My blog is of anything that pops into this brain of mine as well as what pops into other bloggers brains! If I read something I find interesting, I'll add it to mine and give credit, where credit is due!
A week ago, I was asked by a fellow blogger, Curtis Linder , to offer a guest review on an album. I was more than happy to oblige, and awfully humbled. So, here is my "guest review", posted by... well, ME!
"I found this GEM (and I do mean GEM!) Back in '91 on cassette. I'm from the Quad Cities of Iowa/Illinois, and was a frequent shopper at Co-op Records. The guys all knew me and knew I KNEW my music. I was looking for something different, something interesting, something not mainstream, that I could sink my teeth into AND be able to call my own (always loved finding great music and then turning others onto it, like a music guru). The Co-op dudes knew I was a Beatles collector and fan as well as a follower of Steely Dan. I had respect for Madonna's pop sensibilities, but much preferred intelligent lyrics and word play within an easily digestible, but intricate movements in a song. They showed me a cassette of Toy Matinee.
Toy Matinee was a short-lived American art-pop band, and also the title of their only album. Their sound was an array of mixed influences, including progressive rock, AOR and pop reminiscent of both the Beatles and the Beach Boys. I was ADDICTED the very first time I heard the very first chords on LAST PLANE OUT - the very first song on the album! I knew, immediately, that this should have been a much bigger record than it had been. Lots of pop hooks that, in no time at all, you'd be singing along with, not to mention bopping your head. This was classy, intelligent power pop from mostly unknown masters!
TOY MATINEE was formed by producer/composer/keyboardist Patrick Leonard in collaboration with singer/lyricist Kevin Gilbert. Backed by a group of session musicians (drummer Brian MacLeod, guitarist Tim Pierce, and bassist Guy Pratt), and with guest appearances from several other musicians including Julian Lennon, the duo recorded just one self-titled album which was released on Reprise Records in 1990.
The album was engineered and produced by Bill Bottrell. Thematically, it covered a rather broad ground; two tracks were dedicated to Czech poet and political figure Vaclav Havel and painter Salvador Dali, and "Queen of Misery" is about Madonna (Leonard was the singer's longtime songwriting and producing partner and Gilbert had recently worked with her as an engineer.) Two of the other songs on TOY MATINEE -- "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and "Last Plane Out" -- received wide play on album rock stations, both of them peaking at #23 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Despite that, the album's highest U.S. chart position was #129.
Kevin Gilbert was known well in the L.A. pop scene and around the Sunset Strip. He'd been in various bands, all of his own creation, NRG (No Reasons Given) and Giraffe. At this time he was also dating an unknown singer by the name of Sheryl Crow, who also sang back up and played some keyboards while TM was performing live. (Incidentally, most of Crow's TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB album was written by Kevin, during a songwriter's workshop Kevin created with Bill Bottrell and David Baerwald called, The Tuesday Night Music Club.)
Pat Leonard was, well..... PAT LEONARD! (See above credits). These two crafted a masterpiece of power pop that was not schlock, but well thought out. Hooks that were poppy but not annoying or cheesy! You were proud to repeat these lyrics as many time as it took to get others around you to say, "What is that? Who is it? Where can I get it?" (I did this many times, and wore out, at least 3, store bought cassettes of Toy Matinee, before I finally bought a CD player!)
My favorite track is....um...... damn. This is too hard! It's like asking a mother which one of her 9 children did she love most.... If I was asked what track stands out the most. I'd say.............. CRAP! Can't do that either! Every piece of this pie must be savored on it's own or as a whole. This may be the ONLY CD, that I've never "parted out" onto mix-discs of favorites that I make for car rides, because it's a favorite, thru and thru!! All in all, I doubt anyone that reads this review, would find anything they don't like about this album. Unfortunately, you WILL find it in a bargain bin in used CD and record stores. The original was on Reprise but Pat Leonard reissued it in 2001 on his own Unitone records with extra tracks! I'd advise, also, To check out Kevin Gilbert's solo efforts THUD and THE SHAMING OF THE TRUE. You WON'T be disappointed!"
I saw Shawn Phillips for the 2nd time last night in Davenport, IA. He noted that 45 years ago, he had his 1st gig as a professsional musician IN Davenport, IA! MY BACK YARD! I'm originally from the Quad City area, so this was a surprise to my whole family as I was named after this man.
I would love it if all my followers and anyone else who visits my blog, to also hop over to 18th St. Vintage and Metro Records and follow them as well. I am a huge fan of this store and am putting forth lots of energy to help them along. I have been "working" there for a few weeks and have created not only the blog link above, but a Facebook fan page for them as well!
If you're looking for some really cool stuff or some great music on vinyl, cassette tape, CD, or even 8-track, you'll find plenty to browse here! Pictures, classic board games, vintage glassware, knick-knacks and brik-a-brak! It's all here!
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason fronted the group who made the one-off self-titled album Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports in May 1981 in the UK and US, this being Mason's first major work outside of Pink Floyd. However, the album is considered by many a Carla Bley album in all but name, since she wrote all the songs and co-produced it. It is sung by Robert Wyatt, except for the opening song. The album was recorded in November 1979 but its release was delayed for almost two years.
"I made 'Fictitious Sports' more as an exercise. There's more longevity in 'Profiles'... it's strong enough to be accepted as a 'proper' record."
—Nick Mason
"Originally, I had arranged to go to America and make an album using all sorts of material, but then Carla sent me a cassette with some of her ideas. It was very different from what she had done before and absolutely in line with what I like. So I thought it would be much better to do that than to struggle desperately to find things that work together."
—Nick Mason
Siam - Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports
Nick Mason – drums, percussion, co-producer, recording engineer
Carla Bley – keyboards, songwriter, co-producer
Chris Spedding – guitars
Steve Swallow – bass guitar
Michael Mantler – trumpet, recording engineer
Robert Wyatt – vocals
Karen Kraft – vocals on "Can't Get My Motor to Start"
Gary Windo – tenor/bass clarinet, flute, additional vocals
Gary Valente – trombones, additional vocals
Howard Johnson – tuba
Terry Adams – piano on "Boo to You Too", harmonica and clavinet on "Can't Get My Motor to Start"
Carlos Ward – additional vocals
D. Sharpe – additional vocals
Vincent Chancey – additional vocals
Earl McIntyre – additional vocals
James Guthrie – mixing engineer
Hipgnosis – cover design
Smith were a one-hit wonder American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1969. They had a blues based sound and had a Top 5 hit in 1969 with a cover of the song "Baby It's You", with the lead vocals sung by Gayle McCormick. This disc, released in July 1969 had, by October, sold over one million copies, and received a gold record awarded by the R.I.A.A.
Smith were discovered by 1960s rocker Del Shannon in a nightclub in Los Angeles. McCormick had started her career singing songs by Tina Turner, Etta James and others of that ilk. Shannon arranged "Baby It's You" for the group and got them signed to the ABC-Dunhill Records label. Smith released an album titled, A Group Called Smith, which spent 11 weeks in the Top 40 album listings of the since-called Billboard 200 record chart. On the album, vocals were split amongst Rich Cliburn, Jerry Carter and McCormick. Smith recorded a second album titled Minus-Plus with lesser success. Smith's version of "The Weight" was included on the epochal Easy Rider soundtrack because The Band's version, which appeared in the movie, was not available for contractual reasons. Most of their material consisted of covers of popular rock and R&B tunes. The band broke up after a couple of albums, although their singles "What Am I Gonna Do" (co-written by Carole King) and "Take a Look Around" made the middle of the charts. The band's hit "Baby It's You" was also featured in Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse film, Death Proof.
Minus Plus - Title track to the album
McCormick went on to record three solo albums, Gayle McCormick, Flesh And Blood and One More Hour after the group disbanded. "It's A Cryin' Shame" was a minor hit for her from the first of these, reaching #44 on the charts in 1971.
Smith were a quintet of one woman and four men:
Gayle McCormick- lead vocals - from St. Louis, Missouri
Larry Moss - organ and kazoo
Jerry Carter - bass
Robert Evans - drums
Rich Cliburn - lead guitar
Jellyfish were a power pop band from San Francisco. The core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Although their career was short, the band has become highly influential in the power pop genre.
The band's debut album, Bellybutton, was released in 1990. It demonstrated the wide range of influences which the new band drew on, drawing heavily from the Paisley Underground, Queen, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, XTC, Cheap Trick, Wings, and Badfinger, Bellybutton was released in 1990. The album contained the band's biggest hit, "Baby's Coming Back", which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album also included the singles "That Is Why", "I Wanna Stay Home", "Now She Knows She's Wrong" and "The King Is Half-Undressed" (the video for which was nominated for Best Art Direction at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards).
After the recording of Bellybutton, Manning's brother Chris was asked to join the band as bassist for the imminent live dates.
Frustrated with simply being the guitar player, Jason Falkner left the band after the Bellybutton tour. Chris Manning also left, disliking the touring lifestyle.
Sturmer and Roger Manning recruited Tim Smith as the new bassist while preparing new material. Studio musicians (including Jon Brion) were brought in to help record their second album, Spilt Milk in 1993. The album was a far more elaborate affair than Bellybutton, incorporating a significant amount of overdubbing and complex song arrangements. A tour followed which included Eric Dover on guitar and backing vocal duties.
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Simon House (violin and keyboards), Pete Pavli (bass) and Roger Hadden (drums). The trademark of their first album Sea Shanties was the constant battle between the electric guitar of Tony Hill and the electric violin of Simon House. There is hardly a quiet moment on Sea Shanties, the heaviest tracks being "Futilist's Lament" and the instrumental "Death Warmed Up". Stylistically it is a mix of hard rock, psychedelic, blues, folk, and jazz-rock, and is sometimes even cited as the first progressive metal album. Allmusic author, Wilson Neate, had this to say of the group, "High Tide had the muscularity of a no-nonsense proto-metal band, but they also ventured into prog territory with changing time signatures and tempos, soft-hard dynamics, multi-part arrangements, and even some ornate faux-Baroque interludes.".
The second, self-titled, album is a little less heavy and introduces some keyboards, played by Hill and House; the folk and jazz-rock influences are more noticeable on this album. Featuring just three tracks - Blankman Cries Again, The Joke and Saneonymous - it can be seen as a concept of sorts, the theme being the slow slide into psychosis. Indeed, Roger Hadden was later committed for just that reason.
High Tide also played as backing band on Denny Gerrard's album Sinister Morning (1970). A third album, Precious Cargo, which was more a psychedelic album without any hard rock influences, was recorded in 1970, but the band split up, and it was not published until 1989, when Hill and House reformed High Tide as a 2-man band with the use of drum computers and produced Interesting Times, in the wake of which "Precious Cargo" was finally released.
Two other albums with previously unreleased material, The Flood and A Fierce Nature, followed in 1990. Simon House left, and Pete Pavli joined again. Together with some guest musicians including Dave Tomlin (violin), Drachen Theaker (drums) and Sushi Krishnamurti (vocals), they recorded Ancient Gates, which had some Indian influences. Another album of previously unreleased material, A Reason of Success, was released in 1992. The tracks "Futilist's Lament" and "Blankman Cries Again" are on the United Artists Records 2004 sampler All Good Clean Fun CD re-package (Liberty 8660902), but High Tide did not appear on the original 1971 LP.
More recently, Tony Hill has recorded with Nick Saloman of Bevis Frond and has also formed his own three-piece called Tony Hill's Fiction.
Tony Hill's Fiction were initially formed after the release of Tony Hill's solo album/CD 'Inexactness' which was released on Nick Saloman and Ade Shaws' Woronzow label 2006. Fronted by Tony Hill (Guitar/Vox) with D E Holt (Bass) and Syd Farrell (Drums) the band released one unofficial CD from their website ('Dna, The Brain, The Universe').
Band On The Run - Half-speed Master (oh, yeah) and John Mayall - USA Union
Former (early) Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer - Flee and a blues comp. from London Records (just look who's on it!)
Best of Mark~Almond (John Mark and Johnny Almond formerly with John Mayall) and It's A Beautiful Day - Marrying Maiden
Rick Wakemen - Legend of King Arthur.... and Journey to the Centre of the Earth (dad had these when I was a kid, he didn't like the 1st - I did, we both enjoy the 2nd)
David Gilmore - About Face (1984) and Isle of Wight Fest (3 records)
Still sealed Great White - On Your Knees and Shot in the Dark
Still Sealed Great White - Recovery: LIVE and opened but very clean ...Twice Shy
The next 6 albums I got free last summer, but are in Near Mint condition and sound UNBELIEVABLE on my newly re-conditioned turntable with brand new Grado Blue1 cartridge and stylus.
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue and DAve Brubeck Quart. - Time Out on Columbia Jazz Digital Remasters
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme
Benny Goodman - All-time GH and Miles Davis- Porgy and Bess (never heard this one before although I was aware of it.... REALLY GOOD!!! Highly suggested!
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