Ween – 12 Country Greats (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Elektra/Rhino)
It has been 30 years since Ween took a strange trip down Route 66 and went Country on their third major label album, 12 Golden Country Greats. To celebrate, Rhino Records has reissued the album as an expanded and remastered Deluxe Edition digitally and as 3LP or 3CD sets. The previously unreleased bonus material is highlighted by demos, covers and outtakes.
When Dean and Gene traded in the 4-track recorders for the polished studios of Nashville and recruited legendary session players such as, Elvis Presley’s The Jordanaires, and fiddler Buddy Spicher and pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins, it came as a shock to both fans and their label. Ween kept the recording a secret from their label and fans were not quite sure what to think at first. But their crude yet clever sense of humor remained, especially on tracks such as, “Mister Richard Smoker”, “Help Me Scrape The Mucus Off My Brain” and the tear-jerking album closer, “Fluffy”. Elsewhere, the Ween boys play it surprisingly straight on the statement-making album opener, “I’m Holding You” and the standout track, “Powder Blue”.
With the bonus material, 12 Golden Country Greats goes from a tongue-in-cheek tracklist of 10 songs (yes, there actually were only 10 Golden Country Greats on the original release) to 36 tracks, including demo versions of all songs. Highlighting the set are demo versions of two songs cut from the original release; “So Long Jerry”, their loving tribute to the recently passed Grateful Dead legend, and “I’ve Got No Darkside”, as well as their cover of “Fool To Cry” by the Rolling Stones and long time fan favorites, “Boston Chicken” and “Good Timing Rhyming Song”.
Additionally, the included booklet features many great photos from the recording sessions and liner notes written by album producer Ben Vaughn with insight into the recording and inspiration behind the album.
More recently, Ween surprise released a new digital EP, titled Golden Wastes, which features 4 more songs from the sessions but that were not included on the Deluxe Edition of 12 Golden Country Greats. The EP is highlighted by a rocking outtake of “Pretty Girl” with the title, “There’s A Smooth Talkin’ Dude Around” and an alternate take of fan-favorite “Mister Richard Smoker”.
Ween was always has been known for being eclectic and willing to push the limits of their influences but no one ever expected a straight up old school Country & Western album. This new deluxe edition of 12 Golden Country Greats along with the new EP Golden Wastes, provides a comprehensive look at the making of this incredible album.
Miles Davis – 56: The Prestige Recordings (Craft Recordings)
Indispensable, classic jazz, sounding better than ever
Imagine that you just took a new job with a much bigger company; this means better pay and more benefits. There’s only one problem: your old boss tells you that, you can leave, but you’re under contract for a few more projects. How invested are you going to be in the work you do for your old job? Probably not very much.
These were essentially the circumstances surrounding Miles Davis 56: The Prestige Recordings. The trumpet player’s stock had risen considerably since he played the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955. Colombia Records was interested in signing Davis to a lucrative deal. Only problem was, he still owed his old label, Prestige, several more albums.
A compromise was made: Davis signed with Columbia, then booked time at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with his first great quintet, featuring Miles, along with John Coltrane on sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. In two mammoth sessions, one in May, the other in October, his quintet laid down enough material for four albums, known as Cookin,’ Relaxin,’ Workin.’ and Steamin.’
Prestige would take these recordings and release them over several years, grouped essentially by mood. This new set is the first time these sessions are presented in the chronological order they were recorded.
Since the set is called Miles 56 – we get not just the famous quintet recordings, but a few extras too. Disc one opens with Davis, joined by the great Sonny Rollins on sax and Tommy Flanagan on piano. There’s an early version of the ballad, “Your Own Sweet Way,” and it’s gorgeous. “No Line” is an upbeat number, giving both Rollins and Flanagan time to solo with Davis, while “Vierd Blues” is a swinging number.
The classic quintet material kicks off with a redo of “Your Own Sweet Way” – and it’s remarkable to hear the difference. The first three cuts feature jazz legends, for sure. But, the quintet version of this song in comparison, is just symbiotic. First of all, Davis seems to stretch more – he’s taking more chances with a band that he’s played countless live shows with. Second off, Coltrane’s solo seems to be prodding at the possibilities. Third, the rhythm section doesn’t keep a steady beat, instead surging and pulsing – responding to each soloist. There’s a very noticeable edit at 2:47 – which I hadn’t caught before.
These recordings sound absolutely fantastic. They were run through Plangent Processes, which corrects slight variations in tape speed, etc. Everything here is in mono – yet, there’s so much depth and air. “Diane” features s gorgeous Davis muted trumpet, and then soaring Coltrane sax. I love how Jones and Chambers seem to wrap themselves around Garland’s piano as he solos.
You hear Davis’ gruff voice opening “Trane’s Blues,” and this is another fantastic example of five musicians behaving like one, breathing entity, ebbing and flowing as the music rises and falls. And, man does it swing!
You can literally sit and just focus on one musician, and be amazed. Dig Jones’ ride cymbal on “Woody ’n You,” or how Garland’s shines on “Ahmad’s Blues,” before Chambers pulls out a bow for a solo! Then, it’s Jones’ turn to add fills near the end.
This group gets so much credit for being trailblazing, that what might be overlooked is how versatile they were. “It Never Entered My Mind” is just spellbinding – Davis’ muted trumpet croons away, while Garland lays down these spiraling notes on piano. Meanwhile, Chambers’ bass beats like a heartbeat, and Jones adds swirling brushstrokes. For a band that’s known for being wild – this is heavenly restraint.
Consider that, after recording one more pretty ballad, “When I Fall in Love,” the band launched into the psychotic “Salt Peanuts” – talk about changing moods on a dime. Dig Jones’ three minute drum solo, which somehow manages to still swing. Davis is sure to pull out “Four,” a staple of his live sets, to showcase the prowess of this band.
Amazingly, during the May 1956 recording session, FIFTEEN different songs were recorded, with only one repeat, “The Theme.” This is the only time, so far, where it sounds like the recording levels are too hot, and some things are distorted.
I love hearing Davis say, “I’ll play it, and tell you what it is later” before jumping into “If I Were a Bell,” another of the too-many-to-count highlights. The group just seems to be having a blast here – listen to how Chambers’ bass seems to be having a dialog with Garland while he solos on piano.
Disc three encompasses the entire October 1956 session, opening with “Round Midnight,” a track that had already been tracked for Columbia Records, four months earlier. The differences in the two versions provide an interesting contrast. Although featuring the same personnel, the Prestige rendition here seems to have a more relaxed feel, and Miles isn’t mic’ed so close. The rhythm section has more punch here too. Perhaps it’s the difference from being in a big, expensive studio? This version was not included on any of the four quintet albums.
Because these songs were laid down quickly, we get some interesting banter that’s left in. Like Davis telling Garland “play some block chords, Red,” before going into “You’re My Everything.” You could argue that Davis never played with so much beauty as he did on these recordings. I love the way Jones just suddenly starts swinging on his drums to uplift the romance, and then quiets down again. Even Coltrane shows restraint here.
“I Could Write a Book” spotlights the walking bass skills of Chambers – and that rhythm section is the very definition of in the pocket. “Oleo” is good fun – the drums keep dropping out, leaving just bass and trumpet, or sax, or, the best combination, piano and bass.
These October sessions seem to have a shrillness to them that the May session did not. Coltrane, especially, seems more abrasive. I found myself lost in Jones’ excellent cymbal work on “Airegin.”
There’s a workman like feel to many of these songs – they are hard bop in some cases, and have more opportunities for individuals to solo, rather than mood pieces.
The real stunner is “My Funny Valentine” – Miles at his sweetest. I love how the band kicks in, and his solo isn’t even finished and they just start swinging.
Done simply to fulfill a contract, these recordings have become some of the most hallowed in all of jazz. That almost all of these were first takes, with no overdubbing whatsoever, just adds to the legend of Miles Davis and his first, great quintet. Miles Davis ’56 – The Prestige Recordings features almost three hours of essential, classic jazz – and it’s never sounded better. —Tony Peters
Faces – Snakes and Ladders: The Best of the Faces (Rhino)
A dozen slabs of gritty rock from Rod Stewart & Co.
There is something fitting about listening to the Faces on vinyl. Both the outdated media and the band were products of a long-forgotten time when music mattered more. Their ferocious, off-kilter live shows were the stuff of legend, only hinted at on their studio output. The Faces were great, and if you knew, you knew.
Few bands could out Stones the Stones, but the Faces could, and often would. But, they equally were overshadowed by their egregious alcohol intake.
Snakes and Ladders came out a year after the band imploded, crushed by their potential, overshadowed by Rod Stewart’s ever-increasing solo career. Rhino Records has just reissued the album in their Rhino Reserve, high quality vinyl series.
The set opens with the blistering rock of “Pool Hall Richard” – the track starts at one tempo, then speeds up immediately. The song goes up a pitch for awhile, then settles back again – it literally sounds like everything is just about ready to fall to pieces – and that’s really part of the band’s charm. Things immediately change for the excellent, biting “Cindy Incidentally,” which has an underrated groove to it. “Ooh La La” is perhaps the band’s most poignant moment – a grandfather and grandson each realizing that, when it comes to women, neither one of them is well-equipped to handle things.
“Sweet Lady Mary” is surprisingly gentle, with pedal steel guitar and organ, then comes one of their signature tunes, “Flying” (who the hell decided to spin the drums from left to right, over and over?) – the track builds to this interplay between organ and guitar which is fantastic.
The band was capable of stretching out, like on the great instrumental, “Pineapple and the Monkey.” Their final single, “You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything” is polished, complete with strings and a danceable beat, and sure points to “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.” “
Had Me a Real Good Time” is the band’s motto put to song, while “Stay With Me” is 4 1/2 minutes of gritty, rock n’ roll perfection. Bookended by a furious start and close, the main part slithers along on a whiskey-soaked groove with Stewart sneering over top – the entire band is on fire here.
After the chugging rocker, “Miss Judy’s Farm,” the momentum stalls a little near the end, with “Silicone Grown” and “Around the Plynth,” but after those dizzying heights, what could they do?
Hugely under appreciated, Snakes & Ladders features a dozen highlights of Rod Stewart at his peak, with the Faces. —Tony Peters
It’s arguably one of the finest sounding albums in history. Al Stewart’s landmark 1976 set was meticulously produced by Alan Parsons and sounds terrific in analog. We put the new Rhino Reserve edition to the test – comparing our original copy to this new one.
Strings, sax, synths, all lushly arranged, and Stewart’s inviting, relaxed delivery – it’s as if an old tour guide is taking you back to a magical time.
The album opens with “Lord Grenville,” and, right away you notice the acoustic guitars are bright and the bass is full. The orchestration really shine here. With “On the Border,” one of the singles, the piano is layered with guitars, then synths – the track just builds and builds. There’s a slight echo on Stewart’s voice, giving it an ethereal quality.
“Midas Shadow” – the Rhodes’ piano jumps from left to right, and back again – it’s hypnotic, while “Sand In Your Shoes” – there’s a surprising accordion that shows up in the left speaker, while a Hammond organ is in the right. I love the double guitars, one in each channel near the end. There’s so much warmth on this track – and it’s truly a great album to listen to with good headphones.
“Flying Sorcery” – the layers of acoustic guitars sound fabulous in analog. It’s a doubled harmonica that shows up as the surprise here, while it’s harpsichord, fiddle, and mandolin that are the treats on “Broadway Hotel.” “One Stage Before” – Stewart’s processed voice seems to float above you, and there’s a great guitar solo at then end.
Here, the best is saved for last – “Year of the Cat” is a tour de force. Piano is in one channel, then a pulsing beat, warm bass, and strummed guitar, while Stewart spins a tale, name checking Peter Lorre, of a fleeting romance in an exotic location. There is so much going on here, you really don’t want it to end. This is music is truly transcendent.
The 180-gram vinyl sounds fantastic – really impressed here.
Year of the Cat is one of those examples where, if you have a decent copy and a good-sounding system, vinyl reigns supreme. The pristine production, strings, guitars, sax, and other analog instruments really jump out in this setting. Next to Dark Side of the Moon and Aja by Steely Dan, Year of the Cat from Al Stewart should be in every vinyl fan’s library – especially when they want to show off how good things sound. The Rhino Reserve edition does not disappoint. —Tony Peters
Todd Rundgren’s long and winding career can largely be divided into two parts: The first, 1970-72, he perfected pop songwriting in making music for other people. The second, much longer period, 1973-present day, Rundgren began making music for himself. There are so many crazy twists and turns along the way, all while the artist follows his muse. Every once in a while, Rundgren comes back to pure song craft – and Faithful is one of those examples.
The album cover to his seventh solo outing is meant as an homage to the Beatles’ White Album, giving a hint to what lies inside. Side one is Rundgren’s “faithful” recreations of six classic rock songs, all dating from 1966. Side two sees him return to writing pure, unabashed pop songs on six originals. Unlike some of his previous albums, here Rundgren is joined by several musicians, including his bandmates in Utopia.
Side one opens with the Yardbirds’ cover, “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago.” Although they never really capture the rawness of the original, the searing guitars are really good.
“Good Vibrations” is the real stunner: “faithful” is an understatement. Somehow, he manages (without the aid of any digital Tom Foolery, I might add) to directly copy the original, intricate Brian Wilson production. No one is going to mistake his singing for the Beach Boys – but the entire track is a bold move. And, it paid off, with this version hitting the Top 40 charts.
Of the two Beatles’ songs, “Rain” is pretty straightforward, and really isn’t too far of a departure from what Utopia would end up sounding like in its second incarnation. “Strawberry Fields Forever” does a good job of aping the original arrangement, but it lacks the eerie quality of the Beatles’ verion.
The other two covers, “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” by Dylan, and “If 6 Was 9” by Hendrix are interesting curios, especially when Rundgren tries to sing like Bob, but neither are remarkable.
Side two is where things really take off. “Black and White” is a heavy rocker with searing lead guitar work from Todd, while “Love of the Common Man” is his most pure pop composition since Something/Anything. “When I Pray” has a sing a long chorus, while the 12-string guitar of “Cliche” is another highlight.
All of that leads up to “The Verb ‘To Love’” – a 7-minute, magnum opus exploration on that famous, four-letter word. It’s Todd at his most confessional – something only hinted at in his last few albums. Its lush arrangement, with synth, strings, and background vocals, is one of Rundgren’s greatest accomplishments on record. Even the final, goofy track, “Boogies (Hamburger Hell),” works.
The 180-gram vinyl was cut at the Mastering Lab by Matthew Lutthans and sounds nice and quiet. The biggest difference from my original copy is the low end – you can really hear the punch in the kick drum on “Happenings” and the fullness of the bass guitar on “Rain.” Also, the acoustic songs on side two on my original seem a little brittle – here, tracks like “Cliche’” and “Love of the Common Man,” seem more even and warm.
One final note – the lettering on the album cover is raised (as was the original White Album). My original isn’t that way, so nice touch there.
The covers are fun and the originals are some of his best. Faithful is surprisingly good. —Tony Peters
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – DECEMBER 31: David Freiberg, co-founder of Jefferson Starship and Quicksilver Messenger Service, performs with The Heroes of Woodstock at Route 66 Casino’s Legends Theater on December 31, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Steve Snowden/Getty Images)
Jefferson Starship has sold eight million records worldwide. Their hits include “Miracles,” “Count on Me,” “Jane,” and “Find Your Way Back.” The band is coming to the Rose Music Center on Thursday, July 16th, along with a killer lineup of bands – Atlanta Rhythm Section, Firefall and Orleans.
David Freiberg is an inspiration to us all. At 87, he’s the last remaining original member of the band still touring. Andt, he’s got an incredible band behind him.
“I fully believe that’s the only reason I’m alive.”
Cathy Richardson is a ball of fire on vocals, and Jude Gold ups the excitement with his fiery guitar playing. Chris Smith (bass/keyboards) and Donny Baldwin (who was in the band back in the mid 80’s), round out the lineup.
Freiberg also recalls the magical studio session when their first hit, “Miracles,” was recorded, and gives us insight into the writing of their big hit, “Jane.” He also talks about brand new material that the band is working on.
John Ford Coley was one half of one of the most successful duos of the 1970’s – England Dan and John For Coley, scoring six top 40 hits, including “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” which hit #2 in 1976. Coley has played with a bunch of folks since the duo’s breakup in the late 70’s and has even starred in movies and TV. Currently, he’s part of the Yacht Rock the Dock tour, featuring Ambrosia, Peter Beckett of Player, Walter Egan and more, coming to the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights on July 15th.
We chat with Coley about his early days with Dan Seals, including an obscure band called Southwest F.O.B. Plus, the duo’s early, lean years on A&M Records. He also discusses what led to their breakup, and how he’s successfully transistioned into acting, with his latest role in a horror movie called Kill Trip.
It’s an incredible night of classic music – Jefferson Starship, joined by Orleans, Firefall, and the Atlanta Rhythm Section – all four bands had multiple hits during the 1970’s and early 80’s. The show is making a stop at the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, Ohio on Thursday, July 16th.
Now, one of the band’s on the bill is Orleans, who’s unique blend of harmonies and melody fueled hits like “Dance With Me,” “Still the One,” and the underrated, “Love Takes Time.” The group put out the excellent holiday offering, New Star Shining in 2021, but have recently announced on their website, orleansonline.net, that this is their farewell tour.
We’d like to welcome original member, bassist Lance Hoppen to the show.
Hoppen chats about the decision to make this their final tour, plus he reveals plans for a 50th anniversary album (albeit, a few years late). He also talks about joining the band right out of high school, and playing on the Midnight Special TV show.
Elvis Presley – EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (RCA/Sony)
The soundtrack captures the excitement of the fantastic movie
Baz Luhrmann’s phenomenal EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert movie was a technical wonder in both video and audio restoration. We argue in our movie review, that it’s the single greatest Elvis movie ever. Sony has recently issued the companion soundtrack on a 2-LP vinyl edition, and it’s definitely worth picking up.
The Australian filmmaker is known for his artsy directing, so this collection is neither a proper live album nor a greatest hits package. Instead, the soundtrack, like the movie, takes you on a journey. He explains in the liner notes, that the goal was to bring you closer to Elvis, the person. Through dialogue, remixes, additional gospel choirs, orchestration, and even new songs created from pieces of others, we get a Presley collection that actually sounds alive.
Starting with a dreamy snippet of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” then, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and finally, “An American Trilogy,” the mood is anticipatory. And then, the main event: ELVIS.
Pounding drums open a psychotic version of “That’s Alright,” played much faster than when he first cut the song in the Sun Studios, 15 years earlier. Dig how the percussion jumps from the left to right channel on “Tiger Man” – this is furious music, something Elvis is rarely given credit for making, especially this late in his career.
“Wearing That Night Life Look” is an interesting oddity – actually a mashup of “Wearing That Loved On Look” and “Night Life,” with bits of two other Presley tracks, “I, John,” and “Let Yourself Go,” to create, essentially a brand new song. The instrumentation is modern, with the bass, very hot in the mix.
I love the Elvis dialogue that runs in-between some of the songs. His story about being on Ed Sullivan, right before driving into “Hound Dog,” is quite funny. “Polk Salad Annie,” one of the real highlights of the movie, which shows Presley’s gift at directing his band, is just as powerful in audio form here.
Things calm down for a soulful run though of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” before Presley picks up an electric guitar and shows off his chops on a medley of his own “Little Sister” with the Beatles’ “Get Back,” which works really well.
“Burning Love” is the studio version, fused with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but it’s been juiced up from the original. “Love Me” is also a remix, just Elvis and the Jordanaires, with some weird echo and light, modern percussion, then drums kick in, and this is very different. Another example is the vastly remixed “In the Ghetto,” featuring totally new instrumentation and snippets of Presley talking. Each of these songs give old classics a new coat of paint.
There’s a searing take of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” before a silly version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” which mentions losing your hair.
Presley loved his spirituals, and “How Great Thou Art” is spine-chilling good. “Suspicious Minds” is sweaty grit, before closing with a tender “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Also very powerful was the poem at the end of the movie, recited by Bono of U2, called “American David.”
The soundtrack features a couple of bonus remixes. Especially nice is the PNAU version of “Don’t Fly Away,” which dates from the Elvis movie a few years back.
The superior sounding live footage, coupled with remixes of old songs and chatter from Presley himself, makes the soundtrack to EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert an incredibly satisfying listening experience; the kind of thing you just want to drop the needle on, and listen away. —Tony Peters
In the fall of 1987, the Australian band INXS issued their monumental album, Kick. Their record label originally deemed it too “black” for rock radio, and rejected it, which seems incredibly silly today. The 6x platinum record yielded four top 10 singles, lots of rock radio play and was the career defining album for INXS.
But, by 1987, vinyl was on life support, as the burgeoning CD was taking over the music industry. I have an original copy of Kick and it really doesn’t sound that great. The highs are shrill. And, since this is a dance-oriented album, the bass is a big part of things – and mostly it just splatters over the original LP.
Rhino has just issued Kick in their High Fidelity series and it’s a huge jump in quality – quite possibly the biggest improvement of any album in this series. Right off, “Guns in the Sky” is nothing but midrange on the original. On the new version, there’s much more fidelity.
“New Sensation” just jumps out of the speakers on the Hi Fi version – there’s more stereo separation and dynamic range. You can also hear more echo on Michael Hutchence’s voice. That’s followed by another smash, “Devil Inside.” On my first pressing, the kick drum seems to overpower everything else. The new version even things out, and that guitar is FULL!
The hits keep on coming with “Need You Tonight,” with more presence on Hutchence’s voice, and the stereo effects seem to breathe more. The cymbals rolled off on the original – but here, they sound nice and crisp. That segues right into “Mediate,” and you can really hear the deep bass on this new pressing.
“The Loved One” really sounded shrill on the original LP – it was the last song on the album. Here, there’s much more dynamic range.
Onto side two, “Never Tear Us Apart” is another huge improvement. Hutchence’s vocals are rich and full, the kick drum and bass blast you when they come in, and that fantastic sax solo really cuts through. There’s more separation on the individual instruments on “Mystify.”
Side two of my original copy of Kick sounds even worse near the end – it’s nothing but noise and no dynamic range. On this Hi Fidelity version, you really feel the bass on the song, “Kick,” while “Calling All Nations” really sounds fabulous. Again, “Tiny Daggers” being the final song on the album side, it’s much improved in this new pressing as well.
This edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, cut from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Coherent Audio. The album is housed in a heavyweight gatefold jacket with a new essay from critic David Fricke.
The Rhino High Fidelity edition of Kick is the quintessential version of this classic album, and well worth the money. Very impressed. —Tony Peters
