most significant solo tracks.

_________________________________________________________________

Don't Confuse Ricky Byrd's song with the Gershwin classic, though the titles are so similar.

After all these years my interest in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue came from reading Peter James Arlin's Beach Boys book and Brian Wilson's obsession with both Be My Baby and Rhapsody in Blue.  The original, as played by Libor Pesek and the Slovak National Philharmonic Orchestra might as well be out-takes from the Judy Garland Wizard of Oz 

film .    





9)Rhapsody in Blue Reprise from Brian Wilson

https://youtu.be/mFlMmx_GV9o


10)Gershwin  Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin's famous "Rhapsody in Blue" played by Libor Pesek and the Slovak National Philharmonic Orchestra

https://youtu.be/ynEOo28lsbc


11)Rhapsody In Blue

https://youtu.be/CfO7s0wGYoU

Richard Clayderman - Rhapsody In Blue



12)Bill Medley with Mike Marino

The Time of My Life  




Bill Medley kept rejecting the song The Time of My Life, which is such an important
part of his legacy.   https://youtu.be/nL2SohnnKi8    Intriguing is the fact that as
Patrick Swayze was fading from this realm, he titled his own memoir in the same fashion: The Time of My Life  Audible Audiobook – Abridged Patrick Swayze (Author, Narrator),  Lisa Niemi (Author), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)

As you can imagine the term "The Time of My Life" has graced many books,
Betty Ford even having one, THE TIMES OF MY LIFE.  And what drives me
bonkers is that Mike Marino claims on his resume' that he was part of the
McCoys, Rick Derringer's group that hit with "Hang on Sloopy."  The only place
you'll find that nugget is where Marino talks about himself, for this book.
Heck, drummer Kevin Graves of Blue Cheer was on my first album, but he
never cut any music with that innovative group...it is what it is.  A touring 
musician in a famous group, there are many, just getting that quirk out of
the way.

The Time of My Life
Bill Medley with Mike Marino 
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press; Reprint edition (August 25, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 257 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306823675

It's a good book, and it chronicles half of the Righteous Brothers from the heart,
but like Tommy James' tome- "Me, the Mob and the Music: One Helluva Ride',
well ...as a huge Tommy James appreciator (have interviewed him 3 times,) and 
someone who respects Bill Medley and also collects his music, I find that 
both books miss the mark.  They are good, but both artists have so much more
that is left on the cutting room floor.

With James, it was because he wrote the book to be a film.  It was released
in 2011 and in 2023 the internet says " there's a film of his life story in the works 
that James says is being produced by Barbara De Vida, whose credits include 
executive producing “Goodfellas."  An in-depth book as those on 
Mott the Hoople or the Jefferson Airplane (Craig Fenton's version) are so
deep that they make any thought of chart action improbable leaning to
impossible.

While Medley's book does the job, it feels like it was written to sell at
concerts after the show, for an aging fan base.  The chapters are very
short, and there are many of them. 30.  With after thoughts by both
authors (that is smart, and something I like.)  But the authors go back
and forth with the timelines, probably for greater impact with the 
audience it is meant for, and for historians and those of us who go 
deep into musical study, it can distract.

Still, perhaps because it was spaced out so neatly (almost but not
quite a large print book,) it kept my attention.  As have most my treadmill
reads since I started the exercise program August 26, 2023.  Music Man,
Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic Records and the Triumph of Rock 'n' Roll
by Dorothy Wade and Justine Picardie, Up;and Down with the Rolling
Stones by Tony Sanchez (and uncredited co-author John Blake,) Exile
on Main St. by Robert Greenfield, Faithfull by Marianne Faithful and
David Dalton, Catch a Wave The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the
Beach Boys' Brian Wilson by Peter Ames Carlin, interesting losing weight
and traveling from world to world to get a perspective on what is being
published, how it is written, where the audience is, how the books are
presented.

Perseus Books released this Medley biography, and they were very local with the
DaCapo imprint (methinks they merged in 1999.) The woman
who eventually ran the Boston office was very good about getting me titles
has retired.  So I found Medley on my shelf and decided to give it a read.

There's the original writing of "Little Latin Lupe Lu" by Medley, his work
as a producer (he doesn't give himself enough credit, he's fantastic,) how
he played with tape machines and started recording himself multi-track,
his production of "Soul and Inspiration" which sounds so much like the
work of Phil Spector, and all the situations they had with Spector, from
the mind games to the control.  They could have been more lethal to 
Spector, but you can feel Medley hold back to serve his audience, as
the Tommy James book serves potential film producers.

Medley has a story, and he's very kind to all concerned, and if he takes
issue with anyone it is himself. 

Despite its flaws, it is arguably the best book about the Righteous Brothers
out there and I'm glad I invested the time in it.

These reviews, by the way, are just me getting thoughts down on paper
as I write the biography of record producer Jimmy Miller.  


13)  Music Man, Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic Records and the Triumph of Rock 'n' Roll by Dorothy Wade and Justine Picardie,


14)Up;and Down with the Rolling Stones by Tony Sanchez (and uncredited co-author John Blake,)




15) Exile
on Main St. by Robert Greenfield, 



16) Faithfull by Marianne Faithful and
David Dalton, 


17)Catch a Wave The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the
Beach Boys' Brian Wilson by Peter Ames Carlin,

 

18)Bootleg by Clinton Heylin

 


20)My Mama, Cass - by Owen Elliot-Kugell (Hardcover)


  Book Synopsis



A long-awaited, myth-busting, and deeply affecting memoir by the daughter of legendary rock star "Mama" Cass Elliot

To the rest of the world, Cass Elliot was a rock star; A charismatic, wisecracking singer from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted band, The Mamas & The Papas; A legend of Laurel Canyon, decked out in her custom-made Muumuus, glittering designer jewelry, blessed with a powerful, instantly identifiable singing voice which helped define the sound of the 1960s counterculture movement. But to Owen Elliot-Kugell, she was just Mom.

In the nearly 50 years since Cass Elliot's untimely death at the age of 32, rumors and myths have swirled about, shading nearly every aspect of her life. In her long-awaited memoir, Owen Elliot-Kugell shares the groundbreaking story of her mom as only a daughter can tell it.

In My Mama, Cass, Owen pulls back the curtains of her mother's life from the sold-out theaters and behind the closed doors of her infamous California abode. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen, the woman who was known to the world as Cass Elliot was decades ahead of her time: an independently minded, outspoken woman who broke through a male-dominated business, a forward-thinking feminist, and a single parent who embraced motherhood from the moment Owen entered the world. From the closely guarded secret of Owen's paternity to Cass's lifelong struggles with self-esteem and weight, to rumors surrounding her mother's death, Owen illuminates the complex truths of her mother's life, sharing interviews with the high-profile figures who orbited Cass, as well as never-before-heard tales of her mother and this legendary period of American history.

Featuring intimate family and archival photos as well as interviews and memories from famous friends, fans, and colleagues who loved and respected Cass, this book is both a love story and a mystery, a tale of self-discovery and a daughter's devotion. At its core, My Mama, Cass is a beautifully crafted testament befitting of Cass Elliot's enduring cultural impact and legacy, written by the person who knew and loved her best.



About the Author



Born six weeks before the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Owen Elliot-Kugell was seven when her mom, iconic singer-songwriter Cass Elliot, died suddenly. Growing up with her aunt and uncle in Los Angeles, she met husband Jack Kugell at 19. They currently reside with their daughter, Zoe, and son, Noah, in the San Fernando Valley area.


21)Kenny Selcer

Tears From Stone by Kenny Selcer https://www.tmrzoo.com/2024/76671/music-review-tears-from-stone-by-kenny-selcer via @TMR Zoo @MLC_US @tdawn1 @RadioRaccoon @wmfo @recordmachine @TheMagicRoom #joeviglionemedia @kenny_guitar website http://www.kennyselcer.com/ @WPKNradio @WFMU @zionrock @deskon7 @wbz @butv10 @tuftstv @BostonHeraldENT #music Read the review here: https://www.tmrzoo.com/2024/76671/music-review-tears-from-stone-by-kenny-selcer  






















40 MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND   

ANGEL STATION

Vocalist Chris Thompson's last album as a full-time member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band is dressed up in Mann's beautiful keyboards. Angel Station has some key moments -- "You Angel You," a Bob Dylan tune that sounds nothing like Dylan, and not the way their Top Ten version of "Quinn the Eskimo"/"The Mighty Quinn" was reinvented. "You Angel You" has a strong hook with top-notch Anthony Moore production work, and it melts into the title track of Harriet Schock's landmark Hollywood Town album, 
https://youtu.be/9IyEVmEvy5o   the source of Helen Reddy's "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady." The Manfred Mann version is interesting, and explores the possibilities of the composition, though Schock's version is perfect country-pop and hard to top. It is nice to see a rock band with such good taste. "Angelz at My Gate," co-written by Manfred Mann, leads off side two and is another dreamy "angel" tune. It sounds mysteriously like "Games Without Frontiers," the Peter Gabriel radio hit from his 1980 third self-titled solo album. Now since this was released the year before, do you think Gabriel found inspiration from the grooves of Angel Station? While artists like Gary Wright and Jordan Rudess overwhelm you with the keyboards, Manfred Mann's are indeed the lead instrument, but he uses them to augment the vocals, not to overpower. The John Shaw-photographed album cover looks innocent enough until you turn it upside down -- there a female dark angel, in open black cape, exposes her breasts. So blatant, but upside down it probably went right by many retailers, and with no hit single, it probably didn't cause too much of a stir. It's interesting that, like Gary Wright, the Earth Band recorded for Warner Bros., yet both acts only eked out a couple of hit singles. As with Wright's Headin' Home LP, this 1979 album has more than its share of good material, both keyboard players being intuitive artists with credentials and past chart success. Despite good performances on Heron's "Don't Kill It Carol" and a simply wonderful cover of Billy Falcon's 1978 release "Waiting for the Rain," this is yet another album that deserved a better fate. The rendition of the Falcon tune may be the best performance of one of that singer's compositions ever. The two Manfred Mann songs on side two are excellent: "You Are - I Am" is good and pleasant while "Resurrection" has lyrics that display clever sarcasm and religious -- or sacrilegious -- overtones. Angel Station is well-crafted music by an industry veteran.

Friday, December 01, 2023

The Joe Vig Top 40 for December 2023 Liv Taylor, Karla Bonoff, Harriet Schock, John Cale, Marianne Faithfull and more!

1)Michael Jackson, Inc./Catch a Wave / Janis  
2)John Cale
3)Livingston Taylor  Liv  CD
4)Harriet Schock  Paintings
5)Marianne Faithful   Faithfull (book)



 THESE 3 BOOKS AT #1
A JOE VIGLIONE DISCUSSION ON 
JACKSON/JOPLIN/BEACH BOYS



2)John Cale

3


Liv Review by Joe Viglione https://www.allmusic.com/album/liv-mw0000045485

"Get Out of Bed" leads off Liv, the 1971 album from Livingston Taylor, and it is a brilliant and exciting slice of pop music which should have been a huge international smash. It is one of those songs that you want to play 50 or 60 times in a row, perfectly written and recorded. Produced by Bruce Springsteen mentor Jon Landau and managed by Don Law, the son of the legendary country record producer Don Law, Sr., this Warner Bros. album had all the elements, and is more endearing than the two Top 40 hits this member of the famous Taylor family eventually garnered in 1978 and 1980. Liv's original songs are uplifting and give brother James Taylor a good run for his money. "May I Stay Around" has a vibrant vocal working itself over the elegant acoustic guitar, the bright green colors of the album cover and the laid-back young Livingston sitting in a chair looking aloof just calls back to a time when this sort of music was exploding -- Jim Croce, brother James, Harry Chapin, and Carole King, who he is closest to both vocally and sentimentally. The singer picks up the piano on "Open Up Your Eyes," "Get Out of Bed," "Be That Way," and "Gentleman," as well as the cover of "On Broadway," and with the understated production of Jon Landau, Livingston's beautiful heartfelt vocals make this an extraordinary work of art. Most of the tunes are around the three-minute mark, except for "Easy Prey," which gets over four-and-a-half; "Gentleman shows where the artist's contemporary (one year younger than this Taylor) Dan Fogelberg found part of his sound, though the performance is not as pronounced as "Easy Prey," the band kicking in early on that tune, Bill Stewart on drums, Paul Hornsby on electric piano, Tommy Talton on lead guitar, performing breathy, moving stuff. A low-key Quicksilver Messenger Service from the East Coast is what this album is, a musical journey full of delight and surprise. Dave Woodford's flute on "Open Up Your Eyes" is perfect and essential, and this serious music is the antithesis of Hugo Montenegro's Dawn of Dylan tribute album. Liv is the real thing by a troubadour who never really got the acclaim he deserved. Perhaps he was overshadowed by older brother James Taylor, or maybe Jonathan Edwards' "Sunshine" going Top Five nationally the year this album was released edged out other music from Boston instead of putting a focus on the region. Politcal reasons for this not making him a huge star aside, what remains is a very strong album which cries out to get played again and again. Exquisite.

4)HARRIET SCHOCK INTERVIEW
THE NEW CD  PAINTINGS


Q:The obvious question, is the new album
a concept album like Rosebud?

A No, it is a hand-picked collection of 15 songs I have written since my "Breakdown on Memory Lane" CD.

Q: Painting is such a metaphor for songwriting,
and I get the sense this is a bit of biography for
people you have known

A I saw the film "At Eternity's Gate" and was moved by the story of Vincent Van Gogh, how his paintings didn't sell while he was alive. The metaphor grew out of the writing of this song.

Q 15 songs today is almost a double
album in the 1970s, and I'm currently reading
a book on how Beach Boy Brian Wilson pushed
the envelope with his song, expanding the length
for radio and such. Why did you choose the
number 15 to tell this particular story?

A I'm telling quite a few stories and it took the number of 15 to tell them all.

Q:Bob Dylan\s "Like a Rolling Stone" is said to
be a tapestry with different personalities getting
lectured by the composer/singer.  Is it fair to ask
if this is a combination of people, or are you
writing about specific individuals?

A When it says in the lyric booklet "For Harvey Brownstone" or "For Jim Keaton," the song is about or from the viewpoint of that person. "Samantha Lynn" was inspired by the first season of "The Handmaid's Tale." I'm definitely not lecturing. Bob Dylan is good at that. But as my screenwriting professor said, "If you want to philosophize in a script, put it in the mouth of the cab driver.' These songs are my and other people's stories. No lecturing going on.

Q: Is each song a separate painting?

A  Is "At the Bridge" fiction or is there a
protagonist....are you the protagonist?


Q:You are using a new platform to get the album
to the listeners.  Does this allow for more expression?

A I'm trying to use "Oohyeah.app" created by Travis Allen. That way, people can hear it for free, but if they want to download, the fee goes directly to the artist. My other five recent (since 20th albums) CDs are all available for free on Spotify, Rhapsody and all the other streaming platforms. As you must know, that is very hard on the creators.

Q: I was kind of taken aback with the booklet being
only the lyrics, and no liner notes.  Do you want the
listener to figure things out and not give any hint
to the storyline in the 15 compositions?

I've never given that kind of information in any album I've made. When I perform, I introduce every song. There was barely room for the lyrics so, no, I didn't include all the stories behind the songs. But I do indicate when a song was written for a particular person, from a person's viewpoint and/or inspired by something. Generally, when I'm interviewed I give that background. I'm happy to go through it with you on the call or in writing. 


5)MARIANNE FAITHFULL

        Give My Love To London - Red

Color vinyl  





6) Tears from Stone  Kenny Selcer 


Artist: Kenny Selcer

CD:  Tears from Stone

 


“I’ll Fly Away” on the Tears From Stone CD is carefully guided artistry from the hand of a master craftsman of the New England area music scene. The four minute and nine second song could be John Denver at his country best, but more than that, one can almost hear the Gospel voices that aren’t there, a pretty statement almost prayer-like in its sincerity. Steve Gilligan’s bass and backing vocals from Liz Buchanan work alongside multi-instrumentalist Kenny Selcer to bring this exquisite piece home.

“Like a Sun Shower” has a similar feel, though it is stylistically different in its folk/pop splendor with a strong vocal front and center. It’s simply beautiful.

The word eclectic is used to describe so many things, but the dictionary definition reviews Kenny Selcer’s music to the T:  “deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.”  Selcer offers vocals, acoustic, electric and slide guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, string arrangements, horn arrangement, percussion, mandolin, music and lyrics from his own musical experiences while John Loud, Bernie Geddry and Mike Migliozzi’s drums, Chris Billias on keyboards, and Joe Kessler’s violin all play their part as part of the tapestry, never stepping on the sounds as they combine to shape each of the sixteen tunes.

“Nothing Started Nothing Gained” actually starts the album off with West Coast folk rock that David Crosby could groove to. This writer puts the disc in a “shuffle” mode, so these thoughts on the material, some of which I’ve heard on radio over the past months, are in no particular order.

“I’m Leaving this Town” in its neo-reggae rocking structure is a popular theme with many musical people, like a residency at a club that turns into a merry-go-round.  Sometimes the grass is always greener, and sometime a place just burns you out Is the singer/guitarist imagining, being wishful, or just considering the moment?  “Please Disregard” seems like a fusion of rock, country and blues, drawing you in with the musicianship and chord structure, a very strong track. “Morning Light” one could hear from a Paul McCartney or Emitt Rhodes solo-disc where they played all their own instruments.  Introspective with the instruments vying for center stage with the vocals. It’s a 180 from “In America” which reflects 60 pop producers like Jerry Ross and movie themes from that era.             

Kenny’s musicianship flows from track to track, years playing on the folk circuit and making recording give him a grasp that he and his colleagues bring the listener on songs like “Up In Heaven” and “On a Ride.”  “On a Ride” closes the journey out with an uptempo burst of energy.  Kind of like the singer on horseback riding out to the sunset and gifting so many ideas and melodies.  This is a double-disc for sure and a beautiful listening experience.      







7)Jon FX






RIP Denny Laine https://www.allmusic.com/album/aah-laine-mw0000841714
Aah Laine Review by Joe Viglione

Denny Laine did not know this album was released on Warner Bros until 1989. He surmised that the late Tony Secunda, manager for the Moody Blues when Laine was in the band, sold the U.S. rights to Warner Bros. (The original pressing was released in 1973 on Wizard Records in Europe.) Laine is wearing a Wings T-shirt on the front cover and it is amazing that he didn't perform some of these songs with Paul & Linda McCartney when they were all together. "Find a Way Somehow" has that "Let Me Roll It to You" sound from Wings' Red Rose Speedway. But the best track here is "Baby Caroline," which rivals a song called "Blue Nights," not on this collection, and one of Laine's most perfect moments. His voice is in great shape -- bluesy, defined, and in sync with the tunes. "Havin' Heaven" bops and is a good departure from the mellow leanings Laine's music gravitates toward. As a founder of the Moody Blues and singer of their first hit, "Go Now," Laine, like Chad Allen of the Guess Who, found himself shifting gears after finding success. Allen's music is also substantial, and although Laine penned "Say You Don't Mind," a hit for Colin Blunstone, this album is very much like Allen's work on Brave Belt: underrated and underappreciated. "On That Early Morn" has tasty guitar and a '50s feel. It really is astounding that while his band was hitting number one with Band on the Run, Laine had no idea he had an album out in America (which was one of Warner Bros' biggest failures of that year). Laine performing "The Blues" and "Sons of Elton Haven Brown" on-stage, maybe as opening act for Wings that year, could have changed rock history. This is music straight from the heart.

Reborn is a brilliant album by an erratic and often misdirected artist. It is, actually, quite refreshing in its simplicity, with Laine's vocals surprisingly in good shape. In the late '80s and early '90s, the founding member of the Moody Blues who should never have left Wings had little of his great voice left. He was performing in New England doing covers of previous glories, talking about a musical opera he was writing, and raising a daughter with his girlfriend Helen Grant, daughter of the late Peter Grant, manager of Led Zeppelin. Hearing "Hard Labor" on this disc definitely shows the rebirth the title track acknowledges. The voice is more flawed here than on other tracks, but it works, like a drunken Steve Marriott might sound today had he lived, raspy and sincere. Brian Hines, in his Denny Laine persona, crams choruses he was so good at creating into compact little tunes with great melodies. "Misty Mountain" is a good example -- this pop tune dives right into that sound Laine helped establish. What a shame he didn't come up with songs like this when Paul McCartney generously gave him room to express himself on Wings albums. Laine looks ragged on the park bench photo next to the lyrics to "Misty Mountain," but the ecology-minded musician is at the peak of his powers here, material as strong as "Say You Don't Mind," his composition that Zombie Colin Blunstone hit with. "Fanfare" is a bit more subdued, Laine sounding like a journeyman preacher. He's released a number of lukewarm records, and his failure to stay in the spotlight has made him one of rock's forgotten soldiers. Upon hearing "Blue Lights" (not on this record), executive Don Rubin said to the late Jimmy Miller that he felt Denny Laine was one of the few artists who could come back the way Steve Winwood did in the '80s. This album is evidence that Rubin's comment was quite accurate, but the timing, clearly, was off. "Reborn," the title track, has a definite drive. The sound would be perfect for a reconstituted Traffic or Electric Light Orchestra. Those groups performing "Rollin' Tide" or "In Time" might find themselves vital again, and give a much deserved rebirth to Denny Laine. The vocal and keyboard interplay on Rollin' Tide deserves to be heard by millions of ears.




Man's Best Friend Review by Joe Viglione
https://www.allmusic.com/album/mans-best-friend-mw0000565745
Man's Best Friend boasts superb musicianship, high production values, good song selection, beautiful vocal performances from Livingston Taylor, and an impressive cast of guest stars who do not get in the way of the singer/songwriter. Though "First Time Love" broke the Top 40 for a couple of weeks in September of 1980, this album, much like his work on Atco a decade earlier, is superlative and deserved more chart activity. Converging on "Sunshine Girl" are drummer Jeff Porcaro, Jeff Baxter from Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers (it should be noted, a fellow Bostonian), and ex-Turtles Flo & Eddie, just the right touch to knock this one out of the park. "Sunshine Girl" is so sincere, such an uplifting composition and performance, that it makes it frustrating to hear these remarkable sounds and know that Epic Records or whoever couldn't deliver this to the wide audience it deserved. Covers of Randy Newman's "Marie" and the Stevenson/Gay/Hunter classic "Dancing in the Street" are fine, but the collaboration between Baxter and Taylor, "You Don't Have to Choose," like the aforementioned John Manchester/Livingston Taylor title, "Sunshine Girl," gives the listener insight to the artistry at play, insight you can't find on the fun romps "Ready Set Go" and "Dancing in the Street." It's a nice mix, though. Carla Thomas dueting with Taylor while backed up by Steve Cropper and the Memphis Horns is pretty phenomenal. Baxter takes to the keyboards on this cover of the Motown hit, giving Cropper space, but who wouldn't have loved to hear a guitar duel here? When the earthy dance stuff subsides, Taylor hits you with a co-write his wife, Maggie Taylor, helped him with, "Out of This World," and not to sound cliché, it is out of this world. Taylor has a sweet, down-home folksy voice perfect for pop radio, and his delivery is magical, from the calypso-style "Face Like a Dog" to the beautiful rendition of Jon Hall's 1975 hit, "Dance With Me." Don Henley is on harmony vocal for the Orleans tune and, as stated above, these big-name artists do a marvelous job of complementing the music, not impeding it with overplaying. From his 1971 Jon Landau-produced LP Liv to this John Boylan/Jeff Baxter co-production almost a decade later (the producers doing their tracks separately, not collaborating), Man's Best Friend continues the consistent musical saga of a musician who should be a huge star. Where brother James Taylor is the icon, deservedly so, it is too bad room wasn't made in the pantheon for this bright and talented artist. Livingston Taylor's albums are refreshingly strong, and enhance radio when they get their chance to entertain. This one's a contender for lost classic status.


https://www.allmusic.com/album/livingston-taylor-mw0000043888
Livingston Taylor Review by Joe Viglione

It would be difficult not to compare Livingston Taylor's self-titled 1970 debut to his brother's second solo release, Sweet Baby James, as the latter certainly brought attention to the former, but the Jon Landau-produced disc crafted in Macon, GA, is a world unto itself. Ten originals by Taylor along with one cover, the Earl Greene and Carl Montgomery country standard "Six Days on the Road," make for a pleasant listen. "Sit on Back" is a bright enough opening, with "Doctor Man" bringing in a bit of the darkness. "My time's at hand" is the same line James Taylor used in the hit "Fire and Rain" and both brothers spent their time in the psych ward: "People with smiles/They talk of a hand that they got from a man called the doctor man." You would love to hear Lou Reed take this on, and somehow the pretty guitar and arrangement are real paradoxes for what should be a dirge, the lyrics profoundly in need of a few spins to sink in. Because much of this album feels like the producer and the artists were getting their bearings, "Six Days on the Road" becomes one of the more accessible tracks. Versions by Hank Snow, Bloodwyn Pig, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Taj Mahal, and others proliferated, and this is not as ethereal as the artist's cover of "On Broadway" from the Liv album, but in its simplicity the point still gets across. The LP cover photo is pretty out there, with Taylor looking down from a metal structure of some sort, his hair all frazzled, while the back cover has a darkened room which looks like a recording studio. "Packet of Good Times" is very up-tempo, while "Hush a Bye" brings things right back down and, like most of the project, is understated. It's on Liv, the second album, that things really come together. Sure, these songs are well constructed, but they still seem somewhat raw and no doubt influenced the way things would be tackled the second time around. Sister Kate and James are referenced in "Carolina Day," a song with more parallels. "Can't Get Back Home" follows suit -- impressive ditties with "In My Reply" up and "Lost in the Love of You" down again. The obvious yin yang would change on the next album, which should have been a huge breakthrough for this sensitive and special artist. The seeds of future work are here, and Livingston Taylor is a nice start to the singer's interesting career.


25)MAJOR RILEY JUST LET ME PASS


JUST LET ME PASS
3 minutes and 21 seconds of frenetic, pulsating quasi-revolutionary music from Major Riley is a party from start to finish. The no-nonsense onslaught is immediate and doesn't let up. The rhythmic undercurrent is distinctly different and will turn your head on the first and onto repeated listenings.

MAJOR RILEY was born and raised in Sangre Grande, Trinidad & Tobago. He first burst on the scene in 1996 with his popular single "Signs of Times" which received rave reviews in major international markets such as the U.K., Germany, and the Caribbean setting the underground ablaze and headlining several Bob Marley Festival Tours in the US. His trademark is his musical versatility and according to the artist, his musical inspiration was influenced at an early age by reggae legends like Bob Marley, Israel Vibrations and Shabba Ranks… when music simply took over his life: "It just found me… I want to touch the world with my music.”
Major Riley has been blessed with the uncanny ability to rip any reggae, dancehall or soca track and has performed amongst the likes of Scrunta, Crazy, Denise Belfon, Alison Hinds, Byron, Rupee, Shaggy, Shabba Ranks, Sean Paul, Sanchez, Sizzla, Capleton, Morgan Heritage and other luminaries of soca and reggae music. As a very prolific, tenacious and creative artist, Major Riley has continuously worked hard on other projects and releases. Current plans include the release of the follow-up album to “The Untold Story” titled “Days of Circumstances.” The next single being heavily promoted is the soca dance track “Wooy Fireman.” Major Riley has just completed the music video and the song is gaining popularity worldwide. Major Riley is blazing a trail across the Caribbean with his sights set on dominating the charts here in the U.S. and around the globe.

Listening Review by Joe Viglione

Michael Tschudin led the Boston-based band Listening, but it is the contributions by former Velvet Underground bassist Walter Powers and guitarist Peter Malick which make this album historic. Powers performed over the years with keyboardist Willie Alexander as members of Capitol Recording Artist the Lost, the aforementioned Velvets, and on Autre Chose, a live album from Alexander released on New Rose in Paris. Peter Malick is best known for being Otis Spann's guitarist and a member of the James Montgomery Band on Capricorn. Their legendary status in Boston rock & roll history brings positive notoriety to the fine music on this Vanguard release. "So Happy" is the poppiest tune, a cross between the Monkees and the Mojo Men, which is quite misleading. The album runs the gamut from pop to blues to jazz. "Baby Where Are You" is some strange fusion of Motown and the Spencer Davis Group which then veers off in a frenzy of effects and musical jam. Eight of the 11 tracks are written by keyboard/vocalist Michael Tschudin, with three titles attributed to the group. "See You Again," one of the group efforts, is another jam with riffs the Who would greatly appreciate. Phish's success validates how ahead of its time Listening truly was. There is certainly an identity here as Tschudin takes the boys through all sorts of styles inside the tune "Laugh at the Stars." Elements of Jimi Hendrix, the Band, and the Vanilla Fudge swirl around in the pretty decent production by Michael Chechik. Where peer group the Peanut Butter Conspiracy sound forced, Listening is right on target. There's just no hit single here that could launch these gentlemen from the trap known as "The Bosstown Sound." "9/8 Song" is definite jazz, kind of like latter-day Rascals, and we know how good that was, and how far it didn't go. "Stoned Is" sounds like the Velvet Underground performing "Chest Fever" by way of Lou Reed's "New York Stars" from Sally Can't Dance. It would fit perfectly on the '60s film soundtrack Psych-Out. Listening has punch and creativity which deserved a better fate.


On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 07:02:21 PM EST, Ernie Welch 


Hello, Joe. Came across a clean copy of the “Listening” album today in a thrift store. Wasn’t familiar with the band, also the case with some other Boston based groups during the four year time frame when I was in the Air Force. Research brought up your review in AllMusic, which was informative, interesting and tight. Looking forward to giving “Listening” a listening or two later tonight. Purchased a pulled 1961 Magnavox tube amplifier a year ago, which has unlocked an exciting new experience enjoying my recorded music. Enjoy the holidays, Joe. — Ernie Welch



40)Steve Sweeney Interview 
https://soundcloud.com/joe-viglione/joe-viglione-interviews-comedian-steve-sweeney-on-nov-15-2023?si=b4203096b9d641798eb63d113f91a0f1&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Photo of joe v taping American Beauties on Facebook Live 11/30/23 at Plough and Stars

Travelogue Live '05 Review by Joe Viglione https://www.allmusic.com/album/travelogue-live-05-mw0001030663
A visually intriguing package of Meat Beat Manifesto with images culled from a rehearsal in San Francisco, on the road in North America and Canada, at a sound check on June 16, 2005 in Kansas City, as well as a sound check in Chicago six days later, and then the full concert live at that Chicago venue on June 22, 2005. Jack Dangers builds his audio as Greg Hawkes of the Cars and videographer Jeff Hudson did back in the '90s, the concert combining imagery with the electronica/techno/ backbeat and sound weavings. Picture Monsieur Leroc adding some punch to the Chemical Brothers without the soul music. Or perhaps it is Kraftwerk hypnotics with Ringo Starr-style beats courtesy of Lynn Farmer's V.Drums. It's fun stuff, but like Chrome and Helios Creed on their Dual Forces DVD, the quartet here can sometimes deliver too much of a good thing and it can all descend into monotony. Where the rap and performance of a Blackalicious has the potential to evolve, at a certain point the explorations of these sons of Kraftwerk seem to bang their heads against the glass ceiling when they should be bashing through it, though "Radio Babylon" is nicely eerie. Don't expect the Beatles when "Helter Skelter" kicks in, and it is Elsa Lanchester's face and scream from The Bride of Frankenstein that will greet you on "She's Unreal." When it comes to experimenting, a group like Home and Garden seems to have the knack for it and Meat Beat Manifesto would be wise to combine forces with musicians from another world, as the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver once did with their respective genres decades before this. Travelogue Live '05 is a fun jaunt and might spice up a party for 20 minutes or so, but then it's time to slap on Andy Mackay's In Search of Eddie Riff again.

Top 40 for March and April 2026 Peter Noone, Lulu, Suzanne Vega, David Bowie, Marilyn McCoo, Thorne

  1 Thorne from album Sprawl   Thorne from their album Sprawl with an interesting cover of  sutherland bros and quiver   https://youtu.be/Ta...