MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III - OLDER THAN MY OLD MAN NOW

If Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Leonard Cohen can release albums with ruminations on growing old, Wainwright can too.  Of course, he takes the concept, and beats death to death, with his usual aplomb and lack of subtlety.  You get it all here, from memories of childhood to becoming a ghost, and all that's in between.  He makes no bones about it either, he's old, getting older fast, and he doesn't like it.

He'll make you laugh, and if you're over fifty, he'll make you scared, too, as he reminds you that you have more past than future now.  The whole thing seems to have come about from the realization that he's now older (64) than the age at which his father died.  The album opens with his life story in four verses and a chorus, in typically blunt fashion ("I took a wife, we had some kids/Screwed that up and went on the skids").  All four of his kids, and two of the three women he married (Kate McGarrigle had recently died) join in on the vocals.  It's simply audacious, and works perfectly.  There are some poignant songs along the way, including In C, about the Great Unknown that we all battle in live, the one that somehow broke apart his parents, and his own first marriage.  I guess Kate's death weighed on Wainwright as well, because that marriage, and kids Martha and Rufus get several mentions here (although that's true about several of his songs since the 70's).  In tribute, he includes the one song the couple wrote together, back in 1975, Over The Hill, almost as if they predicted this album all those years ago.

The sequencing of the album deserves special mention, as the flow of the songs helps keep the collection from being overly sad, or too silly.  When a song hits you particularly hard, or makes you think, you can be sure the next one will lighten the mood.  Included is a number about every one of the many, many medicines he's familiar with, from an arsenal of antidepressants to heat pads and baby Aspirin.  Most silly is a duet with the one and only Dame Edna Everage, but who better to coo a British music hall number with, especially one called I Remember Sex?

It's all quite powerful  He reads a piece written by his father in 1981, a brilliant essay about relationships between parents and grown children, and their past complicated any current friendship.  That is followed by a duet with Rufus, about how hard it is for father and son to change, and that battleground.  Whew.  Every moment of Wainwright's life is fair game for his material, and he never comes out looking great, and often, not very good at all.  But you can't help loving the flawed man.

MUSIC REVIEW: THE ZOMBIES - IN CONCERT AT METROPOLIS STUDIOS

Hey, zombies are hot right now, aren't they?  Well, these guys won't rip your face off, but they are more popular than they've been in years.  Celebrating 50 years since their formation, the group recorded this live DVD-CD combo at a new British venue called Metropolis Studios.  The small hall is set up specifically for live recordings, with a small, 120-person invited audience.  The 2011 recording is one of several being released in similar sets, invited 60's and 70's U.K. favourites still treading the boards.  Other releases include Bill Nelson, Barclay James Harvest, Caravan and Roy Harper.  Although these groups might have a few fans over here, clearly the biggest name is The Zombies.

The original, 60's incarnation of the group had a funny career, very much hit-or-miss.  Most people will know big hits Time Of The Season and She's Not There, and some will at least recognize Tell Her No.  But almost everything else the group put out through the mid-60's was a flop, here and at home.  Keyboard player and songwriter Rod Argent had a huge hit with Hold Your Head Up in the 70's, and lead singer Colin Blunstone managed a few British Top 40's, but that was it for years.  Then, a new generation of musicians, including Paul Weller, started talking about the group's final album, Odessey (sic.) & Oracle (the group was at such a low point, the graphic designer misspelled the title, and nobody bothered to change it).  Critics started listening too, and it became regarded as a classic.  With the band hip again, a long-lasting reformation has occurred, although only Argent and Blunstone remain from the originals.

Of course, since they were pretty much faceless anyway, it doesn't matter that we only have a two-fifths reunion, especially with Blunstone's voice and Argent's keys the signature sounds.  And neither has lost a step.  This small venue/studio is obviously a great space, as the band sounds wonderful, and the harmonies especially are brilliant.  These lads are very well-preserved too, and there's a regal charm to it all, Blunstone a soft-spoken, sweet-singing type, the antithesis of the gnarled Rolling Stones.  I don't know how many re-takes they might have done, but it's note-perfect, vocally and instrumentally, from start to finish.

Diving deep into the 60's albums, the centerpiece of the shows is a six-song suite of Odessey tracks, baroque-pop with an R 'n' B edge, somewhere between The Small Faces and The Troggs.  It's dated a bit certainly, A Rose For Emily twee British musical hall at its root, but Beechwood Park is a pop gem, I Want Her, She Wants Me is tougher stuff, and of course Time Of The Season is a powerhouse.  Elsewhere, the group chooses to dip into the solo years to fill out the set, with several of Blunstone's U.K. hits, including the strong and faithful Motown cover What Becomes Of the Broken Hearted.  Argent gets his due too, with Hold Your Head Up still a great rave.

Yet the problem the band had in the 60's remains.  Their catalogue is still too thin, without the requisite number of quality hits to fill up 90 minutes.  A couple of brand-new tracks from a well-received 2011 album are good additions, especially I Do Believe, an Argent composition that sounds like it could have been a lost 1967 outtake.  Yet it still feels like we're all waiting for She's Not There, the inevitable highlight.  They do make the very best of what they have though.

LOOK AT ME! I'M ON THE INTERWEBS!

Well, as you can read, I already have my own blog.  But now, another blog has done me the honour of featuring me in its latest post.  It's a new site devoted to the hobby and passion of record collecting, especially in these here Maritime provinces, where I live.

It's called Maritime Vinyl, and has lots of fun and informative posts already, in just six-plus months of existence.  You can find out how to set up your turntable, for instance, for all you who are new to vinyl, or old folks like me who forgot after the digital decades.  There's a primer on how to tell original Beatles albums from later pressings, something that will help you avoid a $50 dollar mistake at the flea market.  And, there are features on record collectors in the region, and that's where I come in.  Maritime Vinyl gives me a nice plug for the Top 100 Canadian Singles and Albums books, and grills me on my pathetic lifelong addiction to Beach Boys collecting.  And there are photos!  See my basement! Check out my Australian Fun Fun Fun E.P.

And, check out the blog, it's a cool place to check in for the growing number of vinyl enthusiasts.  Here's the linkage:

http://maritimevinyl.blogspot.ca/

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: CASSANDRA WILSON - ANOTHER COUNTRY

One of the few actual stars in jazz these days, a name many recognize, and lots actually buy, plus she still has peer respect in the notoriously tight community.  Her latest sees her in excellent form, and even doing all original material, except for one.  It's a different album to be sure; there is a lot of guitar here, with two instrumentals, and there's an Italian feel through the whole disc.  That's because it features the guitarist Fabrizio Sotti, as co-producer, often co-writer, and the composer and only performer on those instrumentals.  Such is the collaboration that Sotti's name appears on the cover as well, given a "featuring" credit.

The songs were recorded in Florence, Italy, using local players, and the touches of the area, including accordion on most of the numbers.  Sotti's acoustic is the dominate instrument, and Wilson's voice rises to the occasion, her natural warmth a fine mix with the softness of the Italian musicians.  Of course, as we are in Italy, the songs are romantic, but not lush; Wilson's words never fall into the trap of being dramatic.  Smartly, it is a mix of her modern, North American style, and the Italian way.

The two linking instrumentals are a great idea, especially for a vocalist's album, and helps enhance the travelogue feel of the disc.  Also, that chestnut O Sole Mio (you know, what Elvis sang as It's Now Or Never), perhaps the best-known traditional Italian song is trotted out, but instead of the bombast often used by the dramatic Italians (and the imitators), Wilson keeps it cool and moody.  It's a very smart departure for Wilson, and a soothing treat.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: PATTI SMITH - BANGA

A captivating and powerful album, but completely opposite of the cliched Smith caricature from her art/punk beginnings, and that memorable Gilda Radner spoof, Candy Slice.  This is a hushed, beautiful series of emotional and lovely tunes for the most part, including some of the most beguiling vocals of her long career.  It's also a stunning artistic achievement, Smith combining a variety of influences, including painting, film, literature, nature, grief, loss, and Johnny Depp (guesting on drums and guitar on one track, I kid you not).

Now I know I'm not supposed to review the liner notes, but it's a rare essay that can explain and enhance the listening experience.  Her notes on the journey that brought the album about are just as fascinating as the songs, and give you clear insight into what they're about.  Plus, it's just plain bizarre that the voyage began on the ill-fated Costa Concordia, albeit a couple of years before it infamously sank on Italy's coast.  Hearing how she and her band soak up rarefied situations that ooze art at its most creative, and turn it back into these inspired songs helps us understand just how committed they are to the process.  I digress, but really, I'd buy this CD just to get the booklet.

The lovely April Fool is a prime example of the soft and rich music that dominates Banga.  Electric piano is the dominate instrument, along with some gorgeous guitar filigrees courtesy of guest Tom Verlaine.  Smith coos her way through this story, inspired by 19th century Russian romantic writer Nikolai Gogol.  As high brow as that might be, just as lovely is This Is The Girl, written for Amy Winehouse after her passing.  Fuji-san is sent out as a letter of love and support to the people of Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, a prayer to their holy mountain for protection.

Sometimes the old raucous poet comes through, when Smith gets tough.  The title cut comes from another Russian writer, Mikhail Bulgakov, and this time his classic novel The Master And Margarita requires more vigour, even a barking dog.  It's all fascinating, with the only exception the lone cover on the disc, a very odd choice.  Wanting an environmental theme, she chose Neil Young's After The Gold Rush to close the album, but it's so different and familiar, it stands out like a sore thumb.  Everything else?  Peachy.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: ED SHEERAN - +

A 21-year old phenom from England, Sheeran has won a packet of awards in his homeland, based around the huge success of his hit The A Team, from his debut album.  It's about somebody abusing A-class drugs, a maudlin little number in the vein of James Morrison and James Blunt, an acoustic weeper.  But he's not all soft and sweet, and much of the disc features his folk updated with hip-hop pinnings, beats and dance hall speed rhyming.  It's hit-and-miss stuff, at least on the quality side of the equation.  While The A Team works wonderfully, and rings with truth and empathy, too many of the tracks feature some downright awful lyrics.

There's the unbelievable sappiness of Wake Me Up, which details the mundane moments in a relationship (playing video games, watching DVD's) like they are heart-stirring memories.  Unfortunately it strips the power from the next song, Small Bump, which seems to be about a baby lost prematurely.  Then there's The City, about moving to London, which opens with the horrible cliche "This city never sleeps/I hear the people walking by and it's late".  You Need Me, I Don't Need You, another Top 10 hit in England, is him bragging in rap mode about how he's a star already, and doesn't need hangers-on, critics, and the celebrity press.  Okay.  Well, let me just quietly rip you a new one about 21-year-olds pretending to be hip-hop tough when they're obviously just the flavour of the  moment.

It's too bad Sheeran doesn't have a fluff filter, and is enamoured with other people's sounds.  There's talent on display, but manipulation too, and while it will be lucrative times for everyone involved, ultimately interest will wain quickly.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE RACONTEURS - LIVE AT MONTREUX 2008 (DVD)

Jack White's one-time side project can be viewed now as a stepping-stone to his solo career.  At the time of this DVD (2008), The White Stripes were still supposedly a going concern, but no doubt White knew the days were dwindling.  Here he takes the stage with his playmates, a safe place to try out some moves, as the band was advertised as just for fun.  However, even though established songwriter Brendan Benson is on board, a frontman himself, as the DVD shows, it's clearly White's group.

It's also a significantly heavier sound than the two Raconteurs delivered.  Whereas those had the stronger influence of Benson's pop inclinations, here its White's electrics blues, and a 70's rock band influence that dominate, from the sludge-Zeppelin treatment of Intimate Secretary, and the electrified version of the old blues number Keep It Clean.  But you can also hear White taking advantage of the fact he was no longer playing with just a drummer.  Now, he was in a five-piece, including keyboards and another guitar, and the tune Old Enough, with its violin, sounds like 70's Townshend, around Who's Next.

Then there's the final encore number, already a centerpiece on the Consolers Of The Lonely album, a modern take on the murder ballad style, a mystery song that shows White's interest in the folk and old-time school.  This was an artist in transformation, even though it wasn't being talked about at the time, such was the hope that The White Stripes would continue.  Now that we have White's solo debut, Blunderbuss, I think most will be okay with White's continued movement, and The Raconteurs can certainly be seen as a valuable time in his career.  As such, this is a good document of the time.