Memphis native Van Duren has a gift for creating melodic rock with an unique edge. His 1978 album, Are You Serious? is perhaps the greatest album you’ve never heard. He played with members of the legendary band, Big Star, and formed his own great group, Good Question. More recently, he’s issued some fine albums with Vickie Loveland, under the Loveland Duren moniker. And, he was the subject of the documentary, Waiting: The Van Duren Story, which is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
Van Duren’s latest offering is a live concert, broadcast over the radio, entitled Chemical Fire: Van Duren Live 1978 – available digitally for the first time at Duren’s Bandcamp site: vanduren.bandcamp.com
We chat the odd circumstances surrounding this recording. For instance, the fact that the audience was in one room and the band was in another! There were also no fixes, this is Duren and band, live as it happened on the radio.
United is the debut album from French indie-pop icons, Phoenix. Rhino reissued the album on crystal clear vinyl for Record Store Day.
The LP opens with the funky drums and distorted guitars of the instrumental, “School’s Out,” before giving way to the dreamy hit, “Too Young” – the cascading verses pull you in, and then the shimmering chorus hits you. This is a phenomenal single that sounds both reminiscent and fresh at the same time. Next, “Honeymoon” is surprisingly slow and soulful. Things return to the funk with “If I Ever Feel Better,” which has a Daft Punk feel.
“Party Time” kinda makes no sense. Phoenix may have punk roots, but this noisy track lacks melody and really halts the momentum of this otherwise pretty cohesive album. “On Fire” is better – a piece of mid tempo funk with some singable backup vocals. That segues directly into the moody instrumental, “Embuscade.”
“Summer Days” is the most underrated track here – the repetitive guitar line and mood is hypnotic. “Funky Squaredance Pt. 1/2/3 Medley” is uh, strange. Heavily autotuned vocals, faux steel guitar and honky tonk piano begin the nine minute piece, then we hear a crowd and we get a pretty cool instrumental. Next, singing “funky square-dance” and a searing, heavy metal guitar, which is odd. Things finally gel and finally sound like Phoenix near the end, but they quickly devolve. The album closes with the sax-led “Definitive Breaks.”
United shows a band capable of dizzying heights but they only reach them a few times. It’s uneven, but still a fun listen. —Tony Peters
All star session gives an opportunity for Lincoln to shine
Activist, singer and actress Abbey Lincoln’s second solo offering, That’s Him!, is a concept album: all nine songs are about men – some of them are good men. Others? Not so much. She’s accompanied by a who’s who of classic jazz. Craft Recordings has just reissued this fantastic album just in time for Record Store Day.
“Strong Man” leads off things, and the first instrument we hear is the great Sonny Rollins’ tenor sax. As Lincoln croons and coos about her sexy mate, she’s joined by Kenny Dorham, echoing her vocals on trumpet. Rollins is surprisingly subdued on this guest slot. The rhythm section is made up of of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Max Roach on drums. Lincoln was a huge Billie Holiday fan, and she carefully handles a few songs closely associated with Lady Day. Listen how she pauses before singing, “he beats me too,” in “My Man” – wow, just wow.
But, the surprises don’t stop there. “Tender as a Rose” is sung acapella (she mentions another “Joe” in this one), while “That’s Him” is beautifully seductive. Lincoln and Roach, who were husband and wife, talk to each other on “I Must Have That Man” – she sings, he answers on the drums – back and forth. Then, the band joins in and the tempo is frenetic. Dorham peels off a wild solo, capturing Lincoln’s desperation perfectly.
Dorham uses a mute on the mellow “Porgy,” while Kelly really shines on “When a Woman Loves a Man.” The real treat is saved for last – “Don’t Explain” features pianist Kelly on a rare appearance on bass (there’s no piano on the track). Dorham’s trumpet is somber, while Roach is on brushes. Rollins sweetens the mood with his sax, ever so slightly. It’s an exercise in restraint.
The mono album was pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and mastered totally in analog by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The heavy-grade cover features a tip-on jacket and faithfully reproduces the front and back of the original LP.
Too often, all-star affairs like this can misfire. Either the accompanists overshadow the singer, or the entire project collapses from the weight of the talent. That’s Him! succeeds because Lincoln is always in command of things, and the players around her provide sympathetic backing. That’s Him! should be in your classic jazz LP collection. —Tony Peters
Rod Stewart – Alternate Atlantic Crossing (Rhino/Warner)
Rod Stewart reinvents himself – through a different lens
In 1975, Rod Stewart literally found himself at a crossroad: his record contact with Mercury had expired. His beloved Faces had run out of gas. And, he was looking for an escape from England’s oppressive tax laws. The answer was to cross the Atlantic – hence the title of his 6th long-player. He teamed up with studio ace, Tom Dowd, to create a fantastic album, Atlantic Crossing. Rhino Records assembled Alternate Atlantic Crossing exclusively for Record Store Day 2026.
The “Fast Side” opens with Stewart’s story of thrice getting STD’s in “Three Time Loser” – it sounds like the same take as the LP version, sans the sax solo and slick background vocals – pushing his gritty singing more to the forefront. “Alright For an Hour” lacks the searing guitar solo, and Stewart’s vocal is more tentative. “All in the Name of Rock n’ Roll” is more raw, and lacks the horns that turn it into a Mott the Hoople ode.
The most telling of these “alternates” is “Too Much Noise” – which is actually an early version of “Stone Cold Sober,” with completely different lyrics. The song stands on its own, but the finished version is ultimately better. “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” is very different – an odd, wah wah guitar turned out to not be a good idea – it’s kind of annoying. They swapped it for a twin electric guitar lead that really makes the finished song.
“It’s Not the Spotlight” lacks the mandolin overdub, but is pretty close to the released version, while “This Old Heart of Mine” omits the strings and there’s more echo on Stewart’s voice. “Still Love You” is an oddity – Stewart’s singing is really loud and the drums are almost non-existent. I really like this version of “Sailing,” which strips the gospel choir and harder guitar fills, letting the song breathe more.
The album is pressed on “Drift Away Blue Vinyl” – it’s marbled and looks great.
Stewart would soon hit pay dirt with ballads like “Tonight’s the Night” and “You’re in My Heart,” and then the disco-embarrassment of “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” so Atlantic Crossing stands as his last great album before the plunge. The Alternate Atlantic Crossing gives us a chance to see one of Rod Stewart’s great albums under a different light. —Tony Peters
David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash: The Solo Albums (Rhino/Atlantic)
One of the crown jewels of RSD 2026
The trio of Crosby, Stills & Nash arrived in 1969 and almost immediately imploded from the talent (and strong egos) in the band. After expanding to a quartet with the addition of Neil Young, the group released the phenomenal Deja Vu before going on the first of many hiatuses.
The Solo Albums, a Record Store Day Exclusive, is a 4-LP box set, bringing together the first release each by Crosby, Stills & Nash, plus an additional LP of rarities.
Stephen Stills’ debut is far and away the best, as far as breadth and scope. He tackles gospel (“Church (Pt. Of Someone”), hard rock (“Old Times, Good Times” – with Jimi Hendrix on guitar), funk (“Go Back Home” – with Eric Clapton on guitar), and delta blues (the searing “Black Queen”). Yet, he still has time for the gorgeous “To A Flame,” and the catchy, hit single, “Love the One You’re With.”
Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners is the most confessional of the three. He’d just ended a relationship with Joni Mitchell and “Simple Man” is just beautifully heartbreaking. He tackles the war of his youth (“Military Madness”) and calls Stills and Young out for not coming to help with his cause (“Chicago”). There’s a lot of introspection that most artists wouldn’t have the courage to attempt (“Man in the Mirror” and “I Used to Be a King”).
David Crosby’s first solo offering, If I Could Only Remember My Name, is the most adventurous of the three. Many of the songs have little or no words – yet the mood is eerie. His girlfriend, Christine Hinton, had just been killed in a car accident, and Crosby was reeling from intense loss. “Music Is Love” opens as a prayer (with help from Nash & Young), while “Cowboy Movie” transforms the members of CSNY into a lengthy Western tale. “Tamalpais High (At About 3)” is a gorgeous, wordless piece full of dense harmony, while “Laughing” (featuring Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead) is the closest thing to a conventional rock song. “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” would be attempted many times, and this is one of the best. “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here” is downright spooky – as if he’s communicating with his dead girlfriend through this otherworldly harmony.
Of the rarities, Stills’ “The Treasure” is a really good song, and you wonder how it didn’t make the cut, Crosby’s “Dancer” sounds like the start of “Song With No Words,” complete with that same, strange tuning. One of the biggest surprises is hearing Crosby’s “Everybody’s Been Burned” done by Nash.
Stills’ “My Love is a Gentle Thing” is another fine outtake, while “Kids and Dogs” is Crosby’s finest buried treasure. Nash’s songs were already intimate, but the demo to “Sleep Song” makes you feel like you’re in the room with him while he’s writing.
The set comes housed in a cloth box, featuring all three solo albums, faithfully replicated (the gatefold on the Crosby LP is particularly nice). There’s an accompanying booklet with an essay written by David Fricke, who’s talked extensively with the band over the years.
The Solo Albums gives each member of CSN a chance to shine individually, at a time when they all were brimming with ideas. It’s a shame that they didn’t make more great music together. —Tony Peters
Foreigner – Foreigner 4 Live Tour (Rhino/Atlantic)
Foreigner melts your face
Despite the band’s huge success, Foreigner never issued a live album during their peak years. Foreigner 4 Live Tour shows that they were capable of blistering hard rock that was only hinted at on their studio albums.
The concert begins with “Long, Long Way From Home,” off their debut – but played at a furious intensity and pace – there’s also a frantic sax solo, but there’s no credit on who played it. Things ramp up for “Dirty White Boy” – this is almost punk in the nasty way the band delivers the song. Things slow down a notch for the mid tempo, “Blue Morning, Blue Day.” I really like the way this comes off – more raw, and less polished. “Luanne” is also faster than the album version.
Two observations as I listen: Lou Gramm was an absolute monster vocalist. And, Dennis Elliott needs to calm the hell down. Some of his drumming is just too wild – it gets in the way of the songs – hitting his kick drum for effect, over and over, when he should be hitting his snare and keeping the beat.
“Waiting For a Girl Like You” is very good in this live setting – the main melody is played on an electric piano, giving it a more earthy feel, and Gramm is incredibly soulful and restrained, his true gift as a rock vocalist. “Starrider” gives guitarist Mick Jones a chance to sing. In 1978 or 1982, it might’ve sounded pioneering. Now, it’s dated, and kinda silly.
“Urgent” more than redeems things – Jones lays down a nasty guitar riff, and then Gramm just takes off, growling and wailing all the way through. The sax solo, by Mark Rivera, faithfully captures the insane original, laid down by Junior Walker on the 4 album (we know this, because they thank him after the song). Many of these songs are played at a much faster pace than their studio counterparts – “Double Vision” is a furious performance. The excitement rises for the phenomenal “Juke Box Hero,” which gives you a better appreciation for the crazy high notes that Gramm is pulling off here.
The band ends with their debut single, “Feels Like the First Time,” before encoring with an extended, crowd participating version of “Hot Blooded.”
The gatefold sleeve is chock full of ticket stubs from the 4 tour, which is a nice touch.
Foreigner has been one of the premier classic rock bands for decades. Foreigner 4 Live Tour proves that they were a force to be reckoned with in concert. —Tony Peters
Peter Case’s 5-decade career in music has had many twists and turns, starting with the influential band the Nerves in the late Seventies, then the Plimsouls, who had an early eighties MTV hit with “A Million Miles Away.” Peter’s first, self-titled solo album from 1986 helped jump start the roots movement of the mid-80’s.
13 solo albums and now My Life to Live, from Sunset Blvd Records – Case’s first, full-length live album, recorded at a familiar venue, McCabe’s Guitar Shop.
We chat about the unique venue, plus how he rearranged a couple of his classic Plimsouls’ songs for this album.
Record Store Day: Third Eye Blind – Rarities And First Drafts (Rhino)
To celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary, Rhino Records is releasing an exclusive collection of previously unreleased rarities from 90’s alt-rock champions, Third Eye Blind. Rarities And First Drafts will be released on Record Store Day on limited edition translucent emerald green vinyl.
Third Eye Blind is led by the enigmatic singer-songwriter Stephan Jenkins, who blessed the 90’s and early 2000’s with infectiously catchy power-pop that was a welcome alternative to the post-grunge sound of the time, with one anthemic hit single after another that remain to this day inescapable and ingrained in the alt-rock DNA.
The 12-track collection, Rarities and First Drafts, is highlighted by a stirring acoustic version of their most beloved hit, “Semi-Charmed Life,” as well as alternative versions of “Motorcycle Drive By,” “Narcolepsy,” “Deep Inside Of You” and many more. The album opens with a nod to longtime fans of the band with the inclusion of “Invisible,” a fan-favorite deep cut from the Out Of The Vein era, that has never before been released and is worth the price of admission.
Another standout is the alt. version of “Burning Man,” a moody album cut from the multi-platinum self-titled debut album that easily could’ve been another hit single on its own. The closing track, “New Girl (Alt. Version),” is a super-charged slice of power-pop perfection making its vinyl debut, which was first released in its original form on the American Pie 2 Soundtrack in 1999 and as a Japanese bonus track on their sophomore album, Blue.
There is literally no better way to celebrate Third Eye Blind’s 30th anniversary than to run to your local record store on Saturday, April 18 and bring home Rarities And First Drafts. –Justin Kreitzer for Icon Fetch
Heartbeat City, the fifth album from the Cars, went quadruple platinum in 1984 and spawned FOUR top 20 singles – yet the band only toured for a little more than two months during that time! Now, just in time for Record Store Day, Rhino Records has issued, for the first time ever, Heartbeat City Live, a full concert of the quintet, at their absolute peak, recorded live at the Summit in Houston, Texas.
The double album comes pressed on clear vinyl, and opens with, appropriately, “Hello Again,” before immediately downshifting into the eerie, “It’s Not the Night.” The crowd goes wild when they hear the opening keyboard licks of “Moving in Stereo,” while “Just What I Needed” comes off pretty nice, with guitarist Elliot Easton playing his solo, note for note, like the record.
I saw the band during this tour (the 2nd date listed in the gatefold sleeve, July 13, 1984 in Greensboro Coliseum, NC). My impression back then is the same as hearing it over 40 years later: some of the tracks, especially the ones from Heartbeat City, sound somewhat robotic. Sure, the whole sequencer/drum machine technology was in its infancy. But, these guys SHOULD know how to rock. They also never say a single word to the crowd – which I found odd back then, and still do now. Also, “Jimmy Jimmy,” from Ocasek’s first solo album seems like an odd choice, especially since the band, at that point, had a rich catalog of great songs.
Things start to pick up on the second disc. “Drive” sound particularly heartfelt in this setting, with Benjamin Orr stretching out some of his notes more than the album, while “You Might Think” sounds grittier here than the studio.
They save the best for near the end. “Let’s Go” is really good – the band sounds really engaged here and Orr is having fun. After the moody “Heartbeat City,” the final track, “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight,” is an absolute stunner. It rocks ferociously, in a way like none of the other songs did. Easton also stretches out and plays a blistering, ad-libbed solo. I’m wondering if it’s the only song not tied to a drum machine? Either way, it really jumps out of the speakers, and the crowd responds with their roaring approval.
The inside gatefold sleeve also features several ticket stubs from the tour and even part of a setlist, which is a nice touch.
Def Leppard toured for two solid years for their Hysteria album, while the Cars toured for two months??? Absolutely baffling. If you’re interested in the crazy interworking of the Cars, I highly suggest Bill Janovitz’s book, Let the Stories Be Told.
There aren’t a lot of live documents of the Cars in concert, making Heartbeat City Live an indispensable addition for any true fan of the band. —Tony Peters
Tommy Keene – Songs From the Film: The 1984 Reflection Sessions (Dolphin)
Somewhere Tommy Keene is smiling
For Record Store Day – Keene’s second album, the way he wanted it
The year is 1984 and Tommy Keene’s star is rising. The Washington, DC musician had spent years perfecting a unique blend of melodicism and muscle (later dubbed “power pop”). Dolphin Records, an independent label based in Durham, NC, took notice, and issued the fantastic Places That Are Gone EP that year. It garnered heavy praise from both Rolling Stone and the Village Voice. Later in 1984, Keene returned with “Back Again (Try),” a 4-track, 12-inch single, also on Dolphin, produced by T-Bone Burnett and Don Dixon (two very hot individuals at the time).
The back cover of the single promised “from the forthcoming album Songs From the Film” – so anticipation was high. But then? Silence.
A full two years elapsed before Keene was heard from again. In 1986, here was Songs From the Film, but now on Geffen Records. And…this didn’t really SOUND like Tommy Keene.
What we later found out was that Keene had been involved in negotiations with several major labels, and decided to go with the upstart Geffen Records. But, from the start, things turned weird. Even though Keene had laid down a completed version of Songs From the Film with Burnett and Dixon, Geffen told him NOT to release it, or the deal was off (huh?).
Instead, Keene and band were flown to the exotic island of Montserrat to work with legendary Beatles’ engineer Geoff Emerick. What sounded like a perfect match quickly turned sour as the elder producer failed to capture the excitement of a Tommy Keene live performance. Heavily using gated reverb (which Keene objected to), the album somehow sounded both overproduced and underproduced at the same time – stripping away virtually all of Keene’s patented jangle, yet never really fully going big either. By the time this completely different Songs From the Film arrived in 1986, Keene’s momentum had stalled.
Now, for the first time, thanks to former Dolphin Records’ owner, Josh Grier and brother Bobby Keene, who’s taken over stewardship of Tommy’s catalog after his passing nine years ago, the original Songs From the Film can be heard, just in time for Record Store Day.
The album leads off with the aforementioned “Back Again” – opening with great harmonies, pounding drums, and Keene’s soaring vocals. That’s quickly followed by the fabulously jangly “I Don’t Feel Right at All,” which Geffen did release on the Run Now EP, from later in 1986, as kind of a half-assed attempt to salvage things. No song sums up this period more than the mid tempo “Faith in Love” – this is an artist making good on the promise of his earlier EP’s.
Next up is “Gold Town,” one of several examples of songs recorded for both versions of the Songs From the Film album. But, as in all the cases, this 1984 take is superior. The pounding drums create an eerie backdrop that’s totally lost in the re-recording. This sounds more like a soundtrack to a spaghetti western (dig that crazy ending!).
Rounding out side one is Keene’s most-underrated song, the driving “Call on Me” – what a great chorus. This SHOULD have been a huge college radio hit. And, maybe the only time when the Geffen version rivals the original (I prefer the way the later rendition breaks down in the middle, and Tommy’s vocal is better too).
Side two opens with the excellent mid tempo, “They’re In Their Own World,” also issued later on Run Now. I love the way the bass and drums interlock on “Fall Down Too,” and love those harmonies on the chorus. The country two-step of “We’re Two” breaks things up a bit, before another excellent rocker, “Away From It All.”
It’s interesting to hear the Dixon/Burnette take of “Run Now.” Keene would re-record this with Bob Clearmountain for the EP of the same name. This version is more jangly and lacks the muscle of the redo, but is still a fantastic song. The album closes with “The Story Ends,” which opens acoustically before building and then receding near the end.
The LP packaging is great. I love the vintage photos of Keene and band. Plus, the mostly-white album sleeve preserves the continuity of his first two releases. And, it’s fun to see that long-defunct Dolphin Records label logo too.
Listening to these eleven tracks some 40 years later, I’m struck with awe at how good a songwriter Tommy Keene was – hooks and melodies are bursting from the grooves. Had this been released in 1984 or early 1985, when Keene’s initial popularity was at its peak, it would’ve most certainly received more accolades and college radio airplay. But, Geffen Records had a history of messing up great bands (just ask Lone Justice). Had he gone with another label, who knows?
All that we’re left with is this fantastic music. Songs From the Film: The 1984 Reflection Sessions is the missing piece in the fertile Tommy Keene catalog. Grab it while you can for Record Store Day. And, Tommy? You finally got your wish —Tony Peters
