A Portrait of Joe Meek.

"Let's Go! Joe Meek's Girls." Compilation released in 1996.

I was planning on never reviewing a compilation, or reviewing an album that was released in 1996. However, this album is one of the rare exceptions I have found. The album itself was released in 1996, but it contains decades and decades of songs that British producer Joe Meek put out with different (somewhat unknown) female artists. 


Joe Meek, himself is one of the most fascinating people I have read about in the music biz for some time. I think apart of me wanted to review this album, in the event that someone else would dive as deeply into his life as I have and learn about his remarkable story.
He was a pioneer in the England as a producer and songwriter,and his career began in 1954 when he moved to London and began working as an audio engineer for an independent radio station. He then went on to become the founder of Triumph Records and then eventually went on to set up his own recording studio in his three floor home above a leather goods store in 1960. 
His style of recording, the techniques and methods of manipulation to get the 'perfect sound' has become groundbreaking for producers all the way up to current day. He was a legend. A lot of the articles I read about him explain that while other audio techs were still wearing white lab coats and pocket protectors, Joe Meek stood out as being eccentric as he worked out of his home, and  used almost anything to distort sounds, using reverb and echo effects on voices for the first time.

Another funny side story, taken from his biography written by Joe Repsch called 'The Legendary Joe Meek'.. He passed up the chance to work with the then unknown David Bowie, the Beatles (the latter he once described as "just another bunch of noise, copying other people's music") and Rod Stewart. Repsch recounts that upon hearing Stewart sing, Meek rushed into the studio, put his fingers in his hears and screamed until Stewart had left.


While he was carrying out his career, he recorded 245 singles including the 29 on this track. I love this album, and when you listen you can see the theme that someone was going for when they put it together. All of the female singers are reminiscent of the 1950's-1960's girl doo-wop bands. However, the reason why this album stands out is because the music in the background definitely has a unique sound than anything else going on at that time. There are echos, weird synthesizers, and the some of the vocals have an eerie effect. He uses samples and other techniques that were unheard of at the time. I find this album intriguing and a great overall representation of his life's work, wrapped in a neat little package (Some of his other albums are very strange and hard to listen to on a regular basis). 
However, although I love this album I think his life is more interesting. In 1967 after battling depression and paranoia and having to conceal his homosexuality (illegal in the U.K at the time) Joe Meek grabbed a shotgun and in a crazy/blind rage killed his landlady and then himself. Today, there are documentaries/movies and plays about his life. Specifically, one film came out after a play called Telstar: The Joe Meek Story in 2009 and starred Kevin Spacey. He is definitely worth looking to. I though instead of posting the album information, I will post a link to one of his many docs. (Its an hour long..) and also post one of the songs on his album Let's Go!


 Documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tcS91fL8jQ&feature=related

Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdV7GKzrqjU

A Conversation about' The Stranger'

Billy Joel- 'The Stranger' 1977


I decided to do something different with this blog post/album review. Instead of giving the history of Billy Joel and the play by play of the tracks I took a different approach. I put on the record ‘The Stranger’ in my room and while all my roommates sat around and listened to it, I cleverly recorded their conversation and will now write it down as it happened the other night. Be aware these are twenty something year old males, and I could not censor them. Like good journalism, I just took it all in. I could only get through the first seven songs, before they all got completely off track. I  only wrote down what pertained to the topic at hand.The key players are Josh, Zac and Coulson. I will set the scene for you now.

It’s 10 pm on a Wednesday evening. Everyone is sitting around enjoying a glass of gin (we were feeling classy) and then Billy Joel’s ‘The Stranger’ side A begins to play.

First song ‘Moving Out’ begins.

J-  “Laughs. I love when the motorcycle revs in this song”
Z- “It revs my engine. Laughs”
J- “Wait. I think it may be a car.’
(They get off topic about something that doesn’t matter)..

The Song ‘The Stranger’ Begins

J-”This song reminds me of when I was little, driving with my mom to Cederdale. And it’s weird because the song is called ‘The Stranger’ but I think it’s about himself?”
(They continue to get off topic once again)
Me (Interjecting)- “Did you guys know Billy Joel drank a lot and I’m pretty sure he married a 19 year old when he was like fifty something?”
Z- “That’s wicked sick.”
J- “Yeah, we obviously know about that. It’s like common knowledge.”

‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’ Begins
J- “I never could tell if this song is going to annoy me or not, but it doesn’t.”
Z- “Yeah, no.”
Z- “I don’t really know but this always sounds like two songs, because everyone forgets what it’s going to end up being at the end of the song.”
Me- “Yeah, like ‘Band on the Run’ it’s so crazy. It has like three different parts and if I just heard one part I would have a hard time figuring out what it was.”

Switches to Side B.
‘Vienna’ Begins.
J-”I always wonder if he thinks about Vienna fingers when he plays this song.Laughs”
No one laughs.
Silence.
Z-”This song is beautiful. I want to dance to it at my wedding. Laughs.”

‘Only the Good Die Young’ Begins.

J- “This song is like immediately uplifting.”
Coulson Enters.
C-”You guys remember that kid Pat St. Pierre has the name of this song tattooed on his arm because his little brother died?”

Everyone is silent. The mood immediately becomes gloomy.
Everyone starts to wonder why Coulson even came in the room, in the first place.

Z- “Holy Shit Coulson.”
C- “What?”
Z- “That really killed it for everyone.”
J- (keeping the faith alive) “This song has a similar theme to Uptown Girls.”

Track Listing *= personal favorties

1. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)- 3:30
2. The Stranger- 5:10
3. Just the Way you Are- 4:52 (ours skipped)
4. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant- 7:37*
5. Vienna- 3:34
6. Only the Good Die Young- 3:55*
7. She’s Always a Woman- 3:21
8. Get it Right the First Time- 3:57
9.Everybody Has A Dream/The Stranger- 6:38

Steely Dan's Many Masks

A Character Piece: The Many Masks of Steely Dan’s ‘Aja’ 1977

Scene 1. Picture This. It’s evening time, perhaps the twinkling at dusk. You are in the mood for some tunes, nothing too abrasive but also a little more aggressive than easy listening. You pop open a bottle of wine, maybe you are hoping for some romance in the near future or are spending a quiet night alone. Either way you are looking to feel good, maybe even a little sassier than usual. The needle drops and the smooth cracking of the record begins- there is a quiet hush before you are fully submerged in the wonderful, charming world of Steely Dan’s ‘Aja’.

Scene 2. I’m writing part of this review at a bar down the street from my house, called the Bus Stop Pub and when I look around at the wood panelled walls and untouched 70’s decor it reminds me of this album. I take a huge gulp of Budweiser, and for a brief moment I am brought back to the late 70’s and early 80’s. This seven track album makes me feel like a smoozy, twenty something year old all dressed up to go to a dark, smoky back room bar.

The fusion between rock and r+b is very well balanced on this album creating a dancey atmosphere specifically with songs like ‘Peg’. With the slow heavy bass parts, horns as well as the solid guitar and drums ‘Aja’ in my own humble opinion, was ahead of the curve in the late 1970’s, and created a solid foundation for the 1980s.

The lead singer Donald Fagen’s voice, which is a little bit higher pitched is upbeat and pleasant. His ability to delegate which words to emphasize and hold out gives an added bonus, as well as an element of surprise to this album.

Track Listing- *= personal favorites

1. Black Cow- 5:10*
2. Aja- 7:57
3. Deacon Blues- 7:37*
4. Peg-3:57*
5. Home at Last- 5:34
6. I Got the News- 5:06
7. Josie- 4:33s

Pop goes Iggy

Iggy Pop "Lust for Life" 1977 


 Weird Intro: I remember being young and seeing a picture of Iggy Pop somewhere and being really confused and afraid and not knowing why. Though I later became a fan and was no longer frightened, I think I have always carried around the guilt with me that I once thought he was a ‘scary man’. He is a great musician and so I can rid myself of this guilt, I would like to do him a solid and give him a proper review of his album Lust for Life.

 Iggy Pop’s 1977 follow-up to The Idiot, found the artist moving in a much different direction than where he left off only five months prior.Lust for Life reminds the listener that Pop once fronted the Stooges and is not just another outlet for David Bowie to express himself. Being his second album with Bowie, Pop sounds more comfortable and focused than before. He has also stepped up his writing game as not to lose himself in his partner’s ideas- something he fell prey to in the past. The result is an intelligent, neatly written record with Iggy Pop’s signature shrieking, stream of conscious howling stamped on each track.

The record starts with an ageless drumbeat that has been recycled thousands of times, sitting right up front in the track’s mix. The title-track pummels the listener’s ears the moment one hits play, capturing your attention, and readying you for the rest of the tracks. This song could not be placed anywhere else on the album and have the same effect. It’s something that must be experienced right off the bat, and plays wonderfully into the following song, and my personal favorite “Sixteen,” the only song credited to Pop. 

Plenty of people enjoy Iggy’s previous work with the Stooges, and take refuge in the fact that they were, debatably; one the first punk rock bands to exist. I feel that because of his association with Bowie, and for the lack of aggression found on The Idiot, not everyone makes it to Lust for Life. It is here Iggy finds himself again. Jangling tracks such as “Passenger,” and “Tonight,” start off in a way that would disinterest most people- they consist of simple chord progressions with classic rock melodies slapped in the middle. But once one takes the time to fall into the hypnotic verses, they find sometimes Pop takes a little while to warm up, and can burst at any moment into an improvised rant, howling and sneering. This reminds the listener of the Stooges, a distorted, catchy, pissed off madness. It also reminds the listener that although he may not always be one hundred percent on where he is supposed to be going, Iggy Pop always finds his way back home.
 Track Listing *= personal favorite
 1. "Lust for Life" – 5:13*
 2. "Sixteen" – 2:26*
 3. "Some Weird Sin" – 3:42*
 4. "The Passenger" – 4:44
 5. "Tonight" – 3:39
 6. "Success" – 4:25
 7. "Turn Blue" – 6:56
 8. "Neighborhood Threat" – 3:25
 9. "Fall in Love with Me" – 6:30

A Go Go Girl!

Dara Puspita "A Go Go" 1967

I have now finally moved from musical acts your parents name drop while reminiscing about their hay day. (However, there may be more in the future). I have found that sometimes people tend to stray away from world music, due to the language barrier. Personally, a few years ago it was difficult to look past music with words I couldn’t understand, or relate to. I think there some stand out artists and groups that deserve recognition for their strengths that go beyond English-speaking lyrics.

Dara Puspita (or ‘Flower Girls) was one of Indonesia’s most successful girl band, in the mid 1960s. Playing all their own music, the foursome gained their inspiration from the British Rock invasion of bands like the Beatles, banned in Indonesia at the time. Other bands in Indonesia at the time, including Koes Bersaudara or (brothers) were put in jail for playing rock and roll, however Dara Pupsita were never seriously effected. However they were warned not to play Beatles songs as the Indonesian President Sukarno called the Beatles influence 'a form of mental illness'.
However, they moved forward and made their own unique name for themselves.The album ‘A Go Go’ by the group is a fun, energetic album with a cute pop girl band sound. It has a doo-wop feel, felt by America in the late 1950’s and 1960’s as girl groups like the Shirelles were becoming popular. Unlike the acts in America, however, these girls played instruments and were known for there huge stage presence. The music they create on this album, is fast paced and cheery. If you like the early, pre psychedelic songs of the Beatles, there is is a strong connection between their early pop sounds infused with an Indonesian innocence, creating a wonderful mix between the two different genres. There is no way this album could not make you smile and the talent of this all-girl band is worth listening to. The album ‘A Go Go’ also includes a cover of ‘To Love Somebody’, by the Bee Gees, and their original song ‘Believe Me’ providing the perfect homage of their influences, and giving two English translated song to listeners. The rest of the songs are in their native speaking language- but there is no disconnect felt. Worth checking out especially if you are one who digs other cultures sounds, or if you want something different from the norm.



Track Listing
*= personal favorites



1. A Go Go- 2:12*
2. To Love Somebody- 3:04
3. Aku Tetap Sadar-2:16
4. Bhaktiku-2:27*
5. Soal Asmara- 2:28
6.  Kerdja Kami- 2:31
7. Believe Me- 2:15*
8. Kau Berdusta- 2:38*


I also included a link to bring you to youtube to hear one of the songs!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0EicyKXHvY

Hey, Have you heard THEM?

The Story of Them featuring Van Morrison-1964-1966

At some point, I will try not to review albums that have stigmas attached (because our parents love them or listened to them when they were young). However, when they say that your parents are always right, sometimes musically speaking I would have to agree.

Van Morrison, for some falls into that category. I can just picture my own mother driving along singing Brown-Eyed Girl and Moondance out of key while weaving in and out of traffic. These songs have made lists like Rolling Stones Magazines top 500 songs of all time, and are still played frequently on the radio. However, one thing that my mother and a lot of other people don’t know is that Van Morrison’s career started with a Northern Irish garage rock band, called Them in the mid 1960’s.
As a nineteen year old in 1964, Van Morrison’s vocal career began when he corresponded to an ad for musicians to play at an R&B club, where he formed the group called The Gamblers (later named Them after the famous 1950’s horror movie). Them was known for their performances because Morrison frequently improvised vocals, allowing the band to create songs as they went.

I don’t usually recommend a band’s collection of songs, versus individual albums because I feel that many songs go over looked. However, they were known for playing covers as well as their own songs so I think the collection of songs ‘The Story of Them featuring Van Morrison’ beautifully portrays their unique sound as a group, staying true to their original concept. The album sums up the two year long reign from 1964 to 1966, with their chart topping singles.
Aesthetically, the album ‘The Story of Them featuring Van Morrison’ is a melting pot of many different genres of music neatly wrapped together in a wonderful treat for the ears. Though regarded as a ‘garage rock band’, there are many different elements in their songs, that make that genre classification almost obsolete. The simple catchy lyrics of some cover songs like Go on Home Baby, “Her hair hangs down so straight/When she moves she looks so great” are very reminiscent of the British pop invasion. On the same album, tracks written by the band like If You and I Could Be as Two create a more somber feel, allowing more analytical thought with words like, “Was on a Sunday/And the autumn leaves were on the ground/I kicked my heart/When I saw you standing there in your dress of blue/The storm was over my ship sailed through.”

Listening to it mature later in his solo career, Van Morrison’s youthful scrappy voice, gives all of the songs an innocent quality on this album. Backed by heavy bass lines, poppy guitar parts, and in some songs synthesizers, harmonicas and tribal drum beats this album is reminiscent of the Rolling Stones, and also the pyschedelic rock sound of that time period. Many songs from this album went on to inspire bigger acts, which in itself is worth checking out the band. For example, their song Gloria (one of my favorites) was later covered at live concerts by The Doors, Bruce Springsteen, U2, David Bowie and was also reinvented and included on albums by Patti Smith and Jimi Hendrix.

Track Listing *= personal favorite
Note: The C.D version comes in 2 discs, however I only included the version available for download

1. 
   

1. The Story of Them Parts 1 & 2- 7:18

2. Don't Start Crying Now- 2:03

3. "Gloria"-2:35*

4. "Philosophy"- 2:35

5. "One Two Brown Eyes"-2:34

6. "Baby Please Don't Go"-2:40

7. "Here Comes the Night"-2:46*

8. "All for Myself"-2:47

9. "One More Time"-2:48

10."Little Girl"-2:47

11. "I Gave My Love a Diamond"-3:02

12. "Go on Home Baby"-2:32*

13. "My Little Baby"-2:00

14. "Mystic Eyes"-2:41*

15. "Don't Look Back"-3:20

16. "If You and I Could Be as Two"-2:51

17. "I Like it Like That"-3:16

18. "I'm Gonna Dress in Black"-3:29

19. "(Get your Kicks On) Route 66"-2:22

20. "Just a Little Bit"-2:21

21. "You Just Can't Win"-2:21

22. "Bright Lights, Big City"-2:30*

23. "Baby What You Want Me to Do"- 3:26

24. "I'm Gonna Dress in Black" (Alternate)-3:34

25. "One More Time" (Alternate)-2:45

26. "Little Girl" (Alternate)-2:47

A Live and Young

Neil Young  "Live at Massey Hall" 1971

It is not often that a live album receives serious acclaim. Typically, they are recorded shortly after the release of a new album. Live albums are also released sporadically, for die-hard fans to excitedly purchase, as a form of memorabilia. It is for these reasons, Neil Young's "Live at Massey Hall," is a sort of oddity. Yes, it can fit into both categories (came after a new release/finds a home in every fan's heart) but ,unlike most other live albums, the collection of songs easily stands on its own.  

Neil's stripped-down take on old rockers such as "Cowgirl in the Sand," or "Ohio," leaves the listener stunned. Accompanied only by an acoustic guitar,  occasional harmonica, and a piano, the set is both intimate and fresh. With each introduction you will find yourself pulled deeper into the songwriter's eerie melancholy. At seventeen tracks total, and with Buffalo Springfield era hit "On the Way Home," opening the night's set, anyone new to Young gets a quick briefing of his earliest hits and favorites. Those who listen to Young's work regularly will be happy to find somber renditions of some of the artist's best-known work in a way they never had thought possible. "Bad Fog of Loneliness," a track cut from the album Harvest , makes its debut a little halfway through the album. 

Whether intrigued by the album's mystique or by the solid collection of hits, "Live at Massey Hall," is well worth looking into. Unlike most live albums the quality of the recording is above-average, and Young's on-the-spot storytelling sets a scene for each song in a way a studio-album never would.

Track Listing  *= personal favorite
01 On The Way Home [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
02 Tell Me Why [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
03 Old Man [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
04 Journey Through The Past [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
05 Helpless [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
06 Love In Mind [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
07 A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold Suite [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
08 Cowgirl In The Sand [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
09 Don't Let It Bring You Down [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
10 There's A World [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
11 Bad Fog Of Loneliness [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
12 The Needle And The Damage Done [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
13 Ohio [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
14 See The Sky About To Rain [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
15 Down By The River [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
16 Dance Dance Dance [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
17 I Am A Child [Live At Massey Hall 1971]

Stevie Nicks is a Magical Gypsy

Bella Donna- Stevie Nicks 1981

I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan as long as I can remember (mostly in part due to my mother cramming it down my throat as a child). With that being said, I definitely had to take a break and be an angsty teenager and not listen to whatever it was she liked at the time. In the past few years, I have found my way back through the many musical phases to the very popular Rumors album, released by the band in 1977. Having become completely entranced by the band’s whimsical rock sound, with the gritty 1970’s aesthetic, I was not ready to move on with Stevie Nicks to her solo career. I was stuck in the band’s drama and did not think her popular songs played on classic radio rock stations like ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and ‘Leather and Lace’ were worth investigating any further. I was very wrong. Ms. Nick’s attempt to step out from the behind the mask of an influential group and create an album all her own is one that should be highly regarded.

The album opens with what sounds like is going to be a ballad-filled piano/singer mash up, however the first track Bella Donna becomes symbolic in the way that the rest of the album resonates to the listener. As the chorus approaches, it moves in a driving force speaking directly to the many surprises in the rest of 10 song track list. There is a country-ish undertone in a lot of the songs, (due mostly to the guitar), which is beautifully matched with heavier experimental guitar riffs, leaving what almost sounds like a drony violin at some points. She wrote every song with the exception of ‘Stop Dragging my Heart Around’ which was written by Tom Petty, who sings on the album as well. She also had written the popular Fleetwood Mac song Gypsy to originally be featured on this album, but it appeared on the band’s 1982 album Mirage. Also worth noting some songs on Bella Donna are backed by the infamous Bruce Springstreen’s E Street Band. It is worth checking out, if you haven’t already, because she somehow always has a way of casting a spell on her listeners, and with this album she had the artistic freedom to do just that and more.

Track Listing: * = personal favorites
1. Bella Donna *
2. Kind of Woman
3. Stop Dragging my Heart Around
4.Think about It *
5. All the Glitter Fades
6. Edge of Seventeen *
7.How Still my Love
8.Leather and Lace
9. Outside the Rain
10. The Highway Man

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