3.5 Out Of 4 Stars

So, the press machine is running at full throttle for Bruce Springsteen’s new album, “Magic.” Now, the CD release isn’t available until this coming Tuesday (Vinyl version is already out), so it is hard to know if it will live up to the hype. Because after all; it is all about hype these days.

Hopefully there is some strong music behind all the hype. The first single “Radio Nowhere” isn’t mind-blowing. Granted, I’ll give Springsteen credit for actively promoting this project. He is an older artist that will get no airplay and push on Top 40 stations. So he has to hit outlets like the Today Show and stage a live performance in NYC to generate buzz, and of course, his publicist is making sure the new album is getting coverage everywhere with strong reviews. He can only rely on himself and his team to get the message out there because no one will do it for him.

My issue is with the reviews. Can anyone trust a journalist to review new music releases honestly? Granted, they usually only have a small blurb they can write due to space restrictions, but how about giving the consumer something real to chew on? I haven’t read one intriguing review or article about Springsteen’s new album. Every cliché in the book is being thrown out there. Everyone loves it, it rocks, great lyrics, crowd-pleasing rock, songs with musical elements reminiscent of past glories, Brenden O’Brien’s production, etc. This doesn’t tell me anything. Is it really good? Or is it mediocre? What do these reviewers really think? If it really is so great, why doesn’t it ever get the full 4/4 stars? They are telling me what Jon Landau wants me to hear and what they think I want to hear as a fan. This is the media in all its glory. Please give me an objective review. Is that too much to ask for?

Every new release gets 3/4 stars and if the release is terrible, it will get 2/4 stars. When was the last time any music journalist gave a popular mainstream artist a truly bad review? Because not everything issued by mainstream and legacy artists is golden and magical. Quit hyping everything, quit taking safe and calculated positions, and give the consumer some truth.

The Record Store

Man do I miss record stores. I have loved them since I was a child. When my mom would go to the mall to do some errands, I would tag along and head down to the record store and thumb through the bins. I was only 9 at the time, but there was nothing better than spending a half hour or more gazing at all the album covers. Looking at all the albums and wondering what was inside was such a thrill. And when I actually got one, it was even better. For the most part, an artist's full catalogue was readily available for the consumer. There was a lot to see and lot to explore.

The record store remained a special place over the years. Every time I was intrigued with a new artist, I was able to easily obtain a recording. I could spend hours walking up and down the aisles at Tower. I made friends there. It was a place music lovers could bond. How about the great independent stores? That is where you could really find the rare stuff and imports.

Those days are over. Record stores are pretty much extinct (as is the album). Every major city still has one independent store barely hanging on, maybe even a Virgin or a shitty Sam Goody at the mall. But for the most part, the stores are gone and what they represented is gone. Ever find a great catalogue item at Borders, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy? The selection is terrible. Those stores and their inventory are not there for the music fan, just for the casual music consumer. So real music lovers and collectors have to go online. I can still get great stuff, but it takes time. There is no more impulse buying. You get online, find the title(s) you want, check out, and wait a few days for the shipment to arrive. The fun of obtaining the recording is over. Now there is a waiting period involved. At least once the music arrives; you still get a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment. That part hasn't been ruined yet.

Downloads? Not really my cup of tea. I don't mind getting individual tracks from time to time for a buck, but it isn't a concept I will enjoy embracing in the future for my overall music consumption. Who knows what the future of music retail and distribution will ultimately bring? The jury is out on that one as the powers-that-be continue to debate what to do and what direction to go in. All I know is the era of the record store is over and I miss it.

Song Of The Day

“A Day In The Life” is one of the masterpieces in The Beatles’ catalogue. The song has it all; great lyrics, an awesome John Lennon vocal, complex arrangements, and signature George Martin production. Who could ever cover this song? Someone has actually pulled it off. Jeff Beck.

Back in 1998, George Martin released what was supposed to be his final album, “In My Life.” He got a bunch of his friends to come in and record Beatles songs. Some were quite odd (like Robin Williams' take on “Come Together” or Goldie Hawn’s take on “A Hard Day’s Night”) while others were entertaining. It was really intended to be a fun project for Martin’s last hurrah just as the back cover states; "With Heroes & Friends..."

The story is that he invited Jeff Beck to come by the studio during the “In My Life” sessions with the idea of Jeff possibly laying down a track. He and Jeff had collaborated together on some projects during the 1970s. In fact, Beck’s Jazz Fusion outing, “Blow By Blow,” which was produced by Martin, is one of the most successful instrumental recordings of all time and is still considered a highly influential guitar masterpiece. In fact, George considers it one of his greatest collaborations.

Anyway, back around the time “In My Life” was released, I remember reading a bit about Jeff’s rendition of this Beatles’ classic in one of the guitar magazines. Apparently George Martin had some song ideas, but Beck told him he wanted to record “A Day In The Life.” At first George was surprised, but he knew Beck was the one guitarist who could pull it off. In the liner notes of the CD, George says about Beck’s playing: “he is the one guitarist who can make his instrument sing like a human voice.”

That says it all. The track is absolutely stunning. Beck plays with so much feeling and has such a beautiful tone; there is really no way to describe it. If you are familiar with his playing, you simply know he is a genius that has taken the playing of the electric guitar to another place. He truly makes the instrument sing. As George Martin also says in the liner notes, “the orchestra was hardly needed for the climax, the guitar says it all.”

Do yourself a favor and check out this gem by Jeff Beck and George Martin. It is a thing of beauty.

A Subscription Fee

So The Who are finally going to launch their “official” website in November. It is strange that one of Rock’s greatest legacy acts has not been operating a full-service site. They have had some specialty sites surrounding tours over the past couple of years and Pete Townshend’s website (which he took down about a year ago) and then later his blog always somewhat acted as information central for The Who. But a strong dedicated internet presence has been lacking.

During the past couple of weeks www.thewho.com has been the subject of speculation and discussion amongst fans. Of course it will have the standard information such as band history, music info, pictures, message board, merchandise, etc. But there is more! After paying a subscription fee, you can get a free 2CD package of unreleased “early” Who recordings. Free? You mean after you pay for the subscription? Oh, you also get a discount on future purchases from the website.

As a fan or even a curious casual consumer, in order to legally obtain rare Who recordings from the vault, you have to pay a yet-to-be determined subscription fee. Why charge a fee at all? Do they want Who fans to partially finance the website? These guys are very wealthy. Some will argue that they didn’t cash in during their prime like current mega-star acts do today because the money wasn’t there back then. Well, you can bet Live Nation paid them a guarantee of 8 figures alone for their U.S. tour dates during the 2006/2007 run. Fans have purchased loads of the band’s albums (in many cases multiple versions of the same album), DVDs, live releases from their official live bootleg series, and very expensive concert tickets. And don’t forget Pete Townshend has a very lucrative publishing catalogue. We the fans, the consumers, have made The Who very wealthy. We should not have to pay a subscription fee to join their soon-to-be launched website just to obtain some rare recordings. A lot of us have already paid our dues.

While this is highly annoying and just another reminder of how artists completely shaft their fans over and over, the most important thing has to be the music. This is an amazing band. The opportunity to hear unreleased gems from The Who’s prime years is something special to look forward to. But, it is disappointing that one can’t rely on any class or integrity from artists. They screw you with high ticket prices all the way down to little things like subscription fees.

Don’t give me Pearl Jam as an example of what The Who are doing. You can join their fan club for an annual fee of $20. The main incentive is not the Christmas single they send out to members every year, it is that they do their best to make sure members get access to the best concert seats. And they live up to their word. If you are part of the music business and have access to purchasing tickets directly through the promoter, you won’t be getting house seats for Pearl Jam because their fan club members will have those great seats. You will be stuck somewhere far away from the stage. A couple things to remember here; it will be shocking if The Who’s subscription price is less than $50, Pearl Jam tickets are well under $100 and if you want quality Who seats, prepare to spend up to $250. The Pearl Jam Ten Club business model works because they aren’t trying to suck every last dollar out of their fans’ pockets – they are trying to provide a service to dedicated and loyal fans so they don’t get screwed by promoters.

In the current state of disarray in the music business, artists should be fan friendly. They need to be creative about promoting their music and the legacy of their work. The Who can get away with extracting excessive amounts of money from consumers because they have a large and devoted following, but they have a very short-sighted approach. They should be trying to develop a new generation of fans by making their music easily accessible and by making their concert tickets affordable. For some reason the band wants to price fans and potentially interested consumers out of the picture. The subscription fee is not a nice gesture; it is a middle finger all done in the name of greed. But, the devoted like me will suck it up and take it for the price of being dedicated to the music, but a lot of people will continue to turn away.

A Rock N' Roll Star

Tom Petty once represented what Rock N’ Roll is all about. He had great songs with strong lyrical content, hooks, melody and they were superbly recorded. He also had one bad-ass band.

Petty never really lost it. He never sold out. But like a lot of other greats, over time, his creativity lost a spark. “The Last DJ” and “Highway Companion” both boast some high quality songs, but overall, they lack the cohesive brilliance of his earlier work. Today he is basically a legacy artist. He can go down the path of mediocrity with his studio work and no one will blink an eye because he can rest on his laurels. He released a tremendous body of work at one time. That is what he is remembered for.

Just listen to his first album, “Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers,” issued in 1976. You can hear the hunger and swagger in the band. The excitement and energy flows throughout. The moment you hear the opening drum beat and riff for “Rockin’ Around (With You)” you know you are in for a sweet ride. How about the legendary Rickenbacker riff of “American Girl” or the bluesy soulful groove of “Breakdown”? “Luna” goes down as one of his greatest tracks as far as I’m concerned. It takes you straight to the heart of the night with mystical melancholy musical passages, a stunning vocal performance, and some sweet lyrics. How about that first verse:

White light cut a scar in the sky
Thin line of silver
The night was all clouded with dreams
Wind made me shiver
Black and yellow pools of light
Outside my window
Luna come to me tonight
I am a prisoner
Luna glide down from the moon

And over the next few years, it just got better with every album. Petty’s 3rd album, “Damn The Torpedoes,” is a masterpiece, one of Rock’s finest albums. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Petty’s studio output was a mixed bag. Some records like “Full Moon Fever” and “Wildflowers” for the most part still delivered the goods from cover to cover, but nothing would ever match the organic intensity and power of his first 4 albums.

It isn’t even the subject matter or direction of a particular album that doesn’t resonate like previous efforts. It is a feeling that the lyrics and music were once free-flowing. That the creativity was endless and full of possibilities. You can actually hear it when you listen to Petty's first 4 albums. Now it seems like it is an effort, almost a work-out to get it down on tape.

Petty isn’t the only one. You even hear it in more contemporary bands like Pearl Jam. Just look at the reviews from Pearl Jam’s last 3 studio efforts. The journalists all make statements like “…it is the best album since ‘Ten.’” Every time, the new release is compared to a past glory or past hit. The journalists are run by the machine. None of them can just come out and say that while there are a few redeeming tracks on the new Pearl Jam album, overall, it is flat and pretty lackluster – like the last three efforts!

But so what? Should anyone expect artists like Tom Petty to be able to write like they once did? Creativity should never be taken for granted, especially by the public. Seriously, how many “Damn The Torpedoes” can be released by one artist in a lifetime? I don’t care if “Highway Companion” is average at best. I didn’t think it would change my life anyway.

And I have to mention his live work. Bottom line, he has a great band. They can play. I have heard some people say that he is a boring performer. You want action? Go to the circus or to a soulless fabricated Timberlake show. You want to hear some invigorating bona fide Rock N’ Roll? Go see Tom Petty. I guess Tom Petty still does represent what Rock N' Roll is all about.

In the end, Tom Petty can continue to release average studio work for the next 15 years and it won’t matter. What does matter is that he had a moment in his existence as an artist where the music and ideas flowed through him. It allowed him to create a large catalogue of incredible timeless songs that enhanced the Rock N’ Roll landscape and made it a better place. 30+ years later, there is nothing more refreshing than being able to spin an ageless classic like “Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.” Hail Hail to a real Rock N’ Roll Star.

Discovered Treasure

One of the summer's best releases is a quiet archival project that has pretty much gone under the radar. "Just Roll Tape" is a solo demo session by Stephen Stills from a post-Judy Collins session he contributed to on April 26, 1968.

This demo tape was recorded shortly before the Crosby, Stills & Nash recording sessions for their self-titled debut. Apparently it was "lost" for nearly 40 years until its recent unveiling. It really is a magical musical journey.

Stills may not mean what he once did, but there was a time in the late-60's/early-70’s that he was one of the most highly recognized and respected songwriters and musicians in the business. With a strong sense of melody and from a lyrical standpoint, he was one of the best. From his work with Buffalo Springfield to CSN and CSNY to his first couple of solo projects, he boasts one amazing body of influential and creative work.

Having the chance to hear Stills lay down the raw foundation of some of his well-known compositions like future CSN classics "Wooden Ships" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is as good as it gets. The demo for "Black Queen" from his self-titled debut is a revelation. Throughout the CD, the listener is graced with organic and embryonic versions of some well-known songs as well as others that never made it to album.

It truly is a privilege to have such exclusive access into the creative process of one of Rock's great talents. “Just Roll Tape” is a captivating listening experience. This one will be played often.

Misc

Jimi Hendrix passed away 37 years ago today. I personally believe he was the single greatest loss to contemporary music. Not only was he arguably the finest and most inventive electric guitarist to ever play, but he was also a brilliant songwriter and visionary in the studio. Hendrix only released 4 original albums during his short mainstream career (something that is easily forgotten with massive amounts of posthumous releases that have been thrown into the marketplace for over 3 decades). Nearly all 4 are revolutionary in one way or another. His influence continues to grow and will never die. Jimi Hendrix, R.I.P.

Jimi Hendrix’s original 4 albums that should be in most Rock fans’ collections:
Are You Experienced
Axis: Bold As Love
Electric Ladyland
Band Of Gypsys
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Tonight on ABC there was an Elvis Presley special called Elvis: Viva Las Vegas. Being an Elvis fan, I was interested in seeing how badly the network would botch the opportunity to showcase Elvis’ work in Vegas.

First of all, we all know Priscilla Presley was instrumental in creating the highly profitable Elvis Presley Enterprises. In the name of money, she helped create a company that would maximize positive exposure for Elvis’ reputation. Of course, there are the typical pathetic Elvis coffee mugs, Teddy Bears, etc. in the gift shops that aren’t particularly significant, but overall, EPE has tried to protect Elvis’ physical image over the years. But one thing to remember is that she divorced Elvis in 1973. She is his ex-wife! Yet, she is constantly paraded around the networks and cable news channels as someone more significant. It gets highly annoying hearing her constant spin and self-proclaimed importance year after year.

Secondly, Elvis’ work should definitely be honored, but hearing Faith Hill gush over him followed by her flat cover of “That’s All Right” or listening to a Pop Country hack like Miranda Lambert butcher “Jailhouse Rock” doesn’t help anyone. If anything, give a talent like Chris Isaak a full hour to croon some Elvis covers instead of the garbage ABC unleashed.

I couldn’t bear to sit through the 2 hour debacle. The most important thing, however, is that a major network attempted to produce a show celebrating Elvis’ contributions to music and to the development of Las Vegas becoming a major entertainment attraction for Rock and Pop music versus having a special on Elvis’ demise.

Speaking of “That’s All Right,” has anyone out there listened to this track lately? It really is one of the pioneering tracks in Rock N’ Roll history. It is such a powerful piece. In general, Elvis’ SUN recordings are absolutely incredible. There is such a haunting beauty and soulful ambience to the recordings. Any Rock fan should not be without the 2005 compilation, “Elvis At Sun.”
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The battle between Kanye West and 50 Cent. Are we supposed to really care about this? Their little publicity machine battle is pretty much uninteresting. The only item of interest is the fact that West has sold nearly 1 million copies and 50 Cent is near 700,000. Wow, that is a lot of albums in the span of a week. I didn’t know Rap was still such a mainstream commodity. By the way, 50 Cent isn’t retiring….

Of course the sales will dip because albums don't have legs anymore. After one or two good weeks, albums in the current landscape seem to run out of gas. Basically this is because the casual consumer no longer believes in albums. Albums don’t deliver anymore. The consumers have been failed and cheated by the labels one too many times and no longer have the faith. And for $18?

Gilmour At The Hall

In 2006, David Gilmour released his first album in almost two decades. "On An Island" is an album full of beautiful melodies and atmospheric sound collages. It was a pleasant surprise from an artist that had not been heard from in awhile.

David Gilmour is a highly skilled musician and has amassed a large body of brilliant work as a member of Pink Floyd and as a solo artist. His versatility as a guitarist is incredible; from his gut-wrenching solo on "Comfortably Numb" to the spacey moody brilliance of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V" to the blazing distorted guitar work on "Ibiza Bar," his influence and distinct tone is legendary.

Tomorrow, Sony is issuing a David Gilmour DVD release containing live performances from his May 2006 Royal Albert Hall run. This is a pretty calculated move. Usually successful albums and tours are followed up by a DVD memento. For David Gilmour fans, this will be a must-have release.

While I am certainly a fan of his solo work and his work with Pink Floyd, I will not be lining up to buy this DVD. DVDs don't do it for me. When do I have the time to watch music DVDs? I want to listen to the music, not watch it. I can listen in the car, on my home stereo, on my iPod, at work, etc. By issuing music solely on a DVD, it makes it difficult for the consumer to fully digest it. Sure, I can rip the audio from the DVD, but that takes time and effort. I guess I can use up tons of gigs on my iPod and just listen to the audio while the footage rolls on the screen. Or maybe I can finance a great home entertainment system and play the audio from the DVD on my home stereo speakers while the footage rolls on the TV. I'm sure there are some other lame alternatives. These just don't seem like the best options. All that just to listen to some tunes?

And of course, Best Buy will have an audio-only bonus disc with 3 songs. 3 songs? That is supposed to entice me to buy a DVD that I will rarely watch? Why not issue the DVD and the complete audio together? Even Springsteen does that.

David Gilmour is a legend and his "On An Island" project is a great musical ride. His shows from his tour dates were awesome. I would love to be able to get a CD version of this new Royal Albert Hall release or at least be able to download the audio of the songs on iTunes. But, Sony is only offering the consumer one option. You have to love the labels, instead of maximizing exposure to music; they give the consumer one option. What a joke. Who knows, maybe there will be a CD only version issued 6 months from now. That wouldn't be unheard of from the visionaries at Sony. At the end of the day, all I wanted was to listen to the music. Was that too much to ask for?

Something Special From Berkeley

Last night, I broke out the 4 CD box set, “The Jimi Hendrix Experience,” for the first time in months and scanned over the content. This is a must-have for any Hendrix fan. It is a nice alternative route to take when exploring Jimi’s music. Prior to its release in 2000, a lot of the material had previously been available on out-of-print titles in various forms, but it is nice to have all these performances in one place and finally properly mixed and mastered by Eddie Kramer.

As always, when I play any of the music from this box set, I have to spin Jimi’s rendition of “Johnny B. Goode” from his 5/30/70 Berkeley Community Theatre afternoon concert.* He precedes the song with some tuning and banter:

“Dig, um, we got this other thing called, um…I don’t know, we’d like to do a little loose jam kind of thing….Johnny B. Goode, what the hell.”

And off he goes, as he tears into a nuclear version of Johnny B. Goode. He turns this Rock N’ Roll standard inside out with his energetic, supersonic assault. It is almost like at the last minute he temporarily ditches the concert set list due to a burst of outside inspiration.

While Jimi’s current direction at the time was quite progressive as evidenced by the unfinished masters found on Experience Hendrix/Universal’s posthumous “First Rays Of The New Rising Sun,” he was a Rock N’ Roller and Bluesman at heart and during any concert it was not uncommon for Jimi to give a mind-blowing performance of his Blues original “Red House” or a lengthy work-out of his other Blues anthem, “Hear My Train A Comin.’”

So, it is not surprising that within the first five minutes of his afternoon set at Berkeley he was inspired to go into the Chuck Berry songbook to have some fun. This gem is a fantastic and energizing live performance from one of music’s greatest talents and innovators. Seek out Johnny B. Goode from “The Jimi Hendrix Experience” box set and prepare to be dazzled.

*The evening concert has been officially released by Experience Hendrix/Universal, but only two individual performances ("Johnny B. Goode" and "Hear My Train A Comin'") from the afternoon set have been officially issued to date. Hopefully the entire afternoon concert is issued down the road as the Berkeley Community Theatre engagement was one of Jimi's finest from 1970.

The Man

Universal's Hip-O Select label just issued a new Bo Diddley compilation, "I'm A Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958." It is a stellar two disc compilation highlighting three of Bo's most innovative and fruitful years with Chess. All the inventive sides are there: “I’m A Man,” “Bo Diddley,” “Who Do You Love,” “Pretty Thing,” “Diddley Daddy” plus alternate takes and other gems from that period.

After revisiting all of those fantastic tunes and soaking in the greatness from such a tremendous artist, one track really hit a chord with me, "Mona." It has it all: great rhythm, a magnetic groove, Bo's trademark riffing, distorted guitars and impassioned vocals. All cover versions, whether close replicas like The Rolling Stones’ version or extended jams like what Quicksilver Messenger Service created, do not hold a candle to the original. Just imagine going back in time to 1957 and hearing such a progressive sound during the infancy stages of the Rock N’ Roll genre. Amazing stuff….

Bo Diddley's sound inspired countless pioneering Rock artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Doors, Buddy Holly and The Animals, to name a few. Look no further than “Mona” if you are interested in hearing one of the highly creative and driving forces in Rock N’ Roll, Bo Diddley.

Misc

First of all, did anyone catch a few minutes of the pathetic MTV Video Music Awards last night? A lot of people tuned in to see the train-wreck aka Britney Spears. There is no need to go into the disturbing details - you have all seen it. Britney went down in flames. And the thing is; everyone knew she would. This includes MTV. They didn’t think it was going to be a good performance, they just knew that they would get a lot of viewers to tune in. They used her for ratings. And you know that within 10 minutes, millions of people turned the ridiculous show off. And did anyone actually pay attention to the song? One word: BRUTAL.

Why would anyone care about this awards show? Did you see the so-called musical guests? What a hopeless time for top-40 radio. MTV has ZERO credibility. It stands for nothing. It means nothing to true music fans and true musicians. The programming in general is so out of touch with the times. MTV is living in the past as its business model gets flushed down the toilet hand in hand with the record labels’ model. What a great channel; shows about uninteresting celebrities, loads of reality TV shows that are completely contrived, horrid videos by mostly talentless losers, etc etc etc. The bottom line is that MTV is a joke. It is an embarrassing entertainment channel aimed at the lowest common denominator. It certainly does not appeal to music fans.
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Saw a set-list from a Van Halen rehearsal and it intrigued me enough to consider buying tickets. Then I saw the actual price range. Wow! Sorry, Azoff and Live Nation priced me out of this one. For a pair of decent seats, I am out over $500. Whether I actually have the funds is not the issue, it is the principle of it. It is one concert, maybe 2 hours long. $250 an hour? What, am I consulting an attorney about a legal issue? This is supposed to be fun, not a way of going into debt. And this show is not sold out! Plan on the promoter papering a lot of the shows on this tour – they certainly did it in 2004 during Hagar’s last hurrah.

But this is the trend right now. The promoter overpays for the artist, then the promoter over-prices tickets, the promoter sells blocks of seats to ticket brokers, the promoter struggles to break even and in some cases takes a massive loss, and the consumer gets completely screwed while the artist/manager/agent walk away with millions in guaranteed money. Oh, I could get some nose-bleed seats for $100+ a pop, but again, why be out $230 for a pair of seats way up in the rafters? Am I insane? Have you ever enjoyed a concert from the stratosphere? Concert grosses are still strong in general because of high ticket prices, but attendance has been dipping. Consumers are getting priced out of shows and it doesn’t seem to be getting better.

Do any artists care about their fans or are they all just greedy? Don't give me Springsteen. "He only charges $75 a ticket...." So what? $75 + taxes + parking + a beverage + a t-shirt = one very expensive night. This is a guy that is worth 9 figures, he can lower the price. Rock concerts are not supposed to be a financial burden or exclusive events for the wealthy. They are entertainment and the prices have become so inflated and out of touch that it is has ruined a once great pastime. What a great business model….

Upcoming Releases

The record labels are gearing up for their 4th quarter releases to capitalize on the holiday shopping frenzy. As expected, there are tons of albums coming out. Here are a few that are scheduled:

Melissa Etheridge - The Awakening (September 25)
One of the best live performers in the business, but her studio output has been spotty at best the past few years. This will probably be a mixed bag at best. However, look for one or two tracks to be special.

Foo Fighters - Echoes Silence Patience & Grace (September 25)
One of the most legitimate Alternative Rock bands in existence right now (however, the fact that they showed up at the VMAs is a little concerning). Dave Grohl is a solid writer and great musician. This should be worth a listen, but like most current mainstream releases by mainstream artists, this will not be mind-blowing. I could be wrong, but expect it to have that sterile 2007 production feel.

Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II (October 16)
Neil still has the creative ability to put quality music down on tape. He is a prolific songwriter, and when focused, can still deliver the goods. The jury is out on this one. The potential seems to be there. “Chrome Dreams” was the title of an album he was supposed to release in 1977, but it was pulled for unknown reasons. Still, some great tunes from the project (Pocahontas, Sedan Delivery and Like A Hurricane) were ultimately issued on other albums. The thoughts floating around in cyberspace suggest this will be vintage Neil Young. So, it is something to look forward to. But I personally would have preferred his “Archives” project which has been delayed until the first quarter of 2008.

The Eagles – Long Road Out Of Eden (October 30)
This one will definitely have some quality tracks on it. Henley and Frey are one of the best writing duos in the business and Joe Walsh never fails to delivery. But, it is two full discs of material and it won’t be a shock if there is some substantial filler on it. A few puff ballads in the vein of “Hole In The World” could derail it pretty quickly.

Seal - System (October 30)
There was a time when Seal seemed like the quintessential Pop artist with the ability to consistently deliver the goods. His first two albums were practically flawless. There was no throwaway tracks. The songs all had good hooks, melodies, rhythm, funk, grooves, top-notch production from Trevor Horn and of course strong vocals. Then, it was like his creative juices were spent. He had a few tracks on his next couple of projects that were reminiscent of past glories, but there were a lot of duds. This upcoming album is supposed to be a return to form. Well, whenever you hear that description, you know you may be in for a rough ride.

Bruce Springsteen – Magic (October 2)
I will be shocked if this is a great album. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan. But Bruce’s recent track record isn’t as consistent as it once was. He can still write great songs, so there should be some winners on this album. Apparently this is more of a straight forward Rock album with an emphasis on energy. Hopefully some of the songs have some lyrical depth, because after all, that is what makes Bruce Springsteen’s music truly magical. The jury is out on this one.

Journey – Greatest Hits [CD/DVD combo] (October 23)
How many times can Sony reissue this title? Journey’s “Greatest Hits” is a great album that has moved millions. It has been remastered, reissued with bonus material, reissued with a second disc of material as part of Sony’s Essential Series, and now with a DVD of videos. Enough is enough. Fans don’t need another configuration or remaster of the hits. Fans want Steve Perry to collaborate with his former band mates that are a lost cause at the moment. Watch them gobble it up at Costco.

Mick Jaggar – The Very Best Of Mick Jaggar (October 2)
Want to place a bet of how many units this will move? The only other famous front man to have a worse solo career than Mick Jaggar is Roger Daltrey. How did Atlantic come up with enough material for a “best of” package? Isn't this false advertising? Sorry Mick, this one is joke.

Matchbox Twenty – Exile On Mainstream (2 disc) (October 2)
Wow, a double disc release by Matchbox Twenty. Two full CDs of Rob Thomas’ vomit-inducing, cliché Top 40 pop ballads and flat mechanical rockers. This one will be jumping off of the shelves…(that is sarcasm). Hey guys, you are done. Go on tour with Third Eye Blind and get it over with.

Josh Groban – Noel (October 9) and Michael Buble – Let It Snow (October 9)
Getting tag-teamed by Groban and Buble with holiday classics. Everyone is going to want these titles in their stockings! Oh, wait, we shouldn’t leave out Barry Manilow’s holiday disc either, that one is coming your way as well. I’m surprised Clive Davis didn’t get Rod Stewart to record one of these themed holiday discs…

Dave Gahan – Hourglass (October 23)
This one is interesting. Legendary Depeche Mode front man Dave Gahan is issuing his second solo album. Most fans will admit that his first solo album "Paper Monsters" from a few years back was a pleasant surprise, especially considering Dave wrote/co-wrote the bulk of the album and did not have Martin Gore’s stunning songwriting to fall back on. This new album will probably be similar to the first. Considering Gahan is such a skilled vocalist and is really into a lot of pure Rock bands, it would be nice if he would ditch the Electronica sound of Depeche Mode and his first solo album in favor of a straight ahead Rock effort.

Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen of Soul" (October 16)
A vault release from Aretha? You don't see this very often. This is supposed to contain b-sides, demos and outtakes from her thirteen year reign at Atlantic Records. It has potential as long as it isn’t filled with mostly previously available b-sides, outtakes that are hard to distinguish from the master recordings, and a couple of token demos. But it is supposed to be a two CD package, so it may be a surprising gem.

Carrie Underwood – Carnival Ride (October 23)
Why does anyone care? Is this really Country? Well, it is in today’s Nashville which is basically Pop music with a little twang and a set of western boots. This will be completely forgettable Pop music that will probably sell millions. Nothing like listening to cliché 21st century Country music with no soul and no risks. Can’t wait to see Clive Davis kissing her ass on the finale of next season’s American Idol.

Jimi Hendrix – Live At Monterey (October 16)
About time. This is one legendary concert that has been out of print for years. I was getting worried as Experience Hendrix/Universal usually release something in the 4th quarter. Finally, the press came out about a week or so ago. This one will be a winner. No Rock fan should be without this concert recording.

Led Zeppelin – Mothership & The Song Remains The Same (November 13)
“Mothership” is a joke. Another compilation of well-known Zeppelin tracks. It is practically identical to the previous two disc compilation “Early Days and Latter Days: Vol 1 & 2” aside from a couple of changes. The Led Zeppelin catalogue is so diverse and expansive. The band could have put some of the obvious well-known classics alongside some of the more obscure material to create a really insightful listening experience for the casual consumer. Obviously no thought went into this. “The Song Remains The Same” should be interesting as the original album has always been a huge disappointment as it was poorly edited and mastered. Now that it will be properly remastered, remixed and graced with some nice bonus tracks from the July 1973 Madison Square Garden shows, it should be a must-have. Although, after seeing the track listing, I’m confused as to why “Thank You” from the 7/29 encore is not included. If the sound is greatly improved, it will awesome having another first class live Led Zeppelin release on the shelves.

Amy Winehouse - Frank (November 13)
She is a mess. This is the hype machine going at full throttle. There still are a lot of sheep out there as consumers, so look for this to move some units. She has a voice, that cannot be denied.

Britney Spears – untitled (November 13)
Alright, place your bets, place your bets. Does this yet-to-be titled disaster in the making sell more units than the upcoming Mick Jaggar "best of" package? Maybe it will sell 300,000 – 500,000 copies, but this will be a nuclear bomb. No one cares about Britney. She is only good for a quick glance at tabloid news. She has no artistic credibility or integrity. Jive has to know that the more money it pumps into production costs and marketing campaigns, the more money it will never recoup. Have you heard the new single? The head of Jive should declare a state of emergency and burn the tapes.

Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
Just kidding! Don’t plan on seeing it this year. And if it actually is ever released, is anyone going to care? Axl, your ego quite possibly destroyed your career. Maybe next year....

Scoop

The “Scoop” series by Pete Townshend is a musical treasure. One can argue that maybe you have to be a fan of The Who to feel that way, but it really goes beyond that. It showcases what truly talented musicians and writers accomplish behind the scenes. “Scoop” is an audio representation of Townshend’s legendary demo recordings. Anyone familiar with Pete Townshend knows he is a highly prolific writer that has thousands of hours of unreleased work that is of high quality.

Many artists create demo recordings as a way to get an idea down on tape. Some are simply sketches while others can be elaborate productions. Townshend’s demos are defined by the latter. His demos are so famous because they really are in many cases complete songs with layers of vocals and instrumentation. Keith Richards once said that Townshend’s demos were better than The Who’s final versions. That may be a stretch, but it shows how polished and impressive the Townshend demos are.

Back in 1983, Townshend opened his vault and allowed producer Spike to compile a release of demo recordings. Some were unreleased compositions, some were versions of tracks from his solo albums, and of course some were versions of Who songs. The compilation was called “Scoop” and it is a revelation. From haunting tracks like “Melancholia” to a gorgeous ballad rendition of “Behind Blue Eyes” or a fantastic unreleased gem like “Mary,” “Scoop” has it all.

With The Who demos, you are actually hearing what Townshend presented to the band while they were debating what to include on an upcoming album or project – how cool is that? And after hearing The Who demos, it becomes clear that the direction of The Who’s songs were already well mapped out for the band. Sometimes, little changed other than the band laying down its own individual instrumentation and vocals. In some cases, the Townshend demo is superior like with "Don't Let Go The Coat" found on the second volume of the series.

In 1987, “Another Scoop” was released and was modeled after the first volume. Again, the listener gets to see inside the Townshend creative process. From fully realized versions of Who classics like “You Better, You Bet” to synth-inspired musical sketches like “Ask Yourself” from an aborted 1983 Who project “Siege,” the second version of the “Scoop” series is full of audio riches.

In 2001, Townshend once again opened his vault and continued the “Scoop” series. The third volume entitled “Scoop 3” is just as good as the first two volumes. It has a little more versatility in terms of adding a wider range of musical sketches such as the gorgeous 1994 piano piece "Poem Disturbed" and demo material from a more extensive group of solo albums and Who albums such as the embryonic "Tough Boys" that would develop into the solo hit "Rough Boys" and "Can You See The Real Me" that would turn into the driving "Quadrophenia" album opener "The Real Me."

Other Townshend demos have appeared on Who reissue packages in recent years as well as Pete's "Lifehouse Chronicles" box set. As with the demos found on the first 3 volumes of "Scoop," they are all brilliant and insightful in their own way. Pete Townshend is one of Rock's great songwriters and arrangers, but having the luxury of hearing various degrees of his creative process on tape is a gift. Any fan of Pete Townshend, The Who and the Rock N' Roll creative process in general should seek out and explore the treasures found on the "Scoop" titles.

Johnny At The Fillmore

The Fillmore East in NYC was notorious for housing some of Rock’s greatest live shows from 1968 – 1971. One of the many special events that occurred on the venue’s stage happened in December 1968. Al Kooper and his musical counterpart Michael Bloomfield were booked to play a couple of shows. On the first night, Bloomfield brought with him an unknown Texas Blues guitar slinger named Johnny Winter who he had previously heard in Chicago.

After playing only one song, an excited Bloomfield introduced his guest. Johnny Winter quickly tore into a smokin’ rendition of B.B. King’s “It’s My Own Fault” and immediately dazzled the audience. Listening to the recording, you really sense Johnny is playing for his life. The intensity in his vocals and especially his execution on his guitar is electrifying. It is one of those career defining moments. The executives from Columbia Records on hand to watch Kooper and Bloomfield were at the right place at the right time and stumbled across this virtually unknown gem.

The following Monday; Winter was offered a lucrative record deal that helped propel him to superstar status. Within a year, he would release the Blues/Rock classic, “Second Winter.” Johnny went on to become a Rock star. But his love of the Blues never left him, and by the late-1970's after having helped resurrect Muddy Waters' recording career, he went back to permanently being the Bluesman he originally was.

Fortunately, the December 1968 shows with Kooper and Bloomfield were professionally recorded by Columbia. 30+ years later, Al Kooper was able to locate the tapes and create the live album, “Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68.” Not only is some fantastic guitar work showcased from the brilliant Michael Bloomfield, but that legendary performance of “It’s My Own Fault” with Johnny Winter is officially highlighted for the first time.

There is nothing better than being able to hear a young and hungry Blues musician playing for his love of the music. Thank Michael Bloomfield for bringing Johnny Winter along for the ride that night, and thank Al Kooper for finally unleashing the music recorded on those tapes from another magical evening at the Fillmore.

Long John Baldry

Long John Baldry is a music legend; although there are probably plenty of music fans who have no idea who he is. Baldry was one of the pioneers of the British Folk and Blues scene during the mid-1960's. As a member and leader of various Blues bands such as Blues Incorporated, John Baldry & His Hoochie Men, and Steampacket; he influenced, inspired and helped countless artists.

In the late 1960's, he had some chart success in the England with some Pop ballads, but that soon passed. By the early-1970's, this once influential figure in the British Blues scene was a forgotten memory for the most part. Then two former protégés, Rod Stewart and Elton John, decided to produce an album for their ex-bandleader/bandmate. The results are an undervalued and fairly unknown Blues gem, "It Ain't Easy." This is a gritty and raw Blues album with a lot of acoustic folk and soul. Any fan of the Blues and anyone who is interested in the burgeoning and highly influential British Blues scene from the mid-1960's should check out this lost-gem from Long John Baldry.

*The best way to explore these recordings (plus loads of outtakes) is on the limited edition Rhino Handmade title: "Long John Baldry - Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings."

Please Stop

"I Don't Wanna Stop" is one of the singles off Ozzy Osbourne's newest studio album, "Black Rain." It isn't horrible, but it is far from being OK. It is typical corporate Ozzy. Sleek industrial studio production with some cool Zakk Wylde solos. Totally forgettable stuff. Every Ozzy cliché in the book is used on this track and the entire CD. What you have with "Black Rain" is a sad release by a Rock artist who once meant something.

Ozzy is completely irrelevant in 2007. So is Ozzfest for that matter. Did you see the line-up? Totally unimpressive. Any significance that Ozzfest ever had is long-gone. Ozzy means nothing. He hasn’t released anything worthwhile in nearly 20 years since his Randy Rhoads “Tribute” album. OK, “No More Tears” had some redeeming tracks, but other than that pleasant surprise (and it originally was supposed to be his retirement album), all the dude has been pumping out is boring and mechanical Pop Metal with no edge and passion.

At one time, Ozzy’s work was noteworthy. After being dumped by Black Sabbath, he rebounded with the help of virtuoso guitarist Randy Rhoads. In 1980, Ozzy and Rhoads released the Metal masterpiece, “Blizzard Of Ozz” which was followed up the next year by another classic, “Diary Of A Madman.” The two albums were Ozzy’s finest moments in the studio outside of his work with Black Sabbath. His work with Rhoads was interrupted when Rhoads died in a plane accident in early 1982. And although it is strongly suggested that Rhoads was going to leave the music business for a period of time to study classical guitar, no one can say with complete certainty that his collaboration with Ozzy would have ended permanently had he done so.

Over the next decade, Ozzy cranked out a few Metal albums with Pop leanings. Also, during that time, an incredible live album “Tribute” featuring Ozzy’s and Randy’s performances was issued. Other than that highlight, Ozzy was simply a celebrity with a growing body of mediocre work.

Ozzy is now basically a corporation. He is a product. He has name value. And he no longer has any artistic credibility. How could he? His albums are calculated Pop Metal productions that mean nothing and he made a complete fool out of himself on his MTV reality TV show a few years back.

To add insult to injury, due to a long-standing legal battle with Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake (the bass player and drum player on “Blizzard Of Ozz” and “Diary Of A Madman”) over royalties and publishing, Sharon Osbourne had Daisley’s and Kerslake’s original bass and drum parts completely wiped off of those two classic Metal albums and replaced by two of Ozzy’s musicians in his current touring band. Sharon Osbourne destroyed a piece of Rock history by altering and butchering those two landmark albums. So, the two redeeming studio albums in Ozzy’s catalogue are essentially no longer available – what is now on the shelves are truncated versions. It has negatively impacted Ozzy’s legacy and also Randy Rhoads' legacy. Why did Sony allow this to happen? Does being in business with Ozzy Osbourne in this century still mean anything?

So why spend a few minutes writing about an irrelevant artist? Because after hearing “Black Rain,” it was a reminder that this pathetic artist once had a legitimate recording career. Anyone doubting this should take a few minutes to listen to a pre-2002 version of the “Blizzard Of Ozz” album.

Moonbeams

I broke out Bill Evans' 1962 classic "Moonbeams" earlier in the day. It is an album filled with one stunning performance after another. If you are not overly familiar with Bill Evans, all you really have to know is that he is the most influential Jazz pianist to ever stroke the keys. Miles Davis once said Bill Evans could play anything. He was of course right. Evans could play with a fiery intensity and he could swing with the best of them, but what really stands out is his lyrical sensibility, his soft-spoken approach. He had such a beautiful silky-smooth delivery and creative touch as well as impeccable technique and a polished tone. Listen to "Stairway To The Stars" and "It Might As Well Be Spring" to hear what I am talking about. You can't have too much Bill Evans in your music collection. "Moonbeams" is a nice starting point.

Recommended titles:
Moonbeams
Portrait In Jazz
Explorations
Interplay
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Waltz For Debby
How My Heart Sings!
Trio '64
Conversations With Myself
The Last Waltz
Kind Of Blue [the epic Miles Davis album]

Concerts

I’ve seen a lot of concerts during the past 20 years. I’ve seen some legends, overrated stars and unknowns that never graduated past the clubs. Some have been quite forgettable while others have been quite memorable. Some of best shows of all time happened before I was able to attend. Here is my top-15 that I would love to go back in time to see (in no particular order of significance).

Elvis Presley - 7/31/69 at The International Hotel, Las Vegas
Elvis Presley - 8/12/70 (midnight show) at The Hilton, Las Vegas
Led Zeppelin - 3/7/70 at Royal Albert Hall, London
Led Zeppelin - 9/4/70 at The Forum, Los Angeles
Led Zeppelin - 6/25/72 at The Forum, Los Angeles
Jimi Hendrix - 6/18/67 at Monterey Pop Festival, Monterey
Jimi Hendrix - 1/1/70 (1st show) at The Fillmore East, New York
Jeff Beck - 5/3/75 at Music Hall, Boston
The Rolling Stones - 11/9/69 (2nd show) at Oakland Coliseum, Oakland
The Who - 2/14/70 at Leeds University, Leeds
The Who - 12/13/71 at Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
Bruce Springsteen - 8/15/75 at Bottom Line, New York
The Allman Brothers Band - 3/12/71 (2nd show) at The Fillmore East, New York
Eric Clapton - 6/24/74 at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach
The Doors - 9/6/68 (late show) at The Roundhouse, London

There are of course more that I could add (a lot of my favorite artists are not referenced here), but I tried to make it as exclusive of a list as I could. There were too many essential concerts to squeeze into 10 slots, so I had to make it a top-15 list (Some of these were difficult like the New Years Hendrix shows from the Fillmore. I would have loved to have seen all 4 shows, but with only 15 slots, I had to choose one.). Why so much Zeppelin? Well, I consider them to be the greatest "live" Rock band ever. There are a few others that come close, but when Zeppelin was "on" during their non-stop run between 1969-1972, it was out of this world.

This is strictly a list of Rock shows. Most of these shows have been represented on album in some form or on underground releases. The one that remains unavailable is Elvis’ 7/31/69 gig in Las Vegas (The show that was his comeback to live performing. There is a good chance a private collector has this soundboard…). There is no relevance to this list, but I had a few minutes to kill on Labor Day, so….

Record Label Confusion

There is a great article about Rick Rubin in the NY Times. Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02rubin.t.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Rubin is an interesting character to begin with, but after sifting through the kiss-ass nature of the bio portions of the article, the real substance of interest is his take on where the record business should head.

He admits that Columbia is in the "dark ages" and that the current business model used by the labels is done. But in talking about the future, he brings up a concept that has been mentioned before in that he sees the record business adopting a subscription model where the consumer pays a monthly fee for unlimited access to complete catalogues of music by their favorite artists. The material within these catalogues that could be available for service would include demos, bootlegs, concerts, and the obvious master recordings - anything the artist would approve for release. The music will be available for use anywhere the consumer wants - computers, cars, home entertainment systems, etc. With a model like this in place, he feels the record business will quickly and vastly grow.

Certainly this model has potential. Let's face it; this is the model a lot of music consumers have already adopted. They listen to as much music as they want and because the record labels only release a portion of what is available, the consumer goes underground to hear the rest. They use their iPods in the house, at work, at the gym, and in the car. What he is suggesting isn't revolutionary; he is just admitting that the labels need to get paid for it. And as I have mentioned before, the labels can really capitalize on this sort of scenario because of their vast catalogues. They have a lot of unreleased material in their vaults that fans want.

He also mentions that there will be no need for an iPod. There will be some other machine similar to a "walkman-like device" that one can plug into their speakers at home. Hmmm, no iPods? Could it be that Rubin works for Sony? Hey, record label executives, Apple isn't going away. Ok? Your old s**ty business model is. Apple is still innovative right now, so maybe their products will be around for awhile.

One of my main questions is will the music that is available for subscription actually be owned by the consumer once purchased or will it just be rented? As consumers, fans will want to be able to have unlimited lifetime access to the music they purchase. If their access to the music is up after the month expires (and there is no way to download or copy the files), you will not have people embracing this model. Rubin says if the subscription model is in place for a good price, no one will steal the music. What planet are you from Rick? Yes, you may stop a lot of the free trade between peers, but friends like making copies of music for friends. It has been that way 25 years. And as Steve Barnett (Rubin's co-head of Columbia) says in the article, if the subscription model is not done correctly, it may be the final nail in coffin for the labels. Don't rush into it guys....

The other point I need to talk about is the idea that Columbia is considering asking artists for 50% of their touring/merchandise/on-line revenue streams. Hello? Now, I know that Jeff Kwatinetz has made some similar deals or partnerships for his artists in order to secure loads of cash, but I consider those isolated situations. A lot of managers will not touch that deal with a ten foot pole. Do you see Jon Landau going along with that one? Who wants to give up touring and merchandise revenue to a record label? So in 20 years when you can't sell 10,000 albums, but you can sell 10,000 tickets a night, Columbia will get a piece of that? I know it is more complicated, but still, that is total insanity. If the record label does its job right, they can make plenty of money selling records. Also, does the artist need Columbia so badly that they need to give up touring revenue just to have a record deal? We all know that answer to that one.

So, the label executives are trying to figure a way out of this cluster-f**k they created (while running business as usual). It will be interesting to see how it plays out. One thing is certain, the artists and the public have the power right now. They can partially dictate where this goes. It is going to take more than a monthly subscription fee for music rentals, stealing touring revenue from artists and figuring out how to run Apple out of the business. Stay tuned, the game continues….

Dream Brother

Jeff Buckley’s brief career came and went like a flash of light in the nighttime sky. He had one official album during his lifetime, the magnificent “Grace.” It isn’t an album of driving rhythms or dazzling musicianship; it is an album full of moody musical collages with Buckley’s unmistakably beautiful voice. “Grace” is somewhat of an understated cult classic.

Jeff Buckley died ten years ago at the age of 30 in a drowning accident way before he reached his full potential as an artist. Leaving behind a modern-day mini-masterpiece in “Grace,” he made a significant mark in the musical landscape during the mid-1990s. The album has proven to have life beyond its initial period of release. While a vast majority of albums released during any generation are easily forgotten, “Grace” has continued to gain fans and appreciation because of its depth and beauty.

I consider Jeff Buckley’s death a great loss to contemporary music. You will hear music journalists fawn over Kurt Cobain as a tremendous loss, and maybe he was, but I would add Jeff Buckley to that discussion without hesitation. Take a listen to the haunting “Dream Brother” from “Grace” with its mystical melodies and captivating vocals and you will hear the genius of Jeff Buckley. Take a listen to the Legacy Edition of "Grace" and you will hear a versitile artist with unlimited potential.