I have to admit I am not much of a hip hop fan. But you can’t be a pop music fan and not appreciate the Beastie Boys. I went on a bike ride today and listened to Paul’s Boutique and Ill Communication – true masterpieces in modern pop music. The Beasties are true originals – they took hip hop mainstream by mixing their punk and slacker aesthetic with an emerging genre (hip hop). In the process they managed to create a hall of fame career – not bad for clowns. In simple terms they ROCK. RIP Adam.
One of my favorite albums of the last 15 years is the Billy Bragg/Wilco collaboration Mermaid Avenue. The fact the songs were based on the notebook lyrics of Woody Guthrie was cool, but what I really enjoyed was that it was just a plain great performance.
So when I heard that Jay Farrar (who has an obvious connection with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy) was mining those same notebooks I was excited to check it out.
I purchased the deluxe edition that had two CDs (back in February – sorry just getting to this review now). Usually the second CD is nothing special, but on this release I think I prefer the second CD over the first. I have always been a Jay Farrar fan, whether it was Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt or solo. His work on this album does not disappoint. I am also a big My Morning Jacket fan and similarly the Yim Yames stuff does not disappoint. I have no idea who Will Johnson and Anders Parker are – but there is not a bad cut across two CDs – so I guess I like those guys too.
Overall the album has a kind of early R.E.M. feel – folk-rock. The lyrics sound completely contemporary despite their origin . I think this completely holds its own to Mermaid Avenue. Woody Guthrie was a true American music icon – if he was only remembered for his songs, he would be amazing, but his disciples (Dylan, Springsteen, etc.) put him is a truly iconic category. The fact that contemporary musicians can take his fragmented lyrics and be inspired to turn then into folk-rock masterpieces is the ultimate tribute.
I first heard about the Secret Stash label in my local paper the StarTribune. I was intrigued, but I let it pass. On Record Store Day 2012 at the Electric Fetus the guys from Secret Stash were spinning some of their stuff and it sounded great. I went home and looked at the Secret Stash website and this release caught my interest. Unfortunately the vinyl release was no longer available, so I headed over to emusic and downloaded it from there.
If I had only 5 recordings to take to a deserted island, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue would be one of the five. I have been listening to the album for 30 plus years and it never ceases to amaze me. If someone asks to be introduced to jazz, I always suggest Kind of Blue. Most of its songs have become jazz standards.
The original recording always had a wonderfully funky syncopation and so it is not a surprise that the reggae rhythm works and does not come off as a gimmick.
I am not sure why, but this release reminds me of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I guess the reggae interpretation brings out that smokey and spacy ambiance.
The back story is that a music professor from NYU, who was infatuated with Jamaican musicians, put this session together in 1981. The professor, Jeremy Taylor, passed away shortly after this recording and it remained unreleased until the guys at Secret Stash released it in 2009.
I have not had a chance to explore the rest of the Secret Stash catalog, but if this is representative, then I have some fun ahead of me. This is an outstanding release and highly recommended. Whether a jazz head, a reggae aficionado, or hip hop beat lover this album will stir your soul. An absolute gem.
I found this gem while waiting my turn at the Electric Fetus on Record Store Day. This is lite-jazz before it got too lite. Browne is a trumpeter with production by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen.
There is a fine line between slick and slop. This rides the slick side. This is tasteful slow groove jazz funk. In the right samplers hands there are some righteous beats here. Despite the lite jazz genre Browne plays a powerful horn. His tone is magnificent. I love the slow groove of this album – this is after midnight, two sheets to the wind music.
The bass is amazing. Marcus Miller knows how to groove in the most subtle way. Miller’s funk is so low-key, but so grooving. It is no surprise that a couple of years later Miles Davis would grab him.
This was Tom Browne’s debut. Within a year he would have a major R&B hit with “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.).” Listen to this album and you can hear the hit coming.
I have been hearing the buzz about the Punch Brothers for a couple of months now. I did hear one of their songs on the Hunger Games soundtrack, but it did not blow me away. The Punch Brothers had all the right buzz for me: Americana, alt-country, bluegrass fusion, etc. So finally I got around to listening to it and I was blown away.
First of all this is not some kind of Mumford and Sons wannabe band – this is totally original stuff making Mumford pikers. Yes there is bluegrass instrumentation, but this is very clever pop music. This is reminds me of when Wilco went from mere cool alt-country band to pop genius with Summer Teeth. It does not sound like Summer Teeth – it is just that kind of gigantic leap.
I was absently mindedly listening to the album on the elliptical when I heard 11th cut. Wow this sounds like a bluegrass freak-out inspired by Radiohead. Then, wait a second, I know this song. I pull out my iPod to peek, holy shit! This is a cover of Kid A. Totally inspired. It made Kid A sound as revolutionary as the first time I heard it in 2000. Only in 200o my pea brain was devastated, now I was elevated.
Bravo Punch Brothers – you have a new fan.
I celebrated Record Store Day at the Electric Fetus and Fifth Element. My bride and I started the day at the Electric Fetus. We arrived about 8:45 AM in anticipation of doors opening at 9:00. The Fetus was giving out numbers for the exclusive selections and we were numbers 191 and 192. Shortly after 9:00 we were in the door to a festive atmosphere.
The Fetus had a good system to allocate the rare and special Record Store Day booty, but unfortunately it looked like it was going to be a couple hour wait before I would get my chance. But no worry – what better place to waste a couple of hours than hanging out at the Fetus.
My bride wandered about the gift side and I wandered the music side. I found a couple of used CDs and a couple of used LPs and she found some t-shirts and gifts. We both made a couple of new friends. It was an amazing positive vibe. I chatted with the dad of the band who was doing an in store appearance. I chatted with the guys from Secret Stash Records who were DJing.
The vibe was incredibly cool. My wife chatted with another record widow and she had an extra number and we upped ourselves to 171. We now had a couple of extra numbers. We chatted it up with another patron who was in the high three hundreds. My wife gave him one of our extra numbers – his response was “I love you.” We saved him at least an hour. When it was finally my turn my wife found a dejected young man in the high four-hundreds. She asked him “How much do you love me?” He did not know how to respond and she handed him one of our numbers – he was stunned.
We walked out a couple hundred short with a bag full of t-shirts, CDs, LPs, 7 inches, and miscellaneous freebies.
Our next stop was Fifth Element with our guests the whysowhite band. We got to hear MaLLy spit. We walked out another hundred short. Another great vibe.
So how cool is it that young and old gather together to celebrate the joy of music and celebrate the great institution of the independent record store? We met great people, we bought rare vinyl, made new friends and we heard great live music.
The download has not killed off the joy of retail.
I can’t think of anything more thrilling than seeing a tight young band hungry as wolves. whysowhite, a Chicago band, road tripped from Chicago to Minneapolis today after a sold-out gig in their home town to play a sparse crowd at a University of Minnesota Spring Jam outdoor frat party. Despite a small crowd, a cold night, and scant sleep, whysowhite worked the crowd into a thermonuclear sweat and performed like they were on the main stage at Lollapalooza with a crowd of 25K.
The band mixes rock, funk and hip-hop into an amazingly satisfying stew. They have three great vocalist who are spitting raps one second and singing falsetto the next. They are great musicians and great performers. They perform mostly originals, but spice it up with delightfully surprising covers (Leo Sayer and Outkast).
This is a band deserving of a break – they have it all – great songs, great arrangements, great performance skills and most of all a genuine rock and roll heart. Good luck boys!
PS – these boys are at the point in their career where they are warming up for other performers – too bad for the headliner, you don’t want to follow this act!
My favorite boys from Bama are coming to town tomorrow, so it’s the perfect time to review the Alabama Shakes. I know nothing about this band other than a band to watch preview/EP review in Rolling Stone a few issues back. It was enough to catch my attention that this was something I might like.
It is nice little debut. The band evokes a lot of other bands when I listen: early Kings of Leon, Janis Joplin, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Jack White channeling Robert Plant. But somehow they manage to make it all their own. Vocalist Brittany Howard is a real standout – a wonderfully soulful, bluesy rock and roll momma.
I like the recording ambiance in that is kind of primitive and lo-fi. Usually I hate that but hear it works.
It is great to hear a retro band that has found a way to synthesize its influences yet make it their own. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Analog Audio of Minnesota* I now have the privilege of auditioning some amazing audiophile special editions of classic recordings via their monthly new music event.
This version of Heavy Weather is my first opportunity to really examine a 45 RPM audiophile presentation. I am new to audiophile reissues. I don’t have enough experience to know how much of the improved sound has to do with great mastering vs. the 45 RPM format. But I know from my youth that 12 inch 45s sounded amazing compared to there confined cousins on the LP (but keep in mind these where typically remixes too – so again was it the 45 format or the mix/master?). I assume the 45 format has a lot to do with great sound – I guess I am showing my hand here – this edition sounds fantastic!
Heavy Weather is a classic in the jazz-rock-fusion genre. Originally released in 1977 it had a certified hit in “Birdland” and next to Joni Mitchel’s Hijira it was key in introducing the innovative bassist Jaco Pastorius to the world. This is a classic Jaco performance. As far as I am concerned Jaco is the Jimi Hendrix of the electric bass. He completely reinvented the instrument. He was a great composer and stunning performer too.
But my focus will by on this special edition from ORG vs. a traditional record review. The assumption is that this is a classic album that belongs in any serious music fan’s collection.
This is a 180 gram vinyl 45 RPM edition. I has the opportunity to compare this new edition directly to my original near mint vinyl copy on two systems: The state of the art listening gallery at Analog Audio of Minnesota (see description below) and in my modest home set up.
I first listened to my original vinyl at Analog Audio and it sounded fantastic – a big upgrade from my home system. Then I switched to the ORG edition and it was immediately different, but was it better? My immediate reaction was that it was less harsh then the original and it was much more open – the instruments literally filled the room in a way that made the original sound almost claustrophobic. Zawinul’s synthesizer was thick and and organic. I realize synthesizer and organic are typically a contradiction, but here you get the feel of horns that Zawinul was mimicking vs. the manufactured electronic sound I have always heard. I have always treated this as a Jaco album and he sounds even better in this presentation. But every instrument is distinct – there is just more space and depth to everything. For kicks we threw on a Master Sound CD edition for comparison, unfortunately it sucked – it was not even a fair fight with my 30-year old vinyl edition, let alone the 45. This edition is not just different – it was better – it was great!
I borrowed the album to try on my home set up. I listened to side one of my original vinyl and it did not sound like anything like what I had heard the day before at Analog Audio. It did not sound bad, just compressed and tiny compared to my memory of just one day. I then flipped on the ORG with low expectations. But I was blown away. The difference between the two editions was even more profound on my modest system. It was like an immediate upgrade to my system. My small listen room expanded. Granted it did not match the great room at Analog Audio, but I could buy a lot of audiophile editions over the next several years as a low-cost and incremental upgrade to my system. Just like the day before, there was increased depth and overall spaciousness, but it was much more magnified and obvious. This is not a diminishing the galley at Analog Audio – it is just that on my familiar system the sonic upgrade was magnified magnified to my ears.
My conclusion after listening to this edition – was it worth almost $60? Yes, but only if this album is one of your favorites or if money is no option for the best format available. Keep in mind that if you have a decent stereo you can easily buy a near mint used vinyl edition of Heavy Weather for less than $5 and it will sound better than the CD by far. It was a popular album – it is easy to find used.
For me, I have a running top-100-albums-of-all-time list, if this edition is typical, I would not hesitate to upgrade my top-100 library with one of these editions. Another consideration is that not everything on your top-100 will be easy/inexpensive to acquire as Heavy Weather, so one of these reissues may be your only real option to get a quality release.
*Analog Audio of Minnesota listening galley:
- Audio Aero La Fontaine Music Center (Line Stage and Digital
- Brinkmann Bardo Turntable with Brinkmann 9.6 tonearm and Brinkmann EMT Ti Cartridge
DMSI Phono Stage - Luxman M600 Stereo Power Amplifier
- Vivid Audio B1 Speakers
- Synergistic Research Element Tungsten Interconnects
- Synergistic Research Hologram Power Cables
- Synergistic Research Powercell MK II SE Power Conditioner
Woody Herman was one of the great big band leaders of the big band era. He survived into the 80’s – so he was one of the last. I am not very knowledgeable about him or his history. This is my first Woody Herman album. I picked it up the other night at the Electric Fetus. I was rolling through the used vinyl jazz section and stopped cold on this one. It had sticker with a hand written note on the plastic sleeve that read: Woody Herman Band. 1978! Had no idea Woody took it this far out. Deeper “chamber” jazz arrangements and Steely Dan covers!
Well that caught my attention. It brought a sentimental memory of late 70s when I used to crate dig. One place was Northern Lights in St. Paul – my buddy Jay (RIP) used to write notes like this on new releases. Jay was a real taste-maker. I pulled out the album and looked it over. Now this was cool – a special commissioned “Suite for a Hot Band” composed and arranged by Chick Corea on side one and Steely Dan covers on side two. Well it looked in good condition (it really was) and it was only $4.
Well I have listened to it several times and it is great. The Chick Corea suite is fantastic. Great songs, great arrangements and great musicianship. Imagine late 70’s Return to Forever played by an amazing big band. The Steely Dan covers play it pretty straight. The covers remind you of what great songwriters Fagen and Becker are and how jazzy their music really is.
If you see this in used record bin – grab it quick. When I was researching this record I noticed used copies are going from $15 to $30 on-line – so I feel like I got a real gem at 4 bucks!.
Another bonus is that it has great album art. A Chevy convertible drifting a top the clouds with 4 penguins (representing the 4 cool birds responsible for this record).
