500 Days of Summer (2009)

Every once in awhile Hollywood gets it right. The stars are aligned just right, the right people are cast, and all the pieces fit together just right.

Such is the case with 500 Days of Summer a romantic comedy that actually seems somewhat plausible. It captures all the stages of a relationship: Boy meets Girl, Boy falls in love with Girl, and well.... to give away any more would give away too much of the movie.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (best known for playing Tommy Solomon on the late 90s sitcom, Third Rock From the Sun) plays Tom Hanson who believes in love, that one day he'll meet "the one," and that he'll "just know" when it's right. Enter Summer (played brilliantly by Zooey Deschanel). Everything seems to click, she has similar taste in music and films, she inspires Tom to better himself.

She must be "the one." The movie jumps back and forth between the relationship and the post-relationship as Tom desires and tries to win back Summer's love.

Throughout the movie there's an honesty to their relationship that feels real and tangible. Maybe we've not experienced the exact same relationship as Tom & Summer but there's a familiarity there. Most of us have experienced something similar to their relationship or know someone who has.

500 Days of Summer is at times subtle and at other times a bit more direct, much like real relationships often are. It's nice to see a film that doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence nor their emotional experience. There's no need to suspend disbelief as the film-- it's plot and characters are completely believable.

There are some amusing but at the same time completely plausible karaoke scenes that add to the overall enjoyment of the film.

If you're sick of the dime-a-dozen sameness of Sleepless with Music & Lyrics in My Mail or some other preposterous formulaic excrement that Hollywood churns out faster than an incontinent dog 500 Days of Summer will be a refreshing treat and escape from the norm.

Them Crooked Vultures - s/t (2009)

Every once in awhile a supergroup gets it right, Blind Faith did it in 1969 and Them Crooked Vultures have done it again over forty years later.

There's a beautiful mix of styles classic rock meets modern rock in a hard driving and thoroughly enjoyable marriage. It's not pretty, it's not supposed to be. But it's brilliant as it drives and chugs through No One Loves Me and Neither Do I and Mind Eraser. Grohl hasn't sounded as at home behind a drum kit in years. John Paul Jones shows he's still got the stuff that helped make Led Zeppelin such a force to be reckoned with in the seventies. And Josh Homme's guitar playing and vocals are the perfect fit in this jagged jigsaw puzzle of a band.

While some tracks are stronger than others, none of the songs on the album could be described as weak or filler. The quality of material merely varies between good, better, and best. There's no fair, mediocre, or poor to be found.

Run to the store buy it, download it, whatever... Get it, put on the headphones crank it to 11 and enjoy. This is an album that's best enjoyed the same way it was recorded, loud and in your face.

While other supergroups have fallen by the wayside and this one is still in its relative infancy, here's to hoping this is just the start of loud and long-lived musical partnership and that this is a collaboration which will prove far more successful and fruitful than many of the other supergroups that fell prey to the disease of "one and done."

Related Links
Them Crooked Vultures (Official Site)
Them Crooked Vultures (Amazon.com)
Them Crooked Vultures (wikipedia)
John Paul Jones (Official Site)
John Paul Jones (wikipedia)
Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters Official Site)
Dave Grohl (wikipedia)
Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age Official Site)
Josh Homme (wikipedia)

Chicago Transit Authority - Live at the Itchy Foot Moose Sept. 1, 1968

Imagine, if you will, getting to hear your favorite band before they hit it big. Chicago Transit Authority (originally "The Big Thing" and later just "Chicago") was formed by a gentleman's agreement in woodwind player, Walt Parazaider's apartment in February 1967. The original six members Terry Kath, Danny Seraphine, Robert Lamm, Walt Parazaider, James Pankow, and Lee Loughnane were augmented a few months later by tenor vocalist/bass player, Peter Cetera who left the group he'd been with, the Exceptions, to join The Big Thing.

Through the rather fortuitous friendship of James William Guercio and Walt Parazaider, The Big Thing were pitched to Columbia Records. One of Guercio's first steps as producer/manager of the band was to change their name to Chicago Transit Authority, after the public transportation he'd grown up riding and held a special nostalgia for.

This bootleg is a snapshot of that era, before Chicago became Chicago, before their 3 worldwide #1 hits, before becoming only second to the Beach Boys in record sales by an American band-- the band playing on this bootleg is a younger, hungrier, and much more raw band than what they'd later turn into.

The Setlist
1. It Better End Soon (later released on Chicago II)
2. Girl (later released as Someday on Chicago Transit Authority with completely different lyrics referencing the '68 Democratic Convention in Chicago)
3. Once Upon a Life (never released)
4. Terry's Blues (cut ending)
5. Terry's Blues (one hell of a showcase of guitarist Terry Kath's talents, at the end of the song he refers to the song as Toe Jam)
6. Questions 67 & 68 (later released on Chicago Transit Authority)
7. Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry cover, sung by Terry Kath with interesting "new" lyrics interespersed with the Chuck Berry lyrics making reference to marijuana)
8. Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley & His Comets cover sung by Peter Cetera)
9. Gimme Some Lovin' (Spencer Davis Group cover sung by Robert Lamm, I have a bootleg from the 80s that features Peter Cetera singing this instead of Robert Lamm)
10. Listen (later released on Chicago Transit Authority)
11. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (later released on Chicago Transit Authority)
12. Mississippi Delta City Blues (later released on Live in Japan in 1972with a new arrangement, and on Chicago XI in 1978 with yet a different arrangement)
13. Got to Get You Into My Life (Beatles cover sung by Peter Cetera)
14. It's Not Unusual (Tom Jones cover sung by Terry Kath)
15. Poem 58 (later released on Chicago Transit Authority)
16. I'll Be Back Again (Beatles cover sung by Robert Lamm & Peter Cetera)
17. Dedicated to Girl Number One (unreleased, this is the song Chicago recorded as their demo. The demo is apparently lost forever somewhere in the Sony vaults. This is one of two live versions I know of, sung by Robert Lamm)
18. Liberation (later released on Chicago Transit Authority)

The sound quality is uneven. On some songs its surprisingly good but on all tracks, despite a few flubs here and there, it's very listenable. This is one of three Chicago bootlegs from 1968 known to be floating around fan collector circles. Of the three, this one has the best sound quality although one of the other two bootlegs (both recorded at Barnaby's) have arguably a superior song selection with covers of Hendrix (Hey Joe, Foxy Lady, & Purple Haze), Cream (Sunshine of Your Love), the Beach Boys (Darlin'), the Beatles (Lady Madonna, Sgt. Peppers, With a Little Help From My Friends), Marvin Gaye (One More Heartache), Martha & the Vandellas (Dancing in the Streets), Brenda Lee (Losing You), and Wilson Pickett (99 and a Half Just Won't Do).

Hearing the band at this stage in their careers is quite refreshing considering what the band has turned into in more recent years. Members have come and gone and the hunger has been replaced by greed. There's a love for the music they're performing-- both the covers and the original material that is, arguably, lacking in the current incarnation of the band's performances.

But all in all this is how Chicago should be heard, young and hungry. Full of energy, a balls-on horntastic blast of music.

Related Links
Chicago (Official Site)
Chicago (wikipedia)
Peter Cetera (Official Site)
Peter Cetera (wikipedia)
Terry Kath (Official Site)
Terry Kath (wikipedia)
Danny Seraphine (wikipedia)
James Pankow (wikipedia)
Walt Parazaider (wikipedia)
Lee Loughnane (wikipedia)
Robert Lamm (Official Site)
Robert Lamm (wikipedia)

Top 10 albums of the Decade (2000-2009)

10. Chicago Stone of Sisyphus (2008, recorded in 1993) This was the last album Chicago recorded that they really believed in. Recorded in 1993 and produced by Austrian Peter Wolf. This was the first album Chicago recorded since Chicago XI that had no songs by outside writers. All of the songs on the album were either written or co-written with at least one member of the band. While there were some session musicians performing on the album, the reliance on session musicians was considerably less than on Chicago's albums from the eighties. As such this is likely the last Chicago album of original material that actually IS a Chicago album. It falls in at #10 for 2 reasons. The omission of the song Get On This which appears on many of the bootleg versions of the album that had/have been floating around since it was originally supposed to have been released on March 22, 1994 and the 14 year delay in the album's release. Technically this is a 90s album. It sneaks onto this list based on the technicality of its official release. (note, the review I've linked to is of the bootleg version, not the official release of the album).

9. Def Leppard Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (2008) This is easily the best new album from Def Leppard since Adrenalize and possibly even since Hysteria. It's a return to form after the abysmal X (the sleeve made a great bird cage liner and the CD made for a passable coaster). It's an extraploation of their 2006 covers album, Yeah! which was also thoroughly enjoyable but misses the list as its covers and not original material.

8. CTA Full Circle (2007) After being voted out of the band he helped found, drummer Danny Seraphine dropped off the radar for over fifteen years. Upon resurfacing he put together California Transit Authority. On their debut album they did primarily covers of Danny's material with Chicago. These new arrangements of Chicago classics are much more faithful to the spirit of the band Chicago once was than the new material that Chicago has been releasing in more recent years (incidentally, since Danny's departure). Seraphine found a chemistry with guitarist Marc Bonilla that he hasn't felt with any guitarist since the passing of the late great Terry Kath. You can hear that chemistry on every track. There are some excellent contemporary arrangements of some of Chicago's more obscure songs (Happy Cause I'm Going Home for example). Whether or not you're a fan of Chicago, this is an excellent album as it really takes their material to a different level.

7. OSI Free (2006) In 2003 former Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore teamed up with guitarist Jim Matheos of Fates Warning and his former bandmate, drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater to form OSI. Their self titled debut was thoroughly enjoyable ambient metal. Their 2006 follow-up was an extrapolation and a substantial improvement over their debut.

6. My Chemical Romance Welcome to the Black Parade (2006) Love it or hate it, emo was there and hard to miss around the middle of the decade. Personally I'm not generally a fan of emo, but Welcome to the Black Parade transcended the genre. The classic rock influences were undeniable. There was a strange Queen meets Pink Floyd meets Green Day vibe dripping from almost every song. There's an anthemic quality to many of the stronger tracks on the album (and the strong tracks comprise most of the album).

5. Verve Pipe Underneath (2000) While I didn't "discover" this particular album until 2002 it really struck a chord with me. Brian Vander Ark (whom I had the pleasure of meeting in 1996 when the Verve Pipe performed at my alma mater my freshman year) is a brilliant lyricist and on this album, moreso than any other Verve Pipe album, the lyrics really spoke to me. I was at a point in my life where I was spinning my wheels and this album was an emotional road map guiding me back to where I needed to be.

4. Porcupine Tree In Absentia (2003) By the time In Absentia was released, Steve Wilson and co. had already well established themselves in England on their previous releases. This was the album that introduced Porcupine Tree to the US audience. While the album cover is arguably a bit disturbing or even off-putting for some, the music is brilliant. There's an ambient vibe reminiscent of Pink Floyd with some subtle heavy metal hints that suggest a slight Dream Theater (incidentally, Porcupine Tree's drummer, Gavin Harrison, ended up replacing Mike Portnoy in OSI, on their 3rd release, Blood) influence creating a sound and style that is unique to Porcupine Tree.

3. Steve Lukather Ever Changing Times (2008) Around the same time that the sun was setting on the remarkable thirty-one year run of his band, Toto, Steve Lukather recorded Ever Changing Times. This marked his first full album of original material since Luke (1997). This is a decidedly more polished and also more well-rounded release than the gritty raw crunch of Luke. Lukather explores his various different influences from jazz fusion to AOR to hard rock. His guitar playing is superb and while he's not known for his voice, it certainly fits the material he is performing with the soulful grit he came to be known for in Toto.

2. Dream Theater Train of Thought (2003) (oddly enough, I haven't yet reviewed this one) After the at times brilliant and at times mediocre Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence Dream Theater released the much heavier metal onslaught of Train of Thought. Despite only having 7 tracks, the album clocks in at just over an hour long. The first four songs given the listener a relentless full speed ahead progressive metal onslaught before the slow melancholic 3 minute pause of Vacant giving the listener just enough time to catch his or her breath before putting the accelerator back to the floor for the final two tracks. This is easily Dream Theater's heaviest album ever and I'd argue their best of this decade (although this year's Black Clouds and Silver Linings does come close to matching Train of Thought's brilliance). The early Metallica and Pantera influences are unmistakable.

1. Toto Falling in Between (2006) It's bittersweet that this ended up being Toto's final album as it also was, imho, their best. After a revolving door of lead singers in the 80s, Bobby Kimball returned to the fold in 1998 after a 14 year "vacation" (as Steve Lukather said on the '98 tour, "you'd think he'd have a f***in' tan!"). With Bobby's return Toto grew progressively better starting with 1999's Mindfields followed shortly thereafter by their 2002 covers album Through the Looking Glass and culminating with Falling in Between. There's not a weak song on the album, the addition of grammy winning keyboardist/vocalist, Greg Phillenganes, was a welcome one (Phillenganes initially joined to replace David Paich on tour as Paich had retired from touring, but was still an active member of the band in the studio). There's a strong organic cohesiveness to the album. While Toto had remained popular in Europe and Asia they'd largely fallen off the radar in their native USA. It's unfortunate as that has left this great album largely unheard by domestic ears. For whatever reason, the critics never really warmed to Toto despite their commercial successes. Some would say it was a fluke that Toto IV essentially swept the 1983 grammies (Record of the Year - Rosanna, Album of the Year - Toto IV, Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals - Rosanna, Best Vocal Arrangement for 2 or more vocalists - Rosanna, Best Engineered Recording Non Classical - Toto IV, Producer of the Year - Toto) but there's no denying the eclecticism and musical brilliance of Falling in Between. If they had to go out, at least it was with a bang, not a whimper.

Honorable Mentions
Velvet Revolver Libertad, Them Crooked Vultures, Guns 'n' Roses Chinese Democracy (it was surprisngly better than expected, but the bar was set pretty low given the length of time it took to release the album), Brian Vander Ark Resurrection, Ben Folds Rockin the Suburbs, Dream Theater Black Clouds & Silver Linings, OSI Blood, Dream Theater Systematic Chaos, Ben Folds Songs for Silverman, Robert Lamm Subtlety and Passion, Sons of Champlin Hip Li'l Dreams

Come On Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All by Christina Thompson

Come On Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All is both a history and a memoir wrapped in a unique little package. It's a story of both Christina Thompson's marriage to a Maori man and the history of the relationship between the Paheka (Europeans), Maoris, and other Polynesians. It's also an observation of how the perceptions the Paheka have of the Maori and vice versa have shaped those cultures since the first meeting of Maoris and Paheka.

The book succeeds quite well as a history. Thompson's approach to the history of the relationship of the two cultures is both informative and engaging. Where the book gets a little more shaky is as a memoir. At times I could relate to Thompson's description of the pull she felt towards the South Pacific as I too have felt a similar pull. But at other times when writing about her life, Thompson came across as so detached from what was going on that she seemed to be more an observer than a participant in her own life.

From an anthropological standpoint, this actually works quite well and certainly to Thompson's benefit. Yet at the same time it left me wondering whether she was actually living her life or was merely along for the ride, content to watch. While I felt a connection to Thompson early on, as the book progressed her writing style seemed to grow increasingly more detached. I almost felt as if I was watching the shift first hand, from participant to observer of one's own life.

There are certainly benefits to objectivity and for a history book, objectivity is certainly something to strive for. But in a memoir, generally readers prefer to feel some connection to or empathy for the author and when an author is too objective that connection becomes increasingly more difficult to make.

With all that said, this is still a book I would recommend as Thompson raises excellent and intriguing points and questions. In a letter to her three sons which she included in the book she even goes so far as to say:

“in each of you is a little bit of the conqueror and the conquered, the colonizer and the colonized.”

How does one reconcile being the child of both a culture that was ravaged by European conquest and the child of the European culture that ravaged them? And how do mixed culture parents raise children in such an environment?

In the end, as much as I enjoyed this book, I feel I would have enjoyed it considerably more had it been a bit more personal and a bit less detached. The connection I felt with Thompson early in the book faded as the book progressed. The history was intriguing, the questions raised were thought provoking, but in a memoir there should be a bit more of an emotional investment on the part of the reader. But it's the obligation of the author to create that connection. And while Thompson certainly created that connection, I found it to be much weaker than with other memoirs that I've read.

Related Links
Come On Shore (official website)
Come On Shore And We Will Kill and Eat You All (Amazon.com)

Jon Anderson - In the City of Angels (1988)

In 1988 Jon Anderson quit Yes for the second time. Free from the constraints of the group-setting Anderson worked with producer Stewart Levine and a who's who of session cats (including most members of Toto) to record his first solo album in six years.

The rather un-Yeslike result was In the City of Angels which comes across sounding more like Anderson fronted Toto album than like anything Anderson had ever recorded before either with Yes, as a solo artist, or with Vangelis.

While the album is enjoyable it's not quite convincing. The lyrics are largely down-to-Earth and Anderson's voice, as usual, is somewhat ethereal. It gives the often touching lyrics a rather chaste vibe. The music sounds like an extrapolation of Anderson's This Time It Was Really Right which he recorded for the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack. Perhaps Jon hadn't quite explored that style quite to his satisfaction with that song.

That being said, as a fan of Toto, I thoroughly enjoy this album. It was recorded shortly after Toto's The Seventh One and uses many of the same studio musicians that worked on The Seventh One. Anderson's voice makes for an interesting counterpoint to the late eighties fusion influences that the members of Toto and their contemporaries were known to dabble with at that point in their careers.

Unfortunately, the reliance on synthesizers gives the album a rather dated sound. Some songs have aged well (Hold On To Love, If It Wasn't For Love), while time has not been quite as kind to others (Betcha, Top of the World). There are some songs that straddle between prog and pop, Top of the World (despite sounding dated) also has hints of 90125 era Yes. It is likely the most Yes sounding song on the entire album.

While the album was largely avoided and/or ignored by his fans, some credit should be given to Anderson for trying something new and stepping outside his comfort zone to release an album different than what one might expect from him. Sometimes experiments like this fail, but credit should certainly be given in the attempt.

Related Links
In The City of Angels (Amazon.com)
In the City of Angels (album credits)
Jon Anderson (Official Site)
Jon Anderson (wikipedia)

REO Speedwagon - Not So Silent Night (2009)

Every once in awhile an album will be released that will leave you scratching your head. It will be an album that generally is not only not expected but some might argue completely unnecessary.

So, REO Speedwagon doing a Christmas album? You've got to be kidding me, right? What's next a Bob Dylan Chri- oh wait not him too!

Upon further consideration, why not? I mean there have been some downright BAD interpretations of Christmas classics over the years. So why not REO Speedwagon putting an arena rock spin on some of the holiday's best?

After I suspended my disbelief, I decided to give this Christmas album a shot. First off, I'm disappointed that REO didn't record this sooner... like twenty-five to thirty years ago when they were at the peak of their success and Kevin Cronin's singing voice was still intact. In all fairness, Cronin's voice is still passable. He could still sing circles around me and heck even a handful of his contemporaries whose voices haven't aged as well... That being said his voice isn't what it once was. And listening to these arrangements, I can't help but wonder how much better this Christmas album might have sounded with a younger Kevin Cronin at the peak of his talents and abilities.

Of all the tracks on this collection, Cronin's voice sounds best on The White Snows of Winter. He doesn't really sound bad on any of the songs, but at the same time he doesn't quite sound as good as he once did.

Some of the other stand-out tracks include REO's power-ballad treatment of Silent Night and Angels We Have Heard On High.

The one moment that could have been omitted was Cronin making reference to those "funky" gentlemen in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Granted, on a journey as long as the one the three wise men embarked upon with limited access to water, I'm guessing they were indeed "funky" but I don't believe that's the context that Cronin was referring to in the album's single lapse.

Other than that lapse, this Christmas release is in addition to being rather unexpected is moderately enjoyable and completely unoffensive. Which, for a Christmas album, is a good thing.

Related Links
Not So Silent Night (Amazon.com)
REO Speedwagon (Official Site)
REO Speedwagon (Wikipedia)
Kevin Cronin (Official Site)
Kevin Cronin (Wikipedia)
Neal Doughty (Official Site)
Neal Doughty (Wikipedia)
Bruce Hall (Official Site)
Bruce Hall (Wikipedia)
Dave Amato (Wikipedia)
Bryan Hitt (Wikipedia)

One Track Mind: Dream Theater - Surrounded (song review)

One of my favorite Dream Theater songs is Surrounded. It's off their 2nd album, Images & Words, which is considered by many to be one of their best.

Surrounded
by: Dream Theater (from Images & Words)

Morning comes too early and nighttime falls too late
And sometimes all I want to do is wait
The shadow I've been hiding in has fled from me today

I know it's easier to walk away than look it in the eye
But I will raise a shelter to the sky
And here beneath this star tonight I'll lie
She will slowly yeild the light as I awaken from the longest night

Dreams are shaking
Set sirens waking up tired eyes
With the light the memories all rush into his head

By a candle stands a mirror
Of his heart and soul she dances
She was dancing through the night above his bed

And walking to the window he throws the shutters out against the wall
And from an ivory tower hears her call
"Let light surround you"

It's been a long, long time
He's had a while to think it over
In the end he only sees the change
Light to dark
Dark to light
Light to dark
Dark to light

Heaven must be more than this
When angels waken with a kiss
Sacred hearts won't take the pain
But mine will never be the same

He stands before the window
His shadow slowly fading from the wall
And from an ivory tower he hears her call
"Let the light surround you"

Once lost but I was found
When I heard the stained glass shatter all around me
I sent the spirits tumbling down the hill
But I will hold this one on high above me still
She whispers words to clear my mind
I once could see but now at last I'm blind

I know it's easier to walk away than look it in the eye
But I have given all I could take
And now I've only habits left to break
Tonight I'll still be lying here
Surrounded in all the light

I believe it's the overall vibe of spiritual renewal that permeates the song that hits me like a sucker punch to the soul. Lyrically speaking, it's one of the best songs Dream Theater has ever released. And musically, it's probably one of their most accessible songs. I believe the lyrics were written by keyboardist Kevin Moore who left the band after their 3rd album (Awake) to take his music in a different direction. While their current keyboardist (and Julliard alum) Jordan Rudess has filled the hole on keyboards. I don't think the band has ever fully recovered from the loss of Moore as a songwriter. Of all the members of the band, Moore was arguably the best lyricist.

Surrounded is also one of the most upbeat songs in Dream Theater's catalog. Over the past 9 to 10 years much of their material has trended more towards the metal end of the spectrum. Surrounded however is quite accessible to non-metal listeners.

And normally I'm not a big fan of the operatically trained James LaBrie's vocals, but I find his voice suits this song quite well. He shows uncharacteristic restraint when needed and lets loose on those parts of the song that need that little extra oomph.

It's not a wonder that even eight studio albums and seventeen years later this remains one of my favorite Dream Theater songs.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

Having been disappointed with the last two Nick Hornby novels that I've read (How to Be Good and A Long Way Down) I was a little wary when I started Juliet, Naked would this be a continued slump or would it be a return to form of his first two novels (High Fidelity and About a Boy)?

While still not as good as either High Fidelity or About a Boy, Juliet, Naked is a step back in the right direction.

Annie and Duncan have been together 15 years. Duncan is a huge fan of a fictitious Dylan meets Springsteen meets Leonard Cohen type musician, Tucker Crowe. He writes articles about him, goes on pilgrimages of places of notoriety from Tucker's life and career. He not only listens to but dissects every Tucker Crowe recording he has.

While on tour in Minneapolis in the eighties, Tucker Crowe went to the loo and then left the bar where he was watching a local band that had been recommended to him. He promptly cancelled his tour and retreated from the public eye. In his absence from the public eye, his legend grew within his small but rabid circle of devoted fans which included, Duncan.

With the money running low, Tucker agreed to the release of the demoes and rehearsal recordings from his final and most critically acclaimed album, Juliet. This new version aptly titled Juliet, Naked (perhaps a tip of the hat to The Beatles Let It Be... Naked). Upon receiving a pre-release copy of the album Duncan is giddy with delight and posts a glowing review on one of the many Tucker Crowe message boards that he frequents.

Upon hearing the album, Annie, who has been following Duncan's fervor for Crowe, decides to post a review of her own. One considerably less glowing... How could this album with stripped down early versions of Crowe's greatest album be superior to the much more polished finished product?

Her honesty prompts a thankful email from the reclusive Crowe himself... and that's where the story really takes off.

The one consistency in all of Hornby's novels, even his sub-par ones, is a sense of natural empathy. He includes just the right details to make the characters seem that much more real to the readers. Being such a devout lover of music himself, he understands what makes those of us who have over the top fascinations with our favorite bands tick.

The book is at times an examination of what it means to be a music fan. And without coming out and asking it, one of the questions the book poses-- when being a fan of music, are you a fan of the music that has been created or a fan of the person or people who created that music? Is it possible to be a fan of one and not the other. The book is also an examination of the songwriting process. The very things that made Tucker Crowe such a great songwriter also proved to be his undoing as a father and a husband.

At the same time this is a very human story about two people at a crossroads in their respective lives taking stock of where their lives have been and whether or not they can change the kinetic momentum of the past pushing them to perpetuate the mistakes of their past. And these two people make a very real and tangible connection. On that level this book can appeal to just about anyone.

If you are or ever have been a die-hard fan of a band or musician, if you've ever had a staggering devotion to that band, gone on pilgrimages to sites pivotal in the history of those bands, followed some of that band/musician on tour, collected bootlegs of that band, or analyzed consumed and digested the entire discography of that band this book WILL resonate with you. It speaks to the music fans in all of us.

Related Links
Juliet Naked on Amazon.com
Juliet, Naked (wikipedia)
Nick Hornby (Official Site)
Nick Hornby (wikipedia)
The Blue Scarf (a blog inspired by Nick Hornby's Songbook)

Barry Goudreau - s/t (1980)

Over 6 years elapsed between the release of Boston's Don't Look Back and Third Stage albums, killing any momentum the band had after the commercial successes of their first two albums.

Barry Goudreau's self-titled solo album featuring not only his guitar playing but also vocals from Brad Delp and Fran Cosmo (incidentally Cosmo later sang lead with Goudreau's other band, Orion the Hunter in 1984 and Boston's Walk On album in 1994).

Goudreau's guitar playing and the tight vocal harmonies of Delp and Cosmo make this album sound like the Boston album that never was. The style is much more reminiscent of Boston's first two albums which both featured both Goudreau and Tom Scholz on guitars than their later albums which featured Sholz & Gary Pihl on guitars.

Unfortunately, this album led to Goudreau being fired from Boston as it was felt at the time that Goudreau was trying to steal a bit of Boston's thunder. In reality, Goudreau was just getting bored waiting for Boston to knuckle down and get to work on their third album so he decided to release a solo album to bide his time and maintain his talents.

Given the six years that passed between Don't Look Back and Third Stage Scholz should have given this album his blessing as it would have kept Boston on the radar of the listening public while he was working on Third Stage.

The material on this release is strong from the opening bars of Hard Luck through songs like What's a Fella To Do and Dreams and on through to the closing bars of Cold Cold World which closes the album. While some of the songs definitely sound like they just as easily could have come from a Boston album, songs like Mean Woman Blues sound more reminiscent of REO Speedwagon's debut album than anything Boston ever recorded.

As far as Boston related material is concerned, this album sounds more like Boston than any of the other derivatives (Orion the Hunter, Return to Zero, Delp/Goudreau, etc.). Arguably, this album is more faithful to the sound of Boston's first two albums than Third Stage, Walk On, or Corporate America were.

If you thoroughly enjoyed Boston's first two albums this is a MUST HAVE! Heck this album is a welcome addition to any collection.

Related Links
Barry Goudreau (official site)
Barry Goudreau (wikipedia)
Brad Delp (wikipedia)
Fran Cosmo (wikipedia)
Boston (official site)
Boston (wikipedia)

Little River Band - The Net (1983)

Following the departure of Glenn Shorrock, Little River Band embarked on a 3 album experiment featuring John Farnham on lead vocals.

Farnham was and is a better singer than Shorrock. Unfortunately this set Farnham apart from his bandmates. Where Shorrock's voice blended nicely with Graham Goble & Beeb Birtles Farnham's voice being so much stronger stuck out like a sore thumb.

On its own merits The Net is not a bad album. It certainly has its moments. Farnham is an exceptional vocalist, the tight harmonies were still there. But the laidback country-rock vibe that had made them so popular in the late 70s was replaced with a more electric and polished pop-friendly sound.

The album starts with a bang on the horn-laden You're Driving Me Out of My Mind which would not have sounded out of place on a Chicago album. The album charges ahead on the passionate and empowered We Two that really shows off Farnham's vocal range. It was almost as if the rest of the band thought, "look at our new toy, check this out!"

While all 3 of the LRB albums with Farnham make LRB sound more like Farnham's backing band than the much more cohesive unit they'd sounded with Shorrock handling the lead vocals, the disparity is particularly noticeable on The Net.

The trademark tight vocal harmonies still make ocassional appearances on songs like Mr. Socialite and Down On the Border but even then they sound as if they exist more to prop up Farnham's vocals than a tight cohesive unit unto themselves.

Generally, this album is more for the die-hard fans of Little River Band, although casual fans of Farnham's solo work would likely also enjoy this release.

Related Links
John Farnham (official site)
John Farnham (wikipedia entry)
Beeb Birtles (official site)
Beeb Birtles (wikipedia)
Graeham Goble (official site)
Graeham Goble (wikipedia)
Wayne Nelson (wikipedia)
Other Little River Band/John Farnham related reviews on The Review Revue

Al Kooper - Easy Does It (1970)

After his unceremonious ouster from Blood Sweat & Tears Al Kooper embarked on several different projects including a handful of concerts with Mike Bloomfield and a string of critically acclaimed but generally commercially unnoticed solo albums.

Easy Does It a double LP set, was Kooper's third solo endeavour. Starting with a bang on Brand New Sunshine, an upbeat uplifting track that gives glimpses of what Blood Sweat & Tears might have sounded like had Kooper not be ousted. Horn fills pepper the song and there's an infectious catchy groove that's as good as anything on Child Is Father to the Man.

The fact that this is not only a double album, but also an exceptional one without a single track that would be described as "filler" is a testament to Kooper's many talents. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and master arranger-- all hats that Kooper wore for this exceptional set.

In addition to showing of his own songwriting talents, Kooper's arrangements of Ray Charles I've Got A Woman and the blues classic Baby Please Don't Go show Kooper's talents for taking well established classics and putting his own stamp on them. Kooper's I've Got a Woman is a slower more laidback affair than the Ray Charles original. Kooper's arrangement is different enough to make the song sound fresh, but thematically similar enough that it's recognizable. Baby Please Don't Go sounds as if it could just as easily have been recorded by the Blues Project. And at nearly twelve and a half minutes long it really allows Kooper to stretch out and jam. The song is peppered with various different instrumental solos, many of which performed by Kooper, but Paul Fetta's bass solo is also quite notable.

Kooper also shows his musical adventurousness by tackling not only rock and blues but also dabbling in country on songs like Kooper's cover John Loudermilk's A Rose and a Baby Ruth and his own I Bought You the Shoes (You're Walking Away In). And Buckskin Boy, a hard driving rocker addresses the plight of Native Americans, one of the key social issues of the early seventies.

What makes this album so enjoyable is that it's so consistently interesting. It doesn't stick to any musical theme long enough to bore the listener. Where many double albums come across sounding over-indulgent and rife with sub-par filler material, Kooper bucks that trend. But with a man as talented as Kooper it can also be said that anything less than a double album would be selling him short. The man just had (and continues to have) too much talent to be limited to a single LP.

Whether you're new to Kooper or already familiar with his work, Easy Does It is an excellent album to begin your Koopucation! Along with Blood Sweat & Tears Child Is Father to the Man I'd argue that this album is equally essential to any classic rock collection.

Related Links
Al Kooper (official site)
Al Kooper (wikipedia)
Easy Does It (wikipedia)

Buckingham Nicks - s/t (1973)

From the opening bars of Don’t Let Me Down Again the seeds for Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours can be heard plain as day. Even outside the context of Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham Nicks is an absolute joy to listen to. There’s something special about hearing the seeds of something great before they were sown.

Before they broke it big with Fleetwood Mac Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks released Buckingham Nicks in 1973. Unfortunately, the album flopped and the dynamic duo were dropped by their label.

Any or all of these tracks would not have sounded out of place on a Fleetwood Mac album. The vocal harmonies are tight, the music is rather laidback and the whole vibe is vaguely reminiscent of the vibe on America’s Ventura Highway. I can feel the warmth of the sun and the soft carpet of grass underneath my bare feet in most of the songs. This is a rather welcome feeling on days when the outdoor temperature is hovering closer to zero and that soft carpet of grass is covered with a blanket of snow.

On Lola (My Love) Buckingham’s fretwork is reminiscent of his later work on Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain. While the lyrics to the two songs are drastically different, the guitar is uncannily similar leaving me wondering if Lindsay either intentionally or unintentionally plagiarized himself (is it still plagiarism if you’re lifting material from yourself?—I guess that’s a different discussion for another time).

From the perspective of a music buff, the standout track is Frozen Love as that’s the song that impressed Mick Fleetwood enough to ask Lindsey Buckingham not only to join Fleetwood Mac, but also agree to Buckingham and Nicks being a package deal and asking them both to join the band. It's almost trippy to imagine oneself being Mick Fleetwood hearing Frozen Love for the first time, impressed and excited about the prospective new guitarist... and at the same time having no idea of the kind juggernaut the addition of both he and Stevie Nicks would be for his band.

Sadly this album is still (as of 2009) yet to be officially released on CD. It was originally released on vinyl in 1973 and briefly re-released in 1982 on the cusp of the success of both Nicks and Buckinghams respective solo careers. It remains one of the most heavily bootlegged albums of the seventies.

Perhaps the music industry would be better served using their resources to release and promote excellent out of print albums like Buckingham Nicks than it is retaining attorneys to sue their customers for illegal downloads. But that too is another discussion for another time. One of the other most heavily bootlegged albums of the seventies was Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue. That album was finally released on CD within the past couple of years, so maybe there’s hope for Buckingham Nicks yet!

Related Links
Buckingham Nicks (wikipedia album entry)
Lindsey Buckingham (official site)
Lindsey Buckingham (wikipedia entry)
The Nicks Fix (Stevie Nicks Official Site)
Stevie Nicks (wikipedia entry)
Fleetwood Mac (official site)
Fleetwood Mac (wikipedia entry)

Chicago 16 (1982)

After the firing of their longtime producer, James William Guercio, and the death of guitarist/vocalist, Terry Kath in January 1978 Chicago limped into the eighties. After sagging sales on Chicago XIII and XIV they'd been dropped by Columbia Records. Many in the industry considered them dead on arrival.

At this point drummer, Danny Seraphine, was largely the driving force behind the band as he was one of the only ones in the band to hold himself together following the death of Kath.

While David Foster had been considered as a new producer back in 1978, those circumstances would not come to pass. However, this time around, David Foster and Chicago connected quite fortuitously as it would turn out.

With Robert Lamm battling some personal demons at the time, he was largely absent leaving the band with essentially only Peter Cetera as a vocalist and no keyboardist/pianist. A decision was made to approach grammy winning session vocalist, Bill Champlin, to guest on vocals and keyboards on Chicago 16.

The first song Champlin recorded with Chicago was Sonny Think Twice. From the first moment Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin sang together it was like lightning in a bottle. The vocal chemistry was tangible and was arguably even superior to the vocal chemistry Cetera had shared with Terry Kath. What had initially been a temporary stop-gap measure turned into a permanent one as Champlin was asked to join the band as a full member.

In addition to sharing vocals with Cetera on Sonny Think Twice Champlin also shared lead vocals with Cetera on Waiting For You to Decide and handled all lead vocals on the gritty James Pankow penned Follow Me which is easily the most uptempo and most upbeat song on the album.

With Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away Chicago knocked one out of the park. It marked their second number one hit (their first being If You Leave Me Now in 1976) and would be the template for their quadruple platinum follow-up to 16, Chicago 17.

The similarities between 16 and 17 are unmistakable as Foster and the band had found a winning formula on 16 and took it to the next level on 17. But perhaps the biggest difference between the two albums is a hunger and energy present on 16. They didn't know what would or wouldn't work and took some risks and gambles.

While not their best-selling album, I'd argue that Chicago 16 is Chicago's greatest post-Terry Kath endeavor. Champlin's vocals add just the right grit and energy to the mix and that hunger took the music to a level the band hadn't played at since before Kath's untimely passing.

If you only pick up one Chicago album from the post-Columbia Records era, this one should be close to the top of your list. The tightness and cohesiveness, the overall polish that David Foster gave this album make it a gem in so many different respects.

Related Links and Video

Hard to Say I'm Sorry

Love Me Tomorrow

Chicago 16 (wikipedia)

Chicago (Official Site)

Chicago (wikipedia)

Peter Cetera (Official Site)

Peter Cetera (wikipedia)

Bill Champlin (Official Site)
Bill Champlin (wikipedia)

Danny Seraphine (wikipedia)

California Transit Authority (Danny Seraphine's new band - Official Site)

James Pankow (wikipedia)

Walt Parazaider (wikipedia)

Lee Loughnane (wikipedia)

Robert Lamm (Official Site)

Robert Lamm (wikipedia)

David Foster (wikipedia)
David Foster (wikipedia)
Chris Pinnick (wikipedia)

Other Chicago related reviews and posts