The Return Of THE CARS! New album, Move Like This, avaialable May 10th, 2011!

The Cars

Move Like This

5.10.11

Move Like This, The Cars’ first album of new music in many years, is a vibrant and ingenious collection that expertly extends their already extraordinary canon. Retooling innovative art rock, sleek New Wave, and punchy power pop in their own idiosyncratic image, The Cars’ groundbreaking sonic approach continues to influence artists and airwaves today. Singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek emerged as a master songwriter with his enigmatic integration of evocative, beat-inspired lyricism with radio-friendly hooks and harmonies, fueling a multi-platinum body of work that includes such indisputable masterpieces as 1978’s self-titled debut and 1984’s blockbuster Heartbeat City.

Move Like This reveals The Cars to be as creatively progressive and melodically poptastic as ever. Songs like “Blue Tip” and “Free” are invigorating and imaginatively wrought, with all the trademark elements in place, from Ocasek’s sardonic, man-machine vocalizing and Greg Hawkes’ swirling synths to Elliot Easton’s turbo-charged riffing and David Robinson’s pop-motorik beats. Brimming with confidence and imaginative energy, Move Like This boasts all the vitality and dynamism of a truly great rock ‘n’ roll band operating at the peak of their considerable power.

The project’s genesis came in the fall of 2009 as Ocasek considered how to proceed with his latest sheaf of songs, his first batch of material since 2005’s solo Nexterday. As he debated how to record – On his own? With a new group of musicians? – he realized that his best option was the three players with whom he had the most symbiotic relationship.

“I just thought, it’s been a long time since I played with these guys,” Ocasek says, “but they’re the ones that will do the best job. They’re the ones that I wouldn’t have to explain things to, they wouldn’t have to get used to the way I write, they’re already inundated with all that. I’ll just put out a feeler and see if they’d be interested in doing it.”

He reached out to Hawkes, Easton, and Robinson, each of whom was excited at the opportunity to play together again. In October, The Cars convened for rehearsals in bucolic Millbrook, New York, working at both Millbrook Sound Studios and Ocasek’s home Broken Beak Studio. After a few days of what Ocasek describes as “brushing off the cobwebs,” songs quickly began taking shape, including “Free,” “Blue Tip,” “Drag On Forever,” and “Too Late.”

“It totally clicked immediately,” Ocasek says. “Everybody got right into it as if we had never stopped playing. After two days I thought, ‘Oh yeah, this is going to be cool.’”

“It was very comfortable,” Hawkes says, “Everybody just returned to their old sense of humor.”

All four agreed from the start that there was no replacing the late bassist/co-lead singer Ben Orr, who passed away in 2000. Hawkes took on the bass duties.

“I felt it most when it became a reality that we were going to make a record as the four of us,” Ocasek says. “It was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m going to have to sing them all.’”

Though the original plan was to self-record with no goal greater than releasing the results online, The Cars were so energized by the rehearsals that they decided to team up with an outside producer, someone who would allow the band to simply be a band while also adding a new perspective to the proceedings.

“If it didn’t go well,” Ocasek says, “we could blame it on the producer. Which I know from being a producer (Weezer, Bad Brains, Iggy Pop, No Doubt, Bad Religion and Guided By Voices among others) is a good thing to have around.”

Ocasek contacted Garret “Jacknife” Lee, whom he admired for his work with such bands as Weezer, The Hives, and Snow Patrol. An avowed Cars fan, the producer was thrilled at the opportunity to work with the band, who headed to Los Angeles’ Village Recorders for two weeks of sessions. Ocasek credits Lee as a “phenomenal” collaborator, arranger, and musician.

“As a producer, you can’t want for anything else,” Lee says of collaborating with the band and Ocasek, who he credits as producing some of his favorite albums (Suicide, Weezer, Bad Brains). “It was one of the best recording experiences I’ve had. There’s a freshness and clarity to The Cars and Move Like This that most new bands don’t have. That’s pretty special.”

“The Cars have always had a futuristic sound, and this is something we wanted to keep – tight, taut and lean,” Lee says.

“He was just perfect for this record,” Ocasek says. “He had stupendous ideas, he was technically on top of everything. He earns the name ‘Jacknife’ because he’s so quick. He knew right away if something worked or not.”

“Garret really felt like a band member in a lot of ways,” Hawkes says. “He’s a smart guy with a lot of good ideas. He really pointed us in a good direction.”

With five Lee-produced tracks complete, The Cars returned to Millbrook where they self-produced the remainder of the album on their own, ably assisted by longtime Ocasek engineer Stephen George. While lesser bands would’ve been content to simply coast on pastiche, The Cars’ determined focus all along was how best to put a contemporary spin on their timeless sound. From the swaggering fizz of “Too Late” and “It’s Only” to the lithesome melodicism of “Soon” and “Take Another Look,” Move Like This succeeds in spades, pulling off the uncanny trick of sounding simultaneously classic and emphatically up to date.

“We definitely wanted to bring a modern slant to it,” Hawkes says. “That’s what’s unique about this record. We tried hard to keep it from just being a nostalgia thing, which is obviously hard to do, because our whole history is in the past.”

The album’s lyrical content is equally contemporaneous, with songs such as “Sad Song” and “Blue Tip” born from Ocasek’s interest in how media influences the way people think. The songwriter sees the album as a significant progression from his remarkable catalog.

“I always used to say you write the same song all the time,” Ocasek says, “but I felt these songs were somewhat different from what I usually do. I felt the lyrics were more topical, a bit more poetic.”

Imbued with irrefutable energy and a lifetime of artistry, Move Like This marks a model addition to The Cars’ continuum, their exuberant electro-powered pop having long since become the very quintessence of modern rock ‘n’ roll.

“Without wanting to brag, I think our music has held up pretty darn well,” Hawkes says of the band’s legacy. “I’m always surprised and moved when I hear other musicians say how they’ve been influenced by The Cars. I’m very grateful for that.”

“Sometimes people will say, ‘So-and-So’s song sounds like The Cars,’” says Ocasek, “and I go, ‘Really?’ I think if you have a keyboard playing a counterline and there’s a quirky kind of vocal and some eighth notes, people will say it sounds like The Cars.”

Having come together solely for the purpose of making Move Like This, the band is now considering their next step. Live shows are on the table, though there’s little interest in hitting the road for a cash-in reunion tour. No matter what happens, Ocasek reckons the world has not heard the last of The Cars.

COLIN HAY/Gathering Mercury: Available NOW!

COLIN HAY

GATHERING MERCURY

AVAILABLE NOW

Gathering Mercury is the 2011 solo album from singer/songwriter extraordinaire Colin Hay.  While many may best know him from his days as frontman for Men At Work, his solo career, while not exactly prolific, has shown more sincerity, depth and maturity than anything he did with the band.  And besides, that was then, this is now! 

Gathering Mercury is a portrait of Colin Hay the performer, songwriter, and recording artist and perhaps most importantly the man behind the persona. The lyrics reveal the emotional peaks and valleys of the past year during which time Hay lost his father, but Hay stands the test of a true artist and demonstrates his ability to marry immediacy and depth without being maudlin or sacrificing the pop accessibility for which he is known.

An EXCLUSIVE Interview with THE SMITHEREENS!

Not Just A Memory:

The Return Of The Smithereens

An EXCLUSIVE interview with Pat DiNizio

By Stephen SPAZ Schnee

As the music industry constantly evolves and new musical genres come and go, it’s always nice to be reminded that Rock ‘n’ Roll is not a dying art form. While many acts attempt to alter their sound to fit a trend or a fashion, there are bands like The Smithereens who carve out their own niche and stick to it.

For over 30 years, the guitar-fuelled quartet from New Jersey has remained true to their original blueprint and they’ve literally rocked themselves into the music history books. With hit singles and radio staples (“Blood And Roses”, “Yesterday Girl”, “Only A Memory”, “Behind The Wall Of Sleep”, “A Girl Like You”), The Smithereens have embedded their hook-laden Pop tunes into the hearts, minds and souls of music fans around the country (and the world, come to think of it). And they didn’t need a gimmick: just a cache of great songs and plenty of determination.

Although they formed and made a name for themselves during the Punk and New Wave era in the ‘80s, The Smithereens have never aligned themselves with any particular scene and therefore, they’ve avoided being lumped into the dreaded “Former ‘80s Band” category. Their sound is a timeless blend of muscle and melody and they are just as relevant today as they were when they formed three decades ago.

As the band prepares to drop their first album of new original material in 11 years, Spaz was able to chat with vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter Pat DiNizio about the new platter, 2011, and their career to date…

SPAZ: Smithereens 2011 is just about to drop. How are you feeling about the album at this point in time?

PAT DINIZIO: We’re getting a great reaction based upon feedback that I’m getting on my Facebook page and some personal e-mails based on the 90 second segments that are posted online. Everyone seems to think it’s a great return to form. It reminds them of Green Thoughts and Especially For You and the first several albums that apparently meant so much to them when they were in high school and in college. We’re very happy to hear that. It was certainly a labor of love. It’s very challenging, to say the least, to come up with your first complete album of all-new original material in 11 years. I have released solo albums, but a Smithereens album is altogether different. I’m very pleased with the response so far.

SPAZ: It’s been over a decade since the last Smithereens album of original material. Did you have a huge stockpile of songs to choose from when you went into record the album?

PD: No, everything was written specifically for this album. I live in New York City on the lower East Side on Avenue A, what they used to call Alphabet City. There’s a rehearsal studio, which is on Avenue B about a block away from my apartment. We went back to that studio because that’s where we wrote and rehearsed the material, back in 1987, for our second Capitol Records album, Green Thoughts. We really wanted to go right back to the roots. It’s a $12 an hour rehearsal studio. The amps and drums are exactly the same as they were 25 years ago. They were in the same position. I think a can of coke that I crushed up and threw in the corner was still there! (laughs). We went back to those roots to write and rehearse the album. Back to New York, back to the old neighborhood, back to the old studio, which was fortunately still there, and wrote everything from scratch.

SPAZ: Do you think your surroundings effect the way that you write?

PD: I don’t know. I mean, a writer is a writer is a writer. I wrote most of the material for Smithereens 11, which was a fairly aggressive album, looking out the window at the Catskill Mountains in a house my then-wife and I were renting. I think it’s all really what you’re feeling inside more than anything. I felt, in this case, for me to be completely focused, it would be good to go back to the apartment where I wrote most of the Especially For You album and songs like “Blood & Roses” and “Behind The Wall Of Sleep”. I wrote “Only A Memory” there. I felt that I wanted to go back and I was thrilled to go back because those places still existed. I wanted to create a state of mind where I would be able to be at my best.

SPAZ: What inspired the songs?

PD: The way that we did this was that Dennis (Diken), our drummer, and I got together and I had him record a lot of different drum loops and I worked with those. I said I want you to play the drum pattern for every song on the Beatles’ Revolver album! (laughs) And I recorded them on cassette and took it home and I just had the rhythms playing all the time. Then I called the guys in and we worked on all the material together based on that starting point. You always need a starting point… a point of reference. With me it always starts with a rhythm. I come up with riffs and things, then I sing melodies on top of it. The words and titles usually come later. I mean, there’s no ONE way of working. In the case of “Blood And Roses”, it hit me in an instant. I was walking home from work back in 1985. I worked at a nightclub called Folk City. The song just came to me. The real struggle was to get it on tape and sing it into the tape recorder before I forgot it. Other times, the songs take longer. There’s a song on our first album called “Alone At Midnight”. I couldn’t get a handle on it. It literally took three years to write the song but it’s certainly become a favorite amongst the folks who have been nice enough to support us for the past 31 years.

SPAZ: The album is filled with great Smithereens songs. “Sorry”, “One Look At You”, ‘Rings On Her Fingers” and “Bring Back The One I Love”, in particular, are on par with your best. Is it an exhilarating feeling to get these new songs out to your fan base and a whole new generation of listeners who may not be familiar with the old tunes?

PD: Yes, certainly. We see these younger folks coming to the shows. We’ll meet them at the autograph table after the show because we always say “Hi” to everyone when we’re finished with the show. There was an instance recently in Washington DC where we played. There were these three skinny long haired kids who reminded me of how I looked when I was 18. They were standing right in front and were just staring at us like we were four far-out old dudes… and I just couldn’t get a reaction out of ‘em. Afterwards, they were saying “Dude, it was really great. My dad was playing me your records when I was five years old and I never thought I’d actually get to see you play live!” and I said, “But you weren’t reacting.” He said, “No, man, that’s how we enjoy the show.” (laughs). It’s a different thing. But I was probably much the same (at that age). But it’s heartening, indeed, because kids my daughter’s age are listening to us. She’s going to school in Santa Barbara and she says “Dad…”, well, she calls me ‘dude’ now. It’s the California influence. She says “Dude, you are famous!” And I said “What do you mean?”. She goes “All we listen to here is Classic Rock and, dude, you’re on the radio every day!” I said “Thanks, dude!” (laughs). The kids are apparently aware!. Unfortunately for them, there aren’t any new Rock ‘n’ Roll bands that have a ‘classic’ sound. I don’t like the expression ‘Classic Rock’ as much because it says that you ‘were’ rather than you ‘are’ and we ‘are’! We exist and the music that we write is as timely as anything we’ve ever done.

SPAZ: Once again, you roped in producer extraordinaire Don Dixon to helm the album. Because of your history with him, was Don your first choice as producer on this new record?

PD. Yes, absolutely. I worked with Don on my first solo album, which came out in ’98 or ’99. I worked with JJ Burnell, the bass player of The Stranglers, and Tony Smith, who plays with Lou Reed. I saw Tony play with the Jan Hammer Group and then the Jan Hammer-Jeff Beck Group so that was a thrill. And Sonny Fortune, who used to play with Miles Davis, so it was an interesting thing. Don and I worked on that record and we were talking about doing another Smithereens record for many years. So yes, Don was the obvious and only choice for this album. It was like picking up where we left off in ’94, when we did our one and only album for RCA called A Date With The Smithereens. I think Don was consciously setting out, in terms of production of this record, to make an album that has great emotional impact and really capture the excitement and energy of the songs rather than making what we refer to as ‘an audiophile record’. I think his template was Green Thoughts and Especially For You. The album is reminiscent of those Smithereens records in terms of the sonic properties of it but the songs are thoroughly modern.

SPAZ: The Smithereens have carved out their own niche in the music business. In the 30 years you have been around, you’ve lived through dozens, if not hundreds, of new musical movements and hundreds of bands have lived and died in that same amount of time. What keeps The Smithereens going?

PD: I think, basically and most importantly, a love of music. We started the band for the right reasons because we thought there was nothing cooler than being in a Rock ‘n’ Roll band. We grew up on TV shows like Shindig and Hullaballoo. We loved records: we loved buying 45s and looking at cool record labels like Dunwich and Bang. We loved Rock ‘n’ Roll radio and it’s what we wanted to do. I also think it’s the fact that the band is family. We’ve been together so long. My ex-wife used to say to me, “Pat, what is it like being married to four people?”, meaning her and the other three guys in the band. (laughs). And for us, to have done 300 shows a year, lived on a bus 300 days a year together for nearly 10 years during the early days of the band’s success…. That speaks volumes to the solidarity that exists within the band.

SPAZ: You guys are one of the very few bands that emerged during the ‘80s that don’t seem to be weighed down by that “’80s Band” tag hanging over your head. Do you attribute this to the band’s timeless sound? Or perhaps the fact that the band never aligned itself with any particular genre in the first place?

PD: Back in the early days, we would do gigs at the very few local venues that supported original music and we’d hear other bands say “We’re going on hiatus for the summer. We’re taking the summer off.” I knew they were never going to make it because they didn’t have the commitment. You never stop playing! That’s one of the reasons why our sound is still relevant. We’ve never stopped playing and we never lost our edge. We’re a very simple, easily-understood Rock ‘n’ Roll band. We still plug directly into the amplifiers: we don’t use any effects pedals whatsoever so it’s that pure guitar tube-amp driven sound. We’ve preserved the live sound of the band. People come to shows now… some people haven’t seen us in 20 years. Their kids are grown and they are active again and they are going out and they are going to see live music. And they are shocked because while we don’t look the same, we’ve all grown older, they close their eyes and it sounds exactly, if not better, than the way it sounded 20 years ago when they first saw us. It’s a great responsibility and it’s a great trust that we have with our audience. We are intent on never letting them down. The goal was to be unique and have our own sound and not compromise in any way.

SPAZ: What do you think of the current music scene…. And it’s use of auto-tune?

PD. I’m certain that it (auto-tune) serves a purpose… I must say that anybody that hears this record, you should know that the vocals were done live without auto-tuning, without any sort of editing. They were done the old way. You go for a great, emotional, real performance.

SPAZ: Do you feel that the Smithereens have anything to prove?

PD: No, which is a beautiful thing at this point. We’ve done everything that we could possibly do. We’ve got platinum albums, we’ve done things like Saturday Night Live.... We’ve somehow managed to survive a lot of the shows and events we did. Things like the first episode of MTV Unplugged. Well, that show’s no longer around, but we are. Arsenio’s no longer around, but we are. We’re fortunate. We’re just a bunch of guys from New Jersey with guitars, that’s all. We do it our way and people seem to understand it and we’re very appreciative of the fact that they do understand what we’re all about. Many of the folks in the audience could’ve been in a band like The Smithereens. We just had the wherewithal to stick it out for six years and then we got signed for two corned beef sandwiches (laughs) by a label out of El Segundo, California called Enigma. So, we were standing on the right corner at the right time, and we were very lucky lucky. And we feel very lucky that we have this wonderful gift that’s been bestowed upon us and that we’re able to go out and do shows and people still come and the shows all sell out. I can’t explain why. I can just say that I’m very grateful and that I’m very happy that I’m given this opportunity to write songs and make albums and sing and play guitar.

SPAZ: What’s next for the Smithereens?

PD: We’re waiting for the record to come out and we’re looking at various tour opportunities for the Spring and Summer. And it’ll continue until whatever happens happens. I always wanted to go out with my boots on like Ernest Tubb and Johnny Cash and guys like that. We’re lifers in this band: we’ve been doing it for 31 years. I can say with some reasonable authority that if this album does well, it will enable us to do another original album and we certainly won’t wait another 11 years! (laughs)

SPAZ: What do you currently have spinning on your CD, DVD and record players?

PD: Ah, geez. That’s a bit of a loaded question. I tend to listen to records that I liked when I was growing up. I’m more visually-oriented: I watch movies at home, I don’t listen to music. I’m surrounded by music all the time. The last thing I do when I go home is listen to music. I don’t want to hear anything. I watch a lot of movies. I’m more inspired by movies. I did pick up Jeff Beck Live At Ronnie Scotts DVD and I picked up a recent Neil Young DVD. I’m interested in seeing what everyone’s doing. I’m amazed at the old-timers who still have their talent and are just forging ahead. Jeff Beck is playing better than I’ve ever heard him play. People like that are role models for me: they give me the strength to carry on.

Thanks to Pat DiNizio

Special thanks to Tony Pellegrino and Mike Logan.

THE SMITHEREENS

2011

4.5.11

RECORD STORE MEMORIES Part ONE by Stephen SPAZ Schnee

As everyone now knows, I'm a music geek.  I live and breathe music.  Those who are brave (or stupid) enough to hang around me know more about music than your average listener because they have to put up with my constant chatter about the latest new sounds I've been grooving to, the latest reissues or my most recent re-discoveries.  You see, some 35 years after I started buying my own music, I still have that fever.  And I do all I can to pass that excitement on to anyone that I know... I even want to inspire or excite folks I don't know, although that seems to be more of a pipe dream than a reality.....

I grew up loving The Beatles, The Monkees, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell (my first concert in 1970 or so), the Osmonds, The Jackson Five, Badfinger, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and whoever else suited my fancy.  My whole world changed in 1977 when I was introduced to Punk via THE JAM.  I thought it was totally cool that there was a Punk band that wore suits (like the Beatles), played Rickenbackers (like the Beatles) and had catchy tunes (like the Beatles).  Of course, The Jam sounded NOTHING like the Beatles back then, but that didn't matter: I was hooked...

So, where did I spend my early record shopping days?  Well, since I had no idea what a mom and pop indie record store was at the age of 14, I spent my hard earned allowance at......LICORICE PIZZA!  A truly great indie chain with one of the greatest logos ever....

While older guys may have thought the Licorice Pizza lady was fine, I did not care one bit.  I wanted to know what record she had just taken out of the oven!  Boy, it looked (and looks) delicious!

So, anyway, I started spending all of my allowance at Licorice Pizza.  I remember when they got their oldies 45 section and bought up every Beatles and solo Macca, Lennon, Harrison and Starr singles I could afford.  I remember getting Harrison's "Give Me Love" single the same day I bought my first pack of  the then-brand new Freshen Up gum ("the gum that goes squirt!"). Since then, every time I hear "Give Me Love", I can almost smell and taste mint! No joke! 

But once I discovered Punk and New Wave, my love for music turned into desire and passion...

Here are a few of those albums that I bought from Licorice Pizza that have made a difference in my life....

The Jam's This Is The Modern World was the album that really kicked me in the gut and made me realize that there was more to life than the radio!  While it may not be The Jam's finest, it is the album that changed my life...

So, while my other friends in junior high were listening to the latest Top 40 and FM hits, I was buying albums from The Jam, The Clash, XTC, The Fabulous Poodles and bands like that. Sometimes, my tastes would collide with those of my friends (such as The Cars) but that didn't occur to often...

Around this same time (1977), I also met my first girlfriend.  Yes, music geeks can have girlfriends, too!  And guess what?  She was wonderful. For those few years we were together, music came second.  Can you believe that?  A music geek putting a girl first?  Perhaps I'm not full blooded music geek after all?  Anyway, she was so patient and tolerant of my love of music, especially since she knew I put all the money I earned towards her and NOT the music....well, 90% of it anyway!  :)

It was great to share my latest purchases/gifts with her and my friends.  Oddly enough, my brother wouldn't give this stuff the time of day... at least for a few years.  Now, he is one of my favorite musicians and songwriters, but back then he was just my big brother who picked on me all the time and hated my music.  Boy, he would mock the albums I played incessantly! But you know what?  I hated CSN, Springsteen, Neil Young and all of the crap he loved.  But in time, we both came around and now I love to share my latest discoveries with him via a series of mix tapes I've been making him for years and years. And I do love CSN, Springsteen, Neil Young and all that crap now. Kinda.

While I had been buying import 7" singles from labels like Stiff, I never really understood the concept of an 'indie' label.  I always thought that bands who released albums on indie labels weren't good enough for major labels!  But then, I saw an album by THE LAST called L.A. Explosion on Bomp Records.  On a whim, I bought it based on the album cover alone (and that all the lyrics were printed on the back).  This album changed the way I looked at indie labels and remains one of my top 25 albums of all time.  From Power Pop to Punk to New Wave to '60s influenced Rock, The Last were (and are) the most under-rated band of the late '70s and early '80s.  And they still rock today!

My girlfriend surprised me in 1979 by buying me THE RECORDS' self-titled debut album for my 16th birthday.  I was so excited.  She was so awesome.  Like I said, she wasn't a music geek like me: she was cool, calm, collected and she stole my heart.  And she was beautiful as the sunset...

That Records album kicked ass, to be honest.  It was Power Pop.  It was New Wave.  It was amazing.  It was known as Shades In Bed in the UK and can now be purchased on CD in its entirety (including tracks from both the UK and U.S. versions).

Unfortunately, after a great 2 and 1/2 year relationship, she and I parted ways.  It broke my heart.  To pieces.  After awhile, it was music that began to help me through the sorrow I felt.  One album in particular really SPOKE to me: SHOES' Present Tense.  This was an album about love (mostly love lost and breaking up) and it felt like my life being put to music.  Corny as it sounds, this album helped me through those first few months.  

But you know what?  Life moves in strange and mysterious ways. And often times, those ways are magical and magnificent.  The long and winding road, indeed....

STAY TUNED FOR MORE RECORD STORE MEMORIES FROM SPAZ AND CO-HORTS!

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART/Belong: available March 29th, 2011!

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART

BELONG

3.29.11

2011 album from the critically-adored Indie Pop band. The beginning of 'Belong', the title track, features the  band casually jangling along. But it's something of a red herring. Right at the 15-second mark, the guitars blitz out louder and harder than anything on their self-titled debut. The gargantuan distortion recalls nothing less than prime-era Smashing Pumpkins, which makes sense considering Belong was produced by Flood and mixed by Alan Moulder, AKA the guys who helped craft the sounds of Pumpkins classics like Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, not to mention records by My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, U2, PJ Harvey, Depeche Mode, and many others. Basically, if you grew up in the '90s, your ears are subconsciously attuned the studio wizardry of Flood and Alan Moulder.

EL TORO RECORDS: Where Rock 'n' Roll lives! Part THREE

    

 I’ve always found it interesting that the record labels that are most dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of American music are usually based in Europe. From the ‘40s to the ‘60s, from Country to Rock ‘n’ Roll, it seems that U.S. based labels have all but forgotten most of the music that graced the airwaves (and filled the record bins) all those years ago.  But for every legend like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly, there are hundreds of also-rans and never-weres that may have had oodles of talent and charisma to make it big but just didn’t have the luck. Some made it big locally while others spent most of their days on the lower end of the charts. Sadly, these artists have slipped into obscurity and have gone unnoticed for four, five and even six decades.  But that is where labels like El Toro Records comes in…

     For 15 years, Spain's El Toro Records has been one of Europe's leading independent labels specializing in American roots music, from ‘50s Rock ‘n’ Roll to Rockabilly, Western Swing, Rhythm & Blues and Instrumental Surf.  Not only does the label specialize in glorious reissues, but they’ve got a few modern bands that sound so authentic that they fit comfortably in the label’s amazing catalog.

     When going through their catalog, it becomes apparent that every generation has its lost musical heroes but with El Toro’s help, it’s never too late to discover (or rediscover) these once-forgotten gems from one of the most exciting times in recorded music history. While my own personal collection of El Toro releases is far from complete (but it’s growing), I wanted to share some of their most recent and exciting releases. If you love early Rock ‘n’ Roll, Jump Blues, Western Swing, Rockabilly and everything in between, then you should start clicking on the following links and buy, buy, buy!

AL FERRIER

I’m The Man: Louisiana Swamp Rockabilly 1955-1959

Excellent collection from the true King of Louisiana Swamp Rockabilly. A real down-home boy, Al Ferrier has been recording in the Louisiana backwoods since 1955 and continues to record for the label that gave him his first break over half a century ago - Goldband Records. This chock-full compilation gathers together his 1950s recordings in all their glory including single sides and alternate takes. This is as authentic as Swamp-abilly gets!  Hot and humid, baby! 

HAL HARRIS

Gold Star Guitar

Astounding collection from the Houston-based session guitar picker. This compilation contains all the 1950s recordings issued under his own name as well as a sparkling selection of his session work from those years; from his debut featured spot as one of Curley Williams' Georgia Peach Pickers through his career as house band-leader and guitarist-of-choice for Pappy Daily's stable of labels - Starday, Dixie and D Records - and his renaissance during the 1970s/1980s rockabilly revival when his exciting solos on those cherished records by Joe Clay, Thumper Jones, Sleepy La Beef, Link Davis, Rock Rogers and Bob Doss were a clarion call to pack the dance floors all over again. Highlights include “I Have Lived, Loved And Learned” (Curly Williams), “Won’t Tell You Her Name” (Al Urban), “Goodbye Goodbye” (Joe Clay) and Hal’s very own “I’m Comin’ Home”

NOLAN STRONG & THE DIABLOS

For Old Times Sake: The Complete Early Sides

2011 collection from this Rhythm & Blues vocal group that I’m all to familiar with.  In my personal time, I’ve transferred well over 500 LPs to the digital format. Amongst those was a Nolan Strong compilation called Fortune Of Hits.  But I digress.  That is neither here nor there…. Nolan Strong And The Diablos were one of the most popular, pre-Motown, Rhythm & Blues acts in Detroit during the mid 1950s through the early 1960s. Nolan Strong, the lead vocalist, had an ethereally high tenor. His smooth voice, influenced mainly by Clyde McPhatter, was, in turn, a primary influence on a young Smokey Robinson but The Diablos also influenced many other R&R bands. The group was inducted into the United In Group Harmony Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America In March 2008 . This album features all 24 sides released in their early years plus three bonus tracks in which the lead vocals were taken by Willie Hunter, Andre Williams and Gino Parks. I’ve always found Nolan and his devilish crew to be one of the most overlooked bands of the ‘50s and beyond. Sweet and gritty, this release can often be haunting and moving. Great stuff, Maynard!

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Infamous Instro-Monsters Of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Now, I’m a sucker for a good tune with great production, luscious harmonies and a melody that sticks in my head for days.  With that being said, I’m also a fan of honest-to-goodness Punk Rock of the ‘70s as well.  The Punk of that era didn’t always have great production or harmonies, but it was exciting and raw.  I feel the same about ‘50s Rock ‘n’ Roll.  While my fave artists of this time period are Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, I also dig the glory of raw and primal Rock ‘n’ Roll, which is what can be found on many of El Toro Records’ releases.  This collection of ‘50s instrumentals fits the bill perfectly. From Link Wray to Santo & Johnny, from The Champs to The Rockin’ R’s, it’s all inspiring stuff. The tracks contained here are as sweaty and fun as Rock got back in the day… and they still sound friggin’ amazing today.

More to come over the next few days

...so stay tuned!

CHRIS DE BURGH/Moonfleet & Other Stories REVIEWED!

CHRIS de BURGH

MOONFLEET & OTHER STORIES

Available NOW

Here's what our very own Stephen SPAZ Schnee had to say about CHRIS DE BURGH's latest album over on All Music Guide. 

"Chris de Burgh has had a long and fruitful career, though he is best known for his 1986 worldwide hit, “The Lady In Red”.  While that song is not entirely atypical of his catalog, it doesn’t represent the depth and width of his songwriting and vocal talents, either.  In fact, de Burgh had already been a recording artist for over a decade before that massive hit and he’s continued to release music ever since. 

His ‘70s recordings were enchanting singer/songwriter affairs with intelligently crafted lyrics dealing with history, religion and other universal themes.  Once the ‘80s (and ‘90s) rolled around, he began having commercial hits and his lyrics began to touch on simpler themes: mainly love and relationships. 

With Moonfleet, de Burgh is sure to satisfy fans of both sides of his musical personality. This concept album, mostly based around J. Meade Falkner’s 1898 novel, Moonfleet, tells the tale of smuggling, treasure, friendship, love and loss in the 18^th century. With exquisite orchestration, great songwriting and the unmistakable voice of de Burgh, this is his most consistent set of songs in nearly a decade (and that is saying a lot, since he hasn’t put out a bad album yet).  From glorious and emotional ballads like “Go Where Your Heart Believes” and “My Heart’s Surrender” to the rum-guzzling stomp of “Have A Care”/”Treasure And Betrayal” via the Irish jigging of “The Storm”, the album is an absolute treasure to behold (pun intended). 

With a few instrumental and narrative passages, the listener will be swept away by the story and de Burgh’s musical interpretation of this tale. The music is somewhat reminiscent of the Pop oriented scores of Disney’s blockbuster animated features in the ‘90s and ‘00s (Lion King, Tarzan, Hunchback Of Notre Dame, etc) although there is a little more depth to de Burgh’s musical tale.

The ‘other stories’ of the album’s title refers to the final six tracks on the album which are musically similar to Moonfleet, but are thematically unrelated.  With topics ranging from the Mona Lisa to a 2009 atrocity in Iran, these tracks are further proof that de Burgh has both returned to his roots and expanded his musical vision at the same time.  You can’t say ‘they don’t make albums like that anymore’ because de Burgh just did."-Stephen SPAZ Schnee/All Music Guide

EL TORO RECORDS: Where Rock 'n' Roll lives! Part One

    

 I’ve always found it interesting that the record labels that are most dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of American music are usually based in Europe. From the ‘40s to the ‘60s, from Country to Rock ‘n’ Roll, it seems that U.S. based labels have all but forgotten most of the music that graced the airwaves (and filled the record bins) all those years ago.  But for every legend like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly, there are hundreds of also-rans and never-weres that may have had oodles of talent and charisma to make it big but just didn’t have the luck. Some made it big locally while others spent most of their days on the lower end of the charts. Sadly, these artists have slipped into obscurity and have gone unnoticed for four, five and even six decades.  But that is where labels like El Toro Records comes in…

     For 15 years, Spain's El Toro Records has been one of Europe's leading independent labels specializing in American roots music, from ‘50s Rock ‘n’ Roll to Rockabilly, Western Swing, Rhythm & Blues and Instrumental Surf.  Not only does the label specialize in glorious reissues, but they’ve got a few modern bands that sound so authentic that they fit comfortably in the label’s amazing catalog.

     When going through their catalog, it becomes apparent that every generation has its lost musical heroes but with El Toro’s help, it’s never too late to discover (or rediscover) these once-forgotten gems from one of the most exciting times in recorded music history. While my own personal collection of El Toro releases is far from complete (but it’s growing), I wanted to share some of their most recent and exciting releases. If you love early Rock ‘n’ Roll, Jump Blues, Western Swing, Rockabilly and everything in between, then you should start clicking on the following links and buy, buy, buy!

AL CASEY/I’m A Guitar Man

Excellent two CD collection from the Phoenix-based session guitarist. While many of the tracks were not released under his own name, his distinctive guitar playing is the highpoint of each and every recording.  From local and national releases to novelty records, this double disc set has a haunting quality to it.   A big fish in a relatively small pond, Al Casey was already a local radio and TV celebrity when his friend Lee Hazlewood began using him and his band on sessions for the latter's Viv Records in 1955; so much so that Casey invariably received a credit on each label - an accolade that session musicians rarely received in those days.

RUDY GREEN/Wild Life

Wow!  This is solid Blues and Rhythm & Blues from the guitar legend filled with spirited performances that sometimes sound more New Orleans influenced than Chicago, but that’s just me. This release includes the complete issued recordings of Rudy Green from his Nashville debut in 1946 to his last known single back in Music City over a decade later. Also included are a few examples of Rudy's work as a session guitarist in Chicago in the 1950s.

JOHNNY JANO/Rocking And Rolling 1956-58

I’d be a big ol’ liar if I said that I’d heard of Johnny Jano before getting a hold of this awe-inspiring disc.  From the opening track, “Havin’ A Whole Lot Of Fun” to the closing demo of “She’s My Baby” (plus the instrumental “Okie Dokie Stomp” credited to Johnny Dubon & The Yellow Jackets), this is authentic Louisiana Rockabilly that is swampy, raw and pretty damn fabulous.  While Johnny Jano may have had some fans in his home state, he never did crossover, commercially, nationwide and that is just a shame.  This stuff is inspiring and this collection is sure to bring Jano the attention that he should have always had.  

VARIOUS ARTISTS/Please, Give Me Something: 

The Roots Of The Stray Cats

While there were acts during the ‘70s and ‘80s that reintroduced Rockabilly to a whole new generation (including Robert Gordon and Shakin’ Stevens & The Sunsets), no band made a bigger splash around the world than The Stray Cats.  This outstanding collection features many of the original Rockabilly classics that inspired Brian Setzer and the boys. From tracks that inspired particular Stray Cats nuggets (The Nomads’ “Icky Poo” and Lonesome Lee’s “Lonely Travellin’” were direct ancestors to “Stray Cat Strut”) to acts that had a strong influence (including Elvis, Chuck Berry, Ricky Nelson and Gene Vincent), this is an amazing collection of real, raw Rockabilly that no Rockabilly fan should be without.

More to come over the next few days

...so stay tuned!