Spirit - Twelve Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus, Remastered & Expanded

Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus was the fourth album from Spirit and ended up being the last one with the original band comprised of Randy California, Jay Ferguson, John Locke, Ed Cassidy and Mark Andes (Locke and Cassidy were the only members on the follow-up).  It was alos the first one not produced by Lou Adler, with David Briggs, who was best known for working with Neil Young, handling production this time.  Ironically when it was released it was their lowest charting album, but is now their only album that has been certified gold.  Listening to the album today it is obvious that this was an album that was ahead of its time, extremely diverse and full of so much depth and so many layers.  This is displayed right out the gate with the multipart “Prelude-Nothing To Hide”, which starts with a gently played steel guitar solo with vocal accompaniment and then turns into a catchy rocker with a psychedelic groove full of great guitar work that includes slide, tons of effects, feedback jumping from side to side all topped off with a great horn section.  Next up is the classic “Nature’s Way”, a gorgeous tune with intertwining acoustic and electric guitars and the everpresent cowbell, and “Animal Zoo”, which is a bouncy rock song with a hint of funk and some really good piano and harmonica along with a little country flavor in the guitar work.  While there is plenty of experimentation throughout the album, it’s no more evident than on “Love Has Found A Way”, which at its core is a very catchy psychedelic track with a jazz groove, but enhanced with effects, vibes and backwards masking that runs underneath the whole song.  Following a short little interlude with the 1:02 minute “Why Can’t I Be Free”, a stripped down tune with just some acoustic guitar and whispered vocals comes another Spirit classic in “Mr Skin”, a jazzy rocker with its funk tinged beat, throbbing bass, blasting horns and pulsing organ.  ”Space Child” is a hypnotic, “spacy” sounding instrumental that’s split into sections.  It starts with a really cool piano, slowly mixing in some swirling effects before shifting into a jazzier piano and drums section and then back around to the piano that started it all before ending abruptly, but really leading into “When I Touch You”, which is a heavy, fairly dark rocker that interestingly bears more than a passing resemblance to Soundgarden (there are actually some vocal passages that if you didn’t know better you would think was Chris Cornell).   “Street Worm” has a funky vibe with bouncy piano and drums and some interesting guitar passages that gradually evolves into an all-out jam with some stellar Hendrix-like guitar and plenty of cowbell.  The band shifts gears a bit on “Life Has Just Begun” a gorgeous cut that showcases California’s acoustic guitar playing and has a bit of a rootsy flavor enhanced by some nice honky tonk piano.  They then shift again with “Morning Will Come”, a jubilant, feel good tune with a driving beat that borders on R&B punctuated by blasting horns throughout.  Slowing things down to close out the album is “Soldier”, a captivating tune driven by piano and accented by some really nice organ in the background.  Rounding out the first disc are ten bonus tracks, six of which are previously unreleased.  First up is “Rougher Road”, a more straightforward rock tune than the album tracks that does a good job of mixing acoustic and electric guitars.  “Dirty Dan” is a previously unreleased instrumental that starts off with nice interplay between guitar, organ, drums and a funky bass and then moves into a more straightforward rock tune that really showcases the organ work.  Following mono versions of “Animal Zoo” and “Morning Will Come” is “Red Light Roll On”, a lighthearted tune with some tongue in cheek lyrics with and a loose funky R&B vibe that was the B-side to “Animal Zoo”. Next up are the original backing tracks for “Love Has Found A Way” and “Street Worm” and a rehearsal backing track “When I Touch You” followed by “Walking On My Feet”, a short acoustic tune consisting of vocal, guitars and drums (according to the notes on the reel, keyboardist John Locke plays the drums here).  Closing out the first disc is a interesting live version of “Nature’s Way”, recorded at the Fillmore West on May 16, 1970 that is notable because California states on the recoring he had written the song that afternoon. 

Disc two is a previously unreleased seventeen song live performance of the band recorded at the same show as disc one's "Nature's Way".  As explained by band curator Mick Skidmore in the accompanying CD booklet, the band had bad luck getting good sounding live recordings and only one board tape of this show exists and there were three versions of the tape.  With a little work in the studio he made the recording here, that is definitely not perfect, but it’s the best live recording of the band known to exist (Skidmore provides more details on this in the liner notes).  Since it was recorded in May and the album wasn’t released until November, you can hear them still working out Twelve Dreams... tracks “Nothing To Hide”, “Mr Skin”, which sounds somewhat different here, and “Animal Zoo”.  Some of the other tracks of note are the gentle instrumental “Country Echo”, the bluesy rocker “Jealous”, a tune they frequently played live and was supposedly recorded in the studio although no copy has ever been found, and a twelve plus minute version of “Mechanical World” that starts with a five minute drum solo and then moves into an heavy, slow, intense rocker with the droning organ blasting away throughout (this track was actually recorded at the Boston Tea Party on October 11,1969, because there wasn’t a salvageable version of this song from the Fillmore).  Skidmore has done a fantastic job here from the remastering of the album, bonus tracks and live recordings to his detailed essay in the booklet.  Even if you already have a copy of the album I would greatly recommend getting this new version.   

(Esoteric Recordings)

Fields - Feeling Free – The Complete Recordings 1971-1973

Following the release of their second album, Rare Bird founding member and keyboardist Graham Field left the band and formed the short-lived three-piece Fields with ex-King Crimson drummer Andrew McCulloch and bassist/vocalist Alan Barry.  In 1971 they recorded and released their eponymous debut album, which is where this two CD collection begins.  While their sound on this debut is rooted in Progressive Rock there is actually alot of diversity amongst these ten tracks.  Starting things off is “A Friend Of Mine”, a really catchy track that is one of the more Prog tunes here with Field’s organ leading the way providing a really nice groove along with some outstanding drumming from McCulloch that has a bit of a jazz vibe.  The next track “While The Sun Still Shines” still has some really nice organ work, but overall moves in a bit more of a bluesy rock direction, while “Not So Good” starts off with some really nice piano and finds them slowing things down a little resulting in a track that has a bit of a Procol Harum feel, especially when the organ kicks in.  “Three Minstrels” starts off with a sparse medieval folk sound and eventually evolves into more of a prog tune towards the end with some great guitar work.  Next up is the slow, almost droning instrumental “Slow Susan”, which leads into “Over and Over Again”, a catchy prog rock track that adds a bit of a funk groove, and “Feeling Free”, which finds the band moving in a bluesy gospel direction with some really nice piano and organ.  “Fair-Haired Lady” is a really pretty stripped down ballad that is primarily vocals and acoustic guitar with a little clarinet and “A Place To Lay My Head” moves in the bluesy direction again bringing to mind Joe Cocker with some really strong blues guitar.  Closing things out is “The Eagle”, a really strong prog instrumental that at times draws from the classical influence of Pachelbel and displays the outstanding musicianship of the band and is the standout cut on the album.  Included at the end of disc one are four bonus cuts consisting of alternate versions of “Slow Susan” and “A Place To Lay My Head” and previously unreleased versions of “A Friend Of Mine” and the non-album track “Wouldn’t You Agree” from BBC Radio One Sounds Of The ‘70’s sessions recorded in December 1971.  Both tracks show how strong they were live and “Wouldn’t You Agree” is another solid Prog cut that would have fit right in on their debut.      

A short while after releasing their debut and doing some live shows Barry decided to leave the band.  He was replaced by ex-Supertramp bassist and vocalist Frank Farrell and the band got started on recording their new album.  Unfortunately for the band, while they were in the process of recording, the entire London-based A&R staff of their label was fired and replaced by staff from New York who had no interest in Prog or any band signed by their predecessor.  At this point the band had written and record two thirds of the next album, but decided there was no point in continuing if the label wasn’t going to support them.  In 2015, with Field overseeing it, that second album Contrasts was finally released along with three demos from that time that were included as bonus tracks.  These eleven tracks are now included here on disc two.  Kicking things off is “Let Her Sleep”, a really strong prog tune highlighted by Field’s impressive keyboard work and Farrell’s throbbing bass lines.  Next up is “Wedding Bells”, an extremely catchy tune that finds the band showing far more pop tendencies than ever before and leads into “Someone To Trust”, a slow, bluesy tune with some nice piano work and haunting violin.  “Wonder Why” is an interesting cut that’s catchy, but really sets itself apart from the rest with a funky jazz beat under high chorus like vocals and some really quirky keyboards, while “Music Is Their Game” is an extremely hook-filled tune that finds them moving in a pop direction again with some prog tendencies largely thanks to the the bouncy organ.  “The Old Canal” is a captivating laid-back song that is actually fairly reminiscent of the more orchestrated work of The Beatles and early Bee Gees.  Closing out Contrasts are the bouncy instrumental “Put Out To Grass” and “Storm”, a very prog rock sounding song that starts with calmness and birds chirping before moving into quiet keyboards that build and build in intensity as the lyrics detail an intensifying storm.  The aforementioned demos that are included on disc two include “Set Yourself Free”, a catchy, laid back tune with a lazy groove and a couple of keyboard driven instrumentals with “The River”, which has an almost easy listening feel and the bouncy R&B of “Spring”.  The band was really showing some interesting experimentation on this second album and it's unfortunate we never got to see what else they had in store for us.  Feeling Free – The Complete Recordings 1971-1973 also contains a CD booklet with photos and an essay detailing the history of the band. 

(Esoteric Recordings)

Interview with Stel Furet

In 2018, after largely taking a couple decades away from music besides the occasional get together, Stel Furet decided he really needed to give it another shot.  The results of this shot are human nature machine, his outstaning new EP.  I recently had the chance to talk to him about the EP and it's creation, as well as his plans for future releases and a few other things.  

Do you have a songwriting process that you tend to follow and if so how does it usually work for you?

I’ve never been big on process really, so what little I do have has evolved organically. Ideas come to me at the weird times. Like during dinner or in the back yard. Often, I’ll wake up at 3 or 4am and hum something into my phone. I’ll listen when I wake up and typically it’s complete garbage. But occasionally I’ll hit something that’s worth a look. Regardless of how the idea comes to me, I always start by laying some scratch tracks down and then building an arrangement on it. I’ll then upload a mix to Soundcloud and listen repeatedly for at least a few days to let ideas come to me. I’ll iterate and upload new versions until I’m happy with it and it’s a song. I’ll play all the instruments and then send my tracks off to a drummer and sometimes a bass player and keyboardist to do them right. I always say that I play a lot of instruments but other than guitar, none of them particularly well. I believe you need to accept your weaknesses to be successful. When I get tracks back from them, I’ll lay down the final guitars and vocals. Often, I will still make lyrical changes at that point. On "Next Tuesday" the final phrase was “And I’ll leave it up to you, to give me what you can.” But when I was doing a rough mix, Jenn Grinels who sang the backup vocals sang “never cry again” so beautifully earlier in the song, that I decided to change the last phrase to “I’ll leave it up to you, to never cry again.” The first time I listened to it, I kind of teared up because her voice is just so moving, and we fit together so well.

All that being said, I wish I was one of those songwriters that could say, "I wrote that in 10 minutes, but that hasn’t happened yet.

 

Did you have the songs and instrumentation pretty fleshed out before you recorded, or did you get much input from the other musicians?

 

It wasn’t consistent for all songs. I like to have all the tracks roughed out pretty well before I send them off because I know what I want the song to feel like. But sometimes someone else’s interpretation of what I’ve played and what I’m asking for will change the song like I mentioned. Another example is the piano I provided on 33 1/3. It was pretty straight forward and when it came back from Ed, it sparked the idea of the organ, which he then did when the rest of the song was done. On "Chelsea", Ed redid the piano with a different flare, which Mike Butler (whom I co-produced with) changed to a Whirly. I then added the more standout piano parts and the ending piano piece after everything else was done. I’ve come to consider the tracks I send to other musicians as a framework. It’s what I’m thinking I want, but not necessarily what I expect to get. I want creativity and ideas to come in from elsewhere to make things better. I’m also not much on asking for changes unless something is really not to my liking, which only happened maybe once. It’s a respect thing.

 

Overall the EP has a nice, laid back vibe, but there is still plenty of diversity amongst the five cuts.  Did you strive for that or did it just kind of happen?

 

Thank you for noticing. I definitely worked for that. I threw away quite a few songs because I felt they didn’t fit. Two were pretty much done and I may release them as singles someday. Granted there’s a lot of symbolism that I wouldn’t expect everyone to interpret in the same manner, but all in all I tried to tell a relatable story across the five songs in a way that spoke to me personally, while allowing each song to stand independent of the others.

 

I read that before starting this project in 2018 that it had been some time since you did much music related.  Did you write all these songs after 2018 or did anything come from before then?

 

Some of the ideas date back quite a way. One from 1997. But yeah, it had been a while. I was gigging for a long time off and on and it just got old. I wasn’t getting anywhere, and life just happened. It’s so good to finally be where I am.

 

There are references to playing a record in the song “33 And A Half”.  Why did you choose to go with that title instead of 33 And a Third?

 

Yeah, I went back and forth on this and originally the line was “I’m 33 1/3”. But no kid ever says I’m 7 1/3 years old. And that half year is important. I was reflecting on that time in my life and remember I felt like I was always so busy, moving so fast and just getting nowhere. I was struggling with who I was at that point, and I just needed to slow down a little and relax. I remember had a pretty stellar record collection which was always my escape. But I was in a job I didn’t want, there was a music career I didn’t have, and a relationship that wasn’t any good. I couldn’t find time to enjoy my favorite escape and when I did find some time it reminded me that I wasn’t following my passion. So, I made it about my age and trying to find my place in life; I made it about finding my groove. I thought most people wouldn’t know a record spins at 33 1/3, and unfortunately it seems I was correct. But Vinyl has been making a comeback. Long live vinyl!

At times in “The Mirror” there are harmony vocals where the voices aren’t quite together giving them a really cool sound.  Can you tell me a little about that?

 

Yes, this is one of those things where another musician caused the end result to be way better. Mike sent my scratch lead vocals and backing vocal ideas to Jenn Grinels, and again she’s a truly gifted vocalist and absolute pro. She changed the timing on a couple of things, sang the entire song, and provided those amazing harmonies. She gave me so much material to work with. As I went back to put my final vocals over it, I decided to switch up the final lines to be more of a conversation. The song was always about me talking to myself and trying to convince myself that I was OK, but it’s also about meeting Wisdom who was an actual person. You can read that story on my website. Having Jenn’s perspective meant that I could really play with some things. I added some harmonies with her vocals in some spots and then I approached it as a conversation, hence the timing. It’s not really a call and response type of thing. I didn’t want that, but it is a back and forth around the question “Do you really know yourself?”

 

You have a members only section on your webpage that still appears to be a bit of a work in progress, but you do have some demos and early recordings on there.  Can you tell me a little about your plans for that section and also the decision to throw those demos out there for people to hear?

 

It’s intended to be a more personal way to connect with people who really want to do so. I know a lot of musicians try to monetize this. I don’t really feel comfortable doing that, but I need to find way’s to continue to be able to afford to produce music to the quality I can personally accept. This might be one of those ways, but for now It’s just for people who really connect with the music.

On the demos, my intent is to keep adding them, and unreleased songs. I have so much material. I also plan to do some online gigs via StageIt. Lots of videos coming there and on social media but I’m so busy with the release of this EP and making the next Album that it’s slow going. I’m told music promo and building a fan base is a long game. I’m finding that’s true.

You also have some blog entries on your webpage giving some insight into the EP and some of lyrics.  Those are really enjoyable.  Is that something you plan on continuing? 

 

Thank you, and yes, I plan on continuing. Coming up will be more about human nature machine and a bit about some of the songs coming up on the next album. The only blocker is time. It’s been difficult to find an hour or two to focus on anything other than the more music. I have some interesting stories about costly mistakes I made during this one though, kind of funny now but at the time, not so much.

 

The title is listed as human nature machine, but on the album cover there is a vol 1.  Is there more to that?

 

Stel Furet Vol 2. Will be the next one. Not quite ready to talk about that in detail yet but it will be another 5 song EP. The songs are coming together nicely but the process is organic. One thing that is certain is that it will change from what at the moment, I believe it will be.

 

The album cover is really interesting.  Can you tell me a little about that?

 

I appreciate that. A lot of the elements represent specific lyrics. Some of the elements are original, the moon (Wisdom), the birds, however I took the majority of the elements from danjazzia (danil chetverikov) via envato.  He does these amazing libraries of images that anyone can use to create. You can read more about Danil here.  He’s an amazing artist and I hope that my music measures up.

I read on your website about how vinyl has always been a special thing for you.  How does it feel knowing you will soon have your own vinyl release?

Fantastic. I must admit I’m a bit nervous about it though. But being as it’s so important to me, it’s being mastered by David Glasser at Airshow and cut by Gotta Groove in Cleveland. David’s creds are a mile long. Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews among others. And Gotta Groove is top notch. Presale should start in June so I’m excited about that.

You have a place on your website to sign up to get a lyric book mailed to you for free, which is a cool thing to do. What made you decide to do that?

 

You probably noticed that a lot of this has a throw-back feel to it. And I wanted people who weren’t able or willing to purchase vinyl to still experience the lyrics and some of the artwork in print form. I’ve always done a “zine” for whatever band I was in. Old school style cut and paste Kinko’s copy type of thing. There’d be pictures, lyrics, some other writing. We’d always run out at every show. Come to think of it, that’s where I got the Vol.1 idea from. I was hanging out with a band in San Jose called the ByProducts and I helped out with theirs a couple of times. They’d have parties and have a bunch of people over to staple all these things together. It was a hoot. And they marked each edition as Vol. whatever. I need to look those guys up.

I read that you have a couple more releases in the works.  Any hints as to what we can expect?

 

I have two EP’s and some singles in the works right now so I’m a bit busy. I haven’t quite decided on which of those EP’s will be first. But I like the idea of a collection of 5 songs. So the next one will be Stel Furet vol. 2.

Have you been doing any live shows or do you have any planned? 

 

Not recently but I will be doing a charity event this summer and it looks like at least one festival. I am planning on some "live" dates via StageIt.com which will be posted on my website. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Yes, I've been somewhat lame on the social media front as of late. I've just been swamped, but the best way to find out what's coming up and hear more music is on your favorite platform. Doing so really helps out Indie musicians as it just raises awareness. Very basically the more people that interact with you, the more people that haven't yet, will be shown your content. 

(Stel Furet)

The Banderas - Ripe (Expanded Edition) 

After the demise of The Communards, backing vocalist Caroline Buckley and violinist/keyboardist Sally Herbert decided to continue working together and formed The Banderas.  Although the band ended up being short-lived, they did release a really great album in Ripe, which contained the hit song “This Is Your Life” that hit Number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and 34 on the US Dance Charts and was produced by the legendary Stephen Hague.  Opening the disc is the aforementioned hit single, a very infectious dance tune that features both Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner and also samples Grace Jones’ “Crack Attack”.  Next up is “The Comfort Of Faith”, another track with a dance beat and a bit of a Pet Shop Boys vibe. “May This Be Your Last Sorrow” finds them shifting gears quite a bit, drawing you in with it’s hypnotic slowed down beat and Buckley’s powerful vocals, resulting in an absolutely gorgeous song that to me is by far the best cut here.  The pace picks back up with “First Hand”, another upbeat electronic dance tune with a bit of a funk beat, “Why Aren’t You In Love With Me”, which opens with some nice strings and is a soulful dance tune that’s actually got a bit of a disco feel to it (Somerville contributes backing vocals on this track) and “She Sells”, which at times reminds me a bit of Pet Shop Boys crossed with Fine Young Cannibals. While the next cut “Too Good” is another standout with a soulful, mellow groove and an really nice beat, “Don’t Let That Man” is a pretty straightforward dance tune that is probably the weakest cut here.  Thankfully they get right back on track with “It’s Written All Over My Face”, which starts with a nice acoustic guitar leading into a synth heavy tune that has an almost ethereal feel to it, but with a laid-back dance beat.  Album closer “Never Too Late” is a very sparse track with Buckley singing over very subdued synths and percussion.  Closing out the disc are five bonus tracks consisting of a couple 7” versions of album tracks, a remix of “This Is Your Life” and two B-sides. The first B-side is “Bide Your Time”, a beautiful laid-back ballad driven by piano with a string quartet and towards the end a jazzy trumpet solo.  In a perfect world this song would not only have been delegated to being a B-side, it would have been another hit single.  “Nice To Know” is the other B-side and while it’s not as good, it is a catchy, slow-burning dance cut.  Rounding things out on disc two is a collection of remixes, six of which have never been released on CD before now, from the likes of Apollo 440, Joe T Vannelli and a couple of really great ones from Less Stress.  Also included is a CD booklet with commentaries on all the tracks from Sally and Caroline and an interview with them conducted by Somerville.  Unfortunately, due to less than stellar sales of the singles that followed “This Is Your Life”, the label lost interest in the band and Ripe was the beginning and the end, which is a real shame as you can see from the diversity here that there was a lot more to them than a dance tune and it would have been nice to see where they went from here. 

(90/9)

Rosalie Cunningham - Two Piece Puzzle

Even though she already has another solo album under her belt as well as albums with the band Purson and several singles with Ipso Facto, Rosalie Cunningham has somehow fallen under my radar until now.  Thankfully all that has changed with Two Piece Puzzle, a release that finds her incorporating elements of rock, prog, folk, psychedelia, blues, jazz, middle eastern, pop and more, often with a modern sounding 60’s and 70’s vibe, and resulting in an absolutely stellar collection of songs.  Unlike her debut, lockdowns during covid forced Cunningham and her partner Rosco Wilson to approach this album differently, working out the new songs at home and then building and building on the demos resulting in most of the album being the contribution of just the two of them with some additional performers on a few tracks.  Starting things off is the aptly titled “Start With The Corners”, a heavy, twisting turning, psychedelic/prog instrumental full of fuzzed out guitars and Deep Purple like keys.  Next up are a couple of tracks featuring Ric Sanders of Fairport Convention on violin.  “Donovan Ellington” is an infectious track meshing folk and psychedelia with a bit of prog and highlighted with some great guitar and the aforementioned violin.  It is part one of the tale of a blacksmith who heads to the new world to be free only to find out that life had followed him there.  "Donny, Pt.2" is a jaunty, folk tune fleshed out with violin, bouzouki and mandolin that details the second part of the tale with the blacksmith this time leaving to become a pirate.  Following the short spoken word cut “The War” comes “Duet”, an almost eight minute long song that is the highlight of the album.  Starting off with a vaudeville like bouncing piano it leads into a blissful masterwork that is reminiscent of some of the best stuff The Beatles ever did, twisting and turning with Rosalie and Rosco trading off on vocals as the song builds and builds to a psychedelic, fuzzed guitar driven ending.  “Tristitia Amnesia” starts with a dreamy Eastern influenced opening before evolving into a trippy psychedelic rocker, while “Scared Of The Dark” is a manic track full of constantly shifting tempo changes that is a bit reminiscent of something Queen would have done.  After another short interlude with “God Is A Verb”, a pretty little (1:32) track with just acoustic guitar and vocals, comes “Suck Push Pull”, a tune that walks the line between glam and 70’s hard rock with plenty of organ and more thick, fuzz guitars.  As if she hasn’t kept us on our toes throughout the previous nine cuts, closer “The Liner Notes” starts off as a beautiful lounge jazz tune with slinky funk beat driving it and doing an outstanding job of showcasing her vocals, but as the song progresses it slowly evolves into an all-out rocker without you even realizing what has happened.  Following the album tracks are a couple bonus songs that were initially released on a limited edition 7” last year.  “Number 149” is a poppier tune that is overflowing with hooks and has a bit of an early 70’s psychedelic vibe, while “Fossil Song” is another hook-heavy pop song with a bit of a quirky side and some guitar playing that is worth the admission alone.  Two Piece Puzzle is a very impressive collection that is definitely one of the early front runners for my 2022 Top Ten. 

(Esoteric Antenna)

Interview with Original Son

LA's three-piece Original Son have recently released their latest full-lengther Currents.  I recently talked to frontman Johnny Calderwood about the new album, signing to Sell Your Heart Records, his East Coast roots, recording in Laurel Canyon and more.   

Can you give me a little background on the band?

Definitely, the band actually started when myself and our founding drummer Nick attended the same meditation classes in East Hollywood (so LA.) Funny enough the day he asked me if I wanted to try and play some music with him, I was listening to some demo's I recorded on my phone. I played it for him, he dug it and we got to work. Justin joined the band about six months later and that's when things really kicked off. We've shifted some members, but the lineup as-is now is so solid and what you will hear on the record - Johnny, Justin and Jeff.

 

The words and music on Currents are credited to you, but then the arrangements are credited to the band.  How does your songwriting tend to work and also did you have to change up that process because of the pandemic? 

Our process has remained largely the same, if I'm being honest. I generally go through spurts of songwriting where I will get 3 to 5 songs pretty fleshed out and then bring them to the band. Each member then figures out their parts, brings suggestions, or vetoes. For me the music and the words usually come simultaneously, there kind of isn't one without the other. An idea pops up, usually in the early morning and I'll grab a guitar and my phone and start writing and recording. Usually a song is done in one shot, then the tweaks come from the band. When we couldn't get together I would send demo's and the guys did what they could till we could get into a room together. 

You recorded Currents at Canyon Hut Studios in Laurel Canyon, which used to be Alice Cooper’s house.  Can you tell me a little about recording there?  Did any of that Laurel Canyon vibe influence you while you were there? 

Heck yeah it did. I couldn't think of a better place to do this record, or a better producer - Tim Hutton, to work with. I think if you look at the words and feel the energy of Currents it's a reflection of all of the frustrations, anger, sadness and hope of the last several years. To be able to shut out the world in somewhere as peaceful and isolated as the canyon hut allowed all of that to come out. Plus, you are literally surrounded by rock n' roll greatness, you've gotta honor that and give it your all. There was absolutely something special there, we tracked in three days after playing with Jeff (drummer) for two weeks - that's some kinda hippy magic. 

Lou Koller from Sick Of It All contributes vocals on “Well’s Run Dry”.  How did you get hooked up with him?

We connected through a mutual friend, we sent him the demos and he was into it. He's a real one. 

 

Did you write that song with a guest vocalist part in mind?

Yes, as I was writing it I actually heard Lou's voice for the second half of the first verse and the breakdown. I've been a fan of Sick Of It All since I was a young punk and Lou has always been someone I admired both from a musical and personal standpoint. That all coming together was really incredible. I'm not a very outwardly emotional person, but boy did I shout when I heard that track.  

 

“Currents” is a really cool song.  It's just over a minute long and almost sounds like the intro to a song.  It builds and builds and just when you think the main song would kick off it's over.  Was there ever more to it or was it always meant to be like that?

Hah! ya got me. "Currents" was initially a two part song, the second part being "Shelter". It went through a lot of iterations but when it came down to it, I felt like the statement of the song needed to stand alone. It was also a departure from our normal full steam ahead approach and something I'd like to explore further. It's the kind of song I play alone in my room and wonder how to incorporate into the band. 

 

You recorded new versions of “Hymn For The Underground” and “The Turnaround” for Currents.  Why did you decide to do that? 

"Hymn For The Underground" is a crowd favorite and I wanted to give it the attention it deserves. There were minimal tweaks to the structure of that one, though it is a touch slower. Putting it on the record seemed like an obvious choice and a way to add some positivity to what I admit is a somewhat somber collection of songs. 

"The Turnaround" didn't come out how I wanted it to in the initial recording. Not because of the studio or the players, it just didn't hit the mood I was going for. Some restructuring and chord changes created a dynamic of pain meets hope, I think it's important that the melody reflects the words.

A couple of the songs have some piano and organ, which are nice additions.  Was that something you decided on in the studio or did you already have that in mind when you wrote those songs?

It was absolutely on our mind while we built out the instrumentation. If we could find ourselves a keys player for the live shows - that would be amazing ... Just sayin. We were fortunate that our producer Tim plays in Three Dog Night, so the organ you hear is from the B3 player of that band! I clunked around on the piano for currents, Tim contributed as well. 

 

Early on you were in the band Far From Finished and I heard in another interview that you have had numerous bands over the years since you moved to California.  Is there something about Original Son that has made it the one that sticks? 

Yeah, I have been at this for a long time. After I moved to California I immediately started a band with a buddy I met at Santa Monica College, that started the west coast run and ended my collegiate experience. 

I've played in bands in LA, SF, Oakland and I loved them all, but this is the band I was always trying to have. I think the pure dedication of my bandmates, us all being a bit older and less distracted and having a lot more life under our belt has allowed me to really put what is in my head, on tape. The fact that these dudes play with me gives me a sense of confidence and desire to push on. It's not easy, but when it boils down to it outside of my family, music is the most important thing to me. I'm lucky that people have taken interest and I'm not going to squander that haha.  

 

I love that when your label tries to describe you that they not only mention Social Distortion, but they also throw in Tom Petty.  To me there are punk elements, but there’s a lot more to your sound.  Does it frustrate you when people just call you a “punk band”?

Not at all, I think punk rock gets a bit pigeonholed but there is so much diversity in the makeup of the culture and that is reflected across so many different bands and sounds. To me, punk is honest no-frills rock n' roll, and I carry that badge proudly. I also look at so much music that is popular and see the punk rock roots in them, and frankly some that I'm not personally so pleased about. Like we say in "Well's Run Dry" "you cannot fake this, you cannot break this, we turned our rage to hope and changed the whole perspective." To play real punk rock, you have to believe in what you are saying and you have to be fearless about saying it. Punk defines me and it defines the band, no matter what style we play. 

I know you are originally from New York and moved to Boston early on in your music career.  I don’t know what it is exactly, but even though you have been in California for a long time I feel like there is something about your sound that at times has an East Coast vibe to it.  Do you agree with that?

Ya can't shake your roots I suppose. It's interesting, I think I am equally influenced by bands from all over the world including west coast punk but coming up, especially in Far From Finished, we were working on something new, kind of street rock n' roll with melodies and harmonies and guitar solos etc... Going back to the last question, I think that it just might be my interpretation of rock n' roll. New York is in my blood, whether I want it to be or not, it's always there. There is a personality type that you develop there, I imagine it's mostly for survival haha. It took me a lot of years to shed some of my more "straight to the fucking point" ism's, but I think it will always color what I create. 

Also, the E-Street band was always playing at my house, can't get much more east coast than that. 

While a lot of bands these days are sticking to doing things DIY you recently signed to Sell The Heart Records.  What made you decide to go the label route and how has that been?

For us it just made a lot of sense. Andy at Sell The Heart is running a small label of bands that he really believes in, and I could tell from our first meeting that he was a guy who was going to match our energy and effort. At the level we are at, I think going with a bigger label would be a mistake and going it alone - with the rest of our lives we have to manage can be an incredibly uphill battle. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people who do it, but I know it would limit us.

Are any of you currently in any other bands?

I'm not (Johnny) but Justin plays in Johnny Madcap and the Distractions, Jeff plays in The Vigils and Rainmain Suite AND the Distractions. I don't have the brain power to remember more songs than my own. 

I know you have day jobs.  Do you think are going to be doing any live shows beyond your local area?

Yup, in the planning phases of runs now. Expect us out east come fall and we have coastal runs in the works. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Have a listen :) 

(Sell The Heart Records) (Original Son - Facebook)

 Alfa Bravo - SXE

Over the course of just over twelve minutes, Alfa Bravo takes you through a journey of some of the most brutal, experimental noise/hardcore around.  Guitars that are at times a slow, thick, droning dirge and almost screaming and siren like at others, percussion that is pummeling and at times almost tribal (everything but the guitars is midi keyboard and a laptop) all topped with ultra-aggressive deathcore vocals, (courtesy of three different guest vocalists – Mr. Unlucky, Soca and Luci Allee) create a sound that is both sparse and dense at the same time.  If you like your music on the extreme side, SXE is well worth checking out. 

(Alfa Bravo - Facebook)

7 Rainbows In Exile - Twilight Gymnastics

Written and recorded in Serbia in early 2020, during the early days of the lockdown, by a musician by the name of Dancing Shade (a setting that could definitely impact your music), Twilight Gymnastics from 7 Rainbows In Exile harkens back to the heyday of goth, darkwave and post-punk.  Overall the album is strongly reminiscent of Fields of The Nephilim and Sisters of Mercy with hints of The Cure and Love-era The Cult popping at times, most notably in some of the guitar passages.  While his vocals are often reminiscent of Andrew Eldritch and Carl McCoy there are a couple of tracks where he employs a gruff, almost hoarse, vocal style which just doesn’t work very well, but thankfully that’s minimal.  Although there are a few weak spots, overall this is a very solid release, with highlights including “Wonderland”, “A Cold Cell”, which has a bit of a Joy Division vibe, the hypnotic “Ode To Beauty” and “What Dreams Are Made For”.

(Wave Records)

Five Day Rain - Good Year: The Five Day Rain Anthology 

While there are a lot of obscure bands out there with box sets devoted to their careers, there aren’t many who never even managed to release anything during the band’s lifetime.  Not only does that apply to Five Day Rain, they were also active for less than a year and barely played live.  Before we get to the music here’s a bit of a rundown of the story behind the band and the music found on these two discs.  Five Day Rain initially formed in October 1969 as a three-piece who went by the name Iron Prophet and was comprised of Rick Sharpe (guitar, vocals), Clive Shepherd (bass, vocals) and Dick Hawkes (drums) before becoming a four-piece in early 1970 when former Scots of St James/ Fleur de Lys member Graham Maitland joined on guitar.  Not long after that they hooked up with Brian Carroll and Damon Lyon-Shaw, who worked at IBC studio in London and arranged for the band to record there anytime the studio wasn’t being used.  During these recording sessions the band consisted of Sharpe, Shepherd and Maitland with drummer Kim Haworth replacing Hawkes for the recordings.  In the summer of 1970 they had a small run of white label vinyl promos pressed with hopes of using them for label interest.  While looking for a deal they continued playing live as Iron Prophet and also continued recording new material.  After awhile they felt that the new recordings were stronger than the ones on the original promos and had another white label test pressing done with a new track listing.  In December 1970 the band’s local newspaper reported that Iron Prophet, who had recently changed their name to Five Day Rain, would have their first album released in early January, but he had no more information like record label or release date.  By the time early January rolled around not only was there no record release, but the band had broken up.  Later in 1971, Maitland, Shepherd, Sharpe and Gareth Roberts (who had been filling in for Hawke) changed their name to Studd Pump and released a single.  Unfortunately the single didn’t sell well and they split up after playing a few shows, but that's not the end of the story. In 1977 Sharpe re-recorded a couple of their tracks, “Reasons Why” and “Fallout” with Neil Carter although they were never released until now.  After the band had no longer recorded at IBC, Carroll and Lyon-Shaw continued working on demos there.  In 1978 on the President label, they released Time Is Right from the fictitious band One Way Ticket and to fill out the album they used remixed versions of “Reason Why”, “Fallout and “Lay Me Down” without the permission of anyone in the band (rumor is the album sold very little and was most likely a tax loss scam).  Fast forward to the early 90’s when a couple of the white label test pressings turned up and sold for four figures on the collector’s market, which was then followed by a CD release in 1993 on Background Records that used the tracks from the second test pressing, but excluded a track and edited a couple of the songs.  In 2005 Sharpe licensed the songs to the Italian label Night Wings for a limited CD and album release and he also included four Five Day Rain backing tracks he had on acetate that he took into the studio and added vocals, harmonica and guitar (the original vocal versions were recently found and both versions appear in this collection with the exception of “Dartboard”, which was an instrumental).  Now on to the music.  

Since most collector’s are most familiar with the 1993 release on Background Records, as opposed to the original promos, that’s where this collection starts with the excluded track included.  Things kick off with that excluded track, which is a cover of Dylan’s “Too Much Of Nothing”, a really strong psychedelic tune full of swirling organ and some accordion that’s not so unlike the version that had recently been released by Spooky Tooth.  Next up is “Leave It At That”, a tune that meshes a bit of psychedelia and prog with lots of organ fills and punctuated throughout with blasts of guitar (this is the first of the two tracks remixed from the original recording).  They move in a somewhat mellower direction with “Good Year”, a tune that mixes a little folk and prog and at times is a little reminiscent of The Moody Blues, and “Reason Why”, a really catchy, bluesy cut with some ragged piano, harmonica and distorted vocals.  “Fallout” is a solid, straight-ahead, piano-driven rock tune with some outstanding guitar work at the end, which was actually played by IBC engineer John Holbrook.  Next up are a couple of psychedelic rockers in “Marie’s A Woman” (the other remixed song), an extremely infectious tune, full of fuzzed out guitars and organ, and “Don’t Be Misled”, which is more piano driven with a bit of a slinky groove and is at times a little mellower.  While the next cut “Sea Song” is a fairly generic mellow pop tune the band then completely shifts gears with the instrumental “Rough Cut Marmalade”.  Sounding almost like an improvised jam session full of guitar solos, spaced out mellotron and moog and jazzy drumming, this track really allows everyone to show their prowess and is definitely unlike anything else they recorded.  Closing out the album is “Lay Me Down”, a simple little minute and seventeen second ballad that is mainly just vocals and piano that really showcases their strong vocal harmonies. Also included at the end of the first disc are three bonus tracks consisting of the original 1970 mixes of “Leave It At That” and “Marie’s A Woman”, both of which are not too different from the remixed versions, and an edited version of “Too Much Of Nothing”, that is a little brighter and a little more upbeat than the original.

Kicking off disc two are the five cuts from the initial promo pressing that were dropped to make room for the new songs when they had the second promos pressed.  First up is “Wanna Make Love To You”, a bluesy rocker with heavy, fuzzed out guitars and harmonica.  “So Don’t Worry” is a hard-edged, bluesy rocker driven by some great, ragged honky tonk piano along with some outstanding drum work and guitar solos.  “Dartboard" is an interesting instrumental with fuzzed out guitar and a lot of effects, while “Miss Elizabeth” is a heavy, bluesy, psychedelic rocker drenched in organ. The fifth track is an alternate version of “Lay Me Down” that is pretty close to the later version.  Next is a previously unreleased rock oriented take on Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny”, that was  taken from an acetate that was recorded in 1970 and is followed by an edited version of “Rough Cut Marmalade".  Ironically when the band finally did release a single in March 1971, under their later name Studd Pump, the songs were definitely weaker than what they had recorded before and really didn't have any of the bite of their earlier stuff.  “Spare The Children” is a so-so tune that shows a glimmer of glam and “Floatin’” is a pretty good song with a swampy bluesy groove a la CCR.  Faring much better are Rick Sharpe’s two previously unreleased remakes from 1977 and the four Five Day Rain backing tracks that he took into the studio in 2005 and added vocals, harmonica and guitar.  The remakes are “Reason Why”, which has a similar feel to the original, but this time around the vocals aren’t distorted and it has a fresher, more current sound to it, while with “Fall Out” he takes the song to a whole new level giving it an aggressive, almost punk vibe.  The backing tracks include the straight-ahead, heavy rock instrumental “Antonia”, which showcases some stellar guitar work, an interesting take on “So Don’t Worry” that has the spirit of the original, but has a bolder production with the vocals more in the front, “The Boy”, a heavy track strongly reminiscent of Black Sabbath, even down to the Ozzy like vocal phrasing and “Wanna Make Love”, which is largely close to the original version with a little more of a Southern Rock flavor to the guitar work at times.   Closing out disc two are the three tracks from the album from the fictitious One Way Ticket.  These tracks don’t vary much from the originals, but are nice to have to make the collection complete.  Also included with this set is a very comprehensive twenty-four page book that goes into great detail to cover the short lived history of the band and also includes plenty of pictures and memorabilia. Good Year is a great collection that thankfully makes these songs available to everyone.  

(Grapefruit)

 

Faster Pussycat: Babylon – The Elektra Years 1987-1992

On July 7, 1987, 2 weeks before Guns N Roses would release the album that would change the hard rock scene forever, Hollywood’s Faster Pussycat released their self-titled debut.  At this point in time there were hard rock/metal bands coming out of the woodworks and while a lot of them came and went without a blip, Faster Pussycat managed to stand out from the crowd with their own brand of hard rock meshed with glam and sleaze.   Babylon – The Elektra Years 1987-1992 is a great new four CD box set that brings together their three releases from that time period along with the EP’s Live and Rare and Belted, Buckled And Booted.

To me there is no better example of Faster Pussycat than their eponymous debut.  A little rawer and less produced, almost every cut here drips with sleaze, swagger and glam and at times are as much New York Dolls and to a lesser degree the Stones as they are Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Guns, with songs like “Don’t Change That Song”, “Bathroom Wall”, “Smash Alley” and “Bottle In Front Of Me” as perfect examples.  They also mix things up on bluesier cuts like the slower “No Room For Emotion” and “Cathouse”, which adds some great honky tonk piano.  One notable misstep is “Babylon” which sounds like Licensed To Ill era Beastie Boys and just doesn’t work here.  

While it became their biggest success, album number two, Wake Me When It’s Over, found them leaving behind a lot of the swagger and glam of the debut.  Having said that there is still a lot of really great music here.  Quite a few of the tracks do stick close to the original sound of the band including “Little Dove”, which throws in a little talk box at one point, “Ain’t No Way Around It” with some nice harmonica, “Poison Ivy” and “Tattoo”.  Some of the other highlights include a couple of more straight ahead rock tunes in “Where There’s A Whip There’s A Way”, an almost seven minute long tune with some great guitar, and “Gonna Walk”, which interestingly has a bit of a ZZ Top vibe in the guitar work and even has a little “La Grange” “haw haw haw” in the vocals.  The album also includes a couple of ballads in “Please Dear”, a slow Stones-y track and “House of Pain”, a generic, very Poison-like power ballad that screams “cash grab” and ended up being the biggest song of their career.  One other track worth mentioning is “Arizona Indian Doll”, an interesting cut with it's jazzy vibe and a bit of a Stray Cats beat.  Following Wake Me… the band put out the EP Live and Rare, which is found on disc three, and is comprised of three live cuts, edited versions of two album cuts and a remix of “Bathroom Wall”.  While the edits and remix don’t really add much to what you already have with the album versions, the live cuts do a great job of showing what they could do onstage.  

By the time the band entered the studio for album three, the music industry was moving towards grunge, and Faster Pussycat was moving even further from where they started.  Once again they open with an almost seven minute song in “Nonstop To Nowhere”, an interesting mix of hard rock with some working class rock and a touch of psychedelia.  The first traces of the experimentation on the album can be found on the next cut, “The Body Thief”, a very catchy hard driving tune with a funk beat and industrial-esque vocals in the chorus.  “Jack The Bastard” harkens back to the sleaze and swagger of their debut, but with a harder edge (a route they take again later on with “Maid In Wonderland”).  They revisit the funk side of things on the next two tracks with “Big Dictionary”, a tune that is dumbed down with the juvenile lyrics, but is helped out with some nice harmonica and a horn section, and “Madame Ruby’s Love Boutique”, a track that is strongly reminiscent of Aerosmith with a bit of funk thrown in.  Shifting gears again they slow things down with “Friends”, a laid-back bluesy/roots track that sounds a bit like Faces and even has some mandolin and features the legendary Nicky Hopkins on piano.  “Cat Bash” is more of a minute and forty-two second long interlude, but it’s a dark, industrial tinged piece that is a precursor to the direction the band headed when they reunited in 2001. Like “Babylon” on the debut, “Loose Booty” is another complete misstep sounding like a leftover track from an early Red Hot Chili Peppers album.  While completely different from anything else they ever recorded, “Mr Lovedog” is a slow and moody tune, with a hint of psychedelia.  It is a beautiful tribute to the late Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood and finds them doing a great job at inhabiting the spirit of that band.  “Out With A Bang” is another solid straight ahead rocker with some hints of their older stuff and closes out the album strongly.  Although stylewise it’s a bit scattered with the band moving in a lot of different directions, Whipped is a solid album that shows the band experimenting and moving forward with the shifting musical tides.  Also included on disc four are four bonus cuts that were originally released on the Belted, Buckled and Booted EP.  Along with an alternate, shorter version of “Nonstop to Nowhere” are “Too Tight” and “Charge Me Up”, which were recorded during the sessions for Whipped and harken back to the sounds of their debut with the former being a little more of a straight-ahead rock tune and the latter a little bluesier and funkier with horns. The final track is a cover of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” that’s been given the Faster Pussycat treatment, and while it’s passable, it’s definitely not one of their stronger tracks.  Babylon: The Elektra Years 1987-1992 does a great job of covering this first era of Faster Pussycat, and while they had their share of lesser tracks, overall is an outstanding collection showcasing just how good this band was.  

(HNE Recordings)