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THE BRONX CASKET COMPANY
The Bronx Casket Company
The Music Cartel mail@music-cartel.com
Finally, you can't have
a heavy metal revival without some straightforward death metal.
This metal supergroup (containing members of Overkill, the Misfits,
and Shotgun Symphony) explore various aspects of death and despair
over suitably dark hard rock. And in the end conclude that the death
wish is just a disguised desire for immortality.
The Music Cartel has certainly given heavy metal
another shot at musical immortality.
G. Murray Thomas
THE DELLS
The Best of the Dells
20th Century Masters -
The Millennium Collection
MCA/Chess Record
This is the time of year
when I like to crank up the '50s Doo Wop bands, especially while
I do my holiday cooking and shopping. There's a certain holiday
season je ne sais quoi about the Del Vikings, the Flamingos, the
Moonglows, the Ink Spots, and other accomplished vocal trios, quartets,
and quintets that put corporate poseurs like Nsync to righteous
shame (oh, give me the Meaty Cheesy Boys from the Jack-in-the-Box
commercials any day, puh-leaze!). Some of this music is just a few
years older than I am, yet I still find it rich and exhilarating
and sexy. One of the greats among street corner-style vocal groups
was The Dells, and MCA has released a fine "Best of" collection
in their honor--just in time to help me cope with the stressful
monolith that is my holidays.
Two factors have kept The Dells from becoming
a footnote in popular music history. First, there is their remarkable
stability in personnel. For a group not composed of family members,
The Dells have weathered only one major personnel change (when Johnny
Carter of the Flamingos took over lead tenor duties when founding
member Johnny Funches tired of touring in 1958) in over four decades.
Second is The Dells' uncanny adaptability to the shifts in R&B styles
throughout those same four decades, and the result is a legacy of
solid, consistent, and memorable hits, eleven of which are featured
on "The Best of the Dells."
The Dells got their start in 1953, when six high
school friends from Harvey, Illinois--Johnny Funches, Marvin Junior
Harrell, Verne Allison, brothers Lucius and Mickey McGill, and Chuck
Barksdale--formed the R&B vocal quintet the El-Rays. Funches and
Harrell covered respectively the tenor and baritone leads, with
Allison and Lucius McGill teaming on tenor harmonies, Mickey McGill
coloring in the baritone lines, and Barksdale filling in the bass
vocals. Once they mastered the prevailing style of the day--street
corner harmony--they ventured to Chicago and released a minor league
single with Chess records. Lucius McGill dropped out before they
changed their name to The Dells in 1955 and signed with Vee Jay
Records. A year later, they landed the number 4 spot on the R&B
charts with the smooth and sublime "Oh What A Night." They had another
top hit with "Stay in My Corner" in 1965. A marathon 1968 remake
of "Stay in My Corner" (which is featured in this collection), guided
by producer Bobby Miller, jump-started The Dells back into the R&B
Top 10. A charged revisit to "Oh What A Night" set up a string of
hits that lasted into the early '90s, when The Dells contributed
music to Robert Townsend's film The Five Heartbeats. All told, The
Dells appeared 47 times on the R&B charts between 1956 and 1992.
Few phenomena of the 1950s--Dick Clark's hair color among them--have
lasted so long.
At the very heart of The Dells' greatness is Marvin
Junior's riveting baritone lead vocals. Just listen to him out-Ruffin
David Ruffin on "Open Up My Heart." Hear how he throws down on the
silky "I Miss You," giving the great Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops
a real run for his money. His work on the cover of "Love is Blue"
unleashes all sorts of earthy blues power that one would never have
imagined from the tinkly Paul Mauriat trifle of 1968. Not to be
overlooked are the effortlessly graceful harmonics of the rest of
The Dells. No doubt due to the group's seamless flexibility from
Doo Wop to sweet soul to urban r&b to disco, each of the songs slips
smoothly into the era in which it was recorded. "There Is" is one
fine Motown bopper in the early Supremes' mode, while "My Pretending
Days Are Over" practically paves the road for the Manhattans' mournful
"Let's Just Kiss and Say Goodbye."
And after all, it's Chuck Barksdale who asks us
in his rich dessert of a basso profundo:
Do you recall the night?
That very, very special night?
Do you remember the girl?
That very special girl?
Well, to the old, and to the new
We dedicate this song to you.
One of the things I love about MCA is its dedication
to preserving, remastering, and reissuing all sorts of treasures
that would otherwise fall through the cracks ever widened by our
culture's short attention span. Precisely because The Dells are
not just a time capsule novelty, theirs is a legacy worthy of a
permanent place in the extraordinary mosaic of American music.
Firebird play bluesy
heavy metal, reminiscent of Cream (who may not have been technically
heavy metal, but certainly paved the way for it). They play a tight,
solid blues rock crunch, with the requisite lightning guitar solos
and power jams. Yet, once again, they manage to sound entirely contemporary
as they do it.
G. Murray Thomas
HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN
Dev'lish Mary
High Tone Records
There's not a huge commercial
market for old-fashioned western-swing music, so I've got to hand
it to this trio from Austin, TX for swimming against the tide of
bubble-gum pop and beat-driven drivel which dominate the radio airwaves
these days. And though the current may be strong, it's a worthy
journey they've made to bring us this joyful, eclectic collection.
Most of the 16 tracks are covers, 4 of them arrangements
of traditional ditties, and Hoagie Carmichael's name shows up in
the songwriting credits, as does Eddy Arnold's. Whit Smith's guitar,
Elana Fremerman's Fiddle, and Matt Weiner's Bass blend together
beautifully on the instrumental tracks, and provide a wonderful
foundation for their shared vocal duties on the balance of the disc.
Making guest appearances are Peter Ecklund on coronet for 3 tunes,
Bobby Koefer on steel guitar for 5 tracks, and Don Walser who yodels
on 1 song. The guest performers flesh out the trio's sound well,
without overtaking any of the pieces on their own.
Most of the disc is upbeat, and there's definite
swing-dancing music here, like the traditional "Little Liza Jane"
which closes the collection. The vocals are all fine, but Fremerman's
delivery trumps her band mates with its delicious air of casual
irony. This is most evident on her one original number: "I'd Understand
Why". In fact, the only real complaint I would lodge with the Club
after listening to this CD several times is that I'd love more original
songs. The 2 original compositions, one by Smith in addition to
the one by Fremerman, are delightful. Perhaps for their next effort,
they'll permit more original material; and hopefully, enjoy great
success with their tremendous musicianship and thoughtful performances
in spite of a significant lack of television or radio support. Here's
hoping.
Robert Wynne
THE BEST OF RICHARD
& LINDA THOMPSON
Island Records
There's never been a
massive market for dark, lyrical folk/rock. Still, over the years,
Richard Thompson had continued to churn it out, and made quite a
name for himself doing it. This collection brings together 16 songs
from Richard's 4 years (1972-1975) on Island Records. The 4 studio
albums he cut during this time, with the help of his wife, are often
considered his best work, and it's nice to revisit them on this
new collection. The liner notes (remember when records had liner
notes. . .) include a great essay by Clinton Heylin, author or "No
More Sad Refrains: "The Story of Sandy Denny", which talks
about the many elements of Richard and Linda's lives which were
converging during this period.
Richard got his start in the late 1960's with
Fairport Convention, a seminal British folk/rock ensemble that has
had revolving lineups, and over the years has influenced the work
of a number of groups, including Jethro Tull. After leaving that
band, Thompson accepted Island Records invitation to record solo
work. He met Linda during the sessions that became "Henry the Human
Fly!", his first solo record. Richard's Dylanesque delivery and
Linda's deep, haunting vocals work very well with the trademark
brooding lyrics on these songs. These are not feel-good rock & roll
moments, but rather dirges to the difficulty of daily life; and
they are darkly evocative and satisfying due also to Richard's often
understated guitar playing ? his style is a blueprint for the sound
later popularized by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
This collection is not likely to trouble the Billboard
charts with its presence. Nor is it likely to create new legions
of Thompson fans. But these songs are a testament to the beautiful
underbelly of rock & roll, the quiet cousin who sits in the corner
at the concert writing in a small black notebook. The listener who
actually listens, to whom both sonics and lyrics are important,
will find much to marvel at here. And, knowing that this music didn't
sell well when it was initially released, it is especially gratifying
to see that Island is still committed enough to re-release it anyway.
It's great to hear these songs again, songs strong enough to be
the inspiration for a tribute album, "Beat the Retreat," a few years
back. Lives went into these songs, not just fleeting moments in
the studio and slick production, and these songs still have lives
of their own .
Robert Wynne
JIM PETERIK AND WORLD STAGE
Jim Peterik and Various Artists
World Stage International
The more I consider what
the music of the last 45 years has meant to me, the more of a miracle
a good, basic pop song becomes. A good pop song has beauty and simplicity,
jolts one's sensibilities on the first hearing, and stills sets
one's nerves abuzz on the 2,000th spin. Just think about how difficult
it is to do a pop song well. A cut can feature some of the world's
great sessionmen, wail with masterful solo work, even sport a clever
set of lyrics (personally, I think these are the hardest to achieve),
but all the nifty elements may not hang well together. Too many
albums from the `70s and `80s are stuffed full of near-misses that
needed that magical cohesion, and ultimately, this is what cured
me of buying albums, then CDs, by the mid-`80s. Too much filler,
not enough killer.
What makes a recording memorable? Some of the
figures behind the music-Berry Gordy, Jr., Phil Spector, George
Martin, Don Was, Dozier-Holland-Dozier-can be the glue that holds
the whole thing together. In the case of two bands, the Ides of
March and Survivor, that figure was and is Jim Peterik. Thanks to
Jim Peterik, there are two oldies we'll not soon forget: Survivor's
"Eye of the Tiger" and, better still, Ides of March's
"Vehicle."
Now, imagine my surprise when I found that these
two bands were linked by the same man. Imagine my further surprise
when I learned that the lead singer of the Ides of March wasn't
David Ruffin's older brother, but a then-19-year-old, blue-eyed
soulster from Chicago named Jim Peterik! Can you believe that voice
came out of a 19-year-old? Chicago! How could anyone who wrote one
of the greatest car songs ever not be from Detroit or L.A.? The
friendly stranger in the black sedan has been a top 40 powerhouse
since the mid 1960s, notching hits for 38 Special ("Rockin'
Into The Night," "Caught Up In You," "Hold On
Loosely") and collaborating with the likes of Cheap Trick,
Brian Wilson, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. On his collection, JIM PETERIK
AND WORLD STAGE, Peterik trades licks with the likes of Dennis DeYoung,
R.E.O. Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin, Johnny Van Zant, Buddy Guy, and
a host of other latter-day rockers, gospel popsters, and up-`n'-coming
bluesmeisters. Now 50, Peterik still holds his own with the best
of them on vocals, lead and acoustic guitar chores, keyboards, and
percussion, and he's not shy about letting the other artists do
the real shining on several of the album's tracks. The collection
reflects his magnanimity, and it does sparkle.
To a one, Peterik's songs play to the strengths
of each co-featured artist. I really dug the opener, "Fade
To Blue," a spectacular duet with 38 Special's Don Barnes.
"Can't Say It Loud Enough" is a fine, anthemic testimony
with soaring vocals by Skynyrd's Johnny Van Zant. "To Miss
Somebody" has all the fourth-gear urgency of a Styx number
without any of the pretentiousness. It's good to hear Dennis De
Young still has his pipes, and the lyrics are far better than those
of the average Styx song. Word to DeYoung: your band could learn
from Peterik's smooth control at the keyboards. There's no silly,
melodramatic noodling fromthis boy's fingertips! To say that "Between
Two Fires" is a decent REO Speedwagon song (and that is Speedwagon's
KevinCronin singing) is to damn it with faint praise, given that
REO Speedwagon always sounded to me like Pure Prairie League on
helium. If Cheap Trick had written "Philadelphia Freedom,"
it would have sounded a lot like the zany "Zig Zag." Peterik's
knack for catching each guest artist's idiosyncracies makes this
cut - featuring Cinderella's Tom Keifer and Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen
and Bun E. Carlos - a loopy treat from the Dream Police's bag o'
pranks.
To be sure, the collection has its weak spots.
Some of the songs are simply unexceptional. As fine a balladeer
as Cathy Richardson is, "Diamond For Stones" feels like
someone was reaching for another "Up Where We Belong." It would
be much more flavorful as a country western duet, but here it sounds
like Diane Warren lite. "Antenna" (with gospel artist
Margaret Becker) overworks the metaphor ("oh, i'm just a willing
instrument, so ready to receive / but the strength of reception,
depends on our connection"), and "Radar Love" it
ain't. The song keeps working toward something big, but never gets
there (perhaps he should have driven a truck). "From Here To
Hereafter" (again with Richardson) and "Long Road Home"
(with Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger), mean well, but they try too
damn hard to be uplifting and never get off the ground. Forays into
Christian rock like "We Wish" with David Carl and Jeff
Boyle,"'Till It Shines" with Blackhawk's Henry Paul, and
"Changed By Love" (once again with Don Barnes) are hamstrung
by pedestrian lyrics ("Watched a hawk turn to a dove," yep), but
all are limned with first-class vocal arrangements. Even if I don't
care for the songs, I'd go fisticuffs with anyone who would knock
the production values or the musicianship or the fact that, even
at his most MOR, Peterik is one damn tasteful artist.
"Working Blue," by far the best non-cover
on the record, opens with one really slinky bass link, bringing
to mind Joe Simon's "Drowning in a Sea of Love" with a "Take Me
to the River" shuffle. Peterik has a worthy foil in his protégé
Chicago blues singer/guitarist Anthony GomesÑa real find. About
Gomes' ax and Paul Mertens'sax: oooooooooeeeee! "Eye Of TheTiger"
doesn't disappoint. The song is essentially the story of Peterik
and cowriter Frank Sullivan, not Rocky and Apollo Creed, and this
strikes me as considerably more heroic. Who scares you more? Mr.
T as ol' Clubber Lang or the average slimeball A&R executive? For
me, it's definitely the latter. And as for "Vehicle,"
once you get used to the slightly down-tempo tilt, it becomes glaringly
apparent what separates a great pop song from the fillers. Instead
of the vague sentiments loosely catalogued in "Diamonds for
Stones," you've got a single, solid idea (pictures? candy?
is that an eight-track player you got there mister?), a soulful
lead vocal delivered with carnal conviction by the immortal Buddy
Guy, and one of the kick-ass pop horn charts of all times. Guy and
Peterik split lead guitar duties, and it's heaven on a stick. And
yes, folkies, that's the original Ides of March raging in the b.g.
Given my criteria for a record purchase these
days - more thriller, less filler - I'd buy this puppy in a heartbeat.
Shallow sound kind of
like Jane's Addiction and Led Zeppelin making love. They play spacey
hard rock built on slow-grooving jams. Shallow take beautiful topics,
like sunsets and the ocean, and manage to sing very depressing songs
about them. A sunset is, in fact, the perfect metaphor for what
they do. It is gorgeous, yet indicates an ending, implies death.
The music is also reminiscent of a sunset, shimmering like orange
gold on a rippled sea.
This is the one disc
of the batch that might be called imitative. Sheavy reproduce the
most faithful rendition of the early Black Sabbath sound I have
ever heard, right down to the tortured Ozzy vocals. Yet they do
it with such honest heaviness that it sounds fresh and new. And
they do it with entirely original material. This puts to shame any
Sabbath reunion tapes you may have heard. This is the greatest sort
of tribute: to take the style of a classic band and use it to create
new, exciting music with it.
G. Murray Thomas
SPINAL TAP
Break Like The Wind
The Millennium Collection
MCA Records, Re-Release (1992)
While a set from the merry
Tapsters is always welcome, there's no denying that this release isn't
quite as breathtaking in its scope as their previous collection, the
soundtrack to Marti DiBergi's wonderful documentary. Still, all that
we've come to expect from the hard rock band with the best sense of
humor since Twisted Sister is here: big chords, vocal calisthenics,
and lyrics loaded with enough intelligent irony to keep you wondering
how the lads manage to sing them straight. MCA records has remastered
this collection and re-released it to coincide with the recent Special
Edition DVD release of the aforementioned "This is Spinal Tap."
Most of the cuts here are basic hard rock songs,
with a few ballads included for those times when you need to bring
the speakers down from 11 to 8 or so. The disc opens with "Bitch School,"
a straightforward number whose tendencies recall the hard to find
"Smell the Glove" sessions from Tap's past. There are also a number
of majestic pieces which seem to be cut from the same huge cloth as
perennial Tap favorite Stonehenge. These include "The Majesty of Rock,"
"The Sun Never Sweats" and the title track.
The main attractions remain David, Nigel and Derek,
though. And they are in fine, rocking form here, slipping into heavy
grooves and wailing out killer lyrics like these from "The Majesty
of Rock":
And that's The Majesty of Rock
The Mystery of Roll!
The darning of the sock,
The scoring of the goal!
The farmer takes a wife
The barber takes a pole,
We're in this together? and ever?
Indeed, we are absolutely in this together. I couldn't
have said it better even if I could sing. Thank goodness the sun hasn't
sweat on these Tappers of the Spinal. May they rock ever on!
