Steely Dan’s Transformational Pretzel Logic Hits the Big 50

Steely Dan have been among my favorite bands for four decades, and my appreciation of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker has only grown over the years. That’s in part because I’ve been to many gigs of my dear friend Mike Caputo and his incredible band Good Stuff who faithfully play the Dan’s amazing music. I also feel fortunate to have seen Steely Dan three times since 2018, most recently in July 2022. Given all of that, celebrating today’s 50th anniversary of the transformational Pretzel Logic album was a no-brainer! BTW, the date coincides with what would have been Becker’s 74th birthday.

Released on February 20, 1974, Pretzel Logic was the final album to feature the Dan’s full quintet lineup and the first to rely on significant contributions from outside top-notch Los Angeles session musicians. Or as Fagen later put it, “the scrupulous meritocracy.” He was referring to the big band era when leaders would hire musicians based on the needs of the music, rather than rely on a standing line-up. Shortly thereafter, Messrs. Fagen and Baker would take the concept to the extreme, stop performing and become a sophisticated studio act.

From Pretzel Logic gatefold (from left): Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Denny Dias, Donald Fagen, Jim Hodder and Walter Becker

Pretzel Logic marked the first album where Fagen and Becker took over as directors of Steely Dan. It’s worthwhile recalling the band’s seeds were planted in the summer of 1970 when guitarist Denny Dias placed the following ad in The Village Voice: “Looking for keyboardist and bassist. Must have jazz chops! Assholes need not apply.” At the time, Fagen and Becker, who first had met in 1967 as students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York and played together in various short-lived bands, were working as pop songwriters for ABC/Dunhill Records in New York City. Confident they were qualified, they responded to the ad, and the rest is history.

After Fagen and Becker had joined Dias’s band, they immediately introduced their own music. Dias fired the group’s remaining members, and the three of them relocated to Los Angeles. Subsequently, Jim Hodder (drums), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (guitar) and David Palmer (vocals) joined the line-up. By the time Steely Dan’s sophomore album Countdown to Ecstasy appeared in July 1973, Palmer had left (though he contributed some backing vocals) and Fagen had taken over as lead vocalist. Becker was still playing bass. That would change on Pretzel Logic where for the first time he also handled some guitar work. Hodder’s role, on the other hand, was reduced to backing vocals.

I’d say it’s time for some music, and where better to start than the amazing opener Rikki Don’t Lose That Number! Jazz connoisseurs, especially fans of Horace Silver, undoubtedly noticed the song’s cool keyboard riff borrowed from Silver’s Song For My Father. Not only does this reflect Fagen’s and Becker’s love of jazz but also nicely illustrates how they incorporated jazz elements in their music. The instrument that can be heard in the beginning is a flapamba, Songfacts notes, a variant of a marimba. One of the song’s standouts is the killer guitar solo by Baxter. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number also appeared separately as the album’s first single in April 1974, climbing to no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Steely Dan’s highest charting in the U.S. By comparison, my all-time favorite Dan song Deacon Blues made it to no. 19. But, hey, 19 means a top 20, which isn’t too shabby either! 🙂

“It’s a beggars life”, said the Queen of Spain/”But don’t tell it to a poor man/’Cause he’s got to kill for every thrill/The best he can” – hm, what did Messrs. Fagen and Becker mean to tell us here? Songtell opines Night By Night explores themes of struggle, survival, and living in the moment. The lyrics depict a world filled with disparity, jealousy, and chaos, where the rich and powerful hold all the peace of mind while the poor and downtrodden have to fight for every small pleasure in life. Old Time Music maintains the lyrics poetically addresses the theme of self-destructive behavior fueled by addiction, both in personal relationships and societal structures. Previously, I read Fagen and Becker wrote some lyrics because they sounded good, so go figure. What I know is quite simple: I love this groovy track and that’s good enough for me!

Any Major Dude Will Tell You, which was the B-side to the Rikki Don’t Lose That Number single, is another great track Songfacts cheerfully calls “fairly obscure”. They also reference a 2009 Rolling Stone interview during which Fagen said this: “When we moved out to LA, people called each other ‘dude,’ which we found funny. We were trying to speak their language.” Notably outside contributors on the recording include prominent session bassist Chuck Rainey , Toto co-founder David Paich on keyboards, and Derek and the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon.

Next up: Barrytown, another great song with a fairly straightforward pop vibe. Barrytown is close to the aforementioned Annandale-on-Hudson. “I used the name of the town because I like the sound of it,” Fagen told student newspaper The Bard Observer during a 1985 visit of Bard College to receive an honorary degree, reversing his previously pronounced resolution never to return to his old school, as documented by Songfacts. “It’s basically a fiction. Funny thing is that I came back to Bard during Thanksgiving this year for the first time since I left. Just drove up for the day. When we got there most of the students were gone. It was pretty amazing walking around campus because a lot of those sites are emotionally charged for me. It was a very bizarre experience for me.”

I’m eight graphs and four songs into this celebratory review and, speaking in vinyl terms, I haven’t even touched the album’s Side two yet! The one song I’d like to call out here is the album’s title track. Referring to 1994 Steely Dan biography Steely Dan: Reelin’ in the Years by Brian Sweet, Songfacts notes Pretzel Logic is about time travel. They add Fagen specifically directed the author (who used to publish a UK-based Steely Dan fanzine) to the lyrics “I would love to tour the Southland/In a traveling minstrel show” and “I have never met Napoleon/But I plan to find the time” – glad we clarified that! Among the guests on the song’s recording is Timothy B. Schmit, of Poco and Eagles fame, who provided backing vocals.

What else is there to say? Pretzel Logic peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard 200, making it Steely Dan’s highest charting album in the U.S. at the time. Elsewhere, it reached no. 5 in Canada, no. 18 in Australia, no. 23 in New Zealand and no. 37 in the UK. It also secured Platinum status (1 million certified sold units) in the U.S. in September 1993.

Among critical accolades, Pretzel Logic was included in Rolling Stone’s inaugural 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, at no. 385, and nearly held that position in the list’s 2012 update (no. 386). Like many other great albums, it didn’t make the most recent 2023 revision. As a consolation, my all-time favorite Dan album Aja did (no. 63), and the current no. 1 is another album I love: Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Songtell; Old Time Music; YouTube; Spotify

Rock Poetry Made in Germany

Until recently, I had never heard of JohnRose. Then, prompted by a post from fellow blogger Lisa from Tao Talk, I checked out Spotify’s Release Radar and came across a song called The Curtains Are Falling. Not only did the neat music catch my attention, but I also noticed the artist’s slight German accent. My curiosity led me to his website and new album The Prophet’s Dance, released on December 8. I love to discover new music that way!

JohnRose is the moniker of German musician and multi-instrumentalist Johannes Rösgen who hails from Koblenz. The small city on the banks of the Rhine is located only one car hour away from where I grew up. In a recent radio interview, Rösgen said his music career started as a 13-year-old guitarist when he formed a school band with a childhood friend. That was back in 1976. Subsequently, he played in various prog and rock cover bands, including Copyright who released an album in 1999. From 2014 to 2017, Rösgen also fronted Giant For A Day who notably opened for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and Alan Parsons.

Rösgen started JohnRose in 2015 and released his debut album under that name, Behind the Gates, the following year. Three additional albums have since appeared, including his latest, The Prophet’s Dance. The “Rock Poet from the Middle Rhine” describes his music as rooted in ’70s prog rock, melodic rock and art rock, naming Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Alan Parsons, Toto, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Gerry Rafferty und Al Stewart as influences.

A press statement notes Rösgen for the most part self-played, recorded and mixed The Prophet’s Dance at a studio close to Koblenz. Out of curiosity, I reached out to Rösgen who kindly confirmed he handled all guitar and keyboard parts. Initially, he also had programmed drums but ultimately decided to ask a friend to play drums. Rösgen also noted two members of his touring band, Paul Wydymanski (bass) and Robert Thomas (keyboards), played on the track Lovers Are Strangers. Paul Bednarek (guitar) and Jens Müller (drums) complete the group’s line-up.

The album’s mastering was done by Stefan Noltemeyer in Berlin. The German producer, musician, sound engineer and published book author previously mastered albums by the likes of Meat Loaf, Santana, Earth Wind & Fire and Toto. I’d say it’s time to take a closer look at some of the songs on The Prophet’s Dance.

The album opens with Calling For You, which is about the longing for responsible political leaders and ultimately the key role people play by voting them in and out of office – at least in a democracy. It’s quiet obvious what prompted the song. With autocratic leadership tendencies on the rise globally, sadly, Calling For You couldn’t be more timely. The song first appeared on October 19, 2023 as the album’s third upfront single.

Manner of Travelling, a catchy pop rocker, is among my early favorites on the album. The description accompanying the YouTube clip explains the upbeat song is “about finding one’s happiness and thus setting one’s own pace in the rhythm of life.” Rösgen’s website adds the song was inspired by a poster he came across in a photo album, which read “Happiness is not a station you arrive at but a manner of travelling.” Manner of Travelling was initially released on August 17, 2023 as the album’s second upfront single.

Around the Lake recalls Rösgen’s frequent walks with his father who suddenly passed away at age 47 when he was only 18 years old. “I couldn’t say goodbye to him and continued my life without him,” Rösgen said. “My memory of him is that the two of us often went for walks together around a lake in my home country and had conversations that, among other things, also prepared me for life as an adult. At some point, I realized that I missed these conversations and that they gave me stability at the time. During my lifetime, memories caught up with me, and I longed to go around the lake with him again.” The touching song premiered on June 14, 2023 as the album’s first single.

This brings me to the cool title track, which first appeared on November 30, 2023 as the fourth upfront single. The song “metaphorically takes the in-depth perspective of a whale as a prophet,” according to the description accompanying the stunning YouTube video. “The contemplative and emotional song reveals a hidden underwater world where whales spend more time playing, dancing and singing than foraging for food, and invites us to pause and turn back.”

The final track I’d like to call out is the album’s closer Let Love Shine. The pop rock song about one lover telling another lover to become partners provides a upbeat ending to a great-sounding album.

When reaching out to Rösgen, I also asked him what’s next. He told me this year he predominantly wants to focus on performing his music live – something he was hardly able to do in 2023 because of the new album – understandably so. Rösgen also hopes to reach more folks who like his music. Last but not least, he’s already writing and recording new songs. I certainly look forward to hearing more music from him. Meanwhile, here’s a Spotify link to The Prophet’s Dance. Hope you dig it as much as I do!

Sources: JohnRose website; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday and hope you’re feeling groovy! I can’t believe it’s December, and we’re well into the year-end holiday season – seems unreal to me. Regardless of how you feel about it, I hope you’ll join me on another trip with the magical music time machine, which starts right now!

Sonny Stitt/The Nearness of You

For our first stop today, let’s set the time controls to 1956 and hope we have enough runway for this baby to 88 miles an hour! American bebop/hard bop jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt, known for his warm tone, recorded more than 100 albums during his active close-to-40-year career. Sometimes viewed as mimicking sax genius Charlie Parker, eventually, Stitt developed his own sound and style. After struggling with heroin and alcoholism through much of his life, Stitt passed away from cancer in 1982 at the age of 58. The Nearness of You, a beautiful composition by Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington, appeared on a 1956 album titled Sonny Stitt Plays. Hank Jones’ piano and Shadow Wilson’s “soft” drums give the tune a bar feel. The recording also features Freddie Green (rhythm guitar) and Wendell Marshall (bass) – my kind of Sunday morning music!

4 Non Blondes/Superfly

Let’s kick it up a few notches with this next pick that takes us to October 1992. About four months later, you couldn’t switch on any mainstream radio station without hearing What’s Up, the major international and only hit for San Francisco-based rock band 4 Non Blondes. The song first appeared on their sole studio album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, as did Superfly – and, no, it’s not a cover of the Curtis Mayfield gem you may know. The song was co-written by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Linda Perry who also penned What’s Up. Unlike the latter, Superfly missed the charts altogether when it appeared in March 1994 as the album’s fourth and final single. During recording sessions for what was supposed to become 4 Non Blondes’ next album, Perry left to launch a solo career, and the group dissolved shortly thereafter.

The Pointer Sisters/Lay It On the Line

I’m in the mood to keep up the intensity, and my proposition is a smoking hot rocker performed by a music act who you may find surprising in this context: The Pointer Sisters. While the American girl group from California may be best known for R&B and pop hits like Jump (For My Love) and I’m So Excited, over their 50-plus-year-and-counting career, they have touched many other genres, including jazz, blues, soul, funk, country, dance and – yes- rock! Lay It On the Line, co-written by Patrick Henderson and Wornell Jones, is the kickass opener of the group’s fifth studio album released in October 1978 and appropriately titled Energy – the very same that included their excellent rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s Fire, which became one of their biggest hits. BTW, the ladies were backed by top notch musicians, which for Lay It On the Line included Waddy Wachtel (lead guitar), Danny Kortchmar (rhythm guitar), as well as Toto’s David Paich (piano), David Hungate (bass) and Jeff Porcaro (drums).

Joe Firstman/Slave or Siren

Time to pay a visit to the current century and the sophomore solo album by Joe Firstman, released in July 2003. The singer-songwriter gained national prominence as bandleader on American late-night TV program Last Call with Carson Daly. After his tenure on the now-defunct NBC show from 2005 to 2009, Firstman founded Americana and roots rock group Cordovas, who over the past five years have become one of my favorite contemporary bands. Here’s Slave or Siren, a great-sounding song off Firstman’s second solo album The War of Women.

The Beatles/A Day In the Life

After nearly five months, I think a visit to my favorite band of all time, who are back in the charts more than 50 years after their breakup, is in order. This shall take us back to May 1967 and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which I continue to think is the best studio album by The Beatles and, frankly, one of the best ever recorded. And while throwing out attributes, why not picking the magnificent closer, which on most days also happens to be my all-time song by the Fab Four: A Day In the Life. While credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as usual, this gem was mostly written by John, with Paul mainly contributing the middle section. As on most Beatles songs, all four members helped shape this masterpiece.

Rush/The Spirit of Radio

Once again, we’re reaching the final destination of yet another Sunday Six. Let’s end it in January 1980 with a great song by Canadian rock band Rush: The Spirit of Radio, off their seventh studio album Permanent Waves. It marked the group’s shift toward more concise arrangements and songs that were more radio-friendly. Evidently, music listeners liked what they heard, propelling the single to no. 22, no. 51 and no. 13 on the mainstream charts in Canada, the US and the UK, respectively. Admittedly, Rush were acquired taste for me, especially their early work featuring very high vocals by Geddy Lee. While Lee doesn’t exactly sound like Hank Marvin on The Spirit of Radio either, I simply have to acknowledge it’s a helluva song!

As usual, I’m going to leave you with a Spotify playlist featuring all of the above stops during this music time travel excursion. It turned out to be pretty rock-oriented, and I hope there’s something you dig and I will see you again soon!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

If I Could Only Take One

Happy Wednesday! It’s time to prepare for another imaginary desert island trip. As usual, this means I need to figure which one song to take with me.

In case you’re new to this weekly recurring feature, there’re a few other rules. My pick needs to be by an artist or band I’ve only rarely written about or not covered at all to date. I’m also doing this exercise in alphabetical order, and I’m up to “t”.

There are plenty of artists (last names) and bands whose name starts with the letter “t”. Some include Taj Mahal, Tears For Fears, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Temptations, Thin Lizzy, Pete Townshend, Tina Turner, Toto, Traffic, T. Rex and The Turtles. And then there’s the group I decided to pick: Talking Heads. My song choice: Burning Down the House.

Burning Down the House, credited to all four members of the band, David Byrne (lead vocals, guitar), Jerry Harrison (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Tina Weymouth (bass, backing vocals) and Chris Frantz (drums, backing vocals), first appeared on their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues released in June 1983. It also became the record’s first single and the group’s highest-charting song in North America, climbing to no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 8 in Canada. It did best in New Zealand where it peaked at no. 5. In Australia, on the other hand, it stalled at no. 94.

The origins of Talking Heads go back to 1973 when Rhode Island School of Design students David Byrne and Chris Frantz started a band called the Artistics. The following year, fellow student and Frantz’s girlfriend Tina Weymouth joined on bass after Byrne and Frantz had been unable to find a bassist. At that point, all three had relocated to New York.

In early June 1975, the group played their first gig as Talking Heads, opening for the Ramones at renowned New York City music club CBGB. After signing to Sire Records in November 1976, Talking Heads released their first single Love → Building on Fire in February 1977. The following month, Jerry Harrison joined, completing the group’s lineup ahead of recording their debut album Talking Heads: 77.

While Talking Heads: 77 enjoyed moderate chart success, it was voted the year’s seventh-best album in The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics’ poll. Subsequently, it was ranked at no. 291 in Rolling Stone’s 2012 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It didn’t make the most recent revision published in 2020. Until their break-up in December 1991, Talking Heads released seven additional albums. Also noteworthy is the acclaimed concert film Stop Making Sense shot over three nights in December 1983 during the tour that supported the Speaking in Tongues album.

After their disbanding, David Byrne launched a solo career, while the three remaining members toured in the early ’90s, billed as Shrunken Heads. In October 1996, they released an album, No Talking, Just Head as The Heads. Byrne wasn’t amused and took legal action to prevent the band from using the name The Heads. Talking Heads reunited one more time in March 2002 for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hame of Fame. During an induction performance, they were joined on stage by former touring members Bernie Worrell and Steve Scales.

Following are a few additional tidbits on Burning Down the House from Songfacts:

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz and bass player Tina Weymouth, married since 1977, are big fans of funk. When they went to a P-Funk show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the crowd started chanting, “Burn down the house, burn down the house” (this is before “The Roof Is on Fire”), which gave Frantz the idea for the title...

…With a lot of help from MTV, who gave the video a lot of play, this song became Talking Heads’ biggest hit. It didn’t get a great deal of radio play at the time, but has endured as an ’80s classic and is often used in movies and TV shows, including Gilmore Girls, 13 Going on 30, Six Feet Under, Revenge of the Nerds and Someone Like You…

…The music video was directed by David Byrne and was the first Talking Heads video to show the full band – their famous “Once In A Lifetime” video is just Byrne. The house seen in the video was located in Union, New Jersey, but it was shot at a New York City club called The World…

…The Talking Heads original recording failed to reach the UK charts. The song only became a British hit in 1999 when Tom Jones teamed up with The Cardigans for an entirely different version. Released as a single from his album of collaborations titled Reload, it peaked at #7.

There is also a cool cover of Burning Down the House by Bonnie Raitt, which she included on her live album Road Tested that came out in November 1995. Here’s a great clip of her rendition from December 2010. In my completely unbiased opinion, I think Bonnie is stealing the show, truly burning down the house! 🙂

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube; Spotify

After Various Attempts, The Starrs Were Finally Aligned at The Beacon

I finally got to see Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Tuesday night at New York City’s storied Beacon Theatre. While as a huge Beatles fan I can’t quite explain why this didn’t happen years ago, I know one thing for sure: The night turned out to be a great memorable experience that was worth the wait!

At the beginning of the concert, which kicked off shortly after 8:00 p.m. with no opening act, Ringo noted that after various previously cancelled attempts he was glad to be back on the road. Based on the vibe he projected throughout the gig, those were honest words from a close to 82-year-old artist who still loves to perform.

The Beacon Theatre framed by construction scaffolding. And, nope, that black Mercedes wasn’t Ringo’s limousine.

One sad note: All Starr member Edgar Winter was absent. Ringo explained he had come down with COVID. Since his keyboards had been set up, I assume Winter literally must have found out just hours before the gig. But as professional musicians do, they decided the show must go on. Not only do I join Ringo who wished Winter the best, but I also hope nobody else from the band and the supporting staff got infected and the long postponed tour can go on.

Another bit of a bummer: I didn’t capture any video. You can thank the Beacon Theatre’s usher police. I’ve rarely seen ushers constantly pacing back and forth and telling people not to take photos or videos. Granted these are the official rules but, come on, regular concert visitors snapping some photos or taking some video aren’t doing this for profit.

Yes, there is a smile behind that bloody mask!

Well, other than taking a couple of pictures, I didn’t want to become a troublemaker, especially when the performer’s key motto is ‘peace and love’. Instead, I’m relying on YouTube videos captured by some other terrible violators! None of the clips was captured Tuesday night, but they are all from the current tour and feature Edgar Winter. And while he was defintely missed, the group did a great job without him.

Speaking of the All Starr Band beyond Ringo, each member had moments when they truly shined. The first two I’d like to call out are saxophonist Warren Ham, who also played flute and harmonica and sang vocals. Then there was British guitarist and bassist Hamish Stuart, a co-founder of Scottish funk and R&B group Average White Band, aka AWB. Check out their and and the band’s great rendition of AWB’s Pick Up the Pieces, off their 1974 eponymous sophomore album. And, yep, that’s Steve Lukather on bass, who occassionally traded the instrument with Stuart.

Colin Hay, best known as songwriter, guitarist and lead vocalist of Aussie band Men At Work, stood out on vocals, still sounding like business as usual in the ’80s, especially on Men At Work songs. Here’s Overkill, a tune from the band’s sophomore album Cargo, released in April 1993. Check out Hay hitting high notes at around 3 minutes. Hay also perfectly nailed the high notes on Toto’s Africa, a vocal highlight of the night. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a clip that did the performance full justice.

Steve Lukather was great on guitar. Here here’s rocking out on Hold the Line, Toto’s debut single from October 1978, which gave them a big hit from the get-go. When anouncing the tune on Tuesday night, Lukather said he was 19 years old when Toto recorded that tune, adding in a few months he’s turning 65. I’ve always loved that song!

So where the heck is Ringo in all of this, you may wonder. Well, to begin with, he shared drumming responsibilities with Gregg Bissonette, and they both looked like they were having fun behind their kits. And then, of course, he also did some singing. Here’s Photograph, co-written by him and George Harrison, and first released in September 1973 as the lead single of Ringo’s eponymous third studio album that came out in November that year.

Following is the setlist from Tuesday night:
• Matchbox (Carl Perkins cover)
• It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr song)
• What Goes On (Beatles cover)
• Rosanna (Toto cover feat. Steve Lukather)
• Pick Up the Pieces (AWB cover feat. Hamish Stuart)
• Down Under (Men At Work cover feat. Colin Hay)
• Boys (Shirelles cover feat. Ringo Starr)
• I’m The Greatest (Ringo Starr song)
• Yellow Submarine (Beatles cover feat. Ringo Starr)
• Cut the Cake (WAB cover feat. Hamish Stuart)
• Octupus’s Garden (Beatles cover feat. Ringo Starr)
• Back Off Boogaloo (Ringo Starr song)
• Overkill (Men At Work cover feat. Colin Hay)
• Africa (Toto cover feat. Steve Lukather)
• Work to Do (Isley Brothers cover feat. Hamish Stuart)
• I Wanna Be Your Man (Beatles cover feat. Ringo Starr)
• Who Can It Be Now? (Men At Work cover feat. Colin Hay)
• Hold the Line (Toto cover feat. Steve Lukather)
• Photograph (Ringo Starr song)
• Act Naturally (Johnny Russell cover feat. Ringo Starr)
• With a Little Help From My Friends/Give Peace A Chance (Beatles cover feat. Ringo; John Lennon cover)

Tuesday night’s gig was the second of three dates Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band did at the Beacon Theatre. Tomorrow night, they play Count Basie Theater, a great venue in Red Bank, N.J., before moving on to State Theater in Easton, Penn. (June 11) and Providenc PAC in Providence, R.I. (June 12). The current leg of the North American tour wraps up in Clearwater, Fla. on June 26. Part 2 starts in Bridgeport, Conn. on September 23. The full current schedule is here. If you haven’t seen Ringo yet and like his music and the All Starr Band concept, I can highly recommend the show!

Sources: Wikipedia; Setlist.fm; Ringo Starr website; YouTube

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Kick Off Long-Awaited North American Tour

…We’re on the road again/We’re on the road again/We’re on the road again/We’re gonna play some rock ‘n’ roll, that’s true/Now we’re heading down the highway to play for you...

The above excerpt from We’re On the Road Again, the opener of Ringo Starr’s 2017 studio album Give More Love, was my first thought when getting a recent email reminder for my scheduled upcoming gig by Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band at New York City’s storied Beacon Theatre. This prompted me to check on the status of their tour, which had been derailed twice in 2020 and then again in 2021 due to you know what! It’s now official. Ringo and his revolving cast of prominent bandmates are back on the road, the best news I’ve heard in a long time!

The tour kicked off on May 27 in Canada at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. An announcement on Ringo’s website notes the show marked the fifth time the band launched a tour at that venue after 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2014. The large casino, hotel and entertainment complex is located on the reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation.

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band perform at Casino Rama on Friday, May 27, 2022. PHOTO BY DARREN EAGLES /PHOTO

“It’s loose,” Ringo told the Toronto Sun when describing the atmosphere at Casino Rama and explaining why the band chose the venue yet again to kick off another tour. “For a week we live here and we just go to the same stage. It’s good being in the same vicinity as where we’re rehearsing.”

Following are some clips taken by concert attendees of both the initial May 27 show and the second Rama date of May 28. First up: It Don’t Come Easy, which has always been one of my favorite Ringo tunes. The song, which he co-wrote with George Harrison who also produced it, first appeared as a non-album single in April 1971. It was Ringo’s second solo single. The tune may be titled “it don’t come easy”, but you don’t get the sense performing it posed any bigger challenge to Ringo who is turning 82 in July and seems to be in superb shape!

While Ringo undoubtedly is central to the All Starr Band, the idea behind the live “rock supergroup”, which he founded in 1989, has always been to go beyond Ringo’s songs and showcase tunes by the band’s members. Now in its 15th iteration, the group features longtime members Steve Lukather (of Toto), Colin Hay (formerly of Men At Work), Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart (formerly of Average White Band) and Gregg Bissonette, as well as alumni Edgar Winter whose first tenure was from 2006 to 2011. Speaking of Edgar, here’s Free Ride, a song written by Dan Hartman and originally recorded in 1972 by the Edgar Winter Group. Yeah, baby, this rocks!

How ’bout some Aussie music. Ask you shall receive. Here’s Colin Hay with Men at Work’s Down Under. One of the band’s best-known tunes, Down Under appeared on Business As Usual, the group’s debut album released in November 1981. Hay’s proposition of the vegemite sandwich still sounds pretty tasty.

Three clips in, you may wonder, and no Beatles? Agree, this borders on a crime. Here’s Octopus’s Garden, one of two songs Ringo not only sang but also wrote for the band. The second one was Don’t Pass Me By. He penned Octopus’s Garden during a boating trip with his family in Sardinia after he had walked out on The Beatles during The White Album sessions in 1968. Of course, we know the rest of the story. When Ringo returned, he found his drum kit covered with flowers, thanks to George, and Octopus’s Garden ended up on Abbey Road, the actual final Beatles album, even though it was released in September 1969, eight months prior to Let It Be.

Let’s do one more: With a Little Help From My Friends combined with a snippet of Give Peace a Chance, the show finale. With a Little Help From My Friends, off Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was among the final songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney truly wrote together. Give Peace a Chance, recorded May 31, 1969 at a “bed-in” Lennon staged with Yoko Ono in a room at Queen Elizabeth’s Hotel in Montreal, was Lennon’s first solo hit.

Here’s the setlist from the May 27 show, as reported by the Toronto Sun:
• Matchbox
• It Don’t Come Easy
• What Goes On
• Free Ride
• Rosanna
• Pick Up the Pieces
• Down Under
• Boys
• I’m The Greatest
• Yellow Submarine
• Cut the Cake
• Overkill
• Africa
• Work to Do
• I Wanna Be Your Man
• Johnny B. Goode
• Who Can It Be Now
• Hold the Line
• Photograph
• Act Naturally
• With a Little Help From My Friends/Give Peace A Chance

“I can’t wait to get back out on the road and play,” Ringo said in the above statement that was issued in February. “This is the longest I’ve been off the road in years – up until 2020 I was touring every year with the All Starrs – and I’ve really missed it. Making music in the studio has been great, and it certainly saved me during the pandemic, but nothing beats playing live with great musicians in front of an audience. I love my fans and they love me and it’s going to be wonderful to be peace and loving and playing for them again.” That’s the spirit!

Tonight, Ringo and His All Starr Band are playing CMAC in Canandaigua, N.Y., before moving on to Boston’s Wang Theater on June 2 and Hanover Theater in Worcester, Mass. on June 3. The full tour schedule is available here.

Sources: Wikipedia; Ringo Starr website; Toronto Sun; Songfacts; YouTube

My Playlist: Fastball

When I recall a song I haven’t heard in ages, I tend to revisit the band or artist who performed it, especially if I don’t know them well beyond a tune or two. That’s what happened with Fastball when I remembered The Way the other day and included the cool tune in my last Sunday Six feature. After sampling a bunch of other songs from different albums by the American alternative-rock-turned-power pop band, I liked what I heard and decided to put together this profile and playlist.

Fastball were formed in 1994 in Austin, Texas by Tony Scalzo (vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar), Miles Zuniga (vocals, guitar) and Joey Shuffield (drums, percussion). After Shuffield had introduced Zunigo to Scalzo who had been with California group The Goods, the three of them decided to start their own group.

Following a series of names, including Star 69, Magneto, Magneto USA, Ed Clark’s Business Bible and Starchy, they decided on Fastball. What appears to be a baseball metaphor is definitely more memorable than some of the other names they had considered. Fastball managed to quickly gain popularity in the Austin music scene. After a local journalist had seen them perform, they brought them to the attention of Hollywood Records, which led to a record deal soon thereafter.

Up to that point, Fastball’s story almost looked like a fairytale. Other bands struggle for years to sign with a label if they ever get that far. But the Texas group’s ride wouldn’t be without bumps. While their debut album Make Your Mama Proud from April 1996 yielded a win in the “Best Pop Band” category at the Austin Music Awards (tied with The Wannabes, another Austin group), the record sold poorly (about 5,500 copies as of April 1998). Suddenly, the future was wide open, to creatively borrow from Tom Petty, and all of the band’s members felt compelled to keep their day jobs.

Then came their break – again, something many music artists never get. And it was a big one. In February 1998, Fastball released the above-mentioned The Way, the lead single of their then-upcoming sophomore album All the Pain Money Can Buy. The Way, which only was the group’s second single, hit no. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, as well as in Canada on both the mainstream and alternative rock charts. Overseas, it also reached no. 7 in Sweden and no. 21 in the UK.

By September, only six months after its release, All the Pain Money Can Buy had sold more than a million copies in the U.S. alone, thus reaching Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Interestingly, the album “only” reached no. 29 on the Billboard 200. It did better in Canada where it climbed to no. 18 and also charted in a few European countries. Fastball had arrived. But their commercial and chart performance would be short-lived – again, an all-too-familiar playbook in the brutal music business.

In September 2000, Fastball’s third album appeared. It was appropriately titled The Harsh Light of Day. While it received positive reviews, once again, it turned out to be a record that didn’t sell well. As of January 2004, sales totaled a mere 84,000 copies – definitely a harsh drop compared to the predecessor’s million units sold in just six months! It also was the group’s last album to make the Billboard 200, reaching no. 97.

Despite lacking chart and commercial success, Fastball managed to soldier on. They remain active to this day in their original line-up and have since released four additional studio albums. Their catalog also includes two live records and a compilation. I’d say the time has come to take a closer look at some of their songs. And there’s definitely more to this band than The Way.

I’d like to do this in chronological order starting with Fastball’s debut album Make Your Mama Proud from April 1996. Compared to their sophomore record, the songs on their debut effort sound a bit rawer and remind me a little of Green Day’s 1994 album Dookie. Here’s the title track, written by Scalzo.

Turning to Fastball’s hugely successful second album All the Pain Money Can Buy, I’m skipping The Way, since I just covered it (though the tune is included in the Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post). Instead, I’d like to highlight Out of My Head, the only other song that had sounded vaguely familiar when checking out the band’s music. Penned by Scalzo, the song also became the third single off the album and the last to make the Billboard Hot 100, climbing to no. 20 – interestingly outperforming The Way, which missed the U.S. mainstream chart but as noted above was pretty successful elsewhere.

You’re an Ocean is a catchy pop-rock tune from Fastball’s third album The Harsh Light of Day, the last appearing on the band’s original label Hollywood Records. Once again, the song was written by Scalzo. The record featured some notable guests, including Billy Preston and Brian Setzer.

In June 2004, Fastball released their fourth album. Previously, they had signed with new record label Rykodisc. The record was mixed by Bob Clearmountain who is known for having worked with major acts like Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Toto and Bon Jovi. Two tracks, Someday and Red Light, were produced by Adam Schlesinger who among others founded Fountains of Wayne. Here’s Someday written by Miles Zuniga – nice power pop! The album did not chart.

The Beatlesque The Malcontent (The Modern World) is from Fastball’s fifth studio album Keep Your Wig On that came out in April 2009. The band had switched labels, and the record appeared on MRI/RED Distribution. It was co-produced by Miles Zuniga and CJ Eiriksson, with mixing once again done by Bob Clearmountain.

The last tune I’d like to highlight is Friend or Foe, the opener of Fastball’s seventh and most recent studio album The Help Machine from October 2019. The song was written by Zuniga. The record appeared on the group’s own 33 1/3 label.

It’s a pity Fastball have largely been under the radar screen for the past 20 years or so. I find their melodic rock and power pop that oftentimes is reminiscent of The Beatles and Badfinger enjoyable. Here’s a Spotify playlist featuring the above and some additional tunes by the group.

“When I look at our catalog, there’s not a bad record in there,” notes drummer Joey Shuffield in the band’s online bio, “We’ve been through our ups and downs, but I think we’ve really found our groove over the last few years.”

“We spent a lot of time on a major label, so initially the transition back to being an indie band was a little bumpy,” Shuffield further points out. “But now it feels comfortable being responsible for everything ourselves, because that way we’re more likely to get it right. We’re all so into the music now, and I think you can hear that on the last couple of albums.”

Adds Tony Scalzo: “It’s only natural that you get better at what you do as you get older and more experienced. But you can’t always figure that out when you’re in your 20s. Now that we’re on our own label, the pressure’s all on us, and that’s fine. All I ever really wanted was a consistent creative outlet, and we’ve got that now.”

Sources: Wikipedia; Fastball website; YouTube; Spotify

Best of What’s New

Another Saturday is upon us, and this means it’s time to take a fresh look at newly released music. All featured tracks in this post appear on releases that came out yesterday (September 24). Without further ado, let’s get to it!

Third Eye Blind/Goodbye to the Day of Ladies and Gentlemen

Third Eye Blind are an alternative rock band founded in San Francisco in 1993. In the early 1990s, singer-songwriter and guitarist Stephan Jenkins set out to start the group. He worked on early material with bassist Jason Slater that resulted in the band’s first demo. In their early years, Third Eye Blind experienced frequent line-up changes. After Slater’s departure, guitarist Kevin Cadogan joined with whom Jenkins developed a songwriting partnership. In June 1996, the group signed with Elektra Records. Despite significant challenges, Third Eye Blind’s eponymous debut album finally appeared in April 1997. It reached no. 25 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200, also charted in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and has sold more than six million copies, becoming the band’s best-selling album to date. Third Blind Eye have since since released six additional records including their latest, Our Bande Apart. Here’s the nice opener Goodbye to the Day of Ladies and Gentlemen penned by Jenkins who also wrote or co-wrote all of the album’s remaining tracks.

Jesse Malin/Greener Pastures

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Jesse Malin started his career in 1980 when he was only 12 years old as frontman of New York hardcore group Heart Attack. In 1991, he co-founded D Generation, a glam punk band, in which he continues to perform as lead vocalist to this day. After the group’s break-up in 1999 (they reunited in 2011), Malin launched a solo career. Influenced by Neil Young, Steve Earle and Tom Waits, he changed his sound. His solo debut The Fine Art of Self-Destruction first came out in the UK in October 2002 before it appeared in the U.S. in January 2003. Eight additional solo albums by Malin have since been released. Here’s Greener Pastures, a beautiful tune from Malin’s new Americana-oriented album Sad and Beautiful World.

Mac McCaughan/The Sound of Yourself

According to his profile on Apple Music, Mac McCaughan wears multiple hats. He is a co-founder of the seminal indie band Superchunk, founder and leader of Portastatic, a former member of Seam and Go Back Snowball, and co-owner of Merge Records, one of America’s most successful and influential independent labels. Despite his success, McCaughan has strayed little from his punk rock principles in terms of both music and business, and after more than 25 years of making records, he opted to launch a belated solo career in 2015 with the release of the synthy Non-Believers...While Superchunk continued releasing albums of the high-energy fuzz pop they were known for, McCaughan furthered his deepening fascination with synth sounds, collaborating with ambient harpist Mary Lattimore on a series of improvisations that was released in 2019 as the New Rain Duets album by the Three Lobed label. This brings me to his latest solo release, The Sound of Yourself. Here’s the title track. I like it!

Ringo Starr/Let’s Change the World

Only six months after Zoom In, Ringo Starr is out with another EP, Change the World. Of course, I couldn’t ignore it! Just like the previous EP, the four tracks were recorded at Starr’s Roccabella West studio, according to a recent announcement on his website. “I’ve been saying I only want to release EPs at this point and this is the next one,” he commented. “What a blessing it’s been during this year to have a studio here at home and be able to collaborate with so many great musicians, some I’ve worked with before and some new friends.” Guest artists include Joseph Williams and Steve Lukather, both from Toto, as well as Joe Walsh and Nathan East, among others. Here’s the title track co-written by Williams and Lukather. Backing vocals were provided by Amy Keys, Zelma Davis, Billy Valentine and Darryl Phinnessee. Let’s Change the World perfectly fits the hope and optimism Ringo Starr continues to radiate at age 81 – I just love the man!

Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; Ringo Starr website; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Welcome to another installment of The Sunday Six, my weekly recurring feature where I stretch out across different genres and different decades to celebrate music I dig, six tracks at a time. This edition features blue-eyed soul/R&B, Americana rock and Stax soul, bookended by two beautiful guitar-driven instrumentals. It touches the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2021.

Marisa Anderson & William Tyler/Hurricane Light

Kicking off this post is beautiful instrumental music by Portland, Ore.-based guitarist and composer Marisa Anderson. From her website: Marisa Anderson channels the history of the guitar and stretches the boundaries of tradition. Her deeply original work applies elements of minimalism, electronic music, drone and 20th century classical music to compositions based on blues, jazz, gospel and country music, re-imagining the landscape of American music…Classically trained, she honed her skills playing in country, jazz and circus bands. Originally from Northern California, Anderson dropped out of college at age nineteen to walk across the US and after more than decade of wandering landed in Portland, Oregon, where she currently lives. Hurricane Light is a track from Anderson’s new album, Lost Futures, which appeared on August 27 and which she recorded together with William Tyler, a fellow guitarist from Nashville, Tenn. I find this music super relaxing. It’s got a cinematic feel to it, which perhaps isn’t surprising. Anderson’s website also notes she writes scores for short films and soundtracks.

Boz Scaggs/Lowdown

Let’s jump back 45 years to a very cool tune by Boz Scaggs. Lowdown, which features a seductive funky bassline and is smooth at the same time, is from Scaggs’ seventh studio album Silk Degrees released in February 1976. Co-written by Scaggs and then-future Toto co-founder David Paich, the song also became the highest-charting single off the album, climbing to no. 3 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, it peaked at no. 2. It also charted in the UK and Australia. BTW, that neat bassline was played by David Hungate, another soon-to-become original member of Toto. And there was a third musician who would join Paich and Hungate to form Toto the following year, together with Steve Lukather and Bobby Kimball: drummer Jeff Porcaro. Scaggs started his career in 1959 in high school as vocalist in Steve Miller’s first band The Marksmen. The two musicians continued to play together in a few other groups, including Steve Miller Band. After staying with them for the first two albums, Scaggs secured a recording deal for himself and focused on his solo career. He is still active and has released 19 solo albums to date, the most recent of which, Out of the Blues, appeared in July 2018.

Steve Earle & The Dukes/I Ain’t Ever Satisfied

When my streaming music provider served up I Ain’t Ever Satisfied the other day, I was immediately hooked. I’ve listened to some of Steve Earle’s catalog, but there is a lot left for me to explore. I Ain’t Ever Satisfied, written by Earle, appeared on his sophomore album Exit 0 from May 1987, which he recorded together with his backing band The Dukes. The album placed in the U.S. and Canadian mainstream charts at no. 90 and no. 36, respectively, and earned Earle two 1988 Grammy nominations for Best Male Country Vocalist and Best Country Song. Earle has released 21 studio albums to date, including collaborations with Del McCoury Band and Shawn Colvin. His most recent album J.T., a tribute to his oldest son Justin Townes Earle who passed away from a drug overdose in August 2020, was released in early January this year. I previously reviewed it here.

Son Volt/Driving the View

Alternative country and Americana rock band Son Volt are a recent discovery for me. They entered my radar screen with their latest album Electro Melodier, which came out at the end of July. I featured a tune from it in a previous Best of What’s New installment. The group around singer-songwriter and guitarist Jay Farrar was formed by him in 1994 after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, another alt. country outfit he had co-founded in 1987. Son Volt’s studio debut Trace appeared in September 1995. To date, the band has released 10 albums. In addition to Farrar, the current members include Chris Frame (guitar), Mark Spencer (keyboards, steel guitar),  Andrew DuPlantis (bass) and Mark Patterson (drums). Here’s Driving the View, a great track from Son Volt’s third studio album Wide Swing Tremolo that appeared in October 1998.

Wilson Pickett/In the Midnight Hour

Next we’re going back to 1965 and Memphis, Tenn. for some sweet soul music recorded at the Stax studio. By the time Atlantic recording artist Wilson Pickett recorded In the Midnight Hour, Stax founder Jim Stewart had signed a formal national distribution deal with Atlantic Records, a contract that would come to haunt him when Atlantic Records was sold to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967 and Stax would lose the rights to all Atlantic-distributed recordings between 1960 and 1967. Coming back to a happier subject, In the Midnight Hour was co-written by Pickett and guitarist Steve Cropper, a founding member of Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.s, who also was the label’s A&R man. M.G.s members Al Jackson Jr. (drums) and Donald “Duck” Dunn (bass) participated in the recording session. In the Midnight Hour, which appeared in June 1965, also was the title track of Pickett’s sophomore album released the same year. The tune became Pickett’s first no. 1 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and his highest charting song at the time on the mainstream Billboard Hot 100, where it reached no. 21. Just a timeless soul classic!

Robben Ford/A Dragon Tail

For the last track in this installment, we’re going back to the present time and a killer instrumental by guitarist extraordinaire Robben Ford, off his new album Pure that came out on August 27. Ford, who began playing the saxophone at age 10 before he discovered the guitar as a 13-year-old, has had a remarkable career. He has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Charlie Musselwhite, Larry Carlton and Little Feat, among many others. His solo debut Schizophonic, a jazz album, came out in 1976. Ford has since released close to 30 additional records under his name. This doesn’t include any of his collaboration albums. While primarily being associated with blues, Ford has played many other genres, including jazz, rock and funk. He has been nominated for five Grammys and was named one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century” by trade publication Musician magazine that folded in 1999. Here’s A Dragon Tail from Ford’s above mentioned new album. Check out this amazing sound!

Sources: Wikipedia; Marissa Anderson website; YouTube

Clips & Pix: Toto/Pamela

I realize this is the second Clips & Pix post in a row about a tune I already covered previously, but when I spotted this live rendition of Pamela by Toto on YouTube, I simply couldn’t resist publishing it. This was recorded during a one night special event on November 21, 2020, featuring Toto’s new line-up. And, boy, do they sound awesome!

After the end of Toto’s 2018-2019 40 Trips Around the Sun Tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary, it looked like they were done. Not so! The above event was the first time the band performed with their new formation. In addition to long-time members Steve Lukather (guitar, vocals), Joseph Williams (vocals) and David Paich (keyboards, vocals), Toto’s 15th incarnation includes Steve Maggiora (keyboards, backing vocals), Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (keyboards), Warren Ham (saxophone, percussion, backing vocals), John Pierce (bass) and Robert “Sput” Searight (drums).

Fifteen line-ups sounds like awfully many. And as bands go through multiple changes, things don’t necessarily get better. It can take time to become a true unit. In this case, all of the above musicians not only sound top notch but also do a nice job playing together. In my opinion, the standout is Searight. While I’m not a drummer, to me, he has great rhythmic feeling and is simply a joy to watch. Pay particular attention to him!

Pamela, co-written by Paich and Williams, first appeared on The Seventh One, Toto’s seventh studio album released in March 1988 – one of their best, in my view. Sadly, it was the last studio album with Jeff Porcaro, the band’s fantastic original drummer. It certainly can’t be easy to fill his shoes, but Searight looks like he’s the guy to do it!

Toto has already announced a major new tour. I guess there are still many fans out there, and it’s probably also lucrative for them to go on the road. The Dogz of Oz World Tour is scheduled to kick off in Germany in July 2022. If they come to my neck of the woods, I will seriously consider seeing them again.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube