Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Psychedelic Pill"

Released 10/15/2012

Whoops...here we go again!  Neil Young with Crazy Horse.  "Americana" was a successful (in my opinion) warmup to this double album.  It's all here friends: the chunky, chewy jams unfettered by time constraints ("Driftin' Back" 27:58, "Ramada Inn" 16:38, "Walk LIke A Giant"16:35) and the somewhat tighter loping tunes typical of Young and the Horse ("Born In Ontario", "Twisted Road").  There's even two versions of the title tune, one as mixed in the late sixties with all the acid whooshing effects and the other more straight ahead.

Whether you like this or not is based on your tolerance for the longer jams (which are suprisingly more melodic and trance-like than in the past).  I love this stuff.  And it all fits in very nicely with Neil's autobiography "Waging Heavy Peace" of which there are varied opinions (I both loved and was frustrated with it).

Lengthy or not, the songs themselves seem to be in step with the Young canon.  Take a listen to the early Young-Horse albums...there's quite a connection.

Bob Dylan "Tempest"

Released 09/07/2012

Yeah, I know his voice is shot and his playing can be sloppy but that isn't the point here.  It comes down to what appears on the tracks and here he continues his quest started with "Time Out Of Mind" in 1997.  He's exploring, dissecting and reassembling American music like no one else.  Be it blues, jazz, rockabilly, folk or country, Bob Dylan is all over it.  The music is as authentic sounding as he can make it (check out "Duquense Whistle").  Many times he uses already existing material as the basis of a track ("Early Roman Kings") but adds that Dylan twist be it musical or lyrical. "Tempest" continues his quest mostly successfully with some top drawer material ("Soon After Midnight", "Pay In Blood", "Narrow Way").

Late period Dylan has become quite the journey.  We should be thankful that we are along for the ride.  Hold on, it may be bumpy at times, but the rewards are many.  It's no understatement to say that Dylan is one of the musical touchstones of our era.

Gaslight Anthem "Handwritten"

Released 07/24/2012

Yeah, I know all the talk about this band being a Springsteen clone (and a Jersey band to boot).  Sure the Boss has played with them in the past and some of their previous albums sound like Bruce wannabes but really, this is a band that has worn it's influences on it's sleeve (and they are not all Springsteen based) and there is an evolution going on here.

"Handwritten" is a merging of all these things into something that is distinctly Gaslight Anthem.  This is a solid rock album with tastes of Jersey rock, punk and what-have-you.  The songwriting is first rate and the playing is solid.  Anticipation of what these guys will do in the future is promising.

All that said, if you're a Springsteen fan you'll love this album.

Kenny Tudrick

Released 07/24/12

As the former substance abusing Kid Rock guitarist and drummer for garage rockers Detroit Cobras and Sub Pop darlings King Tuff, I had a preconcieved idea of what kind of solo album Kenny Tudrick would put together.  Expecting a raucous balls-to-the-wall kind of sound (not a bad thing mind you) what Kenny put out was a very pleasant surprise indeed.

Leaning more towards the folk rock, 70s Laurel Canyon sound this is one tasty creation.  The production is sparse but impeccable.  Bursts of electic guitars, drums, keyboards and backing vocals come and go as needed.  The instruments are mostly Kenny with keyboard help and the occasional guest guitarist (Patti Smith's son is one).

Kenny's vocals are another surprise.  Plaintive, weary and drawling at times it is definitely a pleasant sound.  He's been places and done things and it shows.

The songs?  There's a double albums worth and not a bad one in the bunch.  Experiences evoked by his vocal style match perfectly with the lyrics.  He's been around and understands how a song works.  Each song has a quality that drags you into it.  Once familiar with the tunes you anticipate each track as it begins.

I can't praise this album enough.

(For a really good article on Kenny go to Google and enter "Kenny Tudrick Metro Times")

Patti Smith "Banga"

 Released 06/04/2012

Her first album of new material in eight years , "Banga" is well worth the wait.  For Patti Smith fans it's all here...the spoken word delivery flowing into melodic phrases ("Amerigo", "Seneca", "This Is The Girl"), great rhythms (Jay Dee Daugherty, Tony Shanahan), sudden guitar blasts and lyric inventions (Lenny Kaye, Tom Verlaine).  There's pop and folk and rock and epic presentations (the 10 minute "Constantines Dream" stands out).  It all ends with a wistful version of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" made all the poignant with her signature delivery and a children's chorus.  As expected the lyrics are as good as it gets.  Here is the work of a true artist for your consideration. 

Japandroids "Celebration Rock"

 Released 06/05/12

Japandroids are a Vancouver based guitar/drums duo that play hook laden garage rock.  On this their second full album they go for a much larger sound than their first album.  The title "Celebration Rock" says it all folks.  Full of sing-along hooks this album is short and snappy.  Big crowd pleaser here.  Think of the anthemic best of the Clash and Green Day.  This is true '.fun' punk rock n' roll. 

Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Americana"

 Released 05/30/12

Melodies you've known since childhood ("Oh Susanna","Tom Dooley", "Clementine" et al) seem a startling contrast to the Neil Young & Crazy Horse guitar crunch and indeed they are.  Disconcerting at first, after repeated listening I'll be damned if it all doesn't work memorably well.  "Get A Job"?  Yep, it somehow fits. 

I expected "This Land Is Your Land" to work in this musical environment (and it does) but the others are a real pleasant surprise.  Kudos also for the great booklet notes on each song.  The only cooler thing I can think of is incorporating the Pistols version into their take of "God Save The Queen".  I'll bet it probably did occur to them.

Rolling Stones "LA Friday '75"

Released March 2012

Jann Wenner writing in Rolling Stone about the final 1975 L.A concert of the Rolling Stones:

"At the end of each number I was screaming at the person in the next seat: 'We're seeing the best show of the tour!'...I was convinced that I had seen not only the best show of this tour but possibly the best Stones concert ever."

You can now make up your own mind with the third official Stones Archive concert release of the June 13th 1975 Rolling Stones show at the forum.  (Only available online at StonesArchive.com).

Based on this release the concert is in the argument for best ever.  The opening salvo of "Honky Tonk Woman" establishes this as one of the strongest Stones live recordings out there.  Not just with the performance but also due to the incredible remastered sound.  Strong stuff indeed and it doesn't let up from there.

If you're at all a Stones fan this is one to get.  The only letdown for some may be the two Billy Preston numbers but, hey, that was part of the deal with this incredible tour.  If you saw Jagger swinging out over the arena holding onto a rope using only his hands and feet (and I'm talking waaaaaay out there) you'd realize they laid it all on the line on this tour (the first with Ron Wood).

While I'm at it, the two earlier releases "1973: The Brussels Affair" and "1981: Hampton Coliseum" are well worth getting.

"Brussels Affair" consists of two shows done the same day.  The afternoon show is easily the most infamous of the recorded Stones canon.  Heavily bootlegged it was also used in part for the King Biscuit Flower Power hour radio show back in the 70s.  The afternoon show may be the best Stones show ever (in the equation with Mr. Wenner's assessment of the above 75 show).  This official release is mostly the previously unavailable night show in Brussels on the same day.  I say mostly because "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Midnight Rambler" (extraordinary) are from the afternoon show.

"Hampton Coliseum" was one of the first Pay-Per-View concerts and although it's availability was rather limited...the stereo soundtrack wasn't.  I didn't have access to the video but the full stereo came through a local FM station.  I sat there with my audio cassettes and recorded the entire show.  I thought I knew this one by heart but with the remastering job done by Bob Clearmountain it's like a new show.  This is the show where Keef clocked a guy that jumped on the stage with his guitar then kept playing as if nothing happened.

       

Jack White "Blunderbluss"

 Released 04/24/12

Many of the tunes on Jack White's first solo album could fit on a new White Stripes, Raconteurs or Dead Weather album but they would sound very, very different.  White is a first rate collaborator who brings the sound of the whole to the fore yet retains that unique Jack White quality.  The sound on this album is all his.

And what a sound it is.  His lyrical cadences are intact along with the diverse instrumentation.  Fiddles, clarinets, pedal steels, upright basses and mandolins show up with the guitars, keyboards and drums.  Yes, the crunchy guitar is there ("Sixteen Saltines") and it does show up sometimes where not expected.  It's reported that he prefers old cheap department store electric guitars and given the sounds he wrenches out of those poor souls that is probably preferable.  More keyboard heavy tunes are prevalent but they certainly don't wimp out.  This is a strong album.

The roots of the songs are all over the rock and roll map.  One could probably spend a long time writing a track-by-track treatise on those influences.  But what the hell, just enjoy.

Album of the year contender.

Leonard Cohen "Old Ideas"

 Released 01/31/12

Not really associated in most minds as a rock artist, nonetheless Leonard Cohn is a poetic musical artist.  If his half-spoken baritone voice and exemplary lyrics hit your buttons then this one will not disappoint.  I'm one of those people and that's why it's here.

Musically it's similar, yet a bit more diverse, to recent original albums by Cohen.  Excellent vocal accompaniment from the usual female suspects. The songs cover expected weighty matters from life to death and beyond with emphatic musical wistfulness.  Atypically, he makes light of his own persona right from the beginning with "Going Home".  ("He's a lazy bastard living in a suit") 

If you are part of the spiritual/romantic party that is Leonard Cohen then "Old Ideas" (his first album of new material in 8 years) is required listening.  If not, maybe this one will change you mind...maybe not.

Bruce Springsteen "Wrecking Ball"

 Released 03/02/12

Once again answering the clarion call of current times, "Wrecking Ball" looks at working class America post 2008.  They are the same persons that populated his earlier work albeit 40 years later.  Then they were concerned with parents, street racing, relationships and facing the future.  Well, the future is here and, at this juncture, is rather bleak.  Is the answer rallying together for change or striking out in anger?  It's all in the make-up of this album.

The music?  With very little E-Street band involvement it still contains the essence of their sound.  This album does take chances, it's certainly not a straight ahead E-Street album.  Some of the production has been criticized as a mistaken try to remain "current".  That does Bruce very little credit.  He's turned into a master in the studio and this one reflects that.  There's a lot of variety in the music and the particular sound of each track stands on it's own.  As with any artist's efforts, some parts do work better than others,but the effort is sincere.

The bottom line is how often you come back to a particular album.  I seem to be going back to this one quite a bit.   Will that last?  Time will tell.   My past Springsteen listening seems to center on "Tracks", "The Promise (Darkness outtakes)" and the early stuff up to, and including, "Born in the USA".  "The Rising" is admittedly a great album, but when is the last time you listened to it?

Guided By Voices "Let's Go Eat The Factory"

 Released 12/20/2011

GBV are back after 8 years and it's hard to imagine that "Bee Thousand" and (personal fave) "Alien Lanes" were from 1994-5.  With "Let's Go Eat The Factory" it's as if they never left.  Titular leader Robert Pollard, after a less than distinguished solo career, reassembled many of the past members in 2010 and this is the result.  Twenty one songs ranging from under a minute to almost exactly 4 minutes (the average is probably right around 2 minutes).  You cover a lot of ground here in styles and the hit rate for memorable tunes is up there.  Many times you wish they would have fleshed out some of the tunes, some are just right and others...well at least they are short.  One thing though...they are all fun and that's something this group seems to understand in spades.  Worth checking out along with much of their back catalogue if you're not familiar.  A true cult band.

NOTE: Six months after the above release, GBV released another new album consisting of 21 new songs along a similar vein.  That seems a bit soon for me and listening shows this to be the case.  The ratio of songs you'd want to hear again on "Class Clown Spots a UFO" is a lot lower than that on "Let's Go Eat The Factory" by quite a bit.  As in the past they seem to be spreading themselves a bit thin.  Then again that's possibly what their true fans are looking for: Quantity versus Quality to arrive at those favorite tracks.  Lowers the standard for me.

The Black Keys "El Camino"

 Released 12/02/2011

Lonely Boys, indeed.  After the Keys' breakthrough album "Brothers" they have officially become an Arena act and that added special importance to the next album.  Starting off with the T-Rex inspired "Lonely Boys" the Keys lay the groundwork for an album that harkens  back to their previous efforts...you know, the ones that turned you onto the band originally and you felt you were the only one that was into them and that was special.  Not so special was the "Brothers" album where you felt they were really trying to reach out to the mainstream and everyone else would start liking them (even though it was a great album).

No fear.  "El Camino" calls up the best of "Brothers" and their early efforts.  I wasn't so sure about "Little Black Submarine".  Isn't the Led Zepplin acoustic-beginning-into-electric-ending one of the biggest rock cliches around?  But damn, it works.  Credit some of that to Danger Mouse.  He seems a good match for Dan and Patrick.  This album rocks.