Many thanks to Sir George Martin, who died on March 8th, 2016, for everything he helped give the world of music. Commonly known as “the fifth Beatle,” Sir Martin was responsible for producing many of their greatest hits, starting with “Love Me Do” and well into the 1970’s. He also produced music for James Bond films and the themes to Live and Let Die and Goldfinger.
The BBC documentary The Compleat Beatles is an excellent look back on not only the Beatles, but Sir Martin’s contributions to music that continues to inspire to this day.
Keep your mind open.
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I was hungry while on my way back from Chattanooga a couple weeks ago and discovered The Smoke House Restaurant and Trading Post in Monteagle, Tennessee. It’s an impressive place with enough cured meats, spice rubs, barbecue sauces, and jams and jellies for an army. I opted for the smoked turkey open-faced sandwich with cole slaw and mashed potatoes.
Good grief, it was delicious. The smoked turkey was the best I’d eaten in years. I’m sure the rest of the menu is just as delicious, and I’ll probably try the fried chicken and / or frog legs if I ever get back there.
You pay for your meal in the gift shop on the way out. As I walked through their expansive gift shop, I twice passed a room that appeared to be another alcove full of knick-knacks for sale before I noticed the sign above the entryway.
Yes, tucked along one back wall of this place, with a light-up reindeer atop it, is a museum dedicated to country music legends Ira and Charlie Louvin.
It’s full of plaques, photos, and memorabilia from the duo who popularized country harmony music and were well-known for their gospel songs.
There is so much here that I couldn’t photograph all of it without burning up more time on my trip home. There are display cases full of show tickets, recording notes, family photos, and personal effects. The number of photos and commendations from various music venues, writers, and associations is staggering.
There’s also a display case dedicated to the car crash death of Ira Louvin and his fourth wife, Anne Young.
That photo was taken three days before their car was struck by a drunk driver on June 20, 1965. In a weird twist, a DUI warrant had been issued for Ira’s arrest around the same time.
The museum also has a complete collection of the Louvin Brothers’ records, so many that I couldn’t get them all into one shot.
It’s a cool place that is easy to miss, but you owe it to yourself to see it if you’re a fan of classic country or gospel music. There’s a lot of neat stuff in there. Like this, a laminated picture of Grandpa Jones on a piece of wood.
Legendary German kraut rock band Faust are playing a rare performance at Levitation Chicago on March 12th, closing out the three-day festival. Faust built a devoted fan base in the 1970’s with their mixture of kraut rock and psychedelic rock before breaking up and disappearing until the 1990’s. Only two of the original members remain (Werner “Zappi” Diermeier – percussion, Jean-Herve Peron – bass), but this will still be a special set.
Keep your mind open.
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Gary Wilsonis an experimental / avant garde musician who dropped one album in the 1970’s (You Think You Really Know Me) and a few singles in the 1980’s and then disappeared from the music scene and pretty much everything else.
He was, and still is, a major influence on Beck and even played with The Roots on The Tonight Show a few years ago. He’s enjoyed a resurgence and will be playing a rare Chicago gig at Levitation Chicagoon March 10, 2016.
Director and composer John Carpenterwill be performing music from his many excellent film scores and his great album Lost Themes throughout the United States beginning June 14th in Seattle, Washington. This is a rare opportunity to see Mr. Carpenter perform his music, as he only has eleven tour dates scheduled over the summer. Tickets start at $45 at some venues, and most are offering good (albeit pricey) VIP packages that include meet-and-greet events and special merchandise.
This is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime event, so don’t miss it. I have my tickets for his Detroit show in July. I didn’t opt for a VIP package since I’ve met Mr. Carpenter before, but I do hope to score one of the limited tour posters there.
Keep your mind open.
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[Rewind Reviews are reviews of albums over a year old that I haven’t heard until now.]
You know a John Carpenter film score as soon as you hear it. His themes for Halloween, Escape from New York, and The Fog (among others) are unmistakable. He, his son, Cody Carpenter, and his godson, Daniel Davies, all got together without interference or input from any film studio and put together Lost Themes – an outstanding collection of instrumental music ideal for films never made.
The album’s opener, “Vortex,” is perfectly titled. Its mournful piano, synths beats, and electro bass pull you down into something dark and brooding. Don’t have this on your iPod during the zombie apocalypse. It will cause you to panic and make some stupid decision like opening that door to see what’s making that weird noise.
“Obsidian” is keyboard-heavy, or perhaps I should say the keyboards bring a heavy of paranoia to the room. They build to frantic pitches as prog-rock guitars snake around them, and then they drop out and become something you’d hear inside a theatre during a Dario Argento film. You can’t miss Carpenter’s love of Goblin (Argento’s frequent composers for his films) and their influence on him throughout this record.
“Fallen” is something from a sci-fi film Carpenter has rolling around in his head. The synths and bass are perfect for a spaceship landing sequence and the exploration of the creepy landscape outside the ship. “Domain” keeps up with the sci-fi groove and races at a pace best suited for a post-apocalyptic action film until it turns into a spaghetti western theme for a moment.
“Mystery” opens the second half of the album, plunging you into some frightening place where a masked killer the size of King Kong Bundy is stalking you and not one person is answering as you run down the street banging on every door. “Abyss” is strangely upbeat for the first half, with almost New Age piano and more progressive rock drumming, and oozing with menace in the second half. You could put this at the end credits of nearly any action or sci-fi film in the 1980’s.
“Wraith” conjures up images of its namesake as it moves around you like some ethereal creature. The synths on it are otherworldly and mix with bass that seems to come from an opening dimensional portal. “Purgatory” might be something you’d hear there as you stroll down dark halls and through madness-inducing mazes. The drumming on it is some of the heaviest on the record as the synths hiss at you.
The closer is “Night,” and it’s a horror doozy. It brings to mind gritty dark streets, trench coat-clad vampires, and hideous shapes lurking in shadows. The guitar work on it seems mistuned low, giving it a weird vocal-like effect. The synths invoke images of a setting sun that brings dread instead of wonder or amazement.
Carpenter has announced Lost Themes II will be out April 16th of this year. It’s already high on my must-own list, as this should be on yours.
If you’re a fan of Joy Division and / or New Order, you owe it to yourself to check out the PledgeMusic offer now available from (original Joy Division and New Order bassist) Peter Hook and the Light.
“Hooky” and his band performed the entire Joy Division catalogue on May 19, 2015 and recorded the performance. This three-disc live recording is available through the PledgeMusic offer, as are live December 2014 recordings of the New Order albums Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Movement, Power, Corruption & Lies, Low Life, and Brotherhood. You can get all these live albums either in groups of two or all six (plus an orchestral version of Unknown Pleasures) in a special autographed package.
British house / techno gods Underworldhave released “I Exhale,” the first single from their upcoming album Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future. The track is an immediate club hit and brilliant in its simplicity of booming bass and synths, stream of consciousness lyrics, and dance beats. It’s an instant cure to seasonal affective disorder.
You can pre-order Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future (the band’s first album in six years) now. They’ll also be playing Coachella this year, so don’t miss them if you’re out west.
David Bowie’s death shocked and saddened the world. A friend of mine in Vienna was at a coffee shop on the day Bowie’s death was announced. The guy behind my friend in line asked if the shop accepted credit cards. They didn’t, and he didn’t have enough to pay for his coffee. The barista told the guy, “It’s okay. Pay next time. David Bowie died today.”
Bowie left us with one final record, the magnificent Blackstar. It’s difficult to listen to it now without putting one’s own psychoanalysis on its lyrics and tone, but you can’t avoid the multiple tips of the hat to family, friends, fans, and the Grim Reaper.
The opening title track is nearly ten minutes long. Not many artists could get away with such a bold move, but Bowie does it like a walk in the park. It’s layered with electronic drumbeats, echoed vocals, and acid jazz saxophone that I’m guessing he loved (being a saxophonist himself). The lyrics speak of “a solitary candle” and “the day of execution” before changing gears halfway through to sing of someone taking his place in the spotlight. “I can’t answer why, just go with me. I’m going to take you home,” he sings. My favorite lyric is “You’re a flash in the pan. I’m the great I Am.” I take that as Bowie chuckling at his own mortality and creator.
Bowie, Creator love him, didn’t want the whole record to be doom and gloom, so he made “’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore” the second track. It’s a cool rocker with squealing saxophones all over it and a bass line that sounds left over from the Let’s Dance album.
The first line in “Lazarus” is “Look up here, I’m in heaven.” – so I wouldn’t worry about David Bowie being afraid of death. He sings, “I’ll be free.” multiple times. I swear it’s a lost Morphine track. It has reverbed saxophone and groovy bass throughout it, with the guitar mostly used to jolting effect while a jazz drummer plays for a stadium instead of a smoky nightclub.
“Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)” is practically the plot of an action thriller, with its lyrics of business deals, medical test results, dark intentions, hasty travel, questioned motives, love, and murder. It moves as fast as a chase scene. His band must’ve had a blast playing it.
“Girl Loves Me” is weird, but that’s means it’s great. I’m not sure it’s a love song. Some of the lyrics are almost rapped. Luscious strings dance around tick-tock drumming and a bass riff that would make John Carpenter jealous. It’s easy to be sad during “Dollar Days” as Bowie sings, “If I never see the English evergreens I’m running to, it’s nothing to me. It’s nothing to see.” The song is too lush and grand to keep you blue for too long, however.
The last track is “I Can’t Give Everything Away.” To say it is a beautiful send-off for the Starman is an understatement. The drums in it are upbeat while Bowie sings of final messages and legacies.
We might not see someone like David Bowie for generations. He might not have given everything, but he gave more than most of us can dream of giving others. He gave one of the greatest gifts any of us can give – inspiration – and he gave us this final, excellent record before he went back to Mars.
British punk legends Gang of Four have a new PledgeMusic campaign in which you can order their upcoming live album – Live in London.
The campaign offers the live album as a digital download for about $12.00, but you can upgrade to a signed copy of the CD (recorded at London’s Islington Assembly Hall) and a DVD of their show at New York’s Irving Plaza from last year for only $26.00. That’s a good deal for a nice collectible, and I’ll probably jump on that.
Other fun offers include tickets to a future live show with a meet and greet, a signed set list, and even a microwave they tried to destroy on stage multiple times during their 2015 tour.
