The Wizards of Vision and Sound

A new year is bringing some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. I hope you’re all off to a great start of 2024 and would like to welcome you to the inaugural post of a new feature I decided to call The Wizards of Vision and Sound. In a nutshell, the idea is to profile prominent music producers and sound engineers, with a focus on highlighting some of their actual work.

Producers and sound engineers is a topic I’ve had on my mind for some time. While the title implies a series, I’m not sure yet about frequency, given I already have multiple recurring features, and there’s only so much time I can devote to blogging – I’m thinking perhaps monthly or every other month.

First, I’d like to briefly address the roles of music producer and sound engineer. In general, a producer manages the process of recording music, which includes helping develop a record’s overall vision, identifying and booking studios and additional session musicians, assisting with song collection and order, and advising on musical arrangements. A sound engineer primarily focuses on the technical aspects of operating recording equipment and helping the artist realize and in some cases shape the sound they envision.

Oftentimes, the above roles become blurry, especially nowadays. Music artists frequently serve as their own producers and sound engineers. Much of that is enabled by technology, which has made home recording and production of music feasible. A dedicated producer may also take on sound engineering roles, while a sound engineer may go beyond operating recording equipment and take on a more active role in shaping an album. In some cases, functions may be further split, for example between an executive producer and a “regular” producer.

With that said, let’s get to our first wizard: George Martin. Of course, I had to kick off the series with somebody related to my all-time favorite band The Beatles! But while Martin undoubtedly is best known for his work with the four lads from Liverpool and wasn’t called “the fifth Beatle” for nothing, there’s more to the English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor and musician.

George Martin (center) with (from left) John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Paul McCartney

George Henry Martin, who became Sir George Martin in 1996 in recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture, was born on January 3, 1926. His initial interest in music was sparked at the age of six when his family got a piano. While the lessons he started to take as an eight-year-old stopped after only six over a disagreement between his mother and the piano teacher, Martin continued exploring the instrument on his own and created his first composition the age of eight.

After a four-year career in the British navy, Martin studied piano, oboe, music composition and orchestration at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Following his graduation in 1950, he started working for the BBC’s classical music department while playing oboe in local bands on the side. In November 1950, Martin joined EMI and became assistant to the head of EMI’s Parlophone label. His focus continued to be classical music. He signed English conductor and composer Ron Goodwin and produced his first record, an instrumental cover of Charlie Chaplin’s theme from Limelight.

When his boss retired in 1955, Martin took over the Parlophone label. Before he started working with The Beatles and other pop artists in the early ’60s, Martin produced novelty and comedy records. According to The Beatles Bible, artists included The Goons, Rolf Harris, Flanders and Swann and, most successfully, the Beyond the Fringe show, starring Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller.

George Martin (left) with Shirley Bassey and audio engineer Stuart Eltham

In 1965, Martin left EMI over compensation disagreements and together with staffers from EMI and Decca formed his own production company, Associated Independent Recording (AIR). In addition to music, Martin’s more-than-six-decade career also included composing, arranging and production work for film and television. His final project, Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music, was an eight-part documentary series for TV about sound recording and music production. Martin passed away on March 8, 2016 at the age of 90, six days prior to the premier of Soundbreaking at South by Southwest.

While it is impossible to give full justice to Martin’s bio in just four paragraphs, this shall suffice for the purposes of this post. As noted the outset, I’d like to focus this series on music the featured wizard touched. With that, let’s take a look at some examples for Martin.

Gerry And The Pacemakers/How Do You Do It? (1963)

How Do You Do It? was penned by British songwriter Mitch Murray. When his publisher Dick James presented the song to Martin, he initially wanted The Beatles to record it. They reluctantly did but insisted to go with their own Love Me Do – not a bad decision, in my completely unbiased opinion! :-) Martin agreed, but he continued to see the song’s hit potential and he was right. He gave it to Gerry And The Pacemakers, after the Liverpool group had been signed to EMI’s Columbia label. Produced by Martin and released in March 1963, the song became their debut single and ended up topping the UK charts for three weeks. The Beatles’ recording eventually appeared in 1995 on the Anthology 1 collection.

Shirley Bassey/Goldfinger (1964)

Martin, George Martin! Composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, the magnificent title song of the 1964 James Bond film was performed by Shirley Bassey. According to the website of Abbey Road Studios, where the gem was recorded, The vocal session tape was created on 7 September 1964, with the engineers listed as Malcolm Addey and Ron Pender, with George Martin producing in Studio Two. Additional fun fact: Jimmy Page, then a session musician, played on Goldfinger as part of the John Barry Orchestra.

The Beatles/Eleanor Rigby (1966)

While I purposely chose to highlight Martin’s work beyond The Beatles, I couldn’t leave out Eleanor Rigby, which I think features one of his finest moments with them: The writing of the string score for Eleanor Rigby. The Beatles Bible notes this gem was inspired by the music written by Bernard Herrmann for the Truffaut film Farenheit 451. The string octet was recorded in 14 takes. Paul McCartney subsequently overdubbed his lead vocals. None of The Beatles played on the recording. Apart from appearing on the Revolver album, Eleanor Rigby was released in August 1966 as a double A-side single with Yellow Submarine.

Mahavishnu Orchestra/Wings of Karma (1974)

In March 1974, Martin worked with Mahavishnu Orchestra at his AIR Studios in London to record their third studio album Apocalypse, which came out the following month. It also featured the London Symphony Orchestra, which to me made Martin look like a perfect man for the job. In his cleverly titled 1979 memoir All You Need Is Ears, he called Apocalypse “one of the best records ever made.” Here’s Wings of Karma composed by John McLaughlin.

America/Sister Golden Hair (1975)

In 1974, folk rock trio America started working with Martin who ended up producing their next five albums. Sister Golden Hair was included on the second of the series, Hearts, which came out in March 1975. Written by Gerry Beckley, the song also became the album’s first single and one of America’s biggest hits, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. Songfacts points out it marked Martin’s 20th no.1 U.S. single as a producer, and his first post-Beatles.

UFO/Lettin’ Go (1980)

That one came as a surprise! Martin produced UFO’s eighth studio album No Place to Run, though he later regretted his decision. Released in January 1980, it was recorded at Martin’s studio on Montserrat, known as AIR Montserrat, which had been built on the Caribbean island in 1979. In a 2016 interview with Louder, then-former UFO bassist Pete Way noted friction between the band and Martin over different work and life styles. While calling No Place to Run not bad and “well put together”, he said the group felt Martin’s mix was “a bit low-key.” The same story quotes a 1994 interview with Martin during which he said, “I once had a flirtation with heavy metal, and I regretted it very much. It [the genre] didn’t seem to have any sense.” Here’s the perhaps ironically titled Lettin’ Go, co-written by Way and UFO vocalist Phil Mogg.

Little River Band/The Night Owls (1981)

Martin’s production work wasn’t limited to British and American artists. In 1981, he worked with Aussie pop rock group Little River Band, who recorded their sixth studio album Time Exposure at AIR Montserrat. Released in September that year, it peaked at no. 9 in Australia and reached no. 21 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200. The first single The Night Owls, written by LRB co-founder and guitarist Graeham Goble, climbed to no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the group’s highest charting songs on the U.S. pop chart. In an April 2021 YouTube interview with Rock History Music, Goble and LBR’s second guitarist Beeb Birtles spoke very highly of Martin and working with him.

Andy Leek/Say Something (1988)

The last example of Martin’s work I’d like to call out is his production of Say Something, a 1988 album by Andy Leek. The British singer-songwriter, musician and poet first gained prominence as an early member of Dexys Midnight Runners before launching a solo career in 1980. Say Something was recorded at AIR Studios in London with impressive guest musicians, such as Steve Howe (Yes), Clem Clempson (Colosseum, Humble Pie) and Alan Murphy (Level 42). Martin said Leek “was one of the greatest artists he had ever produced”.

Over his long career, Martin produced 30 no. 1 singles in the UK and 23 no. 1 hits in the U.S. He won six Grammy Awards, including two in 1967 for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Best Contemporary Album and Album of the Year); 1973 for arranging the soundtrack of Bond movie Live and Let Die (Best Arrangement, Accompanying Vocalist(s)); 1993 for Best Musical Show Album (as producer of The Who’s Tommy); and 2007 as producer for The Beatles’ Love soundtrack remix album for the Cirque du Soleil show Love (Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media), together with his son Giles Martin. Martin also contributed to numerous charitable causes, including The Prince’s Trust and Montserrat.

Following is a Spotify playlist of the above and select other songs produced by George Martin.

Note: The post was updated on January 13, 2024 with the above Spotify playlist

Sources: Wikipedia; Abbey Road Studios website; The Beatles Bible; Songfacts; Louder; Rock History Music; YouTube; Spotify

Reliving the Live Music Experience

It’s safe to assume most music fans agree that seeing a beloved artist or band live is a special experience. In fact, to me, it’s the ultimate thrill! Nearly every time I go to a concert, big or small, I also get “the itch”, thinking perhaps I should have continued playing music actively. Even though my band days date back more than 30 years, I think I will always remain a musician at heart! As such, it felt right to take a look back on my live music experience in 2023.

Hopefully, it doesn’t come across as bragging when I say this year was really busy on the concert front. In fact, I was surprised myself when realizing how many shows I visited. I don’t know, I guess it just happened. Much of it was driven by spontaneous action. I will add that given high ticket prices, especially for prominent acts, I doubt I can keep up that pace next year. For now, let’s focus on some of my favorite concert moments of 2023.

Big ticket/prominent artists and bands I saw this year include Southern Avenue (review), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (review), The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (review), Peter Frampton (review), The Doobie Brothers (review), James Taylor (review) and Los Lobos (review).

In the following, I’d like to let the music do the talking, or perhaps I should say writing. Going through old clips and pictures I took was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy my little collage!

Southern Avenue/Don’t Give Up – SteelStax, Bethlehem, Pa., Sep 7

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band/Ways and Means – Lizzie Rose Music Room, Tuckerton, N.J., Aug 17

Peter Frampton/Shine On – Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, Pa., Jul 15

Los Lobos/Kiko and the Lavender Moon – Pollack Theatre, West Long Branch, N.J., Feb 24

Catching prominent music acts I love is great, but as in previous years, my live music experience wasn’t limited to them. Once again, I was also fortunate to see great tributes, such as Sugar Mountain (Neil Young), Who’s Next (The Who), Stiff Upper Lip (AC/DC) and Good Stuff (Steely Dan, Sting, Stevie Wonder & Gino Vannelli), as well as various other bands.

Luckily, a good deal of these “non-big ticket acts” were free and/or very affordable. I believe in supporting live music, but there’s only so much I can do. Otherwise, the hole in my wallet would even be bigger! Here’s a small sample. My apologies for not featuring everybody I saw!

Sugar Mountain/Like a Hurricane – Lizzie Rose Music Room, Sep 9

Who’s Next/Won’t Get Fooled Again – British Invasion Festival, Golden Nugget, Atlantic City, N.J., Jul 22

Stiff Upper Lip/It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) – Readington Brewery, Readington, N.J., June 9

Good Stuff/Deacon Blues – New Jersey Brewing Company, Mount Olive, N.J., Mar 31

There you have it. What’s in store for next year? Not much to report yet, except for two events I really hope will happen. First is seeing The Rolling Stones during their Hackney Diamonds Tour at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on May 23. I’m thrilled I was able to get a ticket I could pay for. Granted, I settled for the least expensive seat. But for a live music nut like me, being there means nearly everything!

I also look forward to Rock the Farm, the main annual fundraiser of the New Jersey nonprofit CFC Loud N Clear Foundation, featuring great tribute acts to raise funds for programs to prevent relapse after drug rehab. Due to bad weather, CFC made the tough but right call to postpone last year’s event until June 1, 2024. I love the idea of music for a cause and have attended this festival on the Jersey shore multiple times over the past six years. My review of Rock the Farm 2022 is here.

As for the rest of 2024, we’ll see. I guess I’ll take it one show at a time!

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday! It’s a rainy weekend in my neck of the woods of central New Jersey, U.S.A. Because of that and high winds, Rock the Farm, a great annual tribute music festival for an important cause I’ve frequently covered, most recently here, was rescheduled until next June – certainly the right decision under the circumstances but still a bummer!

All of that makes me feel even more like firing up the imaginary music time machine and escape the present reality for some time. Regardless of the weather or other things that may be on your mind, as always, I hope you’ll join me on the trip, and we can have a great time together!

Count Basie Orchestra/Splanky

For our first stop today, we shall set the time controls to January 1958. Picking a winter month in New York City may seem a surprising choice to escape bad present weather, but when the music is great, you can have sunshine on any rainy day. And greatness is certainly what jazz pianist Count Basie and the Count Basie Orchestra, delivered on The Atomic Mr. Basie. Initially titled Basie, aka E=MC² and reissued in 1994 as The Complete Atomic Basie, this studio album by Basie and his big band features compositions and arrangements by jazz trumpeter Neal Hefti. Here’s the groovy Splanky – feel free to snip along!

Humble Pie/I’ll Go Alone

Next let’s head to August 1969 and As Safe As Yesterday Is, the debut album by Humble Pie. While the English rock band had been formed in January that year by guitarists and vocalists Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott, formerly of The Herd and Small Faces, respectively, the record’s release was delayed due Marriott’s Small Faces touring commitments and Frampton’s legal problems with his old management. By the time As Safe As Yesterday Is appeared, Humble Pie already had recorded enough material for at least three albums. I’ll Go Alone is one of two tracks solely written by Frampton who also sang it. Back in July, I finally caught him alive. While Frampton is battling a progressive muscle wasting disorder and performed seated, he still sounded great!

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes/If You Don’t Me By Now

Time to pay a visit to the ’70s, more specifically August 1972, which saw the release of an album featuring one of the most beautiful Philly soul ballads I can think of: If You Don’t Know Me By Now by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. The song appeared on the group’s debut album I Miss You, which was later reissued as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Yes, it’s lush, but what a vocal gem – I don’t wanna sound overly sentimental, you just don’t hear much singing like this anymore. If You Don’t Know Me By Now was co-written by songwriting and production team Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff who formed their own label Philadelphia International Records and are credited for creating the Philly sound. In 1989, Simply Red recorded an incredible cover of that song and scored a major international hit.

Talking Heads/And She Was

It’s hard to follow the beauty of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, but our trip must continue. And on we go to June 1985 and Little Creatures, the sixth studio album by art pop and new wave band Talking Heads. Overall, it became their most successful album, with more than 2 million copies sold in the U.S. alone and top 20 chart positions in multiple countries, including no. 1 in New Zealand. The big hit single off that album was Road to Nowhere, which was very popular in Germany and got the group on my radar screen. Here’s the follow-up And She Was, which like Road to Nowhere and the majority of the other tracks was penned by front man David Byrne, a vocalist with a distinct style.

Lyle Lovett/She Makes Me Feel So Good

By now you may have noticed we’re going chronologically this time. Does the lack of the traditional zig-zag time travel reflect my reluctance to go back to the present? Perhaps a bit, though my primary thought is it can’t hurt to change things a little every now and then. Okay, on the ’90s and an artist I pretty much know by name only: Lyle Lovett. The singer-songwriter from Houston, Texas oftentimes appears to be categorized as country. While I no longer regard this label as terrible, I believe there’s much more to his music. Case in point: She Makes Me Feel So Good, a Lovett composition that has a neat jazzy groove with soulful vocals. This great track is from Lovett’s fourth studio album Joshua Judges Ruth, released in March 1992.

Melissa Etheridge/Juliet

For our sixth and final stop, we’re making a big jump back to the present and a great rock artist fellow blogger Dave from A Sound Day covered earlier this week, which inspired this pick: Melissa Etheridge who I instantly loved when I first heard Bring Me Some Water, off her eponymous debut album from May 1988. Etheridge is currently doing a 10-week residency at New York Broadway venue Circle in the Square Theatre. In an obvious nod to that engagement, she released a cover of On Broadway as part of an EP with the same title on August 25. In addition to the well-known song credited to Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Etheridge’s latest EP includes two originals. Here’s one of them, Juliet. It’s great she’s still out there rockin’!

While I enjoy shaking up The Sunday Six a bit every now and then, what hopefully will never change is including a Spotify playlist of all the tracks we visited during the trip, so here you go! Hope you’ve had some fun on today’s trip and will be back for more music time travel next Sunday!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Frampton Triumphantly Comes Alive in Pennsylvania

When Peter Frampton said good night to the audience at Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany on November 16, 2022, the music world thought he had just officially ended his touring career. But in April 2023, the English rock guitarist surprised fans with the announcement of the Never Say Never Tour. I knew this would likely be my very last chance to see an artist I’d dug for many years but never caught in concert. On Saturday (July 15), that moment finally arrived and, holy cow, what a great and inspiring performance!

In 2019, Frampton disclosed he had been diagnosed with inclusion body myositis, a progressive autoimmune disease causing muscle inflammation, weakness and wasting (atrophy). Since it sadly is only a matter of time before the condition is likely to have a substantial impact on his ability to play guitar and eventually may make it impossible altogether, Frampton decided to do a farewell tour while still being on top of his game and retire from touring thereafter.

The U.S. leg of the Finale: The Farewell Tour kicked off in June 2019 in Tulsa, Okla. and wrapped up in San Francisco on October 12. A planned 2020 European leg fell victim to COVID, and the dates were rescheduled to 2022. As noted above, that tour ended last November.

Photo: Austin Lord

“At the end of every Finale Tour show I did say, ‘Never Say Never’ and I am always full of hope for the impossible,” Frampton noted in the above announcement. “I’m very pleased to let you know that I am feeling strong and my fingers are still roaming the fretboard. Every note I play now has more meaning and soul. I love playing live and this fighter wants to stay in the ring for as long as he can.” Frampton wasn’t kidding and put some amazing guitar action behind his words!

Before we get to the show, just a tiny bit of background. After gaining initial prominence as a member of rock bands The Herd and Humble Pie, Frampton launched a solo career in 1971, which culminated in Frampton Comes Alive! After 47 years, the iconic 1976 album remains one of the top-selling live records of all time with over 17 million copies sold worldwide. While most of his studio albums didn’t enjoy much chart and commercial success, Frampton still is one of the most recognized guitarists in classic rock history.

Do you feel like I do? I’d say show me the way to some music! At around 8:20 pm EDT, Peter Frampton walked on stage with a cane and sat down on a chair. Those were the only signs of his rare neurological condition. As soon as he plugged in his guitar and started playing and singing, you would never guess he has a serious health condition. On the contrary, Frampton’s hands and fingers seemed to effortlessly move up and down the fretboard, sometimes at incredible speed, and he played with great dynamic and power. His voice sounded strong as well. As far as I can tell, Frampton still was on top of his game!

‘Okay, nuff talk,’ you may think, ‘where’s the damn music?’ Alrighty then. Let’s get started with Shine On, a Humble Pie tune that was the second song in the set. Written by Frampton, it appeared on Rock On, Humble Pie’s fourth studio album released in March 1971, his last with the group before embarking on his solo career.

After I Got My Eyes On You, the opener of Frampton’s Camel, and Lines On My Face (off the same album), a beautiful dedication to John Regan, Frampton’s bassist from 1979-2011, who passed away in April, it was time for the talk box and the first biggie of the night: Show Me the Way. Written by Frampton for his eponymous fourth studio album from March 1975, the tune initially went nowhere when it was released as a single. Things changed when it became the lead single from Frampton Comes Alive! Not only did the tune mark Frampton’s first charting single, but it also ended up becoming one of his biggest hits, climbing to no. 6 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100, no. 2 in Canada, no. 10 in the UK and no. 25 in Australia.

After a few additional tracks, which among others included an excellent instrumental version of Georgia On My Mind and Baby, I Love Your Way, another biggie, it was on to All I Wanna Do (Is By Your Side). Frampton penned and recorded this tune for his solo debut album Wind of Change, which first appeared in the UK in March 1972, followed by the U.S. four months later. Like for various other songs, the tune started with a prelude/guitar solo by Frampton. He also extended some of the songs, and this was one of them.

After three additional tracks, which among others included a scorching instrumental rendition of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun, it was time for the big enchilada and some more talk box. Frampton introduced the tune by grabbing The Phenix, his modified black 1954 Les Paul Custom – the one that’s on the cover of Frampton Comes Alive!, and his main ax during the ’70s – and briefly recalling its story. In late 1980, the guitar seemingly vanished without a trace in a plane wreck in South America, was “lost” for nearly 30 years and was finally returned to him in 2011. He said the first tune he played with it was this one:

Do You Feel Like We Do first appeared in May 1973 on the Frampton’s Camel album but didn’t become popular until September 1976, when it became the last of three singles off Frampton Comes Alive! Not only did Frampton want to make the last song of his regular set count but also used it to introduce his stellar touring band: Adam Lester (guitar), Rob Arthur (keyboards, vocals), Alison Prestwood (bass) and Dan Wojciechowski (drums). BTW, like Frampton, they all were seated to perform. While perhaps a bit unusual for a rock concert, this didn’t bother me at all.

Leading up to the encore, Frampton remarked that in the past he and his band would walk off the stage at this point and come back. For obvious reasons, it didn’t happen this time around. Frampton and the group closed out the night with three covers: Ida Cox tune Four Day Creep; I Don’t Need No Doctor, credited to Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead; as well as The Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Following is the entire line-up of songs.

Setlist
• Lying
• Shine On (Humble Pie song)
• I Got My Eyes on You
• Lines on My Face
• Show Me the Way
• Georgia On My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra cover)
• The Crying Clown
• Prelude/Baby, I Love Your Way
• All I Wanna Be (Is by Your Side)
• Can’t Take That Away
• Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
• (I’ll Give You) Money
• Do You Feel Like We Do

Encore
• Four Day Creep (Ida Cox cover)
• I Don’t Need No Doctor (Nickolas Ashford cover)
• While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles cover)

Frampton ended an amazing night on an emotional note, saying he wants to stay hopeful and see the glass as half full rather than half empty. He also noted the words ‘never say never’, adding that perhaps there’s going to be a Never Say Never Tour – The Sequel. I really hope so for the fans and think it would be compelling, even if he’d “only” perform at 90 percent capacity!

The Never Say Never Tour is currently scheduled to wrap up on August 19 at Sandy Amphitheater in Sandy, UT. Upcoming dates include MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, Mass. (July 18); The Theater at MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Md. (July 20); and Foxwoods Resort Casino, Premier Theater, Mashantucket, Conn. (July 22). The full schedule is here.

Last but not least, on July 28, Intervention Records will release Frampton@50, a 2,500-copy limited-edition vinyl box set featuring his aforementioned ’70s studio albums Wind of Change, Frampton’s Camel and Frampton. In addition, the Peter Frampton webstore has 250 sets that include an autographed version of the Frampton’s Camel promo poster, with the proceeds benefitting the Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund.

Sources: Wikipedia; Peter Frampton press materials; Peter Frampton website; Setlist.fm; YouTube

My “Favorites Mix”

If you’ve followed my blog for a few years, occasionally, you may have seen me make fun of my streaming music provider over their listening suggestions or the way they classified music/put genre labels on artists. Perhaps you also noticed I haven’t done that in a while. In fact, over the past year or two, it’s obvious their algorithms have much improved, and they now really do know my music taste pretty well.

Of course, one could argue an external party’s increased knowledge about your personal taste may be a double-edged sword. However, unlike other preferences, I’m less concerned about this when it comes to music. In fact, I always welcome good listening suggestions. Case in point: The latest “Favorites Mix” my streaming provider served up earlier this week.

While I wouldn’t call it the best playlist I’ve ever seen, I certainly like their picks, so I decided to share them. Before doing that in the form of a Spotify playlist, I’m briefly highlighting six of the tunes.

The playlist kicks off with Spirit in the Night, a song by Bruce Springsteen I first knew because of the rendition by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band who released it as a single in July 1975 and also included it on their sixth studio album Nightingales & Bombers, which appeared in August of the same year. Springsteen recorded the original tune for his January 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

Poor Poor Pitiful Me is a song penned by Warren Zevon. It was included on his self-titled sophomore album, released in May 1976 and produced by Jackson Browne who is also featured in this playlist. Lindsey Buckingham provided backing vocals on this cut. The following year, Linda Ronstadt recorded a gender-altered version of the song for her eighth studio album Simple Dreams (September 1977).

In August 1969, English rock band Humble Pie released their debut studio album As Safe as Yesterday Is. One of the tracks it included is Buttermilk Boy, written by guitarist and vocalist Steve Marriott. Prior to forming Humble Pie with Peter Frampton in early 1969, Marriott had been with The Small Faces, a group he also had co-founded. Frampton left Humble Pie and launched his solo career in 1971, which climaxed in 1976 with Frampton Comes Alive!

Elenore is a tune by The Turtles. Written by their lead vocalist and keyboarder Howard Kaylan, yet credited to all five members of the group, Elenore first appeared as a single in September 1968. It was also included on their fourth studio album The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands, which came out in November of the same year. While Elenore was a parody of happy-go-lucky pop songs like Happy Together, its strong chart performance in the U.S. and various other countries certainly was no joke.

At last, I get to write about English singer-songwriter Graham Parker, who is best known as the lead vocalist of Graham Parker & The Rumour. Parker (lead vocals, guitar) formed the band in the summer of 1975 together with Brinsley Schwarz (lead guitar), Martin Belmont (rhythm guitar), Bob Andrews (keyboards), Andrew Bodnar (bass) and Steve Goulding (drums). Gypsy Blood, written by Parker, is from the group’s debut studio album Howlin’ Wind, which came out in April 1976.

The final track I’d like to call out is Round the Bend by The Tubs, a British group who are entirely new to me. Their Bandcamp page notes they were formed in London in 2018 and “incorporate elements of post-punk, traditional British folk, and guitar jangle seasoned by nonchalant Cleaners From Venus-influenced pop hooks and contemporary antipodean indie bands (Twerps/Goon Sax, et al).” Round the Bend is off their first full-length studio album Dead Meat released in January this year.

Following is a link to the entire playlist:

Sources: Wikipedia; The Tubs Bandcamp page; YouTube; Spotify

Music Musings

Happy Wednesday and welcome to another installment of Music Musings where I take a closer look at a tune I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. The other day, I saw a Facebook post including a short clip of a beaming Peter Frampton announcing his Never Say Never Tour, which is launching on June 21 in Huber Heights, Ohio. With the English-American rock guitarist and singer-songwriter on my mind, I thought it would be cool to feature one of his all-time classics, Do You Feel Like We Do.

Credited to Frampton and the members of his band Frampton’s Camel – Mick Gallagher (keyboards, vocals), Rick Wills (bass) and John Siomos (drums) – Do You Feel Like We Do first appeared on Frampton’s May 1973 sophomore album titled after his group at the time. In September 1976, a live version of the tune also became one of three singles from the epic double LP Frampton Comes Alive!

Interestingly, I don’t particularly recall Frampton’s huge popularity in the ’70s. The one song I remember is I Can’t Stand It No More, the hit single from his May 1979 sixth studio album Where I Should Be. It does seem implausible that I didn’t hear other tunes like Show Me the Way and Baby, I Love Your Way on the radio back in Germany – I probably did but simply cannot remember!

Peter Frampton first became interested in music as a 7-year-old when he found his grandmother’s banjolele in the attic and figured out by himself how to play it. Later on, he taught himself the guitar and piano, and began taking classical music lessons at the age of eight. After playing in two bands, in 1966, 16-year-old Frampton became the lead guitarist of The Herd, a rock band that scored three top-ten singles in the UK between August 1967 and March 1968. The following year, he co-founded Humble Pie, together with Steve Marriott following that guitarist’s and vocalist’s departure from Small Faces.

After four studio releases and one live album with Humble Pie, Frampton left in 1971 and launched his solo career. His debut solo album Wind of Change appeared in May and July 1972 in the UK and the U.S., respectively. It featured an impressive array of guests, including Ringo Starr, Mick Jones and Billy Preston, among others. In February 2019, some 43 years into his career, Frampton announced his retirement from touring and a farewell tour due to inclusion body myositis, a progressive muscle disorder characterized by muscle inflammation, weakness and muscle wasting.

Last August, Frampton came out of retirement for what was meant to be a one-time performance at an event to celebrate what would have been the 85th birthday of Buddy Holly at the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences in Lubbock, Texas. Evidently, this encouraged him and in September 2022, he told Guitar World that while his legs would no longer allow him to stand with his guitar, he would perform the remaining European dates of his farewell tour while being seated. Coming back to Do You Feel Like We Do, here’s the great live version from Frampton Comes Alive!

Following are additional tidbits from Songfacts:

This song is about a hangover. Frampton would often write from experience, and at the time he was experiencing the effects of a night of drinking.

When he woke up that morning there was a wine glass by his bed, and he wondered how it got there (“Whose wine? What wine? Where the hell did I dine?”).

Still hungover, Frampton went to rehearsal and somehow remembered some chords he was playing the night before on his acoustic guitar. The band hashed out the tune and told Frampton to come up with some lyrics, to which he replied, “I can’t, I have a really bad hangover.” His bandmates told him to just write about that, which he did…

…On the live version, Frampton used a talkbox, a device hooked up to his guitar amp that allowed him to make distorted vocal sounds through a tube in his mouth. Other groups had success with the device around that time (Aerosmith used it on “Sweet Emotion” the year before), but Frampton became most associated with it thanks to his talkbox solo on this song.

Frampton [took] it to a whole new level: every time he formed words, the crowd went nuts, especially when he sounded out “I want to thank you,” which came out sounding like “I want to f–k you.” Soon, teenagers were crafting homemade talkboxes to imitate Frampton, often learning lessons on the dangers of electricity along the way...

…The live version runs 14:15, and when Frampton toured to support the album, it would often extend to 20 minutes. Played as the last song before the encore, Frampton would leave the for a while during the instrumental passage, then return for the big finish. Disc jockeys often used it as a chance to grab a smoke or go to the bathroom.

This was the only song on the Frampton’s Camel album that was written by the entire band: keyboard player Mick Gallagher, bass player Rick Wills, and drummer John Siomos, who had recently replaced Mike Kellie. The other original songs on the album were written entirely by Frampton, except for “All Night Long,” which he wrote with Gallagher.

Frampton has always stressed the communal nature of this song: he sees it as a crowd participation number, with the audience as much a part of it as the band. After the first verse, the crowd would often take over on vocals and pick up on Frampton’s gestures as he would point to emphasize the “you” in the title.

The live version of this song was a godsend to disc jockeys, who could put it on and take a 14-minute cigarette break (to give the voice that nice raspy sound). There were lots of FM rock stations with a freeform or album-oriented format at the time who eagerly played the track, and in some cases the entire album.

This is one of many era-appropriate songs used in the 1993 movie Dazed and Confused, which is set in 1976. It also shows up in two episodes of That ’70s Show and in the “Homerpalooza” episode of The Simpsons, where Frampton appears in cartoon form.

There you have it, with all of the gory details. But, wait, there’s more! “I did say at the end of the finale shows ‘never say never’,” Frampton said in the above video announcement. “So I’m very excited to be on the road again this summer – yes!” Me too, and I got a reasonably priced ticket to see Frampton for the first time, in Bethlehem, Pa. on July 15th!

Sources: Wikipedia; Peter Frampton Facebook page; Guitar World, Songfacts; YouTube

Return of the Phenix

On November 4, 1980, a cargo plane carrying equipment of Peter Frampton and his band, who were touring South America, crashed during takeoff from Caracas International Airport. The accident killed all six crew members and destroyed most of the equipment. It was believed the latter included Frampton’s Gibson Les Paul he had played for the past decade. In a new documentary on YouTube, the British guitarist recalls the intriguing tale of how he got the guitar in the first place, thought it was lost in the above plane crash, and was reunited with his beloved instrument 31 years later in 2011.

The documentary starts with some footage showing how Frampton received his long-lost guitar and after brief inspection proclaimed, “yeah, it’s my guitar.” He then explains how his story with the modified 1954 Les Paul Custom began – a guitar he didn’t only use on one of the most widely recognized live records of the ’70s, Frampton Comes Alive!, but also on his final album with Humble Pie, Rock On, his first seven solo records, as well as different session work for artists like John Entwistle, Harry Nilsson and Doris Troy.

In 1970, Humble Pie were playing a series of shows at Fillmore West in San Francisco. Frampton had just replaced a Gibson SG for a hollow-body Gibson ES-335. Since the latter was prone to feedback when played at high volumes it wasn’t a happy experience for Frampton. Every time he turned up for a solo, he got feedback. Enter fellow guitarist and Frampton fan Marc Mariana who offered Frampton his guitar, the above-mentioned modified 1954 Les Paul Custom. When Frampton tried it out the next day, he fell in love with it immediately.

Return of Phenix: Marc Mariana (left) with Peter Frampton

“I started playing it. It was just beautiful,” Frampton recalled. “I could see you were really enjoying it, more or less bonding to it,” added Mariana. “And I just made the decision that if it means me leaving with a handful of cash or empty-handed, I’ll leave empty-handed because I couldn’t take it back. It wasn’t gonna leave with me cause I knew it had found a new home.”

Frampton used the guitar the same night at Fillmore West and was a happy camper. When he got off stage he handed the instrument back to Mariana. He also told him it’s an amazing guitar, asking whether he would ever consider selling it. Mariana replied no, he would give the guitar to Frampton. “It was one of those things that you do,” he elaborated. “You know it’s the right thing to do when you do it, and 50 or 40 years later, you still know it’s the right thing to do.”

Quickly, it becomes crystal-clear this Gibson Les Paul Custom wasn’t just any guitar to Frampton. “It became the only guitar I could play,” he said. “It became so personal to me that when I lost it I had to learn how to play other instruments, which was very strange for me.” It may sound a bit weird that a sophisticated guitarist like Peter Frampton would be so challenged to play other guitars, especially to non-musicians. While I certainly don’t want to imply I’m an expert, as a hobby guitarist, I still think I can relate.

What exactly happened in the aftermath of the plane crash and how the guitar was removed from the wreckage remains a mystery. Not surprisingly, Frampton and his band assumed all guitars and other equipment were completely burned up in the fire that resulted from the accident. But when Frampton’s guitar technician went to Caracas a week after the crash to check what was left for insurance purposes, he found the tail of the plane had broken off and that there was some salvageable equipment in the tail. They also saw pictures of other equipment that was totally burned up. What was missing was any trace of the Gibson Les Paul Custom.

Fast-forward to 2009 when Frampton and his crew heard and saw pictures of the guitar. The documentary doesn’t go into the details of how the guitar was found. According to this 2016 story in Guitar Interactive Magazine, Donald Valentina, a customs agent in Curacao who also is a luthier on the side, spotted Frampton’s guitar. After trying for a few years to buy the instrument from an unnamed guitarist who had brought it to Valentina, the two finally came to an agreement in November 2011. Reportedly, the guitar changed hands for $5,000.

In the documentary, Frampton refers to the son of a Mr. “Palm” (phonetic spelling) as the local guitarist – I imagine as part of the above transaction, there’s some confidentiality agreement in place. Valentina, together with Ghatim Kabbara of the local tourist board (presumably his friend – CMM), subsequently flew to Memphis, Tenn. to return the long-lost guitar to Frampton.

Donald Valentia (left) with Peter Frampton

The documentary then goes into the restoration process of the guitar. While I find it interesting, I’ll spare you the details since it gets pretty technical. What I would like to share is the philosophy that was behind the work. “We’re hardly doing anything to the guitar at all,” Frampton explained. “We’re just gonna make it playable. So, the electronics is all sort of gummed up, the pickups don’t work and stuff like that. So only what is absolutely necessary will be changed. It will always look a little bit burned up.”

How did Frampton feel when he held the restored guitar in his hands for the first time? “Happy is not the word,” he said. “Happy as a clam, whatever superlative you wanna say. Not ever thinking it would come back to me and to actually have it is amazing.” A picture is more than a thousand words!

Frampton named the guitar The Phenix. He used it during the Frampton Comes Alive! 35th-anniversary tour in 2012. “On the DVD, I play it [The Phenix] for just about the entire ‘Comes Alive’ material, the whole album, because nothing else sounds like it…Some of the newer stuff [essentially, any Frampton albums recorded between 1981 and 2012 – CMM], because I didn’t have it, it doesn’t sound right on. Because, hey, if it hadn’t gone anywhere, it would have been on those, too.”

For the remainder of the mini-documentary, Frampton reminisces about his career-defining Frampton Comes Alive! album. He also talks about the 35th-anniversary tour and how it felt playing these songs. It’s great to listen and I leave it up to you to watch for yourself. Following is a clip of the entire documentary. I truly loved it!

I’d like to leave you with two additional clips. First up is the iconic Do You Feel Like We Do, captured during a 1977 show in Oakland, Calif. The actual tune gets underway at about 3:05 minutes into the clip.

And here’s Baby I Love Your Way, from the 35th Frampton Comes Alive! anniversary tour. It has been captured on a DVD titled FCA!35 Tour: An Evening With Peter Frampton and released in November 2012.

In February 2019, Peter Frampton disclosed he had been diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM), a progressive muscle disorder characterized by muscle inflammation, weakness, and atrophy (wasting) – obviously a grim perspective for a guitarist. At that time, he also announced his retirement from touring and a planned farewell tour. In April 2020, the UK/EU leg was canceled because of you know what!

It’s currently unclear whether Frampton will be able to reschedule the canceled farewell gigs. “I have a third clock, which is my IBM clock,” Frampton told Guitar.com in March 2021. “Slowly but surely, unfortunately, I’m losing strength in my hands, my arms and my legs. It’s specific muscles it hits. It picks and chooses the muscles and there’s no rhyme or reason for it. They don’t know; there’s no cure. If it takes another year before we can reschedule any dates, I will have to be realistic to see if my hands work or my legs will keep me up.”

He added, “I think there’s a certain level of playing where I won’t perform anymore. If I can’t play certain things the way I want to – I don’t want to be that person to go out there and people feel bad for me because I don’t play as good but I am Peter Frampton. That’s not going to happen.” As sad as it is for Frampton fans, his stance makes total sense to me, and that’s a decision everybody should respect.

Sources: YouTube; Wikipedia; Guitar Interactive Magazine; Guitar.com

Pink Floyd’s Meddle Turns 50

Today, 50 years ago, Pink Floyd released their sixth studio album Meddle, yet another gem in the treasure trove of 1971 to hit the big milestone. Coming just a little over a year after Atom Heart Mother, Meddle is considered a transitional album that foreshadowed what arguably were the band’s Mount Rushmore releases The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. While the two latter records were always among my favorite Floyd albums, Meddle is a record that grew on me over the years. Nowadays, if I could only pick one, I might actually go with Meddle.

According to Wikipedia, when Pink Floyd went into the studio in January 1971, they had no clear idea what kind of record they wanted to make. Apparently, the work started out with some novel experiments that inspired what would become my favorite Pink Floyd track these days, the mighty Echoes. Unlike the group’s later albums that increasingly were dominated by themes and lyrics devised by Roger Waters, Meddle featured lyrical contributions from each band member.

Meddle inner gatefold (from left): Roger Waters, Nick Mason, David Gilmour and Richard Wright

The recording sessions for Meddle stretched out over eight months from January through August 1970. That’s because Pink Floyd had concert commitments throughout that period, which forced starts and stops. During that same timeframe, the band was also working on Relics, a great compilation album of their early work with Syd Barrett. Considering all these distractions, it’s quite remarkable to me that Meddle turned out to be such a masterpiece.

There were also some technical challenges. At the time Pink Floyd started work on the album at Abbey Road Studios, the facility only had eight-track recording technology, something the band found insufficient for their needs. As such, they ended up working at other smaller studios in London, which already were equipped with 16-track recording technology.

Time for some music! Let’s start with the opening instrumental One of These Days, which is credited to all four members of the band. The dominant pumping bassline was double-tracked, with each Roger Waters and David Gilmour playing one track. The cheerful line, “One of these days I will cut you into little pieces,” was spoken by drummer Nick Mason. Songfacts notes it was “digitally warped to give it an evil sound to it” – mission accomplished!

Fearless is an acoustic tune co-written by Gilmour and Waters. According to Wikipedia, Waters played it in a guitar tuning called open G, which Syd Barrett had taught him. In this tuning, the lower E and A strings and the high e string are each tuned down by one note to D, G and d, respectively, so a G major chord can be played without fretting a string. The crowd of people that can be heard near the beginning and at end of the song is a field recording of Liverpool soccer fans chanting their anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

The final track on side one is Seamus, a country blues style song credited to all members of the band. The tune was named after a dog that belonged to Steve Marriott, the frontman of Humble Pie at the time. Songfacts notes the dog would bark and howl every time he heard music, or if someone played the guitar. In fact, the dog can be heard barking and howling throughout the entire track. Pink Floyd biographer Nicholas Schaffner dismissed the tune. Gilmour essentially admitted the song wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, saying, “I guess it wasn’t really as funny to everyone else [as] it was to us.”

This brings me to the only tune that makes up the entire side two of the album. While at 23 and a half minutes Echoes is a pretty long track, no post about Meddle would be complete without it. Once again, Echoes was credited to the entire band. The ambient sound effects and musical improvisation resemble what Pink Floyd would take to the next level a few years later on The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. I’ve really come to love this epic track!

Overall, Meddle was well received by music critics when it came out. It also enjoyed significant chart success, especially in Europe where it climbed to no. 3, no. 7, no. 11 and no. 2 in the UK, France, Germany and The Netherlands, respectively. The performance was more moderate in the U.S. and Canada where Meddle reached no. 70 and no. 51, respectively.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Welcome to another installment of The Sunday Six, my weekly zig-zag excursions celebrating music I dig from different genres, spanning the past 70 years or so. I think I put together another nice and eclectic set of six tracks, including jazz, heartland rock, ’60s British rock, ’80s pop, ’90s alternative rock and some kickass hard rock & roll from 2014. Let’s play ball!

Thelonius Monk/‘Round Midnight

Starting us off today is beautiful soothing jazz by Thelonious Monk. This pick was inspired by fellow blogger Lisa from Tao Talk, who not only impresses me with her poetry writing but her music picks she oftentimes uses to accompany her poems – like in this case, a great jazz piece by Charlie Haden and Chet Baker. When I checked out the corresponding album, I noticed another track called ‘Round Midnight. Instead of taking this rendition, I decided to go with the original composed by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. The track has become a standard that has been recorded by many jazz musicians. Apparently, there is some debate when Monk wrote it. The earliest noted date is 1936 when he was just 19 years old. Other accounts put it to 1940 or 1941. Trumpeter Cootie Williams was the first artist who recorded the tune in August 1944. Monk’s earliest recording is on a compilation titled Genius of Modern Music Vol. 1 from 1951.

John Mellencamp/A Little Night Dancin’

While it’s safe to assume most readers have heard of John Mellencamp, I imagine this may not necessarily include his pre-1980s music. My entry to the heartland artist was his 1985 Scarecrow album. Only in the ’90s did I begin to explore Mellencamp’s earlier catalog including John Cougar, his third record from July 1979. Prior to the release of Mellencamp’s debut album Chestnut Street Incident in October 1976, his manager Tony Defries had changed his name to Johnny Cougar, convinced an artist with the last name Mellencamp wouldn’t generate much interest. Mellencamp who hated the name kept “Cougar” through Scarecrow before finally adopting his real name John Mellencamp for the follow-on release The Lonesome Jubilee from August 1987. Here’s A Little Night Dancin’, the opener of the John Cougar album. The tune was also released in 1980 as a single but didn’t match the U.S. chart performance of I Need a Lover. While the latter reached no. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, A Little Night Dancin’ stalled at no. 105. Still, not only do I dig that tune, but I also think it’s much better than I Need a Lover. I can hear a bit of a Van Morrison vibe in this song. Fifteen years later, Mellencamp recorded an excellent cover of Morrison’s Wild Night for his 1994 studio album Dance Naked. Perhaps that’s for a future installment.

Small Faces/Sha-La-La-La-Lee

In last week’s Sunday Six, I did something I rarely do – skip the ’60s, my favorite decade in music apart from the ’70s. I vowed not to repeat it this time, so here’s a tune I’ve loved from the very first moment I heard it during my teenage years back in Germany: Sha-La-La-La-Lee by Small Faces. It’s from the English rock band’s eponymous debut album that came out in May 1966. The song was written by co-producer Kenny Lynch together with Mort Schuman. The band’s initial line-up included Steve Marriott (vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards), Ian McLagan (keyboards, vocals, guitar, bass), Ronnie Lane (bass guitar, vocals, guitar) and Kenney Jones (drums, percussion, vocals). In March 1968, the Small Faces disbanded and Marriott went on to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. McLagan, Lane and Jones teamed up with former Jeff Beck Group members Ronnie Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (vocals) and became Faces. Small Faces reemerged in 1975 after Faces had broken up. They recorded two more albums before disbanding for good in 1978.

Madonna/La Isla Bonita

Here’s a pick that might surprise some folks who visit my blog more frequently. While I’m not a fan of Madonna, there is no denying she’s one of the most influential pop artists of our time. And, yes, while I can’t necessarily say the same for other ’80s tunes I used to dig at the time, I still like some of her songs. This includes the catchy La Isla Bonita, which always puts me in a holiday mood. The track is from Madonna’s third studio album True Blue that came out in June 1986. She co-wrote and co-produced the entire record with Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard who also collaborated with Madonna on some of her other albums. La Isla Bonita also became the record’s fifth and final single and yet another major hit in the U.S. , Canada, Australia and various European countries.

The Cranberries/Linger

Next let’s jump to the ’90s and Irish alternative pop rock band The Cranberries. Initially, the group was formed as The Cranberry Saw Us in mid-1989 by brothers Noel Hogan (lead and rhythm guitar) and Mike Hogan (bass), together with Fergal Lawler (drums) and Niall Quinn (vocals). Following Quinn’s departure in early 1990, Dolores O’Riordan joined the band as lead vocalist, completing the line-up that in April 1991 became The Cranberries. In March 1993, they released their first full-length album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? The record became a major success, topping the charts in Ireland and the UK, and placing in the top 20 in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and some European countries. After four additional albums, The Cranberries went on hiatus in September 2003. They reunited in 2009 and recorded two more albums until the sudden death of O’Riordan in January 2018, who drowned in a London hotel bathtub due to sedation by alcohol poisoning. In April 2019, The Cranberries released their final album In the End, which featured O’Riordan’s vocals taken from demo tapes that had been recorded prior to her death. Here’s the beautiful Linger from the above mentioned debut album. It was also released as a single and became their first major hit, peaking at no. 3 in Ireland, and reaching no. 4, 8 and 14 in Canada, the U.S. and the UK, respectively.

AC/DC/Play Ball

Is it really time to wrap up things again? It is since I’d like to keep these installments to six tunes; otherwise, I could go on forever! But there’s always the next installment! I trust Australian rockers AC/DC need no further introduction. After much drama, including the death of co-founding member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in November 2017 and vocalist Brian Johnson’s forced departure in April 2016 during the band’s tour that year due to hearing loss, against all odds, AC/DC officially reunited in September 2020 and released their 17th studio album Power Up in November that year. There are so many great AC/DC tunes to pick from. I haven’t even mentioned Bon Scott, their original lead vocalist! I decided to go with what I consider a true late career gem: Play Ball, off AC/DC’s 16th album Rock or Bust from November 2014. It was the first record without Malcolm Young who had been forced to retire in 2014 due to dementia and been replaced by his nephew Stevie Young. This is classic AC/DC – tight kickass rock & roll!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

Best of What’s New

It’s Saturday and the new music show must go on! This installment of Best of What’s New includes two familiar names and two artists who are completely new to me, featuring Celtic punk, instrumental rock, pop and country rock. Nuff said – let’s get to some music!

Dropkick Murphys/Turn Up That Dial

Dropkick Murphys are a Celtic punk rock band formed in the Boston area in 1996. They are named after former pro wrestler Dr. John “Dropkick” Murphy, who also operated an rehab facility for alcoholics in Action, Mass. The band gained first attention when fellow Bostonian ska punk group The Mighty Mighty Bosstones invited them as opening act for their 1997 tour. Later that year, Dropkick Murphys got a deal with Hellcat Records, which was followed by their debut studio album Do or Die in January 1998. Fast-forward 23 years. The band’s present line-up, which has been together since 2008, consists of original co-founder Ken Casey (bass, lead vocals), along with Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (lead guitar, accordion, mandolin, bouzouki, keyboards, piano, tin whistle, backing vocals), James Lynch (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, guitar, keyboards, piano, harmonica, tin whistle, backing vocals) and Matt Kelly (drums, bodhran, backing vocals). Dropkick Murphys first entered my radar screen in 2013 when they teamed up with Bruce Springsteen to record a new version of their song Rose Tattoo. The single appeared in May that year in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing – hard to believe it’s been eight years! Turn Up That Dial is the title track from Dropkick Murphys’ new album released yesterday (April 30).

Peter Frampton/Isn’t It a Pity

I trust Peter Frampton doesn’t need much of an introduction. The self-taught guitarist has been playing in bands since the age of 12. He first gained prominence in 1966 as a 16-year-old lead vocalist and guitarist in English rock band The Herd. In 1969, he co-founded Humble Pie together with Steve Marriott, frontman and guitarist of Small Faces. Frampton left Humble Pie in 1971 and launched a solo career. After four largely unnoticed studio albums, he got his big breakthrough with Frampton Comes Alive! The huge success led to an infamous shirtless photo on the cover of Rolling Stone, which turned Frampton into a teen idol and diminished his credibility as an artist. He continued to release albums but was unable to repeat the success of Frampton Comes Alive! In early 2019, Frampton announced his retirement from touring due to a progressive autoimmune disease causing muscle inflammation, weakness and atrophy, which eventually is going to impact his ability to play guitar. He launched a farewell tour in June that year. The UK leg, which had been slated for May 2020, was canceled because of you know what! Isn’t it a Pity is a track from Frampton’s new album of instrumental covers ingeniously titled Peter Frampton Forgets the Words and released on April 23. “This album is a collection of ten of my favorite pieces of music,” he stated on his website. My guitar is also a voice and I have always enjoyed playing my favorite vocal lines that we all know and love.” This is certainly a beautiful rendition of the George Harrison tune that originally appeared on his 1970 solo debut All Things Must Pass.

Parker Millsap/The Real Thing

Parker Millsap is an American singer-songwriter from Purcell, OK. According to his profile on Apple Music, As a youth, Millsap alternately spent time singing hymns at his local Pentecostal church and saturating himself in old blues albums, which influenced his unique style along with folk, country, and vintage Elvis-flavored rock & roll. While still in his late teens, Millsap recorded his mostly acoustic debut, Palisade, with childhood friend Michael Rose accompanying him on double bass. Two years later in 2014, his self-titled second LP introduced his signature sound, bringing him national acclaim and leading to support slots with heavy-hitting roots acts like Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Lake Street Dive. Millsap’s new album Be Here Instead, which is his fifth, came out on April 9. As is the case for most artists I feature in Best of What’s New, I’m completely new to his music. The Real Thing grabbed me right away. To me, it’s got a bit of a Paul McCartney vibe!

The Pink Stones/Put Me On

The last tune I’d like to call out here is Put Me On, a song by The Pink Stones, a country rock band from Athens, Ga. According to their website, the group revolves around Hunter Pinkston, a former punk rocker who discovered country in 2015 when listening to the B-side of the The Lemonheads’ rendition of Brass Buttons, which featured the original by Gram Parsons. This led him not only to explore Parsons’ catalog but also listen to similar other artists. In 2016, Pinkston who is from Albany, Ga. transferred to the University of Georgia in Athens for their music business program. He immersed himself into the local music scene and eventually met what became the core of The Pink Stones: Will Anderson (organ, piano, vocals), Logan Brammer (guitar, vocals), Adam Wayton (guitar, vocals) and Jack Colclough (drums). John Neff (pedal steel guitar), a founding member of Drive-By Truckers, is also part of the band’s current line-up. Put Me On, written by Pinkston, is a track from their debut album Introducing… the Pink Stones released on April 9. Check out this beautiful warm sound!

Sources: Wikipedia; Peter Frampton website; Apple Music; The Pink Stones website; AllMusic; YouTube