MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: PAUL SIMON - GRACELAND 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

I assume you don't need me to tell you anything about the album proper;  indeed a friend mentioned he'd had three or four copies of it since it came out 25 years ago.  Let's just say it was a game-changer, opening the ears of millions to World music, and becoming the favourite all-time album for many (ya, I'm looking at you, Oprah).  So let's concentrate on the bonus stuff here on the 25th anniversary edition.  Oh, and if you're wondering if it's worth the price, I saw a great deal on the CD-DVD package at Chapters, where if you buy twenty dollars worth of other stuff, you can get the Simon set for $9.99.

On the CD side, there are six bonus cuts, three of which originally appeared on the expanded 2004 edition.  These are demos and slightly alternate versions that give an indication of how the songs progressed, including a sparse start of the circular Homeless theme, as Ladysmith Black Mambazo started to add their distinct vocals to Simon's starting phrase.  Crazy Love is the studio jam recorded with South African band Stimela, before it got taken back to New York, edited, Adrian Belew added, and lyrics written to become Crazy Love, Vol. 2.  There's always a spoken word piece, normally a very bad idea on CD's, but in this case it's a revelatory explanation of the creation of the Graceland song.  Simon explains how he heard a Sun Records feel in the South African beat, and when writing the words, "I'm going To Graceland" popped into his head and wouldn't leave.  So he actually went to Graceland, which inspired the famous descriptive opening, "The Mississippi Delta is shining like a National guitar."  Edited with bits of the song, it's the way a miniature audio documentary should be done.

The accompanying DVD is called Under African Skies, and is a totally new 2-hour film created for this edition.  It follows Simon as he returns to South Africa in 2011, to reunite with some of the musicians, and to once again face his critics.  Graceland was embroiled in controversy after its release, for possibly violating the UN's cultural boycott of the embattled country, then at the height of the violence surrounding Apartheid.  It's still a grey area, and Simon would dispute any crime, pointing out that the musicians were thrilled to be involved, and paid triple-scale.  His biggest critics of the time are interviewed again, including the head of the African National Congress, who sits with Simon as they discuss their different opinions.  As in the past, they agree to disagree, although it's now a moot point, and Simon gets praise for creating such a remarkable collaboration featuring African musicians.  Much period footage is used, including original studio recordings, as well as new shots of the principals playing the grooves again for the first time in 25 years.   It's all about the African side of the disc though; there's no mention of the tracks recorded in Louisiana (That Was Your Mother) or in L.A. with Los Lobos (All Around The World).  But the African part of Graceland has always made the better story, so that's the one we get.  It's still fascinating, and I'd recommend getting this set just for the documentary.  Consider the CD an extra present.  Also included are the music videos for You Can Call Me Al, The Boy In The Bubble, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, and the Saturday Night Live premiere of that last song, which showcased Ladysmith and excited everyone who saw it, a full six months before the album came out.

MUSIC REVIEW: MEN WITHOUT HATS - LOVE IN THE AGE OF WAR

The great Ivan Doroschuk still has that wonderfully grizzly voice, and an ability to find fun and fantastic synth lines to power his pop.  Funny how he hasn't had to change one bit to fit in today, 29 years after we all did the Safety Dance.  Witness the use of Pop Goes The World in a current TV ad for Tide, of all things.  I think it just goes to show synths got a bad name back in the day because too many people used them who didn't know what they doing.  Ivan always has, and this disc is made up of 10 seriously cool tracks, each one with a driving, fun synth sound.

It's the first Men album in a decade, and comes after a successful 2011 tour that saw the band properly acknowledged as an exciting live act.  Falling somewhere between dance and New Wave, it's true there's a lot of retro love and re-evaluation for the mid-80's these days, but for full albums, this might be the best Doroschuk's ever made.  Each cut is a concise and solid piece of pop.  It's extremely danceable of course, but smart as all get out, too.  This War, moving at top gear with some unimaginable BPM rate, would fill any dance floor, impossible to resist.  Mid-tempo charmer Your Beautiful Heart is soul-gone-synth, with a great lyric, Ivan giving support to someone searching for love.  The Girl With The Silicon Eyes has that touch of sci-fi that always goes well with electronics.

Men Without Hats has always been about finding joy and love in the face of those who want to deny it.  That goes right back to Safety Dance, inspired by club bouncers threatening his crowd when they tried to enjoy New Wave music ("Is it safe to dance?").  That's what set Doroschuk above the pack back in the day, the intelligence he brought to the table.  It's all still there, plus he's a master craftsman in the now more appreciate synth arts.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: NEIL YOUNG - AMERICANA

I imagine most people were pretty confused to hear that the new Young/Crazy Horse album would be covers of old folk tunes, really old folk tunes, such as Oh Susannah.  I mean, the first real Crazy Horse record in years, a chance for another Like A Hurricane or Cinnamon Girl, and instead we get This Land Is Your Land?  I mean, the man is always messin' with expectations, but this one came close to absurdity.

Of course, the bugger has pulled it off.  These aren't cut-and-dry remakes, nor gussied-up big band versions like Springsteen did on The Seeger Sessions.  Instead, they are radical reinterpretations, with the Crazy Horse sound, that take the songs back to their roots, and show us what they are really about.  Oh, and there are some that are just sloppy fun, which is the other part of playing with The Horse.

What's amazing is how well the lyrics work with the classic Crazy Horse plod.  In fact, if in some parallel universe, you didn't know any of these famous songs, but were familiar with Young, you could believe he wrote them.  Hearing him get into the vocal on Oh Susannah, head back and moaning "Don't you crrrryyy for me", and telling us "I come from Alabama with my B-A-N-J-O on my knee", you realize where he got his simple but potent lyric style, from classic writing.  Next up comes the well-known tale of Clementine, but with now with a dangerous, deep groove that puts the sorrow back in this song that's really about a drowned love or daughter (depending on your interpretation).  This take is not far removed from famous story-songs of Young's such as Powderfinger, where not everything is spelled out but you get the picture.

Young's extensive liner notes help us as well, as he explains the history of each song, and where he's borrowed or updated some arrangements.  It's worth noting he also gives full credit; Odetta gets the credit (and royalties) for the version of Gallows Pole, for instance.  We find out that the song Tom Dooley is actually a 19th century murder ballad, about a guy named Tom Dula (as Young names it), and it's slowed here to a mournful, menacing tempo, as befits the lyrics.  It certainly makes the chirpy Kingston Trio version seem ridiculous now.  It also shows why so many folk singers, such as Ian Tyson, were somewhat appalled by the commercialization of folk in the early 60's, what he likes to call the "Folk Scare".  This version makes you stop and realize why Dula (Dooley) should hang down his head.  He killed her!

As usual, Young goes for feel over polish.  The odd bum note is left in, in favour of a good groove.  Some tracks are too similar, basically the same chords and feel as others.  But as Young so famously explained about his whole career, "It's all one song".   And not everything works; This Land Is Your Land has a country hoe-down lick added, but sticks to the original pretty closely, with guest vocals from Pegi Young, Stephen Stills and a choir, but really it just sounds like every other singalong version, plus some Young guitar.  For the most part though, it's very listenable Horse, and a revelation.  It's a lot freakin' better than Greendale, too, the last Crazy Horse go-round.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE BEACH BOYS - THAT'S WHY GOD MADE THE RADIO

Against all odds, The Beach Boys 50th anniversary reunion tour has been going very well.  I've seen quite a bit of YouTube footage, and it's actually enjoyable, even touching to see these 70-year old's, with so much baggage and hurt behind them, getting late-life appreciation.  Now, let's not make too much of it; most of the heavy lifting is being done by the crack backing band, including a good part of the trademark harmonies.  And marginal players Bruce Johnston and David Marks don't make up for the late Dennis and Carl Wilson.

Right from the start, a new album was part of the plan.  The Beach Boys haven't made one since 1996, but having Brian Wilson on board meant it was possible, as he's put out several in the past decade.  The good news?  Looks like Brian was handed complete control, as producer, main songwriter, and lead singer on half the cuts.  Or rather, you'd think that's good news.  Unfortunately, he came to the plate without much good material.  An old collaborator, Joe Thomas, who worked with Wilson on his 1998 Imagination album, came back as his co-writer, and the guy has never impressed me too much, he's too middle-of-the-road.  His contributions here don't sound like Beach Boys songs, or much like Brian Wilson songs either, which would be fine if they were special.  Unfortunately, the tunes aren't, especially The Private Life Of Bill And Sue, a commentary on reality TV stars.

There's little great vocal magic either, which is more surprising.  When the harmonies get added, you do feel a bit of the old fun, but the songs don't always lend themselves to rich vocals.  I'd say Brian had a limited amount of material, and simply went with what he had in the bank, which means nobody was standing up to him to say it wasn't good enough.  Certainly not Mike Love, who is no doubt thrilled that it happened at all, as The Beach Boys brand (which he controls) has been steadily losing steam the past decade.  Love actually takes less lead vocals than I thought he would, given that he sang so many of the classic hits, and he wrote less than I'd imagined he would.  Umm, that's probably good though;  what he does contribute are simple variations on the "Do It Again" theme, so obvious and painful. A sample:  "Spring vacation/Good vibrations/Summer weather/We're back together."

It's not a total loss.  I like the lead single, the title cut, one of the few times the vocals soar, the lyrics don't suck, and Wilson brings in some interesting melodic shifts along the way.  The real gem is called From There To Back Again, where Wilson rekindles his spark, something he usually can do a couple of time each solo album.  This, and the two songs that follow, which are linked and also quite good, recall the environmental and spiritual music the group did in the early 70's, a well-performed suite of songs that deserves a better fate than ending a weak effort.  Given Wilson's age, and his very active last decade, plus the major commitment of this months-long anniversary tour, I think he simply bit off more than he could chew, and was willing to settle for whatever could be done.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: RUMER - BOYS DON'T CRY

It might seem like an awfully quick time between albums for this new English singer, but that's only because her debut was delayed by over a year for release here, coming out just after Christmas here.  That excellent disc made a few ripples here, but home in Britain she's already a star.  The jury is out whether she'll find a big following for her retro-smooth pop here.

For her second disc, Rumer has chosen an ambitious project.  She wanted to tackle vintage songs by male songwriters, largely about their sensitive side.  She was out to prove the point that boys indeed do cry, and have a deep well of emotion.  So this time, it was all covers, a brave choice in a pop world that still insists you have to write your own to be taken seriously.  Since she wrote a bunch of fine ones on her first disc, the point should already be moot, but still, some will deem it too early for an all-covers collection.

Anyway, the project:  Great idea, faulty execution.  There's no denying the beauty of Rumer's voice, and her commitment to mellow pop from the 60's and 70's.  The thing is, there were thousands and thousands of songs to choose from.  It's the songs that don't quite match up.  Now, kudos for not picking the obvious examples, and largely staying away from well-known writers and hits.  But I don't quite know why the always-saccharine Paul Williams had to be here.  Same goes for a lesser-known Gilbert O'Sullivan song, We Will, not much of a choice.  And there are several that are stripped of any life.  Both Todd Rundgren's Be Nice To Me and Richie Havens' It Could Be The First Day are treated to bland arrangements and glossy productions.  There's certainly no drive for listeners to find the emotion here, which is the point of the disc.  I'd argue that at least half of the songs chosen simply aren't all that great to begin with, obscure or not.

When it works, it's great.  One of the few truly excellent examples of songwriting here is Townes Van Zandt's Flying Shoes, and she delivers a tremendous version, piano and harmonica the chief sounds, along with her aching vocal.  Jimmy Webb's tune P.F. Sloan, about the reclusive 60's songwriter, is another, as it's one with some oomph to it, plus a fine melody, and when she has that, Rumer soars.  That works for Isaac Hayes' Soulsville from the Shaft soundtrack, even though the lyrics are completely inappropriate both for her, and for this supposed-love song collection.

As for the really well-known stuff, hats off for a decent version of A Man Needs A Maid, and a passable Sara Smile (Hall & Oates), although it doesn't really cut the original, and it's nowhere near as soulful.  And not everything is sung in her Karen Carpenter-style.  That isn't good actually;  Bob Marley's Soul Rebel looses any connection to reggae, and just gets bland.  Worse still is Leon Russell's My Cricket, a lovely and mournful song he did as an old country number.  Rumer turns it into Patti Page singing Tennessee Waltz.  I like her voice so much I'm going to enjoy the ones I like here, and skip over the rest.  But unfortunately, this concept album didn't fly.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: DAVID BOWIE - THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

If you are keeping track, this is the third major reissue of the Bowie classic, plus there have been basic repacking jobs done when he's switched labels several times.  There was a deluxe 20th anniversary set on Rykodisc, and then an even better one for the 30th anniversary from EMI.  This time, there are competing versions depending on your pocket book.  Annoyingly, you don't get all the bonus cuts offered on the 30th edition; you also don't get the very cool booklet from the Ryko set.  This time you get improved sound, and the more you spend the more of that you get.  You need a bloody map to get through the variations.

This time, you have two choices:  You can get the basic CD, which there's a good chance you already have.  What will be different is the sound, polished up with a new remastering.  Okay, you ask, what can they possibly improve this time that makes it any better than, say the 30th anniversary edition?  Well, the technology keeps getting better, and they do manage to find a little more to perk up the audio.  Not a whole lot, but I know this album pretty well, and I heard such interesting moments as the subtle string parts in opener Five Years, boosted to more prominence.

But that's it, none of the bonus cuts, just the basic original disc.  If you're looking for extras, you'll have to go to the more expensive ($25 - $30 bucks) vinyl edition.  That's cool right there, it's 180-gram, plus you get a DVD with some interesting alternatives.  You get a new 5.1 mix and the new stereo mix, plus four bonus cuts remixed in 2003 but never issued, also in 5.1 and stereo.  So, that's kinda cool, but again, it's for those interested in high quality audio and subtle variations. 

Oh, the music you ask?  It's just one of the great rock 'n' roll albums, duh.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE BEATLES - YELLOW SUBMARINE SONGTRACK

Nothing new here, but this collection is being reissued to coincide with the new version of the movie, coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Back in 1999, the old soundtrack album was turfed in favour of this collection, which replaced the old George Martin orchestral score tracks with more actual period Beatles tunes used in the film.  So what you have is a 15-track set of some hits (Eleanor Rigby, All You Need Is Love, Yellow Submarine), some all-time favourites (Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, With A Little Help From My Friends), and some relative obscurities (Only A Northern Song, It's All Too Much).

This disc actually completes the remastered Beatles collection of 2009, as its home to such toss-offs as Hey Bulldog and All Together Now.  While they have their charms, they (along with Only A Northern Song and It's All Too Much) are among the weakest tracks in The Beatles collection, so you don't really need to own them, unless you are OCD about the B's.  As an album however, restored and revamped with all the extra stuff, it's an enjoyable listen, but this is The Beatles we're talking about.  But you probably have all the good stuff on your other discs.  No comment on the wacky film.