Though I am not there, the Fest feeling is still in the air.
As always, WWOZ will be broadcasting live from the Fairgrounds, and whether you are a Fest regular or have never been at all, the sounds, the vibe and the music are always wonderfully captured by WWOZ, give or take the occasional technical difficulties.
Today's broadcast lineup:
11:15am-12:10pm Tin Men from Blues Tent
12:30-1:25pm Brother Tyrone and the Mindbenders from Blues Tent
Leyla McCalla was the cellist in the Carolina Chocolate Drops and in
2010, she moved to New Orleans to hone her craft on the streets of the
French Quarter. Her 2016 solo debut was terrific, and she really hit
the mark on "The Capitalist Blues," one of my very favorites of 2019. I saw her perform at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz Fest where she played most of her then new release "Break The Thermometer." I thought the record was a bit of a disappointment after "The Capitalist Blues," and still her live set was one of the hottest of the fest.
Now we have McCalla's new one, "Sun Without The Heat" released last week, which after three plays is feeling like her best work yet. She can go from traditional to avant-garde with the flick of a switch, and she manages to pull it all off convincingly. The coda on "Tree" even dabbles in King Crimson waters.
Check out these three tracks and maybe you'll fall like I did.
I think "Manifesto" is the secret weapon of the Roxy Music catalogue. It's an album I find far more interesting than “Avalon.”
Many years
ago, just as compact disc players were hitting the market, there would
be demonstrations of the machine right before the Concerts At Pier 84 in NYC began. A young guy would come out and start chatting up the crowd about audio quality and stereo equipment and then he'd A/B a song to show the difference between a cassette and a CD. The title
track of Roxy Music's “Manifesto,” with that incredible Alan Spenner bass line and drummer Paul
Thompson’s heavy foot and thunderclap snare, would be the song he’d always play. Even from the very back of the pier, the sound was extraordinary. I remember thinking that song never sounded
better. And so, I bought a no frills Yamaha
CD player for $600 in 1984. It had four buttons: play, stop, last and next. That was it. There was no remote. Just a box and a tray and mind blowing sound. Of course, “Manifesto” was not commercially available on
CD yet. Very little was. So I had to settle for an Alien Sex Fiend CD and
Steve Winwood’s “Arc Of A Diver" as my first two CD purchases.
First Comment: Avalon is a snoozefest.
My Reply: "Ava-YAWN."I once said it was a really good Bryan Ferry solo record but a mediocre Roxy record and of course, that annoyed a bunch of people.
Second Comment From A Different Person:It
annoys me. Manifesto is certainly more interesting, but Avalon is like
long, slow brilliant sex. Debating which is better is like arguing over
Abbey Road and The White Album or Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers.
My Reply To Second Comment:Well,
my post wasn't about debating the two Roxy records. I only mentioned
"Avalon" because people love that record, while showing complete disregard for "Manifesto."
My post was about my memory. But I don't agree with you regarding the
two Beatles or Stones records.
"Avalon" arguably became a hit with
people who just came on board thanks to MTV; like those who think DSOM
is the first Pink Floyd record. I like "Avalon." But I can't call it a
Roxy album anymore than I can call "Ringo" a Beatles album just because
all four Fabs are on it and wrote songs for it. "Ringo" is a great Ringo
album, but would be probably be considered a shitty Beatles album. No one ever considered that
concept with those two Stones or Beatles records you mentioned. Those
four records all happened within four years, while both bands were
active. Roxy's "Siren" came out in 1975. There was a four year hiatus. "Manifesto" came out in 1979 with additional personnel. After another three year hiatus and
more personnel changes, including the loss of original drummer Thompson, "Avalon" gets released in 1982. I think you absolutely can debate "Manifesto"
and "Avalon," though I swear, that was not my intention.
Second Commenter's Reply To Me:I get why
you say its a Ferry solo- no Paul Thompson clobbering the drums and no
weird sounds- but Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera were there - and not
in a Ringo way - so thats pretty Roxy to me. Its always been my
favorite Roxy, just ahead of Manifesto - tho in my old age Manifesto is
moving ahead. BTW that Ringo album is pretty brilliant.
END OF INSTGRAM POST
After sleeping on it, I think my friend Geoff, the second commenter, made a decent point regarding the difference between the Fabs involvement on the "Ringo" album in 1973 versus the band's involvement on Roxy's "Avalon" in 1982, though it doesn't change my feelings on the latter. "Weird sounds" and Paul Thompson's "clobbering drums" were just as essential to the classic Roxy sound as Beatles' harmonies were to their sound, or Charlie's drumming was to the Stones sound. This is why I think "Avalon" sounds nothing at all like what came before, but just happens to sound like every Bryan Ferry solo record since.
A different thread, not mine, from a few days earlier was about concerts, and if seeing The Sex Pistols on the reunion tour with Glen Matlock counts. One person insisted that it did not, because without Sid Vicious, it isn't the Sex Pistols. At that point, everyone let loose.
"Is it The Who without Keith Moon?" "Is it The Who without Keith Moon and John Entwistle?" "Is it Metallica without Cliff Burton?" "Is it Foreigner without ANYONE?"
I certainly think if you've got the original singer and the guy who wrote all the songs in the band, you're on your way. The fact that Zak Starkey was taught how to play by Keith Moon and does a fine job of recreating those Moonerisms live certainly helps. Though I know bass players who think Pino Palladino is a terrible replacement for The Ox. I get that because, as a drummer, Steve Gorman, at times, felt like the secret weapon of The Black Crowes live.
When Steve Conte first announced that he was working with Andy Partridge, XTC fans across the world said, "Huh? Really? Why?" Conte, an excellent guitar player and occasional New York Doll, has done some excellent work. He's a solid player, and has co-written with Hanoi Rocks legend Michael Monroe on some of Monroe's best solo records. But the Partridge/Conte pairing seemed odd. Still, many were excited to hear anything new from Andy.
Then the first single arrived, "Fourth Of July," and it was only okay, sounding more like Conte's brand of glammy rock and roll than Partridge's brand of smart, whimsical pop. Then came single #2, "Shoot Out The Stars" and single #3, "We Like It," and I lost interest completely. I wasn't hearing what I wanted to hear, which was a new XTC record featuring songs co-written with Steve Conte. Instead, I was hearing a New York Dolls side project that Andy Partridge somehow took part in, which in and of itself, would have been fine. But Conte was so damn happy to be working with one of his heroes, he mentioned it five times a day, seven days a week, for the six months prior to its release, I couldn't get Partridge off my mind, which explains my initial disappointment.
"The Concrete Jangle" has finally been released and I went in with a new head and new ears and I am thrilled to say, those first three songs are inexplicably the three weakest tracks on the album. Andy Partridge has apparently five co-writes on the album, and I understood that the first three releases were his. But it is the other seven that shine, and at least five of those seven sound like what I'd been hoping for all along.
I'd like to blame Steve Conte for the pre-release hype, but I can't. I'd have been just as excited to work with a musical god from one of my all time favorite bands. But not many would have gone back in and given "The Concrete Jangle" a new pass after the unimpressive pre-release singles, and then those people would be missing out.
"The Concrete Jangle" is a great rock and roll record, with some fantastic melodies and enough hooks to snag a flounder, that will indeed remind you of XTC. Conte's guitar playing is a thrill throughout, and he is certainly channeling his hero on the last track, "I Dream Her."
(This was originally posted in May of 2010. With Rundgren's new tour just getting underway, I thought I get it up again.)
Todd Rundgren's customers were kept satisfied between the years 1972-1983. There was little rest for the "wizard" or his listeners, as he seemed to always have something in the on-deck circle. If it wasn't a solo record, or a Utopia record, it was his new production project. Those years saw the following records released with Todd Rundgren behind the scenes--
Badfinger- Straight Up (1972) New York Dolls- (1973) Grand Funk- We're An American Band (1973) Fanny- Mother's Pride (1973) Grand Funk- Shinin' On (1974) Felix Cavaliere- Felix Cavaliere (1974) Daryl Hall & John Oates- War Babies (1974) Hello People- The Handsome Devils (1974) Hello People- Brick (1975) Steve Hillage- L (1976( Meat Loaf- Bat Out Of Hell (1977) Mark "Moogy" Klingman- Moogy II (1978) Tom Robinson Band- TRB2 (1979) Rick Derringer- Guitars and Women (1979) The Tubes- Remote Control (1979) Patti Smith Group- Wave (1979) Shaun Cassidy- Wasp (1980) New England- Walking Wild (1981) Jim Steinman- Bad For Good 1981 Psychedelic Furs- Forever Now (1982) The Rubinoos- Party of Two (1983) Cheap Trick- Next Position Please (1983) Jules Shear- Watch Dog (1983) Will Powers- Dancing For Mental Health (1983) The Lords of the New Church- Live For Today (1983)
And let's not forget the man's own output.
Something/Anything? A Wizard/A True Star Todd Todd Rundgren's Utopia Initiation Faithful Ra Oops Wrong Planet The Hermit Of Mink Hollow Adventures In Utopia Deface The Music Healing Swing To The Right Utopia The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
At my count, that's over 40 projects in ten years.
Todd Rundgren has been known to shake things up while in the producer's seat. He doesn't like to waste time. He tells his bands to show up ready. "This is not a rehearsal." Thanks to his vision, which has pissed many off at showtime, the artists who hired the man for his services, were rewarded with final product that became some of the most memorable and most successful releases of their careers.
XTC's Andy Partridge has famously torn Todd a new one for his mad methods, and then on several subsequent occasions, publicly apologized in various interviews, succumbing to the genius of "Skylarking," arguably the best record of XTC's career. Take a look at this clip from the insert which was included with XTC's 1991 release "Nonsuch." It was Andy himself, on XTC's catalogue:
The side long sequencing of "Skylarking" wasn't part of the band's design, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that Todd knew what he wanted all along. He used the same method two years earlier on The Tubes "Love Bomb" release of 1985.
I won't be so reckless as to compare Side Two of "Love Bomb" with Side Two of "Abbey Road." But I will say that it is one of my favorite sides of music of all time; a suite of music featuring some of The Tubes' best songs--"Eyes," "For A Song," and the original version of "Feel It," which found its way onto Todd's "Nearly Human" LP of 1989---strung together with funk rhythms, samples, and mayhem. This could only be the work of Todd Rundgren, who co-wrote most of the record and can be heard singing and playing all over the album. Side Two is included here in its entirety.
I stayed away from the obvious, Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell." Though unintentionally hilarious lyrically, I'll go on record as saying that it is a masterwork, though it hasn't aged well and I find a lot of it unlistenable now. It's Todd, the E-Street Band, and Broadway all wrapped up in one. Big choruses, drama, cliches, Phil Rizzuto, guitar solos, sound affects, cliches, love songs (some bad, some worse) and a phalanx of pretension. You all know it and not all of you love it. But you have to admit, Jim Steinman wrote himself some ticket. I've included the single off of Steinman's solo LP, "Bad For Good" instead of anything from "Bat Out Of Hell." I like this track. The a capella coda gets me every time.
We have some early Sparks, when they were known as Halfnelson, Gong guitarist Steve Hillage with Utopia backing him, one of my favorite songs from Badfinger's legendary "Straight Up," Cheap Trick's, Rundgren-penned "Heaven's Falling," which is basically Utopia's "Cry Baby" a year early, and the anthemic closer from Rick Derringer's "Guitars & Women" CD, which features my first published liner notes. (Don't bother, they're lousy.)
TRACK LIST
IT'S ALL TOO MUCH- STEVE HILLAGE
(I am pretty sure this is Kasim Sulton's first appearance on record with Utopia)
IF I HAD YOU BACK- THE RUBINOOS
WONDER GIRL- HALFNELSON (SPARKS)
PERFECTION- BADFINGER
SLEEP COMES DOWN- PSYCHEDELIC FURS
THAT'S REALLY SUPER, SUPERGIRL- XTC
LIFE GOES ON WITHOUT YOU- JILL SOBULE
(Gorgeous ballad from the brilliant Miss Sobule. The production reminds me (in some ways) of "Flesh" from Rundgren's "Healing" LP.)
NIGHT PEOPLE SUITE- THE TUBES
WAITING FOR THE WORM TO TURN- BOURGEOIS TAGG
SHE'S SO YOUNG- THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
(TPOH'S "Love Junk", a lost masterpiece.)
70'S SCENARIO- HALL & OATES
(From "War Babies," and featuring one of my fave Todd guitar solos)
From the brilliant, short-lived, NBC late night series, "Night Music," enjoy Todd, with Taj Mahal (Yes! F**king Taj Mahal) singing Gilbert & Sullivan's "Never Mind The Why & Wherefore," from H.M.S. Pinafore.
