 |
May-June,
2001
|
|||
|
MYRACLE
BRAH
|
||||
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS
|
||||
|
HENRY GROSS I’m Hearing Things (Zelda)
|
||||
|
PATTI ROTHBERG Candelabra Cadabra (Cropduster)
|
||||
|
NICHE Niche (Big Thumb)
|
||||
|
MASTERS OF REALITY Welcome To The Western Lodge (Spitfire)
|
||||
|
SOULFARM Scream Of The Crop (Desert Rock)
|
||||
|
THE FREE DESIGN Cosmic Peekaboo (Marina / Caroline)
|
||||
|
JOHN LUDI Hell’s Laughter And Heaven’s Ache (John Ludi)
|
||||
|
JAMIE ROUNDS Ten Great Car Tunes (BMC)
|
||||
|
ERIC CLAPTON Reptile (Reprise / Duck)
|
||||
|
THE MOODY BLUES Hall Of Fame: Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Image Entertainment - DVD)
|
||||
|
HONEYDOGS Here’s Luck (Palm Pictures)
|
||||
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS Moulin Rouge (Interscope)
|
||||
|
||||
Listen
to RealAudio sample: 
With it’s ever growing
roster of trend-setting artists and CD releases, Colorado-based Not Lame
Records continues to set a new standard in the pop-rock and power pop
world. The latest and perhaps greatest album in the Not Lame catalog is the
third disc from the Maryland-based group known as Myracle Brah.
Spotlighting the music, guitar and vocals of songwriter Andy Bopp, The
Myracle Brah is a contender for best pop albums of the year. Strong
words perhaps, yet Bopp and his group of like-minded bandmates pull off the
feat with crafty hands. A rising pop pundit, Bopp cites influences like The
Lovin’ Spoonful, Joe Jackson and Todd Rundgren, yet on The Myracle Brah
he also manages to transcend those pop icons with an effective approach to a
genre that is based upon musical innovation and fresh melody. Interestingly,
Bopp also cites guitarist Scotty Moore among his favorite guitar players. The
Myracle Brah is alive with a solid Beatles influence and Bopp’s unique
ability to wed a solid hook to strong lyrics would no doubt make Lennon
& McCartney smile. Anyone in doubt is advised to pick up a CD of The
Myracle Brah as soon as possible. 
The coming together of
these great players, appearing here under the name Raisins In The Sun,
gives the term ‘supergroup’ a new meaning in these first months of the
21st Century. Raisins features stellar players like the gifted
singer-songwriter Jules Shear, Jim Dickinson (producer of Ry
Cooder, Big Star), the legendary Harvey Brooks (bass man for Dylan,
Miles Davis and The Doors) and a host of others. With a line-up of great
musical minds on board comparisons to groups like The Traveling Wilburys may
spring to mind, although the Raisins In The Sun album is glazed over
with a much more laid-back, roots-rock Woodstock vibe. Recorded in a studio
at the intersection of "Glenn And Stone" (one of the songs here)
in Tuscon, Arizona, Raisins In The Sun is the kind of album that
creeps up slowly and just kind of grows on you. It’s not the best thing
Jules Shear has done, for example, yet stellar playing from legends like
Brooks and drummer Winston Watson helps hoist Raisins In The Sun onto
the list of best new pop-rock albums of 2001. 
NYC native Henry Gross is
remembered by music fans for a string of high quality pop albums released
during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Gross first gained exposure at age 18 as a
member of the Rock & Roll revival band Sha Na Na and their performance
at Woodstock is still the stuff legends are made of. A variety of album
releases on ABC Dunhill, Lifesong, A&M and CBS Records followed with
Gross achieving cult status among a contingent of in-the-know pop mavens.
Moving to Nashville several years back, Gross returns in 2001 with a solid
new album featuring support from top studio musicians such as Gary
Tallent (bass), Clive Gregson (keyboards) and Wayne Killius (drums)
to name just a few. Henry’s music still sounds inspired by the breezy,
catchy pop-rock he became famous for back in the ‘70s. Commenting on the
recent release of I’m Hearing Things, Gross adds, "It's the
first record I've done where I was both producer and engineer and while it
was challenging at times the results are most satisfying. I believe it's
my best effort to date by far!" An outstanding guitarist and
singer-songwriter, Gross still has the power to knock you out with a solid
pop tune making I’m Hearing Things an album that’s surely worth
checking out by all devoted pop fan. 
NYC-based
singer-songwriter Patti Rothberg returns in a big way with a new album
released on the New Jersey-based Cropduster Records. Her major
label debut Between The 1 And The 9 was released to critical
acclaim on EMI America back in ‘96, but her new disc Candelabra
Cadabra is clearly her best to date. Like the title infers, Candelabra
Cadabra features a magical blend of catchy, introspective rock gems.
Assisting Ms. Rothberg on her new CD are top players including Freddie
Katz (guitar and production), Lori Adams (bass) and Yves
Gerard (drums). In addition to singing and writing all the songs,
Rothberg plays rhythm guitar for all the live tracking. While the album is
filled with Rothberg’s unique and special pop/rock touch, a number of
influences, including The Kinks, Todd Rundgren, Kate Bush and Stevie
Nicks, spring to mind. Currently in the vanguard of cutting edge of modern
music, Patti Rothberg is one of the most gifted newcomers on the 2001
pop/rock scene. 
A native of Australia,
guitarist Ben Marvin recently relocated to England for the
making of the self-titled debut CD with his new group Niche. Son of U.K.
guitar great Hank Marvin, Ben proves talent runs deep in the Marvin
family. One listen to Niche is ample proof that Ben has obviously
inherited his father’s formidable guitar and songwriting skills. A
unique album uniting Marvin with singer-songwriter Phil Watts, Niche
is filled with eleven well produced hard rocking tracks. Unlike Hank
Marvin’s sublime European flavored guitar instrumentals, the Niche album
is impressive stuff often sounding inspired by Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.
The playing is first rate all around and the music, composed by both
Marvin and Watts, proves the band has a solid foundation on which to
build. Also featuring Julian Reeve (drums) and Hank Marvin band
members Warren Bennett (keyboards) and Mark Griffiths (bass),
Niche is a band to keep an eye on. 
Renowned for their 1992
album Sunrise On The Sufferbus, which found the band joined by
drumming great Ginger Baker, Masters Of Reality reach another musical
pinnacle with their most recent release for Long Island-based Spitfire
Records. An album of dark, moody rock sounds infused with a high-tech,
tribal sounding gothic twist, Welcome To The Western Lodge is heavy
stuff indeed. The man behind the Masters’ sound, Chris Goss rises
to the occasion performing here on vocals, guitars, keyboards and bass.
Goss receives kindred support from John Leamy (drums, keys). Other
players, including Googe (bass) and Victor Indrizzo (drums),
appear as guest musicians. Welcome To The Western Lodge is a
fitting testament to the way Goss handles himself in the studio. Having
worked studio sessions with Stone Temple Pilots and others, Goss adds,
"The majority of my time is spent in recording studios. In ideal
conditions, they can be wonderfully protective wombs for an artist".
Definitely not for the faint of heart, Welcome To The Western Lodge is
a splendid studio outing that will amaze your ears and bake your brain. 
When he’s not amazing
music lovers with his calling as a premier New Age recording artist,
guitar wiz C Lanzbom is out playing with the New York-based group
Soulfarm. Last year, Soulfarm released an acclaimed live album called Live
@ The Wetlands and now the group follows up with a new studio set,
humorously titled Scream Of The Crop. A number of fine players
assist Lanzbom including Noah Chase (vocals, guitar) and Mark
Ambrosino (drums, vocals). The fourteen track Scream Of The Crop serves
up a amiable blend of pop, rock, progressive folk and country topped off
with a World Music edge. Earlier Soulfarm albums were imbued with ample
jamming to which Chase adds, "More than anything else, this is a
songwriter’s album. The focus is not on jamming. It’s all catchy,
short stuff you would bring to a songwriters circle." Compared at
times to both CSNY and the Grateful Dead, Soulfarm bridge the
multi-generational musical gap while adding in a hefty dose of
cross-cultural musical ideas. Lanzbom adds, "As a songwriter, I’m
always trying to bridge everything I love and fit it into accessible songs
for people". Lanzbom’s flawless guitar work scales new heights and
the convincing group songwriting makes Scream Of The Crop an
auspicious new effort from a talented innovative band. 
Back in the late ‘60s,
the New York-based group The Free Design began recording lushly recorded
pop vocal albums inspired by songwriting greats like Jimmy Webb, Brian
Wilson, Harry Nilsson and pop groups like The 5th Dimension and The Mamas
& The Papas. Mixing ethereal easy-listening with pop-light, The Free
Design created seven albums between 1967-73. The group reformed in 2000,
contributing a track for the Brian Wilson tribute album, Caroline Now! released
by the German-based Marina Records. That track lead to the making
of the first full length Free Design album in nearly 30 years. L.A.-based Varese
Vintage reissued a full length Free Design retrospective a couple
years back entitled Kites Are Fun, further fueling interest in the
fabled ‘60s group. Spotlighting eleven newly penned tunes from group
songwriter Chris Dedrick, Cosmic Peekaboo finds the
singer-songwriter reunited with his sibling bandmates Sandy and Bruce.
A number of fine players, including singer-keyboardist Rebecca Pellett,
also add to the album’s masterful retro-flavored pop sound. In the
spirit of the greatest harmony group ever, The Beach Boys, The Free Design
revisit intimate musical territory with ease and scope out a new sound
vision with Cosmic Peekaboo. 
Chicago-based
singer-songwriter John Ludi takes no prisoners on his latest solo effort.
A mainstay of the Chicago music scene for quite a while, Ludi rants and
raves about all pertinent social matters on songs like "All Dead
Dictators" and "A Late Night Argument With God". Ludi
performs all the instruments with impeccable skill. Essentially a
pop album, Hell’s Laughter And Heaven’s Ache is filled with one
riveting song after the next and Ludi’s vocals and songwriting skills
are quite impressive throughout. Filled with heavy musical messages, Hell’s
Laughter And Heaven’s Ache is a pop album for the thinking man. The
album will never make the Billboard charts and there’s no chance that
Ludi will ever become an MTV favorite, but that’s really the point. By
exposing the fallacies and shallowness of the 21st Century pop culture,
Ludi drives his vision home with alarming awareness. 
Whether going for the
gusto with a solid pop-rock groove, getting mysterious with an
instrumental guitar setting or getting wistful with a Buddy Holly-inspired
roots rock sound, guitarist and singer-songwriter Jamie Rounds covers all
the bases on Ten Great Car Tunes. Rounds performs all the guitars,
instruments and vocal parts himself with the notable addition of Duane
Jarvis (guitar) and Avery Auger (banjo) on a pair of
tracks. Among the two instrumental cuts is a passionate cover of the Jorma
Kaukonen classic "Embryonic Journey". Rounds, who recently
relocated to L.A. from Nashville has worked with greats like John Lee
Hooker, Steve Earle and Walter Egan. With the release of Ten Great Car
Tunes Rounds is primed to move on to greater public recognition. 
Eric Clapton
follows the success of Riding With The King with his 2001 studio
album Reptile. According to the guitar legend, "Riding With
The King was such a magical experience that I thought, ‘Well, why
not just take this complete philosophy and make an album… while this is
all still kind of hot, for myself?" The thing about Riding With
The King was the unique presence of the great B.B. King. In an
effort to follow up the album Clapton admits "It was interesting,
because without BB…this was much harder than I thought it would be. I
underestimated BB’s presence in the whole equation." Even without
King, Clapton’s latest is a solid return to the successful pop and rock
sound that helped turn his name into gold over the past 25 years. Produced
by Clapton and Simon Climie, Reptile finds Clapton in the
company of fine players like Billy Preston, Joe Sample, Paul
Carrack and Tim Carmon (keyboards), Andy Fairweather Low
and Doyle Bramhall II (guitars), Nathan East (bass), Paulinho
Da Costa (percussion), Steve Gadd (drums) and The
Impressions on backing vocals. Covers of JJ
Cale ("Travelin’ Light"), Ray
Charles ("Come Back Baby") and Joe Thomas & Howard
Biggs ("Got You On My Mind") fit right in with future
Clapton classics like "Superman Inside" (co-written with Doyle
Bramhall II and Susannah Melvoin) and the title track described by
Clapton as "a samba instrumental, because I love that kind of music.
I love bossa nova…I love those guys from Brazil." Inspired by
memories of his late uncle, Clapton looks inward and gets a bit nostalgic
on Reptile. The result is an album of timeless, well done songs and
a whole lot of inspired guitar playing. 
Recorded live at the
prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London on May 1st, 2000, Hall Of Fame is
essentially the DVD companion to the CD of the same name released last
year on Ark 21 Records. Any fan of The Moody Blues will surely want to
view this Image Entertainment DVD as it captures the current
Moodies lineup in prime form at the zenith of their acclaimed 2000 world
tour. The elegantly packaged 14 track DVD highlights an array of Moodies
classics like "Isn’t Life Strange", "Tuesday
Afternoon" and "Legend Of A Mind" mixed in with tracks from
their ‘99 Strange Times CD. Assisting the surviving original
line-up of Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Graeme Edge and
Ray Thomas are Paul Bliss and Bias Boshell (keyboards),
Gordon Marshall (drums) and Susan Shattock & Tracy Graham (backing
vocals). If there was ever a venue to capture the majesty of The Moody
Blues, it would have to be The Albert Hall, the London concert hall where
so much U.K. rock music history took place. Tastefully filmed before a
legion of long time fans, the Hall Of Fame DVD makes it clear that
The Moody Blues still have a few compelling musical tricks up their
sleeves. Recent songs from Strange Times pack a solid musical punch
and the vintage Moodies classics still rock, making the 81 minute Hall
Of Fame DVD an all around winner for long time fans. 
Chief Honeydog songwriter
Adam Levy obviously draws inspiration from songwriting icons like
Jules Shear, Ray Davies and Marshall Crenshaw and for Here’s Luck he
has penned an impressive cross section of Beatles-inspired pop/rock
tracks. Levy’s effective vocals and fine guitar skills are further
fueled by support from a range of players including his brother Noah
Levy (drums), John Fields (keyboards) and Trent Norton (bass).
The added presence of a mellotron on several cuts adds to the vintage
musical redecoration and expands upon the overall high attention to
musical imagination found throughout the set. Following the release of
several late ‘90s Honeydogs’ CD releases, Here’s Luck represents
another fine effort from a prominent, rising pop group. Aberrant cover art
and lyrics are found in the booklet. Fans of late ‘60s and early ‘70s
pop are hereby advised to check out Here’s Luck. 
From the upcoming Baz
Lurhmann movie Moulin Rouge comes the matching
soundtrack album on Interscope Records. Set back in France in the
1890’s, the film explores the bohemian world of the Toulouse Lautrec-era
Paris art scene with a central focus being the nightclub scene, the sex,
drink and drugs and the Can-Can dance craze so popular in France at the
turn of the 20th Century. Moulin Rouge stars Nicole Kidman and
Ewan McGregor along with a huge cast and is certain to be a summer
hit. Both Kidman and McGregor are featured on a wide variety of vocal
cover material like big productions of "Your Song" (sung by
McGregor ) and a gorgeous Kidman cover of "One Day I’ll Fly
Away". Demonstrating their ability to keep up with the other artists
on hand, Kidman and McGregor are featured alongside strong new music from David
Bowie, Beck, Christina Aguilera, Rufus Wainwright,
Fatboy Slim and
Bono. Beck sort of raps over his cover of David Bowie’s
"Diamond Dogs" while Bowie on the other hand turns in a two
remarkable, varying performances of the classic "Nature Boy".
The version that opens the album is done full orchestral style,
reminiscent of his 1966 pop-cabaret album The World Of David Bowie, while
the album-closer finds Bowie backed by the techno-orb sound of Massive
Attack. Ranging from cabaret-style Broadway pop to a more far-out
approach to techno and even rap, the soundtrack to Moulin Rouge covers
alot of ground yet works from start to finish. It’s going to be
interesting to see how the soundtrack fits in with the movie. For a
preview of this colorful new extravaganza go to the movie web site.