The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday, and hard to believe we’ve made it through another week. To all moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day and hope your families also appreciate you on all other days of the year! Welcome to another mini-excursion that once again will take us to music with different flavors from six different decades. The imaginary music time machine is ready to take off, so hop on board to join the fun!

Weather Report/Birdland

Today, our journey starts in March 1977 with Weather Report. While in general jazz fusion continues to be an acquired taste to me, I’ve come to dig this group co-founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboarder Joe Zawinul, one of the creators of jazz fusion, and saxophone great Wayne Shorter. By the time they released their seventh studio album Heavy Weather, the group also featured fretless bass maestro Jaco Pastorius, as well as Alex Acuña (drums) and Manolo Badrena (percussion). Here’s the neat Birdland, composed by Zawinul as a tribute to the Birdland nightclub in New York City.

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins/I Put a Spell On You

Next, we shall jump back two decades to October 1956 and a single that became the signature song of soul, R&B and rock & roll vocalist Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell On You, which I first heard by Creedence Clearwater Revival who covered it on their July 1968 eponymous debut album. When Hawkins who co-wrote I Put a Spell On You with Herb Slotkin first released it as a single, it didn’t make the Billboard pop or R&B charts. But over time, it became a cult song, not only because of his unusual vocals, but also his wild live performances that included his emergence from a coffin on stage, wearing a long cape and featuring props like rubber snakes and smoking skull pieces – kind of like an early version of Alice Cooper.

Ozzy Osborne/Crazy Train

While it’s difficult to follow an eccentric performer like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, I figured Ozzy Osborne could pull it off. In September 1980, the heavy metal singer released his solo debut Blizzard of Ozz after he had been fired from Black Sabbath by guitarist Tony Iommi. Crazy Train, co-written by Osborne, guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Bob Daisley, became Osborne’s solo debut and the album’s lead single. While it just made the top 50 in the UK (no. 49), Crazy Train also would turn out to be Osborne’s best-selling single over time. In the U.S., it reached 4X Platinum status (4 million certified sold units) as of September 2020. This is probably as much ear candy as you can get with metal. All aboard! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ay!

Shinyribs/Dark Cloud

Okay, I suppose time for a little breather with Shinyribs. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, you’re likely not alone. I only came across the Texas band a few months ago. They were initially formed in 2007 as a solo side project of singer and guitarist Kevin Russell who at the time still was a member of alternative country band The Gourds. After that group went on hiatus in 2013, Shinyribs became Russell’s primary focus. Today, the band is an eight-piece who in addition to roots rock incorporates Texas blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis soul, big band swing and other genres into what their website calls a sonic melting pot. Dark Cloud is a track from Shinyribs’ most recent album Transit Damage released in July 2023. This is rich stuff I hope you dig it as much as I do!

The Allman Brothers Band/Whipping Post

I trust y’all have heard of The Allman Brothers. The epic Whipping Post, written by co-founder Gregg Allman, takes us back to the group’s eponymous debut album that came out in November 1969. Apart from Gregg (organ, lead vocals), the group still had their short-lived original line-up featuring Gregg’s older brother and bandleader Duane Allman (slide and lead guitar), Dickey Betts (lead guitar), Berry Oakley (bass, backing vocals), as well as Butch Trucks (drums, percussion) and Jai Johanny Johanson (drums, congas). Sadly, the death of Betts last month at age 80 leaves Johanson (79) as the band’s only surviving member.

The La’s/There She Goes

Reaching our sixth stop once again means it’s time to wrap another trip. After jazz fusion, R&B, pop metal, rich roots rock and southern rock-plus, my final proposition is some jangle pop. In October 1990, British band The La’s released what would become their sole and self-titled studio album. It included their best-known song There She Goes, penned by the group’s frontman Lee Mavers. Founded in Liverpool in 1983, they were initially active until 1992, followed by a few reunions, mostly recently in 2011.

Of course, our little music excursion wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist of the above tracks. Hope there’s something you dig and that you’ll be back for more music travel next Sunday. So long!

Sources: Wikipedia; Shinyribs website; YouTube; Spotify

Alice Cooper Shares Tales From the Road on Hard-Charging New Album

Alice Cooper ain’t eighteen anymore, but the Godfather of Shock Rock surely still knows how to throw a good musical punch. All you young rock & roll cats out there, pay attention: Coop knows how it’s done, and chances are you could learn a thing or two. Last Friday (August 25), the 75-year-old rocker from Detroit, Mich. released his 22nd solo studio album, Road, vividly demonstrating he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank.

Road is a concept album revolving around touring tales. “It’s things that happen on the road,” Cooper told Louder in April prior to the album’s official announcement. “There’s a lot of humour in it. There’s a couple of heartbreakers, but it’s very guitar-driven because that’s what I look for in an album.” From traveling the world, playing louder than hell and harder than rock, a hot waitress in big boots [or was that a convenient typo to escape the morality police?], a stalking fan to the empty feeling when the tour is over, Road covers it all.

Recorded live-in-studio, Road features Coop’s touring band, guitarists Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henrikson and Nita Strauss, bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel. There are no overdubs except for Cooper’s vocals. “For Road, I wanted the band to be involved in the foundation of all the songs,” Cooper explained in a statement announcing the album. “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so.”

Alice Cooper and his touring band

Road was produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin who has also worked with the likes of Lou Reed, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Peter Gabriel. Ezrin also had an active part in writing the material, along with Cooper and various other writers. “I love writing the songs with Bob and the guys, and we really emphasize that the main instrument is gonna be guitar,” Cooper added during the above interview. “It’s not gonna drift off into any other land out there.” I’d say it’s time to check out some of the goodies!

Let’s start with I’m Alice, the opener nicely setting the mood for the album. It first appeared as the lead single when Cooper officially announced Road on June 14. I’m Alice/I’m the master of madness, the sultan of surprise/I’m Alice/So don’t be afraid, just look into my eyes, Cooper sings in his distinct raspy voice. Like most other tracks, I’m Alice is credited to multiple writers, which in this case include Cooper, Ezrin and Roxie, as well as “outsiders” Anders Fästader and Kee Marcello. To me, listening to this and the other tracks on the album feels as if time had stood still since the days of I’m Eighteen and School’s Out, Coop’s best-known songs he recorded with what was then-known as the band Alice Cooper.

All Over the World is another highlight, about taking a hard-charging rock show around the globe. Yes, the lyrics are a bit cliché, but does it really matter when the music is that great? We hit the stage with rage around 9 o’clock/We’re always louder than hell and we’re harder than rock/Rolled into England and China, Ukraine and Brazil/Slayed ’em in Sydney and Fargo, Zanzibar and Seville. The anthem-like song was co-written by Cooper, Ezrin and all five members of his touring band.

White Line Frankenstein (you just gotta love that title!), which I suspect will become a favorite of Coop’s live set, features prominent guitarist Tom Morello who among others is known for his tenures with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. He’s also co-credited as one of the writers, along with Cooper and Ezrin. White Line Frankenstein became the second upfront single on July 19. I’m a road rat, baby, I’m a rock ‘n’ rollin’ stone/They call me white line Frankenstein…I mean, who can argue with that?

On Rules of the Road, Coop dispenses some cynical advise to aspiring rock stars, such as, Before you even start to board/that private that you can’t afford/You gotta buy a mansion and a flashy car/In case you actually do become a star. He cheerfully adds, Rule number one – always get the money/Rule number two – remember to always get the money/And rule number three – never forget to remember to always get the money. Then his humor/cynicism turn a bit borderline, at least according to my taste, given how many talented artists became members of the creepy 27 Club: And if you follow these simple rules, by the age of 27, well…/You’re gonna die…Aha-ha-ha. The song is credited to Cooper, Ezrin and Wayne Kramer.

The final track I’d like to call out is 100 More Miles. IMHO, this song should have been the album’s closer instead of a cover of The Who’s Magic Bus, which isn’t a bad rendition but feels a bit out of place. While I’ve never been on a rock tour and, as such, don’t know the empty feeling that can overcome a performing artist when suddenly everything is over, I find the lyrics very relatable. Just finished up the final show/It’s really strange to me/I’ve got no place at all to be/Nobody’s yelling, “Hey man, it’s time to go”/Can’t seem to get from A to B/There’s no reality but my own.

If you dig what you’ve heard, I encourage you to check out the rest of the album. Here’s a Spotify link.

I think Road is a fun listening experience, celebrating rock & roll tours and happenings both on-stage and off-stage. That said, as a more casual Alice Cooper listener, I don’t feel I can make a well-informed comparison to other albums the man has released over his 50-year-plus recording career, counting his five albums with the original band Alice Cooper.

Guess what? Cooper is taking Road, well, on the road. My brother-in-law saw him in April this year at a rock festival in Florida and was impressed with the show, which features everything from guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood and a charming boa constrictor – in other words, it was classic Coop! I also witnessed him once, in New Jersey in August 2017, together with Edgar Winter and Deep Purple and thought he delivered a great set! In case you’re curious, Cooper’s current touring schedule is here.

Sources: Wikipedia; Alice Cooper website; Louder; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to the latest installment of my weekly new music review. All picks are included on albums that appeared yesterday (August 25).

Mason Jennings/Fear Is Wrong

Mason Jennings, who was born in Hawaii, is a Minneapolis-based roots and folk-oriented singer-songwriter who began playing guitar and writing songs when he was 13. AllMusic notes he blends the personal insights of a poet, the political broadsides of a protest singer, and the broad musical eclecticism of a jazz musician with a rock & roller’s passion. Since his self-released eponymous debut in June 1997, 15 additional studio albums have come out, including his latest, Underneath the Roses. Here’s the great Fear Is Wrong.

MxPx/Stay Up All Night

MxPx are a punk rock band from Bremerton, Wash., who were founded as Magnified Plaid in 1992 by 15-year-old high school students Mike Herrera (lead vocals, bass), Yuri Ruley (drums, percussion) and Andy Husted (lead guitar). Herrera and Ruley remain part of the current line-up, which also includes Tom Wisniewski (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Chris Adkins (rhythm guitar, backing vocals). To date, MxPx have released 14 studio albums. From their latest, Find a Way Home, here’s the melodic Stay Up All Night, written by Herrera.

Sonny & The Sunsets/Androids

Sonny & The Sunsets are a San Francisco-based band around songwriter, author, filmmaker and visual artist Sonny Smith. According to the group’s Bandcamp page, their busted beach-pop songs spark recollections of doo wop’s otherworldly despair, a dose of goofball humor from the Michael Hurley school, and positive possibilities exuded by Jonathan Richman. Sonny & The Sunsets’ full-length debut Tomorrow Is Alright appeared in 2009. Off their new album Self Awareness Through Macrame, here’s Androids.

Ratboys/Morning Zoo

Chicago-based indie rock band Ratboys were formed in 2010 by songwriters and then-Notre Dame students Julia Steiner (guitar, vocals) and Dave Sagan (guitar). The group also includes Sean Neumann (bass, vocals) and Marcus Nuccio (drums). In June 2015, they released their debut album AOID. Their fifth and latest album is titled The Window. Here’s Morning Zoo, a catchy tune credited to all four members of the band.

Old Crow Medicine Show/One Drop

Old Crow Medicine Show are a Nashville, Tenn.-based Americana string band formed in 1998. According to their Apple Music profile, they have influenced a generation of 21st-century roots musicians with their infectious mix of hollers, jug band favorites, and pre-rock ’n’ roll blues. I first featured them in this new music review from April 2022 with a tune from their then-latest album Paint This Town. One Drop featuring the great Mavis Staples is from their latest release Jubilee, an appropriate title as the band celebrates their 25th anniversary

Alice Cooper/Welcome to the Show

My final pick for this week is by an artist who I trust doesn’t need much of an introduction. At 75 years and after a 50-year-plus recording career, Alice Cooper continues to shock rock. Following seven albums with the band of the same name, Cooper launched his solo career in 1975 with the release of the cheerfully titled the Welcome to My Nightmare. From his 22nd and latest solo album Road, which was recorded with his touring band live-in-studio, here’s Welcome to the Show – now, that’s what a call an upbeat title!

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Mason Jennings website; MxPx website; Sonny & The Sunsets Bandcamp page; Ratboys website; Old Crow Medicine Show website; Alice Cooper website; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

It’s Sunday and I hope everybody is feeling groovy. Let’s embark on another journey to the magical world of music to leave any worries behind, at least temporarily, or simply have a great time! As usual, the trip is eclectic, involving six tunes from different decades in different flavors.

Thelonious Monk/Ruby My Dear

Today, our time machine first takes us to the year 1951 and beautiful music by American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. The second most recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington, Monk was active as a jazz performer mostly from the early 1940s until the mid-1970s. Apart from a sizable amount of releases under his name, Monk also recorded as a sideman with the likes of Art Blakey, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins. During the final 10 years of his life, he only made a small number of appearances due to his declining health. Monk passed away from a stroke in February 1982 at the age of 64. Ruby My Dear, one of his many compositions that became jazz standards, was first recorded in October 1947 for Genius of Modern Music, a compilation of Monk’s first recordings as band leader for the Blue Note label, which exists in four different versions released at different times. The earliest came out in 1951. Aw, so soothing!

Tonio K./I Can’t Stop

Next, we jump to the late ’80s and a tune by Tonio K. The American singer-songwriter first entered my radar screen in December 2021 when I featured You, a gem he wrote together with John Shanks and Bob Thiele for Bonnie Raitt’s 12th studio album Longing in Their Hearts released in March 1994. K. (born  Steven M. Krikorian) has also penned tunes for Al Green, Aaron Neville, Chicago and Wynonna Judd, among many others. In addition to that he has released nine solo albums to date, something fellow blogger Max from PowerPop reminded me of the other when he posted about Life in the Foodchain, K.’s solo debut from 1978. This brings me to I Can’t Stop, a funky song from his fifth solo release Notes from the Lost Civilization, which came out in 1988. Beware, this song with its cool guitar and organ parts is pretty infectious and couldn’t have a better title!

The Youngbloods/Foolin’ Around (The Waltz)

No Sunday Six journey can leave out the ’60s. This time, our stop is January 1967, which saw the release of the eponymous debut album by The Youngbloods. Oftentimes, the American rock band is only remembered for their sole U.S. top 40 hit Get Together, which upon re-release in 1969 peaked at no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. While they may have been a one-hit wonder, the group had other great songs. But they never achieved widespread popularity and disbanded in 1972. After a reunion in late 1984 for a brief tour, The Youngbloods broke up again in mid-1985. Coming back to their first album, here Foolin’ Around (The Waltz), written by co-founder Jesse Colin Young. If I see this correctly, this wasn’t released as a single – perhaps the unusual change from 4/4 to 3/4 time signature didn’t make it particularly radio-friendly.

Alice Cooper/School’s Out

The other day, I found myself listening to the radio in my car while running an errand when School’s Out by Alice Cooper came on. Christian couldn’t help himself but turn up the volume and sing along full throttle – it was probably a good thing no one else was around and all car windows were closed! This tune took me back to my school days and my only spontaneous protest against teachers when singing along to Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) during a classroom party. When our classroom (English) teacher walked in, he briefly smiled before putting on a more serious facial expression. We quickly stopped singing. Anyway, that’s my longwinded intro to the great Alice Cooper tune, which first appeared in April 1972 as the lead single to the rock band’s fifth studio album with the same title – also a good reminder that before Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier) started performing solo under this name in 1975, there was the band Alice Cooper, which 16-year-old Furnier co-founded in 1964 as The Earwigs with four high school mates to enter a local talent show. After cycling through a couple of other names, they became Alice Cooper in 1968. School’s Out, credited to all members of the band, became their biggest international hit and arguably their signature song. Feel free to scream along! 🙂

The Verve/Bittersweet Symphony

And we’re on to the ’90s and Urban Hymns, the third studio album by English Britpop band The Verve, which appeared in September 1997. Seven years after their formation, not only did it bring them their first no. 1 album in the UK but also broad international sales and chart success. In fact, Urban Hymns became the group’s biggest seller and the 19th best-selling album in UK chart history. It almost didn’t happen. After The Verve had gone through some physical and mental turmoil, frontman and lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft broke up the group in September 1995. While he reunited with two of their members a few weeks thereafter, guitarist Nick McGabe at first refused to return. In early 1997, Ashcroft changed the guitarist’s mind, and he rejoined the band for the ongoing Urban Hymns recording sessions. But the group’s biggest success couldn’t prevent their second split in April 1999. They reformed one more time in 2007 and released one additional album the following year before breaking up again in 2009 – this time for good. Bittersweet Symphony, written by Ashcroft, first appeared as the lead single from Urban Hymns in June 1997. But the single’s success was, well, bittersweet. Following a lawsuit finding The Verve illegally had taken a sample from a 1965 version of The Rolling Stones’ The Last Time by The Andrew Oldham Orchestra, all royalties were relinquished and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were added to the songwriting credits. In 2019, after the death of Allen Klein, the Stones’ manager at the time of the litigation, Jagger and Richards ceded the rights to Ashcroft.

Jonathan Wilson/Love to Love

And once again, another Sunday Six trip is reaching its final destination, which takes us to the current century. When my former German bandmate and longtime music buddy recently recommended that I check out Fanfare, the second studio album by Jonathan Wilson, the name rang a distant bell. I couldn’t help and search my blog, which revealed Wilson produced Misadventures of Doomscroller, the excellent eighth studio album by American rock band Dawes, which I reviewed here in early January. Apart from his work as a producer for 10-plus years, Wilson has also released a series of solo albums and EPs since 2007. The above-noted Fanfare came out in 2013. Here is Love to Love, which like most other tunes on the album was solely written by Wilson. I’m really beginning to like this man!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and I hope this week has been kind to you. Time to take another look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick for this installment is I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues by Elton John. A search of the blog for this tune came up empty – hard to believe, given I’ve loved this tune since 1983 when I first heard it, and it remains one of my favorite ’80s pop songs.

I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues was composed by John and his longtime guitarist and collaborator Davey Johnstone. The lyrics were provided by Bernie Taupin, who first became John’s lyricist in 1967 and for the album resumed his full-time partnership with John, which had been paused in 1977 and had only partially been restored since the early ’80s. And, yes, that beautiful harmonica was played by the great Stevie Wonder. The song first appeared in April 1983 as the lead single for Too Low for Zero, the 17th studio album by the English music artist.

Following three non-charting singles in 1982, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues marked John’s return to the international charts. In the U.S., it climbed to no. 2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and no. 4 on the Hot 100. In his home country, the tune peaked at no. 5, the same as in Ireland. It also made the top 30 in various other European countries, including Switzerland (no. 12), Belgium (14) and Germany (no. 22). Elsewhere, it reached no. 4 in Australia, no. 12 in New Zealand and no. 9 in Canada.

Too Low for Zero also did well, marking a comeback for John, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international hit singles and had disappointing sales. In each New Zealand and Australia, the album climbed to no. 2. In Europe, it was most successful in Germany (no. 5) and Norway (no. 6). In the UK and the U.S. it reached no. 7 and no. 25, respectively. Too Low for Zero became one of John’s best-selling records in the ’80s, especially in Australia where it was certified 5x Platinum. In England, Canada and the U.S., it earned Platinum status.

The above original music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, an Australian film director who also directed 19 other videos for John. Filmed in the Rivoli Ballroom in London and at Colchester Garrison Barracks, Essex, the video tells the tale of two 1950s-era lovers. They get separated when the man needs to leave for National Service in the armed forces. After going through trials and tribulations there, he is finally reunited with his girl.

I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues became a fan favorite and a staple of John’s concerts. Later, he also performed the tune live with Mary J. Blige and separately with Luciano Pavarotti. Here’s a clip of John and Blige captured at New York’s Madison Square Garden in October 2000.

Following are some additional tidbits from Songfacts:

Elton’s lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote this song as a love letter to his wife at the time, Toni Russo, who is the sister of the actress Rene Russo. In the album credits, Bernie wrote, “Hey Toni, this one’s for you.”

Discussing the meaning of the song, Bernie Taupin said: “I wrote this in Montserrat, an island that, tragically, no longer exists. [Devastating volcanic eruptions in 1995 left the entire southern half of the Caribbean island uninhabitable – CMM] Basically, it’s a letter home with a small tip included about making the most of time, not wishing it away just because you can’t be with the one you love. Time is precious; read books, paint a picture, bake a cake. Just don’t wallow, don’t be content.”

Too Low for Zero was the first Elton John album since Blue Moves in 1976 with Bernie Taupin as the exclusive lyricist. During their time apart, each had success working with other artists. Taupin collaborated with Alice Cooper, and Elton turned to Gary Osbourne for lyrics.

…This song contains one of the few lyrics that Bernie Taupin regrets. He said: “The whole ‘loving you more than I love life itself’ is something I would never say now. It’s kind of a crass sentiment and totally false. It’s quite another thing to love someone deeply with your whole heart without stooping to this kind of lie. I loathe giving songwriting advice, but were I pushed, I’d say, ‘Never say you love someone more than life or that you’d die for someone in a song.’ It’s just such a disservice to your own spirit. I’d like to think that I’d lay down my life for my children, but until you’re faced with the reality, it’s kind of a moot point. Rambling, I know, but relative nonetheless.”

The Too Low For Zero album has special meaning for Elton, as it reunited him with Taupin and is also where he met his first spouse, Renate Blauel, who was an engineer on the sessions. Elton cites this song as his favorite from the set, telling Rolling Stone, “It’s just a great song to sing. It’s timeless.”

The album also reunited John with the core of his backing band of the early ’70s: Johnstone (guitar, backing vocals), Dee Murray (bass, backing vocals), and Nigel Olsson (drums, backing vocals). Perhaps that explains at least in part the album’s great sound!

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Best of What’s New

When my weekly look at newly released music is delayed, it’s usually for one of two main reasons: Work has kept me pretty busy (not a bad thing!), or I had a hard time finding new music that sufficiently grabbed me to highlight it in a feature cheerfully titled “Best of What’s New.” This time, it was a combination of both. But, occasionally good things take time, and ultimately, I think I found a pretty solid and diverse set of new music, including Americana, shock rock, indie rock and funky soulful organ-driven jazz. Let’s get to it!

Nate Fredrick/Be the One

I’d like to kick things off with Nate Fredrick, a Nashville-based Americana singer-songwriter. According to his website, the native Missourian learned to play guitar as a 12-year-old and started writing songs 10 years thereafter. In 2015, he relocated to Nashville and wrote more than 100 tunes during the two following years. Fredrick’s website characterizes his music as “bluesy Americana style”, citing Guy Clark, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Van Morrison as some of his influences. Well, it might have taken him a while to transition from playing the guitar to writing his own songs, but the results are certainly compelling. Be the One is from Fredrick’s great-sounding debut album Different Shade of Blue released yesterday (February 26). “Somewhere in trying to figure out how to craft a good song, I figured out how not to just write a pile of sad songs,” he said about his album. “It’s not that my situation is different or even better, but I’ve found a different way to perceive my personal circumstances.”

Alice Cooper/Drunk and in Love

If you happened to read my February 14 Sunday Six installment, you may recall it featured a tune from Alice Cooper’s then-forthcoming album. Mr. Shock Rock’s 21st solo release Detroit Stories appeared yesterday. With 15 tracks and a total length over just 50 minutes, it’s a solid effort. Except for three covers of tunes by Lou Reed, Fred “Sonic” Smith (MC5) and Bob Seger, Cooper co-wrote all other tracks. Here’s Drunk and in Love, a slow burning bluesy rocker. The other co-writers include producer Bob Ezrin and Dennis Dunaway, the original bassist of the Alice Cooper rock band. “Romeo and Juliet is a great love story, but so is a love story about a guy that lives in a box under a bridge with a bunch of other people standing around big oil cans trying to keep warm—and he’s in love with the girl who lives in another box,” Cooper told Apple Music about the tune. “So it’s a very touching little love song. And just the fact that their situation is different than a normal one doesn’t mean their love is any less intense.” Check out Cooper’s cool harp solo that starts at around 1:25 minutes into the song, harmonizing with the lead guitar – pretty neat!

Hoorsees/Get Tired

Hoorsees are an indie rock band from Paris, France. The members are Alex Delamard (lead vocals, guitar), Thomas (lead guitar, backing vocals), Zoe (bass, backing vocals) and Nicolas (drums, backing vocals). Unfortunately, there is very little public information on their background. Get Tired, written by Delamard, is from the band’s eponymous full-length debut album that came out on February 19. Based on a somewhat measly artist page on the website of their U.S. label Kanine Records, the album is a follow-on to a previously released EP, Major League of Pain. No word about its release data, not to mention when Hoorsees were founded – jeez, so much for effective artist promotion!

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio/Hole in One

Wrapping up this installment is a find I’m particularly excited about as a huge fan of the Hammond B-3: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, which blend organ jazz with soul and funk. Here’s how their website describes it: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio—or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3—specialize in the lost art of “feel good music.” The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.’s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues, and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It’s a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart and head makes your body break out in a sweat…The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green-style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan’s smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio’s explosive chemistry. Hole in One, co-written by Lamarr (credited as Delvon Dumas) and James (credited as Jabrille Williams), is the groovy opener of the band’s third album I Told You So released January 19. More than Booker T. Jones, I can hear Steve Winwood in here. To me, it’s one of those rare tunes where you only need to hear the first few bars to realize you love it!

Sources: Wikipedia; Nate Fredrick website; Apple Music; Kanine Records website; Delvin Lamarr Organ Trio website; YouTube

The Sunday Six

It’s Sunday again and hope everybody is doing well. I think I’ve put together another fairly eclectic collection of songs. Like in previous installments of The Sunday Six, I’d like to start things nice and easy, before hitting the accelerator and going a little bit more rough toward the end. I also spontaneously decided to throw in a bonus.

Sting/Fields of Gold

Let’s kick it off with one of my favorite tunes by Sting, Fields of Gold, a perfect song for a Sunday. It appeared on his fourth solo album Ten Summoner’s Tales from March 1993. I’d consider that album to be the Mount Rushmore of his solo catalog. Like most tracks on Ten Summoner’s Tales, Sting wrote Fields of Gold all by himself. The song also appeared separately as a single in May of the same year. Unlike the album, which peaked at no. 2 in the UK and the U.S. and topped the charts in Austria, Fields of Gold only made it to no. 16, no. 23 and no. 85, respectively, on these countries’ single charts.

Lou Reed/Caroline Says II

Why a tune by an artist I admittedly do not know as well as I probably should? Coz I came across it the other day and I like it. Now you know what oftentimes ends up driving my picks for The Sunday Six – hence the subtitle Celebrating music with six random songs at a time. Penned by Lou Reed, Caroline Says II was included on his third solo album Berlin released in July 1973. The lyrics that appear to be about physical spouse abuse are rather grim:…Caroline says/as she gets up from the floor/You can hit me all you want to/but I don’t love you anymore… The album also includes a track titled Caroline Says I. Both of these tunes came out as a single in 1973 as well. BTW, Reed had some notable guests on Berlin, who apart from producer Bob Ezrin (piano, mellotron) included Jack Bruce (bass), prolific drummer Aynsley Dunbar and Steve Winwood (Hammond, harmonium). To the mainstream audience, Reed, who passed away from liver disease in October 2013 at the age of 71, is probably best known for Walk on the Wild Side, his biggest single chart success.

The Jayhawks/This Forgotten Town

I love this tune by American alternative country and country rock band The Jayhawks. In fact, I previously featured it last August in a Best of What’s New installment. The Jayhawks were formed in Minneapolis in 1985. After seven records, they went on hiatus in 2014 and reemerged in 2019. Their current line-up consists of original co-founders Gary Louris (electric guitar, vocals) and  Marc Perlman (bass), together with Tim O’Reagan (drums, vocals), Karen Grotberg (keyboards, backing vocals) and John Jackson (acoustic guitar, violin, mandolin). This Forgotten Town, co-written by Louris, Perlman and O’Reagan, is from their most recent album XOXO from July 2020. I still stand behind what I said in August 2020. I dig the warm sound, and there’s some great harmony singing as well. And now that I’ve listened to the tune again, it does remind me a bit of The Band.

Lenny Kravitz/Fields of Joy

Lenny Kravitz entered my radar screen in France in late 1991 when his sophomore album Mama Said, which had come out in April that year, happened to play in the background in a restaurant I was visiting. I immediately liked what I heard. So did my brother-in-law, who asked the waiter about the music. After my return to Germany, I got the CD. I’ve since continued to listen to Kravitz who has faced all kinds of criticism. Some of the clever commentary, especially early in his career, included “not sounding Black enough” (no idea what exactly that’s even supposed to mean!) and being too close to some of his ’60s influences, such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles – jeez, how horrible to have been inspired by two of the greatest music acts of all time! Anyhoo, Fields of Joy, co-written by Michael Kamen and Hal Fredricks with musical arrangement by Doug Neslund and Kravitz, is the opener of Mama Said. It also became one of the album’s seven singles.

Alice Cooper/Rock & Roll

“Mr. Shock Rock” is always good for some kickass music. Rock & Roll is the opener of Alice Cooper’s upcoming studio album Detroit Stories scheduled for February 26 – based on Wikipedia, it’s his 21st, not counting the seven records released with the band that had been named after him between 1969 and 1973. Written by Lou Reed (there he is again!), the tune was first recorded by The Velvet Underground for their fourth studio album Loaded from November 1970. I think Cooper does a nice job giving the tune more of a rock vibe. I also like how he’s dialing up the soulful backing vocals. In addition to Rock & Roll, two (original) tunes from Detroit Stories are already out. Looks like we can look forward to a fun album.

The Byrds/Eight Miles High

Okay, admittedly, a pattern seems to emerge for The Sunday Six. After doing five tunes from other decades, it suddenly occurs to me I just cannot leave out the ’60s, one of my favorite decades in music. Not sure whether this pattern is going to continue, but I just noticed it myself. The Byrds and probably also this tune need no introduction. Co-written by Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, Eight Miles High is from their third studio album Fifth Dimension  released in July 1966. It remains one of my all-time favorite ’60s tunes. I think it’s pretty cool how the band combined their jingle-jangle pop rock a la Mr. Tambourine Man with psychedelic influences – simply a great song!

And just as I was about to wrap up this post, I came across this instrumental live version of Eight Miles High. Did I mention I dig this tune? 🙂 Apparently, this footage was captured at New York’s Fillmore East in September 1970 – kinda feels like The Byrds embracing the jam style of The Grateful Dead. Okay, do we really need an almost 10-minute instrumental of Eight Miles High? I’m leaving it up to you to decide. I think it’s pretty cool, showing the band’s impressive instrumental chops.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

Bruce Springsteen Releases Latest Installment from Bootleg Live Series

Without much fanfare, Bruce Springsteen released another collection from his officially sanctioned bootleg live series on July 17. The Live Series: Stripped Down features 15 acoustic renditions of Springsteen tunes captured at seven shows in the U.S. and Europe between 1986 and 2005.

Other than short posts on Springsteen’s Facebook page and Twitter handle, there was no big announcement, and there does not appear to be a significant marketing push behind the album. That’s no longer necessary in the age of social media, especially when your target audience is your longtime fans, which I suspect is the case here. This is not about making a big buck. It’s also save to assume Springsteen is not a poor man.

Examples of previous releases of The Live Series (from left): Songs of Summer, Songs Under Cover, Songs of the Road and Songs of Friendship

In fact, had it not been for my music streaming service, I wouldn’t have known about this album! After searching the Internet, I found some additional background information on Alice Cooper radio show/station Nights with Alice Cooper and ABC News Radio, which are my main sources for this post.

The album combines Springsteen classics, such as Dancing in the Dark, Born to Run and The River, with deeper cuts/rarities like When You’re Alone, Cynthia and Seeds. Previous installments in the Live Series include Songs Of Summer, Songs Under Cover, Songs Of The Road, Songs Of Friendship, Songs Of Hope, Songs Of Love, and Songs From Around The World. Let’s get to some music.

Here’s the opener Dancing in the Dark, recorded at a gig in Mountain View, Calif. in October 1986. Originally, the song appeared on the Born in the U.S.A. album from June 1984. I think I prefer this stripped down rendition over the studio version, particular the accordion work by Danny Federici and the female backing vocalist – not sure it’s Patti Scialfa.

Here’s Soul Driver, captured at a show in Los Angeles in November 1990. At the time of the performance, the tune was still unreleased and Springsteen announces it as a new song. It would appear on the Human Touch album from March 1992. Frankly, while I own that record, I haven’t listened to it in a long time, so didn’t recall that particular track. Spontaneously, again I would say I like this acoustic version better than the studio recording.

Bobby Jean is one of my favorite tunes from Born in the U.S.A., so I simply couldn’t skip it – another great acoustic rendition that sounds very Dylanesque to me. It was captured at a show in Belfast, Northern Ireland in March 1996. I feel Springsteen’s emotions come out better in this rendition than the original.

Adam Raised a Cain is the second tune on Darkness on the Edge of Town, the fourth studio album The Boss released in June 1978. This stripped back version was recorded during a gig at Springsteen’s elementary school in his home town of Freehold, N.J. in November 1996 – how cool is that! It’s an interesting contrast to the much more rock-oriented original.

Let’s do one more: This Hard Land, a Springsteen tune that first appeared on his first compilation Greatest Hits from February 1995 as one of four then-previously unreleased tracks. The version on this album is from a show that took place in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005. The Boss is a great storyteller, and I feel this stripped down acoustic setting really serves him well.

Nights with Alice Cooper included the following quote from Springsteen: “It’s like you come out and you fall in love every night in some way. When you’re doing it right, it’s like a rebirth, y’know? It’s not a repetition — it’s a renewal — so that involves something happening every night for the first time. And, amazingly enough, it’s like your first kiss in that there’s something in playing. There were thousands of other times, but still when you come out there’s some element of the first time that’s very, very present. And it keeps you very open and present and it’s what people feel.”

Here’s the setlist:

Dancing in the Dark (Mountain View, CA, Shoreline Amphitheatre, 10/13/1986)
Seeds (Mountain View, CA, Shoreline Amphitheatre, 10/13/1986)
Born to Run (New York City, NY, Madison Square Garden, 5/23/1988)
Soul Driver (Los Angeles, CA, The Shrine, 11/16/1990)
Bobby Jean (Belfast, UK, King’s Hall, 3/19/1996)
Adam Raised a Cain (Freehold, NJ, St. Rose of Lima School, 11/8/1996)
Youngstown (Belfast, UK, King’s Hall, 3/19/1996)
Independence Day (Asbury Park, NJ, Paramount Theatre, 11/24/1996)
Two Hearts (Freehold, NJ, St. Rose of Lima School, 11/8/1996)
When You’re Alone (Asbury Park, NJ, Paramount Theatre, 11/24/1996)
The River (Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena, 8/3/2005)
Cynthia (Columbus, OH, Schottenstein Center, 7/31/2005)
This Hard Land (Stockholm, Sweden, Hovet, 6/25/2005)
All That Heaven Will Allow (Trenton, NJ, Sovereign Bank Arena, 11/22/2005)
Empty Sky (Trenton, NJ, Sovereign Bank Arena, 11/22/2005)

Sources: Wikipedia; Bruce Springsteen Facebook page; Bruce Springsteen Twitter handle; Nights with Alice Cooper; ABC News Radio; YouTube

Best of What’s New

There’s a good deal of recently released new music I came across today for this 10th and latest installment of the recurring feature. Two longtime acts, Alice Cooper and Scorpions, join four artists who are entirely new to me. From shock rock to bluegrass to blues rock, it’s all here. That kind of variety is exactly how I envisaged these posts to be when I started the series. Let’s get to it!

Alice Cooper/Don’t Give Up

While I don’t listen frequently to Mr. Shock Rock, I dig classics like School’s Out and No More Mr. Nice Guy. Alice Cooper’s latest single Don’t Give Up, which was released on May 15, certainly isn’t comparable to these aforementioned tunes, but I still find it sufficiently enjoyable. “”Don’t Give Up” is a song about what we’ve all been going through right now and about keeping our heads up and fighting back together,” Cooper stated on his website. This video wouldn’t have been possible without you – and who knows, you might be in it!And whatever you do – “Don’t Give Up”” – okey dokey!

Scorpions/Sign of Hope

I’ve been meaning to write again about the German rock/pop metal band and guess I was looking for an occasion. Now I got one: Don’t Give Up, a new single that came out on May 14. Scorpions first entered my radar screen in 1984 with their ninth studio album Love at First Sting. Various songs from that record received heavy radio play in Germany, especially Rock You Like a Hurricane, Big City Nights and Still Loving You. While I don’t listen much to metal, what I always liked about Scorpions is how they blended heavy guitar rock with pop and catchy melodies. “We are working on lot’s of Hard‘n Heavy Rockers for our new album these days,” reads a short statement from the band on their website. “…but because of the dramatic Covid-19 pandemic, we want to give you a little Sign of Hope that came straight from the heart in troubled times … stay healthy and safe … we love you … Scorpions.”

Margo Price/Twinkle Twinkle

This 37-year-old country singer-songwriter from Nashville is new to me. Based on Wikipedia, Margo Price grew up in Aledo, Ill. and moved to Nashville at age 20 in 2003 after dropping out of school. Her debut studio album Midwest Farmer’s Daughter appeared in March 2016. Twinkle Twinkle, a nice scorching rocker, is the second single from Price’s upcoming third album That’s How Rumors Get Started, produced by Sturgill Simpson. The song appeared on March 11. The release of the new album has been pushed back to July 10 due to COVID-19.

Brian Fallon/When You’re Ready

Brian Fallon is a 40-year-old singer-songwriter from Red Bank, N.J. While that’s only 30 miles from my house, I had never heard of this artist before either. It looks like he has been active since 1997 and released three studio albums and one EP to date. When You’re Ready is a pretty, soothing tune from his most recent album Local Honey released on March 27. Are you ready? 🙂

Watkins Family Hour/Miles of Desert Sand

According to Wikipedia, Watkins Family Hour is a bluegrass musical collaborative led by Sara and Sean Watkins. The group began in 2002 as a monthly, informal musical  variety show with the Watkins siblings and their friends in the Los Angeles nightclub Largo. Their eponymous debut album, which consists entirely of covers, was released on July 24, 2015…and was produced by Sheldon Gomberg. Among others, Gomberg has worked with Charlie Musselwhite, Rickie Lee Jones, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jackson Browne and Steve Forbert– quite impressive credentials! Miles of Desert Sand is from their most recent album Brother Sister from April 10, which based on Discogs appears to be their sophomore album. I really dig the warm sound of the fiddle and the harmony singing. Check it out!

Shawn Pittman/There Will Be a Day

Let’s end this post with some funky blues. There Will Be a Day is a hot groovy tune from Make It Right!, which according to Wikipedia is the 13th album by blues rock singer-songwriter Shawn Pittman, another artist I don’t believe I had heard of before. But I can tell you one thing: Based on the few songs I’ve sampled from that album, I’m ready for more! Pittman who was born and grew up in Oklahoma moved to Dallas at age 17. He had picked up the guitar in his early teens and got involved in the music scene at Schooners, a Dallas local club. In 1996 as a 22-year-old, Pittman self-recorded his debut album Blues From Texas, which was retitled Burnin’ Up for his national debut in 1997. Pittman has worked with musicians from Double Trouble, the former backing band of Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as Kim Wilson, Gary Clark Jr. and Susan Tedeschi, to name a few others. Make It Right! was released on April 10. Pittman certainly embraced the title!

Sources: Wikipedia; Alice Cooper website; Scorpions website; Discogs; YouTube

Best of What’s New

This is the fifth installment of Best of What’s New. I’m starting to think this may become a weekly feature, which would make me happy and frankly is something I had not expected when I introduced it five weeks ago. Unlike the previous times, this installment mostly features new releases by well-established artists from Bob Dylan to Mavis Staples. Perhaps not surprisingly, four of the songs were released because of COVID-19, though three were written pre-pandemic. In one case, the lyrics were slightly tweaked, so the tune better fits the current situation. Let’s get to it!

Bob Dylan/I Contain Multitudes

What’s up with Robert Zimmerman? Last Friday, he released his second new song in three weeks. I Contain Multitudes, which took its title from the Walt Whitman poem Song of Myself, comes on the heels of the 17-minute Murder Most Foul centering on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. While as a more casual Dylan listener, I would not dare to try and figure out what’s going on in his head, releasing a song about a traumatic event in 1963, followed by a tune with cheerful lines like The flowers are dyin’ like all things do or I sleep with life and death in the same bed doesn’t strike me as a coincidence during a global pandemic. It is also likely to fuel hope among Dylan fans that a new album may be in the making, though in perhaps typical fashion Mr. Zimmerman hasn’t made any comments in this regard.

Alicia Keys/Good Job

Earlier this week, I had caught a CNN announcement that Alicia Keys was going to debut a new song on the cable news channel last night. And she did: Good Job. While Keys recorded the powerful ballad last year for her next album ALICIA, the lyrics are a beautiful fit to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all folks who look after the sick and keep the country going during the pandemic, oftentimes by risking their own lives. The tune was co-written by Keys, her husband and producer Swizz Beatz, singer-songwriter The-Dream and songwriter, composer and producer Avery Chambliss. “Whether you’re on the frontlines at the hospitals, balancing work, family and homeschool teaching, delivering mail, packages, or food, or facing other personal difficulties because of COVID-19, I feel you. You are seen, loved and deeply appreciated,” said Keys. While I don’t necessarily dig each and every song by Keys, I believe she has an incredible voice and is a powerful performer. She also comes across as very genuine to me.

The Rolling Stones/Living in a Ghost Town

I’d like to give a shoutout to Hanspostcard who first brought this new tune by The Rolling Stones to my attention yesterday on his Slicethelife blog. Similar to Alicia Keys, Mick Jagger wrote Living in a Ghost Town prior to COVID-19. As reported by Rolling Stone, it’s the band’s first new original tune since their 2012 compilation GRRR!, which featured two new tracks, Doom and Gloom and One More Shot. To make it a better fit for the current situation, Jagger had to tweak some of the lyrics. The Rolling Stone story quoted him from an interview with Apple Music: “Keith Richards and I both had the idea that we should release it,” he said. “But I said, ‘Well I’ve got to rewrite it.’ Some of it is not going to work and some of it was a bit weird and a bit too dark. So I slightly rewrote it. I didn’t have to rewrite very much, to be honest. It’s very much how I originally did it.” The Rolling Stone piece also included this quote by Richards: “We’ve got another five or six tracks and there’s a lot of sort of soul feel about it for some reason without anybody intending to,” Richards said. “Obviously right now we’ve got nothing else to do but write some more songs, right?” Could this finally be a new Stones album, which has been rumored for some time?

Cowboy Junkies/Misery

I think the only time I had heard of this Canadian band, which Wikipedia classifies as alternative country and folk rock, was in the late ’80s – probably in connection with their sophomore album The Trinity Session from November 1988, which looks like their most successful release. It included a cover of Lou Reed’s Sweet Jane, which became their highest-charting single the U.S., peaking at no. 5 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Well, it turns out Cowboy Junkies are still active, and on March 30, 2020, they released their latest album Ghosts. Three of their founding members, Margo Timmins (vocals), Michael Timmins (guitar, ukulele) and Peter Timmins (drums, percussion) – are siblings, and the album’s eight tracks are all related to the death of their mother Barbara, who passed away in 2018. The fourth member, Alan Anton (bass, keyboards), has also been part of the band since its formation in Toronto in 1985. I’ve listened to some of the album’s songs and like what I’ve heard so far. Here is Misery.

Ron Sexsmith/Dig Nation

Ron Sexsmith, a singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Canada, is an artist I had not heard of before. According to Wikipedia, he has been a performing musician since 1978 and began releasing his own music in 1985. To date, he has issued 16 studio albums, the most recent of which is Hermitage that came out on April 17. Here’s Dig Nation. Really like the warm sound of that tune. And it’s quite catchy, too. Check it out!

Mavis Staples/All In It Together

Mavis Staples, who started her career in 1950 at the age of 11 as part of her family band The Staple Singers, needs no lengthy introduction. Since 1969, she has also performed as a solo artist and has released 14 solo albums to date. The most recent one, We Get By, came out in May 2019. The single All In It Together, which was released on April 2, 2020, is a collaboration with singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy who is best known as the vocalist and guitarist of alternative rock band Wilco. “The song speaks to what we’re going through now – everyone is in this together, whether you like it or not,” Staples said in a statement, as reported by Rolling Stone. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have, what race or sex you are, where you live…it can still touch you…We will get through this but, we’re going to have to do it together. If this song is able to bring any happiness or relief to anyone out there in even the smallest way, I wanted to make sure that I helped to do that.” According to Staples’ website, proceeds from the song will be donated to My Block, My Hood, My City – a Chicago organization ensuring seniors have access to the essentials needed to fight COVID-19. Staples and Tweedy’s vocals nicely blend in this blues-oriented rock tune. I also like Tweedy’s slide guitar work.

Steve Forbert/Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues

Here’s another great new tune by a long-time artist I mostly know by name, and this needs to change: Steve Forbert. Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues is the lead single from Forbet’s covers album Early Morning Rain, which is set to come out next Friday, May 1. “I wish I could release this record as a magic wand, in order to renew people’s appreciation for the fine craftsmanship these songs represent,” Forbert writes on his website. “Early Morning Rain contains 11 of my favorites, with only one written later than 1973.” Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues was written by Danny O’Keefe who also first recorded the song in 1967 but did not release it at the time. Instead, it was a band named The Bards who first put out the tune in 1968 as a b-side to a single. O’Keefe first included the song on his eponymous debut album from 1970. A re-recorded version was released as a single in August 1972 and became his best-known song. “I think ‘Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues’ will be really good to put out there right now,” Forbert told American Songwriter. “I’ve always had a kinship with this song.”

Jeff Beck & Johnny Depp/Isolation

While multi-talent Johnny Depp certainly is not a newcomer to music and has played with the likes of Joe Perry and Alice Cooper, teaming up with guitar legend Jeff Beck is intriguing. The first outcome of their collaboration is a great cover of the John Lennon tune Isolation, which appeared last Friday, April 16. Lennon included the song on his first official solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band from December 1970. According to a statement on Beck’s website, The musical soulmates have been working behind-the-scenes for the past few several years on new music. “Isolation” finds Beck in classic form on guitar with Depp on vocals, joined by long-time Beck collaborators Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Rhonda Smith on bass…“Johnny and I have been working on music together for a while now and we recorded this track during our time in the studio last year. We weren’t expecting to release it so soon but given all the hard days and true ‘isolation’ that people are going through in these challenging times, we decided now might be the right time to let you all hear it,” says Beck. “You’ll be hearing more from Johnny and me in a little while but until then we hope you find some comfort and solidarity in our take on this Lennon classic.” Johnny Depp adds, “…Lennon’s poetry – ‘We’re afraid of everyone. Afraid of the Sun!’ – seemed to Jeff and me especially profound right now, this song about isolation, fear, and existential risks to our world. So we wanted to give it to you, and hope it helps you make sense of the moment or just helps you pass the time as we endure isolation together.”

Sources: Wikipedia; CNN; Rolling Stone; Mavis Staples website; Steve Forbert website; American Songwriter; Jeff Beck website; YouTube