Ghost Funk Orchestra is a retro-toned combo whose layered sound traverses a number of different styles including psychedelia, jazz, soul, R&B, and exotica. The band emerged from New York in the late 2010s under the leadership of producer/arranger Seth Applebaum. Initially an experimental recording project, Applebaum slowly built his endeavor into a dynamic live group supporting a series of small releases before making their label debut with 2019's A Song for Paul. With 2022's A New Kind of Love and 2024's A Trip to the Moon, their sound grew to include orchestral pop, lounge, and surf.
Known for his work with bands like the Mad Doctors and Mom Jeans, Applebaum started Ghost Funk Orchestra as a personal side project, alternately playing all of the instruments himself and borrowing musicians from various New York bands to capture the gritty, heavily reverbed mood-funk of early releases like 2014's The Haunt and 2016's Night Walker. The project grew into a live band the following year with a series of shows in New York and the vibey, self-released Something Evil. By this point, their sound had evolved to include a series of female vocalists and a horn section.
After signing with Colemine Records' Karma Chief imprint, Ghost Funk Orchestra made their full-length label debut with 2019's A Song for Paul. The group's next album, An Ode to Escapism, arrived in November 2020 and featured guest appearances by Julian Applebaum, Kam Franklin, and Sean Pastorok. On their cinematic third LP, 2022's A New Kind of Love, Applebaum steered the band's sound toward mid-century exotica and classic orchestral pop. From there, the Ghost Funk Orchestra's pastiche grew to include film music, surf, and dense, '70s-inspired funk on their deeply layered 2024 release A Trip to the Moon. From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ghost-funk-orchestra-mn0003776450#discography
DIVERSE AND ECLECTIC FUN FOR YOUR EARS - 60s to 90s rock, prog, psychedelia, folk music, folk rock, world music, experimental, avant-garde, doom metal, strange and creative music videos, deep cuts and more!
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Ghost Funk Orchestra - Eyes Of Love
School of Seven Bells - The Night
Like many bands before them, School of Seven Bells were born as the result of a late-night revelation. Benjamin Curtis connected with sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza in 2004 while their bands--Secret Machines and on!air!library!, respectively--were on tour. While watching PBS at 3am, Alejandra caught a show about the School of Seven Bells: a mythical South American pickpocket academy that may or may not have existed in the '80s. The idea of seven minds working as one appealed to her, as did the phrase's cryptic musicality, and a creative spark ignited.
By the end of 2006, Curtis and the Deheza sisters had completely disappeared into School of Seven Bells. From the outset, it was clear that the trio's music transcended the usual genre restrictions. Early recordings popped up on Sonic Cathedral, Table of Elements, and Suicide Squeeze, then Blonde Redhead tapped School of Seven Bells for a tour. Remixes came from Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie and Prefuse 73, whose "Class of 73 Bells," a re-imagining of SVIIB's "Iamundernodisguise," ended up on his 2007 album Preparations (Warp).
School of Seven Bells' music is full of tensions--Curtis' gentle guitars wrap around jagged beats; silky vocals hide behind grumpy, alien synthesizers--but the resulting songs are effortlessly cohesive, and insidiously catchy. Elements of dream-pop, Afrobeat, IDM, and 4AD's gauzier moments provide a constantly shifting frame for the Dehezas' lyrics, which they write as mysterious missives between the School's imaginary seven members. On their Ghostly debut, Alpinisms, we get the impression that the three seasoned musicians have taken up full-time residence in a dizzying fantasy world; they move freely within the realm of pickpockets and dreamers, composing a soundtrack according to their own odd, beautiful logic. From: https://ghostly.com/artists/school-of-seven-bells
Strawbs - Queen Of Dreams
The departure of Rick Wakeman didn't stop the Strawbs from fully embracing a sort of "symphonic folk" song, but it did shake the band's confidence - especially band leader Dave Cousins, whose feelings of betrayal at the time leak out in the lyrics to Tomorrow on here. Depressed by this turn of events, Cousins turned to the rest of the band members for songwriting support, but the end product is both extremely consistent and, what's more, conceptually cohesive, the album tracing the journey of an everyman protagonist from cradle to grave. Blue Weaver's keyboard style is less prone to showboating than Wakeman's, but arguably that's what was needed at this juncture - someone to provide keyboard textures whilst the other band members demonstrate their instrumental and vocal chops. The band absolutely needed to prove that there was more to them than Wakeman's technical virtuosity - some sectors of the music press thought that Wakeman leaving would spell the end of the band, which in retrospect seems crazy but considering what a major presence he was on From the Witchwood does kind of make sense. The group step up to the challenge admirably, play their hearts out, and sing beautifully - the harmonies on opening track Benedictus are simply divine. With a heavier dose of acoustic guitar than most prog bands of the time (aside from Jethro Tull), and a new willingness to get experimental - there's some really *strange* instrumental tracks on Queen of Dreams, Grave New World sees the band perfecting their own model of progressive music which is uniquely theirs. It might not be as complex as their competitors, but it's certainly powerful and emotionally moving - as on the best song on the disc, the harsh and biting New World. This album is the first real Strawbs classic.
It had been just during the promotion tour of their From The Witchwood album when Rick Wakeman decided to leave the band for joining Yes (which was understandable considering his big talents) actually without saying any word of farewell to them (which hadn't been that nice though). As if the remaining band members wanted to supply evidence that they can do very well without (not yet by then) keyboard wizard Rick they created their most ambitious (and arguably best) effort, the album here in review "Grave New World". It's a concept work reflecting the story of one man's life, from the cradle to the grave. The title is most obviously a hint to Aldous Huxley's famous novel and the fantastic cover art depicts William Blake's "Glad Day" painting. As Dave Cousins points out in the leaflet notes, Tony Visconti, who had produced their live album, was beginning to have an increasing influence on the band during onset of this record. Let me cite here his own words: "He was into martial arts, and encouraged me to read 'The Tibetan Book Of The Dead'. I even managed 'The Egyptian Book Of The Dead' - hence the quotes on the sleeve!" He also says there, that people were beginning to write the band off after Wakeman's demise but I think this album here had been the best prove that the Strawbs were still a great band. The opening track "Benedictus" being written when Wakeman left the band sets the tone for the whole album with its devotional and contemplative sound. Derek "Blue" Weaver took over the empty keyboard stool and he did an excellent job here I've to say. Cousins tells a mysterious story in the leaflet notes about how he came upon the words for the lyrics. He played the solo on his electric dulcimer with a steel through a fuzz box, and there are also two guest vocalists, Trevor Lucas and Anne Collins added here. After the short acoustic interlude "Hey Little Man" which supposed to tell the story about an older man giving advice to his young son, who probably didn't listen we have "Queen Of Dreams" which is the most experimental song they've ever done I'm quite sure. They used a play back in reverse of a recording of the guitar and first verse of the song for this track which provides a quite interesting psychedelic touch. Then there is "Heavy Disguise" written by John Ford and as well performed by him with a brass section played by the Robert Kirby Silver Band giving this track a nice special note. The rather bombastic but brilliant mellotron-laden "New World" is the next one and Dave Cousins tells about its creation that it had been written after he had seen a tv report about young kids in Belfast being asked to paint pictures in their art lessons, and many of them had painted soldiers lying dead in the gutter; what else to tell about such type of inspiration? After the nice acoustic folk song "The Flower,” comes the next big highlight on here with "Tomorrow" with a really great symphonic sound. The next two tracks are early songs from them of which the first one "On Growing Older" still fits quite well though sounding rather Byrds-alike (one of Cousins' big favs) whereas the pastiche to a very old English song "Ah Me, Ah My" sounds to me quite awkward and inappropriate. But the latter one is really the only redundant song of this album since the Eastern inspired "Is It Today,Lord?" with Richard Hudson on sitar and as well the final "The Journey's End" are very good tracks.
From: https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=2897
Pizzicato Five - Sweet Soul Review
“Imagine every great record you’ve ever heard stuck in a blender overlaid with the most experimental heavy metal guitar you’ve never heard combined with the most outstanding montage of video clips you can’t imagine plus super-adorable camp fashions, all synthesized through a demented Japanese consumerist impression of America. Then try to imagine something better than that...” These are some of the words I wrote nearly 20 years ago about Pizzicato Five’s San Francisco stop on the Tokyo-based group’s first US/European tour. Even looking back today, I still think about my initial 1995 encounter with P5 as one of the most startling, fully realized concerts I’ve ever experienced, and their records remain among my most beloved.
Pizzicato Five were many things, but never ordinary. They’d started in the mid-’80s as an easy listening quintet, switched vocalists to favor smooth plastic soul, discovered samplers around the time their third (and defining) singer Maki Nomiya arrived in 1990, then morphed into a dance/pop-art/retro-futurist act that pulled from just about every musical genre and aesthetic movement since the mid-20th century. By the time leading American indie rock label Matador Records introduced them internationally with the 1994 samplers Five by Five and Made in USA, P5 was only two, the absurdly productive songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Yasuharu Konishi the sole original member. When the act called it quits in 2001, Pizzicato Five had released 14 studio albums, at least that number of compilations, about as many EPs, and every kind of single conceivable.
When popular music was at its bleakest and most monochromatic, Pizzicato Five were neon-hued and eclectic. Their international arrival occurred between the sudden deaths of Kurt Cobain and Tupac Shakur, figureheads of the grunge and gangsta rap that defined American music in the ’90s. Even house music – severed by this point from its gay and black roots – was straighter, whiter, less melodic, and more formulaic. The resulting electronica was hailed as “the new rock” while Britpop reintroduced previously retired orthodoxies. Although the ’90s featured more successful women rockers than any other decade, the era’s sensibility remained traditionally male – loud, brash, barbaric. Even the guitars were often downtuned to sound more ominous and growling. Juxtaposed against the furious flannel-clad sasquatches of the Pacific Northwest, P5’s worldly, feminine lightheartedness was even more refreshing than it would be today. “I don’t like dark, brooding music – I don’t understand the purpose of it,” Konishi mused during a 1996 interview I conducted with the pair that went unpublished until now. Intrigued by my concert review, the band merely wanted to meet the American critic who they felt understood them. “I don’t think music should reflect reality. I think music should be more of a magical entity, something that lets you escape from reality.”
P5 found inspiration in both the sunniest and most radical qualities of the ’60s. “I have three superstars: Godard, Warhol, and Maki,” Konishi told Puncture. As P5’s vocalist, Maki was unrelentingly cheery and extraordinarily composed, as if she were biologically incapable of striking an unflattering pose or emitting a wayward note. A professional model before, during, and after her P5 reign, Nomiya was rail-thin like the face of ’60s Swinging London, Twiggy: Pizzicato Five’s most internationally popular song, “Twiggy Twiggy/Twiggy vs. James Bond” was a souped up 1991 remake of a track on her 1981 solo album that streamlined and simplified its source material with a caffeinated, sample-invigorated arrangement that would serve as the prototype for most P5 to come.
Like early Warhol superstars Baby Jane Holzer and Edie Sedgwick, Nomiya exuded larger-than-life glamour: In the mode of subsequent Factory graduates like Mary Woronov, she was a beautiful woman presenting herself like a drag queen imitating a faded Hollywood starlet. Her favored fabrics were vintage and synthetic; her wigs even more fake. In the video to “Sweet Soul Revue”, she struck moves like Jagger while radiating the poise of Hepburn before morphing into a Pan Am-esque flight attendant.
Even more than the early De La Soul and Deee-Lite records that almost certainly provoked their initial Maki-era shift, P5 were vigorously post-modern: A Pizzicato jam might feature astoundingly accurate pastiches of the vocal and orchestral arrangements from baroque pop acts like the Fifth Dimension and the Left Banke, discothèque breakbeats played live and continuously at double time, and hip-hop production techniques that recall Godard’s jump cuts. Occasionally the guitar got harsh, but sophisticatedly so: Bravo Komatsu – the guitarist who temporarily replaced founding member Keitarō Takanami on the 1995 tour – could wail on his instrument while flaunting enviable chops: Check out the virtuoso surf-metal spew he shoots over prerecorded “Twiggy Twiggy” tracks while Konishi dances the Frug on UK music show The Word. From: https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2014/11/pizzicato-five-feature
Squeeze - Last Time Forever
This mid-eighties release by Squeeze is unique. Most reviewers back in the day gave it low marks primarily due to the cluttered, heavy-handed, and high-tech production by Laurie Latham. Squeeze was primarily revered for its intelligent songwriting and traditional (and often sunny) pop sensibilities and this album was certainly new sonic territory for the band. The organic pop sound of previous Squeeze records is replaced with synths, drum machines, and psychedelic Sgt. Pepper cello/string flourishes, all processed through tons of effects. The overall result is a dark, moody sound that was atypical of Squeeze. As for the songs themselves, they are strong. Full of odd chord progressions that match the dark mood and make them less accessible than most of the band's other song sets, and tackling heavy subject matter like family strife, alcoholism, broken relationships, etc, this album will take repeated listens to appreciate but is worth it. "By Your Side," "I Learnt How to Pray," and "Last Time Forever" are all darker tunes than just about any Squeeze had done so far but they carry an emotional punch. "Big Beng," "No Place Like Home," and "Break My Heart" are quirky and disjointed but they are intentionally so and are really quite finely crafted tunes. "King George Street," "Heartbreaking World," and "Hits of the Year" are more straightforward melodically and are all quite good. While this isn't the typical Squeeze, it is still good and deserves more credit than it has received. Not the best place to start if you're just getting into the band (see "East Side Story"), but for fans willing to explore new territory with the band this album has its rewards. From: https://www.amazon.com/Cosi-Fan-Tutti-Frutti-Squeeze/product-reviews/B000NDFK7C
Old Blood - Slothgod
Old Blood: Interview With Vocalist Lynx
Having been without live music since March of 2020, I was beyond ready for a show. Lucky for me Old Blood stopped at Barleycorn’s in Wichita, Kansas on Halloween night. Their lead singer Cat Braithwaite aka Lynx was kind enough to have a brief chat with me before their blend of soul and psychedelic doom burned the landscape.
Thank you for performing in Wichita on Halloween.
I’m ready to get witchy in Wichita.
How did you prep for this tour? With concerts being so scarce for so long I’m sure you were equally excited and a bit apprehensive?
This tour has been on the book since spring. We started planning it in mid-August. We were so ready.
I’m sure you’ve missed the energy exchange when performing in front of a crowd?
Yes, we were excited to get back out there. We did a lot during 2020. We shot videos, I honed my makeup skills, we released the Acid Doom album. I don’t feel like we wasted that time. I learned a lot about music marketing, also we’d be ready to tour again.
As someone who has a major in cosmetology, I have to compliment the outstanding makeup. Is it to add to the music experience or is there a deeper story behind it?
The half face makeup I’ve shifted it into, I feel like it plays at the duality of Lynx. She is a seer. A knower. She sees stuff no one else can. She keeps her secrets, but she tells you about yourself. You’re not going to get away. Lynx will catch you.
Lynx will kill the guitar player for some cool album artwork?
Yes. It was out of love. And thankfully I didn’t have to sit on him [laughs].
The half face makeup I’ve shifted it into, I feel like it plays at the duality of Lynx.
Lynx, I looked up your Discogs and was floored to find out this was your only professional release as far as I could find. How long have you been singing?
I’ve been a singer all my life. I’ve sung on other albums. I’ve been in a disco band. I’ve done a lot of musical theatre stuff. But this is the first time I’ve ever been in the kind of band I’ve really wanted to be in. When I saw Old Blood was looking for a singer, I went all in and auditioned.
What’s the strangest thing that’s happened at any show?
Ohhhhh [laughs], well in Seattle my parents showed up. I mean. They’ve never been to a metal show before.
Did they like it?
They actually did! I was shocked they stuck around after the music started. I thought they’d come by, give their best wishes, meet the guys and go home. Maybe go to the yacht club or something. But no. They came. Stayed for the first band. Saw us. The third band started and they said ‘okay we’re gonna go now’.
What’s your favorite Halloween tradition?
I listen to the music of Twin Peaks.
My wife and I watch that religiously.
…and you’ve never seen me because I ended up on the cutting room floor.
Wha…what?
Yeah, I don’t remember how old I was, but I was an extra. It was a rush call, and I was there about half a day. I don’t think I made it on camera because I watch that…a lot.
We need to talk more about that later! Back to music, does it bum you guys out that outdoing an album named Acid Doom is damn near impossible?
We’ve been working on new material since September. But I’m not telling you the title for that one yet. And that it’s even more mind-blowing.
Then we both geeked out over David Lynch…
From: https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/interviews/g-q/old-blood-lynx/
Animal Collective - Also Frightened
With their constantly evolving sonic identity, in-your-face vocal mannerisms, and open-ended ideas about what their music might "mean," Animal Collective seem designed to inspire obsessive fans and vociferous detractors in equal measure. Merriweather Post Pavilion, their latest full-length, has been anticipated to an almost ridiculous degree, with blogs and message boards lighting up with each scrap of new information or word of a possible leak. No one who's been looking forward to it should be disappointed. Everything that's defined the band to this point-- all those strands winding through their hugely diverse catalog-- is refined and amplified here.
Since their inception, Animal Collective have wandered the territorial edges of music, scoping out where boundaries had been erected and looking beyond them. They've punctuated perfectly likeable indie rock songs with bleating vocalizations. They've seeded pretty instrumentals with irritating noise. They've juxtaposed West African rhythms and melodies cribbed from British folk. They've stayed on a single chord for 10 minutes. But Merriweather feels like a joyous meeting in a well-earned, middle place-- the result of all their explorations pieced together to create something accessible and complete.
Although it will be tagged as Animal Collective's "pop" album, Merriweather Post Pavilion remains drenched in their idiosyncratic sound, a record that no one else could have made. The album is named for a Maryland venue that last year played host to Santana, Sheryl Crow, and John Mayer, but its songs won't be heard on the radio, and besides, Animal Collective's M.O. requires them to exist outside of rigid formats. Nonetheless, they've found a natural way to integrate the sing-along melodies, sticky hooks, and driving percussion that have long been hallmarks of celebratory popular music.
Animal Collective's two vocalists, Dave Portner (aka Avey Tare) and Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear), have never sounded better together, and the way their styles complement each other is the story of the album. On the one hand you have Panda's straightforward melodies, his fuzzy, head-in-the-clouds dreaminess, and his instinctual trawl through pop music history. The tracks that favor his songwriting typically have an underlying sense of drone, with everything moving forward along a line in relation to some subliminal center: They begin, then build, expand, and contract. Tare, meanwhile, tends to work within a more classic pop structure, with clear bridges and snappy choruses, greater harmonic development, and a sharper lyrical focus. Here, he reins in the blurting vocalizations that he's so often used as punctuation (the hardcore faithful might miss this unhinged emoting just a little). Both songwriters are on exactly the same page and, working with sonic spelunker Brian "Geologist" Weitz and producer Ben Allen (no Josh "Deakin" Dibb this time), they've found a sumptuous musical background for their most accomplished songs. From: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12518-merriweather-post-pavilion/
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Steeleye Span - ATV's Music Room 1970/Live Ainsdale Beach 30 June 1971/Electric Folk BBC 1974
Steeleye Span - Live Ainsdale Beach 30 June 1971
Steeleye Span - Electric Folk BBC 1974
Ashley initially tried to form a band with Sweeney's Men (Irvine, Moynihan and Woods) and had good initial discussions with Terry, with whom he had become very good friends with. Johnny Moynihan however was not interested after a falling out with Terry, whilst Andy Irvine wasn't keen without Johnny. This left Ashley with only Terry Woods (now with his wife Gay, who had come over from Ireland). They then considered the Pegg's, but they wanted to explore a more experimental direction. Finally, after an unsuccessful approach to the Dransfield brothers, Ashley then called upon Maddy and Tim, recalling their discussions at Keele. Tim and Maddy were at a point where they were to keen to expand their own sound having been successful as a duo on the folk club scene.
The name of the band, Steeleye Span, comes from a song about 100 – 150 years old. There’s this place called Horkstow Grange (the name of the folk song) up in Lincolnshire; the foreman there was a man called John Bolin, and there was a waggoner called John ‘Steeleye’ Span who worked there too… and both men obviously hated each other’s guts. They eventually had an enormous punch-up and the whole thing is commemorated in the ballad. Well the song has got changed somewhere along the line so that Steeleye Span is now a miser, and John Bolin is his foreman. In the song, Span takes every opportunity to shit on Bolin, who eventually loses his cool and hangs one on him. Then Span, instead of belting him back, takes revenge through the courts.
Alternative names were 'Lyubidan Waits' (Terry and Gay, named after an Irish God) and 'Middlemarch Wait' (Hutchings) Maddy and Tim wanted Carthy's suggestion but apparently Tim voted twice!
With Ashley's success from Fairport Convention they managed to get the successful producer Sandy Roberton as their manager, who had recently joined B&C records after working for RCA, and who were keen on getting into 'underground music'. This gave them the funds and the equipment they needed to go and live together in Winterbourne Stoke, a small village in Wiltshire, where they practised for 3 months 'getting it together’. Later described by Ashley as 'Two couples and a referee'. Although they all found the music inspiring, living so close created strains amongst the two chalk and cheese couples and 3 months of living this way proved too much.
The recording of the first album was fractious with the living arrangements spilling over into the recording sessions, and with one song still to finish Gay and Terry left after a bust up in the studio. The reasons highlighted since have mainly centered around Tim and Terry's relationship. They were both strong personalities with their own ideas about the direction of the music and didn't particularly get on, in part apparently because Tim & Maddy continued to gig together during the initial rehearsals, which straight away got the relationship off to a rocky start.
As far as Terry and Gay were concerned there was an agreement that if anyone left, the band split up and the remaining members would not use the name Steeleye Span. This 'betrayal' almost certainly accounted for Terry Woods never appearing with the band again, including the 1995 big Reunion concert where he was the only member to not appear. Terry said: "We ended up signing stuff that we should never have signed. It was such a nasty way for such a great thing to end". Terry and Gay went onto record albums together as a duo and as 'The Woods Band'. Released after the band split up and after Martin had joined, Hark! The Village Wait, the debut album was mostly traditional material apart from the opener - 'A Calling-On Song' which was written by Ashley based on an old tune (Earsdon Sword Dance'). 'Fisherman's Wife' Lyrics were written by Ewan MacColl. As became the accepted way for a Steeleye album, all the members brought different songs to the recording sessions. Guest drummers were Gerry Conway and Dave Mattacks, both of whom performed later with the band in the 90's. A 'Wait' is a Tudor village/town band or musician. No outtakes have appeared from the sessions but it's believed one song was recorded but not included.
The band had effectively split up when the Wood's initially left. Ashley went off to pursue a project with Bob and Carole Pegg. However, Tim Hart was keen to continue the project and called up his friend Martin Carthy to see if he would be interested. Martin had seen his playing partner of 3 years - Dave Swarbrick - join Fairport (Carthy had turned down Fairport) and was in his words 'living out of a suitcase', having just split up from his first wife. All these factors made Martin think why not, he "just fancied it...it was this huge thing - why not?" This then encouraged Ashley to leave the Pegg's, with whom he was working with again to come back and try again with Steeleye. As Maddy said, Martin joining gave Steeleye 'A stamp of approval' amongst the Folk audience. The significance of Martin joining cannot be underestimated. As well as providing a folk 'legitimacy' Martin also drove the group to being a fully electric band. Martin described the first album as 'mainly acoustic'. Martin's reputation also gave the band a boost in being able to start touring and get gigs straight away as there was considerable interest in seeing how he would play in an electric band - having only played acoustic guitar so far.
After practicing for 2 months at the Vicarage, St. Albans, the four members soon realised they needed another multi-instrumentalist to join them as they felt they were too guitar heavy. Peter Knight had been seen playing in the folk clubs, particularly the Irish Folk scene in London, so was known to Ashley, Tim and Maddy, having performed with Maddy on TV recently (now lost). He had also done some gigs with Bob Johnson. Peter was classically trained which appealed to Martin and Tim as they had a good musical knowledge themselves but wanted to explore more complex arrangements. This then completed the first Steeleye line up that went out and played live and produced two classic Electric Folk Albums. From: https://steeleyespanfan.co.uk/the-history/1969-1971
Electric Looking Glass - Purple, Red, Green, Blue & Yellow
Electric Looking Glass are: Arash Mafi (organ, mellotron, vocals), Brent Randall (bass, vocals), Danny Winebarger (guitar, vocals), and
Angie Moon: How did you get started in music?
Arash: music has been surrounding me from a young age, my entire family has harvested generations of musicians, mostly flamenco and classical guitarist.
Brent: I watched too may Elvis movies growing up and it was pretty much a lost cause after that. That and plonking around on the family piano.
Johnny: Remember when you were a kid and you watched those cartoons and they drove around in a cool ass van and had a band? Yeah.
Danny: My uncle used to play acoustic guitar and he was always smoking as well. I used to remember thinking he looked really cool when I was a wee lad. When I turned 12 he gave me his guitar then I’ve been playing ever since.
AM: How did Electric Looking Glass get together?
Arash: Johnny and I met two years ago at a pop up I was having at Nico & Bullitt for Mercury Magicians and talked about music and our visions and starting a band together and the possibility of the current line up, fast forward to now and you have ELG!
Brent: I met Johnny in a pie shop and we discovered we both loved The Rutles. He introduced me to these other cats and now we’re stuck with each other.
Johnny: Lemon Meringue
Danny: Me and Johnny had another band prior to this called the turns.
AM: How did you get started in tailoring and fashion design?
Arash: I bought a sewing machine and pushed myself to make clothing that I wanted and couldn’t find, mostly because of long arms haha!
AM: Who would you say are your biggest music and fashion inspirations?
Arash: Granny Takes A Trip, Apple Boutique, Hung On You, Fashion from the 1960s, and the baroque period, which essentially to me 1960s did with a modern touch of the time.
Brent: Fashion: Willy Wonka. Music: Mary Poppins.
Johnny: Music: The Banana Splits. Fashion: The Banana Splits.
Danny: Same as Arash; the 60s is also my main music and style inspiration. I also listen to other stuff as well from other periods and genres as well.
AM: Who are your favourite organ players?
Arash: Richard Wright, Mick Fowler, Matthew Fisher, Glenn Quackenbush, John Lord, Jimmy Smith. Too many geniuses to name!
Brent: I don’t know any of these guys but Arash is my favourite organ player.
Johnny: Arash is king organ. But Quackenbush sure is a cool last name.
Danny: Arash for sure
AM: What is the psych scene like in LA?
Arash: There are some great bands out here, I don’t really like to label it as psychedelic scene. Everyone is doing their own thing here and something weird and interesting, but there is a “good music scene” here for everyone and everything in between to thrive in!
Brent: Groovy people are abound all doing splendid things and we are thankful for it.
AM: What have you been listening to recently?
Arash: I’ve been grooving to Tea & Symphony: The English Baroque Sound 1967-1974 comp. literally love every song on this comp.
Brent: Ian Whitcomb’s Mod, Mod Music Hall. Jaunty lil’ piano numbers for you and yours.
Johnny: Myself humming along with a made up mash up of Happy Holidays by Andy Williams and Henry the 8th by Herman’s Hermits.
Danny: I’m actually listening to Piccadilly Sunshine right now which is an amazing sixties pop compilation. Also the usual, and plenty of northern soul as well.
AM: What was recording “Death of a Season/Someday Soon” like?
Arash: The process was very straightforward and simple. We tracked everything straight off of the preamp into our 16 track 1” tape machine. One track at a time. Using about 12-13 tracks max with all the layers together, and mixing down to ¼” tape at the bounce down.
Brent: Yes! Arash has an abundance of wonderful analog recording equipment so we stuffed it Johnny’s basement and had fun making our dreams reality. 5/5 Would recommend.
Johnny: Yes as stated above… the Yelp review was solid.
AM: What inspired those songs and the music video?
Brent: “Someday Soon” is the grumpy old men in us complaining about modernity. About wanting nothing more than to stroll along a cobblestone street and throw pennies in a fountain. The video however was just a fun jaunt in the park slightly inspired by those classic low budget romps all the beat groups did back “in the day.” We shot it on Super8 so that was fun!
AM: If you could go to any concert in the 60s, who would you see?
Arash: It’s really hard to say, I’d buy a time machine and go catch all the happenings!
Brent: Herman & The Hermits at a state fair.
Johnny: Okay well Brent claimed it. I’ll have to go with Andy Williams. Dang it.
Danny: Hmmm - Monterey Pop Festival? Would’ve been great to see Otis and Hendrix in one place. So many artists that my generation never got a chance to see so it’s hard to answer that question.
AM: What future plans do Electric Looking Glass have?
Arash: More promo films, Another 45 single coming out this Fall, followed by our long player that’s already in the works and tour dates. We’d love to play for you!
Brent: ELG Breakfast Cereal!
Johnny: ELG night lights. Will show that we are always there for you.
Danny: Ha! More music and more gigs. Hopefully a breakfast cereal too.
From: https://crazyonclassicrock.com/2019/07/03/interview-electric-looking-glass/
Fern Maddie - Hares on the Mountain
Ghost Story is Maddie’s powerful, immediate 10-track debut (you can imagine her singing its songs on festival stages, as if early-career Sharon Van Etten had been diverted on to an ancient, rougher road). The mood throughout evokes the dimly lit intimacy of early 2000s albums by Diane Cluck, Emilíana Torrini and Nina Nastasia, with added warmth. Tunes are often carried by banjo or guitar, supported by low strings, the percussive shudder of bones, or on Scottish ballad Ca’ the Yowes, a synthesiser providing a strangely fitting, scratchy counterpoint.
Maddie’s young, welcoming voice also makes her an accessible storyteller. This often gives a surprisingly unnerving quality to songs that already hang heavy with horror, something she plays with. As she twists the gender roles in the well-known ballad Hares on the Mountain, turning the maids into hares, and men into the hunters, contemporary US politics barrels into view.
Her fantastic, original lyrics unsettle you, too. “Don’t worry, don’t wait around / Just leave me in the ground,” begins the protagonist of Unmarked, before we’re told delicately, terrifyingly, to “take off that winded skin”. Even better is Dorothy May, the tale of a woman who sleeps “on a pillow of salt brine”, then asks if we can hear the trumpets ring out. This album is constantly arresting, emotional and thrilling. From: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jul/01/fern-maddie-ghost-story-review-folk-album
Euzen - Phobia
After a long back and forth, the third album “Metamorph” by the Danish-Norwegian quintet Euzen has finally found its way into my system. And how happy I am about that, because “Metamorph” turned out to be a really nice thing. First of all, something about nomenclature: According to the booklet, the album title does not refer to the epic of the same name by the Roman poet Ovid, but rather to the band's music. The band wants to express that they want to lose themselves between creative and actual realities. Modern possibilities make it possible to capture the moment and create a bridge between the band's intentions and the listener's interpretation. The band name Euzen probably comes from an ancient Greek philosophical concept that deals with a happy life. It also fits that the band's debut is called "Eudaimonia", which means bliss. Someone should say again that you don't learn anything with us anymore! But now to the music. The foundation of this is electronic sounds and synthesizers, which are complemented by organic instrumentation, with the latter always operating in the background. In addition to the drums, you can also hear guitar and bass. Maria Franz sings with a lovely voice and a folky touch. Well, does that sound familiar? Right, that screams – at least on paper – for a comparison with the avant-garde icon Bjork. However, this turns out to be difficult because Euzen play less introverted and reserved, instead the music is more “In Your Face”. This also applies to the lyrics, which are written much more directly and less personally than you would expect from the Icelandic art pop elf. But singer Maria Franz sounds a lot like BJÖRK, so at least in this respect there is a certain comparability. And the Norwegian can withstand that, even if Franz sings much more open-heartedly. The metamorphosis takes place on a musical level when the powerful synthesizers come together with fragile piano and an idiosyncratic rhythm like in “The Order”. Maria Franz sings with her fascinating and hypnotic voice and immediately captivates the listener. You could almost say that “Metamorph” sounds like the love child of Trent Reznor and Bjork. This creates a uniform interplay between nature and technology, folk and electro. Maria Franz effortlessly switches between moods, be it powerful hymns like “Mind” or sensitive passages like “Words”. The music ranges from dreamy ballads like “Me And My” to danceable numbers like “Wasted”. Despite all this, the music of the Scandinavians is surprisingly minimalistic, which gives the individual pieces an original touch and contributes to their independence. Actually, the only thing missing from the songs is the overall contextual framework. Overall, Euzen develop a wide spectrum of different influences that you have to discover for yourself little by little. These individual parts transform into a larger whole that has enormous recognition value. In addition, the production is rich and the music is very audible without appearing flat. Anyone who enjoys experimental music with female folk singing simply cannot ignore “Metamorph”. Not fans of Bjork at all. Translated from: https://www.metal.de/reviews/euzen-metamorph-60504/
Devo - R U Experienced
A lavish video for "Are You Experienced?" was produced by the band in conjunction with Ivan Stang of the Church of the SubGenius. The video includes Devo as floating blobs of wax in a lava lamp and Jimi Hendrix (played by Hendrix impersonator Randy Hansen) stepping out of his coffin to play a guitar solo, and the cover children Zachary Chase and Alex Mothersbaugh. Despite being one of Devo's most visually complex and expensive music videos, costing about $90,000 to produce, it was not included on the 2003 DVD music video collection The Complete Truth About De-Evolution (although it had been included on the LaserDisc of the same name issued in 1993). In an interview, group co-founder and bass guitarist Gerald Casale explained:
E.C. (earcandy.com): Speaking of de-evolution, why didn't the Hendrix estate give you permission to put the "Are You Experienced?" video on the DVD?
Gerald Casale: Further de-evolution. You understand that the consortium of people that now represent the Hendrix estate are basically run by lawyers; the lawyer mentality. Lawyers always posit the worst-case scenarios. Though that video was loved for years by anybody who saw it including the man who commissioned it—Chuck Arroff, a luminary in the music business, who still claims to this day that it was one of his five most favorite videos ever—they [the lawyers] didn't get it and assumed we were making fun of Jimi. That's like saying "Whip It" makes fun of cowboys. This is so stupid it's unbelievable. From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Experienced%3F_(song)
Belly - Slow Dog
Thinking back to 1993, what are some of the first flashes that come to your mind about that year?
Oh my goodness, I don’t know! It was such a crazy year. I mean, it just really felt surreal to me. Because there really weren’t – from either label and from myself and the band – any expectations of [Star] doing that well. We wanted it to do as well as I had previously done in my other bands, but we had no idea that not just that record, but alternative music in general would explode that year. A lot of the success of that album had to do with a lot of other things that were going on, just timing in general. For some reason that was a gate-opening year.
When we’re looking at what led up to the formation of Belly, obviously your work with Throwing Muses and the Breeders – two huge, revolutionary alt-rock bands – comes up. The narrative often is that you were in a deferring role to Kristin Hersh in the Muses and Kim Deal with the Breeders. Kind of like a John Oates phenomenon. And Belly was your liberation from that. How accurate is that? Or is that a misconception altogether?
It is a misconception because it had more to do with the logistics of everyone releasing their songs. We had our outlets for that. There was never a point where I ever expected to start releasing those kinds of songs with Throwing Muses specifically. The Breeders was a different story. The genesis of that band was going to be that Kim would have an album and then the next one would be my songs. And in fact all of the demos for Star say “The Breeders” on them. Like, on the reels and on the boxes. Because that was supposed to be the second Breeders album originally.
So Star was going to be the follow-up to Pod?
Yeah, it was unnamed at that point, it wasn’t called “Star,” but those songs were all demoed under the Breeders name and Kim actually played on a few of the songs.
How did that not come together then? Was there a crystallizing moment where you were like, “You know, I’m just doing this”
Yeah, it was in Dayton, Ohio with Kim, and we were trying to figure out how we were going to make it work, timing-wise. I had left the Muses and she was not at that point going to play with the Pixies, and they had a ginormous tour coming up [supporting U2’s Zoo TV Tour, in 1992]. At that point I said, I think it probably makes more sense if I just do this solo. And originally I was just going to start off on a solo gig but then I just really wanted another band. So I went home to Rhode Island and started Belly.
Getting back to the “secondary songwriter” idea, I had read that some of that had to do with your introversion?
Definitely. I think Belly somewhat cured me of a lot of shyness. But I was still terrified, too. There was something about having it be my name that felt wrong. And being very shy was part of that. And also just being very afraid of how things were gonna go, and what was gonna happen, and if I was making the right choice, and I wasn’t quite ready to take ownership of that by putting my name on it. And I really wanted to start that band with those people.
How did you manage your shyness? What were some of the coping strategies you used?
A lot of vomiting (laughs). And unfortunately, probably some drinking. There was definitely too much of that going on. Although I have to say, when [bassist] Gail [Greenwood] joined, she’s straight-edge and has been her whole life, and I didn’t stop completely but I was inspired by her honesty and bravery. She was a huge part of reeling me back from that.
At some point do you just become brave, or is it something – then and throughout your career – you continue to struggle with?
It was not so much gaining confidence as immunity.
In terms of publicity, in going back and reading reviews and interviews from that time, how in control of your image were you? With the ethereal quality of your voice, there was this sort of elfin, wood nymph thing you were getting. In the interviews it always seemed like you were having to push back against that, especially too because the riot grrrl scene was in full force. How did you deal with that?
That was very upsetting for me. I felt like no matter what I did, I couldn’t break that image. It’s certainly not the image I have of myself, I’m about as far from elfin as you can possibly be. I tried really hard not to engage in the attack posture [the riot grrrl scene] was taking against me, against Kristin, against at one point PJ Harvey. I mean, why???
Those “gender traitor” accusations were getting leveled at us. I really tried hard not to engage in that but it was difficult. And Melody Maker was constantly quoting these women who were SO angry at other women. It bummed me out. Because I came from a community and a mindset that everyone makes their own art and that that’s a journey everyone was doing individually and you held that as sacred. It was a sad time, it just really made me… bummed out.
It’s funny, because I’ve always thought Star had a lot in common with [Hole’s] Live Through This, at least in respect to its totems: dresses, dolls, witches, stolen children, mother/sister/daughter themes. Did you ever feel a sense of sisterhood with that album?
I do, and I did, and I doubt that she feels the same way. I think she’s a wonderful songwriter and singer and performer. I think that album is amazing. I love it. I don’t really come up on her radar much I’m sure these days, but there were a couple of times where she stuck up for me. She said, “Well, whatever you think of her, at least she’s writing her own songs and playing her own instrument.” That could be seen as damning by faint praise! (laughs) We actually had a funny moment the first time we met. She said, “You’re not so little and cute…” And I said, “Well… you’re not so big and scary!”
“Witch” is emblematic of these themes, the first line of what sounds like a lullaby is this cooing whisper of “You’re not safe/ In this house.” It’s like this angelic warning of dark, dark possibilities. Star almost feels like a concept record in this regard, with this nightmare secret fairy tale mythology and magic at the core of it. What inspired you to tap into the occult aspects of childhood?
That comes from my childhood, I felt all of those dark undercurrents very acutely. I think children can go there very quickly. Halloween has become really child-owned because of that. They’re so right there. It’s frightening, but I think as a child people see the beauty in it too, and the power and the mystery. Sometimes we’re afraid of things that are actually quite necessary to pull into your personal ecosystem.
You can hear that in the music of Star, the coexistence of opposites. The balance between safety and danger is always very emotionally close on that record. Is this something that you were intentionally going for?
Not intentionally. But that album was really me killing my childhood. I think that’s where I was able to process a lot that I hadn’t really up to that point – a little late at [age] 24 when I wrote those songs! But it was still an important thing for me to do. I don’t want to sound all Psych 101, but it was very much me as an adult taking care of that person.
Can we talk about “Slow Dog”? For years I was dying to find out the meaning behind that song – until I did.
That one’s almost an embarrassing story because it was one of my most manipulated lyrics ever. Usually they just come and I work with it a little bit to make it more listenable, but that one was a story I read about ancient Chinese culture. It was a piece of fiction about a woman who was an adulteress, and as punishment had a dead dog stuck to her back until it decomposed. That image – I couldn’t shake it. So I started to write it as a poem, and it took on this Southern Gothic character to it, so I framed it there, in the American South.
But it’s a jubilant song! How…?
Oddly, it ends up being about her liberation. Once the dog is gone – and I put it so that the dog was some sort of metaphor – she’s free.
“Maria, carry a rifle/ Maria, carry a dog on her back” – certainly “Maria” is not a name from a Chinese folktale…
I used to actually say “Mariah.” And it was the Pavement guy who pointed it out to me: “Did you write a song about Mariah Carey?!?!”
Stephen Malkmus?
No, it was Bob [Nastanovich]. It was when I had just done the demos and I gave him a copy. And I said, “Who’s Mariah Carey?” (laughs)
In the past week, I came across a few Belly references coincidentally – both from the AV Club. One was in a “Hatesong” interview in which Dean Ween rails against 4 Non Blondes, but agrees with the interviewer that “Feed the Tree” was an alt-rock single that worked. Another was a bit they did about songs about ghosts where they revisited Kristin Hersh’s duet with Michael Stipe, “Your Ghost.” Tangentially, Belly gets a lot of love in the comments, and those folks are tough customers. It seems to me that Belly has done well against the test of time, especially a band with a two LP discography, which is more than you can say for a lot of ‘90s alt bands. How do you view Star after everything else you’ve done in your career, these 20 years on?
I love that record and I loved making it and I loved touring it. The whole year was a halcyon year for us. We loved each other so much at that point! It was so fun and exciting and scary and nerve-wracking. But I am proud of that one. There was a chunk of time there when, if I was making a guest appearance somewhere or doing an interview, they would say “formerly of Throwing Muses” or “the Breeders” and stopped having Belly in there. There was some erasure that was happening. But recently I noticed it’s back in there! Apparently, we’re okay again. It’s okay to like us now! (laughs)
From: https://spectrumculture.com/2013/11/13/holy-hell-tanya-donelly-talks-about-belly-20-years-later/
Blvck Ceiling - Young
Scarling - Band Aid Covers The Bullet Hole
Once upon a time, in a dirty, dingy, nefariously owned Los Angeles club that no one hardly ever goes to anymore, singer Jessicka (ex-Jack Off Jill) met guitar player and future writing partner Christian Hejnal. Their relationship was combustible from the beginning, and although they had no interest in playing music together, they exchanged numbers anyway on the off chance that one day they might see eye-to-eye. That day finally came to pass during an impulsive get together at a rehearsal space in the dismal San Fernando Valley during one of the hottest summers L.A. can remember. Says Jessicka, "It was amazing - so amazing that we almost forgot how disgustingly hot it was in the valley that day - almost. I think that's where the seed was planted to start a band together, though neither of us let the other one know."
Two months later, after Jessicka sang on a track Christian had written, they were ready to acknowledge the musical chemistry that had blossomed between them and began writing. After collecting enough songs, the time was ripe to recruit a band. But like a caterpillar in its chrysalis, Scarling still needed time to evolve. After several line-up changes, the band's current - and best and most beautiful - incarnation was solidified. The boys, Garey Snider (drums) and Kyle Lime (bass), are pretty enough to pass for girls; and guitar player Rickey Lime (formerly of all-girl Olympia-based Shotgun Won) brings a tougher meaning to the term "'40s pin-up queen".
But lest you think this is the story of a band that is all about style over substance, beauty over musical brawn - think again. Influenced by everyone from My Bloody Valentine, Loop, Lush, Daisy Chainsaw,The Pixies and Sonic Youth to the Cure, The Velvet Underground, to The Melvins, Scarling is an amalgam of sound and texture, perversely experimental and sonically assuming. But unlike a few of those aforementioned bands, Scarling's talent lies in their ability to create actual song structures from noise and chaos. Try to listen to Scarling's first single "Band Aid Covers The Bullet Hole" (produced by Chris Vrenna and released on Sympathy For the Record Industry on March 19th, coincidentally the same day as cover artist Mark Ryden's "Blood" show and Bush's declaration of war - how's that for combustible?) without the inability to eradicate the chorus from your head.
The Scarling story is nowhere near close to being completed. This is only the first chapter, so put on your reading glasses, pour yourself a glass of something strong , and settle in for a long, hard ride. And don't get too comfortable - dark and menacing, Scarling will always be ready to creep up on you from behind and invite you to a one-on-one game of spin the bottle so they can French-kiss you with a mouth full of razorblades. Days later you'll wake up to find that you've been infected with something that, while it makes you anxious and uncomfortable, is also warm and seductive. From: https://morbidangle.tripod.com/id51.html
Mandrill - Fat City Strut
According to the liner notes of this CD, Mandrill were considered far too complex for the standard funk listening audience. And their compositional style was not at all conducive to trimming for radio airplay. While I doubt anyone will confuse the band with Semiramis or Museo Rosenbach, there are plenty of tricky grooves here to engage even the most finicky progressive rock head. Especially when one considers that Mandrill were a seven-piece unit that played close to 20 different instruments!
The album itself, Mandrill's fourth, is a mixture of hard funk, soul, hard rock, jazz, and (gasp) progressive rock. Mango Meat and Fat City Strut are classic funk tunes with great horn charts, complex groovy meters and, on the latter, some good time Caribbean party music. Never Die is a cross between The Temptations catchy chorus lines and soft psychedelia meets soul music. Love Song would fit comfortably on classic soul romancer albums such as those by Isaac Hayes or Barry White. But the best is saved for Side 2. Two Sisters of Mystery features a monster fuzz bass riff that would make Hugh Hopper blush. This is one hard rocking track with a gritty horn section and rollicking guitar licks. Best of all is Afrikus Retrospectus, an eight minute instrumental beauty carried by a gorgeous running organ melody and some nice Burt Bacharachian sax (i.e. The Look of Love). The mid section has some fantastic piano, flute and trumpet jams. The closing track Aspiration Flame is another slow instrumental track with some great flute and an inspiring, energetic ending. Overall, Mandrill are just the sort of band to introduce funk to those who enjoy listening to music rather than dancing to it. From: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/mandrill/just-outside-of-town/
Rickie Lee Jones - We Belong Together
After trying to reconcile with Waits later that afternoon, Jones returned home and wrote “Skeletons”, which became the third track on the album Pirates. The song is based on a real-life incident where a Black man was pulled over while driving his pregnant wife to the hospital. As he reached for his driver’s license, the cops, believing he was going for a gun, shot him dead. Though the song was not borne from Jones’ and Waits’ breakup, the tragic incident resonated with her in its wake. As she writes in her 2021 memoir, Last Chance Texaco, “The desolate afterlife of tragedy is what I grew up with.” The song, which recounts real-life events, also imagines the future that never was for the new father and his family. In six simple verses, Jones renders the senseless tragedy with a sensitivity that is as devastating as it’s beautiful.
After her split from Waits, Jones retreated to her mother’s house in Olympia, Washington. An old high school friend procured the keys to the music room at a nearby college for her to use after hours. There, in nights alone with a piano and a healing heart, she composed “We Belong Together”, “Pirates”, and “Living It Up”. Given the circumstances of its creation, it’s safe to assume “We Belong Together” is about the breakup. Jones name-checks Natalie Wood in a nod to Waits, who recorded “Somewhere” (from West Side Story) for his 1978 album Blue Valentine. (Jones was photographed with Waits on the back cover of his LP, completing the circle.) The song transcends the usual breakup lament by referring to the protagonist (Jones herself) in the third person. With references to Marlon Brando and James Dean, Jones inserts her story into a universal narrative written on the big screen. After two minutes of hypnotic piano, Steve Gadd’s drums kick in and take the song from a maudlin plea to a jubilant assertion. It’s as if Jones has found strength by embracing her feelings and making them known: “Are the signs you hid deep in your heart /All left on neon for them?”
As Pirates is a product of the album era, it gives careful consideration to track listing and pacing. The result is a self-contained record whose eight songs fit together like the numbers in a Broadway musical. Indeed each track, through mercurial changes in tempo and mood, feels like a complete story unto itself. “Living It Up” starts straightforwardly enough but its carefree shuffle conceals darker themes of domestic violence. The lyrics are populated by Jones’ usual cast of colorful characters, sung with her trademark elision. Midway through, however, the title refrain appears as a desperate interlude, suggesting “living it up” isn’t always a good time.
Hardly anyone on the pop charts at the time was recording such complex, multi-dimensional songs. Joni Mitchell’s mid-1970s albums favored sleek SoCal jazz fusion, with lyrics that retained the confessional tone of her earlier work. By 1981, however, Mitchell had veered away from jazz (after the Mingus album) toward a more 1980s pop sensibility. Steely Dan shared an affinity for studio mastery, but their technical proficiency could sound cold. Moreover, Donald Fagen’s voice had a narrow range compared to Jones’ idiosyncratic dynamics. Jones fused jazz, soul, and be-bop overlaid with impressionistic imagery, creating a sound that was impossible to pigeonhole.
Fagen plays on the album, as do a roster of studio all-stars such as Steve Gadd, trumpeter Randy Brecker, and percussionist Victor Feldman. Legendary Broadway and film arranger Ralph Burns rounds out the ensemble. Lenny Waronker & Russ Titelman’s sterling production is lauded by audiophiles for its three-dimensional quality. The listening experience is that of being on the soundstage, surrounded by all of the instruments distinct in their timbre and weight.
To think of Pirates as a breakup album does it a great disservice. While several songs were written in the relationship’s immediate aftermath, many predate it. Another was written with Jones’ new lover Sal Bernardi in their apartment in Manhattan (the haunting “Traces of the Western Slopes”). Bernardi, by the way, is the “Sal” referred to in “Weasel and the White Boys Cool” on Jones’ first LP. As she writes about her time with him, “We stayed up all night and slept until 4:00 pm and rose half-dead to get high and feel half-alive again. We lived in the strange twilight, the slow motion of fluid that fed our memories. We were junkies.”
Looking back, Jones refuses hackneyed assessments of her addiction. As she tells the Guardian, “… with heroin, people just want you to say, ‘Oh, it’s so terrible’ and condemn it outright, but I think it’s wrong somehow to do that. There’s a reason why people get addicted to heroin. There is something there that they like, some kind of solace, some kind of numbing.” In her book, Jones speaks to the double standard afforded to men in rock, particularly when it comes to drug use. She cites Keith Richards and Ginger Baker, whose self-destruction was a “badge of manliness”.
Similarly, Jones’ reputation for being difficult in the studio is patently sexist. Any man with the same dedication Jones had to her vision would be called “exacting” and demanding of excellence. That Jones was referred to as “the female Tom Waits” is also laughable, considering the opposite was true. The two will always be entwined in musical history, but in reality, Waits’ persona was a character named Tom Waits. Jones lived the lives he only wrote about.
Pirates’ creation was fueled by drug use as much as by heartbreak. Both Waits and heroin are spectral presences on the album. Even without the twin love affairs—with a man and a drug—Jones would have crafted a masterpiece. Reducing the album to a narrative shorthand misses its richness. The songs on Pirates are worlds unto themselves, drawing upon myriad experiences and impulses, all resisting a single, simple interpretation.
Jones could have cut two minutes from “We Belong Together”, kept the tempo steady, and thrown in a few lines of “baby please come back”. It would have been a mainstream radio smash. She could have just as easily filled her second album with ten more variations on “Chuck E.’s in Love”. Instead, she went one better and made “Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking”, expanding on the sound and the characters from her first hit. “Woody and Dutch” was so widely copied that, as Jones writes, “when people heard it, they thought I was imitating the imitators”.
Like its forebear, Pirates stands out among its contemporaries for being a formidable creation of a singular talent. Without an obvious single, the album takes longer to walk into than her first release, but the more you wander, the greater the reward. Jones resisted the easy musical path in favor of one as meandering and complicated as her own life. The only direction she followed was her own while making it look effortlessly cool. From: https://www.popmatters.com/rickie-lee-jones-pirates-atr
-
Part 1 Part 2 #Richard & Linda Thompson #folk rock #British folk rock #contemporary folk #singer-songwriter #ex-Fairport Conventio...
-
Part 1 Part 2 #Bent Knee #progressive rock #art rock #industrial #baroque pop #avant-garde #music video New music rarely can surprise...
-
Part 1 Part 2 #Mediaeval Baebes #medieval music #choral music #traditional #crossover #a capella #vocal ensemble #ex-Miranda Sex Garden #l...
-
#The Move #Roy Wood #Jeff Lynne #psychedelic rock #blues rock #hard rock #British psychedelia #psychedelic pop rock #art rock #proto-prog ...
-
Part 1 Part 2 #Renaissance #Annie Haslam #progressive rock #British progressive rock #symphonic prog #classical #orchestral #1970s #live m...