Wednesday May 4, 2011
For some reason it's never seemed to me that enough genuine new wave bands came out of England during the late '70s and early '80s. Perhaps too many other types of post-punk music beckoned for British bands, paving the way for the alternative rock evolution that awaited us all during the '90s. That's why the Vapors are such a blast of poppy fun, especially when you get beyond their one massive hit, "Turning Japanese." The bouncy "News at Ten" retains a slight strain of that tune's novelty appeal, but it's also got far more in common with the taut, driving music of the Jam than the many skinny tie bands that dotted the scene circa 1980. That kinship with one of punk rock's most legendary bands should probably be the Vapors' premier legacy, though MTV and '80s flashback shows have made certain that won't be the case. Despite releasing only two full-length records during an extremely brief career, the group has earned a place among pop/rock royalty. If the sterling refrain "I can't hear you/You make no sense to me" doesn't stir your particular new wave cocktail in the best way possible, then you're missing out on some honest '80s musical energy.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of United Artists
Saturday April 23, 2011
Legendary '50s & '60s early rock and roll duo the Everly Brothers had not played much together in the decade immediately preceding their 1983 reunion. While apart, harmonizing brothers Don and Phil recorded as solo artists but had just as much difficulty revisiting their earlier commercial successes as the duo itself had during the late '60s and early '70s. Fans of oldies music certainly rejoiced when the brothers began recording again for a sequence during the mid- to late-'80s, but modern music fans of all stripes should have recognized the value of this reunion beyond mere nostalgia.
As one of the most successful duos in pop music history, the Everlys helped invent not only rock and roll but also country rock, which would become nothing less than a fixture during the '70s. That significance, while fleeting during the brothers' latter years of recording, can certainly be heard in the excellent, heartbreaking "Born Yesterday," a Don Everly composition that sorely deserves to be heard. Throwback it most definitely may be, but this track celebrates the resounding influence of one of pop/rock's most important pioneering acts. Even better, the brothers' harmonies are characteristically divine, buoyed by songwriting quality and emotional depth that did not necessarily get a lot of airtime in 1986. Worth seeking out in whatever form you may find it.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of Mercury
Thursday April 14, 2011
Unfortunately, I was more likely to be listening to Tesla or Skid Row or some other hair metal or classic rock-styled band in 1989, the year North Carolina jangle pop band the Connells released the excellent Fun & Games. Still, I did have some high school friends, particularly a neighbor from down the street who had been pretty much a lifelong friend, who were cool enough at the time to have this album on cassette. Luckily for my eventual musical taste, I guess, I just happened to be giving him a lot of rides to school at this time while his late model European car was "at the shop." Otherwise, I would have probably stumbled upon this band plenty in college, but I do have to thank that friend for challenging my limited personal playlists way back before the days of mp3 players.
Ultimately, it didn't take me all that long to grasp the overall quality of this record, and even though I've yet to replace it in the form of a digital copy, I still remember almost all the tunes with warmth and appreciation. One of the best things about unsung albums like this one is that the songs I always loved the most (and, in the case of "Something to Say" and "Fun & Games," learned quite thoroughly on guitar) are well-complemented by numerous other, disparate tracks. The slightly loopy but bouncy "Sal," for example, did not come to mind initially for me as I worked on culling a forgotten gem from the Connells' deep college rock repertoire, but the more I listened to it and thought about it, this tune is a perfect choice. Second guitarist and occasional songwriter George Huntley takes a rare turn on lead vocals here, and he seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself doing it. This, like many Connells tracks, is impossibly hooky stuff, and while the band had a clear, career-long primary songwriter in Mike Connell, other bandmembers had talent to burn. Huntley charms the listener completely not only with his goofy lyrical portrait of the titular character, but also with his quavering, itself jangly vocal delivery. If you're hearing this for the first time when you seek it out below, I can pretty much guarantee you it won't really feel like it.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of TVT
Thursday April 7, 2011
In the middle of a recent viewing of the Julia Roberts vehicle Eat Pray Love (which, incidentally, I enjoyed far more than I had expected), the appearance of multiple Neil Young songs on the film's soundtrack led me to rhapsodize, to the typically amused bemusement of my wife. The last thing I'll say about the movie in this space is that Richard Jenkins is an acting god, but in terms of musical subject matter, the presence of "Heart of Gold" in a key scene led me to remember and recount a time in college when a musicologist guest lecturer played the opening of the track for the class. As one of the greatest harmonica intros in rock history melted into the tune's familiar guitar riff, this guy could hardly contain his own personal gleeful appreciation. It was a key moment of realization for me of just how strong the magical draw of music can be.
Somehow, that memory has led me into this week's spotlight song, which comes from Young's major comeback album from 1989, Freedom. Though the powerful, righteously angry "Rockin' in the Free World" has always gained the most attention from this era of Young's career (and rightly so), it didn't take me long to find another absolutely epic stunner to dissect in this space. "No More" is a sweeping, sprawling, raw and poetic rock song of the highest order, built upon an exhilarating guitar riff full of sophisticated melodic sense. Essentially, it's just another piece of many bits of evidence that as a songwriter, Young has had few peers for his entire 40-plus-year career in the areas of songcraft and unforgettable tunefulness. He's almost so damn good that rock music fans have a slight tendency to take him for granted, but a close look at Young's expansive, eclectic career immediately removes all doubt as to this artist's importance not only to classic rock, folk rock and hard rock, but also to the universal musical tapestry. Hey, I warned you that rhapsodizing was probably in the offing here.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of Reprise/Warner Bros.
