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NEW!! DESERT ISLAND SONG CONTEST Picture this... you are stranded on a desert island...but you are fortunate enough to have with you your favorite 40 songs to play.These could be any recorded track of any kind of music...but they have to be songs (as opposed to entire symphonic suites or albums). Send me a list of your 40 favorite songs and I will post them. Make sure you include the artist as well as the title. Feel free to expound on your choices or to defend a guilty pleasure! If you want to start a list and add on to it as you think of new tracks that you couldn't live without, Record Boy will gladly update your lists every week. BE SURE TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF BY PUTTING IN YOUR NAME OR E-MAIL ADDRESS! HERE ARE MY TOP 40 SONGS: There will of course be some crummy PRIZE when the contest is over! Click here to read the DESERT ISLAND SONG ENTRIES so far! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TURN ME ON!! Record Boy knows that you have something brilliant in
your music collection that most people have never heard of. Maybe it’s
something you have on vinyl that has never been issued as a CD. Or maybe it’s
something you downloaded on the web. Here’s your chance to turn people on! As
long as it’s not a gold or platinum selling record it’s valid! Wanna Talk about Jane Siberry or Duncan Brown or The Shaved Monkeys? Here's yer chance!! Click here to send your entry!
Click HERE to get turned on!
Music Trivia Contest! Click here to participate in this weeks Trivia Contest! See who won last week! __________________________________________________________________________ SOUND OFF! REVIEWS... Record Boy thinks everyone's musical opinion is valid. Send me your reviews and see the
best ones posted here!
JAY GILBERT’S CONSUMER GUIDE TO POWER POP: 1. Cheap Trick "Cheap Trick" Debut album by the Rockford fab four featuring "Oh Candy", "He's A Whore" and "Mandocello". Produced by Jack Douglas (John Lennon "Double Fantasy"). 2. The Posies "Dear 23" Major label debut featuring "Suddenly Mary", "Golden Blunders" and my personal favorite; "Everyone Moves Away". Produced by John Leckie and The Posies. 3. Jellyfish "Spilt Milk" Both Jellyfish albums are wonderful. Fans are only divided by those that prefer "Bellybutton" and those that prefer "Spilt Milk". You couldn't go wrong with either. Produced by Albhy Galuten (Bee Gees), Jack Joseph Puig, Andy and Roger. 4. Crowded House "Crowded House" Neil Finn is a poet. Beautifully written songs; "Mean To Me", "Something So Strong" and the radio hit "Don't Dream It's Over". Produced by Mitchell Froom. 5. Big Star "#1 Record" Big Star benefited from the strong songwriting of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell. The songs sound as fresh and vibrant today as they did in 1972. The Posies and The Bangles are just two of the many artists that cite the band as a major influence. 6. The Rembrandts "Untitled" Infectious pop. Written, arranged, recorded and produced by The Rembrandts. IMHO, the duo of Phil Solem and Danny Wilde are in the top class of modern pop songwriting teams with Auer/Stringfellow (The Posies) and Difford/Tillbrook (Squeeze). 7. Enuff Z'nuff "Seven" This is not an 80's hair band! Yes, they are a bit heavier than some power pop bands, but "Enuff" mix Beatlesque harmonies with electric guitars and a driving beat. They continue to attract a very dedicated following. 8. Badfinger "Magic Christian Music" Badfinger was one of the very first bands of the genre. Their ties with The Beatles may have helped launch them but great songwriting sustained them. For an inside look at the tragic story of Badfinger, check out the book "Without You" by Dan Matovina (Frances Glover Books) 9. Phil Keaggy "Sunday's Child" Phil is known more for his guitar playing and Christian music but in 1988 he recorded an amazing power pop album. With his sweet McCartney-like voice, Phil and his band Sunday's Child rip through an album recorded the old-fashioned way (no electronic drums, keyboards or synthesizers). 10. The Smithereens "Especially For You" In 1986 The Smithereens released their finest pure pop album with gems "Strangers When We Meet", "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" and "Groovy Tuesday". Produced by Don Dixon. Newer Power Pop Power Pop Discoveries 1. The Orange Humble Band "Assorted Creams" The first time I heard this I kept thinking that the singer sounded a lot like Ken Stringfellow of the Posies. I later found out that it was Ken Stringfellow of the Posies! Great package, even better CD. Catchy as hell. Some Posies fans were disappointed by Ken's solo record (I wasn't). This should make them happy. 2. Jason Faulkner "Can You Still Feel?" Jason is probably best known for his creative guitar work with Jellyfish, The Grays and The Three O'Clock. Like Most great pop, it takes a few listens to fully appreciate his singing and songwriting talents. Produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's "OK Computer"). 3. Owsley "Owsley" My Nashvillian pal David Sanders turned me on to Owsley by way of an unmarked demo CDR. I was blown away. After a little investigation I found out that Will Owsley used to play in a band called the Semantics (signed to Geffen but never released) with Ringo's son and future star Ben Folds. He's done touring duty with Amy Grant and Shania Twain but his heart is 100% pop. EVERY song on the demo CD (and subsequent Giant Records release) is absolutely incredible. 4. The Tuesdays "The Tuesdays" Five Swedish girls in the tradition of The Bangles & Go Gos. Infectious hook-filled songs with excellent vocals and production. They pull off an incredible cover of "Wheels" by Enuff Z'Nuff but the first two songs "Too Late To Be Good" and "It's Up To You" are the potential radio hits. 5. Neil Finn "Try Whistling This" This is the first actual solo record by the former singer/songwriter of Split Enz, Crowded House and Finn Brothers fame. "She Will Have Her Way" and "Sinner" are stand outs. Weird thing about Neil Finn songs, there is so much more to them than initially meets the ear, that you grow to enjoy and appreciate each song more and more with each listen. 6. The Rembrandts + Danny Wilde "Spin This" A Danny Wilde solo record, really, as Phil Solem left after "LP". "Spin This" is full of tight arrangements and wonderful vocals. "Shakespeare's Tragedy" would be a hit if radio played music based on melody rather than format. 7. Skycycle "Breathing Water" EP Reminds me a bit of Jellyfish and The Tories. Good power pop, especially "Last Girl On Earth". __________________________________________________________________________Just Like the Record High Fidelity Complements the Book, Surprise, Surprise by Eddie Rivera I read the book. Twice. I gave it to friends. I even gave a copy to a well-known major recording artist (I'll never tell). British novelist Nick Hornby's 1995 novel High Fidelity was just that kind of rare surprise—a book that captured that feeling of why we love rock music and why we are such love-struck geeks for it. The book's hero, Rob Fleming, die-hard owner of a London record store, deeply understands the power of music, its effect on the psyche and why owning two Simple Minds CDs is a "war crime." He understands, for example, the importance of Solomon Burke, who you have never heard of. John Cusack, who produced and stars in the new film version of the book, holds the character close for good reason. When the film was announced two years ago, I held my breath and hoped against hope that it would come close to the flavor of the original effort. Cusack understood completely, and spent long hours, it was reported, agonizing over what songs would appear in the musically meticulous film. How meticulous? One character wears a Love and Rockets T-shirt. But not the T-shirt of that foppy, early ’90s English twit band. He wears the T-shirt from whence the band name was stolen—the original comic book of Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez. To the credit of both Cusack and director Stephen Frears, the film, now set in Chicago, makes no concession to anything near adult contemporary radio. There are no current radio hits just to bring snot-nosed teens in. The music, from the opening Kinks tune to the unappreciated soul gems, is treated with kid gloves, and not just mood music. The only snot-nosed teens in the film, rock, by the way, and are clearly on their way to becoming the snot-nosed adults in the film. And those adults, especially Cusack (renamed Rob Gordon), grapple with relationships, aging, career decisions and top ten lists ("Top Ten Jobs," "Top Ten Songs for Monday Morning," you get the idea), throughout the clever, entertaining film. Cusack loses girl, organizes records, meets girl, and organizes more records throughout, and we feel his pain to hilarious degrees. Director Frears makes the best of Hornby's original narrative by having Cusack "break the third wall" and speak sections directly to the audience. We know all his thoughts. He says them out loud. That's one simple and effective way for Frears to acknowledge that the book wrote it better than he can show it. Know someone who owns too many records? One who lusts to strap on a Fender Stratocaster and strum it loud on stage, just once? One who studies liner notes for research and life strategies? Take them to see High Fidelity. It's one way to get on their Top Ten list. ©2000 Arroyo Seco Journal Dr John Live at the Dominion Theatre, London 12 March 2000 Laissez le bon temps roulet, it's Malcolm 'Mac' Rebennack, aka Dr John the Night Tripper.He still plays honky tonk piano like he's in the parlor of a N'Awlins cat house, and the gravel in his voice is as deep and throaty as it's ever been. At 59 this year, the man has reinvented himself more times than Madonna, having survived his funk, glitter and voodoo stages to become one of the elder statesmen of rock and honky tonk flavored jazz. His home grown New Orleans R&B trio opened the evening with a patented groove to allow the good doctor to strut to the grand piano at centre stage.The audience was peculiar in that the twenty-somethings looked a bit out of place.It was the biggest collection of 40-60 year olds with long white hair (bald-on-top not withstanding) on this wee island since Members of Parliament wore wigs. I felt positively youthful as a salt & pepper fortysomething... It has to be said that the Dominion Theatre at Tottenham Court Road and it's West End musical sound system did not do justice to the performance - the bass and midrange sounds were muddy and the highs were a bit tinny.Dr John cut through most of this when he sang and played piano.A few Ellington songs were given the Rebennack treatment from his new album, "Duke Elegant". The doctor switched from the grand to the organ for these tunes - mostly instrumental versions - to mixed results.Without the percussive piano and the twangy voice,sadly, the sound system failed to deliver the quality of the performance. About a half hour into the set, Dr John brought out former Squeeze member and local London hero, Jools Holland, to sit in the rest of the evening on Hammond B-3 organ.Jools played the sideman with great grace, mostly adding a dash of color or a spot of punctuation save for 2 solo spots where he got to show off his chops, which are quite spectacular. In spite of the wildman Night Tripper moniker, Dr John shined brightest when he played the standards, like Gus Kahn's "Makin' Whoopie" (which he recorded as a duet for the "Sleepless In Seattle" soundtrack with Rickie Lee Jones), and the encore "So Long"."Such A Night" was another blast from the past highlight.He got the crowd on its feet a few times, but "Right Place, Wrong Time" remains the silver bullet in his arsenal. The house rocked. Someday, my dream ticket would be to see Dr John playing standards in a nightclub with a big band (Jools Holland has a 12 piece that would do quite nicely!)and a good sound system.Maybe I'll have to go to New Orleans for that show. Barry Golin ©2000 Morebass Media |