From New Wave to the 'NOW', experience the thrill of NEW WAVE from it's beginnings in the late '70s to the modern bands so obviously influenced by it! So, if you grew up in the '80s and still enjoy discovering new sounds as well as rediscovering old favorites, then read on!
PUNK! POWER POP! SYNTH POP! NEW WAVE! POST-PUNK!
If you are absolutely clueless on what those two words mean, that's OK. You can begin your journey here. There are Power Pop experts that may steer you in a different direction, but if you are here right now and reading this, you may as well stick around and hear what it is all about... unless one of those Power Pop experts threatens your life, of course. Always listen to the experts, especially if they are wielding some sort of weapon...
Power Pop.
If those two words make your heart skip a beat, then you are more than likely aware that everyone has their own opinion about what defines Power Pop. The fact is, they are all right. The pure, raw essence of Power Pop is in every band that anyone bothers to fit under this genre, whether other people agree or not.
In all things Power Pop, you're going to get a 3 minute song - give or take 30 seconds - with a cracking tune, killer harmonies, joyful guitars, maybe some keyboards, energy and a chorus that you'll be humming mere seconds after the song has ended. More than likely, that song will be stuck in your head for the next 24 to 48 hours. Power Pop bands don't just write smashing melodies, they create universal ear worms that naturally fit anyone willing to listen.
You can search all over the internet for Power Pop lists from respected experts. I agree with nearly everything I see on those lists. As I said before, the experts know what they are talking about.
However, I am not an expert. I'm just a guy who loves Power Pop. So, instead of posting a list of bands/songs that I believe define the genre, I thought I'd share 20 tracks that I believe are essential for anyone wanting to explore the outer -and obscure - regions of Power Pop. Everything here was originally released during my favorite era of Power Pop - the late '70s and early '80s. And as you can tell by the subject of this blog post, this is only VOLUME ONE. There is much more to come...
Some of these bands are not generally labelled Power Pop, while other might be some of the genre's most respected artists but I've chosen songs that don't always end up on the experts' 'best of' lists. And some may just be no-brainers but I chose to include them anyway.
P.S. Yes, there are many bands and songs I've left out for now... gotta save some great ones for future posts!
Oh, dear. I'm in trouble! Calling this blog post "Why SQUEEZE's East Side Story Is One Of The Greatest Albums In The History Of Rock 'n' Roll!" isn't doing me any favors right now because people immediately want to know WHY and they want to know NOW! They are also quietly mocking me... or perhaps loudly mocking me and I just can't hear them. But believe me, I know that detractors are there and ready to pounce and verbally abuse me... but that's OK, because I truly believe that Squeeze's East Side Story IS one of the greatest albums in the history of Rock 'n' Roll! And here's why...
Back before Squeeze songwriters Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford were dubbed the 'new Lennon & McCartney" they were the quintessential British songwriting team. Difford's lyrics were always clever and Tilbrook knew his way around a melodic hook, thus making them more than just another Pub or New Wave band. While other groups would seize the moment and create music that was of it's time, not wanting to look too far back into Rock's rich history. Difford and Tilbrook were different - they embraced their influences without copying them. Before East Side Story, they released their first three albums (Squeeze, Cool For Cats and Arbybargy) to critical acclaim and managed to have a few hit singles in the process. But with East Side Story, they stripped away the production excesses and recorded an album that was simple, warm and filled to the brim with melodies that were sweet yet tough. This was the first album where critics started to make their 'new Lennon & McCartney' case, and deservedly so.
With straight-forward production by the great Roger Bechirian and Elvis Costello (who really should have produced a lot more albums than he actually did), East Side Story is charming without being quaint. It's not an album of twee pop songs for the New Wave generation - its a mature slice of Pop/Rock that still sounds fresh and invigorating over 30 years later. Instead of recreating their breakthrough album Argybargy, Squeeze stepped up to the plate and delivered an album so full of life, love, heartache and joy that its difficult not to experience those emotions while listening to it.
When East Side Story was released, I was 18 years old and had already experienced the highs and lows of every emotion related to a relationship. This was an album that opened my eyes to a passion that went beyond a love shared by two people. The songs spoke about things beyond the typical boy/girl fodder that Pop was known for. They were about real life, real feelings, real people. The songs were not about the same kinds of politics that The Clash and The Jam sang about.... these were more personal and close to home. It is an honest album that invites the listener into the band's world, which reflects what was going on around them at the time. In many ways, East Side Story reflected the lives of the listener: same situations, different characters. Ordinary lives, extraordinary songs.
From the opening track, "In Quintessence" (the only song on the album produced by Dave Edmunds), the album is a thrill ride through a myriad of styles and moods. They remained a Pop band, through and through, but they took little detours along the way, building an album as diverse as it was melodic. The hit single "Tempted" (written by Difford/Tilbrook but chiefly sung by new keyboardist Paul Carrack) adds a little slice of Soul to the album while "Labelled With Love" is a Country weeper that sounds incredibly natural and not forced at all. "Messed Around" is a Rockabilly ditty that comes immediately after "Vanity Fair", which could have been a Revolver track had "Eleanor Rigby" not have existed at the time. The band's desire to experiment is evident in "There's No Tomorrow" and "F-Hole", both of which feature great melodies within musical frameworks that are entirely different to the rest of the album. As for the Pop side of the band, "Someone Else's Heart", "Is That Love?", "Woman's World" and "Piccadilly" are absolutely perfect in every way... from the production to the performance.
The only blemish on the album is the less-than-stellar "Heaven", which still fails to excite these ears over three decades later. So, you may be asking yourself HOW can this be a great album if there is a bad song on it? Well, most people think that Sgt. Pepper is one of Rock's greatest albums of all time, right? Well, I don't personally know many people who can sit through "Within You Without You" on that album... so I rest my case with that one example.
East Side Story still feels fresh and certainly not of it's time. It is an absolute delight of an album that raised their profile in the Rock 'n' Roll community and made the band stand out in a sea of 'New Wave' bands (I use that term to define how they were categorized, not how they sounded). It is entirely unpretentious and is a virtual love letter to the glory, magic and power of Rock and Pop music.
Unfortunately for Squeeze (and for all of us), Carrack left the band after touring for the album and the band began to lose momentum, commercially. When their follow-up album, Sweets From A Stranger, was released, the simplicity of the band was swallowed up by glossy production and they split after a further single. They've reunited since then a few times and while their albums have been fantastic, nothing has come close to the magic of East Side Story. Well, OK... maybe some albums did come pretty damn close, but not quite. Don't get me wrong... a mediocre Squeeze song is still loads better than most band's entire back catalog!
An amazing album that truly is one of the greatest in the history of Rock 'n' Roll. And you know what? I've heard a lot of albums in my time... and I'm STILL listening to music every day... and very few come even close...
But don't take my word for it... let the music do the talking!
My most common reaction to various artist 'tributes' and 'covers' albums - I usually avoid them.
Maybe 20 years ago, I would have been more apt to give one a look or listen, but over the last few decades, there's been so many tributes and covers albums released that I've lost count. To be honest, I think I lost all interest in them the moment a band would have a hit debut album and within months, there'd be a Goth tribute, a Bluegrass tribute, etc. Come on.... why pay tribute to a band with only one album in their catalog?
My main problem with most tribute and covers albums over the years is that the artists didn't always 'connect' with the material. They either tried too hard to change the material to suit their particular style... or they didn't try hard enough and the results were lacklustre. And isn't a tribute album all about honoring the music or artists that inspired you? Over the years, tribute albums became nothing more than a quick money grab.
So, for months, I've been hearing rumblings of a tribute to the glorious Lite Rock that I grew up on in the '70s and '80s. What is Lite Rock? Well, some call it Soft Rock while others think of it as AM Radio Rock. Basically, think of Player's "Baby Come Back", Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", Randy VanWarmer's "Just When I Needed You Most", and many of the other melodic hits of the era. Lite Rock artists wasn't mellow enough to be classified as Easy Listening/Pop (Olivia Newton John, The Carpenters) but they weren't as ballsy as many of their Classic Rock brethren (Journey, Foreigner). It was a style of music that appealed to wide range of music fans, young and old. It wasn't rebellious - it spoke from and to the heart.
When I read about some of the indie Power Pop artists attached to the project, I felt that there was hope. I'm a guy who is passionate about his music. I don't create music (you're welcome) but I'm passionate about what I listen to and how it moves me. So, I was more than interested to see how a talented group of modern artists would approach some of Lite Rock's finest musical moments.
I've always felt that the artist covering a classic song should be comfortable in doing so. They should wear that song proudly like it was a new suit instead of their big brother's hand me downs. They don't have to be flashy - they just have to make it feel like it belongs to them.
Well, I'm glad to say that Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock works on all levels and is pure f***ing genius!
From song selection and artists right down to the actual recordings, DATTI is one of the few tribute albums that understands the concept behind 'tribute' and executes it perfectly . And it just so happens to be the first 'tribute' album in 20 years that I've sat down with and played over and over again. Yeah, it's that good!
First off, I'm not going to lie - there are a few tracks here that feel a bit mediocre to me compared to the rest of the set, but those have grown on my over repeated listenings. But let's focus on the high points here (and there are a lot of them):
LINUS OF HOLLYWOOD now owns "More Than I Can Say". The song is great (of course), the arrangement is great and LOH's vocal performance is stunning. My apologies go out to Leo Sayer, but I feel that this is pretty much the definitive version of the song now.
Did MICHAEL CARPENTER write "We Don't Talk Anymore" for Cliff Richard? Because I'll be damned if it doesn't sound like it. Carpenter remains one of the most underrated Pop artists on the planet and has written and recorded some of the best Power Pop songs of the last 20 years or so. And like anything else he's involved with, he puts 100% of himself into this recording. Funny thing is that his original material is just as good (if not better) than "We Don't Talk Anymore".
BLEU's version of "Baby Come Back" sticks damn close to the original recording but then again, there's plenty of that Bleu magic that brings out the heartbreak of this song and really drives it home. I mean, this is "Baby Come Back", for chrissakes - a song that has already melted a few million hearts over the years. Now, I fully expect Bleu to remind us all how easy it is to cry by listening to a great Pop tune. Open the floodgates...
SETH SWIRSKY takes Henry Gross' "Shannon" and proceeds to break your heart (hell, that seems to be a theme with many of Lite Rock's finest moments). Seth's name has been in the news lately because of his most excellent documentary Beatles Stories, but he's been a successful songwriter and author for ages. His best work (in my humble opinion) is not the hit songs he's written for the likes of Taylor Dayne and others... no, his best songs are featured on his solo albums and those with The Red Button. And now, with "Shannon", too. Damn, this guy's got more talent than anyone you've listened to this year!
And there are so many more: CLIFF HILLIS successfully tackles Ian Matthews' "Shake It", one of my favorite '70s tunes. THE DAVENPORTS' rockin' reading of Randy VanWarmer's "Just When I Needed You Most" retains the utter sadness of the original while turning it into a modern Power Pop anthem. GREG POPE tackles Poco's "Crazy Love" and while it doesn't have all the harmonies of the original, it is still a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the song. JOE GIDDINGS seems to be having an absolutely joyful time with the late Alan O'Day's "Undercover Angel" and it shows. KYLE VINCENT does a beautifully heartfelt rendition of Ambrosia's "How Much I Feel" that gives me goose pimples. MIKE VIOLA's electronic stab at "Steal Away" took me by surprise at first but 30 seconds in, I was hooked (love his Michael McDonald-esque backing vocals and the Doobie Brothers reference, btw). THE POPDUDES reminded me how great of a song "Magnet And Steel" is. Goodness, I could go on and on...
There are so many great things to love about this release that I don't have the time or space to list them all.. and I've probably said far too much already. But, for me, the sign of an album that hits all the right notes is that your favorites change from day to day. With DATTI, my favorites change from listen to listen (and that means quite a bit over the last few days). Maybe a year from now, I'll finally decide with tracks are my favorites from the album, but for now, You can't go wrong with any of them.
This is a tribute that pays homage to the songs that inspired the very musicians that are playing on the album. It is an collection that will delight fans of the original versions of the songs, followers of the artists appearing on the album and will also turn a new generation of listeners onto some great tunes and artists. Just like Lite Rock itself, this is music from and to the heart.
NOTE: As with my other entries in my An Appreciationseries, this is not a history of The Last. It is written from the perspective of a fan, not an insider. So, if you are wanting to find out more in depth info on The Last, please visit their website HERE!
In August of 1979, The Last literally changed the way I listened to music. Before then, I would not give a second glance to anything released on an independent label. But then I bought The Last's debut album, L.A. Explosion the very week it was released... and my view of the music world changed....
At the time, I was 15 years old and heavily into New Wave, Punk and Power Pop music. Growing up, I had been an avid fan of The Beatles, Glen Campbell, Badfinger, The Monkees, Queen, Neil Diamond, The Osmonds and many other '60s and '70s acts that I had encountered on the radio and TV. But when I first saw The Jam on TV in '77, they blew my mind and I started following this new kind of music. But being a pre-internet young teen, I didn't know much about independent labels. I just assumed that they were pretty much the same thing as private press albums you'd find eccentric multi-instrumentalists like Bobby Brown selling at the swap meet on Sunday mornings.
And no, I'm not referring to the same Bobby Brown that led Whitney down her self-destructive path... I'm referring to this psychedelic folkie who played crazy instruments and sang crazy songs... well, at least that was my impression when I first saw him when I was in my early teens. Nowadays, I love this stuff:
Bobby Brown
Anyway, I would take my weekly allowance and head over to Licorice Pizza (on Brookhurst and Chapman in Garden Grove) and buy things that were released via major labels. This is in the days when I'd buy albums from The Records, The Cars, Yachts, Bram Tchaikovsky, The Jam, The Clash and any other band of that ilk signed to a major label. Most of the time, I bought things based on album covers, labels, etc. I had never heard of most of the bands and I was always searching for something that would excite me. If the band members looked cool and they were signed to Polydor (for example), then I'd buy it. I would even buy things based solely on who produced it! Anything on and indie label was avoided. Funny thing is, many of the albums I bought were actually on indie labels in the UK (Stiff, Radar, Chiswick, etc) but were being distributed by majors in the U.S. I was not aware of this fact at the time.
So, one day in August of '79, I made my mid-week trek to Licorice Pizza and started going through the bins like I usually did time and time again. I was always in search of anything new that had arrived in stock. In the 'Miscellaneous L" section, there was an LP that I had not seen there before: an album called L.A. Explosion by a band called The Last. I was vaguely familiar with the name by seeing a 7" single or two, but had not heard them, let alone knew that they were a 'local' (ie: LA.) band. Remember, I was 15 and unable to attend many gigs because of age and transportation, so I never bothered to look at gig guides to see who was in town. Maybe in the Calendar section of the L.A. Times, but that was about it...
But let me tell you, for some reason, the album covered grabbed me. Their logo... the shadowed photo of the band members on the front cover.... the lyrics printed on the back... it all hit me as being really cool. When I saw it was on Bomp! Records, I was surprised. "How could a band that looks this cool be on an independent label?", I probably said to myself. The Bomp! name and logo were cool, too. Regardless, it wasn't in my budget for the day (which was zero) but I figured I'd think about it and MAYBE consider buying it when I got my allowance the following weekend.
By the time I had walked out of Licorice Pizza that day, my mind was made up: I was going to buy L.A. Explosion! The next few days were torture to be honest: I couldn't wait to get my allowance and go buy this album with the cover that had become permanently tattooed in my brain. What would they sound like? Would it be Punk? Power Pop? New Wave? I had no clue, but I was hoping it'd be a melodic delight. So, I went down the following Saturday, plunked down my money and bought L.A. Explosion. Fuck, yeah!
L.A. Explosion contained everything I love about music: great melodies, a nice variety of styles (Power Pop, Punk, Baroque, Psychedelic, etc) and songs that did not overstay their welcome. I knew then and there that Joe Nolte was a songwriting genius. He took his '60s influences, mixed them up, added a shot of Punk and then wrote from the heart. But there was more to The Last than his amazing songs. Here's what I had to say some 25 years later about the album on All Music Guide:
"Perhaps the least known of the late-'70s L.A. pop acts, the Last rose from the ashes of the Los Angeles club scene alongside bands like 20/20, the Knack, the Nerves, the Plimsouls, et al. Releasing their debut album on a small, albeit influential, indie label didn't help them gain exposure outside of California, but the music contained on this platter is as brilliant as anything that came from that era. Led by Joe Nolte and featuring his brothers Mike and David amongst its members, the Last's secret weapon was the keyboard/flute-playing Vitus Matare, who added extra texture and flair to Joe's engaging songs. Heavily influenced by '60s pop, this album has it all: pure pop ("This Kind of Feeling," "Someone's Laughing"), sunny beach pop ("Every Summer Day"), punk-pop ("I Don't Wanna Be In Love," "Slavedriver"), psych-pop ("She Don't Know Why I'm Here"), etc. Thinly produced, this album has a charm and innocence to it that not many other artists have been able to match."
It wasn't until later that I found out that folks were unhappy with the production of the album. Live, the band were a melodic Punk band for the most part, but the album smoothed out all the edges and made them sound a lot more polished than they actually were. I've read in other places that the thin production put some listeners off. Whatever. L.A. Explosion remains one of the finest albums of it's era... and there were a lot of great albums released during the late '70s. I can assure you that almost every mix tape I made for friends back in the '80s contained a song by The Last.
It was another three years before we heard from The Last again when Bomp! released the four track Fade To Black 12" EP in 1982. The title track was written, but not used, for the motion picture Fade To Black starring Dennis Christopher, which had been released in 1980. While "Fade To Black" was a good song, the other three tracks blew me away: "That's Just Life", "Obsession" and "Subway Song" were incredible slices of '60s influenced Pop with the added bonus of Joe Nolte's distinctive spin on things.
THE LAST-FADE TO BLACK EP (1982)
Years later, I discovered that the band had recorded, but never released a complete second album in 1980 called Look Again! And lo and behold, "That's Just Life", "Obsession" and "Subway Song" were taken from that album while the rest of Look Again's tracks languished in a vault somewhere. Actually, the tapes probably languished in shoe box, but 'vault' sounds more dramatic. When I finally heard Look Again some 25 years after it was recorded, I was devastated as I listened to it: not because it was bad... far from it. It was amazing! I was devastated because it could have been the album that brought the band to the attention of a much wider audience. It's everything I've already said about The Last and more. Sadly, it still remains unreleased.
THE LAST-PAINTING SMILES ON A DEAD MAN (1983)
In 1983, a year after the Fade To Black EP was released, I was shopping at Aaron's Records on Melrose when I stumbled upon an import pressing of an album by The Last called Painting Smiles On A Dead Man. What? A NEW album from The Last? I think I shat my pants then and there! For the rest of the night, I barely thought of anything else but getting home and putting that album on. And, boy, was I pleased with what I heard. The band had continued in the same direction as the Fade To Black EP, but everything was much more raw and exciting. Perhaps the production was not as clean as earlier releases, but the band made up for it in their energetic and passionate performances. Joe Nolte and mates were on fire at this point. It was such a shame that the band was getting better yet their future prospects were dimming. This was the final album from The Last before they disintegrated.
(By the way, according to The Last's official website, Joe Nolte has a completely different opinion of Painting Smiles... pretty much the opposite of mine!)
Since I didn't have an inside scoop on the band, I was not aware that they had split after Painting Smiles... If I had known that, I would have tattooed at least two tears on my cheek in honor of the band... or not. A year or so after Painting Smiles... was released, I attended a party in Redondo Beach where my brother Mike Schnee and his band, The Leeks, were playing. The party was at the house of Leeks keyboardist Bob Mest. Bob knew I was a huge Last fan and told me that Joe Nolte was thinking of stopping by (somehow, either Bob or a roomate knew Joe). Later in the evening, Bob took me aside and pointed to the corner of the room and said "Look, there's Joe Nolte!" For the second time in my Last-loving life, I shat my pants! I was far too nervous to go up to him and and say "Hi". Bah.
THE LAST-CONFESSION (1988)
In 1988, The Last suddenly reappeared with a new album called Confession on SST Records. From the original line-up, only Joe and Mike Nolte remained. The album was well-produced by Bill Stevenson (All) and contained some great songs, but Vitus' keyboards and musical input was sorely missing. Still, Joe proved that he was a great songwriter and passionate performer. It may have been a different Last, but under Joe's control and with Mike taking a bigger role, it was still The Last and this album reintroduced their talent to their old fans and a new generation who missed them first time around. Sure, it was only five years since their last album, but music years are like dog years and it certainly seemed like a lifetime since Painting Smiles....
THE LAST-AWAKENING (1989)
The band returned pretty quickly the following year with Awakening, which continued on in the same tradition as Confession. The album had a load of great songs, production by Bill Stevenson and appearances from original members Vitus Matare and David Nolte. Once again, a fantastic album but missing that spark that made The Last so unique. No fault to the songs, by the way, but the band didn't seem to interested in progressing from their previous album. For any other band, Awakening would have been an effin' great album but for The Last, it was just a really, really, really, really good one.
THE LAST-GIN & INNUENDOES (1996)
Seven years passed before a new album from The Last appeared. Gin & Innuendoes was the musical step forward that the band should have taken after Confession. The songs, although darker, were superb and there was plenty of the old Last to be had here, at least musically. The album was produced by the legendary Earle Mankey and his work behind the boards helped flesh out Joe's great batch of new tunes. Oddly enough, the album had been finished since '94 but remained unreleased for two years. That seemed to be a classic case of The Last's (bad) luck.
Since the album's release, the band has been active but has not officially released any material in the 17 years since Gin & Innuendoes hit the shops. There was a great acoustic album from Joe and Mike Nolte (Joe 'n' Mike) that might still be available through the band's website, but that remains the final release to date.
A new version of The Last did head into the studio in the early part of the millennium and recorded an album called Shank, which remains unreleased. One track, "I Know", was released on the Of Hands & Hearts benefit CD that I put together back in 2005. I caught them live during this period and all of their new songs were shining examples of the Joe Nolte magic. By the way, the bill that I saw them on also featured 20/20 and John Wicks & The Records!
A few years back, most of the original line-up (including Vitus) reformed and played a series of live gigs over the span of a few years. Most recently, Joe and Mike have been fronting a new version of the band.
One can only hope that The Last release a new album... or at least finally issue the unreleased Look Again album from 1980 or the Shank recordings. Or maybe if I beg, they could at least send a copy of their unreleased stuff to ME!?? I promise not to shit myself again!
Oh, and I totally forgot to tell you WHY The Last changed my outlook on music: from that point on, I started buying indie albums and supporting indie labels. There was a whole new world of music available to me once The Last showed me that it was OK to be on an independent label! L.A. Explosion was a revelation for me and remains one of my fave albums of all-time.
The fact that many of you have never heard of Ray Mason, let alone heard his music, is an absolute shame. If his music could only be heard by a wider audience, he would be embraced and beloved by tens of thousands of new fans. Perhaps that day will come, but if it does, I want Ray to be alive for a long, long time so he can enjoy the well-deserved adulation. I hope that happens sooner than later.
Ray Mason turns 63 this year and has been a musician for roughly 45 of those years. He's not flashy, although he certainly has the talent. His instrument of choice is a '65 Silvertone guitar. Yes, as in the Silvertone guitar made exclusively for Sears. If you don't think that's cool, there are musicians such as Jack White who use Silvertone equipment. Beck plays a Silvertone guitar. Chris Isaak named his debut album Silvertone. Other musicians who have used Silvertone equipment include Jerry Garcia, Rudy Sarzo, Chet Atkins, Bob Dylan, David Lindley, Garry Nutt, John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Joan Jett, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl, Mark Knopfler, Brad Paisley, and many more.
But back to Ray Mason. An unassuming but enormously talented musician, Ray has been a staple on the East Coast for many years. Based in Massachusetts, he has pretty much built up a great reputation as a guitarist and all around performer, but he hasn't really broken out of the 'most under appreciated' category since he started releasing solo albums in the '90s.
So, what does Ray Mason sound like? He has a very unique style that sounds like the perfect mix of Neil Young, David Lindley and NRBQ with a little dash of Rockpile (Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds) and some of Ric Ocasek thrown in for good measure. The Ocasek reference may not be immediately apparent, but if you listen to The Cars, you'll notice that Ric had a tendency to recycle old Rock 'n' Roll ideas and create something new out of them. Like Ric, Ray simply takes a bit of Rock's tapestry and sews together a new quilt!
Is he a Blues musician? Well, some of his songs are informed by the Blues, but his songs are far too melodic for him to be classified as such. Some could say he's Americana/Y'Alternative/Roots Rock, but the best way to describe him is Rock 'n' Roll. His influences seem to encompass the best of '50s and '60s Rock music yet everything comes out sounding like Ray Mason!
Ray covers a lot of musical ground on his albums. For example, the glorious "I Own The Ending" (from the album When The Clown's Work Is Over) sounds like it cold have come straight out of the Brian Wilson songbook yet it still manages to sound like no one else but Ray Mason. "We Don't Get Along Anymore" (from the album Between Blue And Okay) is a Power Pop delight that is distinctly Ray Mason. This is pretty much the case for a lot of Ray's catalog. There are no Rock pastiches in his ouvre, but there are subtle tributes to the music that inspired him.
Ray's music is far from pretentious. It is pure and it is real. For an artist with a dozen full length albums to his name, there's not a weak one among them. Even his most recent release, 2009's Like Bugs Chewing On Paper, sounds as fresh and inspired as his debut, the aforementioned Between Blue And Okay (1994). When trying to decide which titles to start with, go ahead and listen to some of the samples provided on CDBaby.com
You can access the Ray Mason albums HERE Or you can access the Ray Mason Band albums HERE There are a few albums on Spotify, so I've thrown together a mini sampler for you to listen to HERE
I've been a Ray Mason fan for nearly 20 years. He sent a copy of his debut to the POPsided offices back when I was a co-editor there and I was hooked. I'm a lifer. Ray is the man. Don't you forget it!
Oh, that reminds me. I have to start tracking down albums by The Lonesome Brothers, which Ray is a member of. They have seven albums out.... and I have a lot of catching up to do!
For a music fan, listening to certain albums can unlock many memories that are usually hidden somewhere deep within the recesses of the brain. Those memories could be good or bad, but the magic of the melodies bring those ragamuffin thoughts and emotions back up to the surface again.
We all have favorite bands or albums that we listen to over and over again throughout our lives but there are always certain ones that really make an impact. You may not consider these as the band’s best albums, but they are the ones that matter the most. They are the key that opens those time capsules within us and allow us to relive the thrill (or sadness) of a certain time in our lives.
Here are 10 albums that never fail to take me back to a certain period in my life. They may not have sold millions of copies but they had an enormous impact on me. And they are albums I will cherish until my dying day….There are many more I’d like to list, but don’t want to bore you with too much at once.
I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by band because, to be honest, I can never say that one of them had more of an impact on me than the other. They are all equally important. And I've refrained from explaining WHY they mean so much to me. Those reasons are ones that only I would understand... (and I'm sure that your choices are made based on similar situations and circumstances).
In the world of Rock, there are two standard models that musicians adhere to when putting an original band together. The more common of the two is built around a single songwriter who brings in a few friends to help him (or her) shape the sound he has in his head. He may be open to some input from the other members, but it his ultimately his vision. The second model revolves around two strong creative forces leading the band. Whether they write together or separately, the band’s oeuvre is ultimately more varied and exciting. But sometimes, there are bands that come along and up the ante by adding a third creative presence into the fold. While it’s not an entirely rare occurrence, it isn’t as common as you think.
In 1977, most Punk, New Wave, Rock and Power Pop bands tended to follow one of the two standard models. But then along came Shoes, a Zion, Illinois quartet and their first widely-distributed independent album, Black Vinyl Shoes. With drummer Skip Meyer in tow, the band was led by a trio of immensely talented singer/songwriters: Gary Klebe (guitar) and brothers Jeff Murphy (guitar) and John Murphy (bass). Though crudely recorded at home on a 4-track machine, the album’s songs were other-worldly: melodic, atmospheric and unlike anything else at the time. While each of the trio of songwriters had their own style, the three of them blended together perfectly, creating a sound that was uniquely their own.
In 2012, Shoes have returned from an 18 year hiatus with Ignition, their best album in 30 years. With their pop smarts intact, the long period of inactivity has done nothing to dull their musical charm. Whether you prefer to call them Power Pop or Rock ‘n’ Roll, Shoes have created an album steeped in their own history yet totally modern. In fact, the album is a timeless collection of great songs that will satisfy their legion of fans and even bring in a whole generation of new ones.
If that wasn’t enough, Real Gone Music has just released 35 Years: The Definitive Shoes Collection 1977-2012, a stunning compilation that features songs from all of their studio albums beginning with Black Vinyl Shoes and taking the listener right up to date with a song from Ignition. When most of their ‘70s and ‘80s contemporaries winded down their careers decades ago, Shoes have continued to create an extraordinary body of work unlike any other.
While compiling and writing liner notes for the 35 Years… collection, Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to catch up with Jeff, John and Gary to discuss their career thus far. Here are previously unreleased excerpts from those interviews. You can read the full Shoes story in Real Gone Music’s brand new compilation, available now…
SPAZ: When you first came together, was it your intention to work on your own material, or did you start out playing covers like most bands normally do?
GARY KLEBE: In the big picture, we did envision playing live at some point, but early on, writing songs and making records was by far our primary goal. Eventually, we did play live, and we reluctantly agreed to play some covers. No venue was interested in booking an unknown band that only played original material.
SPAZ: Were you interested in playing live in the early days or did you focus on recording?
JEFF MURPHY: Initially, the band only existed on tape. We started recording tidbits of songs that we wrote to learn how to play and write and record. We always envisioned that we'd eventually learn to play together live, but that didn't happen until after Gary returned from France (where he had been studying). Our first live gig was April 8th, 1976, almost 2 years after we made our first recordings together as Shoes. Skip joined in mid-1976 and by 1977 we were playing out more regularly.
SPAZ: Your early recordings are legendary amongst fans and collectors. Do you remember much about writing and recording Heads Or Tails and One In Versailles?
JOHN MURPHY: Yeah we were still tickled by the fact that, with the help of the Simul-Sync feature on the TEAC 4-track, we could make a group sound by building up individual tracks. It was way crude but these were our first steps. We had to do a lot of punching to get through a take but all we needed was one complete pass. If it was a guitar or a bass, you would just play along with the track and Jeff would hit ‘RECORD’ just before you had made your mistake. For Heads or Tails, Gary and I shared songwriting credit on most of the tunes; Jeff composed the one that he sang. Gary was in Europe during OIV so Jeff and I worked independently; he was at home in Zion and I was away at school in Champaign, IL. Jeff would have his songs ready when I would come home on weekends so I’d add bass or we’d do harmonies. I recorded most of my songs during the week of spring break…we were trying to finish in time to send Gary a cassette.
SPAZ: The band is referred to as a Power Pop band, but how would you classify the band’s music, then and now?
JEFF: The best bands define their own category: Who would you say The Beatles sound like? Or The Stones? Or Fleetwood Mac? Even the term Power Pop was originally used by Pete Townsend to describe The Who, yet today, most people wouldn't consider The Who to be power pop!
SPAZ:Black Vinyl Shoes was the album that really set things in motion. Do you remember much about the recording of the album?
JOHN: Jeff’s house was basically a converted garage so it was pretty cramped quarters…the kitchen had the TEAC tape machine and the Peavey mixing console and Jeff could keep eye contact by the pass-through into the living room that was packed with guitar amps, guitars, drums, mic stands and cords. He had to pre-plan the order of instruments and voices because of the limited number of tracks; some things had to be combined onto one track, in order to maintain audio quality.
SPAZ: What made you sign with Elektra and not continue going the indie route?
JOHN: Well there wasn’t an indie route that we were aware of in the 70s, not like there is today. The goal of every band or artist at that time was to try to hitch their wagon up to a major record company. We had cut a single for Bomp! Records and sublicensed BVS through JEM, which mostly dealt with import records, but we regarded these as steps toward what we considered the Big Time. We also had serious discussions with Sire Records, who were building their roster up with bands like Talking Heads and the Ramones and they had just secured a distribution deal with Warner Bros. But when Elektra approached us, they were very enthusiastic and, frankly, had all the right answers.
SPAZ: Your first major label album, Present Tense, certainly lived up to the songwriting standards of BVS with the extra added bonus of big-time production. At any point during your time on Elektra, did you have any input on which singles would be pulled from the album?
JEFF: We always had input, but we figured they had a better feel for what radio would play and what was getting a response. We could have lobbied for this song or that song, but ultimately, we mostly left it up to the label, in the mistaken belief that they knew what they were doing. In reality, they didn't know anymore than we did and they often put things out and waited for radio to decide what songs to play.
SPAZ: Your next album, Tongue Twister, was much more edgy than your previous output. Was it a more conscious decision to move in that direction... or more of an organic one?
JOHN: Yeah we consciously tried to strip things down. We wanted to keep the background vocals leaner so that it wasn’t so much a giant faceless choir and some of the guitar sounds were kept rawer. In hindsight, some of the tracks have a demo-like, slightly undercooked quality, especially compared to the pop music of 2012.
SPAZ:Boomerang was yet another great collection of edgy pop songs. Were you frustrated by Elektra's inability to break the band beyond your loyal fanbase?
GARY: Yes, we were very frustrated. By this time there was a huge downturn in the music industry. Financially speaking, Elektra and most major labels were in dire straits due to plummeting record sales. Their energy was spent struggling to sell records by previously multi-platinum artists. Breaking non-established artists like Shoes suddenly became a low priority.
SPAZ: After Boomerang, you left Elektra. Were you disillusioned by your experience with a major label?
JEFF: By the time we finished the recording for Boomerang, we could see the label was crumbling. People were getting fired and we were very nervous. Shortly after Boomerang was released, the VP that signed us to the label was fired and we knew our days with them were numbered. But we still saw major labels as the only way to exist professionally, as a recording band. We were certainly disappointed in many of the decisions that Elektra made during our tenure there, but once we finished recording a record, we didn't have much say in the process of promotion of that record.
SPAZ: Skip Meyer left the band at this point. Was it a difficult task to continue without him?
JOHN: Well, the three of us were responsible for coming up with the material and the general direction of the band…the drummer is kind of the moveable piece within our structure. Skip was always a little lost when we hunkered down to record; he’d prefer to play live gigs. But, when he left, we missed Skip as a pal to hang out with. Every drummer we’ve ever worked with has something special to bring to the table and Skip certainly made his contributions.
SPAZ: Although you used them before, the band began to experiment more with keyboards than ever on Silhouette. Did you enjoy the challenge of adding something new to your sound at this point?
GARY: The band was doing a lot of soul searching during that period. Our contract with Elektra was over, and I think the disappointment with our major label experience left us weary and maybe a bit self-doubting in what direction to head. The keyboard injected some welcome energy into the songwriting and recording process. It served as a springboard for getting the ball rolling and providing a new perspective.
SPAZ: There was a lengthy time period between Silhouette and your next album Stolen Wishes. You managed to set up your own label and began releasing your back catalog on CD. How was it that you managed to retain rights to your Elektra recordings?
JEFF: The time lag between Silhouette and Stolen Wishes was a result of us moving and building a new studio. From early 1983 until later that year, we were building our first studio, so we could continue to record after our time with Elektra ended. It took us about a year to build the studio and record Silhouette. We able to secure deals with three European labels in England, France and Germany to release the album in late 1984. By late 1985 we realized that we needed to move our studio, due to a conflict with the new landlord and we spent the first half of 1986 building a new studio in a new location. By 1987, CDs were becoming the new music medium and we asked Elektra to release our back catalog on CD. Our Elektra deal allowed for us to reacquire the rights to our catalog, if they refused to release it. They declined and returned all of our master tapes to us, so we released the original Shoes Best CD on Black Vinyl Records in the fall of 1987. We began releasing more CDs on Black Vinyl Records in 1988 and writing and recording more new songs until we released Stolen Wishes in early 1990.
SPAZ: Stolen Wishes was yet another feather in the band’s cap, resulting in an album that was more focused and mature than ever. Do you remember much about this period of the band’s career? It seemed to be right in between the original New Wave/Power Pop days of the early ‘80s and the Power Pop revival in the ‘90s.
JOHN: By the time we were writing for Stolen Wishes, it had been 4 years since Silhouette came out overseas and 6 years since our last Elektra release. In the meantime we had built another studio, which was bigger and better than our last, and we revived the Black Vinyl label and dipped our toes into the digital waters with the release of Shoes Best on CD. We had new gear and were anxious to use it but soon found we had a fair amount of problems with the software. Also, we had to work around the ever-growing amount of sessions needed to fund the place. Week to week, we were making progress, but it was draining: Jeff engineered session work with other bands during the day and Gary and I both had full-time jobs outside of the studio so most of our recording was done in the evenings and on weekends.
SPAZ: Propeller followed in 1994. The production on the album was more intricate than ever and the album featured some of the band’s greatest songs thus far. Any memories of this period in the band’s evolution?
GARY: From the beginning, we set out to make Propeller an edgier record than its predecessors. The guitars were mixed more to the forefront, the bass was punchier and the drums were recorded with more ambiance. Also, we had upgraded from a 16 track to a 24 track analog tape machine which resulted in better fidelity. In general, the songs had a heavier, darker mood and lyrical content… possibly, a reflection of the times.
SPAZ: 2012’s Ignition is one of the best albums of your career (and certainly the best since Boomerang). What inspired the band to go back into the studio and make a new Shoes record?
JOHN: We had been strolling down Memory Lane for at least a year as Mary Donnelly was gathering material for her book, Boys Don’t Lie. With those remembrances fresh in our minds, Gary, in the meantime, had carved a space out of a section of his basement and installed recording gear that he had acquired over the years. He unveiled the new studio to us in the fall of 2010. Even though Jeff had his home studio for a few years, this was a step up, as far as the quality of the gear goes. We didn’t know we’d get a full album out of it, but we began with a couple of songs and quickly booked time with our drummer, John Richardson, so that we could begin doing final versions of the songs. Every few months, we’d have him come down—he lives 5 hours north of us—so we’d have a handful of new tunes for him to drum on. In the meantime, we kept writing and building up the tracks that were already recorded.
SPAZ: How much input do you have on each other’s songs either in the writing or recording phase… and are you open to receiving creative suggestions from the other guys?
JOHN: Oh yeah we’re all open to suggestions/input from the others. It sometimes depends on how much the writer had initially done. Ideally, we’d all like to be a part of every tune, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Gary has pointed out to me that the more parts I want to play, in addition to the bass, it gets harder to fit in other ideas. But I think that holds true for all of us.
JEFF: While one writer steers the ship on their respective songs, we each toss out ideas and suggestions as we go. Sometimes, major changes happen (as in Ignition’s “Out Of Round”) and sometimes, it stays truer to the writer's original idea. But we all certainly have the opportunity to contribute. Even if we don't change the structure or make chord changes, etc. we all work together on the backing vocal parts, which are typically concocted in the studio, on the spot. We are all completely open to receiving creative suggestions at any point from demoing to mixing and all points in between.
SPAZ: The music industry was a different beast back when BVS was released. Although it’s been 35 years, do you feel that you are facing just as many challenges today as an indie band as you did then?
GARY: The challenges are quite different. The record industry has been decimated by the digital age. On one hand, few people are crying about the decline of major labels, who for decades took advantage of recording artists. On the other hand, independent labels and recording artists have also suffered. Today, I think it’s even harder for artists to making a living when so many listeners think that music should be free. Hopefully, some new platform will emerge that will offer music at affordable prices while fairly compensating artists for their work.
Thanks to Jeff Murphy, Gary Klebe and John Murphy
Special thanks to Gordon Anderson, Gabby Castellana and Linda Lester
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