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

WE CAN FIND IT: The Cyrkle is back with a vengeance in their all new Big Stir label album, Revival. Editor/Publisher Michael McDowell celebrates this most encouraging release below (Click on above image to enlarge).

CDs AND VINYL - NEW RELEASES

(REVIEWS ARE POSTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY ARTIST)

REVIVAL -

The Cyrkle (Big Stir)

Name dropping can be counter productive.

In a Cyrkle interview with Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People in the early 1980s, among the topics discussed was the 1981 solo single, I Did It For You, by band co-founder and front man Don Dannemann. That single was released as a tribute to Beatles rhythm guitarist John Lennon in the aftermath of Lennon's December 1980 murder. 

From Dannemann's perspective, I Did It For You was a salute to a one time colleague, with whom his band had Brian Epstein in common as a manager. But with rock and roll in the early 1980s still digging itself out of the protracted aesthetic slump of the early 1970s, such gestures were often viewed within musicologist circles as unnecessary apologetics. 

To wit, rock and roll giants Del Shannon and Gary U.S. Bonds did not need the endorsements that they received around that time from Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen to justify their formidable track records as pioneers and visionaries. Shannon's and Bonds' legacies most assuredly stood on their own merits.

Likewise, whereas the Cyrkle (who had begun as the Rhondells while attending Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania) certainly benefitted initially from a heightened profile as the result of Epstein's considerable management acumen, theirs was nonetheless a unique musical vision that bowed the knee only peripherally at most to others. 

Foremost among their many attributes was vivid imagery borne of strong songwriting; either from within or via their most competent interpretations of the compelling storytelling of others. The evidence is borne out repeatedly in the numerous triumphs to their credit that were amassed during their affiliation with Columbia. They include definitive renditions of Neil Sedaka's psychedelic romp, We Had A Good Thing Goin', the P-Nut Butter's sublime garage staple, Please Don't Ever Leave Me and the Bee Gees' otherworldly Turn Of The Century. 

In turn, their mid-1966 anthemic Turn Down Day single earned a fathful cover from sibling duo Twinn Connexion for Decca the following year. Most inspiringly, their Camaro single for Columbia Specal Products underscored just how well the band could execute within a rich variety of genres. Conversely, few singles have captured the nightmare of loss as eloquently as did their magnificent I Wish You Could Be Here.

However, by decade's end, the Cyrkle had embarked upon a protracted sabbatical. Dannemann and bassist Tom Dawes both went on to richly rewarding careers as composers and jingle writers. Drummer Marty Fried relocated to the Detroit, Michigan area, graduating from Wayne State University's law school and enjoying a successful legal practice for decades. Keyboard man Mike Losekamp (who had succeeded Earle Pickens in that capacity in 1966, when Pickens opted to pursue a career in medicine) persevered to varying degrees in music, most recently with the Columbus, Ohio-based Gas Pump Jockeys. 

Happily, by the mid-2010s, Don Dannemann and Mike Losekamp began to realize that the time was right to once again build upon the Cyrkle's formidable legacy.  However, Tom Dawes had passed away in 2007 at age 64, following complications from heart surgery. 

The band also initially shared their renewed enthusiasm with drummer Marty Fried, who was still actively involved in his work as a bankruptcy attorney at the time. However, upon his retirement from the law profession, Fried once again availed himself to his Cyrkle colleagues. Tragically, before either side could move forward in that respect, Fried succumbed to a protracted battle against pancreatic cancer in September 2021. He was 77.  

Nonetheless resolute to persevere in the face of tragedy, Dannemann and Losekamp expanded the Cyrkle to a six piece band and began touring with a vengeance in 2016. The added musical muscle has served them extraordinarily well, as evidenced in abundance in this magnificent new album for the Burbank, California-based Big Stir label.

Thankfully, Revival is not so much a concession to that which the legendary Rick Nelson sang out against so resolutely in 1972's Garden Party (and indeed, that perspective can only be found here in the album's debut single, We Thought We Could Fly, more for informational than wistful purposes). For the most part, the album is a bold assertion that the Cyrkle's main attribute of solid storytelling over a sympathetic and immersible musical backdrop remains their strongest such asset.

Thankfully that virtue is borne out repeatedly throughout the proceedings. To wit, the opener, Goin' Steady With You serves as the first half of a two-part tale of the relentless optimism borne of the joy of newfound relationships. For the second installment, Center Of The World brings it into a different setting as a tongue in cheek look at the adventures of internet dating. 

Most encouragingly, the Cyrkle endeavors to take We Thought We Could Fly a step further in We Can Find It. Therein, they endeavor to soar musically in a manner not unlike that undertaken by the New Colony Six in their ambitious Ride The Wicked Wind. Happily, they hit their stride in that respect, as evidenced in the optimistic Singing For Tomorrow. 

The band underscores the enduring strength of their mission statement with a profession of solidarty cover of Harpers Bizarre's The 59th Street Bridge Song, alongside well thought out remakes of Turn Down Day and their 1966 Columbia-era signature single, Red Rubber Ball (which was composed by like minded colleagues Bruce Woodley of the Seekers, in tandem with Tom And Jerry and Tico And The Triumphs alumnus, Paul Simon).

More than a half century after the fact, the notion that a veteran band can still produce at optimum level is nothing short of answered prayer. And with Revival, the one time Rhondells have most assuredly come full Cyrkle in that respect. To paraphrase a standout cut from their 1966 Neon album, the weight of their words has served them well.

ONE GUITAR WOMAN -

Sue Foley

(Stony Plain)

When a charismatic veteran artist releases more than one new album within the span of a year, such is a rare and most welcome blessing.

In the case of composer, vocalist, virtuoso guitarist, and Ottawa, Ontario native Sue Foley, the first such offering came in the closing weeks of 2023 with the Guitar Woman label's magnificent Live In Austin, Volume One album. Therein, Foley's remarkable ability to transcend the seemingly tight parameters of the genre without comprising its basic attributes served  in part to sustain her front runner status within the idiom. 

With this latest release, Foley (who has long been based in central Texas) has once again raised the bar exponentially. She has done so this time around not so much by confounding expectations, but by encouraging the faithful to consistently strive to hold themselves to a higher standard.

One Guitar Woman is Foley's inspired and inspiring salute to some of the most gifted and original pioneers of the movement. The album opens with the magnificent Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie. Composed by beloved guitarist (and pioneer of the aptly named "Cotten Picking" style of finger picking), vocalist and Chapel Hill. North Carolina native Elizabeth Cotten (who recorded it for Folkways in 1958), Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie was Cotten's somewhat tongue in cheek account of being falsely accused of a minor indiscretion by a neighbor during her childhood. 

In Foley's hands, Cotten's signature track becomes a compelling showcase for the intricacies of the technique itself. Cotten is further represented most capably in this collection via her often covered Freight Train; most notably by the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group Featuring Nancy Whiskey for the Chic label in 1957. 

Foley dives further into the realm of primary personal inspiration here with a pair of compositions by Mississippi native Lizzie "Memphis Minnie" Douglas. The 1941 In My Girlish Days for OKeh is a reflection of the so-called "Dustbowl" methodology championed at the time by such greats as the Almanac Singers, as well as Douglas' OKeh label mates, the Prairie Ramblers (whose utterly stupendous Rollin' Along was arguably one of that year's top singles). In turn, 1940's Nothing In Rambling further underscores Douglas' ongoing impact on Foley's mission statement; affording her as it does the option of bringing the story line center stage alongside the piece's intricate arrangement.  

The Dustbowl approach is further commemorated here with a nod to fellow virtuoso Maybelle Carter. The Carter Family's 1943 Bluebird label 78, Lonesome Homesick Blues,captures the inspiration succinctly in the first half of the proeedings, as does Foley's original Maybelle's Guitar in the second.

Perhaps no other artist tribute in this album was as eagerly anticipated by the Foley faithful than was her salute to Gospel and rock and roll giant, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Recently the subject of a highly acclaimed collection of heretofore unreleased live recordings made in France in 1966, Tharpe's rare plaintive take on the Gospel is showcased most inspiringly by Foley with My Journey To The Sky.

In keeping with her determination to push the boundaries of her genre of choice beyond its limits, Foley takes the proceedings to the next level with salutes to several greats who made their mark in other musical disciplines. They include classical guitarist Ida Presti (Romance In A Minor), country blues visionaries Elvie Thomas and Geeshie Wiley (Motherless Child Blues and Last Kind Word Blues) and virtuoso Flamenco guitarist, Maria "Charo" Martinez (Malaguena, which had also been recorded by Ritchie Valens in 1958 for his Live At Pacoima Junior High album for Bob Keane's Del-Fi label). 

In the process, Foley triumphed decisively in every aspect.

"It was recorded so well by (engineer) Chris Bell and Mike Flanigin, who produced it", she said.

"They did an amazing job. I can't say how grateful I am for everybody who's diggin' it", she said.

Or, in the words of one of her more memorable early tracks, One Guitar Woman is an album that is certain to Open Up Your Eyes. Easily one of the best new releases of the year to date. 

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.