THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (REISSUES AND ANTHOLOGIES) By Michael McDowell

 CD AND LP REISSUES / ANTHOLOGIES (PLUS BOOKS)

(REVIEWS ARE POSTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY ARTIST)

WALKING IN DIFFERENT CIRCLES: The story of the legendary Minnesota first generation garage rock band, the CASTAWAYS as told from the perspective of band keyboard man and co-founder, JAMES DONNA continues to sell briskly more than a year after its release. Editor/Publisher Michael McDowell takes a closer look at this landmark biography below (Click on above imaege to enlarge). 

THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE:

THE DEFINITIVE COLLECION - 

Bucks Fizz (Cherry Pop)

Letting the mainstream media dictate your musical taste for you can be limiting in a variety of ways.

Consider the prolific and pioneering Baton Rouge, Louisiana group, John Fred And The Playboy Band. Led by the late John Fred Gourrier, the ambitious ensemble recorded a dozen albums and more than thirty singles for such labels as Montel, Jewel, Paula, Uni and Bell. Their 1964 Boogie Children 45 for Jewel is widely considered one of first generation garage rock's definitive masterpieces. In turn, their 1967 Agnes English album for Paula is treasured as a pioneering example of the garage rock / rhythm and blues hybrid. 

But from the mainstream media perspective, John Fred And The Playboy Band's lone moment worthy of widespread consideration was their very atypical late 1967 single for Paula, Judy In Disguise (With Glasses). A good natured spoof of the Beatles' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, the disproporionately high amount of exposure afforded Fred's disc by the mainstream media ultimately left the band with the very misleading legacy of being a novelty group bereft of the potential for longevity. Paula Records tried to right the situation in early 1968 with the band's back to the mission statement 45, Hey Bunny, to minimal avail.

In turn, over the past half century, the veteran London quartet, Status Quo has amassed a most impressive legacy as purveyors of the straight ahead, intelligent, no nonsense brand of rock and roll championed by such fellow visionaries as the Blasters and Dave Edmunds. Yet (at least in the United States), the mainstream media in 1968 latched on to one of the band's last attempts at psychedlia, Pictures Of Matchstick Men (which was basically a holdover in terms of the creative process from their earlier incarnations as the Spectres and Traffic Jam). So much so, that despite numerous aesthetic triumphs in the ensuing years (from their utterly stupendous 1974 On The Level album for Capitol to their magnificent 2013 motion picture comedy, Bula Quo), the band is nonetheless widely presumed in the United States to have called it a day in the wake of that 1968 Cadet Concept label 45. 

A byproduct in both cases of having risen to prominence during the feast part of the feast or famine equation, some may assert. But then consider the saga of a UK vocal quartet that hit the ground running during rock and roll's last collective gasp of consequence. 

Comprised of 1978 Eurovision contender (as part of the group CoCo) Rita Maria "Cheryl Baker" Crudgington, along with Michael "Mike" Nolan, Jay Hilda Aston and Robert Alan "Bobby G" Gubby, Bucks Fizz was recruited by composers Nichola Martin and Andy Hill to showcase their promising original, Making Your Mind Up at Eurovision. The group's definitive line up came together in January 1981 and ultimately took top honors at Eurovision in Dublin that year with their euphoric performance of that single. 

A sublime showcase of relentless optimism, Making Your Mind Up became an instant classic and a sterling example of the rich musical diversity that continued to assert itself in that triumphant era. Bucks Fizz signed with RCA Victor at home and in the States, where they turned out a wealth of impressive singles and albums. 

And this is where (in some respects) the group found itself at odds with the mainstream media.

As Bucks Fizz rapidly transitioned from Eurovision triumph to the studio setting, their timing was initially fortuitous from a creative standpoint. Music videos were becoming the order of the day, and the group's memorable performance at Eurovision also made them an ideal fit for the newly celebrated medium.

Music videos in and of themselves were an integral part of the creative process from the onset. Blues giant Bessie Smith was among the first to make a decisive step in that direction in 1929 via Saint Louis Blues, with such absolute masters as Rick Nelson, the Big Bopper, Jesse Belvin and the Johnny Burnette Trio having made the concept a key component of their respective mission statements during the growth and development period of rock and roll. However, the notion of a single track serving as the soundtrack to a visual serial of sorts began in earnest in 1967 with the Four Tops' extraordinary video clip for their Seven Rooms Of Gloom single.

With their intense on stage charisma and seemingly natural abilities in front of a camera, Bucks Fizz took the logical step of meshing well written and superbly executed material with Broadway / Hollywood - worthy visuals that made for some of the most captivating and memorable such excursions of the era. 

However, the relatively modest attention that Making Your Mind Up received in the U.S. mainstream media (combined with the still healthy and prolific level of musical output in general) meant that Bucks Fizz found themselves in the same "feast" quandry that John Fred And The Playboy Band did a decade and a half earlier. RCA Victor continued to promote the group dutifully, if not enthusiastically; a situation not unlike that which the beloved and visionary quartet Sailor found itself in during their affilation with the Epic label in the States in the mid-1970s.

As such, Bucks Fizz's considerable momentum subsided in the States in short order. But at home, the group continued to tour and record prolifically. It is some of the best of those moments that the Cherry Pop label has collected and released in this highly anticipated five CD box set.

"Some of the best", simply because the group's finest moments overall cannot be contained in a five CD box set. To wit, absent is their original 1984 version of What's Love Got To Do With It, which went on to tremendous acclaim via a cover by Tina Turner on Capitol. Likewise such utterly stupendous album cuts as 20th Century Hero and the tech heavy yet personable 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, each of which showcase the group's prowess in the studio admirably. 

What Cherry Pop's Land Of Make Believe collection does offer is a weath of Bucks Fizz's singles, along with B-sides, extended mixes and unreleased tracks. The title track makes an ideal calling card for the uninitiated, being as it is one of the group's great triumphs within the audio / video hybrid. In turn, their sublime rendition of the Romantics' Talking In Your Sleep makes a solid case for being the definitive version. The group soars unwaveringly on both fronts here via such career highlights as Piece Of The Action, My Camera Never Lies, Now Those Days Are Gone, If You Can't Stand The Heat, Run For Your Life, Here's Lookin' At You, Shot Me Through The Heart, Rules Of The Game and I Hear Talk.

Thankfully, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston continue to record prolifically to the present day as the Fizz. Their Everything Under The Sun album for the MPG label was celebrated by Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People as one of the best new albums of 2022. The vaunted trio's live appearances at home found wildly appreciative audiences welcoming both their new material, as well as the foundations of their legacy that are represented in this essential collection.

"We're thrilled that (parent company) Cherry Red have released this five CD album", said Baker, who concurrently hosts a program on Great British Radio. 

Indeed, with such periphery as geography and mainstream media's parameters out of the picture as the result of the widespread availability of this collection, both Bucks Fizz and the Fizz are sure to find their ongoing acclaim somewhat akin to (in the words of one of their classic tracks included here) a New Beginning.

LIAR, LIAR: 

THE STORY OF MINNESOTA'S CASTAWAYS  -

James J. Donna (Castaway Publications)

The Soma family of labels always got the job done.

When Bobby Vee and his band were recruited to fill in for Buddy Holly on that fateful night in February 1959, Soma Records took notice. Soon after, the label released Vee's debut single, Suzie Baby. With that, one of the most storied careers in rock and roll was underway. 

The following year, Soma more than sustained its momentum with the debut album by the guitar-based duo, the Fendermen. Their concurrent covers of Huey Piano Smith's Don't You Just Know It and Jimmie Rodgers' Mule Skinner Blues became instant classics.

Before long, Soma broadened and diversified its artist roster exponentially via the introduction of two additional labels. Their Golden Wing subsidiary gave the world an anthem with the legendary Dave Dudley's Six Days On The Road (and its duly compelling follow up, Cowboy Boots) in 1963. 

By year's end, Soma's Garrett affiliate became one of the first labels to chronicle and celebrate some of the leading lights of the burgeoning first generation garage rock movement. The beloved Trashmen led the way with an extraordinary debut album and five magnificent 45s for the label over the next few years. Their efforts were underscored by first rate singles from the Accents, the Underbeats and Gregory Dee And The Aviantes. 

But for Soma Records, the best was yet to come. 

By 1965, first generation garage rock was well on its way to becoming the defining sub genre of the most crucial decade in the history of recorded music. With their aforementioned successes on Garrett, the label was continually on the lookout for the most promising such artists of the movement.

Thankfully, they didn't have to look very far. For in their home base of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a highly ambitious band was poised to raise the bar within a movement whose leading lights were routinely performing at optimum level.

That band was the Castaways. Comprised of guitarists Bob Folschow and Roy Hensley, bassist Dick Roby, keyboard man and principal visionary James Donna and drummer Dennis Craswell, the Castaways made their debut for Soma in 1965 with Liar, Liar. That high drama original, buoyed by Folschow's distinctive falsetto and Roby's over the edge scream prior to the instrumental break earned Liar, Liar the distinction of being one of first generation garage rock's definitive masterpieces.

The band quickly followed suit with their magnificent Goodbye Babe single for Soma. But by 1966, Folschow had been drafted into the military, and the Castaways embarked upon a reluctant sabbatical for a season. 

An ad hoc regrouping of the band resulted in a couple of first rate singles before decade's end, Lavender Popcorn and Walking In Different Circles. for Mercury's affiliate Fontana label. And in 1969, drummer Craswell became a founding member of Crow, whose Cottage Cheese and Evil Woman singles for Amherst have become standards in their own right.

Thankfully, Donna has persevered with the Castaways to the present day. And in this remarkable autobiography / band biography, he has presented in magnificent detail the band's extraordinary legacy.

To wit, Donna therein recounted in detail a night in January 1966 at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa, where the Castaways found themselves coming to terms with themselves regarding their artistic vision in light of the ballroom's storied legacy as the venue that had once hosted such Big Band pioneers as Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo and Jimmy Dorsey.

In turn, the Castaways shared the stage with some of the movement's leading lights, including the Gentrys, the Beach Boys, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Beau Brummels and Sonny And Cher. Insights from a number of them augment Donna's compelling accounts of those summit meetings. 

"Liar, Liar: From Garage Band To Rockstars, The Story Of Minnesota's Castaways (is) selling well across the country", said Donna.

And with good reason. Donna herein sets a standard to which his fellow musicial visionaries should aspire when they chronicle their own legacies. In the words of one of the band's classic tracks, his tale takes Watching The Time Go By to the next level.

HOLLYWOOD BOWL

AUGUST 18, 1967  -

The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Experience Hendrix)

As the late, great bluegrass virtuoso David "Stringbean" Akeman astutely observed, going fishing often provides a great opportunity to think.

At several points throughout 1967, Jimi Hendrix learned Akeman's maxim from first hand observation. The Jimi Hendrix Experience had toured North America with the Monkees, and both bands became fast friends in the process. So much so that Hendrix and Monkees bassist / keyboard man Peter Tork took advantage of what little spare time they both had that year and went out for a day of fishing on Tork's boat on a few occasions. 

Audience response had varied widely for the vaunted trio up to that point, irrespective of the venue or other artists on the bill. Nonetheless, Tork encouraged Hendrix to persevere, assuring him that his time would come. 

And on the eighteenth of August in 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience was on the verge of doing just that. 

They had already generated considerable momentum for themselves with those earlier dates with the Monkees. And the trio's appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival that June most assuredly won over that audience. But in that era of radio and monthly music magazines pretty much being the primary sources of musical information, the word had not yet gotten out on a large scale. 

As of August 1967, Reprise had just relased the Jimi Hendrix Experience's debut album, Are You Experienced. By late September - early October, that album was well on its way to becoming one of the pivotal releases of that most crucial year. In turn, the opening track, Purple Haze was concurrently giving the band their first hit single. 

But during this Hollywood Bowl appearance (taken from a soundboard recording), the band was still performing before an audience that at best was only peripherally aware of them. Despite the backing of powerhouse KHJ-AM and a brief but enthusiastic introduction by their late morning man, Robert Wilbur Morgan (who went on to a successful stint at Los Angeles' KRTH-AM before succumbing to lung cancer in May 1998), the initial audience response was reserved, at best.

Within an hour, that too would change.

As was still the case at that stage of their career, the Jimi Hendrix Experience augmented their live performances with a generous helping of cover material. In this case, the opener was the title track from the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

At that point, the Beatles' version on Capitol had only been available for about three months, and was still working its way into the collective psyche of the faithful. As such, Hendrix, bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell (late of the Riot Squad) played it straight, which generated polite, if not overwhelming applause.

The undercurrent of apprehension and frustration in Hendrix's voice was apparent, as he and his colleagues opted to take it to the next level. The resultant cover of Muddy Waters' Killing Floor noticably caught the audience's attention, enabling the trio to bring in the heavier artillery, in the form of their formidable original material.

The Wind Cries Mary was the flip side of their Purple Haze 45, and served the same purpose as did The Crystal Ship as the B-side of the Doors' Light My Fire single for Elektra, which had run its course the previous month. In other words, a compelling and intelligently structured (albeit somewhat otherworldly) ballad that served to highlight the rich diversity of each band's original material. Hendrix, Redding and Mitchell certainly proved the point by segueing into Foxey Lady, which was then about three months away from single release and still relatively unfamiliar to the Hollywood Bowl audience. Yet in no uncertain terms, it proved to be both an attention getter and a game changer.

With that, the band returned to cover material to further provide a taste of things to come. Their eight minute rendition of Robert Petway's 1941 standard, Catfish Blues was a full band workout, complete with a drum solo from Mitchell. With the audience now coming to terms with the fact that they were watching history unfold before them, the band then sustained the momentum with true to form renditions of Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone and their own Fire (which became a smash single for both the Pack on Capitol and the Five By Five on Paula in late 1968) and Purple Haze.

With the audience captivated accordingly, the trio gave them a one-two punch of what was to come with a no holes barred, six minute workout of the Troggs' 1966 signature single, Wild Thing (complete with a brief instrumental nod to Frank Sinatra's Strangers In The Night). While of course this audio recording does not provide a first hand glimpse of the theatrics at play, it is obvious by both the band's performance and the audience's reaction that the mission was accomplished. 

If, as the sleeve notes to the 1970 Reprise soundtrack album of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's appearance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (which the band shared with the groundbreaking set by the larger than life Otis Redding) suggested, that the band had "graduated from rumor to legend" at that June appearance, suffice to say that Hollywood Bowl August 18, 1967 repeated that triumph for what would be one of the last times in a variation on the word of mouth process. 

TOO MANY CROOKS -

Unicorn (Think Like A Key)

By the mid-1970s, pretty much everyone with a desire for the betterment of music had had enough.

With the mainstream having fostered and languished in a protracted aesthetic slump since the close of the previous decade, the faithful began searching for ways to sustain their creative momentum throughout those lean times. The answer would of course ultimately come in the form of the so-called indie movement, which was about to give rise to such inspired and inspiring sub genres as punk and the all encompassing new wave. 

For the many who saw the self indulgence that preceded it as anathema to the art itself, one viable option was the hybrid that ultimately became known as country rock. Pioneered largely by rock and roll giant Rick Nelson via a pair of acclaimed country-themed LPs for Decca, country rock quicky found its way into the mission statements of such like minded visionaries as Brian Hyland. By decade's end, such greats as the Byrds, the International Submarine Band, Michael Nesmith And The First National Band and the Buffalo Springfield had made their marks decisively in that respect.

As the early 1970s progressed, their ranks soared exponentially via such acclaimed bands as Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, the Amazing Rhythm Aces, Pure Prairie League, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Band, Little Feat, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Charlie Daniels Band and Poco. A number of like minded solo artists stood in solidariy with them, most notably Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Ronstadt and Harris eventually joined forces with Dolly Parton as the formidable Trio for Warner Brothers.

Seemingly content to make their own mark in that respect without the resultant fanfare was the Send, Surrey - based Unicorn. Not so ironically once known as the Late, Unicorn was founded by composer Ken Baker, in tandem with guitarist and Tony Rivers And The Castaways alumnus Trevor McKee (who was replaced in 1972 by Kevin Smith).

Among the band's early highlights was working with such acclaimed greats as Billy J. Kramer. But in 1969, the debut Atlantic LP by Crosby, Stills And Nash peaked their curiosity in terms of rock and roll veterans successfully embracing the country and rock hybrid. The band ultimately signed with the Big T label, where their duly inspired debut 45, P.F. Sloan was released in 1971.

By 1975, Unicorn had signed with the Harvest label, where their third album, Too Many Crooks (somewhat ironically titled Unicorn 2 in the United States) saw release in the early days of 1976. The band had found a staunch supporter in Pink Floyd lead guitarist David Gilmour, who offered Unicorn his services as producer and also sat in for part of the sessions.

While that unexpected perk was certainly a boon to the band in a number of respects, it had minimal bearing on the creative autonomy that was long in place among their ranks. Herein, Unicorn (rounded out by bassist Pat Martin and drummer/co-lead vocalist Pete Perryer) pressed ahead on their own terms, with encouraging results.

Composed by Baker, the eleven selections in Too Many Crooks are nearly unique in their seeming lack of profession of solidarity with any particular ideology or theme. While many of their colleagues often sang of adventures on the road, idyllic scenarios and the like, Unicorn herein followed suit only with the bonus track traveler's tale So Far Away. 

However, the bulk of Baker's material herein commemorates and celebrates a variety of scenarios. They run the gamut from the despondency of No Way Out Of Here and the vague cynicism of the title track to the hard fought for independent spirit of He's Got Pride and the urgency borne of the familiarity breeds contempt pespective of Weekend.

Through it all, Unicorn stayed with the matter of fact, sparsely arranged, mid-tempo approach that also served Little Feat and the Amazing Rhythm Aces well, leaving any sort of variations in professions of solidarity and / or affinity to the listener. An astute move that assured the ultimate timelessness of the material, despite the fact that the aforementioned indie movement ultimately derailed the band's foreward momentum by decade's end.

Rights to this landmark work were eventually acquired by the vaunted U.K. - based Cherry Red family of labels, long one of the world's leading lights in terms of state of the art reissues, anthologies and compilations. In the hopes of sustaining their momentum for both the faithful and aspiring enthusiast, the Texas - based Think Like A Key's Roger Houdaille has in turn leased Too Many Crooks for U.S. release. With a wealth of band photos and a comprehensive essay by David DiSanzo, this reissue proves to be more than a bonus for the completist. In the words of one of Unicorn's earlier triumphs, Too Many Crooks is proof positive that their Uphill All The Way struggle was not in vain.

KINGS, QUEENS AND JOKERS  -

Victoria (Gear Fab)

Remarkable is the reissue project that enjoys deluxe treatment in its third incarnation.

Such is the case with the 1971 debut album by the New Jersey band, Victoria. Recorded between 1969 and 1971, the original album featured eight original compositions by band co-founder Greg Ruban.

In reality, the album was a joint venture between Victoria (Ruban, along with Sharon Barton, Maureen Deidelbaum and Cheryl Simpson), in tandem with the Dirty Martha Band. Logistics prevented the band from performing live, but they did manage to capture this lone extraordinary effort in the studio. 

As a composer, Ruban (who also served as producer for this project) demonstrated remarkable vision and depth during that deceptively fallow creative period. To wit, the original album featured ambitious psychedelic workouts such as Village Of Etaf, which would have been right at home within the fertile boom period that produced the likes of Tintern Abbey, Grapefruit and the Soft Machine a scant few years earlier. 

In turn, the curious Cumberland takes its cue in parts from the Velvet Underground's Sunday Morning, while Gevaro avails itself as a latter day reimagination of Frankie Laine's Jezebel. Moreover, Ride A Rainbow serves as an extension and/or answer of sorts to the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Purple Haze, while the opener, Peace sports some refreshing acoustic guitar in its intro that falls in solidarity with the like minded overtures found in Lighthouse's One Fine Morning. The rare profession of candor that is the aptly named Never Knew Blues brings it all full circle; paradoxically drawing as it does from the tension that graced the template of Billy Roberts' often covered 1962 standard, Hey Joe.

Curiously, Kings, Queens And Jokers did not make it past the demo stage at the time of its recording. Nonetheless, it did finally see a limited release of two hundred copies in the early years of the twenty-first century. Out of print since 2005, it now enjoys a deluxe CD reissue on the Gear Fab label. For this deluxe third appearance, label president Roger Maglio has included seven heretofore unreleased Ruban compositions that were drawn from master tape and acetate sources, highlighted by the Gospel-tinged Mister Let Me Go, Child Of A Princess and an alternate take of Cumberland.

Sadly, Greg Ruban passed away in 2008. Nonetheless, his unique vision brings a most welcome addition to Gear Fab's extensive catalog of reissues of the rarest independent releases. Incentive to Ride A Rainbow indeed.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (NEW RELEASES) By Michael McDowell

I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART: Composer, vocalist and Pennsylvania native TAYLOR SWIFT has taken the cerebral approach to the subject of unrequited love to the next level in her latest Republic Records release, The Tortured Poets Department.  Editor / Publisher Michael McDowell takes a closer look below. (Click on above image to enlaarge).

CDs AND VINYL - NEW RELEASES

(REVIEWS ARE POSTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY ARTIST)

11X11 -

The Eleven Guys Quartet

(VizzTone)

Credit certainly has to be given to Eleven Guys Quartet harmonica man, Richard Rosenblatt for taking the unwavering resolve approach to the next level.

As the head of the VizzTone label, Rosenblatt oversees an artist roster comprised of dozens of uncompromisingly hardcore blues artists. In some cases, that extreme purist approach has hampered to an extent any overtures of solidarity from those on the periphery of that perspective. Nonetheless, it has rallied the faithful to the point that for all practical purposes, VizzTone remains the present day go to souce for the mission statement at large.

Rosenblatt's inspiration in that respect stems in part from his own lengthy experience as a musician. To that effect, the Eleven Guys Quartet has persevered since the 1980s, providing for all practical purposes the template on which many of his artists have based their own visions.

With 11X11, the band's first release since 2020, the Eleven Guys Quartet again showcases their command of the bombastic instrumental. To that effect, the opening track, Lightning Road draws from the Rolling Stones' fundamental take on Bo Diddley's Mona, albeit with a much crisper mix than that afforded the 1964 rendition on the Rolling Stones' England's Newest Hitmakers album for London.

In turn, Jokers Blues takes a cue from Canned Heat's playful interpretation of Hambone Willie Newburn's 1929 signature single, Rollin' And Tumblin' and adds a bit more bounce to the beat by executing in straight 4/4 at mid-tempo. Likewise, He Ain't Got You serves as a fitting answer song of sorts to Billy Boy Arnold's I Ain't Got You by adding to Arnold's cerebral perspective the instrumentally ambitious dressing afforded the 1965 interpretation by the Yardbirds. 

Those embellishments serve the Eleven Guys Quartet well throughout this collection, enabling them to persevere with their vision intact, while concurrently finding those much needed professions of solidarity from others along the way. In the words of this album's closing track, such are the benefits of Rockin' The Blues.

LIVE IN AUSTIN, VOLUME ONE -

Sue Foley

(Guitar Woman)

Many who champion the blues often find themselves at the Crossroads of which Robert Johnson sang. How many of them actually enter that intersection is a different matter. 

As was long the case with such musical forms as vocal group harmony and first generation garage rock, the present day incarnation of the blues finds itself with a hardcore audience that devotes the bulk of its attention to its genre of choice; defering outside of those parameters only upon rare occasion. Such methodology invariably serves to strengthen the resolve of the most resolute, while minimalizing crossover potential (from both outside and inside) in the process.

For vocalist, composer, guitar virtuoso and Ottawa, Ontario native Sue Foley, those options have prompted a bit of defensive driving. While Foley has retained her position on center stage within the movement since relocating to Texas some years ago, she has (as her signature single, New Used Car -- reprised here -- underscores) done so by approaching the crossroads with a more proactive than average awareness of the innate limitations of the form.

As such, with Live In Austin, Volume One, Foley has opted to downplay the bombast common to the works of a number of her peers in favor of highlighting some of the subtle attributes that are often afforded secondary status in pursuit of the perceived audience prerequisite of bravado. 

Not that Foley is incapable of delivering in that respect. Indeed, much of her catalog to date showcases her mastery of such technique. But as an artist with enough insight to proactively transcend the limitations of the genre, she astutely opted to take to the stage in relatively subdued fashion here.  

To that effect, Highwayside is more of a celebration of the tried and true verse, chorus and bridge template, rather than the one/two punch straight out of the gate methodology that the fatihful have taken for granted. In turn, her variations on a theme by Slim Harpo (Queen Bee) are not so much an answer of sorts as an opportunity to turn the familiar twelve-bar motif into a romp that defers out of respect while not necessarily acquiescing out of perceived necessity. Foley drives the overall point home with an inspired take on Bob Dylan's late September 1965 signature single, Positively Fourth Street.

By testing the parameters of the template at hand, Foley has taken decisive steps towards meeting the crosstown traffic at the crossroads. In a genre in which thinking outside of the box is rarely addressed (if not discouraged), she has reaffirmed her front runner status by (in the words of one of this collection's standout tracks) doing so a little bit Better than the rest.

RESURRECTION -

Brian Gari

(Original Cast)

Freddy Cannon was a relentless perfectionist.

To that effect, the beloved pioneering rocker often insisted upon precision in terms of delivery from the various pick up bands that he worked with in live performances. Cannon was known to literally stop the band in mid-set to correct and/or improve upon certain passages in his generally exuberant material that were not being executed to his satisfaction. 

But off stage, Cannon's intense perfectionism was countered by a relatively more genial approach. That attribute served to make him a most welcome presence in various social gatherings and industry functions. 

Conversely, composer and vocalist Brian Gari has in recent years presented a wealth of original material with each successive release that by its nature suggests a more genial and wistful approach to the recording process. Yet that seemingly elusive attribute likewise came about with a painstaking attention to detail that would have met with Freddy Cannon's satisfaction. This latest  offering is no exception. 

As was the case with Gari's most recent releases (such as his acclaimed Expose Yourself album), Resurrection is comprised primarily of original material that finds its niche in an idyllic, Camelot-like setting. The overall mood is not so much one of escapism as it is the firm resolve of its creator to create and flourish in that capacity.

To wit, Gari herein takes the variety is the spice of life perspective. From the Jerry Lee Lewis-inspired You're Too Much To Take to the cavalier atmosphere of latter day Doobie Brothers found in I Can't Figure Out (What You're Doin' With Me), Gari glides between genres with ease. 

In turn, unrequited love (a recurring theme in Gari's work) is once again on display in matter of fact fashion ("Maybe I'm out of my league") in Way Off Base. Likewise, the plaintive Remains To Be Seen showcases the realization of resignation to the inevitable from the perspective of one who has taken the unrequited road for too long.

Not that Resurrection is bereft of a light at the end of the tunnel perspective, if not full blown relentless optimism. To that effect, the Vaudeville through the eyes of Harpers Bizarre novelty, We Just Gotta Stop Sometime serves that purpose as well as providing a nod of sorts to Gari's legendary grandfather, the late Eddie Cantor. The Perfect Other Half Of Me takes it a step further, with universal nods to the waitressing profession and composer/vocalist Cyndi Lauper. Gari's wife Jeanne brings the proceedings full circle as a duet with her husband in the wide eyed optimism of You Can Dance.

To be certain, Resurrection would make an ideal showpiece for the annual Record Store Day holiday, although Gari said that no such plans are in the works.

"Not that I know of", he said. 

Nonetheless, as was the case with his previous releases, Resurrection makes for an ideal addition to the discerning musicologist's archives. In the words of one of the standout tracks on Gari's aforementioned Expose Yourself album, Resurrection is a magnificent effort that will inspire one and all to Think Again.

ARE YOU SURE YOU THREE GUYS

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING? -

Mike Jones, Penn Jillette And Jeff Hamilton

(Capri)

The legendary Hank Williams excelled at stand up comedy. Late in his career, veteran actor Buddy Ebsen briefy pursued a long time desire to be a rockabilly musician. Actor Phil Silvers once collaborated with orchestra leader Nelson Riddle on a thematic instrumental album for Columbia. Jiles Perry "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Waylon Jennings were both radio announcers. Pearl Bailey and Jerry Butler enjoyed productive careers in politics. And Barry Manilow and Elvis Presley each briefly worked as delivery truck drivers. 

Facts such as these often bring "wow" emoji responses from some among the rank and file. Such observers often struggle to come to terms with the idea of the subjects of their interest being involved in any other field besides the ones in which they happened to first encounter their work. 

Invariably, such linear thinking underscores the reasoning as to why artists such as those alluded to above remain on center stage, while the observers with limited expectations either cannot or will not take the crucial step of thinking outside of the box. As such, they often remain in the capacity of armchair quarterbacks in a perpetual state of disenfranchisement and (in some cases) disdain. 

The world of jazz has produced a wealth of keyboard virtuosos over the past century. The works of Edward Elzear "Zez" Confrey, Leroy Carr, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal, JoAnn Castle and Ramsey Lewis (among others) have served to raise the bar for the instrument exponentially, with many drawing their own inspiration from them.

One such pianist is Buffalo, New York native and veteran session musician, Mike Jones. He continues to perform live and record prolifically, with an impressive catalog of releases on Chiaroscuro and Capri to his credit. 

For this current project (which celebrates a rich variety of standards), it stood to reason that Jones would opt to collaborate with a rhythm section that both shared his vision and possessed the ability to execute it accordingly. Enter drummer and Richmond, Indiana native Jeff Hamilton, who has amassed his own impressive track record via collaborations with Monty Alexander, Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Diana Krall, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and others. 

Nonetheless, in rounding out the equation, it is likely that the aforementioned armchair quarterbacks will again be poised with their index fingers hovering over the "wow" emoji option.

Bringing the trio full circle is the Greenfield, Massachusetts-born veteran magician, author and one time Dancing With The Stars contestant, Penn Fraser Jillette. Among other things, Jillette has not been one to take a cavalier or passive role in any proceedings when he is assured of his convictions.

To wit, around the turn of the previous century, Jillette prompted a hearty vocal "wow" emoji of sorts from the studio audience during a guest appearance on Donny and Marie Osmond's syndicated television series, Donny And Marie. Therein, Jillette briefly derailed the momentum of the conversation by candidly yet rightfully bringing to hostess Olive Marie Osmond's attention that the new millennium at hand began with the year 2001, not 2000. 

Given his tenacity, it stood to reason that Jillette's participation in this project would sit well with all concerned. To that effect, Jones has served since 2002 as musical director for Jillette's Las Vegas, Nevada-based Penn And Teller magic show with Raymond Joseph Teller. To that effect, it was in part with Jones' ongoing encouragement that Teller opted to learn to play the stand up bass twenty years ago, at the age of 48. 

However, Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing? is not Jones and Jillette's first musical collaboration. The two of them had made a test run in that capacity in 2018 on Jones' The Show Before The Show album for Capri. As a result, both were duly encouraged to persevere with the project at hand. 

The album opens with George and Ira Gershwin's often covered 1927 composition, 'S Wonderful. Subsequent renditions such as the lavishly orchestrated score recorded by the visionary arranger and conductor Ray Conniff for Columbia in 1956 have more often than not characterized the piece. Even so, 'S Wonderful works just as well within the relatively sparse arrangement at hand, with Jones, Jillette and Hamilton doing musical stretch warm ups to set the stage for the individual workouts to follow.

Happily, all three participants are afforded opportunities herein to soar accordingly. They do so most inspiringly on such ambitious fare as Sonny Rollins' Doxy, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra's On Green Dolphin Street, Duke Ellington's Perdido and Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto's signature 45 for Verve, The Girl From Ipanema. The proceedings are brought to a most inspired conclusion with Jones' original composition, Blues For Burns.

Indeed, there is probably little reason to suggest that the project at hand will prompt the aforementioned armchair quarterbacks to approach such endeavors from a wider perspective. Nonetheless, those who have opted to follow Funkadelic's July 1970 mandate to Free Your Mind will embrace this collection for the ambitious and engaging endeavor that it is. In the words of the 1964 Michel Legrand composition that provides one of the highlights of this collection, take that crucial step and Watch What Happens.

HIGH FIDELITY -

Jeremy Morris (JAM)

There are a number of reasons why Jeremy Morris has for years been the most logical successor to the late James Brown's "Hardest Working Man In Show Business" title.

With a work ethic that staggers the imagination, the Portage, Michigan - based Morris has for decades deftly balanced his responsibilities as composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, label president, pastor and family man. In turn, his catalog includes dozens of solo albums and collaborations that run the gamut from Gospel and prog rock to garage rock and psychedelia.

Moreover, Morris has released more than a dozen albums of all new material in the last three years alone. They include 2021's Road To Zion, Live For Today and Distant Dream, as well as 2022's Brighter Day, A Wonderful Surprise, The Day The World Stood Still and From Here To Eternity (which features an utterly stupendous reimagination of the Lemon Pipers' late 1967 signature single, Green Tambourine). 

True to form, his pace has not slowed down in the current year to date. Morris kicked off 2023 with The First Ten Years, a retrospective of the best material of his acclaimed side project, the Lemon Clocks. The mesmerizing A Better Life album followed suit, featuring such captivating originals as My True Colors and Bad Banana.

To be certain, that release schedule would tax the creative juices and capabilities of the most capable. Nonetheless, the relentlessly optimistic Morris was not through with 2023 yet.

"This year, I also released a CD called Bright Side Of The Sun", he said.

"And High Fidelity".

Issued in October, High Fidelity is of particular interest to long time readers of Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People. Among the album's inspired dozen originals is I Am With You Always, which sports an inspired, guitar-centric arrangement that takes its cue (however unintentionally) from Herman's Hermits' monster classic Heart Get Ready For Love single. 

That 1978 release on the great Morris Levy's Roulette label ultimately won top honors from Blitz Magazine as Best Single Of The 1970s. Those who drew inspiration from Frank Renshaw and the late Derek Leckenby's guitar interplay on that landmark single will find much to their liking in the High Fidelity album, from the full on jangle of the title track to the mid-tempo, Gospel-rich God's Glue.

With such a wealth of recorded activity to his credit, Jeremy Morris continues to raise the bar on a variety of levels. Nonetheless, as he underscored in a recent message based on I Peter 3:9, we are Called To Be A Blessing. Suffice to say that in that respect, to invoke the words of a standout track from his The Day The World Stood Still album, Morris has consistently done so with Grace Under Pressure.

NO WAR / NO WAR (ALTERNATE MIX) -

Wally Palmar And Jack de Keyzer (Spider)

Record hunting has been known to provide long term dividends.

At the record collectors conventions hosted by the late Stu Shapiro in suburban Detroit during the mid to late 1970s, two of the regular clientele were the aspiring musicans Mike Skill and Wally Palmar. While each had their own individual preferences, both professed an interest in procuring records by the Dave Clark Five. 

In due course, Skill and Palmar (along with Jimmy Marinos and Rich Cole) formed the Romantics, whose straight ahead original material for the Spider, Bomp and Nemperor labels drew in part from the inspiration of the Dave Clark Five in more ways than one. Most notably, the Romantics (however unintentionally) followed the Dave Clark Five's lead in keeping their uptempo material dressed in timeless lyrics that addressed the basics of the everyday human experience. 

In the rare instances when the Dave Clark Five leaned towards more topical material, it was done either with tongue-in-cheek (their playful swipe at the hippie movement and a certain Liverpool quartet, as found in their Live In The Sky single) or with an outspoken call to arms perspective (their 1971 definitive rendiition of Neil Young's Southern Man).

For the Romantics, it wasn't so much an aversion to the topical approach as it was being certain to align with the right cause. For front man Wally Palmar, that cause was (and is) the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

Joining forces herein with Palmar is the Toronto, Ontario-based composer, guitarist and vocalist, Jack de Keyzer, whose acclaimed releases for Blue Star have been celebrated in Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People over the years. Their resultant No War single and video have made for a most impassioned commentary on that ongoing tragedy. 

On the plus side, the 45 is a homecoming of sorts for Palmar. With its release, long time Romantics manager Arnie Tencer has reactivated the Spider label, whose initial release was the band's 1977 Little White Lies / I Can't Tell You Anything single, which was issued in two different versions. 

In turn, the single's picture sleeve was designed by original Blitz Magazine Art Director, Dennis Loren, whose work has graced counless album covers and posters throughout the past five decades. No War is also available in traditional black vinyl, as well as in limited edition yellow vinyl and blue vinyl, reflecting the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

"Wally and I are planning on a lot more releases", said Tencer.

"We are transfering a lot of old tapes to digital. I have early Romatics. I even have pre-Romantics, going back to 1974".

Indeed, if the sentiments expressed within No War bear fruit, the release of that archival material will most assuredly be cause for celebration.

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT -

Taylor Swift (Republic)

"I love you, it's ruining my life".

That lyrical excerpt, taken from the opening track, Fortnight and reproduced on the back cover of this album, provides a pertinent clue as to why composer, vocalist and West Reading, Pennsylvania native Taylor Alison Swift has enjoyed massive and sustained acclaim for nearly two decades.

Few experiences resonate with such cut to the heart universal appeal as does the subject of unrequited love. The legendary Hank Williams was among the first to build a musical legacy with that attribute as a recurring focal point, as evidenced in such enduring masterpieces as Moanin' The Blues, Cold Cold Heart, Why Don't You Love Me and Lowdown Blues.

In the present day setting, Swift articulates that resultant despair with savvy and discernment to the degree that it resonates with her faithful in like manner. Given the persistent proclamations from various media sources that despondency and hopelessness persist at record levels in society at large, Swift has found herself in a de facto authoritative position in that respect. 

The prevailing mood throughout this two LP / single CD set is not so much a series of related verse, chorus and bridge essays as it is one of ongoing conversation. To wit, in the title track, Swift looks for common ground with her antagonist, citing solidarity with such proven wordsmiths as Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith. Curiously therein, she alludes to an amenable response in terms of symbols such as wedding rings. Curious in that in Lavender Haze from her Midnights album blanketly dismissed such periphery as "that 1950s s---". Ultimately, the fact that she reaches across the cultural divide with success suggests a welcome work in progress in that respect. 

As the saga progresses, touchstones run the gamut of the human experience, from the "my plastic smile" of My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys and the futile escapism of Florida!!! to the "Am I allowed to cry?" of Guilty As Sin and "I want to snarl and show you how disturbed this has made me" of the somewhat disarming Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me? 

To her considerable credit, the frequent use of the so-called four letter word that found its way into most of the material on Midnights has given way herein to a primarily cerebral approach. Not that The Tortured Poets Department is bereft of that characteristic; it simply avails itself primarily in Down Bad, with an occasional appearance throughout the remainder of the proceedings. The fact remains that a sizeable percentage of the Swift faithful can only draw from personal experience borne of a variation in societal basics, which suggests that such metholdology is no longer a subject of elevated concern as it was at the time when the likes of the Kingsmen, the Fugs and the MC5 each introduced it into their own work. 

Not surprisingly, first day sales of The Tortured Poets Department were brisk upon its 19 April release. A random sampling that afternoon of several Target Department Store locations (which has long maintained a successful business and marketing partnership with Swift) found inventory in both the CD and vinyl configurations either low or significantly depleted. As was the case with Midnights, cover variations and varying vinyl colors fueled the interest of Swifties, musicologists and collectors alike.

To be certain, The Tortured Poets Department showcases a veteran artist who is nonetheless unabashedly a work in progress, in terms of both her art and her ability to navigate and articulate the human experience. If indeed, as Swift herein suggests, I Can Do It With A Broken Heart, then by extension, so can one and all.