WE'LL BEGIN BY ADMITTING THAT ALBUM IS AN ARCHAIC TERM. HOWEVER, MUCH OF WHAT WE WILL REVIEW HERE WAS ORIGIALLY RELEASED ON VINYL. THIS EDITION WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ONE OF OUR FAVORITE CLASSIC ROCK ALBUMS. THIS FORUM IS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER RECORDINGS TO REVIEW.
September 8th, 2007
Sports
The 1983 album, Sports, gave Huey Lewis and the News a #1 hit in 1984. It spawned four Top Ten singles. Not bad for a bar band formed only a few years earlier in 1980. But of course music is always a product of the musicians’ past. In Lewis’ case, he dropped out of Cornell after his junior year to play in a band called Clover in the early 1970s. They were a San Francisco-based country rock band for which he played harmonica and did vocals. Another founding member was Sean Hopper, keyboardist, who also contributed vocals. The group moved to England in 1976 and developed a following, but had no real success. Lewis and Hopper returned to the states in the late 70s and began playing in the San Francisco area. They formed a group with Johnny Colla (sax and guitar), Mario Cipollina (bass), and Billy Gibson (drums), and called themselves American Express. They recorded an unsuccessful song, “Exodisco.” In 1980 they added a lead guitarist, Chris Hayes, and changed their name to Huey Lewis & the News. Later in the same year they released their first album, a self-titled disc that was also unsuccessful. Fortunately they did not give up. They continued to hone their unique sound, a straight-forward rock and roll, with a little British pub and a little bit of oldies sound, and developed a following. 1982 saw their second album released, and thanks to the single “Do You Believe In Love” by Mutt Lange, Picture This went to #13. They toured heavily before releasing Sports in 1983. It eventually went multi-platinum, mostly due to four top ten tunes. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award. The album effectively utilized a new technology of that time using drum machines and sequenced bass. The ‘average guys’ persona that they seemed to have also helped win over a large audience. The use of appealing hooks with their perfect harmonies made for good, clean rock and roll. The album opens with “Heart of Rock and Roll,” penned by Colla and Lewis. It went to #6, in large part due to the catchy heartbeat drum opening. Cipollina’s bass, Colla’s sax, and the catchy chorus get the listener’s attention and hold it through the heartbeat ending. The video of this one won them a Grammy. “Heart and Soul” is next and has a slightly harder rock edge thanks to Chris Hayes’ power chords on the guitar. The tune was written by M. Chapman and N. Chinn, and peaked at #8. “Bad Is Bad” by A. Call, J. Ciambotti, S. Hopper, H. Lewis, J. McFee, and M. Schriner has a 50’s doo-wop sound, a little soul, and great background vocals. Next comes “I Want A New Drug” by C. Hayes and H. Lewis, which showcases Lewis’ vocal range and Colla’s saxophone in a fun criticism of pharmaceutical feel-gooders. Decide for yourself whether or not there is any depth to this tune, or whether or not there even needs to be. “Walking On A Thin Line” by A. Pessis and K. Wells is a tune about returning Vietnam vets and the after effects of war. It is highlighted by Cipollina’s bass playing and is a harder rock tune than the others. It went to #8. A more classic rock sound is found in “Finally Found A Home” by C. Hayes, H. Lewis, and B. Brown. The classic feel comes from Hayes’ guitar and Hopper’s keyboarding. Another doo-wop sound is next with “If This Is It,” written by J. Colla and H. Lewis. It is a song about relationship games. The sax is once again the stand-out. It went to #6. “You Crack Me Up” by M. Cipollina and Huey Lewis makes good use of the synthesizer and has strong background vocals. The album ends with a re-do of the Hank Williams tune “Honky-Tonk Blues” and features John McFee on steel guitar. Sports is a no-nonsense, fun, traditional, and soul-inspired disc.
When beginning to review any album, getting a little background on the artist seems to bring the work more to life. The talented Don Henley was born to be a musician at least partly thanks to music-loving parents. He was raised in Linden, Texas, a small east Texas community, where he was exposed very early to many types of music. He listened to the radio in bed at night, and regularly with his father. His parents took him to concerts of all types. His mother played gospel piano and his father liked to sing. He played drums in his high school band, and helped form an instrumental band in the early '60s with friends, which they called The Four Speeds. They eventually became Shiloh, and after the onset of the Beatles, they knew they wanted to add voices. This is the point at which Don Henley discovered he had a good voice. The group stayed together for seven years. During this time Don attended college, majoring in English literature, and in 1970 Kenny Rodgers 'discovered' the group and took them to Los Angeles.
The Shilohs recorded an album and Don met and became friends with Glenn Frey in the studio. The two of them became part of Linda Ronstadt's backup band, but after a short time morphed into the Eagles in 1971. Don was the band's drummer, as well as one of the lead singers and songwriters. The Eagles were together for almost nine years and were one of the all-time most successful groups, with Don co-writing most of their hits. After their breakup he went solo, releasing albums in 1982 and 1984 that produced several hits for him.
The End Of The Innocence, his third solo album, debuted in 1989 and produced three more major hits for Henley including the title song, which brought him his second 'Best Rock Vocal' Grammy. " The End Of The Innocence" was co-written and co-produced with Bruce Hornsby who provides piano. "Innocence" is a song of loss that comes with leaving childhood behind-loss of families, losses of war, loss of love and virtue. Henley's raspy voice is showcased in this song, and jazz musician Wayne Shorter does a nice soprano sax solo.
"How Bad Do You Want It" begins with a short drum solo and the drums do carry the song all the way. This one was co-written with Danny Kortschmar and Stan Lynch and seems to mock a common problem-knowing the difference between love and lust. "I Will Not Go Quietly," written with Kortschmar, has Axl Rose on harmonies. It appears to be a song of self talk, of refusing to give up when life seems pointless. Kortschmar has a short guitar solo at the end making it clear, if anyone was wondering, that this one is not 'soft' rock.
Another hit, "The Last Worthless Evening," is co-written with John Corey and Stan Lynch, who also provides percussion for this one. Corey does the guitars and keyboards. All are unobtrusive and let the lyrical excellence carry this tune of wanting to reach out in understanding of failed love. "New York Minute" follows and is a ballad about the desperation that can come with life, even to the point of suicide, but ends with the optimistic reminder that everything can change in a New York minute. Co-writers are Korschmar and Jai Winding. The group Take 6 helps with the background vocals, and Steve Madaio gets in a trumpet solo.
"Shangri-La"-writers are Henley, Kortschmar, and Steve Jordan, who adds interest to the song with the 'wah-wah' guitar and does drums. Help with vocal comes from Take 6, Ivan Neville, Jordan, and Charlie Drayden. The apparent meaning? Life ain't no Shangri-la. Next up is "Little Tin God," a satirical take on religion, or at least a person's idea of religion. Co-writers are Korschmar and J.D. Souther.
Another tune written with Lynch and Corey is "Gimme What You Got." Background vocals on this one are provided by Melissa Etheridge and Edie Brickell. This song cuts to the heart of materialism, greed, and corruption becoming increasingly the norm in modern society. And the theme continues on the next cut on which Korschmar, Henley, and Souther pool talents again. "If Dirt Were Dollars" has Sheryl Crow and Souther on background vocals.
The last song on the album speaks of letting go of anger after losing love. "The Heart Of The Matter," co-written with Souther and Mike Campbell, features background vocals by Julie Waters, Maxine Waters, and Carmen Twillie. Henley manages to make his vocals intimate, poignant, and believable.
The End Of The Innocence has gone six times platinum at last count. With Henley's insightful vocals and the Who's Who list of musicians on this album, it is still one of the best classic releases.
To catch up to Don's current activities, visit our CLASSIC ARTISTS UPDATE page.
1971--Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a hit movie, All In The Family began its long-running series on television, and Tapestry was released, finally bringing Carole King to the public's attention. She was twenty-nine years old and had already written or co-written twenty hits for other people. She had two small hits of her own, but until the release of Tapestry, her unique singing style seemed to be a music world secret. The album also showcased the talent she had been developing since the age of four--playing the piano. The album stayed on Billboard charts for an amazing and well-deserved six years.
Tapestry starts with "I Feel The Earth Move," a newly-penned (at that time) song by Carole, and like most of her tunes, her voice carries and drives the music. In 1989 Martika had a minor hit with the song, showing how versatile all of Carole's music can be. "So Far Away" follows, and features a flute and James Taylor on acoustic guitar in a melancholy tune about being on the road.
"It's Too Late" is an obvious tribute to the end of a relationship and was co-written with Toni Stern. This one has outstanding conga drums and sax, and like most of her lyrics, is easy to relate to. It brought her a grammy for Record of the Year. In this same year Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack had a hit with their own interpretation of "It's Too Late," and Gloria Estefan did her take on the song in 1995.
Next on the album is "Home Again," a short little song about road weariness written by Carole and once again featuring her friend, James Taylor, on acoustic guitar. "Beautiful" is a much more optimistic song, and is followed by "Way Over Yonder," an upbeat gospel tune.
"You've Got A Friend," huge partly thanks to James Taylor, is the longest song on the disc. Besides playing guitar on the album, Taylor had a hit with the song later in the same year. The tune is a personal, mellow tribute to friendship and loyalty. This well-known song brought her another Grammy, this time for Song of the Year.
"Where You Lead," co-written with Toni Stern, is a happy love song that was also done in the same year, 1971, by Barbra Streisand. Today it is the theme song for the popular television series "The Gilmore Girls," and is performed by Carole and her daughter, Louise. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" is a song that was co-written with her first husband, Gerry Goffin, and was her first song to hit the charts when The Shirelles released it in 1961. Carole's version is much slower and heartfelt with J. Taylor and Joni Mitchell doing background vocals (liner notes say The Mitchell/Taylor boy/girl choir.) This song was done four other times in the years prior to and after Tapestry by Dusty Springfield, Laura Brannigan, Little Eva, and Roberta Flack.
"Smackwater Jack" is a fun little diddy that seems out of place with the rest of the music, but it is welcome in its originality. It may be the only attempt at a social statement on the whole record, but it is inoffensive and wonderfully different. The title song, "Tapestry," is next and features the folksy simplicity of just Carole on keyboards and vocally.
Once again Tapestry reaches back for a song co-penned with Goffin and Jerry Wexler in the 1960s. The album comes to a smooth and fitting end with "A Natural Woman." It is kept sincerely simple with only Carole and her piano and a string bass. While Carole keeps it personal, Aretha Franklin did a joyful gospel version. Other interpretations were done by Mary J. Bilge, Laura Nyro, Patti LaBelle, and Celine Dion.
Tapestry gave Carole a Grammy for Album of the Year, and remains one of the all-time soft rock albums. 1987 saw her inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and along with Goffin, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. No lover of music should miss listening to this classic.
www,caroleking.com
See our Classic Artist Update page for more on Carole King.
When 1973 rolled around, Houstonians and most other Texas rock fans were already familiar with native sons Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard. Their first two albums as ZZ TOP had made them local favorites. For their third record, the trio traveled to Memphis. The result is an album that made them world famous and stayed on the charts for 81 weeks: Tres Hombres. While it is not as holy a shrine to Texans as the Alamo, this monument to Texas Blues-Boogie has also stood the test of time, and is now available on cd in an expanded version. Although there has not been a lot of extra material included, there are live versions of three of the songs, along with some interesting liner notes by longtime ZZ publicist Bob Merlis.
Tres Hombres opens with a ZZ Top specialty. Harking back to the earlier ZZ tune "Just Got Paid," "Waitin' For The Bus" is a bit of workingman's blues. "Have mercy, been waitin' for the bus all day, got my brown paper bag and my take home pay" is the story of a man living for the weekend, and slowed by the fact that he has to wait for the bus when he would rather be cruising a Cadillac. It is followed without pause by "Jesus Just Left Chicago," which is ZZ's tribute to the blues. According to Merlis' notes, these songs were not meant to be run together as they were on the album. An engineer trying to remove excess blank tape between the cuts accidentally sliced away too much. Call it serendipity that the songs just seemed to belong that way, and have stayed that way ever since. In their live performances, ZZ Top still plays them as a unit.
The next song, "Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers," says a lot about the national mindset that ZZ Top had tapped into. With the Viet Nam war ending, America's youth were ready to have fun. The previous decade's music had been about protest. political change, and pontification. Those three p's were now giving way to party, party, party. Being at your favorite honky tonk around supper time with "a can of dinner" was consistent with the theme the "Top" had built their first two albums around, and they never strayed from it. ZZ Top was always about having fun.
"Master Of Sparks" has always been one of ZZ's most intriguing songs lyrically. Thankfully, Merlis sheds some light on those lyrics. "Master Of Sparks" was written by Billy Gibbons, based on something some friends apparently talked him into. One of the friends was a welder (no, he was not the master of sparks) who created a round steel cage with an airline seat, complete with harness, inside. With Gibbons strapped into the seat, the ball was dragged down the highway behind a pickup truck, throwing off sparks "like a stick of rollin' dynamite." The ball came loose and took out a hundred yards of fencing. Gibbons survived and was awarded a "Master of Sparks" degree.
The album slows down briefly with "Hot, Blue And Righteous," a simple and very bluesy love song. But the tempo picks right back up with "Move Me On Down The Line." This rocker about wanderlust fulfills the Texas blues requirement to have at least one train song. "Precious And Grace" is another autobiographical number. Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill were on a road trip when they picked up two very rough girls who were hitching a ride. One of them had apparently just been released from prison, and they directed the musicians down a make-out road in what turned out to be a likely ambush. "Precious and Grace" were shoved from the moving car and the boys made their getaway.
The show-stopper on Tres Hombres turned out to be their tribute to another Texas landmark, the "Chicken Ranch." This brothel in the small town of La Grange had operated since the 1830's and was an open secret across the state. With a driving beat, lewd lyrics, and a lascivious laugh thrown in for good measure; ZZ Top shared the secret with the world. Something about the song resonated with the public. "La Grange" barely missed being a top forty hit, peaking at number forty-one.
The album finishes with"Sheik," a song with nonsense lyrics that tell of the delusions that are experienced with a fever that "must have been a 110;" and "Have You Heard," a slower, blues oriented jam. Like many ZZ Top songs, the lyrics are secondary here, and exist in large part to provide a framework of melody to wrap the infectious rhythm and high octane guitar work around.
For anyone who doesn't have Tres Hombres on compact disc, the incentive here is the addition of the live material. "Waitin' For The Bus," "Jesus Just Left Chicago," and "La Grange" are filled with the over the top energy ZZ Top brings to their live shows.
Jackson Browne achieved success as a songwriter at a very early age. In 1972, his self-titled debut album immediately established him as a performer of note as well. Browne was still polishing his singing and performing style, and compared to his later work this album is rough around the edges. Its strength lies in the outstanding songs and proves the adage that no one can sing a song quite like its creator. Over the course of ten songs, Jackson Browne covers the gamut of emotions that the author was experiencing at this point in his life: the transition from youth to maturity, friendship, the search for adventure, young love, unrequited love, the loss of innocence, spirituality, and death. All these are, of course, common to the human experience. But they are rarely expressed in such fluent and fluid poetry.
The first song, "Jamaica Say You Will," is an ode to a young love: "Jamaica was the lovely one, I played her well, As we lay in the tall grass where the shadows fell." As he sings of this daughter of a sea captain, one senses that this song is not strictly autobiographical. However, the feeling of losing one's innocence with a first love rings true. "Jamaica" is followed by "A Child In These Hills." Here, Browne sings of growing up, of searching for direction and someone to guide him: "Well I have come to these hills, I will come to the river, As I choose to be gone from the house of my Father." The album's third song may be one of Jackson Browne's most underrated. "Song For Adam" is an elegy written for a friend who committed suicide. Whenever someone takes their own life, there always seems to be someone who offers the unfair and unfeeling comment that "suicide is a selfish act." Browne dispenses with that silly platitude at the end of the first verse with these pithy lyrics: "Now the story's told that Adam jumped, but I've been thinking that he fell." With one simple line he removes the onus from his friend, and shows the suicide to be the blameless tragedy that it is. Browne also states that he thought his friend to be the stronger one, and sings of life's fragility with these moving lyrics: I sit before my only candle, like a pilgrim sits beside the way Now this journey appears before my candle As a song that's growing fainter the harder that I play But I fear before the end I'll fade away But I guess I'll get there, though I wouldn't say for sure. Vocally, this is the most difficult and ambitious song on the album. While his voice may sound somewhat strained here, he manages to wring buckets of raw emotion from the piece. Sadly, it is not the type of song that would ever earn radio play.
"Doctor My Eyes" was picked to be the radio friendly song on the album and peaked at number eight on Billboard. This was the first introduction to Jackson Browne for most people, and many may have wondered how someone his age managed to write such a world weary and jaded tune. It is followed by "From Silver Lake." where Browne says goodbye to friends. Reputedly, one of the friends was the previously mentioned Adam, who was off to seek adventure. Another of the album's most beautiful and intriguing songs is "Something Fine." In his Browne biography, Mark Bego states that the "taste of something fine" referred to here is drugs, and that the song is about wasting away the days getting high and dreaming of far away places. That may be true, but the song certainly seems to work on another level as well. In "Something Fine," the lyrics and the melody meld beautifully: The papers lie there helplessly In a pile outside the door I've tried and tried, but I just can't remember what they're for The world outside is tugging like a beggar at my sleeve Oh, that's much too old a story to believe.
And you know that it's taken it's share of me Even though you take such good care of me Now you say Morocco and that makes me smile I haven't seen Morocco in a long, long while The dreams are rolling down across the places in my mind And I've just had a taste of something fine. The taste of something fine could be drugs, could be love, or could be a shared dream. The song is beautiful, and one does hope for something a little more.
The album continues with a love song, "Under The Falling Sky." Next, "Looking Into You" tells of going back to a house he had lived in when he was younger and realizing that there was no permanence in a house. Presumably, the permanence is found in love, which he realizes while "looking into you.'' According to Browne, the song was written for someone he had yet to meet. The ninth song on the record, "Rock Me On The Water," still stands as one of Jackson Browne's finest recordings. This is a very spiritual song, wherein Browne sings of getting down to the sea as a metaphor for finding salvation. While he begins with a plaintive plea for mankind (Oh people, look around you, the signs are everywhere,) this piano heavy song changes tempo and comes to a rocking, celebratory conclusion. While it might seem like the natural way to conclude the album, Browne does include one more song. "My Opening Farewell" has the singer graciously saying goodbye to a lady friend, keeping her from having to do it. In his book, Bego states that the goodbye is between an old woman and an invalid.
Jackson Browne stands apart from Browne's other albums for several reasons. The raw, unpolished sound on this album is unique, as Browne learned his lessons quickly. And it does give the album a special charm. That also holds true for the production, in which he was heavily involved. Most of all, though, is the fact that every song is a gem, written at a time when everything was fresh and new for the author. There is a special tenderness, and an innocence, that was never again available in quite the abundance that it is here.
One interesting side story involves the album cover. The design is based on the canvas water bags which were suspended in front of a car's radiator to help cool it. When Jackson saw the original design, he wanted the phrase "Saturate Before Using" to be removed, fearing that people would mistake it for the album's title. The designers assured him that it would not, and wanted the authenticity it imparted to the picture. Sure enough, it was taken by many to be the title, so much so that when the cd was printed years later, Saturate Before Using appeared on the spine.
As he arrived in Los Angeles on March 11th, 1970, Joe Cocker would have preferred anything over going on the road again. He had just broken up his band after a successful tour, and was looking to relax while he put together a new group for his summer tour. Road weary as he was, Cocker did not even get a chance to put his feet up. The next day, March 12th, he was informed by his management company that a seven week tour was to begin eight days later in Detroit. As much as he wanted to say no, it was not an option. His right to ever work again in the U.S. would have been threatened. At a time like this, Leon Russell was a good friend to have.
The following day Russell offered to help, and by days end he had enlisted ten other musicians from among his connections in the music business. Rehearsals began that same day. By march 14th, the group had grown to 21 musicians, and rehearsals were running twelve hours a day. On the 19th of March the band, which was now known as Mad Dogs & Englishmen piled into a private plane for the trip to Detroit. The following day began one of the most serendipitous tours the rock and roll world had experienced.
The group which Leon Russell had assembled was something of a monster. With three drummers, two percussionists, a horn section, and a ten member "space choir," there was a real possibility of overkill. And these were not second rate musicians. Jim Keltner was a much respected drummer who was well known around the L.A. studios. Other band members were available courtesy of the breakup of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett's band, and the choir included talents such as Rita Coolidge and Pamela Polland. The idea of putting this many talented performers on stage would have intimidated many stars. Just sharing a stage with a musician like Leon Russell, who always played with abandon and could dominate a stage like few others, would have been too much for some headliners. Of course, this was not true of Cocker, who had always sung to the back rows.
On March 20th, a band which had not even existed on March 12th had their debut in Detroit. In that week that the group had been formed and rehearsed, they had also cut a single. The "Letter" eventually became Joe Cocker's first top ten single. Additionally, the decision had been made to record the tour for a live album and to film it. The Detroit opening was a smash, and a few nights later the concert was recorded for audio and film at the Fillmore East in New York. The original album featured what have become Cocker classics: "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window," "Cry Me A River," Feelin' Alright." "Let's Go Get Stoned," and "The Letter;" along with a great medley consisting of "I'll Drown In My Own Tears," "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," and "I've Been Loving You Too Long."
This being the Deluxe Edition, there is a wealth of previously unreleased material including some true gems. Cocker's cover of The Band classic "The Weight" features one of rock music's great interpreters re-imagining a great song. Likewise, it must have been a tough decision to leave the Cocker version of George Harrison's "Something" off the original release. Other newly released material includes Leon Russell singing songs that would soon appear on his solo album. Even the "Warm-up Jam" included here is album worthy.
The beginning of this tour was filled with good feelings and camaraderie. Sadly, that all dissipated before the tour came to a close on May 16th. The huge egos of Cocker and Russell, along with the rigors of touring, simply were not compatible for the long haul. The two had been good friends with enormous respect for each other, but their relationship was so strained by tour's end that Cocker would not even speak of the tour for years afterward. Of course, he was also deathly tired by the end of this tour that he had not wanted to even make. The legacy for his fans, however, is considerable. Joe Cocker was in excellent voice and the sheer power of the huge entourage is evident on every song. Mad Dogs & Englishmen is live music at its best.
In 1976, Fleetwood Mac was riding the crest of a very successful record. Released in 1975, the album that was simply titled Fleetwood Mac was still on the charts and could rightfully be called a runaway hit. It was a time when they should have been basking in the triumph of their success. Instead, the group was threatening to implode. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the glamour couple of the group, were facing a new paradigm in what had already been a ragged relationship. The equally talented but more reserved couple, John and Christine McVie, had already separated and Christine had begun seeing the group's lighting director. Drummer Fleetwood was also dealing with the dissolution of his marriage to the former Jenny Boyd. Under this scenario, the next album was not going to be filled with pretty love songs.
In an ill-conceived attempt to bring the band back together, a decision was made to leave their homes and record the record in Sausalito. Togetherness was not the answer. Nicks' turn in the spotlight had given her a new dose of confidence and independence. Buckingham, who had a strong need to control, would never be comfortable with this. For his part, John McVie was still very much in love with Christine and finding it difficult to let go. His drinking, which had long been a problem, was getting worse. The new drug of choice for the group, cocaine, was available in abundance and served to fuel the fiery emotions. Nasty scenes were a daily occurrence,
What sustained them all through this was the desire to create. Lindsey, Stevie, and Christine were the writers in Fleetwood Mac. It was inevitable that the songs would reflect what was going on around them. Christine, despite the fact that she still had feelings for John and was constantly worried about him, probably had the most inner peace among the group. This was likely due to the fact that she had managed to fall in love again, and was probably to some extent just her nature. "Songbird" was her attempt to raise the spirits of the entire group., while "Don't Stop" was meant specifically for John. "Oh Daddy," another of her contributions, was most likely written with Fleetwood in mind as recognition of his role as father figure to the band.
Stevie and Lindsey, on the other hand, wrote strictly about each other and their relationship. "Second Hand News," "Dreams," "Go Your Own Way," and "Gold Dust Woman" were expressions of lost love and the struggle to let go completely. They are emotional, if not necessarily pretty; and everything is laid bare.Taken as a whole, the songs on the album that they decided to call Rumours are an explicit reflection of what was happening in the songwriters' lives at this time.
Was this public flogging of their personal lives cathartic for the band? Perhaps. They did manage to do a lot of touring and to make more records before splitting up. The raw, exposed nerves of Rumours did most certainly strike a chord with their fans. Rumours remains one of the biggest selling albums of all time, and some of its songs are classics that still resonate today. It is one of the most deeply personal albums ever recorded, and gave their fans a peek into the lives of Fleetwood Mac.
As a progenitor of psychedelic rock, Pink Floyd had experimented with most everything in music other than widespread commercial success. With the release of their 1973 album DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, they were ready to prove that their music could be avant-garde, cutting-edge brilliant and still have mass appeal. While some of their die-hard fans considered this and most of what followed to be a case of “the Floyd” selling out, it was the beginning of a prolific period of music that was accessible to a wider audience.
Pink Floyd was certainly not the only group that was using sonic tricks such as heavy feedback, reverb and non-musical sound effects. Their success with these techniques was due largely to their ability to produce songs that were still melodic and cohesive. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON seems to be, if anything, a less ambitious record than they had previously produced. The longest songs are around seven minutes long, and the general feel of the album is that the group had narrowed their scope. This record is less about grandiose ideas and more about in-the-moment, everyday life. Somehow, this produced an album that was grand in its own way but with a broader appeal. Perhaps this should not be surprising considering that the songs deal with time, money, life, death, sanity, war, and loneliness. The difference here is that these issues tend to reach the listener on a personal level rather than referring to problems of society in general.
As often happens with great albums, the songs that initially catch the listener's ear are not necessarily the ones that impress after repeated listenings. Clare Torry 's wordless (she sings only syllables) vocals on “The Great Gig in the Sky” are possibly more beautiful, impressive, and moving after all these years. Likewise, “Breathe” now jumps out as the song that holds the album together. This record stills has the power to excite and surprise when pulled out of the rack and popped into the player. That is one hallmark of a classic album.
Oh, those psychedelia bands of the 60’s! One of those short-lived but long on drama groups called themselves Fever Tree (after a stent as Bostwick Vine). Fever Tree produced four albums, three of which made the charts in America, before breaking up in 1970. Although they called Texas home, the Summer of Love in San Francisco in l967 inspired their single “San Francisco Girls (Return of the native)” in 1968. Written by their producer, Vivian Holtzman, “Girls” was melodramatic and perfect for the times, was played widely on U.S. and British rock stations, but did not top the charts. Holtzman, along with her husband Scott, produced most of their material. The Holtzman’s musical background even allowed classical influences into those “milk and honey” days of the sixties.
The first album, released in 1968, was self-titled Fever Tree, and produced three singles: “San Francisco Girls,” “Love Makes the Sun Rise,” and “Clancy.” Other much played tunes included “Imitation Situation,” “The Man Who Paints the Picture,” “Filigree and Shadow,” and “Where Do You Go.”
Another 1968 album, Another Time, Another Place, did not do as well, but the first album had established a fan base that carried it and the next two: Creation and For Sale.
Michael Knust (deceased 9/15/03 at age 54 of unknown causes) took good care of guitar and some vocals, perfecting the ‘fuzz’ sound that helped make the group unique. Rob Landes handled keyboards, organ, harpsichord, clarinette, flute, harp, and cello with incredible talent; he is still playing music in the Houston area with the Rob Landes Trio. The group was rounded out with Dennis Keller on vocals, E.E. ‘Bud’ Wolfe on bass guitar, and John Tuttle on drums. The album Creation (#3-1969) even featured Billy Gibbons (later of ZZ Top fame) on guest guitar.
A psychedelic revival in the eighties resulted in a compilation album worth mentioning: “San Francisco Girls/Did You See Her Eyes” is available from Alpha Video Distributors, Inc. and Collectables Records Corp.
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