Hotline to the Underground
Essays from Joe Viglione 9-21-2020
Artist: Born Yesterday
https://www.bornyesterdayband.com
E.P. Rattle the Cage
https://tinyurl.com/bornyesterdayrattlethecage
Our lead-off record this week is from
the band that released Zero Caution awhile back. The five songs here are 3:49
and under making for short pop/rock/punk bursts of enthusiasm. The first single
is “Flounder(Turn Around”) and it is classy and a groove. At 3:41 “Flounder” begins with an engaging
riff reminiscent of Leslie West and Mountain taking the curve into Bad Company territory.
Yes, it is hard rock that Born Yesterday embraces, but Ben (Guitar/Vocals),
Josh (Bass) and Stephen (Drums) have modern rock tendencies and are certainly
rocking on the edge of garage and hard pop.
“Woah Oh Oh (It Takes Two to Go Around”)
has the fun and urgency of the Buzzcocks while “Hysteria” at 2:42 starts off
like the Yardbirds “Goodnight Sweet Josephine” (USA version, phased) but then
quickly gets back to the blitz. Perhaps
“Black Blizzard” is a paean to Blizzard of Oz and Black Sabbath, it’s certainly
heavy enough with Bill Ward style drumming and Ben’s voice touching on early
Ozzy. It’s my second fave track next to “Flounder.” “Flip Out,” the former phone number of a
Boston area drummer from the 1970s, blasts at you with good-time speed. An entertaining second release from this
vital trio.
_________________________________________________________________
Artist:
Molly McNight
Song: Lie To You 2020
YouTube
https://youtu.be/SA_Zx9o4sPA
Molly
McKnight with Tony King and Nina Vox
Song:
Blackbird (Lennon/McCartney)
YouTube:
https://youtu.be/lO2hEHRnYbA
LIE
TO YOU
Wow,
this is a real find. I met Molly in the
offices of Music Connection Magazine in Los Angeles in 1986 and reviewed her
Lost in the Mirrors album for AllMusic.com. This tune, co-written by Calvin
James back then, found renewed released on 8-12-2020 and has a charming vocal
over a reggae beat and a new guitar. “If
he’s going to lie to her, he’s going to lie to you” is an exquisite hook and
this rendition has real staying power.
BLACKBIRD
When
Molly’s friend, former Mercury artist Jo Jo Laine, recorded this with the
legendary Bernard Purdie on drums, the girl group extraordinaire singer played
it close to the Beatles. After all, she
performed the tune at Beatles’ conventions.
Molly takes the three minutes and forty-two seconds into a marvelous
bluesy/folk. It is very attractive and
draws the listener in.
ARTIST: THE ROLLING STONES
SONG: CRISS CROSS
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/kSpGnZmGWBk
SONG: ALL THE RAGE
YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRUdEzQQUdI
CRISS CROSS
From the GOATS HEAD SOUP 2020 we get a
new blast of Stones from their Golden Era. On target and sounding very Exile on
Main Street, a definite cousin (or brother) to “Rocks Off” from the classic
double record set. With a solid Charlie
Watts beat Mick Jagger has lots of fun with a smattering of words while Keith
goes “Brown Sugar” riff – it’s something that the Stones don’t usually do,
which is re-write the material with familiar riffs. Sure, Keith reinvents his material (when he’s
not turning The Temptations “Get Ready” into “Bitch”) and, yes, “Aladdin Song”
is “Paint it Black” reinvented, but “Criss Cross” goes beyond all the
musicology and is yet another very listenable Stones classic (or mix of
classics) with staying power.
ALL THE RAGE
ABKCO
just re-released “Dandelion” with their wonderful lyric/YouTube that they’ve
been issuing along with the music prior to The Rolling Stones move to Atlantic
Records. This song continues the fun
that “Criss Cross” contains and more. It
has a unique flavor with wonderfully descending guitar lines. Great idea to add the lyrics to the YouTube
and the Honky Tonk vibe mixes well with the band chugging along. As one YouTube poster said “Some bands would
kill for the songs the Stones left behind” (paraphrasing him, of course.) It’s
so true. This stuff would have been a hit for bands on Top 40 back in the
day. Just amazing and highly
repeatable. Goats Head Soup is truly
having an amazing resurrection.
Artist: Mike Morrissey
Album: Courage
Bandcamp: https://mikemorrissey.bandcamp.com/
“Calm and Collected” could be a track
off of the Velvet Underground third album, high praise indeed. At two minutes
and eleven seconds it is short and sweet. The Courage album was recorded,
according to the essay on Bandcamp: “in Mike's apartment
in Somerville in April and the first two weeks of May 2020 (Gifts is an
exception and was recorded on 7/3/2019). Once the guitar and vocal performances
were captured, Mike and Grant Bloom worked together remotely and Grant added
additional instruments at his home studio in Boston. Mike recorded PJ Holaday
on drums at their apartment in Somerville with Grant's remote assistance. Grant
mixed it and Carter Sanders mastered it.” The second track, “On The Line,” which
clocks in at 2:18, a second shorter than “Calm and Collected.” It too could be an out-take from The Velvet
Underground (third) and is magical, compelling and very special. Things get
more hopping with “Mirror Man,” not Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” more
like a folk singer going rock a la Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” period. At 1:59 it is seven seconds longer than The
Box Tops “The Letter.” With “Perfect
Light” Mike goes into Rusty Kershaw Cajun country. Pensive and eloquent, it
takes a slow turn around the corner from the previous three tracks. It’s the timing that delivers the smart composition. Indeed, the songs here and the previous
reviewed tunes would all make for a highly listenable radio show.
“Gifts” was recorded 7/3/2019, about nine or ten months before the other
four tracks. The keyword is “courage,” the title of the E.P. I’m very impressed and urge you to go to
Bandcamp and check it out.
_________________________________________________________________
Artist: Fire in the Field
SONG:Shadow Way
YouTube: https://youtu.be/AQVhM6lkk04
"Shadow Way" is the video off Fire In The
Field's new studio LP RESURRECT, and it is as hard rocking as Mike Morrissey’s
above essayed music is light, the complete opposite, yet the music by both
artists is so good they complement each other well if Top 40 from the 60’s and
70’s existed in this era. Kinda like putting Jonathan Edwards next to Deep
Purple as was the way back in those glorious hit radio days. The music here swirls and kicks with
authority. It clicks in a professional
and inviting way.
ARTIST: TRAFFIC with STEVE WINWOOD
SONG: Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys
YouTube: https://youtu.be/KQRuu_PghAk
Eleven minutes and thirty-eight seconds
of one of my all-time favorite songs. A
latter-day Traffic at Woodstock August 14, 1994…the Woodstock that got
away. However, this song and performance
didn’t. It’s exactly like the studio
recording, Traffic sometimes going the Pink Floyd route of re-creating the
sound the listeners initially heard.
Simply amazing and stumbled upon tonight while reviewing the music
listed above. Pure magic. Love it.
ARTIST: Linda Ronstadt
SONG: TUMBLING DICE
Oh my God, so much more lively than her 45 RPM version, this is truly beautiful.
SONG:SUNNY FROM BOBBY HEBB 14:10 IN THE ALBUM
A1 Tomorrow Composed By – Ed King (2), Mark Weitz 2:18 A2 The Look Of Love Composed By – Hal David, Burt Bacharach* 2:59 A3 The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener Composed By – Jackie Trent, Tony Hatch 2:24 A4 Wait Until Dark Composed By – Henry Mancini, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans 2:16 A5 Green Tambourine Composed By – Paul Leka, Shelly Pinz* 2:15 A6 Sentimental Journey Composed By – Ben Homer, Bud Green, Les Brown 2:18 B1 Sunny Composed By – Bobby Hebb 2:32 B2 If You Ever Leave Me Composed By – Jackie Trent, Tony Hatch 2:40 B3 Pata Pata Composed By – Jerry Ragovoy, Miriam Makeba 2:25 B4 Live For Life = Vivre Pour Vivre Composed By – Francis Lai, Norman Gimbel 2:55 B5 When Will It End? (P.J.'s Theme) Composed By – Neal Hefti, Sammy Cahn 2:50
For more fun with the author go to www.joeviglione.com
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