Category: Legends

Review: Betty Davis – They Say I’m Different (2023 reissue)

The cover of Betty Davis‘ second album, They Say I’m Different, shows her in a futuristic outfit with Egyptian themes, wicked boots, and holding clear glass or plastic rods for some reason. She looks like she just emerged from a spaceship designed by Sun Ra. It’s fitting because she, and this album, were so far ahead of their time (1974) that she might as well have been from another galaxy and a distant century.

Starting with the sexy, slithery, smoky “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him,” Davis curls up next to you like a frisky cat that might nuzzle you or bite you at any moment as she sings about her plans to seduce a new lover. Mike Clark, a frequent collaborator with Herbie Hancock, puts down such a tight beat that it feels like it might burst. As if that opener wasn’t sexy enough, along comes the BDSM classic “He Was a Big Freak,” which is rumored to be about her ex-husband, Miles Davis. Whomever she sings about enjoyed Betty being a geisha, talking dirty, and being whipped with a turquoise chain. Davis’ cousin, Larry Johnson, rolls out perhaps his funkiest bass groove on the record. A nice touch is a slight reverb on Davis’ vocals now and then, reflecting the song’s subject going into his subspace meditation.

She’s already missing that freaky lover on “Your Mama Wants Ya Back,” which has a groove that has probably inspired more post-punk bands than we could count. “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” takes aim at one of Davis’ favorite subjects – her critics. The Rhodes organ riffs on it are sassy and so hot they might’ve burned the player’s fingers. Speaking of hot grooves, “Git in There” could set a dance floor on fire.

The title track has Davis looking back at her youth and the musicians who formed her tastes (i.e., T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Chuck Berry), paying them respect in phat funk currency. Davis uses the structure of blues on “70s Blues,” but spins it into 70s funk and soul. “I’m so tired of the blues,” she sings. “The blues have taken over, and they’re runnin’ my soul.” You can feel the grind of the 1970s in her voice and the solid riffs of her entire band behind her. The album ends with the jazzy, smooth “Special People,” in which Davis her lover that she’s going to give him everything she has.

The reissue of the album also includes rough mixes of “He Was a Big Freak,” “Don’t Call Her No Tramp,” “Git in There,” and “70s Blues.” Even these “rough” mixes are smoother than anything else you’ll hear today.

The whole album is like that. Davis’ whole catalogue is like that.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Betty Davis – Is It Love or Desire (2023 reissue)

Judging by that cover image, I’d say it’s both.

Judging by the music on Betty Davis‘ fourth album, Is It Love or Desire, I’d also say it’s both.

Larry Johnson‘s (one of two cousins to Ms. Davis on the record) opening bass alone on the opening title track is so damn funky that it grabs you by the shoulders, hips, or possibly nipples and doesn’t let go of you. Fred Mills‘ little keyboard touches are excited delights behind Davis’ vocals on “It’s So Good” as she sings about how good love is with her lover as the rest of the band mixes disco and metal.

“A man should not cry over one woman,” the band, and mostly Mills sings, on “Whorey Angel,” with Davis portraying a woman is both a fabulous lover and a nurturer. The track has a gospel-like quality to it that’s outstanding. “Crashin’ from Passion” was supposed to be the title track to the album, but it ended up being the title track of her final album. This version of the song is slower, sultrier, and more dangerous, like you just walked into a room and found a panther staring at you from the door on the other side.

“When Romance Says Goodbye” has Davis confessing to a friend (or the world in general) about the woes of past relationships in a stripped down ballad. “Bottom of the Barrel” has Davis and her band getting funky and calling to “take off that disco, get into what you’re hearin’.” You can easily envision Davis dancing in the rural Louisiana studio where the album was recorded as he lays down her vocal tracks.

“Ain’t no business like show business, that’s why we stay broke all the time!” Davis proclaims on “Stars Starve, You Know” – a fun skewering of Davis’ critics, record industry bigwigs, DJs who wouldn’t play her records, and people who think being a touring musician is an easy gig. On “Let’s Get Personal,” Davis invites you to do just that, whispering / seducing from one side of your speakers while the band plays on the other as if she’s beckoning you from the other side of the room.

Mills’ keyboards bring a little early synthwave to “Bar Hoppin’,” a fun song about Davis’ love of good drink and the company that often surrounds it. Nickie Neal, Jr. (Davis’ other cousin) lays down a beat that is so solid and perfect that it’s easy to think it’s simple and easy. When you really listen to it, however, you realize how in the groove it is, and that skill does not come easy. The closer, “For My Man,” has Davis again seducing us as she purrs out all the gifts (physical and material) she’d give to a man who treated her well. Listen for the violin by none other than blues legend Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown.

The only bad thing about this album is that, for reasons that are still murky due to conflicting stories, Island Records never released it. It was shelved for thirty years. Some say it was because the studio where it was recorded was never paid. Others, including Davis herself, say it was because Island wanted to release one of her songs, “Talkin’ Trash,” as a single without her approval, and Island shelved the album in retaliation. The record went mostly forgotten, and was practically an urban legend until it was rediscovered in the early 2000s and, thankfully, released into the light before Davis’ death.

It’s all-killer, no-filler. Davis mentioned how it sounds contemporary in today’s times, and she was right. The themes are still being discussed, the music is just as fresh, and Davis’ vocals are still powerful.

Don’t miss out on this unearthed treasure.

[It would be so good if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Betty Davis – Crashin’ from Passion (2023 reissue)

That cover pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Betty Davis: sexy, powerful, elegant, and yet ready to tussle at any time. It’s also somewhat of a bittersweet photo, as Crashin’ from Passion would be the last album she ever recorded before mostly disappearing into obscurity for decades and later dying February 09, 2022. She at least learned that her music had been rediscovered and that she was hailed as a Queen of Funk and influence to many.

Crashin’ was recorded with a powerhouse backing band of jazz and funk heavyweights, including The Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon, and Carlos Morales. Davis didn’t have much love for the recording industry by this point, as she’d been dropped by her previous label and the last album she’d recorded for them, Is It Love or Desire? was shelved…for thirty years. She moved to Hollywood, found some new funding for a new record, and put out the most diverse album of her career.

“Quintessence of Hip” starts off the record with a bold, funky ripper and Davis proclaiming that she “can be cooler than cool,” shouting out some of her influences (John Coltrane, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, and others), and also acknowledging her time in the spotlight might be ending (as a result of her decisions and no one else’s). “She’s a Woman” has Davis exploring dark disco and synth music. I would’ve gone nuts for a whole album of stuff like this. Mouzon’s drumming catches your attention right away on “No Good at Falling in Love,” and Davis’ vocals won’t let your attention escape as she effortlessly keeps up with him (or is it the other way around?).

The playful jazz of “Tell Me a Few Things” sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, and it’s great to hear Davis being frisky (and the xylophone beats on this are a great touch). Just when you think you might know where this album is going, along comes “I’ve Danced Before” – a calypso-rock track. “You Make Me Feel So Good” is the type of track that Davis always delivers so well – a slow jam that practically makes you and your lover’s clothes fall off your bodies.

Chuck Rainey‘s bass groove on “I Need a Whole Lot of Love” is so tight and solid that it could hold down a rocket on a launch pad. “Hangin’ Out in Hollywood” is a fun tale of her new home, and “All I Do Is Think of You” is a solid disco track that should’ve been tearing up clubs in the late 1970s…but more on that later. Davis and her band go nuts on the title track, with everyone clicking together in perfection. Morales’ guitar sizzles throughout it and Rainey and Mouzon sound like they’re having a competition to out-funk the other. The closer is the soft, lush love / break-up song “You Take Me for Granted,” a poignant title as it turns out…

…because, as mentioned earlier, Davis disappeared after this record. She and the album’s mixers butted heads, her father died during all of this, and then Crashin’ was shelved, her second album in a row, for fifteen years until it was released without her permission to CD in the 1990s. Thankfully, this remastered edition had her full approval and she was able to see it (and Is It Love or Desire? for that matter) find her fans.

It’s a crime that Davis’ last two records went unheard for so long since they are so good. She didn’t have a bad album in her catalogue, and could’ve been packing houses, owning stages, experimenting with other genres, and being a coveted, cherished collaborator on others albums for the rest of her life. Instead, thanks to the record industry taking her for granted, she said, “Nah.” and walked away from all of it.

Do yourself a favor and discover her if you don’t know her.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll be crashin’ from passion if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Live: Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin – Copernicus Center – Chicago, IL – October 15, 2023

This was my fourth time seeing some iteration of Goblin, the third time I’d seen a version including founding member Claudio Simonetti, and the first time I’d seen the film Demons (properly known as Demoni in Italy, where it was made). Simonetti and his crew were performing a new prog-rock version of the film’s score to a live screening of the film – the first time they’d done this in the United States.

It was a fun show right out of the gate, with good sound quality the whole time. Simonetti announced that the original score was synth-based, but hoped we’d all enjoy this new take on it by him and his band.

In case you haven’t seen it, Demons, is flat-out nuts and is about a bunch of people trapped in a movie theatre while most of the patrons turn into blood-thirsty monsters. I can’t tell you more than that, not because I’d spoil it, but because there isn’t more than that. Simonetti said he loves the film, stating, “I think it’s very funny.” It is, actually. It’s a wild ride, and so was their new score.

After that came a brief intermission and then they returned for another full set of Goblin classics and even some rarities – including the theme to Ruggero Deodato‘s crazy action / horror film Cut and Run.

And, of course, there was plenty of music from Dario Argento‘s films, including the themes to Opera, Tenebrae, Deep Red, and Suspiria.

Simonetti’s current band includes Daniele Amador on guitar (who played a great solo during the Opera theme), Federico Maragoni on drums (who delivered double-kick drum beats so fast that I thought they were programmed tracks), and Cecilia Nappo again on bass.

It was a fun night all-around, and a fun way to kick off the Halloween season. The crowd was made up of prog-rock fans, horror fans, and movie buffs. It felt like a bunch of friends (including the band) just hanging out to watch movies and listen to good music.

In other words, it was a fun party.

Keep your mind open.

Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.

Review: Motörhead – Another Perfect Day (40th anniversary edition)

Apparently there was a bit of a ruckus when Motörhead released their Another Perfect Day album forty years ago. The band had a new lineup, as guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke had been replaced by Brian Robertson, and this caused some rumblings among the band’s fans. Robertson was no slouch, however. He formerly played for Thin Lizzy. The rest of the ruckus came from Lemmy Kilmister‘s new “musical” approach to recording and deciding to add more hooks and guitar effects on the record instead of hammering everyone with raw power all the time (which they were still doing in live performances, mind you).

What’s interesting about Another Perfect Day is that despite it being a “divisive” album among the fans, a lot of tracks from it became staples of their live shows and fan favorites. “Back at the Funny Farm” doesn’t scrimp on any of Kilmister’s fuzz-heavy bass or Phil Taylor‘s wicked double-kick drum madness. “Shine” became a hit for them, and why shouldn’t Motörhead have made radio friendly singles if they wanted?

Robertson’s solo blazes like a lit trail of gasoline on “Dancing on Your Grave.” On “Rock It,” they do exactly that for four straight minutes without taking a breath. The title track has a long solo from Robertson that borders on psychedelic rock. “Marching Off to War” covers one of Kilmister’s favorite subjects – the effects of war on those who fight it. A couple tracks later, “Tales of Glory” has Kilmister snarling at those who brag about their war experiences that were nothing like those who were on the front lines. “I Got Mine” is another track off this “controversial” album that is now considered a Motörhead classic. The closing track has one of the best titles of any Motörhead song, “Die You Bastard.”

The bonus tracks on the CD and digital download versions include live versions of “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “(Don’t Need No) Religion” and demo versions of “Shine” (one an instrumental), “Die You Bastard,” and “One Track Mind.”

If you can score the vinyl version, you’ll also get a full, previously unreleased recording of a concert at Hull City Hall in Hull, England recorded June 22, 1983. You can’t miss.

Another Perfect Day has reached a new group of fans, and (rightfully so) the ruffled fan feathers have smoothed over the course of four decades. The album deserves to be revisited and heard, and this new version is a great way to do it.

Keep your mind open.

[It’ll be a perfect day for me if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Maria at Adrenaline PR.]

Rewind Review: Ian Dury – Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury (2020)

Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury is a great three-disc collection of Ian Dury classics, demo tracks, live cuts, new wave bangers, tenders ballads, and punk ragers from one of the best songwriters of his era.

Starting with two funky floor-fillers out of the gate, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” and “Wake Up and Make Love with Me,” the compilation is already firing on all cylinders. I discovered Dury’s work through live versions of songs like this when I was in a record store in Bloomington, Indiana and the clerk was playing a live album from Dury and his killer band, The Blockheads. I thought, “Who is this?” and had been intrigued ever since. I snatched up this collection at a London record store as soon as I saw it.

It doesn’t disappoint. Ever. “Sweet Gene Vincent” pays tribute to one of Dury’s heroes. “Clevor Trever” and “Billericay Dickie” have Dury taking on alternate identities (Or are they?). “Blockheads” (with Dury singing / yelling toward the back of the room) ended up giving his future band their name. Dury is brutally honest with himself, and any female suitors, on the groovy “If I Was with a Woman.” “The Mumble Rumble and the Cocktail Rock” showcases Dury’s love of 1950s jukebox rockers. “Crippled with Nerves” (a song about his life with polio) showcases his love of country, gospel, and Elvis Presley, whereas “Blackmail Man” is a punk punch in the face…and that’s all on just the first disc.

Disc two starts with two more classics – “Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)” and “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick.” “What a Waste” is sultry and slippery, reminding me of some of Frank Zappa‘s work, and the groove of “Inbetweenies” is outstanding. On “I Want to Be Straight,” Dury and the Blockheads are “sick and tired of taking drugs and staying up late.” The saxophone work on “Waiting for Your Taxi” is perfect for a late 1970s crime film. “Dance of the Screamers” turns into a psych-jazz freakout with disco beats behind it, showing us how the Blockheads were (are) one of the best bands out there. That hot disco groove continues on “Don’t Ask Me.”

“Mash It Up Harry” starts out disc three with a reggae twist (and, later, “Itinerant Child” continues it). “Dance Little Rude Boy” is another funky classic made even funkier by the electric piano work throughout it. The live version of “Spasticus Autisticus” is sharp as a razor and is a brief glimpse of how much the Blockheads were a murderer’s row of musicians. The guitar solo on “Bed O’Roses” is somewhere between a yacht rock anthem and a prog-rock ripper. The relentless rhythm of “Jack Sh*t George” is perfect for both a new wave club or even a late 1980s nighttime talk show theme. The disc, and the collection ends with a demo version of “England’s Glory,” which has a rough, raw edge to it that’s great, and it sounds like Dury and his band had a fun time in the studio that day.

This is a great entry point to Dury’s music, and it certainly made me want to find live albums by him.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll have another reason to be cheerful if you subscribe,]

Rewind Review: The Damned – The Captain’s Birthday Party Live at the Roundhouse (2016)

Recorded live November 27, 1977, The Damned‘s The Captain’s Birthday Party Live at the Roundhouse is, like other Damned records, mired with some weird history.

First, this album is often known and titled as Not the Captain’s Birthday Party. The band did play a show at the Roundhouse on April 23, 1977 – a day later after (then bassist, now guitarist) Captain Sensible‘s birthday. However, this show wasn’t recorded until seven months later at the same venue. Their label at the time, Stiff Records, thought this album was the April 1977 show and thus released it as The Captain’s Birthday Party. Later, in 1986, the album was re-released by Demon Records as Not the Captain’s Birthday Party. Are we all clear?

Another interesting bit of Damned history with this album is that it’s a recording of a rare lineup of the band with the Captain on bass and perpetual lead singer Dave Vanian, but with two guitarists – Brian James and the newly acquired Robert “Lu” (short for “lunatic”) Edmunds – and a new drummer – Jon Moss (who would later go onto worldwide fame drumming for Culture Club), as the legendary original drummer, Rat Scabies, had quit the band two weeks earlier.

The album is just eight tracks, but they’re eight tracks of raw power thrown at an enthusiastic crowd. Opening with “You Take My Money,” the guitar roars and feedback are immediately apparent, and Moss is holding his own with just two weeks of practice with three guys who were already punk legends just a couple years into their careers. “Creep (You Can’t Fool Me)” gets a great response from the crowd. “Fan Club” is rough, with Edmunds and Moss still figuring out some of the band’s mechanics, but that energy just brings more growl to it.

“This one’s for Rat Scabies,” Vanian announces before they start “Problem Child.” The whole band is energized for this one, and you can tell Moss wanted to slay it. “So Messed Up” is a full-blown sprint that must have sent the crowd into a panic. “New Rose,” their first hit (and, by most accounts, the first punk single) transforms from a grungy rocker into a wild mix of feedback, crashing drums, and bass rumbles that only settle for a moment before they rip into a blistering cover of The Stooges “Feel Alright.” They end with “Born to Kill,” barely leaving you any time to process what the hell just happened.

It’s a wild ride, not unlike one of those carnival rides that takes you up high, spins you around, and then drops you at a frightening rate.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

WSND set list: Deep Dive of The Beatles’ “Help!” album and soundtrack.

Thanks to all who listened to my Deep Dive of The Beatles‘ Help! album and all the trivia around it. It was my last Deep Dive of the 2023 summer, and a lot of fun. Here’s the set list:

  1. The Beatles – Help!
  2. The Beatles – Help! intro
  3. John Barry – The James Bond Theme
  4. The Beatles – The Night Before (live)
  5. The Beatles – You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
  6. Ken Thorne – From Me to You Fantasy
  7. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – I Need You (live)
  8. Dave Berry – The Crying Game
  9. Paul McCartney – Another Girl (live)
  10. The Beatles – You’re Going to Lose That Girl
  11. The Ramones – You’re Gonna Kill That Girl
  12. Ken Thorne – In the Tyrol
  13. Vanilla Fudge – Ticket to Ride
  14. Pink Floyd – Brain Damage / Eclipse
  15. The Beatles – Act Naturally
  16. Gary U.S. Bonds – It’s Only Love
  17. Ken Thorne – Another Hard Day’s Night
  18. The Beatles – You Like Me Too Much
  19. The Beatles – Tell Me What You See
  20. Elvis Presley – Trying to Get to You
  21. Ken Thorne – The Bitter End / You Can’t Do That
  22. Paul McCartney and Wings – I’ve Just Seen a Face (live)
  23. Ray Charles – Yesterday
  24. Frankie Lane – Answer Me, Lord Above
  25. Ken Thorne – The Chase
  26. Larry Williams – Dizzy Miss Lizzy
  27. The Beatles – Wait

Thanks for all those who tuned in over the summer! The Deep Dive should return this winter!

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

WSND DJ set list: Deep Dive of Tony Bennett

Thanks to all who tuned in for my Deep Dive of Tony Bennett on WSND. Here’s the set list in case you missed it.

  1. Tony Bennett – I Left My Heart in San Francisco
  2. Eddie Cantor – Margie
  3. Bing Crosby – Swinging on a Star
  4. Jack Teagarden – Harlem Jump
  5. Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz – The Girl from Ipanema
  6. Joe Bari / Tony Bennett – Fascinating Rhythm
  7. Pearl Bailey – St. Louis Blues
  8. Tony Bennett – The Boulevard of Broken Dreams
  9. Tony Bennett – Because of You
  10. Hank Williams – Cold, Cold Heart
  11. Tony Bennett – Blue Velvet
  12. Tony Bennett – Stranger in Paradise
  13. Count Basie Orchestra and Tony Bennett – Chicago
  14. Tony Bennett – All the Things You Are (live)
  15. Tony Bennett and Billy Joel – The Good Life
  16. Tony Bennett – If I Ruled the World
  17. Tony Bennett and Bill Evans – Days of Wine and Roses
  18. Quacky Duck and His Barnyard Friends – Barnyard Song
  19. Tony Bennett and Henry Mancini – Life in a Looking Glass (live)
  20. Tony Bennett – Steppin’ Out with My Baby (live)
  21. Tony Bennett – Fly Me to the Moon (live)
  22. Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse – Body and Soul
  23. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – Cheek to Cheek
  24. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – I Can’t Give You Anything but Love (Giorgio Moroder remix)
  25. Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis, Jr. – Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (live)
  26. Tony Bennett – I’ll Be Seeing You

Next week will be a new version of the Deep Dive in which I dive deep into one album. That album will be The Beatles‘ classic Help!. Don’t miss it!

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

WSND set list: Deep Dive of The Damned

Thanks to all who listened to my Deep Dive of The Damned on WSND. It was a blast. Here’s the set list:

  1. The Damned – New Rose
  2. Pretenders – The Phone Call
  3. The Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the U.K.
  4. Nick Lowe – Born a Woman
  5. The Damned – Neat Neat Neat
  6. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
  7. The Damned – Problem Child
  8. The Damned – Stretcher Case Baby
  9. Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind
  10. Motörhead – Stay Clean
  11. The Damned – Smash It Up
  12. The Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette
  13. The Clash – London Calling
  14. Eddie and the Hot Rods – Do Anything You Wanna Do
  15. The Damned – Wait for the Blackout
  16. The Damned – Disco Man
  17. The Damned – Generals
  18. The Damned – Fun Factory
  19. Captain Sensible – Happy Talk
  20. Naz Nomad and The Nightmares – Action Woman
  21. The Damned – Nasty
  22. The Damned – Is It a Dream
  23. David Vanian and the Phantom Chords – Frenzy
  24. The Damned – I Just Can’t Be Happy Today (live)
  25. The Damned – Shut It
  26. The Damned – Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow (live)

Next week is a Deep Dive of Tony Bennett. Don’t miss it!

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]