MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE dB's - FALLING OFF THE SKY

The cult favourites of the 80's return for the first time since the group disbanded in 1988, although leaders Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey have maintained solid, though quiet careers since.  They are both go-too guys for anyone looking for the classic power pop sound, having come out of the early scene that spawned R.E.M. and the like.  Holsapple's credits include time in the group The Continental Drifters, and auxiliary roles with acts such as Hootie and the Blowfish, John Hiatt, and being a major help with R.E.M. during their breakthrough Out Of Time period.  Stamey, as well as playing, is an in-demand producer/engineer, with his name appearing on discs by Yo La Tengo, Big Star, Alejandro Escovedo, Matthew Sweet, and dozens of underground acts looking for that magic jangle the duo helped pioneer.  The best news is that this is the original four-piece, with bass player Gene Holder and drummer Will Rigby from the classic line-up.

Putting this new album out must have felt like walking into their old high school for the group.  They return to the rich guitar-pop with ease, coming up with harmony and hooks galore over the dozen tracks.  What distinguishes this kind of alt-pop, the bookish cousin of punk, is adding exactly the right amount of underground edge (like, a pinch), to basic 60's Top 40.  So such studio chefs as these boys take all they learned listening to The Byrds and The Beatles, and instead of making it big and celebratory like Springsteen and Tom Petty, they turn it inward, back to the studio, and go for introspective.

That doesn't mean it can't rock.  In fact, they groove and pound, just not in a grandiose way.  That Time Is Gone is a mid-60's Stones rave, crossed with Sir Douglas Quintet organ.  Before We Were Born has T. Rex strut in the verses, with a nasty guitar solo too, but with a pretty-as-a-picture chorus and a dreamy bridge.  That's a great formula; hard cut with soft, akin to the loud-quiet-loud that worked so well for The Pixies and Nirvana.

When they aren't finding these sweet chords and supple melodies to wrap their pipes and guitars around, they've drafted some killer ballads, which linger with melancholy.  She Won't Drive In The Rain Anymore draws you in with a sad story of a single mom trapped, by the weather sometimes, but mostly fear.  That's another hallmark of the band, and the genre, wonderful sounds with thoughtful lyrics.  With all this, it's no wonder dB's 2012 sounds as fresh as dB's 1982, and how well the group, now and then, has stood the test of time.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: JON AND ROY - LET IT GO

I'm pretty stoked to be living in a time when a basic guitar-folk song album like this can get put out, after years being shunned.  Jon Middleton and Roy Vizer are a guitar and drums duo, with the emphasis on the song - the guitar is acoustic and the drums are there for rhythm, not pounding.  Add in an equally mild bass, and that's pretty much it.  They can make it a bit bigger at times, but on the Spinal Tap scale, they'd only be at 3 out of 10. 

The B.C. duo has had a couple of discs out before, and has been around since the middle of the 2000's, slowly (and quietly) building a buzz for their coffee house vibe.  It's not so much the fact they are doing stripped-down stuff, it's what they are doing with it.  Breezily moving from style to style, here you get some jazzy stuff, sleek instrumentals with a classical flair, lots of world beat touches, a reggae number, whatever is brewing.  And while sometimes the guitar and drums work themselves up, Middleton's vocals never leave the mellow zone.

I suppose there's a bit of the Jack Johnson thing happening, but it's much more adventurous music, with only a slight jammy feel.  However, as much as this would be ideal in small, funky halls, I could easily see them become festival favourites with this disc.  I smell a breakthrough disc!

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: FIONA APPLE - THE IDLER WHEEL IS WISER THAN THE DRIVER OF THE SCREW AND WHIPPING CORDS WILL SERVE YOU MORE THAN ROPES WILL EVER DO

It's her first album in seven years, so it takes awhile to get used to her particular, peculiar style again.  Ah, who am I kidding?  I can never get used to Apple's eccentricities, and this one is as out there as anything else she's done, more so perhaps.  It's mostly lots and lots of words, her piano, and some percussion.  Verging on jazz poetry, Apple's melodies are slippery things, sounding almost improvised over the rambling keys, the structure far away from traditional verse-chorus-verse format.   She sticks to the lower registers on the piano, adding her voice an octave above, giving the whole disc a rather grave sound, or as she sings, "Nothing wrong when a song ends in a minor key".

There's an intensity throughout the album, even in its relative calmness.  It's all those moody notes and strong words.  Like some of your better poets, she knows that its the sound of a word as much as the meaning that creates the power.  In the near-scat of Hot Knife, her delivery of the phrase "If I'm butter" is rhythmic treat, more ba-dah-ba than "butter".  The jungle beat behind it takes us back to a 40's jazz number, which is quite cool.  I can't tell you what's up in the song Periphery, except that the words sound strong:  "Oh, the periphery/they throw good parties there/those peripheral idiots/always have a bite to bear."

Okay, it's heady and headstrong stuff, and you'll just as likely be turned off as impressed with an initial listen.  Apple's an acquired taste for sure, and is making no attempts to woo the Rolling Stone Magazine crowd that brought her to fame a decade and more back.  This frustratingly-titled disc holds many quirks, and reveals its qualities only with a bit of patience, but there will be a small percentage of folks that will be looking for just that kind of experience.  Others will downright hate it.  Me, I appreciate it, but won't be throwing it on again anytime soon.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: COLIN JAMES - FIFTEEN

Album number, umm, fifteen sees James pursuing the rock-blues side of his stuff, rather than the Little Big Band or old-school blues at which he excels.  No complaints though; as much as I like his roots movements, the guy has a way with the modern side, too.  Plus, you can hear little touches of all his music sprinkled through the album, from the smart horn section gracing Fool For You to the acoustic blues singer behind Shed A Little Light.

Part of what keeps the styles and material moving around is the nice mix of co-writers James worked with.  There's a couple of harder rockers with Gordie "Big Sugar" Johnson, a full five from the rootsy pen of Tom Wilson (Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond), and a couple of softies with the king of melodic melancholy, Ron Sexsmith.  The covers couldn't be wider-distanced either.  John Lennon's confessional Jealous Guy, Allan Toussaint's bouncy hit for Robert Palmer, Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley, and classic British blues number Oh Well, from Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.  Again, James proves adept at all these styles.  I'm appreciating it, because lord knows too many people make too many long CD's that barely change tempo.

Still, there's good, better, best, and meh along the way.  The raw electric of both Johnson co-writes, Sweets Gone Sour and I Need You Bad, works very well, as does the smart Stones riffin' of the Wilson partnership I'm Diggin', and you can hear the usual Junkhouse-Wilson chords in it.  But Love for Life is just too nice, and kinda sounds like a Bryan Adams album track.  The reggae lilt used on Jealous Guy is a good idea, and gives the song some musical guts, better than the croony, Roxy Music cover.

Another strong point is that the album sounds great from start to finish.  The crisp production lets us hear all the instruments cleanly and with a good deal of warmth.  Everybody is up-close and personal, especially James' vocals, and it's simply a pleasing listen.  Fifteen could be the type of disc to reactivate some delinquent fans who haven't been on board for awhile.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: TOM JONES - SPIRIT IN THE ROOM

Can we take Tom Jones seriously?  And that's a serious question.  His career was long based on the histrionic over-singing found on Delilah, What's New Pussycat, It's Not Unusual and the like.  That put him on TV, sent him to Vegas, and gave him a huge audience along the lines of Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand, an older crowd shall we say.  There's nothing wrong with any of this of course, and his hip-shaking antics and ridiculously catchy hits were fun if nothing else.

But he always wanted to be taken seriously, too.  Watch old episodes of his TV show, and there he is jamming out with Janis Joplin, Wilson Pickett, CSNY, matching them note for note.  Then came modern collaborations with everyone from Pet Shop Boys to Portishead.  For the past few years he's slowly been working his way into senior statesman of blues and soul status, with U.K. festival headline slots, and hipster appearances with hot star Jessie J, and important TV shows such as the Jools Holland program and even the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.  His last album, 2010's Praise And Blame saw him a roots artist, singing blues, gospel, traditional and country songs, under the production of the very hot Ethan Johns, and it was received very well.  The campaign towards seriousness seems to have worked.

Now comes the new Spirit In The Room, again produced by Johns, and with songs in the same categories.  It's the now-familiar method of doing these aging-stars albums (see Cash, Diamond, Rick Rubin), rummaging through modern songwriter's catalogs, looking for surprises that will grab attention, as well as good songs of course.  This time we get Jones interpreting the modern masters:  songs from Dylan, Cohen, McCartney and Simon are here.  Then there are the next layer of writers, known as brilliant but not quite household names:  Richard Thompson, Joe Henry, Tom Waits, even The Low Anthem's Charlie Darwin is included, plus there's some old blues.

Now, to answer my question about taking him seriously.  I'm sure lots are, and he's certainly earned the beloved entertainer status, plus his OBE from Her Majesty.  Why I'm going to pass is because of what is normally thought of as his number one asset, his powerful pipes.  Man, the guy can belt 'em.  And you can hear him power up the blues from deep down.  But you know what I hear?  Acting.  I hear him forcing it out, over-singing it all, even on the ballads and slow numbers.  Maybe he can't control it, but the man's singing voice dominates every song, so that all you're hearing is him.  Not the words, not the melody, not the instruments, just Tom Jones.  So it's not the brilliant lyric of Tower Of Song from Cohen's pen, it's Tom Jones singing Tower Of Song, and there's no power in the words.

Some of this may be the choice of material.  It has to be a special kind of song, and he has to either back off or have fun with it, I figure.  While he emotes all over blues classic Soul Of A Man, Jones backs off on Thompson's Dimming Of The Day, to better effect.  Same goes for Dylan's recent When The Deal Goes Down, as Jones scores with that, and we can finally get the fact it's a gospel number.  But most of the album sees him in full voice, overwhelming delicate material.  The best song here is actually when he returns to what he's done so well through his whole career, which is have fun.  He covers the old Kenny Rogers and the First Edition hit Just Dropped In (to see what condition my condition is in).  It's a spoof to begin with, writer Mickey Newbury mocking hippie culture.  For the only time on the disc, Johns and Jones relax, have some fun with the production, camp it up a bit, and remind us of Jones' excellent version of Prince's Kiss with Art Of Noise.  Did anybody take that seriously?  No.  Was it fantastic?  Yes.  You know, I think I take Tom Jones more seriously when he's not being serious, if you get my drift.  Come to think of it, I kinda like Delilah.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: JERRY DOUGLAS - TRAVELER

The great king of the dobro does the star turn here, with an album full of stars, friends and admirers.  Usually these things are overblown, and merely attempts at grabbing attention for sales.  But there's the rare one that shines, and this is one of them.  The luminaries include Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Paul Simon, Keb' Mo, Bela Fleck, Mumford & Sons, and of course his band mates in Alison Krauss & Union Station.  It's pure class all the way through, and as you'd expect, chalk full of tasty licks from Douglas himself, with some good sparring with the other players.

Clapton does a great, laid-back guest vocal on Something You Got, the old Chris Kenner hit done by everybody from B.B. King to Springsteen, but usually as a flamboyant number.  Here the duo pour on the honey instead.  The big attention track will no doubt be the version of The Boxer, featuring both Mumford & Sons, and the songs' author, Paul Simon.  Simon's a big Douglas fan, and has had him open tours for him of late, and even snuck onstage at a Douglas show three nights ago in New York.  Simon's barely noticeable on the track though, but its a nice Mumford vocal, and again, another cool solo from Douglas.

Really, I can listen to the guy play all day, such is the fluidity and charm of his stuff.  And while all the stars are cool, the instrumentals work just as well.  These things smoke.  Douglas on his own is a treat whether you like bluegrass or not, and really this disc is more blues and folk than his gig with Union Station.  And there's a big surprise waiting for long-time fans; for the first time in his career, Douglas steps to the mic, singing the lead track, Leadbelly's On A Monday.  Turns out he's got a pretty good voice, too.  First class stuff.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: PETER TOSH - 1978 - 1987

A lotta Tosh.  Six full CD's, covering the last decade of his career, before his murder in 1987.  This is one of these new budget boxes EMI have been releasing out of the U.K for some of their artists with a larger following there.  EMI Canada has imported the titles here, a nice bonus for fans, although I'm not sure how many Kevin Ayers collectors exist in this country.  The Hollies was cool though.

What you get is everything Tosh did from 1978 on, every album and single track, lots of extended and dub versions, a handful of non-LP discoveries, and a full, previously unreleased BBC In Concert show from 1983.  The bulk is from five official studio and one live album during this period.  Unfortunately, that doesn't include his best two solo albums, recorded after leaving The Wailers, Legalize It and Equal Rights.  Instead it picks up when Tosh signed with Rolling Stones Records, distributed by EMI, thanks to his friendship with Mick and Keith.

The first album, Bush Doctor, featured both Stones in supporting role, Jagger doing his famous cameo on the cover of The Temptations' Don't Look Back.  Oddly, this somewhat odd cover choice became his biggest solo hit, hardly representative of his career, but it did point to a sad truth; Tosh wanted success, sales, and notice.  He battled with his record labels over perceived lack of support, and compromised his music with choices made for commercial reasons.  Examples litter these albums, including the annoying cover of Johnny B. Goode, and the reggae-disco number Nothing But Love, a deserved bomb.

Trouble is, Tosh could really sing, and was an excellent songwriter, plus he was a hardcore political writer, tackling apartheid, nuclear weapons, equal rights, and of course, legalizing marijuana.  He was aware people didn't know he was responsible for lots of the politics and some of the songs that made Marley famous while he was still in the band, including Get Up, Stand Up, and Stop That Train.  Too bad he tried to gain a wider audience with junk instead of his good stuff.  On each album there are more good songs than poor, but they all feel marred.  Another problem is the production, way too studio-perfect for reggae, with lots of annoying synths and syndrums and such.

The live albums showcase a much better side of him, as always leading a crack band and displaying his excellent pipes.  Although a slick synth is still there on some keyboard parts, hearing a big band and lots of vocalists puts a lot more power in these songs, especially as he reclaims Get Up, Stand Up on both the hour-long concerts found here.

So, it's a bit of overkill here, and an argument can be made for chopping out a lot of crap here, leaving the full live concerts and the hard-to-find stuff, making it a four-disc box, and including a decent book instead of the lousy one-page essay and bare-bones credits.  However, you can't argue with the price, $36.39 at Amazon right now, and that they used 2002 Abbey Road remasters.  You probably want to be a big reggae fan though, rather than somebody who only owns Marley's Legend.