Dion DiMucci: Honky Tonk Blues (Hank Williams)

Dion & The Belmont's
circa: 1957

      In the mid 50's doo-wop became an international rage as well as one of the biggest influences in rock music history.  Bands like The Cadillacs, The Coasters, and singers like Sam Cooke put out amazing music with close knit harmonies that would influence everyone from Elvis to Lauryn Hill: Doo-Wop (That Thing).  You can hear the influence doo-wop had on The Beatles in All My Loving which took the beat and harmony of the urban phenomenon and updated it for a brand new audience of screaming teenagers.  The Beach Boys had success with several covers of doo-wop hits including an amazing performance of Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers Why Do Fools Fall In Love. Even today, the Mike Love version of the Beach Boys frequently includes Gene Chandlers Duke Of Earl as part of their regular set list.
     One of the defining acts of that era was a young white kid out of the Bronx who was deeply influenced by the great black doo-wop bands that regularly performed at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem.  The band was called Dion And The Belmont's featuring Dion DiMucci and a crew of backup singers that came together in their neighborhood on Belmont Avenue.  DiMucci had a gift for writing or adapting songs in his unique style to create hits like I Wonder Why, The Wanderer, and Runaround Sue.  He took the sounds of the slick Apollo artist's horn sections and created amazing vocal backgrounds that helped define doo-wop and rock and roll forever.  When you're listening to The Wanderer or Runaround Sue try to imagine the backing vocals as a horn section and Dion's voice as a piano melody line.  That was the approach that made Dion one of the defining acts of his era and greatly affected future generations of musicians.
       As the 50's turned into the 60's and bands like The Four Seasons emerged, doo-wop was supplanted by this fusion of doo-wop and rock as the urban pop music leader.  Despite his enormous talent DiMucci found his music becoming increasingly passe with contemporary audiences.  The emergence of the British invasion bands with their forward looking writing and performance skills proved to be the final nail for bands like Dion And The Belmont's, The Tokens, and  The Flamingo's. They were no longer considered to be the cutting edge of rock and roll and it became increasingly difficult to find audiences. Still, their music lived on as bands all over The US and the UK paid homage to the inspiration they found in their predecessors.  In the 70's Cat Stevens hit with Sam Cooke's Another Saturday Night and in the 80's Billy Joel found an audience for original songs like The Longest Time or the Dion inspired Uptown Girl.

Dion turned down passage on the 1959 flight that took the
lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Vallens, and J.P. Richardson

      Sadly, in the 60's, DiMucci  spiraled into drug and alcohol abuse while also sinking ever closer toward musical obscurity.  This may have begun with the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) and their infamous plane crash during the fierce Iowa winter of 1959.  Dion was supposed to be on that plane but refused to pay the ticket price.  He later said the cost of the ride was exactly the same amount of money his parents paid in rent for their Bronx apartment.  DiMucci wouldn't pay the equivalent of a months rent to avoid an uncomfortable bus ride because he felt it would be disrespectful to his working class parents.  After the plane crashed he was in shock for months and the incident has seemingly affected him ever since.  In the aftermath of his close call he turned to gospel music for comfort which further alienated his rock and roll audience and eventually he was relegated to the oldies circuit.

Hank Williams has influenced
rock, country, & blues musicians
for more than 70 years

       In 2005 Dion appeared on the NPR Radio Show Fresh Air with Terry Gross.  He brought an acoustic guitar with him and talked about many of his early musical influences as well as playing and singing.  It was immediately apparent to Gross and her listeners that he was still a great singer and a surprisingly talented guitar player.  Intriguingly, DiMucci said that one of his biggest influences was Hank Williams.  It's hard to imagine a 50's doo-wop star idolizing a 30's country music innovator, but his knowledge and insight into music history was fascinating. He played a cover of Williams Honky Tonk Blues (<<Hanks rare solo acoustic version) showing off a little known crazy gift for picking acoustic blues as well as the dynamic singing style that made him famous 40 years earlier.  Not long after the interview he was contacted by record producer Richard Gottehrer who had successfully produced bands like The Go-Go's, and  Blondie.  Gottehrer was born in the Bronx in 1940 and would have been an impressionable high school teenager when Dion and The Belmont's took NYC and the music world by storm.  He heard the interview and was blown away by DiMucci and convinced the singer to do an NYC influenced blues record that resulted in the spectacular Bronx In Blue.

Robert Johnson considered by many
to be the father of modern blues guitar

       Bronx In Blue is one of the best records released in the winter of 2006 and it is a hidden gem that deserves a much wider audience.  His covers of Robert Johnson, Jimmy Reed, and Howlin' Wolf show off a nimble guitar style which almost nobody outside of the record industry knew about.  His voice is fuller than it was in the 50's and he still has the control and verve that made him famous. Featured today is his version of Hank Williams Honky Tonk Blues.  In the Fresh Air interview Dion described Williams infectious passion as one of his chief musical influences. He observed that Hank practically tore the ends off of his words and lines which gave a fullness to the song that accentuated Williams intensity and raised the quality of his songs.  Dion adds his surprisingly elegant blues guitar playing to the song and, like Hank, he practically tears the ends off of the words. Please take a moment and enjoy this Bronx legend and his cover of the Hank Williams classic
                                        Honky Tonk Blues

Dion DiMucci: Bronx In Blue

 

Sorry for not posting

Hi everyone,
      Just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for not posting in awhile.  I've been working on a piece for the December issue of Rock Thiz Magazine and haven't had time to blog.  I'm hoping to get back to it next week and put a couple together.  I'll let you know when the mag is released and post a link where to buy it.  Thanks for being patient with me,
J

Labelle: Lady Marmalade

           

Soul with a rock and roll heart
and a touch of glam...

       Every now and then a song comes along that makes you smile, makes you dance, and even piques your curiosity.  Labelle had one of those songs in 1974/75 called Lady Marmalade.  Caught somewhere between funk, rock and roll, & soul Labelle scored one of the coolest & most covered crossover hits of all time.  Strongly driven by organ, horns, bass, and drums, it features the voices of  Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash, and the incredible Patti LaBelle.  The lyrics are a mixture of English, French, gobbledygook, and sexual tension sung with the kind of verve and power that can only come from catching a perfect performance on tape.
       Written by Bob Crew & Kenny Nolan, the song was originally released on Labelles fourth album called Nightbirds.  Up to this point, Labelle had released three mediocre selling albums that were critically acclaimed and strongly respected by fellow musicians.  In fact they were so well thought of that they were selected to open for both The Who and The Rolling Stones which helped to bring them fame and boost their record sales. Despite their stage success and rock solid reputation the women thirsted for a hit that would take them from opening act to headliner.  Lady Marmalade came along when they were at the peak of their abilities and their reading of it delivered the singers to the heights of rock and roll success.

The fiery Nona Hendryx

       Lyrically the song is about a one night stand a man secretly has with a New Orleans prostitute calling herself Lady Marmalade.  The passion the man felt in the moment drove his animal instinct off the charts and then haunted him mightily after he returned to his mundane life.  My interpretation of the song has always been that the guy was a white businessman who had traveled to The Crescent City on business and then found himself in the French Quarter tempted by a beautiful hooker.  The woman, Lady Marmalade, is Creole with skin the color of cafe au lait. she approaches him and asks if he "wants to give it a go" his mouth says yes and his mind say's "Gitchy gitchy ya ya da da!!!"  Presumably he was so taken with this dark woman's seductive beauty and silky smooth skin that he simply couldn't find the words to describe his passion.

The sultry Sarah Dash

        Eventually the song reaches it's French tag line "Voulez-vous coucher avec mois, se soir" which simply translates to 'do you want to sleep with me tonight'.  Judging from the guys brain freeze the answer was YES!!!  Later he's "back at home doing 9-5" which suggests he's probably a white collar guy with the suburban dream of a white picket fence, a respectable wife, a couple of kids and maybe a dog.  At night he finds his dreams haunted by the passion Lady Marmalade had awakened in him.  I kind of feel bad for the poor schmuck and always harbored this personal fantasy that he shared his desires with his wife who responded by unleashing her own inner freakattude.  The song doesn't tell us the end of the story but it's suggested that the man keeps his secret by saying  he's "living his brave life of lies".  I don't know whether keeping his passion a secret is a happy memory or just pathetic, but Labelle makes it a memory worth savoring.

The powerful Patti LaBelle

       Musically the song, features horns overlaying an organ, and driven by a fiery rhythm section. While it is every bit as energetic as Stay With Me By Faces or In The Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett, it is driven by a female sexuality that is reminiscent of Chaka Khan and Rufus's Tell Me Something Good.  While Rufus's song is more funk driven and Lady Marmalade is closer to straightforward rock, neither stand on ceremony about their subject matter.  Chaka Khan says "I got something that'll sho nuff set yo stuff on fire", Labelle is at the other end of the equation because they did set his stuff on fire.  In 1974/75 most songs about female sexuality were coy rather than open but soon women like Donna Summer would blow the doors open.  In fact the success enjoyed by these talented women would drive other female singers to become a bit more forward as well.  A perfect example of this was Olivia Newton-Johns conversion from If You Love Me Let Me Know to Lets Get Physical.  In the first song she asks "What else can I do to make you see?" and in the second she has it all figured out.

Labelle 1974
Dash, Hendryx, & LaBelle

       Later the members of Labelle would go their separate ways and then reunite a few times.  Nona Hendryx had mixed results as a solo artist but became very successful in raising awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS research and raising funds to directly help the afflicted.  Sarah Dash had more success as a solo artist than Hendryx, appearing with Keith Richards on his solo projects and with the Stones as well as having a string of hits on her own.  She also did charity work to assist homeless women and children.  Then there's Patti LaBelle who certainly had the most success of the three as a solo artist with a string of hits over the course of her long career. She has also been accused along the way of being a diva.  Allegations against her include fighting with Diana Ross over a microphone, and singing to loudly when in chorus.  I don't know if any of these amusing stories are true. but there is no doubt that Pattie LaBelle has led a colorful life as a singer and entertainer.  The members of Labelle have won many awards including Grammy's as either members of the band or as solo artists.  While the group isn't as strongly remembered as, say, Dianna Ross and the Supremes, they certainly affected the direction of modern music as strongly as anyone in the mid 1970's .  Please take a moment and enjoy Labelle's masterpiece

               Lady Marmalade

Herman's Hermits: Henry the VIII, I Am

In the words of Monty Python "and now for something completely different"



'Ermin & his bloody 'Ermits

       So the first question almost everyone asks is how did Herman's Hermits get their name?  There are two stories, the official version and the version I like better.  The official story is that Karl Green, the Hermits guitar player, noticed a superficial resemblance between singer Peter Noone and Sherman from the Sherman and Mr. Peabody cartoons that were part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show.  They simply dropped the S from Sherman and added "and his (or the) Hermits" because it sounded cool.  Whether or not it sounded cool is a matter of opinion.  The other story, and the one I like best, is that the band was arguing about what to call themselves when Peter Noone's grandfather said "Just call yourself "Ermin and his bloody Ermits and stop all this nonsense at once".  I don't know which story is true but both are absurd and really quite funny.


Peter Noone, part Sherman
part Kennedy, totally cute

       Soon the band, all young teenagers, met with record producer Mickie Most and their name was shortened to Herman's Hermits.  At the time the band was trying to find their way into the R&B market with very little success.  Most recognized that Peter Noone was a handsome young lad and believed the band would have an easier time mining the young female consumer pop market.  In England, at that time, pop music was referred to as "beat" and the young men in the band looked the part more so than R&B/blues acts like the Rolling Stones, or John Mayall's Blues Syndicate.  Also Peter Noone's voice didn't have the gruff and gritty sound that guys like Mick Jagger, and Van Morrison (Them) had, so it really seemed like a good choice.  The idea didn't sit well with the band members and it became a bone of contention that would last until 1971 when the band finally broke up.

You decide...

       In 1963 the band had breakthrough success with the Goffin/King song I'm Into Something Good.  In the video it's interesting to note that bassist Alan Wrigley played his bass left handed similar to Paul McCartney of that other, slightly more famous British band, The Beatles.  The song charted well and portended good things for the bands future.  They didn't have to wait long as their next single Can't You Hear My Heartbeat also received lots of radio airplay.  Soon the band had a string of hits including a nice cover of The Rays doo wop Silhoutte's, and the saccharine Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter.  Even the Hermits found this song to be a bit to sticky sweet for their taste as Noone's cutesy antics in the video illustrates.  He mugs for the camera while also rolling his eyes and seeming a bit embarrassed.

Harry Champion circa 1938

       Eventually they released the song Henry the VIII, I Am, produced as a rockabilly number and sung with a pronounced cockney accent.  In fact the band employed the citified cockney accent to subtly mock the music that was making them famous.  It's helpful to remember that the band wanted to play the blues, and the teeny bopper music, no matter how successful, was subverting the excitement they felt after their first blush of success had faded.  In the 60's rock bands were expected to write, record, and deliver three or four albums per year as well as tour almost continuously to support their records.  This pressure was hard enough on bands that loved their own music, so it's easy to understand how difficult it would be for a band that wasn't exactly in love with their own records.  Still, despite the developing cracks, the band couldn't deny their success so they doggedly kept at it.
      By 1965  the value of covering songs from earlier periods was obvious to anybody that created or listened to music.  Herman's Hermits saw the value in that formula when they had a hit with Sillhoutte's.  So reaching all the way back to 1910 they recorded an updated version of a vaudevillian song written by Fred Murray and R.P. Weston that was made famous by Harry Champion called I'm Henerey The Eighth, I Am.  The song was a bit of comedic silliness when it appeared in 1911 and the Hermits version, while a bit too cute, retains that warm, slightly bawdy sense of humor.  The Hermits version consisted of singing the chorus twice separated by Noone comically calling out "second verse, same as the first!" followed by a decent rockabilly guitar solo followed by singing the chorus one more time and wrapping up with a spelling of H-E-N-R-Y and a dipsy finish.  The song became a  huge hit reaching all the way up to #1 on the US charts. 

At the height of their popularity 

       The subject of the song is the eighth marriage of a woman to a man named Henry.  As it turns out each of her previous seven husbands had all been named Henry.  In perhaps the most revealing part of the song there is a line that states "She wouldn't have a Willie or a Sam".  In 1911 England the word Willie was slang for penis and Sam was slang for taking a dump.  Even in 1911 a continuously constipated woman who wouldn't have sex wasn't much of a catch and that might explain why she had been married seven times before.  Yup, that's really what the song means.
       Later the band would produce  more substantial and mature songs like A Kind Of Hush, the Beatles/Simon and Garfunkle influenced Sunshine Girl and the folk influenced Lady Barbara which, featured two alternating distinct parts working together to create one  nice song .  But before that day they had a string of hits that, in retrospect, were bubbly, humorous, and even a tad subversive, though subtly, of the very genre where they found their highest level of success.

Herman's Hermits

                                        I'm Henry The VIII, I Am

                                                     

Elastica: Car Song... A car, & uncomplicated sex. What more can anyone ask for?

Matthews, Welch, Frischmann, & Holland
Elastica 1994

       By 1992 Punk and New Wave were old genre's that were part of the mainstream.  That's not necessarily a bad thing if the new artists coming up are creative and honest.  Elastica came together and fit that description perfectly.  Their songs were mostly short in length, driven by a friendly punky guitar crunch and featured playful sexually frank, slightly sneering, lyrics.  Their first album, self titled Elastica,  featured a bunch of hit songs that found radio airplay all around the world in a wide variety of formats.  I first heard them on a pure grunge station but then a few days later on an alt station, soon followed by a mixed format rock station.  Their somewhat unusual music fit in well when formatted around bands like Juliana Hatfield, Nirvana, Blondie, & The Cars.


Annie Holland

       The band members, at that time, were Annie Holland on bass, Justin Welch on drums, lead guitar and back-up vocals were provided by Donna Matthews, and Justine Frischmann sang, played rhythm guitar, and wrote or co-wrote almost all of their songs.  It's her voice and attitude that give Elastica's music it's playful, sexual overtones. 


Justin Welch

       The music itself is comprised of generally simple pop/rock chord changes and includes interesting runs. Car Song's intro is a perfect example.  Each chord is held for a single beat and it's the kind of thing the early Kinks or Booker T. & The MG's might have done.  But that is where the simplicity ends.  Matthews adds guitar accents that off set the simple chord changes. The background vocals have a sort of  horror movie wind in the curtains vibe, the drums are timely and powerful, and Frischmann's voice has a kind of disinterested, yet sexually charged quality.  This can be heard most effectively in the Car Song lyric "In every little Honda, there may lurk a Peter Fonda" followed by an understated orgasmic "ooh".  She's saying 'been there, done that, love it'.


Donna Matthews

       Over a two year period the band released a number of singles from their first album including Stutter, Line Up, Connection, , & finally Car Song (also known as Four Wheeling).  Their chart performance was impressive with the album debuting at #1 on the British charts quickly outselling (then) mega-group Oasis.  They toured near continuously which led to some of the band members, notably Annie Holland, dropping out due to exhaustion.  Eventually the demands of constant touring & pressure for new material led to the band breaking up.  The rumors at that time pointed to drug use, internal sexual politics, and the inability to create interesting new material.  It's usually difficult to pin point exactly why bands break up, but it usually looks something like family dysfunction.
       They eventually got back together in the late 90's but the moment had passed and in 2001 they split permanently.  The band members may have gone their separate ways but their music, especially their debut album lives on.  If you haven't heard of Elastica or listened to any of their music the links in this post are a good place to start.  If you like punk/pop I think you'll be pleased.  In the meantime please enjoy today's feature:

Car Song by Elastica          

Car Song live (very cool)

                                                                       Justine Frischmann



 

      

Jeff Beck Concert Review

     As you know from yesterday's post, I attended the Brian Wilson/Jeff Beck concert last Saturday night at the Warner Theater in Washington, DC.  I went there because I wanted to see Brian Wilson before he retires.  He is, after all 71 years old, and it's by no means certain that he'll continue to perform live after this tour.  Tagging along for Wilson's last ride is guitarist extraordinaire Jeff Beck.
      Beck took the stage a few minutes after Wilson's band left and put on a ninety minute display of the talent that saw him dubbed a "guitar god" in 1965.  Back then he played with a band called the Yardbirds who helped launch the careers of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Beck. They had a bunch of hits including For Your Love, Heart Full Of Soul, & Shapes Of Things.  Later Beck left the band and started to record his own music.  This included the blues, jazz fusion, rock, & metal which he played with many of the most talented musicians around in one form of the Jeff Beck Group or another.

Jonathan Joseph

       This tour he has, once again, put together an astonishingly talented band which includes Jonathan Joseph on drums, guitarist Nicolas Meier, violinist Lizzie Ball, and Rhonda Smith on bass.  While sharing the spotlight with Beck they've helped him once again breathe new life into his seemingly ageless music.  Perhaps it's because most of his solo music has no vocals, maybe it's the continuously changing group members, or perhaps it's because of his unique guitar style, but Beck's music really does translate well to the modern stage.

Lizzie Ball

      Wearing a black vest over a white tank top, Beck played a white Fender Statocaster throughout the performance.  Preferring to let the music do his talking, Beck, as is his way, shied away from the microphone.  It's a good strategy for a guy that can wring honest emotion and imagery from his guitar and with the help of his band he did just that.
       Opening with Eternities Breath/Stratus Beck re-established himself to the crowd as, still, one of the best guitar players to ever strap up and plug in.  Throughout the night he played the classics the audience came to hear or covered something in his own extraordinary way.  Little Wing by Jimi Hedrix was not a note for note cover, yet Beck remained faithful to the Hendrix version while also giving it an update that easily connected with the audience.  He also impressed with a cover of the Beatles A Day In The Life.  Similar to the Beatles version Beck's take built to a satisfying crescendo and a standing ovation.

Nicolas Meier

       Beck comfortably shared the stage and the spotlight with each of his band mates throughout the show.  Jonathan Joseph, always a force on the drums, displayed power and finesse along with amazingly fast hands.  Lizzie Ball, who looks like she should be a member of Celtic Woman, blew away the diva's by responding to each of Becks challenges by dynamically shredding on her violin.  Nicolas Meier provided strong counterpoints on the jazz fusion numbers but also shined on acoustic guitar with his perfect accompaniment on Yemin (which is one of my favorite Beck songs).  Versatile bass player Rhonda Smith threatened to steal the show on more than one occasion.  She ran through Beck's series of genre's with a rock steady hand and a creativity that most bass players only dream about.  She provided the steady heartbeat beneath The Pump, the metal and jazz turns of Eternity's Breath, the ethereal drone under Yemin, and slap during You Know You Know.

Rhonda Smith

       Beck was hampered by the same sound system issues that interfered with Brian Wilson's set but the lack of vocal harmonies made it less bothersome.  When Wilson and his band joined Beck on stage, despite the sound issues, it was obvious they were enjoying themselves.  Wilson seemed pleased with Beck's interpretation of Surf's Up and it was equally obvious that Beck enjoyed playing the straightforward Barbara Ann & Surfin' USA.
       Many people have tried to explain the oddball match-up of a British guitar god and the king of the surf but I have yet to hear a reason that hits the mark.  It has been suggested that Beck's love of classic cars melds with Wilson's collection of car songs like Little Deuce Coupe.  The problem is that it was Dennis Wilson, not Brian, that cared about cars.  Brian composed the music but Mike Love or Roger Christian added the pit stop poetic's.   It's also been suggested that the combination is just a crass attempt at two aging rockers to cash in while they can.  I don't think that's true because Brian just came off of a stadium tour with the Beach Boys and that's where the money is, not in 1900 seat theaters.

Beck & Wilson in the studio

     The truth is that these two, seemingly disparate talents, are more alike than at first meets the eye.  Both are composers that work within varied and unusual templates.  Both have a long history of creating psychedelic music and of joining forces with some of the most talented musicians to push the boundaries of rock music.  Both admit they are admirers of the others music and both have worked within an enormous range of genre's to create music that transmits emotion.  Both men have a certain amount of shyness in front of an audience and yet they both have great pride in their music and a strong desire to share it with the world.  But I think the real reason this strange marriage is taking place is because it's exactly what both men want and need at this time in their lives.  It's a chance to break with the past and through the boundaries to find a new place on the other side where the music is fresh.

   

Concert Review: Brian Wilson with Jeff Beck

      As many of you have probably already figured out from my continual references to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, they are my favorite artists of all time.  I haven't written any blogs about them because I'm afraid once I start I probably won't be able to stop.  But I have a real reason for writing about Wilson now because my wife and I traveled to Washington DC this past weekend and saw Brian and Jeff Beck at the Warner Theater.  Braced with that excuse I feel justified allowing myself this one moment to revel in my hero worship.


      The Warner Theater in Washington DC is a relatively small venue holding less than 1900 people.  I don't know the official attendance that evening but it was nearly full.  The theater itself is quite beautiful with great sight lines, comfortable seats, and decent overall sound quality all under a breathtaking chandelier.  The formal setting and the older age of the crowd meant that people would listen politely and then applaud after each song.  Many of the songs brought the audience to their feet and the shows climax was met with near continuous singing, cheering and even some fogie booty shaking (watching old fat people dancing in ecstasy was, in a horrifying way, more entertaining than the show itself).
     Wilson and his band  arrived on stage just after 8pm where he took his place comfortably seated behind a white grand piano. Joining Brian and his spectacular touring band were original Beach Boys David Marks, and Al Jardine.  Many of the lead vocals that have traditionally been sung by Mike Love were covered by Jardine who is more fun to watch and a far superior singer.  At 71 Wilson's days singing in his trademark falsetto are behind him so that duty fell to other Wilson band members, primarily Jeff Foskett.  He did, however, have no trouble working between his upper tenor range all the way down to a surprisingly strong baritone.  I don't think many Wilson fans would have expected the master of the falsetto to reach the bottom end of the doo wop. 

Al Jardine

      Wilson, Marks, & Jardine played many Beach Boys classics including California Girls, Good Vibrations, Fun Fun Fun, Little Deuce Coupe, Do It Again, and I Get Around.  The set included the new song That's Why God Made The Radio from the Beach Boys latest and probably last album of the same title. David Marks, sounding eerily like Brian's deceased brother Dennis, performed Dennis's song Little Bird.  Jardine took the lead vocal on Little Deuce Coupe, Cotton Fields, Help Me Rhonda as well as many others.  Brian dedicated God Only Knows to his brother Carl who died in 1998.   Another unusual entry in the set list was the instrumental Pet Sounds which highlighted the incredible talents of the band and included a dazzling moment between drummer Mike Damico and percussionist Nelson Bragg. 

David Marks

      In 2004 Brian finally competed and released the legendary SMiLE album and it was every bit the masterpiece that fans expected in 1967.  The three songs that were performed from it were Heroes and Villains, Our Prayer, and Surfs Up.  All three songs had been previously released.  Heroes and Villains appeared on the underrated Smiley Smile record, Our Prayer on 20/20, and Surfs Up from the Beach Boys Holland album  released in 1973.  The 1966 release of Heroes and Villains (famously called "psychedelic barbershop quartet" by Jimi Hendrix) was a beautiful song that was overshadowed by it's predecessor Good Vibrations and buried under the Beatle's 1967 Sergeant Pepper album.  Out of the context of SMiLE, Heroes is an interesting song that is deservedly recognized as a vocal masterpiece.  On Saturday it was one of the highlights of the show.  And while Wilson didn't include the rest of the suite that accompanies the song you could still hear the  concepts, changes and interludes that inspired the Beatles  A Day In The Life, & Rocky Raccoon, as well as Paul's Uncle Albert/Hands Across The Water.
      Our Prayer opened the combined set with Jeff Beck and is an acapella hymn, of sorts, that was a gem when the Beach Boys recorded it and is absolutely stunning performed live. Beck and his band then joined Brian and his group on-stage and performed several songs together including a few from the Yardbirds that featured Brian and his band on vocals.  Beck then took center stage and played the lead vocal part of Surfs Up on his guitar.  From his seat at stage right Brian watched as his song was rendered in a way he probably never imagined.  He was obviously moved by Becks incredible guitar interpretation of his song.  As the show closed Beck added his unique guitar lead abilities to Surfin USA which gave the song an updated feel  and brought the house down.

The Beach Boys circa 1964
Al, Carl Wilson, Brian, Mike Love
& Dennis Wilson on drums

       Wilson is an artist that could fairly be called an oldies act at this point in his career.  But I noticed that his performance, despite many of the songs being older than half of the audience, had a fresh feel that has been missing from Beach Boys shows for decades. Relieved of having to share an uncomfortable spotlight with Mike Love's ego has placed the focus squarely on Wilson and his extraordinary abilities.  The freshness of the music can possibly be credited to his back-up band and their obvious love and respect for Brian and his music.  They are a collection of virtuoso performers that seem to be able to play any composition,  arrangement, and instrument that Wilson's sometimes eccentric music needs.  Each member, with the exception of bassist Bob Lizik, is part of the dozen voices that Brian needs to translate both his vocal arrangements and it's musical accompaniment onto the stage.

     The show itself wasn't exactly perfect.  The sound system had some noticeable problems.  It was at times a bit muddy which dampened the quality of the music a bit.  Also there were some "early tour" issues that the band needs to work out.  For example you could see Al Jardine playing traffic cop at times with hand gestures and an occasional look.  David Marks had some guitar issues including boofing the lead on Do It Again and seeming to lose his place during Fun Fun Fun.  But the biggest issue was that Brian's microphone was to low.  It wasn't that he couldn't be heard, it's that his mike and the P.A. didn't place his voice front and center where it belonged.  Perhaps he just wants to be part of his own chorus or perhaps it was just a sound quality error but it didn't matter.  Brian was there and so was I and really, what more could I have asked for?

Al, Brian, Jeff Beck, & David Marks

     I'm sure my Brian Wilson mancrush/hero worship is, by now,  painfully obvious to all of you and I fully admit that it has colored this review.  But I am also certain that each of you has an artist and/or a list of songs that make up the backing sound track of your life that is equal in power to what Wilson's music has meant to me.  If that weren't true you probably wouldn't be here reading my stuff on a semi-regular basis.  For many people music is a dominating force that tends to influence every other aspect or our lives.  Without music I would possibly wither and die and Brain Wilson is the artist that has inspired me the most.  Like your first love you never forget and you never feel that way again.
       I am going to review the Jeff Beck performance as well, but I needed to gush about Brian first and get it out of my system.  I am pleased to be back with new blog entries and need to thank you again for your patience while I worked on other projects.
J

     

I am back!!! Thanks for waiting...

      I want to thank all of my readers for their patience during my hiatus. The reason for the break is that other writing gigs demanded my attention.  With those gigs either on hold, finished, or dried up, I have some time to return home to you and the blog.  Other work will prevent me from returning to the hectic daily pace of those first three months, so I'm going to focus on quality not quantity.  I hope that you won't be disappointed if there isn't a new daily entry.  Please hang with me and I promise I will present as many new articles as possible.  Thanks for all the emails I've received while I've been off.  I am grateful for your encouragement and concern for me personally (I'm fine).  I am continuously amazed that anybody would find my writing interesting and enjoyable and you are the reason I am back.
Seriously, thank you,
J