Music

Moon Safari’s Latest Album Is Not Commercial—But It Should Be

August 31, 2011
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Moon Safari’s Latest Album Is Not Commercial—But It Should Be

Moon Safari is an immensely talented progressive rock band from Sweden, but neither their formidable musical abilities nor the label of progressive rock should scare off potential listeners. The band’s sound is original and highly pleasing in its blend of folk, classic rock, progressive, and even pop elements. Just as a means of comparison that is in no way meant to pigeonhole this highly original group of musicians, I’d suggest that their appeal combines that of some of the more-sanguine, less-grand and somber progressive rock groups of the past, such as Argent, Flash, Happy the Man, and Mike Oldfield, with the complex but appealing instrumental textures of bands such as Visible Wind, Discipline, and Harmonium, along with melodic folk-rock textures reminiscent of Loggins and Messina, Bo Hansson, and the brilliant English band The Amazing Blondel. These comparisons are meant only as  suggestive of some of the musical strands from which Moon Safari draws; the band is not imitative or derivative in any way. You really must hear it for yourself. Moon Safari’s first two albums—Doorway to Summer and Blomjud—are among the very best progressive rock albums of the past decade, and the band’s latest, Lover’s End, is of similar quality.

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Moon Safari’s ‘Blomjud’ Brilliantly Combines Folk, Progressive Rock

August 31, 2011
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Moon Safari’s ‘Blomjud’ Brilliantly Combines Folk, Progressive Rock

Double albums are hard to do. Usually, there’s enough first-rate music for a little more than one disc, and most listeners would much prefer that the artist had exercised a little self-censorship. Sometimes, however, a musician or band has so many great ideas that they can bring it off. Such is the case with Blomjud, by the Swedish progressive rock outfit Moon Safari. With the release of their latest album, Lover’s End (reviewed here), here’s my track-by-track review of Blomjud for those interested in the group’s previous work. Disc 1 is superb, on the same level as the band’s debut album, Doorway to Summer. “Constant Bloom” begins Blomjud with a minute and a half of the group’s trademark complex harmony vocals, done a capella. It’s very pretty. “Methusalah’s Children” begins quietly, with acoustic piano and acoustic guitar, and then other instruments join in, including a theremin-like synthesizer. The song then bursts forth into full rock mode but in an unusual time signature which moves along briskly and with a distinct bounciness. The vocal melodies are cheery and catchy, including more of the band’s engaging harmony vocals, and the music throughout the song reflects the group’s characteristic sunniness. “In the Countryside”

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Fred Steiner, R.I.P.

August 25, 2011
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Fred Steiner, R.I.P.

Most people don’t know who Fred Steiner was. As a musical composer and conductor, his work, both credited and uncredited, contributed to the sound of many Hollywood productions from the early ’50s to this year. I always associate him with the original Star Trek series (25 episodes) and Gunsmoke (11 episodes). However, he didn’t compose the themes for either show. But he was responsible for one unforgettable TV series theme tune: Perry Mason. We’re told Steiner’s original title was “Park Avenue Beat.” You can listen to Steiner’s most famous composition here (YouTube, 4 minutes 3 seconds). The series is slowly coming out on video.

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‘Fly from Here’ Is a Solid Addition to Yes’s Extensive Catalog

August 22, 2011
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‘Fly from Here’ Is a Solid Addition to Yes’s Extensive Catalog

Yes is one of the longest-lived rock bands, and one of the most successful both musically and in terms of sales. Critics have been of two minds about the band, admiring their undeniable talents but denouncing them for pretentiousness. But it’s not pretentious to make ambitious music if you’re capable of doing so, as Yes has proven over the years. I’ve enjoyed the band’s music since I first heard it decades ago, and even when they weren’t making their best music I’ve always thought their intentions and effort quite credible and honorable. Although vocalist Jon Anderson is probably the most distinctive member of the band, known for his soaring male-alto vocals and impenetrably ambitious, mystical lyrics, the only individual to play on all the band’s albums has been bassist Chris Squire. On the current album, the newly released Fly from Here, Squire is indeed on hand to provide his solid melodic-bass musical foundation, but longtime vocalist Anderson has been replaced by David Benoit, who had previously sung in a Yes cover band. Benoit is a very talented singer and fits in well with the group, which also features longtime Yes (and Asia) guitarist Steve Howe, the band’s long-tenured drummer Alan

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Amy – Whatcha Gonna Do?

July 23, 2011
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Amy – Whatcha Gonna Do?

And so it has come to pass that Amy Winehouse has joined the 27 Club. Other members include Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain – all bright, groundbreaking talents who self-destructed before they reached their 28th birthdays to the detriment of pop music in general and their fans in particular. Mind you, I’m no scold when it comes to indulging in recreational pharmaceuticals, but I find it tragic when such activity becomes a lifestyle of addiction, despair, and death. I can’t – and won’t – presume to know what drove Ms. Rehab, the Lizard King, Mr. Hand Tricks, the Pearl, and Mr. Nevermind to self-medicate themselves to such an extent that drug abuse led to their respective deaths. But I will stick my neck out to assert the personal demons that killed them also might have been responsible for the art that made them celebrities in the first place. The Dionysian urge guiding many artists to creative heights may lead them to believe too highly in their celebrated artistic status. Convinced that they are indestructible, they knot themselves to the umbilical cord of death by imbibing, snorting, or injecting their drug of choice, perhaps in the belief

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Pushing The Red Button

July 7, 2011
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Pushing The Red Button

As Far as Yesterday Goes, by The Red Button (Grimble, 2011) Review by Warren Moore Seth Swirsky seems to be a 21st-Century Renaissance man. He’s the author of several books about baseball, his new film about the Beatles is doing well on the festival circuit, and he finds time to write songs for artists ranging from Celine Dion to Taylor Dayne. However, he’s best known in certain circles for The Red Button, where he works with producer Mike Ruekberg to create breathtaking works of pop alchemy. The Button’s first album, She’s About to Cross My Mind (2007) was a mix of 1960s influences including Bachrach, Harry Nilsson, and the Lennon /McCartney juggernaut, a sort of neoclassicist pop that never lapsed into pastiche. Most importantly, it was a damned fine album. Fortunately, the team’s new album, As Far as Yesterday Goes, avoids the sophomore jinx, while adding a slightly more contemporary feel to some of the material. As Ruekberg jokes, “This time we’ve leapt boldly into the ’70s!” Make no mistake — the ’60s influence is still strong, from the 37-minute running time to the chiming 12-strings of “Girl, Don’t” and the harmonica-fueled joy of “Caught in the Middle,” the album’s

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Cars’ New Album: Good, but Falls Short of Band’s Former Glory

July 5, 2011
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Cars’ New Album: Good, but Falls Short of Band’s Former Glory

By Joe Lynch At first listen, the Cars’ first album of new material since 1987 seems to pick up where the band left off a couple of decades ago. Move Like This is nicely reminiscent of the band’s best work, but unfortunately it lacks something essential. The opening sounds of “Blue Tip,” for example, hearken back to a time when melody was still infused in pop music and the artists that sang the songs did so without the aid of software to correct their vocal missteps. The opening measures, however, also expose what is missing from the album: the band’s bass guitarist and alternate lead singer, Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000 of pancreatic cancer. It is obvious, and painfully so, that the opening bass notes are provided and sequenced by Greg Hawkes on keyboard. In a recent interview, Ric Ocasek spoke of there being a good deal of tension between Orr and him during the recording and songwriting process. I gather that Ocasek wanted full and complete control, but Orr, being a creative artist in his own right, pushed back, and thus the tension. However, out of such tension often comes great music, as was the case with The

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An Exciting New Act on the Oldies Circuit

July 1, 2011
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An Exciting New Act on the Oldies Circuit

Vladimir Putin is a man of many talents (some decidedly unsavory), but until I saw this video I never thought singing 1950s rock and roll was one of them.  He and his band put a decidedly Slavic twist (ha) on this Fats Domino classic.  Somewhere, Richie Cunningham must be smiling.

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John Lennon, Closet Republican

June 29, 2011
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John Lennon, Closet Republican

I had long ago sensed this on the basis of his last few albums and interviews, but it’s good to see it confirmed. The Toronto Sun reports that in his last years before his murder by a demon-possessed madman, John Lennon expressed support for Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and baited left-wing radicals who held opinions he had forsaken. Lennon’s former personal assistant tells about this in the new documentary Beatles Stories, the article reports. So that’s what he meant by “Starting Over”! Read the Sun article here.

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McCartney Rips It Up

June 16, 2011
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McCartney Rips It Up

Yes, I’m a bit a bit late to the party, I know, but It’s So Easy to enjoy this Paul McCartney performance of a Buddy Holly classic. Rolling Stone has the goods here, where you can listen for free.

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U2: Saving the World One Stadium at a Time

June 11, 2011
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U2: Saving the World One Stadium at a Time

I can’t imagine any other band that could pull off such a spectacle. There was a giant “claw” planted in the middle of the stadium, glowing, flashing, and billowing smoke at various points during the evening; there were massive screens broadcasting footage of Mark Kelly from the International Space Station; plus remote controlled bridges that glided above the audience while the singer and guitarist performed atop them. By all rights, critics ought to have been able to write Spinal Tap across the top and be done with it. But I’m talking about U2 here, who were doing “big” arena-type shows even back in the days when they were performing to 50 people in smoke-filled Dublin dives. As far as I can tell, they’re incapable of phoning in a performance, which is what makes this outsized 360 Degree tour work. You could say that the exterior trappings have simply caught up with the monster-sized ambitions that were always there. Thirty-five years into their career, U2 occupy a unique position. The same four musicians who played on their first album Boy are the musicians treading the boards now, and this gives their work a focus and consistency lacking from most other rock

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From Gaga to HaHa

June 7, 2011
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From Gaga to HaHa

It’s a short trip from GaGa to HaHa, but it leads to a world of difference. I’m referring to the difference between Lady Gaga’s music and that of Ha Ha Tonka, which just might be the best indie/rock/alt-country band in America today.  If you haven’t heard of them you’re not alone, although that’s beginning to change.  Their latest CD, Death of a Decade, was released in April 2011 to a series of glowing reviews.  You can find examples of these raves here, here, here, here, and here.  They have even made an appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s TV show No Reservations, when Anthony ventured to the Missouri Ozarks region where the band is based (their name comes from a Missouri State Park, not a concatenation of laughter and toy trucks). Lady Gaga and Ha Ha Tonka have each released three albums over roughly the same period, but the similarities between the artists end there.   Gaga sells slickly-produced but shallow techno-pop, and an image.  Ha Ha Tonka is as authentic a “roots” band as you’re likely to find.  Their music is a beguiling mix of rural traditions and contemporary sounds, blended together so seamlessly you won’t know where one stops and the

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