Days of Our Lives DVD (Eagle Vision)

This “Definitive Documentary of the World’s Greatest Rock Band” was first aired last year on BBC TV Two in two parts. Now commercially available in DVD, the documentary is well worth repeated viewings especially if you are a Queen fan, which I wager would be quite a lot of you out there.

As a fan myself, it is easy to be caught in the thrill of Queen’s early years as they released one exciting album after another – A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, News of the World, Jazz and The Game – racking out numerous worldwide chart hit singles in the process. Some contemporary insight is provided by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and previously unseen footage is also brought to bear in order to flesh the incredible success that Queen obviously was (and still is)

The latter half of the documentary comes to a sad conclusion naturally with the untimely death of singer Freddie Mercury 20 years ago in 1991. It is difficult not to be choked by emotion if like me, you loved Mercury for his incredible talent, showmanship and charisma. The interviews can get almost unbearably personal as May and Taylor share their last memories of Mercury on video.

At the end there is a sense that even in this day and age, Queen’s legacy remains strong and May/Taylor have done a good job to ensure that the music of Queen will never be forgotten. Essential for all Queen fans.

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND/LOVE LIES BLEEDING

It begins with the tolling of a bell, ambient noises and the howling wind and proceeds into a pseudo-classical piano instrumental, with synthesizers and lead guitar weighing for good measure. This is Funeral For A Friend, the first half of an amazing opening track to Elton John’s legendary Goodbye Yellow Brick Road double LP, released in 1973. The instrumental would take on Spanish-Flamenco nuances as the track builds up momentum and an emotional crescendo.

Not merely content with such an illuminating tone, the instrumental segues into Love Lies Bleeding, a blues-rock tale of heartbreak. With a memorable piano chord pattern and guitar riff, John begins to sing “The roses in the window box are tilted to one side…” By the time the song reaches its chorus, the listener is hooked by the power and the glory of this awesome track. With his crack backing band (Dee Murray – bass, Nigel Olsson – drums, Davey Johnstone – guitars, Ray Cooper – percussion) in full flight – including heavenly harmonies that will guarantee chills down spine – the performance is measured and muscular at the same time.

Then, an instrumental bridge revisits the motif of Funeral For A Friend once more before Johnstone’s lead guitar sears and soars its way into classic rock immortality as John and band meld into one driving awe-inspring rock machine! Not forgetting to mention, Murray incandescent bass lines which belie the relative simplicity of the song itself.

A fantastic way to open a rock masterpiece that also included the masterly Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, amongst many other sonic gems. If you only listen to ten classic rock songs from the 70s, this has to be one of them. Check out the video below if you know what’s good for you…

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

For most Queen listeners, Bohemian Rhapsody (and the Night of the Opera album) is often the starting point for a devotion to this special band. However, Sheer Heart Attack (Queen’s 3rd LP) provides the template upon which the band would refine and build up for the rest of their exalted careers.

On Sheer Heart Attack, Queen demonstrated the versatility and eclecticism that would mark them as a iconoclastic band and rid them of the unfavorable comparisons with Led Zeppelin which unfairly burdened them on Queen and Queen II albums. Structured as a loose suite consisting of shorter vignette’s songs covering a variety of ‘genres’/styles, Sheer Heart Attack is dazzling in this respect.

Mostly remembered for Freddie Mercury’s infectious hit, Killer Queen, there is much much more to be discovered on Sheer Heart Attack. Notably, guitarist Brian May weighs in with subsequent live favorites Brighton Rock and Now I’m Here, both tracks showcasing May’s deftness with guitar effects, as he began to establish himself as one of rock’s finest guitar players. Not only that but on the dreamy She Makes Me (Stormtroopers in Stilettos) and the fragile Dear Friends, May proved himself to be a songwriting equal to Mercury himself.

Mercury contributed half of the album – displaying a breathtaking breadth of material e.g. the dramatic Flick of the Wrist, the gorgeous Lily of the Valley, the epic In the Laps of the Gods and the authentic period piece, Bring Back That Leroy Brown. Whilst drummer Roger Taylor’s Tenement Funster is the weakest on the LP, bassist John Deacon gives indication of his pop savvy with the highly catchy Misfire. With Stone Cold Crazy – one the few Queen tracks credited to all four members – the band delivers a proto-metal song that would influenced the likes of Metallica in the years ahead.

The latest reissue contains a great bonus track of an accapella vocal mix of Bring Back That Leroy Brown, which is simply awesome! What could this amazing band not do? There is little doubt in my mind, there will never be another band like Queen ever again. For me, this is where the legend properly begins…

[amazon-slideshow height="250" width="300"]462b5fbc-6679-4feb-b1ed-053d98b8ddc6[/amazon-slideshow]

Originally posted at Fufkin.com about a decade ago. Thanks to Sameer for the inspiration to dig it out…

Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons died in 1973 of a drug overdose aged 26 at Joshua Tree, California.

27 years later, his influence is greater than ever. Yet, he died in relative obscurity. Gram left behind a small body of work that continues to touch, excite and inspire musicians to this very day — Gram called his work, Cosmic American Music.

And it is the potency of Cosmic American Music that moved the likes of Sheryl Crow, the Pretenders, Beck, Juliana Hatfield et al to pay tribute to this legend in the Return of the Grievous Angel album.

Recognized as the forerunner in blending the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic to country music, Gram was smitten by the allure of rock ‘n’ roll from a young age. At nine, he watch Elvis Presley perform at his school and the experience had a huge affect on young Gram and Elvis remained his hero and inspiration throughout his creative life.

Rock ‘n’ roll provided Gram with the escape that he needed from his traumatic childhood – his sad and melancholic memories captured vividly in the verse and chords of the finest country music.

Gram was born Cecil Ingram Connor on November 5, 1946. He was the grandson of John Snivley, who owned about one-third of all the citrus fields in Florida. Snivley’s daughter married Coon Dog Connor. When he was 12, Gram’s father committed suicide. After Connor’s death, Gram and his mother moved in with her parents in Winter Haven, Florida; a year after the move, his mother married Robert Parsons, who adopted Gram and his name was legally changed. In 1965, Gram graduated from high school; on the same day he graduated, his mother died of alcohol poisoning.

Though blessed with family wealth, Gram was obsessed with rock music. His background had managed to get him into Harvard to study theology but Gram’s thoughts and attention were elsewhere. He spent only one semester at Harvard and while he was there, he spent more time playing music than attending classes. During this time he formed the International Submarine Band (with guitarist John Nuese, bassist Ian Dunlop and drummer Mickey Gauvin) possibly the first “country rock” band ever. The group spent a year developing a heavily country-influenced rock & roll sound and ultimately secured a record contract with the LHI record label. The group’s only album, Safe at Home, was released in early 1968, but by the time it appeared in the stores, the group had already disbanded.

Gram had hooked up with Chris Hillman of the legendary Byrds and was brought into the band, ostensibly, to replace the departed David Crosby (soon to form Crosby, Stills and Nash). Gram literally turned the Byrds on their collective ear, convincing Hillman and Roger McGuinn to record a country-inflected album – Sweetheart of the Rodeo – that caught the music world by surprise.

Although the Byrds would continue to pursue the country rock direction, they would do so without Gram, as he left the band before a controversial South African tour. Gram decided to spend that time with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, and would be directly influential on many of the Stones’ countrified material on Beggar’s Banquet, Let It Bleed, Brown Sugar and Exile on Main Street.

Chris Hillman had left the Byrds shortly after Gram and the duo formed the Flying Burrito Brothers in late 1968. The pair enlisted pedal steel guitarist “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow and bassist Chris Ethridge to complete the band’s lineup and recorded their debut album with a series of session drummers. The Gilded Palace of Sin, the Flying Burrito Brothers debut album, was released in 1969. Although the album only sold a few thousand copies, the group gathered a dedicated cult following, A second album — titled Burrito Deluxe — appeared in the spring of 1970, but by that time the restless spirit that was Gram had left the band.

By this time, Gram’s associations with Keith Richards had developed a bad habit – drug addiction, in particular heroin. In the two years after he left the Flying Burrito Brothers, he hung out with the Stones, began writing material for his solo album and most significantly met Emmylou Harris. With the same musicians who had played on Elvis’ classic recordings (viz James Burton, Glen D Hardin and Ronnie Tutt.) together with Emmylou Harris on backing vocals, Gram recorded GP which was released late in 1972 to good reviews but poor sales. Subsequently, Gram embarked on a small tour with his backing band, the Fallen Angels. After the tour was completed, they entered the studio to record his second album, Grievous Angel. Gram would die before the release of Grievous Angel, cut off in his prime. In his wake, his legacy inspired a host of artists who shared his vision of a new Americana, amongst them — Elvis Costello, Uncle Tupelo (and the splinter bands Wilco and Son Volt), the Jayhawks, Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr, the Long Ryders and more recently, the Scud Mountain Boys, the Pernice Brothers, Beachwood Sparks, Sparklehorse and the Continental Drifters. Gram may be long gone but his siren song will never be forgotten. “I started out younger at most everything All the riches and treasures, what else does life bring But it makes me feel bitter Each time it begins Calling me home, Hickory Wind”

ABBA Gold: The Greatest Hits (Polar/Universal)

Facts speak for themselves. To date, Swedish quartet ABBA has sold 375 million albums, and still move 2 to 3 million units from year to year. So, this greatest hits compilation really lives up to its name. What was ABBA’s secret? The usual. Great songs, great hooks, great production, instrumentation and arrangements. That used to be the formula, in any case.

It didn’t hurt that ABBA was fronted by two beautiful women (Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog) whilst Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson took care of songwriting, arrangements and production duties. Also added to this potent mix was the intriguing fact that the group was consisted of two married couples (Lyngstad and Andersson/Fältskog and Ulvaeus) though both marriages would later dissolve.

But ultimately, it was all about those wonderful hit songs – SOS, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Take A Chance On Me, Fernando and so on. ABBA’s influence on pop music is still strongly felt even today through the hit musical Mamma Mia and the likes of Madonna and Kylie Minogue. This collection also comes with a DVD of promo videos, which provide enough nostalgia for old fans and retro fun for new fans. Utterly essential.

Official Site

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0046K1FZY[/amazon-product]

Thirty years ago, the 80s began (we thought we’d got John Lennon back but he was all too quickly taken away from us. Damn). I had just been conscripted and had begun to take pop and rock music appreciation seriously. Through the next ten years, I would discover amazing music and bands which to this day continue to thrill and touch me. During the 80s, I got out of army, did four years at Law School, got my degree, got a job, got married and became a father. Music was the soundtrack to it all. People often ask me about the best music of the 80s, so in the spirit of answering that question, here is part one of my top 25 essential LPs of the 80s (in alphabetical order, not by merit).

Architecture & Morality – OMD (1981)

At once experimental and mellifluous, synth-pop pioneers OMD combined its Kraftwerk obsessions with its love for pop melody with devastating effect. Still resonates to this day in the form of numerous synth-pop imitators. Contains the hits Souvenir, Joan Of Arc and Maid of Orleans (see video below).

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00008NF6J[/amazon-product]

Avalon – Roxy Music (1982)

After a short hiatus, Roxy Music returned with the core nucleus of Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay and a new sound. Eschewing the art-rock of its former incarnation, this lineup focused on slick, cool funk/R&B/dance music and launched the new romantic movement. Avalon was the crowning achievement. Contains the hits Avalon, More Than This and Take A Chance on Me.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0000256VK[/amazon-product]

Doolittle – Pixies (1989)

At the tail end of the 80s, Pixies sounded like they came from another dimension altogether. Arguable, Doolittle was their finest moment and its influence would be heard all over the world two years later when Nirvana broke. No hits to report, but from this legendary album came incendiary majesties like Monkey Gone To Heaven, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man and one of my favourite songs of all time, Debaser.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B000065PUE[/amazon-product]

Freedom – Neil Young (1989)

Neil spent the 80s screwing around with diverse genres (synth-pop, country, rockabilly) so much that his label, Geffen, sued him for “unrepresentative music”. Of course, the moment he re-signed with former label, Reprise, he delivered an album that turned out to be the comeback of 1989 – Freedom – a superb return to form! Contains his anthem Keep On Rocking in the Free World (see below) and other instant classics like Eldorado, Wrecking Ball and Don’t Cry.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B000002LHM[/amazon-product]

Full Moon Fever – Tom Petty (1989)

Petty’s first album sans the Heartbreakers (although most guested and Mike Campbell was heavily involved) turned out to be one of his biggest albums ever. Funny to think that the label could not hear any hits (!) and in fact hated megahit Free Fallin’. Which goes to show that the suits know sweet FA about music! Full Moon Fever was co-produced with ELO’s Jeff Lynne and is one of those albums you can listen to from start to finish. Includes Runnin’ Down A Dream, I Won’t Back Down, Love is a Long Road and of course, Free Fallin’. All together now “Now ah’m free…”

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B000002O5L[/amazon-product]

…still there’s more…

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE ROLLING STONES DVD (Eagle Vision)

This legendary Rolling Stones concert film, shot over four nights in Texas during the Exile On Main Street tour in 1972, was released in cinemas for limited engagements in 1974 and has remained largely unseen since. Now, restored and remastered, Ladies and Gentlemen makes its first authorized appearance on DVD.

For me this is the Stones at their absolute peak. With a set list drawn mainly from classic albums Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street and with the Stones playing live in the USA again after a three-year hiatus, the energy is palpable. Watching this now in 2010, it’s easy to wax lyrical about the “good old days” but how not to feel nostalgic when you see the bell bottoms, platform shoes and androgynous looks that rock music fashion was all about in the early 70s?

Also worth nothing was the vital contribution of guitarist Mick Taylor who’s slide guitar licks defined the Stones sound during this heady period. The Stones were roots rockers at heart and songs usually covered the kind of blues-rock (e.g. Brown Sugar, Gimme Shelter, Happy) and country-blues (Dead Flowers, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia) that has influenced scores of bands to this present day.

Also included in this DVD, two very different interviews with Mick Jagger. One conducted in the early 70s and the other in 2010. It’s intriguing to see what Jagger was like at his prime (a bit nonchalant, incongruously shy and rather casual – his comments about T.Rex/Marc Bolan especially illuminating). Compare this to Jagger now, businesslike, almost like talking to the CEO of a major corporation (which I guess he is!) and coming across as a little boring. Is that a product of age or is this the “true” Jagger? Interesting nonetheless.

A must-have for rock scholars everywhere (and Stones fans, of course)!!

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B003W5C0VW[/amazon-product]

Well, somewhere in the world it’s still John’s 70th (!) birthday so here’s a PoPTV dedication to my favorite singer-songwriter-musician of all time.

(Just Like) Starting Over (from Double Fantasy)

It was more the painful to realize that when John was murdered, he had just revived his recording career and the future seemed so bright…

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00004WGEK[/amazon-product]Mind Games (from Mind Games)

Video features New York City, John’s second home and final resting place…

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00006L3S3[/amazon-product]Revolution (from the Beatles – Past Masters)

There’s no denying the power of this song – whatever your leanings – which would define John’s purpose in the early 70s.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0025KVLVA[/amazon-product]

John Lennon would have been 70 (!) if he were still alive today. Come December, he would have been dead for 30 (!) years. Yet John still lives on in the hearts of millions worldwide not only because of his music but also because of his personality. It’s no exaggeration for me to say that as a musician & songwriter, John is (and probably always be) the biggest influence and inspiration on my music.

Like many of my generation, I was totally enthralled by the magic that was the Beatles and growing up, I modeled my musical style very much on John – John was able to write about anything that touched or moved him – there were no boundaries, as far as he was concerned.

I still look to John as a musical inspiration – especially for his integrity of purpose, his humor and social conscience. John relied very much on (and trusted) his own intuition when it came to most things, even though he was responsible (with Paul McCartney) for mind-blowing imagination in songs like Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry Fields Forever and I Am The Walrus, he believed in baring his soul in his music as well, in later songs like Julia, Ballad of John & Yoko, Mother, Cold Turkey, Jealous Guy and so on.

It would be impossible to study the history of popular music without acknowledging John’s tremendous contributions, I will endeavor to pay him due tribute in the Power of PopCast at 11pm (GST +8) tomorrow (Sunday, 10th Oct).

“You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one.”

RSVP at Facebook

JELLYFISH

Sophisticated orchestral pop (think Sgt. Peppers/Pet Sounds/Odessey & Oracle/Forever Changes) has never really gone out of style; it has merely gone underground. The Divine Comedy, The High Llamas and Eric Matthews are other notable modern practitioners that easily come to mind.

However, back at the dawn of this decade, Californian band Jellyfish made an ambitious attempt to evoke those glorious albums with what many power pop enthusiasts have labeled as the one true pop classic of the nineties – Spilt Milk.

[amazon-product image="61kwxDOafrL._SL160_.jpg" type="image"]B000002URU[/amazon-product]

Built around the creative nucleus of Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning, Jellyfish had (with guitarist Jason Falkner) released an exciting debut, Bellybutton in 1990. Strongly influenced by The Beatles and the Beach Boys via such Seventies icons as Queen, Todd Rundgren, 10cc and Supertramp, Bellybutton contained gorgeous gems like The King is Half-Undressed, That Is Why, The Man I Used To Me and I Wanna Stay Home. The album sold a respectable quarter of a million copies and the band enjoyed a successful tour with close friends and fans Black Crowes.

However, their cartoony Alice-in-Wonderland image did them no favours with the mainstream rock press and this also affected the overall impact of Bellybutton. Sturmer and Manning were determined to get things absolutely right with their follow-up effort.

[amazon-product image="61GYd3qt-kL._SL160_.jpg" type="image"]B000002US5[/amazon-product]

In the meantime, Falkner had left to pursue more creative avenues with The Grays and bass player Tim Smith was recruited. With Bellybutton producer Alby (Saturday Night Fever) Galuten returning and guest guitarists Lyle Workman (Bourgeois Tagg) and Jon Brion (the Grays) filling in for the departed Falkner, Jellyfish set out to record their masterpiece.

It took them the better part of six months but the results were definitely worth the hassles. Spilt Milk is a joyous smorgasbord of musical ideas and influences. From the opening soft lullaby Hush which recalls Beach Boys-meet-Queen vocal gymnastics to the power mini-suite Joining A Fanclub; from the nursery rhyme inspired Sebrina Paste + Plato (complete with the kindergarten sing-a-long) to the Beatlesque New Mistake (perfected by its Harrisonesque tracked slide guitar solo); from the Pets Sounds evocative middle of The Ghost Of Number One to the raucous Supertramp ish wedding band set up of Bye Bye Bye; from the noise-driven sweetness of All Is Forgiven to the tranquil beauty of Russian Hill; Spilt Milk is bursting at the seams with intricate arrangements, vivid gags and the confident ambition of a band who were brave enough to demand from their music (and their listeners) more than your standard three minute ditty.

Unfortunately, Spilt Milk was released to a media and an audience deeply mired into the first wave of grunge and Jellyfish were soundly mocked for the very things that made their music so wonderful. By mid-1994, Jellyfish were no more but at least they left us with one of THE album of the nineties.

(NB. Article was first published in 2000 at www.fufkin.com)

It’s Friday and PoPTV is in the mood for classics of the post-punk era…

The Pretenders – Back on the Chain Gang (1982)

Chrissie Hynde is still going strong and Pretenders will be touring Oz soon… someone bring them to Singapore!

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B000002LD7[/amazon-product]The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star (1979)

Still gives me goosebumps when I see this. First music video ever played on MTV. Classic indeed.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0000257O9[/amazon-product]The Jam – When You’re Young (1979)

Probably my favorite band of this special era – sharp pop energy!

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0000076ET[/amazon-product]The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me (1980)

I wanted to be Sting back then Grateful that I saw them during the reunion tour at Indoor Stadium – would have been great to have seen them in the early 80s but better late than never.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B000PHX4VA[/amazon-product]

OMD – Enola Gay (1980)

Fell head over heels in love with this when I first heard it all those years ago and it still works for me! Old and new music colliding… the likes of which we’ll never hear again…

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B000002GHV[/amazon-product]Wow… I could go on and on and on…and there’s more…

KNOW YOUR MUSIC HISTORY, KIDZ!!!

A WIZARD A TRUE STAR: TODD RUNDGREN IN THE STUDIO by Paul Myers (Jawbone Press)

“Todd’s aphorism was, ‘If you know what you want, I’ll get it for you. If you don’t know what you want, I’ll do it for you.’” Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group)

Todd Rundgren is without doubt, one of the giants of rock music: not only as a solo singer-songwriter-performer but also as the mastermind behind progressive rock ensemble Utopia. And if that was not enough, Rundgren is one of the most prolific and successful producers as well.

In my humble opinion his solo albums – Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything?, A Wizard A True Star and Todd are essential 70s LPs. Add to this list, Rundgren has produced iconic albums for inter alia Sparks, New York Dolls, Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, Meat Loaf, Patti Smith Group, The Tubes, Tom Robinson Band, XTC, Psychedelic Furs, Cheap Trick, Bourgeois Tagg, The Pursuit of Happiness, Bad Religion and Steve Hillage.

*Whew*

So if you want to know how this amazing track record was put together then, this Paul Myers-authored book provides the answers as Myers speaks to Rundgren and many of the bands and artists who worked with Rundgren during those heady times. You might say that A Wizard A True Star gives us the skinny on Rundgren’s recording process and methods.

So, the book is not a bio (although it does feature biographical elements) and focuses on the recording sessions of the bulk of Rundgren’s recording/production career to date. For fans of 70s and 80s music, there will be albums you will zero in on whether Rundgren solo, Utopia or band production.

My personal faves?

The making of my favorite Rundgren album – A Wizard A True Star – how Rundgren took money earned from the massive success of Something/Anything? to invest in his own studio with keyboardist Moogy Klingman, which gave him the freedom to construct his sonic masterpiece. The fraught sessions with XTC’s Andy Partridge that produced the excellent Skylarking album. The close relationship between Rundgren and Patti Smith that resulted in the legendary Wave album. And so on…

It truly boggles the mind what Rundgren has achieved in his vast career and reading A Wizard A True Star puts all of it into proper perspective. And… once you’ve read it, you gonna want to check out those wondrous albums…

… and there’s more …

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]1906002339[/amazon-product]

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA LIVE – THE EARLY YEARS (Eagle Vision)

In today’s depressed music industry, it’s hard to believe that once upon a time, bands might not make the major breakthrough till their 4th or even 5th album. And record labels would have the patience to allow these bands to do so. For Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), their breakthrough came with 6th (!) album, New World Record which sold 5 million units within the first year of its release!

This DVD compiles three ELO concert performances pre-New World Record, the earliest being 1973 at Brunel University, which together with the 1974 performance on German TV program Rockpalast features mainly tracks from the band’s 3rd album – On the Third Day – like King of the Universe, Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Daybreaker and the smash single, Showdown. Even though the band had been around for 3 to 4 years, they still seemed a little tentative playing on stage with two cellists (Hugh McDowell and the late Mike Edwards) and one violinist (Mik Kaminski).

However, the band is more assured by 1976, with two further albums under their belts (viz. Eldorado and Face the Music) delivering powerful performances of Poker, Can’t Get It Out of My Head, Strange Magic, Evil Woman and the Move’s Do Ya (written by ELO leader Jeff Lynne and remade for New World Record). Worth the price of the DVD alone.

For all fans of ELO and classic 70s pop-rock, this DVD is a must-have.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B003UPPO26[/amazon-product]

HEAR NO EVIL

Censorship! A word that strikes terror in the hearts of the lovers of the arts everywhere. When I was a teenager and becoming aware of pop culture, censorship in Singapore was part and parcel of life. In the 70s, rock music was deemed by the Singapore Government as undesirable decadent Western influence especially the free sex and drugs hippie culture. Thus, anything associated with that, including long hair and rock music, was strictly frowned upon.

Yeah, it seems ridiculous now but take a look at what songs were banned back in the day.

Puff the Magic Dragon – Peter, Paul & Mary

Ostensibly a children’s song, the Government was of the view that the eponymous dragon was actually marijuana! How insidious of these evil musicians who seek to corrupt our innocent young children.

Download Puff, The Magic Dragon

Yellow Submarine – The Beatles

Yet another children’s song mistaken for a drug-related one! Where’s the drug reference, I wonder? Those civil servants had vivid imaginations for sure. All told, the Singapore Government also banned With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and A Day in the Life!

Buy Yellow Submarine (Remastered)

Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Incredibly, this song – written by John Fogerty – also met with objections from Singapore censors! Well, y’know, boys and girls “Mary” is slang for marijuana and before you smoke it, you need to ROLL it. Hence “Mary” plus “rolling” equals evil drug song! Preposterous! But there you go… the Singapore censors did not understand pop culture and they did not care…

Download CCR’s Greatest Hits

Body Language – Queen

Enough about drugs! How about good old sex? Well, that’s what got Queen’s Body Language (off 1981′s Hot Space) into trouble. In fact, I remember buying the album at a record store and the salesman recommending that I pick it up quickly as the album had just been banned and the Singapore censors were coming to confiscate all copies. So I did. Seems rather tame compared to the hip hop music I hear nowadays eh?

Buy Hot Space

Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen

Well, not strictly banned but the national radio stations refused to play it due to the line – “to go and kill the yellow man” being considered offensive and the perceived jingoistic tone of the song. Of course, the meaning behind the track – an inditement on the USA (“nowhere to run/nowhere to go” – was completely lost on the radio heads. Hurm.

Buy Born in the Usa

I’m sure there’s more examples out there. Those old enough to remember, please pitch in. C’mon!

DON”T CENSOR THE ARTS, MOFOS!!!!!!

T. Rex – Children of the Revolution

Not as well known now as his rival David Bowie, glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan & T. Rex was hugely influential on the UK punk scene in the late 70s (and also LA hair metal as it turned out – Slash still wears his trademark top hat). Sadly, Bolan died in a car crash in 1977. Children of the Revolution is a song I still remember from my teenage years, it always had an alien, otherworldly quality about it, especially that iconic riff. Truly classic!

20th Century Boy: The Ultimate Collection

Electric Light Orchestra – Showdown

Like Bolan, Jeff Lynne and ELO hailed from Birmingham in England. ELO had the rare distinction of being favorably compared to the Beatles by John Lennon himself. In fact, Lennon was referring to Showdown, though to these ears has always had an uncanny similarity to the classic soul hit, I Heard It Through The Grapevine. “Raining all over the world…”

All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

David Bowie – Starman

The Mainman himself, Bowie is yet another inspirational singer-songwriter-performer that has certainly stood the test of time. Starman remains one of my favorite Bowie sing-a-long hits with a melody line that sounds rather like Over the Rainbow. *Wink* Taken from Bowie’s commercial breakthrough, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, this very TV clip was responsible for many post-punk legends (like Ian McCulloch) becoming musicians. If you love rock music, you’ve gotta love Bowie.

Best of David Bowie

Roxy Music – Remake/Remodel

This awesome opening track of Roxy Music’s eponymous album was a culture shock/awakening for me. Sure, the track seems straight forward rock ‘n’ roll but the well Ferry and company approach it (especially Eno’s synths) was totally arty-farty and avant garde. A special performance from a special band. Bloody essential!

The Best of Roxy Music

ROY ORBISON The Last Concert December 4, 1988 (Eagle Records)

The late great Roy Orbison was without doubt the finest singer ever to grace rock ‘n’ roll. Blessed with a vocal range of two octaves, Orbison also wrote emotional songs that took advantage of his magnificent larynx. And he could, unlike many singers of the modern rock era, deliver the goods live.

This album is a recording of his final concert on December 4, 1988 (before his untimely demise two days later at 52) and it finds Orbison in excellent voice, as usual, performing his classic material with aplomb. If you profess to know anything about rock music, then, this includes the likes of Only the Lonely, Dream Baby, In Dreams, Blue Bayou, Crying, It’s Over and Oh, Pretty Woman.

If I do have a criticism, it would be that the string parts are play by a very cheesy sounding synth. But… Orbison’s voice once again overrides any potential dodgy moments. If you’re a fan of rock music, you must have this archival recording but only after you get the original recordings of Orbison’s incredible music. Rest in peace, Roy, you are missed.

Official Site

Buy The Last Concert at Amazon

Buy Roy Orbison’s Essential Recordings at Amazon

Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles (Abbey Road)

Good Times Bad Times – Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin)

Don’t Stand So Close To Me – The Police (Zenyetta Mondatta)

Towers of London – XTC (Black Sea)

Talk About the Passion – REM

The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Here Comes Your Man – Pixies

Radiation Vibe – Fountains of Wayne

September Gurls – Big Star

Out On the Weekend – Neil Young

Enjoy…

THE TOPPERMOST OF THE POPPERMOST

Concluding my PoP 10 selection of my favorite Beatles songs (for now). Read Part 1 and Part 2.

7. YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY

Even as Abbey Road famously includes a suite of loosely inter-connected songs from Sun King to The End, just before that is You Never Give Me Your Money which is a mini-suite in itself. This mini-suite consists of essentially five (!) parts – a pseudo-classical opening, then a honky-tonk country section, followed by an instrumental passage backed by helium backing vocals, a downright bluesy couple of bars and finally, the closing guitar pattern/riff with the nursery rhyme-like fade-out “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7/All good children go to heaven”. Heaven indeed!

8. RAIN

The template for almost every psychedelic rock song that followed, Rain was the B-side of Paperback Writer and contains the legendary backward John Lennon vocals at the coda. Also the subject of one of the earliest music videos.

9. LADY MADONNA

I once dismissed Lady Madonna as McCartneysque fluff (!!!) but recently have been using it as a superb example of how arrangements can be used to cement hooks into listener’s head. Now it’s one of my favorites. I dig the music video as well.

10. YOU CAN’T DO THAT

Somehow, this track off Hard Day’s Night exudes a whole lot more power and attitude than many of the Beatles songs of that early period. Lennon’s role-playing of the jealous guy is par for the course whilst the Rickenbacker-driven rhythms keeps the song on edge. Genius!

Yes, only ten… not easy to distill but appropriate for present purposes, I think. More lists to come…

Comments welcome, of course.

It’s simple really. A social networking group for veteran rockers! Co-founder Bruce Brodeen (2nd from left above) explains more -

First off, can we agree that rock and roll is for life, and that we intend to keep rocking until we die? And can we agree that it gets harder and harder to find others who feel the same way as we get older? And can we agree that life would be so much cooler if there were a place where we could all meet, develop friendships and move forward in every aspect of our lives, so we can live life on an *upward* trajectory? And, finally, can we agree that our motto should henceforth be ”Don’t Get Old, Get Rock!”

Therein lies the logic and rationale for Rock and Roll Tribe! A place where like-minded pop-rock fans (who have been around the block a few times) can meet and share their beloved music. I can’t tell you how much this works for me. As much as I try to keep up and write about the current music trends and the latest indie big thing, nothing quite hits the spot as the music I loved in the 70s, 80s and 90s. And finding people who have heard of (never mind listened to) Big Star, Todd Rundgren, Gram Parsons, ELO, Styx, Kansas, Rush, Supertramp, Jellyfish et al is no mean task, especially in Singapore. So thank you Rock and Roll Tribe for the possibilities…

On a personal note, I owe a debt of sorts to Bruce, as owner of Not Lame Records, he introduced me to a whole new world of power pop back in the late 90s and was instrumental in providing Power of Pop its initial boost by sending me review CDs and also in helping Popland getting US distribution for Groovy. So this is my little payback, you might say. Thanks, Bruce and congratulations!

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now at http://rockandrolltribe.com and I’ll see you there soon. It’s FREE!

Henry Diltz is the photographer responsible for capturing many epochal images from rock history, including many memorable pictures of the Doors (see above).

Idea Generation Gallery – who organized a recent Doors photography exhibition in London – conducted an interview with Diltz. Check out the video below.

Henry Diltz – In Conversation from Idea Generation Gallery on Vimeo.

THE TOPPERMOST OF THE POPPERMOST

I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone out there that the Fab Four are my favorite band of all time. Forty years after their demise, their music still enthralls and touches me. Two years ago (!), I did my PoP Ten of my favorite Beach Boys tunes, here’s part 1 (of 3) of my list for the Beatles. Comments welcome, of course…

1. A DAY IN THE LIFE

The finest recording ever? Two distinct songs from John Lennon and Paul McCartney cobbled together by the most inventive instrumental section ever committed to magnetic tape. Lennon provides some of his best non-sequitur lyrics – “Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall” and his singing is haunting and evocative throughout. McCartney contributes an incongruous jaunty middle part equally memorable. This is what I mean when I say “legendary”.

2. HELP!

One of my favorites from the early Beatles period, Lennon’s impassioned vocals and the tight harmonies gets me everytime. Of course, the heartfelt lyrics are something anyone can identify with. Great beat and melody. Hypnotic.

3. PENNY LANE

Originally, In My Life was supposed to reflect upon the childhoods of Lennon and McCartney and would refer to specific landmarks in their hometown Liverpool. That didn’t materialize and the concept was only fully realized on Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever. Both tracks were recorded during the Sgt Pepper’s sessions. Penny Lane is brilliantly nostalgic, colorful in both words and music, its music hall sensibility echoes the Kinks and the piccolo flute at the coda now the stuff of legend.

Stay tuned for Part 2…

Buy The Beatles at Amazon.

SHANGRI-LA

Anyone who has spent time reading my ramblings will be aware that I adore the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Not only did the band channel the Beatles and Roy Orbison but in Jeff Lynne, ELO had a songwriting and production genius. ELO has always provided me with the soundtrack to many of life’s ups and downs, ever since I purchased A New World Record and Discovery at the close of the 70s.

Shangri-la, the last track on A New World Record has often been a soothing balm for melancholia and depression and right now, its exactly what I need.

Sitting here, waiting for,

Someone calling at my door,

Too bad,

I’m getting out of love.

What’s the use of changing things,

Wonder what tomorrow brings,

Who knows,

I’m getting out of love.

My Shangri-la has gone away,

Faded like the Beatles on Hey Jude

She seemed to drift out on the rain

That came in somewhere softly from the blue

Clouds roll by and hide the sun,

Raindrops fall on everyone,

So sad,

I’m getting out of love.

The song itself is sad of course as it talks about the end of … a relationship? “I’m getting out of love” seems to suggest that. There is a sense of resignation and fatalistic point of view, though the chorus has the tongue-in-cheek homage to Lynne’s (and mine!) favorite band. The guitar solo is perfect, a jazzy reflection on wistfulness.

Recently, I’ve felt increasingly alienated and marginalized. Something I believed was in my path and future does not seem to be on the cards and all I’m left with is emptiness, a hollow feeling of disappointment. How could I be so wrong? The last 5 years seem to have been an utter waste of life. It’s hard not to feel like a total loser, a fool, washed up at 49…

*Sigh*

But at the very end, the song comes back in as an epic classical coda, expressing hope for the future – “I will return… to Shangri-la”. So all is not completely lost. Man, this song is on repeat even as I write this post, tears streaming down my cheeks, trembling as I sing along to these lyrics that I know so well…

“I will return…”

Styx enjoyed a run of successful albums from 1975 to 1983, including Cornerstone and Paradise Theatre. Styx managed to combine straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll with elements of prog rock as well. Best known perhaps for the saccharine ballad hit Babe, I personally enjoyed songs like Lights, Best of Times, Too Much Time On My Hands and Come Sail Away (see below).

Journey is well known once more thanks to Glee’s highlighting of Don’t Stop Believin’, of course. The band has seen many personnel changes during its time though the incarnation of Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jon Cain and Steve Smith had the most success, I guess. Apart from Don’t Stop Believin’ (off 1981′s Escape), other notable hits include Wheel in the Sky, Any Way You Want It, Open Arms, Stone in Love and Lights (see below)

Kansas was one of the pioneering prog-rock outfits in the USA and achieved its commercial in the late 70s. Of course, their most endearing hit has been Carry On My Wayward Son but songs like Dust in the Wind, Hold On and On the Other Side (see below) remain vital as well.

Queen – a unique band whose genius I do not believe will ever be equaled. Hugely popular in the 70s and 80s, the band had four great songwriters and their albums never stuck to one musical genre. Eclecticism at its best. Hits galore, of course, perhaps one of my faves would be Play the Game (see below) off The Game (1980). What a band! RIP Freddie…

Supertramp had the biggest selling LP – Breakfast in America – of 1979. Formed round the songwriting nucleus of Roger Hodgson and Richard Davies, Supertramp had been steadily building up their reputation with albums like Crime of the Century and Even in the Quietest Moments. They would never achieve the heights of Breakfast ever again. Many classics in the Supertramp repertoire include The Logical Song, School, Give A Little Bit, Fools Overture and Take the Long Way Home (see below).

Tip o’ the iceberg, boys and girls.

…still there’s more…

THE ANGEL GABRIEL

In the 80s, thanks to popular LPs like So and Us, Peter Gabriel finally achieved status of rock superstar. As much as I do consider So and Us to be good albums, for me personally, the best musical period for Gabriel was between 1977 to 1982, when he released four eponymous albums.

I first came across Gabriel when he was the lead singer of the progressive rock outfit Genesis. Gabriel quit Genesis in 1976 and embarked on a solo career. In the next five years, he would produce some of the finest rock music ever.

Now also referred to as Car, Gabriel’s debut is a powerful one featuring memorable tracks like Moribund the Burgermeister, Solsbury Hill (video below), Modern Love, Humdrum and perennial live fave, Here Comes the Flood.

A year later, Gabriel released his sophomore effort (often called Scratch), produced by King Crimson’s Robert Fripp. Fripp’s influence is evident in the use of his patented Frippertronic effects in Exposure. Not quite as strong as the album before and after it, Scratch still contains On the Air, D.I.Y. (video below), White Shadow, Animal Magic and the aforementioned Exposure.

Easily one of my favourite albums of all time, Gabriel’s 3rd album (or Melt) was co-produced by Gabriel and renowned 80s producer Steve Lillywhite, and the muscular sound being the main result (the influence of post-punk is obvious). The songs on Melt are probably among Gabriel’s best known – Games Without Frontier (video below) and Biko (a tribute to South African martyr Steven Biko) – along with such classics as Intruder, Not One of Us, And Through the Wires, Family Snapshot etc. The entire album is essential, nuff said!

Not as accessible as Melt, Gabriel’s 4th LP (or Security) is an ambitious, experimental song cycle where Gabriel’s interest in world music flowers and blooms. Memorable tracks litter the LP, including The Rhythm of the Heat, San Jacinto (video below), I Have the Touch and Shock the Monkey.

Check out the Peter Gabriel store at Amazon.