|
LEE MICHAELS
on Shout! Factory
|
EASY RIDER
on Hip-O
|
FLASH
on Friday Music
|
JULY
/ AUGUST 2004
MUSIC & RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
AJKE
ENTERPRISES - A number of fine musicians join forces with Canadian
drummer Aubrey Dayle on his new CD entitled My Id Featuring
Aubrey Dayle. Players assisting the native of Jamaica
on his 2003 World Fusion CD classic include Allman Bros. bassist Oteil
Burbridge, Living Color guitarist Vernon Reid, jazz guitarists
Ron Jackson and Jim Chapdelaine and Les Paul bassist
Nikki Parrott to name a few. With Dayle handling the drumming,
electric percussion and keyboards, the album summons up a playful
mixture of jazz-rock and World Beat style instrumental fusion similar
in places to Weather Report or Herbie Hancock. Recorded on Long Island,
My Id maintains a consistent, jazzy groove and is never comes
up short of creative and spontaneous musical ideas. www.myidmusic.com
ALTRA MIX - Dave Halverson broke new ground on his ‘90s
albums with Trance Lucid and he continues to forge ahead on
the 2003 release of his solo CD Fragments Of What.
Halverson remains masterful at conjuring up a variety of moods
on his guitars and hi-tech recording gear with his added expertise
on keyboards, percussion, samples and loops. A gifted guitarist who
shares a sonic temperament with guitar giants like Fripp, Holdsworth
and Metheny, Halverson achieves lift-off on a number of tracks
here especially on the prismatic “In The Name of The Higher Quadrivium”,
the big-beat Weather Report groove of “Omicron” and the
sonic soundscape of “When We Were Young”. On Fragments
Of What, Halverson steps further outside the jazz-rock framework
with a fascinating CD that draws on all manners of ambient fusion
and soundtrack oriented, synth and guitar-based instrumental music.
www.davehalverson.com
BELLOWS MUSIC - What do you get when you cross surf guitar music
with Polkas? The answer is obviously Cruisin’ The Creek
by Gary Sredzienksi & The Serfs. The whole thing
would be a wild musical joke if it wasn’t so damn cool. Filed
under Ethnic Instrumental Rock / Xtreme Polkas, the fourteen track
Cruisin’ The Creek blends a wide range of instrumental
sounds, from traditional Eastern European melodies (“Romanian
Shopping Spree”) to Jewish classics (“Hava Nagilah”)
and even classical (“Mozart Polka”). Supported by his rockin’
Serfs, including guitarist Chris Decato, accordionist Gary
Sredzienski puts a zany new spin on the time-honored surf-rock sound
with his excellent Cruisin’ The Creek. www.theserfs.com
C#2 - Released on the C Sharp Squared Productions label,
Openground is a stellar jazz trio date from guitarist Giovanni
Moltoni and his trio of fellow Berklee College of Music facility
members Paul Del Nero (bass) and Bob Tamagni (drums).
A showcase for Moltoni’s originals, the nine track CD works on
a range jazz and guitar levels with Moltoni’s guitar work echoing
the swinging spirit of Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel as well as the
sonic impressionism of Miles Davis. Moltoni’s ringing electric
guitar chordings and unusual voicings creates an open sounding, airy
sound, and overall Openground keeps the interest levels high
and brings a fresh perspective to the guitar trio format. www.giovannimoltoni.com
CANYON RECORDS - When it comes to Native American flute music,
it doesn’t get any better than R. Carlos Nakai and Canyon
Records celebrates this great American artist with the 2004 release
of In Beauty, We Return - The Best Of Nakai. Containing
thirteen tracks from thirteen different albums featuring solo flute
and collaborations with key artists like Paul Horn, guitarist
William Eaton, The R. Carlos Nakai Quartet and more.
In Beauty, We Return is an impressive introduction to the haunting
and calming sounds of this fantastic traditional instrument. Having
sold over 3.5 million records since the early ‘80s, Nakai has
truly earned his stellar reputation as a major player in both the
New Age and traditional folk music worlds. In addition to a fascinating
track line-up, the CD features detailed liner notes and select color
photos. www.canyonrecords.com
CYCLORAMA RECORDS - Via Cora is the brainchild of guitarist
Wayne McGraw and drummer Trent Anthony. The duo’s
latest CD, Amelia is an atmospheric do-it-yourself instrumental
music collection of soaring guitars and solid arrangements. Through
the magic of exchanging digital files, the pair—with McGraw in
Colorado and Anthony in North Carolina—crafted their nine cut
opus, meeting up only a few times and finally in Colorado for the
album’s mixdown. Amelia neatly fits into the New Age Americana
and prog-light guitar instrumental category and there’s plenty
of inventive guitar and enchanting rhythms to make if of interest
for fans of both genres. www.cycloramarecords.com
EXPLORATION PROJECT - Essentially the brainchild of guitarist/
composer Scott Rifkin, the NYC-based Exploration Project
released their debut CD, Impossible Beauty in 2003 and
now Rifkin follows up with the 2004 release of Visions And Abstractions.
Imagine a hybrid blending visionary guit-architects like Frank
Zappa or Fred Frith spiked with a side of Edgard Varese and you approach
the bizarre sounds on Visions And Abstractions. Like Impossible
Beauty, Rifkin’s latest also features guitarist Jeffrey
H. Shurdut. Rifkin accurately describes his music “as being
a conceptual abstraction” and in the spirit of pioneering NYC
legends like Wendy Carlos and Philip Glass, Rifkin takes his avant
gard electric guitar approach to the edge on both releases. Much like
the eye of the hurricane CD cover art, the music on Visions And
Abstractions is similar to being in the safe center of a sonic
storm, watching the musical mayhem unfold around you. www.cdbaby.com/cd/scottmrifkin
FRIDAY MUSIC - After he left Yes—paving the way for the arrival
of Steve Howe and The Yes Album—Pete Banks formed
Flash. This early 1971-era Yes offshoot band is still best
known for their first album which featured ex-Yes keyboardist Tony
Kaye, making it the first major Yes offshoot project. With
one stunning song after the next, the first self-titled Flash
album remains a defining moment from the heyday of progressive rock.
Kaye was out after the first Lp and the loss was palpable. Despite
a great lead singer in Colin Carter and the crack rhythm section
of Mike Hough and Ray Bennett, who would eventually
carry the band’s name on himself with mixed results, Flash was
in fact, over in a flash. Their reissues were available for years
on One Way Records and in 2004 both the first Flash album and
the band’s third ‘73 Lp, Out Of Our Hands were
combined on one CD by the new PA.-based reissue label Friday Music.
Clearly a fan-based effort, this Friday reissue features ardent liner
notes, that ‘flash’ artwork, although no lyrics. Perhaps
the best thing here is the excellent remastering and in your face
sound quality. Legendary albums in their own right, thirty years on,
this CD also reminds how adept Squire and Anderson were at maximizing
the Pete Banks guitar sound on those first two classic Yes albums.
www.fridaymusic.com
GEFFEN / CHRONICLES - Elvis, Little Richard and Carl Perkins were
essential during the development of rock ‘n’ roll music,
but it was really Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly that helped
transform it into a pop art form. Their huge influence on The Beatles,
The Beach Boys and Rolling Stones notwithstanding, Chuck and Buddy
made numerous recordings in their own right back in the ‘50s
that remain pillars of rock till present times. Now in 2004, the 50th
anniversary of Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock”,
Universal Music Group have reissued a number of key rock ‘n’
roll landmark albums for their Rock ‘N’ Roll 50th
Anniversary Edition series. Leading the way on Geffen /
Chronicles is a top notch reissue of the 1957 debut album from
Buddy Holly & The Crickets, entitled The Chirping
Crickets. Produced by the illustrious Norman Petty,
the one and only Buddy Holly & The Crickets album remains a pop
blueprint for aspiring musicians. Released in 1957 on Brunswick
Records, the original Lp contained a number of key Holly tracks
including “That’ll Be The Day” while this 2004 CD reissue
adds on the A’s and B-sides to a pair of singles that followed
the release of The Chirping Crickets—“Think It Over”
b/w “Fools Paradise” and “It’s So Easy” b/w
“Lonesome Tears”. After Holly & The Crickets hit number
one with “That’ll Be The Day”, Holly signed to Coral
Records as a solo artist for the early 1958 release of Buddy
Holly. With both The Crickets and Norman Petty in tow,
the Buddy Holly album rocked with hit after classic pop hit
including “Rave On” and “Words Of Love” to name
a few. UMG’s 2004 reissue tags on three classic Holly rarities
including “Take Your Time”, “Now We’re One”
and the Bobby Darin-composed “Early In The Morning”.
Like The Chirping Crickets, the 2004 expanded edition reissue
of Buddy Holly features a sixteen page CD booklet, new and
original artwork and liner notes, bonus tracks and an amazing range
of timeless pop music. In addition to their Holly remasters, Geffen
/ Chronicles / UMG also offer up a 2004 CD upgrade of the debut album
from rock pioneer Chuck Berry. Entitled After School
Session, the album release from May 1957, contains
a number of Berry classics like “School Day”, “Too
Much Monkey Business” and “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”.
Berry was also featured on the album Rock, Rock, Rock—often
referred to as the genre’s first soundtrack album and interestingly
the first album ever released on Chess Records. Released in
December 1956, the “jukebox musical” movie featured ground
breaking performances by Berry, The Flamingos and The Moonglows,
while UMG’s 2004 Rock, Rock, Rock reissue adds in cuts
by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Johnny Burnette’s
Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio and Alan Freed & His Rock
‘n’ Roll Orchestra. In addition, Geffen / UMG have also
done a fine job on their 2004 reissue of St. Louis To Liverpool—Berry’s
1964 Chess Lp release. Rounding out their Rock ‘N’ Roll
50th Anniversary Edition series, Geffen have also reissued Bo
Diddley Is A Gunslinger—a November 1960 Chess Records
release from Bo Diddley and Rock Around The Clock—a
December 1955 album from Bill Haley And His Comets featuring
the title track that started it all! Each of these 2004 Geffen / Chronicles
CD remasters featuring Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Bill
Haley offer key bonus tracks, original art, extended liner notes and
more making each CD a definitive and essential rock and roll remaster.
www.umusic.com
HIP-O / UME - As Thunderclap Newman say in their classic, there
was indeed “Something In The Air” back in 1969. That song,
and a bunch of other great tracks were added to the original soundtrack
of Easy Rider, released in early 2004 as a double CD Deluxe
Edition on Hip-O. There’s also an amazing essay on the
making of the counter culture film classic that not only roused a
whole generation of rock fans, but in fact put the film’s stars—Dennis
Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson—on the
map. Commenting on the concept of the original Lp back on ABC Dunhill
records, Fonda recently stated “It was his (Dennis Hopper) record
collection and some of mine, that’s what it was.” In fact,
Crosby Stills & Nash were going to do an actual soundtrack, but
as the liner notes reveal Buffalo Springfield founder Steve Stills
was so blown away when Fonda showed him the film the way it was first
planned—with the solo debut / original title track from Roger
McGuinn, along with FM classics from The Byrds, Jimi
Hendrix, Steppenwolf and more—he said, “We can’t
even get near that.” With souped-up original cover art and a
bevy of rock classics featuring The Who, Richie Havens,
Young Rascals, Moody Blues, Chambers Brothers, Flying
Burrito Brothers and much more—all associated with the counter-culture
rock scene of the late 60s. Hip-O’s double CD reissue Easy
Rider lives up to it’s reputation as one of the definitive
counter-culture film soundtracks of the ‘60s. www.hip-o.com
IAJRC - It’s fair to say that many of the great jazz guitarists
of the 1930’s and ‘40s never received the same recognition
as legends like Charlie Christian and Eddie Lang. The International
Association Of Jazz Record Collectors rights that wrong with the
release of their Guitar Rarities - Volume One. Liner
notes by Dwight Deason sheds light on these ‘behind the
scenes’ heroes of the early jazz guitar scene. Among the guitarists
featured are Bobby Sherwood—father of Yes guitar great
Billy Sherwood—who is represented playing guitar on a pair of
1938 recordings with violinist Harry Bluestone. Other early
jazz guitarists given long overdue recognition here, on various recordings
from the ‘30s and ‘40s, include U.K. guitarist Albert
Harris with fellow guitarists Ivor Mairants and Bert
Thomas, George M. Smith, Frank Victor with Harry
Volpe and all the various players surrounding them on these nearly
forgotten sides of embryonic guitar history. Intensive liner notes,
detailed discography and eye-opening photos make this a classic reissue
CD of historic guitar lore. www.geocities.com/IAJRC
KULTUR - Subtitled A Musical Journey Through Spain,
this four hour DVD traces the evolution of the Spanish classical
guitar from the 1500’s up to present day. And who better to sing
the praises of the finest nylon string guitar repertoire than classical
guitar master Julian Bream. This outstanding Kultur
DVD merges scenery of the beautiful Spanish countryside with a fascinating
history of Spain’s rich guitar culture. Originally an eight part
series produced by Laurence Boulting and directed by Barrie
Gavin, Guitarra! is in vogue with Bream’s masterful
classical guitar technique and performance. Comfortably set amidst
a backdrop of music history and cultural landscapes, Bream is outstanding
on both Vihuela and Baroque Spanish Guitar. In addition, in chapter
four Bream is joined by Flamenco master Paco Peña, who
performs and talks with Bream about the origins of Flamenco. A compelling
tale of Spain’s juxtaposed history and guitar culture, Guitarra!
is essential viewing for all guitarists and Bream enthusiasts.
www.kultur.com
JAMES MARRON - Classical guitar performance is a musical art form
best left to masters like Ohio-based James Marron. In 1998,
Marron released his first collection of new music for solo guitar,
entitled Spring Rising and in 2003 he followed with Six
Poems For The Angels. The self-produced CD finds Marron
interpreting solo guitar works by South American classical guitar
masters such as Antonio Lauro, Agustin Barrios and Jorge
Morel. The CD rounded out by Marron’s six part, seventeen
+ minute title track and the set closing “Sunburst”, written
by American Andrew York, who’s also a member of the Los
Angeles Guitar Quartet. While the music on Six Poems For The Angels
clearly falls into the classical realm, Marron’s expert grasp
of Latin American rhythmic textures, folkloric material and sophisticated
jazz harmonies adds to the experience. The CD also features Marron’s
intriguing liner notes on the artists covered along with a description
of each composition. Marron’s impressive guitar technique suits
the complex nature of the repertoire making Six Poems For The Angels
a fine choice for classical guitar enthusiasts. www.jamesmarron.com
TIM
MIELAK - With so many guitarists immersed in the big beat sound
of techno loops and percussion, it’s refreshing now and again
to hear a cleanly played distorted sounding electric guitar on it’s
own. Tim Mielak does all that and more on his self-produced
CD Soliloquy. Describing his recording method,
Mielak adds, “I have been working on the ‘guitar only’
texture for some time. It really poses a unique opportunity to present
a different flow. Without percussion, conveying pulse becomes the
sole responsibility of the two guitars. That makes it difficult to
drive hard but is very conducive to a more meditative feel.”
Soliloquy offers a fresh new take on the direction where hard
rock legends Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower were coming from back in
the ‘60s and ‘70s with Mielak adding a post-modern avant
prog-rock twist. Commenting on his Modulus Genesis guitar, the guitarist
adds, “I used a variety of Modulus Genesis guitars. I favor the
G2 but I have a great G3 CT that gives me a slightly fatter sound.
I used compression specifically to bring up a wider frequency spectrum
and a pretty aggressive chorus to move into stereo. After mixdown,
the mastering engineer added a little post-production compression,
some dynamic excitation, and some hall reverb.” With his deft
neoclassical metal edge, Mielak keeps up the intrigue with some tastefully
sustained lead work underpinned by his steady picking and streaming
guitar rhythm tracks. www.cdbaby.com/cd/timmielak
MODERN SHELLAC - The liner notes for the 2004 Richard Bennett
album Themes From A Rainy Decade were written by none
other than his advocate, Dire Straits founder Mark Knopfler who
adds, “For almost ten years now I’ve felt very lucky having
Richard Bennett as a pal and as a member of the band.” In his
liner notes, Knopfler is right on the money describing Bennett’s
guitar approach as a mix of the early ‘60s U.K. beat group sound
of The Shadows mixed together with a healthy dose of American roots
and rock music—from Hillbilly to Hawaiian. Bennett skillfully
assumes all the solo guitar work and his memorable melodies and arrangements
at times evokes the guitar spirit of both Hank Marvin and Mark Knopfler.
For his solo CD debut, Bennett is joined by top players such as guitarists
Al Casey and George Bradfute, bass player Gary Tallent
and a range of drummers and keyboardists. Richard Bennett’s
early ‘60s guitar influences take off in full flight on Themes
From A Rainy Decade, and a clear respect for timeless country
/ jazz picker Chet Atkins adds a further sheen to his guitar lover’s
dream. www.richard-bennett.com
MOJO ROOTS MUSIC - If you’ve never been to Hawaii you can
still catch a wave with the latest CD from Maui-based Fernando
Perez entitled Mojo Roots Music - Slide World Styles In
Resophonic Guitar. A master of the resophonic guitar
(also known as Dobro), Perez has masterfully built his 13 track slide
guitar portrait around a range of blues, country and Hawaiian sounds,
making for a unique instrumental music adventure that is as relaxing
as it is musically crafty. Perez hails from Spain, so his intrinsic
guitar upbringing coupled with his love of Hawaiian vibes and all
forms of Asian and African motifs and rhythms gives a good rise to
this mojo. www.mojorootsmusic.com
NOT LAME RECORDS - Headed up by pop maven Bruce Brodeen,
Not Lame Records retains their standing as one of the prime exponents
of classic power pop in the U.S. today. Who knows...maybe Not Lame
will come up with the next Beatles. Recent on the Not Lame label is
The Last Day Of Summer, the third CD from
Florida-based Barely Pink. Citing Big Star and Cheap Trick
as big influences, guitarists Brian Merrill and Mark Warren
are joined by the hot rhythm section of Michael Hoag (bass)
and Stan Arthur (drums) and the resulting ten track CD nails
the power pop sound on the head. www.barelypink.com
A 2004 CD currently playing on the Not Lame jukebox is Twenty
Four Seven from The Well Wishers. Sounding greatly
inspired by Matthew Sweet, The Well Wishers is basically the work
of Jeff Shelton, who wrote, arranged and performed the entire
13 track CD with the help of pedal steel guitarist Tom Heyman and
a couple of his guitar buddies. Sweet was always influenced by the
sound of R.E.M. and likewise Shelton’s swirling guitars and vital
pop drive echoes the Athens Alt-rock legends. There’s also a
bit of ‘60s mellotron-inspired Moody Blues / Zombies type pop
in play on Twenty Four Seven. Shelton was a key player in the
now defunct Spinning Jennies and he likewise gets his duck in a row
on his latest set. www.thespinningjennies.com
They’ve been compared to a number of veteran rock groups—from
recent retro favorites like The Wondermints and The Gentle People
to legends like The Who, The Move and even Brazilian rockers Os Mutantes—yet
the French rock group Sweet Apple Pie break out of the mold
and come up with something else on their 2004 Not Lame CD, Between
The Lines. Recording since the mid ‘90s, this
sibling power-pop quartet sings and harmonizes quite well in English,
while drawing on the ‘60s influences like The 5th Dimension,
songwriting giant Burt Bacharach blended with a fondness for infectious
bubble gum pop. It’s well worth the time for pop fans to check
out this delectable morsel of French pop. www.sweetapplepie.com
/ www.notlame.com
PARASOL - Amazingly, Illinois-based Parasol imprint continues
to come up with some amazing new millennium pop and their CD release
of the 2004 self titled release by Time Well Spent is among
their best this year. The hype behind the South Florida group claims
great B-band (Beatles / Beach Boys) influences further exemplified
by the incipient sonic echoes of late ‘60s works by Meddle-era
Pink Floyd and pre-Argent Zombies with a late ‘60s West Coast
Van Dyke Parks meets Burt Bacharach pop fling. Melancholic, intricate
string-laden sounds for retro-pop enthusiasts—written and mainly
performed by Casey Fundaro and Christopher Moll &
company—Time Well Spent is a masterpiece that should gain
in ascendance among the current retro-pop coterie. www.parasol.com
/ www.timewellspentmusic.com
REPERTOIRE RECORDS - Best remembered for his Summer ‘75 song
“Dreamweaver” and his ground breaking recordings with U.K.
progressive blues rockers Spooky Tooth, singer-songwriter Gary
Wright released his first solo album in 1971. That album, Extraction,
was an all-around winning effort and found the N.J. native recording
in the company of British rock royalty including guitarists Mick
Abrahams and Hugh McCracken along with Beatles cohort Klaus
Voorman and Yes drummer Alan White. For this first ever
and long overdue CD reissue of Extraction—picked up by
the German Repertoire imprint—Chris Welch penned some
great liner notes shedding light on Wright’s years with Spooky
Tooth and his friendship with George Harrison. As it stands, 33 years
after it’s release, Extraction remains one of the finest
rock albums of the early ‘70s. The booklet also includes the
original album art work from the ‘71 Lp release on A&M. Available
from the catalog of Collector’s Choice Music. www.ccmusic.com
SGV - The country that brought you ABBA and Volvo, Sweden is also
quite renowned for their guitar instrumental groups. One of the best
of the current batch are The Ryders. Featuring a number of
fine players including lead guitarist Kurt Fröberg, the
16 track 2004 Ryders CD, The Gold Turned Into Sand balances
their guitar instrumental sound with vocal favorites like “World
Without Love”, the Doc Pomus classic “Little Sister”
and the Roy Orbison-penned “Oh, Pretty Woman”. Other standouts
include the classic instro title track and the fantastic Lennart Clerwell
penned “Still On Earth”. Commenting on the Ryders’
special ‘guitaristic’ approach Fröberg adds, “The
title track is a very popular musical ballad written by Björn
and Benny of ABBA and is from their musical Kristina from Duvemåla.
I don't know if it´s being known in the US. We have made our
own arrangement of that melody in a typical early 60's Scandinavian
style. We have a mix of instros and vocals as we are a coverband and
that is what we play at most gigs. We do make special instrumental
gigs also, like The Spotnicks-festival in Sweden, The Shadows festival
in Oslo and the Cliff Richard & The Shadows international Fan
Meeting in Holland in April this year.” All in all, there’s
certainly enough classic Euro-flavored guitar sounds and rootsy rockers
on The Gold Turned Into Sand to make it of interest for fans
of both ‘50s rock and the Ventures / Shadows guitar instro sound.
www.ryders.se
SHOUT! FACTORY - Back in 1968 L.A. native sun Lee Michaels
released his all-time classic album, Recital to
rave reviews. The sophisticated Hammond organ, tack piano-L.A. pop
sound blended the finest pop elements of groups like Love and Buffalo
Springfield and a new unexplained hybrid, yet it was too good to last
and Michaels’ record label even encouraged Lee to deny his early
art-pop leanings in favor of a more commercial formula, the likes
of which resulted in the stooped stoned sing along “Heighty Hi”
(a made for early FM hit if there ever was one) and a scorching, bluesy
tour de force, “Stormy Monday” and later with slightly better
results on his swan song, “Do You Know What I Mean”. The
Shout Factory CD release of Hello: The Very Best Of Lee Michaels
liner notes sheds little light on Michaels’ message or sentiments
after all these years while a scant four tracks from his classic first
two albums among the fourteen tracks here helps bring his legacy into
the limelight again. By the way, long, out of print, crappy mid ‘90s
CD reissues of Recital are going for nearly fifty bucks a piece
on Amazon. Go figure...
A band rarely heard about in the U.S. anymore is Slade, who
are honored with a twenty track best of CD on Shout! Factory. Get
Yer Boots On: The Very Best Of Slade reintroduces the classic
early ‘70s glam rock band who are best remembered for huge U.K.
hits like 1973’s “Get Down And Get With It”, “Cum
On Feel The Noise”, “Gudbuy T’ Jane” and more.
Check it out and find out how these working class blokes from Wolverhampton,
England had such a huge impact on ‘70s proto-punk rockers like
The Sweet and The Runaways. In addition to their twenty track best
of CD, Shout! Factory have also reissued a Slade movie on DVD. Slade
In Flame features the group in a kind of ‘70s version
of A Hard Day’s Night while depicting the pressures of
successful rock band. The DVD also features an in-depth interview
with Slade vocalist Noddy Holder. Also worth hearing on Shout!
Factory is a comprehensive retrospective from country-pop music pioneer
Bobbie Gentry, entitled Chickasaw Country Child: The
Artistry Of Bobbie Gentry. Complete with twelve pages
of rare photos and extensive notes, the 23 track CD kicks off with
her all time classic “Ode To Billie Joe” and proves that—while
she never attained the same level of success—her fine originals
still fascinate like they did in the ‘60s. Featuring guitarist
Dick Taylor and singer Phil May, The Pretty Things
never achieved the high popularity of The Rolling Stones or The Who,
yet the U.K. rockers had a major impact on both Jimmy Page (who signed
them to his Swan Song label) and David Bowie, who covered them on
his ‘73 Pinups. The 2004 Shout! Factory CD release of
The Pretty Things - Come See Me collects 25 tracks from
a number of the group’s Lp and single releases. Kicking off with
their ‘64 single, “Rosalyn” and closing with the title
track of their mid ‘70s album classic Singapore Silk Torpedo,
Come See Me is a good retrospective from the band who gave The
Who and The Stones a run for their money back in the ‘60s and
‘70s. www.shoutfactory.com
SPLINTERHEAD MUSIC - A master of the seven string guitar, NY-based
Greg Rapaport released his fourth solo CD, Azrael Block,
at the end of 2003. It's acclaimed as his finest recording to date,
and Rapaport performs all the writing, arrangements, production and
engineering in addition to playing all the guitar, bass, and keyboard
parts. Rapaport’s stimulating liner notes sheds light on his
fearless combination of complex jazz guitar techniques and gutsy,
instrumental prog-metal sounds. Rapaport cites both Allan Holdsworth
and Yngwie Malmsteen among his influences and, blending in odd funk-metal
riffs and angular metal progressions, the guitarist blazes away on
Azrael Block. Although much of this music has enough power
to blow the walls down, Rapaport also knows the meaning of shading
and light and on “Interlude-A”, his playing is also reminiscent
of Steve Howe. Rapaport’s expertise on the ‘chunky-sounding’
seven string electric makes it the perfect vehicle for his adventurous
chord voicings, wide intervals and hellacious riffing. Rapaport’s
self-designed CD artwork is quite unearthly and gives a good indication
of the adventures within. All told, if you like your guitar fusion
fast and furious and played with sonic depth and precision, Azrael
Block fits the bill. www.gregrapaport.com
TRIOLA / STAR-CLUB RECORDS - Sweden has always been
a stronghold of guitar groups favoring the early ‘60s Shadows
/ Ventures instrumental sound. The Swedish label Triola continues
making guitar fans happy with the latest installment of their Guitar
& Beat series. The 25 track Guitar & Beat Volume
5 compiles a wealth of beat-group instrumentals from a variety
of different Swedish bands like The Moonriders, The Teenbeats,
Flying Eagles and The Moonrakers. Although mostly unknown
outside of Sweden, these bands have one thing in common and that is
an appreciation for the music of Swedish guitar instro ace Lenny
Clerwall. A prolific guitarist and composer, Clerwall can take
credit for composing a number of these tracks and well as covering
a few tracks here under his own name. Spanning the years 1981-2004,
Guitar & Beat Volume 5 is fine introduction to the Swedish
instro guitar scene.
WAFFLES MUSIC - Guitarists Dick Plant and Warren
Bennett team for more musical adventures on the new Vibratos
album, appropriately called Tornado Alley. Plant,
of course is famous for his outstanding studio work with both solo
Hank Marvin and Hank with The Shadows. A fine drummer,
keyboardist and guitarist in his own right, Warren is the son of long
time Shadows drummer Brian Bennett. Kicking the nostalgia element
up a notch, the Vibratos sound is put to good use on a round of originals,
while their choice of vintage ‘60 instro covers hits new heights
on Vibratos instro covers of John Barry (“Cutty Sark”),
Roy Wood (“Blackberry Way”), Percy Faith (“The Virginian”),
Graham Gouldman (“Bus Stop”), Jeff Wayne (“Forever
Autumn”) and Dimitri Tiomkin (“Town Without Pity”).
Bennett’s catchy title track is flexed by a myriad of sonic detours
and blends the best of the classic Shadows and Ventures sound. With
their third album, Tornado Alley, The Vibratos hit the trifecta.
www.vibratos.co.uk
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