Between a Heart and a Rock Place by Pat Benatar

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, the Donnas, Fergie... the list goes on and on.  But their careers likely would have been considerably rockier and likely even a bit less successful had women like Pat Benatar not paved the way for them.


Most of us know her hits Heartbreaker, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Love is a Battlefield, Invincible, and We Belong to name but a few.  But there's so much more to her story than her hits and the path not only to her success but once she attained it was far more difficult than most realize.


Even if you're not a big fan of Ms. Benatar's music, and admittedly prior to being approached for this review my familiarity with her work was largely limited to her hits, Between a Heart and a Rock Place is a thoroughly enjoyable read.


Pat gives a very candid snapshot of the music industry of the late seventies and throughout the eighties-- its superficiality, its obsession with image, and the many double standards applied to female musicians that weren't necessarily applied to male musicians-- at least not to the same extent.


The stories that are told of record label executives and the peek behind the curtain to see the Wizard that Ms. Benatar provides throughout her book shows the considerably less glamorous and far less savory side of the music industry;  How they tried to tell her how to look, how to dress, discouraged her relationship with her guitarist and later husband Neil "Spyder" Giraldo, and even attempted to hide her pregnancy for her first daughter and make her feel ashamed of it; all of it would make for quite an incredible novel but what makes it even more chilling-- it's all true!


Without giving too much away-- this book is a must read for any fan of music, anyone curious about how the recording industry works, and certainly for any aspiring musicians whether or not you happen to be fans of Pat Benatar as a musician.  The insights provided give a glimpse of how much popular music has evolved from the late seventies to the present and it's all through the eyes of one of the most successful female rockers in the history of rock and roll!


Related Links & Media
Promo video for the book's release:

Pat Benatar(official site)
Pat Benatar (wikipedia)

Forgotten Music Thursday: Level 42 - World Machine (1985)

If you had a pulse and an FM radio in 1985 chances are you are at least peripherally familiar with Level 42’s Something About You. Peaking at #7 on the US Billboard Charts. It was and remains Level 42’s most successful US single.

But Level 42’s story is one of much greater success in their own country than in the United States. All but the most die-hard of fans in the US would be hard pressed to name any of their other songs. World Machine, the album that really made the US sit up and take notice of Level 42 only peaked at #18 on Billboard’s Top 200 album charts here in the US, whereas in the UK not only did the album peak at #3, it remained on the charts for 72 weeks!

Besides the ever familiar, Something About You, World Machine features several thoroughly listenable and enjoyable songs like Lying Still, World Machine, Coup d’Etat, Leaving Me Now, and Physical Presence The cornerstone of Level 42’s sound is the contrast between bassist/vocalist Mark King and the high falsetto of keyboardist Mike Lindup. Their vocal and instrumental stylings are further augmented by brothers Boon Gould on guitar and Phil Gould on drums. World Machine would be the last of Level 42’s albums to feature their original line-up as the Gould brothers, disenchanted with the more pop-friendly direction of the band opted out.

All of the songs have a relaxed jazz/fusion vibe—largely thanks to the Gould brothers and funk influenced bass grooves compliments of Mark King. What is undeniable throughout the album is the superlative musicianship of the entire band. These guys were and are musician’s musicians.

As this is Level 42's most commercially successful release, it is also an excellent album to start with when delving into their catalog.  A 2009 re-release included a 2nd CD with dance remixes and live versions of many of the songs from the album which, while nice, are a bit unnecessary for those who are merely casual listeners of the band.

But in the end, the best thing about Level 42 is their fusion of pop with jazz and funk created a sound that was rather uniquely their own.  Few other bands have been able to pull off such an interesting blend of styles with such aplomb.  If you enjoyed or were a fan of Steely Dan or possibly of some of Toto's more jazz-oriented songs, chances are you'll thoroughly enjoy Level 42 as well.

 Related Links & Media
Something About You video

Level 42 (official site)
Level 42 (official Facebook)
Level 42 (official Myspace)
Level 42 (wikipedia)
Mark King (wikipedia)
Mike Lindup (wikipedia)
Boon Gould (wikipedia)
Phil Gould (wikipedia)
Wally Badarou (wikipedia)
Gary Barnacle (wikipedia)

Fate Warning - Disconnected (2000)

Fates Warning were arguably one of the first bands that could be described as progressive metal. From the beginning they’ve been fusing elements of both genres into a style all its own. Other bands, such as Dream Theater, Queensryche, and Opeth may or may not do it better (depending on who you ask), but Fates Warning pre-dates them all in this brilliant hybrid that might best be described as Yes meets Metallica.

After the departure of original vocalist, John Arch, in the late eighties Fates Warning took a few years to really regain their footing with Ray Alder. They arguably hit their creative peak with A Pleasant Shade of Grey, but I’d argue that was merely the first of several strong albums. 2002’s Disconnected, is both more accessible and slightly less adventurous. But in being more accessible, I’d argue it’s the best of Fates Warning’s albums for the uninitiated to start with. As with A Pleasant Shade of Grey, ex-Dream Theater keyboardist, Kevin Moore, lends his talents to Fates Warning. Its his collaborations with Fates Warning that later led to his partnership with Jim Matheos in their band, OSI that married the harder edged metal guitar chops of Matheos with Moore’s more ambient keyboard influences.

Starting with the ominous Disconnected Part 1, Disconnected draws the listener in. It’s in this opening that Kevin Moore’s influence is most evident. There’s a haunting ambience with an abrupt end before the heavy metal onslaught of One.

One is arguably one of Fates Warning’s strongest songs. Alder’s vocals are soaring and brilliant. Moore’s keyboard influences are a bit more subtle and less obvious but still noticeable.

So picks it back up where Disconnected Part 1 had left off. Matheos gives the intro a haunting ambience before the riffing comes in with Moore’s keyboard and shortly thereafter Alder’s vocals. While at a slower tempo than One, the crunchy guitars and Alder’s soaring vocals are trademark prog-metal.
Pieces of Me picks up the pace a bit. There’s a chugging and steady yet frenetic intensity to the song. It also suggests musical themes that would later be more fully explored by Matheos & Moore on some of the more uptempo music from the first OSI album in 2003.

There’s a general ambience throughout the album that is generally lacking on albums of many of Fates Warning’s contemporaries. If you're new to Fates Warning, there's not a better place to start than Disconnected!

Related Links
One (Live in Athens)

Disconnected (Wikipedia)
Disconnected (AllMusicGuide review)
Fates Warning (Official Website)
Fates Warning (Wikipedia)
Jim Matheos (Wikipedia)
Ray Alder (Wikipedia)
Joey Vera (Wikipedia)
Mark Zonder (Wikipedia)
Kevin Moore (Wikipedia)

Ian Moss - Six Strings (2005)

As the guitarist for the definitive Australian pub rock band, Cold Chisel, Ian Moss is an Australian icon. He’s also one of their better kept secrets. During Cold Chisel’s long hiatus (1983-1998) Moss recorded and released a small handful of solo albums.


Six Strings is probably the closest Moss has come to a greatest hits package. This live acoustic set shows Moss performing acoustic arrangements of some of his better known songs both as a solo artist and as a member of Cold Chisel.

In the early volatile years of Cold Chisel that saw Jimmy Barnes frequently quitting and rejoining the band Moss was frequently called upon to step up and sing lead for Cold Chisel. This gave Moss some good practice as a vocalist. While not in the same league as Barnes, his smoother vocals gave Cold Chisel a different weapon in their musical arsenal. Even after Barnes would return to the band, Moss would sometimes continue contributing lead vocals. With some of those songs like Saturday Night and Bow River that were included in this collection the acoustic arrangements while enjoyable lack the swagger of the Cold Chisel versions. It’s the lack of Barnes raspy growl on the background vocals that takes some of the steam out of the acoustic versions. However the acoustic arrangements of The Party’s Over, Never Before and My Baby give the songs a new life. The Cold Chisel versions sound considerably dated compared to Moss’s acoustic updates.

The acoustic arrangements of Moss’s solo back catalog are thoroughly enjoyable. Tucker’s Daughter, Two Seconds Too Long, and Angel Eyes are all excellent arrangements. Moss provides brief introductions to many songs indicating who wrote them. Many were long time Cold Chisel bass player, Phil Smalls, compositions as Moss has recorded many of Smalls works both as a member of Cold Chisel and as a solo artist.

The applause throughout is light. It gives the performance a very relaxed and intimate small coffee house feel. As far as live albums go, this one is a gem to be listened to on a pair of high end headphones with the lights turned low.

Related Links
Tucker's Daughter (live)

Bow River (live)

Saturday Night (live)

Ian Moss (official site)
Ian Moss (wikipedia)