THE GARY MOORE BAND – Grinding Stone

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After the breakup of Irish power trio Skid Row (not to be confused with the popular US band) in the early 70s, Gary Moore embarked on a solo career. This, the first release with Gary as band leader is credited to The Gary Moore Band. The Gary Moore Band released one album together – 1973’s ‘Grinding Stone’.

The album possesses a fair amount of power, but not always much focus. ‘Time To Heal’, with a driving, almost southern boogie approach is one of the album’s better tracks, even if it’s more Allman Brothers than Gary Moore. The only down side is that Gary chooses to deliver his vocal in his rock style voice, which seems an odd choice given the nature of the material. It’s not like he’s not found his blues voice yet, either, as he uses that to great effect elsewhere on the album. The title cut is an instrumental (just shy of ten minutes) which fuses bluesy shuffles and faint hints of jazz rock, creating something which Carlos Santana would’ve been proud to have grace one of his mid seventies albums. Gary’s fuzzy guitar playing has a sometimes bluesy edge, but no real soul. It’s aggressive, sharp and fairly unrelenting. Jan Schellhaus (later of Caravan and Camel) helps create some softer counterbalance here; his piano and electric keyboard work is decent enough given what he has to work with. As something which sounds like it was born from a blues-rock jam, it’s pleasing enough, but you’ve heard this done so much better. ’The Energy Dance’ is a short keyboard instrumental leading into ‘Spirit’. All I’ll say about this is that Jan Schellhaas spoils decent piano work by overlaying what could be the most disgusting synth noise I’ve ever heard.

The seventeen minute tour-de-force ‘Spirit’ could’ve the high point for musicianship, although by the halfway point there’s a feeling that it could’ve been truncated. There’s a fine line between tasteful showmanship and self-indulgence…and this track wobbles across that line regularly. Starting with a tight workout (which again has an Allman Brothers Band feel) it certainly starts promisingly enough. Then, during a rhythmically pleasing section which sounds like another Santana cast-off (featuring solid interplay between Moore, Schellhaas and drummer Pearse Kelly), there’s a decent groove. However, the track falls apart at the seven minute mark as it descends into spacey keyboard and guitar noodling. At this point, it ultimately becomes something which feels like unnecessary filler. Even when the drums come back and the band fall into something which carries the spirit (no pun intended) of a threatening 70s film soundtrack, the momentum never really returns, despite a half decent guitar solo.

‘Boogie My Way Back Home’ is a standard blues workout, pre-empting Gary’s main musical focus by some years. It’s a track which features a simple, but direct use of slide guitar and Gary is in fairly strong voice. The vocal high point of the album, though, comes during the ballad ‘Sail Across The Mountain’. One of Gary’s greatest early achievements, his voice ranges from soulful to pained and passionate, again hinting at his future musical direction. In many ways, if ‘Grinding Stone’ makes any long lasting impression as an album at all, it’s one which leaves the listener asking why there couldn’t have been more of this?

Not long after the release of ‘Grinding Stone’, Gary’s solo career was put on hold, as he would be drafted in to replace Thin Lizzy’s departed guitarist Eric Bell. This tenure with Lizzy would be short, with Gary finishing their 1973 tour and contributing guitar parts to three songs from their 1974 album ‘Night Life’, before joining jazz rock outfit Colosseum II. He would later return to Thin Lizzy in 1979, as a full time member, appearing on their classic LP ‘Black Rose: A Rock Legend’.

As has been well documented, Gary would go on to achieve great things. His solo career – spanning several decades from 1979 onward – going from hard rock to blues and occasionally back again – has moments of sheer brilliance… ‘Grinding Stone’, meanwhile, is still no more than a curio which shows glimpses of greatness.

January 2010

THE GREAT AFFAIRS – Ricky Took The Wheels

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Any band that mentions The Black Crowes in their bio are likely to get my attention. In the case of Tennessee’s Great Affairs, bassist Matt Andersen “only needs his Black Crowes bootlegs to survive”. The Great Affairs may cull their sound from various rootsy sounding bands, but on this second album ‘Ricky Took The Wheels’, it’s not really the Crowes who are the over-riding influence. You’ll certainly hear traces of the Black Crowes moments within the album’s twelve cuts, but no more than you might hear an influence from the latter day work of Replacements or any other number of semi-acoustic/jangly retro outfits.
None of the tracks on ‘Ricky Took The Wheels’ are particularly groundbreaking, but within its grooves, Smith and co offer twelve songs of familiar pop/rock which stand up well to repeated listens.

‘Feels Like Home’ opens the album with a decent upbeat number, full of retro jangling guitars. The music recalls ‘Don’t Tell a Soul’ era Replacements, with its great chiming chords occasionally overlaid by slide guitar. The music may have a familiar ring, but Denny Smith’s slightly ragged vocals ensure they don’t sound like clones of Minneapolis’s favourite sons. Part of the main opening riff from ‘Inside Your Head’ resembles The Black Crowes number ‘Remedy’, but that’s as far as any real influence goes. For the verses, The Great Affairs settle on a funky groove. Smith’s vocal performance is well suited to the arrangement and Andersen lends an unobtrusive harmony vocal where required. Its punchy approach makes it one of the album’s stand-outs. With a mid-paced delivery, ‘No Heart Left To Hold’ showcases The Great Affairs in a very comfortable musical setting. With uncomplicated acoustic guitars and the return of the slightly countrified slide, The Great Affairs deliver a great piece of roots rock, which, although lacking a big hook, has a very pleasing sound, with Patrick Miller’s electric guitar work providing the best feature.

‘Good Flyin’’ begins with a rumbling bass intro from Andersen, soon accompanied by a few unfussy guitar chords. Anchored by Tim Good’s basic drum pattern, this is a snapshot of The Great Affairs in a more moody setting. While the bass carries the greatest presence during this number, it’s the occasional guitar fills which create it’s best musical moments – the retro bluesy tone calls to mind a slight Hendrix influence, but more discerning listeners may hear an influence from Audley Freed, (particularly from his work on the first Cry of Love disc, ‘Brother’). The Great Affairs follow this relative aggression with a track which is almost the polar opposite: ‘You’ll Never Know’, has a strong acoustic base, and with the acoustics overlaid by subtle electric twangs, this provides a really intimate moment for the album. A hushed, slightly cracked vocal from Smith only highlights the fragile nature of the song; it’s a great number, on which, the reserved performances from all concerned should be applauded.

The stomping nature of ‘You’re Not Funny’ comes with a sharp edge and a sneer which would befit Tommy Stinson’s Bash & Pop (whose sole album is a great mix of Stones fixated material with a hint of attitude borrowed from New York Dolls). The twin guitar attack from Denny Smith and Patrick Miller is instantly attention-grabbing, and the song barely lets up over the course of its four minutes. I’m a sucker for trashy rock ‘n’ roll ethics – and like that aforementioned Bash & Pop disc, this more than fits the bill. ‘Bastard Son’ captures The Great Affairs rocking out in a retro way, it’s mix of acoustic and electric guitars creating a sound which evokes the classic rock/pop of The Connells during their more upfront moments. It features one of Smith’s best vocals; he sounds perfectly at home fronting this simple, gently rocky arrangement. Once again, it’s nothing you won’t have heard before with regard to this particular musical niche, but it’s played very well. For guitar playing highlights, the finger-picked acoustic work on ‘My Apologies’ is recommended listening. This low-key number rolls along with the intricate guitar work taking the lead, as the band’s rhythm section take a back seat. As with the album’s other quiet moments, Smith’s vocal style finds a sympathetic place within the arrangement.

On the whole, while this album may not sound wholly original, it has plenty of heart. The Great Affairs show a high level of enthusiasm and have the ability to pen decent tunes. if you own albums by The Connells or any similar semi-acoustic rock/pop bands, ‘Ricky Took The Wheels’ could be for you.

Visit The Great Affairs here.

November 2010

STRATOSPHERE – Fire Flight

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Göran Edman will be familiar to some of you as the man who provided vocals for Yngwie Malmsteen between 1990 and 1992, appearing on his ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Fire and Ice’ albums. More recently, he’s been the frontman with melodic rock outfits Street Talk, Brazen Abbott and Escape Music signings Vindictiv. He’s also stepped in as vocalist on various other projects, including a couple of releases masterminded by Flower Kings bassist Jonas Reingold. In short, in the world of European rock music, Göran has always been an “in demand” vocalist. This debut release by Stratosphere finds him fronting yet another symphonic melodic rock band; this one the brainchild of Scandinavian keyboard virtuoso Jeppe Lund.

In addition to Edman and Lund, Stratosphere features Anders Borre Mathiesen on bass, Jim McCarty on drums and Jonas Larson on guitar. While Stratosphere is credited as being Lund’s band, it’s certainly Larson who is the real star. His guitar work throughout most of the disc is top notch, provided, that is, you like your playing with a Euro neo-classical bent. It’s somewhat unsurprising that Stratosphere’s music takes the bombastic Scandi route, but the end results are, for the most part, about as good as can be for this style of rock.

‘Russian Summer’ opens with a crunchy mid-paced riff which is unmistakably European. Göran Edman takes the opportunity to make his presence felt as he hits some great notes. Jonas Larson’s solo features plenty of sweeping notes; there are plenty of great features here if this kind of hard rock is your bag – the only minor flaw being the chorus: it sounds like it should have a major hook, but try as it may, it’s not especially memorable despite carrying a decent core melody. ‘The Battle Within’ takes things up a gear with a busy guitar riff which would be typical of Yngwie Malmsteen at his best. The vocals are fairly grandiose with plenty of ‘whoah’s as backing. Honestly, given the song title, I’m sure you know what you’re getting here! …And if that’s what you want, it does not disappoint – particularly during the pre-solo bridge, as Larson hits upon a Celtic motif, backed by Lund adding pompy string sounds as backup.

I’d hoped ‘Princess of the Night’ would be a cover of the popular Saxon number from 1980, delivered with a suitable amount of energy. Instead, it presents Stratosphere’s chance to slow things down with a big power ballad. Fairly sizable backing vocals are on hand in the relevant places and Lund’s blankets of keyboards work well throughout, but it’s Edman’s lead vocal which provides this number’s best feature. He belts out his lines with effortless grace and although the pomp element to the music attempts to drown him out in a couple of places, he holds his own. Larson’s solo is a little too busy for the space it occupies, but it doesn’t spoil what’s otherwise an album standout.

With Lund’s keyboards providing one of the key musical features (thus taking the focus away from Larson’s guitar a little for a change), ‘Streets of Moscow’ offers plenty of melody. On this mid-paced rocker, Edman sounds at ease, as if he’s sung the song a thousand times. Of course, it sounds rather like something which would have graced a Malmsteen album way back when, but given Edman’s presence and Larson’s guitar style, that’s more than to be expected. I’d certainly rather listen to it than the instrumental which follows… ‘Rendezvous’ is a lightning speed neo-classical workout where Larson and Lund take turns to show off their musical prowess to levels of self-indulgence. I appreciate these guys can play (and very well at that), but once you’ve heard the opening riff, it doesn’t deviate too much from there and after four minutes, it’s quite draining.

‘VIP’ opens with an wonderful intro full of sweeping guitar lines capturing Jonas Larson on top form. After such a promising start, it’s downhill from there as the band hammer forward at full speed with predictable Yngwie Malmsteen-esque bombast. This alone wouldn’t make it too bad, particularly given the effective backing vocal arrangement, but man, some of the lyrics are appalling. Featuring lines such as “your cold eyes are bigger than your belly boy / Sobriety is a virtue, god knows / Gluttony stepping on his toes / Stand in line, not the cup of tea for a VIP”, it doesn’t bode too well. It reads badly, but as Edman works his way through them at full volume it sounds pretty ropey too. A fairly energetic guitar solo which leans towards the neo-classical works quite well, but not enough to save ‘VIP’ being a skipper. For the neo-classical fans among you, the album closes on a high note. Beginning with a huge keyboard intro which would be worthy of Don Airey, the title track is a no-nonsense instrumental number which features fantastic guitar work throughout. Granted, Larson may not have the finesse of Ritchie Blackmore, but as far as these kind of neo-classical chops are concerned, he’s got more than enough clout to match Malmsteen and many others at the top of their game. While it has it’s busy moments, it’s far classier and more restrained than ‘Rendezvous’.

‘Fire Flight’ is certainly an accomplished debut. While there are moments where some of song writing is a little hit and miss, musically, Stratosphere hit their mark with a fair amount of consistency. As such, fans of Scandinavian rock music (and fans of Göran Edman’s vocals in particular) should find this album enjoyable.

December 2010

JENNY AND JOHNNY – I’m Having Fun Now

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Jenny Lewis began to gain semi-regular mentions in the UK press in 2005 when her band Rilo Kiley’s second album ‘More Adventurous’ gained a cult following. As good as parts of that album were, it was only with the release of the following year’s ‘Rabbit Fur Coat’ – an album recorded by Lewis with The Watson Twins – she became a proper cult figure. That album’s lush songs, full of three-part harmonies steeped in old country and gospel traditions, captured her voice beautifully.

The third Rilo Kiley disc, 2007’s ‘Under The Blacklight’ was also loaded with great songs and it seemed like Jenny Lewis was on a roll. In 2008, Lewis’s first proper solo album ‘Acid Tongue’ had a similar rootsy feel to her previous outing with The Watson Twins, but stripped of the three part harmonies, the songs felt a little starker in places. Also, Lewis’s repetitive choruses meant the album wasn’t quite the masterpiece it could have been, although a suitably over the top performance from Elvis Costello comes recommended.

Many figured that Jenny would next be seen fronting Rilo Kiley once again, who by 2010 were certainly due a new release. It wasn’t to be. Instead, she teamed up with singer/songwriter Johnathan Rice, who’d previously produced her ‘Acid Tongue’ album. There was a strong possibility that Jenny and Johnny’s song writing style would be of a similar retro, heart-tugging style to that of M Ward and Zooey Deschanel – the kind featured on their She & Him albums – but instead, on this release, Jenny and Johnny offer a bunch of mostly sprightly rock-pop numbers, befitting of the album’s title, ‘I’m Having Fun Now’. Although this album has a slightly disposable nature, it’s great to hear Lewis tackling material that’s upbeat and not quite so self aware – a polar opposite to her mature side previously showcased with The Watson Twins.

‘Scissor Runner’ opens with Johnathan Rice taking lead vocal over jangly indie pop verses, which musically aren’t far removed from ‘Lovey’ era Lemonheads. This works well enough, but naturally, once Jenny Lewis adds her counter vocal and chorus harmonies, it becomes rather more special – even though the arrangement is fairly basic, with no real climax. It’s this style of 90s indie pop which Jenny and Johnny have made their forte for a good proportion of the songs featured. ‘My Pet Snakes’ has an old rock ‘n’ roll twang in places – albeit delivered in a late 90s style. While it’s music may not be as instantly enjoyable as the opening number, vocally it’s a winner. Jenny takes lead on the verse, stepping aside for Johnny for the chorus. Due to a few rather over the top ‘oohs’ placed in the backing vocal this sounds a little hit and miss, but Jenny delivers a great lead.

One of the stand out numbers ‘Big Wave’ features an upfront vocal from Lewis (with a brief harmony from Rice at the end of the chorus). With rhythm guitars crashing against a great bass line, this sounds a bit like a Rilo Kiley leftover, but more than that, it’s hard not to find more than slight influence from Juliana Hatfield and John Strohm’s work with Boston legends Blake Babies. Taking things at a slower pace, the acoustic based ‘Switchblade’ features some top harmonies. In terms of arrangement it’s very strong, with each element given more than enough space in the mix. Sounding great together, Jenny’s breathy vocals harmonize with Johnny’s plain yet enjoyable delivery.

Against a gentle, echoing guitar, ‘While Men Are Dreaming’ offers the album it’s only number which could be compared to the aforementioned She & Him. Jenny’s multi-tracked vocal lends itself well to the song’s naivety, while Johnny’s voice has been used to create a strong counter-vocal which features obvious a cappella stylings. It definitely would have worked as a true a cappella number, but the guitar adds some great textures. ‘While Men Are Dreaming’ is at odds with the rest of Jenny and Johnny’s material, but due to Jenny’s charm, it works well and lends the album a little variety.

‘Just Like Zeus’ is a sixties-inspired number where Jenny and Johnny’s harmonies are at their best. In fact, the whole band are tight – the simple drum part working particularly well – creating a number which would suit the twin harmonies of Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. It’d be great to hear them sing it, but it’s extremely unlikely we ever will. Speaking of Matthew Sweet, an influence from his ‘In Reverse’ era work can be heard throughout ‘Animal’ and ‘New Yorker Cartoon’. Maybe it’s the chiming, sixties influenced guitars; maybe it’s Johnny’s vocal style; it could even be both – there’s a confident air and a greater depth during these Sweet influenced numbers than the album’s first few tracks would ever suggest. Whatever, it’s on these numbers where Johnny really comes into his own and proves himself a more than worthy companion to Jenny’s shining vocals.

At this point, things tail off… ‘Straight Edge of the Blade’ returns things to the jangly defaults of the album’s opening numbers, albeit with weaker results. There’s nothing wrong with Jenny’s vocals here, but there’s a sense you’ve already heard this done in a superior way. The country twang of the guitars in the left speaker add a nice flourish, but on the whole, it’s little more than an okay number. With a greater focus on keyboards to flesh out the sound and an over-reliance on handclaps, ‘Slavedriver’ is upbeat enough to hold its own, but the song writing isn’t too remarkable, and also a greater focus on keyboards plus an over reliance on handclaps means the song doesn’t quite work. The closing guitar driven number, ‘Committed’, is almost as throwaway. The tune itself sounds oddly familiar and certainly provides an upbeat end to the album (with both Jenny and Johnny sounding like they had a great time), but there’s a feeling that, once again, you’ll have heard better numbers on ‘I’m Having Fun Now’.

You won’t find much originality in Jenny and Johnny’s sound; but you’ll find plenty of enjoyment if you’re a Jenny Lewis fan. The end results are often solid, and the album’s relative brevity at under 40 minutes ensures a breezy, good time affair. It’s likely the presence of Jenny Lewis that’s attracted you to this album in the first place, and as such, if you’re a Jenny Lewis devotee, you’ll certainly want to have ‘I’m Having Fun Now’ in your collection.

November 2010

THE SILVER SEAS – Château Revenge!

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In 1996, Daniel Tashian (son of country-folk duo Barry and Holly Tashian) recorded a rootsy rock influenced album named ‘Sweetie’ with legendary producer T-Bone Burnett. Despite being created with Burnett and featuring a cast of top notch session musicians (including Larry Knetchtel, Jay Joyce and the legendary Booker T Jones), the album was not a commercial success.

In 1999, following a change of musical direction, Tashian teamed up with producer Jason Lehning to form the core of The Bees, a band with a retro pop fixation. Their debut release, 2004’s ‘Starry Gazey Pie’ features some good, hooky songs and a few wandering ones. Their sophomore album ‘High Society’ has a bigger focus on 60s and 70s style hooks and is instantly enjoyable. ‘High Society’ secured The Bees a record deal with Cheap Lullaby Records who reissued the album the following year. The reissue of ‘High Society’ was credited to The Silver Seas, a moniker chosen after a British band named The Bees had gained popularity and held the rights to that name. [‘Starry Gazey Pie’ was reissued as a Silver Seas album too, though only in MP3 format].

With some of the more lightweight sixties influences taking a back seat and even more seventies power pop and pomp influences coming to the fore, this third Silver Seas release ‘Château Revenge!’ takes those influences and bends them into something near retro pop perfection.

‘Another Bad Night’s Sleep’ is an incredibly busy number driven by wall of ringing guitars. Daniel Tashian’s vocal is confident and sounds superb against the many guitar parts and tight rhythm section. It’s a strong opener and one which captures many of the best aspects of The Silver Seas’ sound. ’Jane’ is slightly simpler, very much in a jangle pop vein. With more space for the song to breathe, against a gentle backbeat, there are great fills on the electric piano. Once again, it’s Tashian’s vocal backed by crystal clear guitar work which is most likely to pull in the listener. When that voice meets well arranged harmony vocals, it’s really hard not to be captivated by The Silver Seas’ brand of power pop. During ’The Best Things In Life’, Daniel Gherke (drums) and Lex Price (bass) prove themselves as a rhythm section, with a punchy approach which barely lets up throughout the song. Again, a full band sound is padded out with string sounds. Here, there are 10cc influences bought to the table and a slightly funky vibe.

Featuring a gentle vocal delivery, solid bass and multi layered sound, ‘What’s The Drawback?’ uncover an absolute love of Jeff Lynne. While they’ve not stooped to the squishy drum sound and vocals that sound like Sparky’s Magic Piano, there are definite influences from ‘Evil Woman’, ‘Sweet Talking Woman’ and other 70s classics. Bringing the point home with a nod and a wink, ELO even earn a namecheck in the song before a quick burst of strings recalls an old ELO tune. A beautifully played guitar solo shows a great amount of restraint and sounds like a cross between ‘That Lady’ by The Isley Brothers and classic Steely Dan, all in all making this one of the best songs on the album. Equally fantastic, ‘Somebody Said Your Name’, offers plenty of similarly busy 70s pop, as a slightly distorted bass and electric piano lead a confident feel-good number. Tashian is in great vocal form here, but it’s the music which makes it so captivating. There’s a musical tightness and perfection here worthy of Todd Rundgren’s 1973 masterpiece ‘Something/Anything’.

‘Home & Dry’ changes the mood, bringing things down from a level of 70s brilliance to more sedate singer-songwriter territory. At first Tashians voice and acoustic guitar dominate the arrangement. As the track progresses there’s backing from mandolin (obviously an influence from Tashian’s parents), and then with the band joins – the fuzz bass and drums adding a punch, string sounds adding colour. Also more subtle, ‘From My Windowsill’ provides the album’s melancholy AM radio moment, strings, organs, a twangy guitar solo and soft harmony vocals are all delivered with The Silver Seas’ magnificence – creating something big, but without bombast.

‘Candy’ is full of Todd Rundgren-esque grandiosity. The musical arrangement has everything thrown at it – including the ubiquitous strings and huge backing vocals, hovering somewhere between The Beach Boys and ELO. Buried within the kitchen sink approach, there are the sounds of sparingly used glockenspiels. Granted, it doesn’t feature the retro-pop sleigh bells which have a habit of creeping in with things like this, but frankly, there just isn’t room! ‘What If It Isn’t Out There’ showcases soul influences in its vocal stylings. While the huge harmony vocals provide a big hook, it’s Lex Price’s unshakable bass playing which grabs the attention. By turns both solid and warm, the bass sound here is fantastic. The slightly fuzzy, noisy guitar solo feels a little out of character for The Silver Seas, but this has been balanced out by the addition of string backing and the fact it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

‘Help Is On The Way’ makes decent use of a twangy guitar, an uneasy string break and a busy keyaboard loop. While parts of the arrangement are great (some nice backing vocals), this is one of the weaker numbers, due to the band not really cashing in on a potential hook. It’s weaker than most of the album for sure, but measured against most band’s standards it’s still better than filler material.

‘Those Streets’ has moments where the ringing guitars and electric pianos from other Silver Seas numbers are present, but its punchiness is more in keeping with 90s style indie-rock than 70s pop/rock. Daniel Gherke’s drumming takes the reigns for an upbeat number with a decent chorus. Tashian adopts his preferred ringing guitar tone again, and throughout this number it becomes rather insistent – almost relentless – despite only being present on the right channel, in an old fashioned stereo display. [In fact, this album would have sounded superb presented in a 5.1 mix, since it’s as multi-layered as any of the better known Flaming Lips recordings which were issued in that format].

The album closes on a rather more subtle note with ‘Kid’, an optimistic ballad, with Tashian leading things with his acoustic guitar. By the songs end, it’s transformed into a piece of sweeping beauty, with lavish strings. In a slightly tongue in cheek moment at the albums close, Tashian introduces the band members like a Vegas showman. As the album ends, as a listener, it feels like the end of a great journey into a world of cool retro pop.

It may sound like a big claim, but ‘Château Revenge!’ is one of the finest power pop albums ever. Each of its twelve songs offers the listener something great – and it really sounds like an album in the old-fashioned sense, as opposed to a collection of songs. Since the Jellyfish albums became the yardstick by which all power pop releases were measured in the 1990s and forever beyond, in a perfect world, ‘Château Revenge!’ would be the album to which all others aspire to in the 21st Century. An indispensible disc.

November 2010