MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: VARIOUS - THE ROOTS OF GOSPEL MUSIC

Like all that vintage-styled soul music you've been hearing lately? All you folks digging Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones and Leon Bridges and so many more great acts out there might want to remember where it all came from. It's called soul because it came from gospel music, as opposed to r'n'b. In the mid-50s gospel groups and singers were becoming pretty big stars in the U.S., but there was an even bigger prize out there, the pop charts. It was frowned upon to sing secular music, but eventually many of the stars, most notably Sam Cooke, crossed over. Once the barrier was broken, the genre of soul was born, and even the great Aretha Franklin, daughter of the famous Rev. C.L. Franklin, crossed over.


But there were hold-outs, incredible singers who refused to stop singing songs of praise. And while the soul stars eclipsed them in fame (and riches), there was still a pretty solid touring and record sales industry through into the 70's. Many of those famous names at one point ended up on the famous Detroit label HOB. Formed out of a beauty parlour (House of Beauty), owner Carmen Murphy was such a fan of the music, she paid for recordings, and soon attracted the biggest names of the genre: Clara Ward, Claude Jeter, Albertina Walker, The Swan Silvertones, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and even the mighty Rev. Franklin himself.


Gospel's day as a leading music faded, and the HOB catalog was sold several times. Now it rests with the Sonorous Records label, which is doing a good job of keeping the legacy going, at least in the Christian music world. This set is a sort of primer for the HOB artists, a 24-track, two-disc set. It's obvious this isn't a major label; there are no liner notes, not even composer credits. And HOB didn't ever have the prime cuts of these artists. The musicians supporting the acts are often third-tier journeymen or perhaps rookies, the best players having gone to the pop world. There are frustrating early fade-outs on a couple of cuts, and despite the "deluxe edition" title, the discs are only just above 30 minutes.


What is here is, quite simply, an incredible group of singers. The times were changing, but these performers were still masters. When they sang their songs of praise, they really did lift their voices loud and clear. The Harmonizing Four are a joy, close-knit and dynamic. Shirley Caesar shines on three cuts, recorded at the start of her career, which is still going strong. The more vintage acts such as Jeter and Ward show just how powerful that church music was, while Albertina Walker and Rev. James Cleveland prove what has been said for decades, the best voices come from the church.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: NEIL YOUNG - HUMAN HIGHWAY (Blu-ray)

I'd always heard it was pretty crazy, and Neil Young's film Human Highway certainly lives up to that billing. But given his very spotty film making career and life-long history of odd ideas at times, the 80-minute movie was actually watchable, even in its weirdness. Perhaps that's because he did attract some professionals to the project, even though they were some of Hollywood's misfits: Dean Stockwell helped Young direct, and it's certainly better than the usual Bernard Shakey work (Young's preferred name for his movie work). Stockwell also joined the cast, along with Dennis Hopper, Sally Kirkland, Russ Tamblyn, and most interestingly, everyone in Devo.


Young is also the star, and does a pretty good job as the funny character Lionel, a simple, goofy mechanic at a 1950s-styled gas station and diner. Although we never get the actual year in which this fantasy is set, it's filled with Young's favourite things, including old cars, wooden Indians, a juke box and early rock 'n' roll. Yet it's also the last day on Earth, as a nuclear war is about to start. The Devo guys all work at the local nuclear plant, and glow red with radiation, dropping barrels of waste all over the area, basically predating Homer Simpson and the gang by several years.


Young took four years to make the film, blowing a ton of his money doing so, and it spans some pretty important times for him. The collaboration with Devo led to the whole Rust Never Sleeps concept, and you can see the first version of the song here, sung by the group's mascot Booji Boy with Young on nutso guitar. Devo also provides the film's theme song, Worried Man Blues, while Young finished up the project by adding lots of the music that filled his Trans album, and the vocodor vocals certainly fit in here.


The plot breaks down about two-thirds of the way through, as Young goes into a very long dream sequence, which features the big jam with Devo. That is pretty cool though, so by that point I was happy to give up on any kind of logical script. The bombs fall, they all die and sing and dance their way to heaven. I've seen worse endings in Mel Brooks films.


Young has wisely kept this tough to find since its 1982 release, when it was trashed and only made it to a handful of screens. There was a limited release on VHS, but now perhaps enough time has gone by (and other worse projects too) that fans can appreciate the best moments and performances of both Young and Devo, and even some of their wacky acting too. It's been cleaned up, and now features the re-edited director's cut, plus state-of-the-art Blu-ray and 5.1 stuff, so this is the best it can be.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: WEIRD LINES

As much as she has made her name solo, Julie Doiron can't help be drawn back to bands. Whether it be her Juno-winning turn with The Woodenstars, her early and often-reunited group Eric's Trip, joining Gord Downie's solo outings, or several one-off touring combos, when she wants to rock a little, she gets by with a little help from her friends.


This time she's an equal partner in a new Sackville, N.B. hometown collective that also includes her partner C.L. McLaughlin, veteran East Coast writer Jon McKiel, sax player Chris Meaney and drummer James Anderson.


The chugging sax gives an old-fashioned rock 'n' roll feel to some of the eight tracks here, a bit of the old garage feel. That mixes well with the decidedly unpolished atmosphere, everything in a bit of a mud bath. McLaughlin and Doiron share vocals, sometimes together, sometimes not, sometimes trading lines, but rarely singing loud enough to be fully heard. The band though can make an unholy din when required, as in Between The Lampost (You and I). The best parts are when the sax cuts through, certainly making this a distinctive outfit.


The group has been trying things out on an Eastern Canadian tour that has worked its way from Ontario back home, with dates remaining in Saint John Wednesday night at Callahan's, and then to their own hometown festival, the beloved Sappyfest from July 29 - 31. Then they wrap it all up with a show in Fredericton Aug. 1 at ReNeu Boutique, as we all celebrate New Brunswick Day.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE FELICE BROTHERS - LIFE IN THE DARK

Deliberately rough, simple, and stripped-down to the bare essentials, The Felice Brothers deliver, I dunno, what? Garage roots? Comparisons are being made to The Basement Tapes, and there's certainly good reason for that. The group keeps it unpolished but highly capable, anything from fiddle to feedback ready when called on. Harmonies and rhythms are loose but right, barn dance perfection.


The lyrics are often whimsical, based on quick rhymes that sound great but don't necessarily make a whole lot of sense. Certainly they can write full, thoughtful tunes, and there are some here with weightier thoughts, but at the same time, it's enjoyable to sit back and enjoy the playfulness of Aerosol Ball and "Plunder plunder, rain and thunder, lightning split my brain asunder." Diamond Bell is a bigger tune, a fateful folk tale with more Dylan influences, this time Desire-era. Bring it on, I say, this is prime real estate to explore.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE PAUL DESLAURIERS BAND - RELENTLESS

There's a big difference between loud and loud but melodic. The DesLauriers Band never sacrifices tunefulness despite pumping out some of the best goes-to-11 numbers in the Canadian blues-rock scene. Paul DesLauriers is a shattering lead guitar player, capable of filling almost every moment he's not singing with fiery solos, especially on showcases such as Stewtro Rock (Just Got Back) and Still Under My Skin. But never, never, is it just noise and volume; there's always a fine song going on there as well.


All three members of the Montreal group have been recognized as among the very best at their instruments in the country. Greg Morency took home the 2015 Maple Blues Award for Bass Player of the Year, DesLauriers won Guitar Player the year before, and drummer Sam Harrisson has been nominated as well. The talent is immediately evident on this set, with the rhythm section providing a huge and relentless bedrock, allowing DesLauriers to go explosive on top. Uncluttered by guest players and extra instruments (too much of that going on these days, I find), you can sit back and follow each player, and really get an appreciation for the playing here. The cut We Just Might is intense and rocking from start to finish, and I almost gave it a standing ovation in my living room the first time I heard it. My cat thinks I'm weird.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: GLENN MCFARLANE - MUSIC AND FRIENDS

Three years ago, an Ontario musician decided it was time to return to his roots. For Glenn McFarlane, that meant going home, literally. While he's a staple of the roots scene in Brampton, McFarlane had grown up in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, and had not lost that connection. While he had returned for family gatherings in the past, that time he decided to make his journey back a musical trip too, called the Prodigal Son(g)s Tour.


Fast-forward to this summer, and McFarlane is doing it again. He's booked a full series of shows in his home province, this time bringing even more New Brunswick-inspired music with him. McFarlane's latest album is called Music and Friends, and includes, among other offerings, some songs about the province, and even one that came out of that last tour, called The Prodigal Son(g)s Tour. IT tells the tale of the journey, from monumental rain storms which couldn't keep the music from happening, to being able to play the places that meant so much to his family. It's pretty much all right there on the cover of the album, with the New Brunswick flag hanging proudly.


McFarlane's very much a people's folk singer, with the title cut pretty much explaining his philosphy ("When we're together the fun never ends/So here's a toast to music and friends"). Let's Talk About New Brunswick is about as big a shout-out to the great places of the province as has ever been written, worthy of another New Brunswick son, Stompin' Tom. There are lots of songs that work for any province too, including the self-explanatory It's a Beautiful Day for a Beer, and Middle Aged and Overweight.


Here's a list of McFarlane's NB shows for this year:

July 23 – Dooryard Arts Festival, Woodstock.
July 24 – Entertainment on the Pavilion, Hampton
July 26 – Market Square Boardwalk, Saint John
July 29 - July 31 – Tay Creek Folk Festival
August 1 - Moncton - New Brunswick Day

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: AL TUCK - FAIR COUNTRY

The enigmatic P.E.I. songwriter snuck this album out last year digitally at first, but now it's also available on disc, and he's on a multi-date tour to promote it. It's a surprise this one, as Tuck decided to dive full-on into country, and not your oh-so-trendy alt-country either. Instead, he took his inspiration from the most country of folks, including that Island son, Stompin' Tom Connors. The album even opens with Tuck's fine take on the Connors classic To It And At It, followed by his own tribute to the man, Stompin'TomConnors.com.


With the help of countrypolitan backing vocalists The Carmichael Singers, and lots of steel and fiddle and small town charm, Tuck goes through a broad range of off-kilter ideas, from charming to brilliant. Stop Hittin' On Louise is a message that God sees everything, from the smallest sparrow, to a guy in a strip bar who won't leave one dancer alone. Dolled Up is about being held hostage in a one-bathroom house while little sister is getting ready to go out.


Tuck then drops a bombshell, a version of Always On My Mind that would make Willie himself cry, reminding us that he knows all about the magic and beauty of melody, and how the best songs are often the classics. The album's true centre is next, another pretty one at first, but soon it shows itself as one of Tuck's very intense, dark and nasty post-relationship numbers, (Gotta Love) These Lies. He skilfully repeats the word 'lies' in almost every line, and just as skilfully lets you know the real torment here is the singers, still tangled in love, with the only hope that maybe the lies he counts will come home to roost on the other party at death's judgement. Yes, heavy stuff, akin to Elvis Costello's similar epic I Want You, but still country too, the darkest kind, and country can be really dark.


More follows, and as usual Tuck gives us a lengthy, full set, his ideas flying thick and fast. It's also the best-sounding of his records to my ears, largely recorded by Aaron Comeau (Skydiggers, Sam Cash), with a surprising warmth and intimacy, especially in the lead vocals. Check out Al Tuck on tour with these dates coming up:

Tuesday, July 19 - All Saints Anglican Church, St. Andrews NB
Wednesday, July 20 - Taco Pica, Saint John, NB
Friday, July 22 - Octopus' Garden, Alma, NB
Saturday, July 23 - Nook and Cranny, Truro, NS
Sunday, July 24 - St. John's Anglican Church, River John, NS
Mon - Tue, July 25 - 26 - White Point Beach Resort, White Point NS