70's Glam, Pop, Pop Rock: T. Rex - Dandy In The Underworld (2019 Edsel, Reissue, Deluxe Edition) 3 Disc & Book

 

Within twelve months of Dandy In The Underworld being released Marc Bolan was dead, a statement made sadder by the fact it proved his best album for some time. Released during the punk explosion of 1977, it was viewed as something of an irrelevance to all but the die-hard fans but,

musically, had a great deal in common with the anarchic scene of the time. Both were based firmly in stripped to the bone barroom boogie - punk coated in a patina of rage and aggression, whilst Bolan's roots were way back in late 50s / early 60s rock and roll.

 Bolan, whether in a clever marketing ploy or a genuine belief, even labelled himself the Godfather of Punk and invited The Damned as a support band on a T.Rex tour. So what made this album better than its predecessors? Well for one thing, Bolan had become much less dependent on the wailing backing vocals of his girlfriend Gloria Jones which, for me,

always detracted from what made T.Rex great: killer riffs and crazily poetic lyrics. And, secondly, there seems to be a heightened sense of enjoyment about the whole venture. Rather than worrying about image and sales,

Bolan seems to have regained his love for music which comes across in some of his most basic and best songs for years: "Crimson Moon", "Visions Of Domino", "Groove A Little" and, in retrospect, Dandy In The Underworld is a fitting epitaph to a unique talent. (rateyourmusic.com, Grampus user)

I don't really have anything to say about the last Bolan album. I think that it is mainly for fans. And was his best in years. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Beatlesque Power Pop : The Red Locusts - The Red Locusts (Lolipop Records 2020/21)

 

So how does a Beatle-obsessed rocker let off a little creative steam? Rick Springfield got together with some old friends, brothers Matt and Gregg Bissonette (who’ve both played with David Lee Roth, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, and Elton John) and they wanted to let their Beatlesque flag fly free. They concocted a “secret” band called The Red Locusts, and built a bunch of pseudonyms for themselves, and released this gem in May to much buzzing excitement. Influenced by The Beatles, Jellyfish, Electric Light Orchestra, Big Star, The Raspberries… fans of Machine Gun Kelly need not apply.

The results are dynamic and satisfying for power pop fans. “Under The Rainbow” is a melodic celebration that rewards with each listen, it’s a bright melody with excellent musicianship and production akin to ELO’s best. “Another Bad Day For Cupid” continues the fun, with a sweet jangle, and then it slows down for the blues shuffle of “Deep Blue Sea.” It grabs the sitars for “Glow Worm,” a neo-psychedelic five minutes that compares well with Andrew Gold’s The Fraternal Order of The All. The songs have familiar musical reference points, but these are still original and unique melodies, and that’s what makes it so good.

LP Cover for 1000 LPs from RS website released 2020

The vocals strain a little on the corny “Love is Going To Save The Day,” but it’s played so sincerely, it works. “Miss Daisy Hawkins” is a cribbed sequel to “Eleanor Rigby,” and Rick adds as many Beatle-isms as possible in the lyrics. Each song is so finely crafted you’ll need to hear it several times, as you peel away each initial influence. For musicians and listeners alike, this is a mutual guilty pleasure (but there is no reason to feel guilty). This is also high on my top ten list for 2021. Super Highly Recommended. (powerpopaholic.com)

CD back

The cover can be frightening at first and the name is probably not very familiar in the music world, but that's only at first glance. Because behind it hides pop superstar Rick Springfield and the brothers Matt and Gregg Bissonnette, who have already played as session musicians with many famous names. The album is great power pop, which deliberately leans on the Beatles. Springfield and co have delivered ten strong pop songs with ''The Red Locusts'' that leave you wanting more. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Power Pop, Pop Rock, Alternative Rock, Psychedelic Rock: The Apples In Stereo - Electronic Projects For Musicians (2008 Yep, Simian)

 

Electronic Projects for Musicians is the second collection of stray tracks by the Apples in Stereo. The first, Science Faire, appeared in 1996 and covered the early days of the band before the release of Fun Trick Noisemaker. This disc rounds up songs included as bonus tracks on Japanese editions of their albums, split-single tracks, B-sides, and some previously unavailable tracks. 

It misses songs the band placed on compilations ("Time for Bed" from Lemonlime, Vol. 1) and soundtracks ("Signal in the Sky (Let's Go") on the Powerpuff Girls soundtrack), so it can't be considered a complete document of their output. One also realizes as the disc goes on that the Apples didn't save any of their best songs for bonus tracks and B-sides. They are all solid examples of the band's unique blend of indie sweetness, psychedelic experimentation, and solid songcraft. A few songs do stand out though That being said, the real gems on the collection are the shimmering rocker "Shine (In Your Mind") (from Fun Trick Noisemaker), the utterly dreamy "The Oasis" (which appeared on a Kindercore collection and as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone) and the previously unreleased "Dreams," which would have been a very nice addition to the Tone Soul Evolution album.

 A song that stands out for all the wrong reasons is "Stephen Stephen," the joky and cloying track the band recorded for The Colbert Report. The band's love for the host of the show may indeed be real, but the song has the feel of a desperate grab for attention and feels totally out of place in the band's catalog. It's not enough of a glitch to deter a fan of the band from needing this collection of typically great music. Especially if they didn't have the means to track down all the Japanese releases and non-LP singles featured here. Tim Sendra, allmusic.com)

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Marvelous Jangle Pop by... The Optic Nerve - Lotta Nerve (1994 Get Hip) HD

 

The jangle of the Byrds early records lived on through New York City's the Optic Nerve in the mid-'80s. Get Hip Recordings has compiled their existing 45s with several unreleased tracks to make up Lotta Nerve, A blistering 13 songs that evoke a number of trippy psychedelic folk-rock bands that emerged from London and California during the late '60s.

Alternative CD Front

Listening to the crisp Rickenbacker 12-string guitars and frail harmonies it is difficult to believe this music isn't actually from 20 years earlier, but the Optic Nerve's sense of authenticity belies the fact that their chronological contemporaries were mid-'80s icons like Madonna and Culture Club. Lotta Nerve is a refreshing follow-up to the debut of the Rolling Stones' brash swagger and a logical precursor to the Stone Roses' swirling guitar rock. (Zac Johnson, allmusic.com)

A somewhat strange review from Mr. Johnson, but so be it! The album offers varied pop in the style of the sixties. And they do that really well. The songs sound ''real'' and sometimes they even remind a bit of the Velvet Underground.  Whereas most of the songs are based on the jangle pop of the Byrds. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Pop Rock/Beat: The Mascots - Ellpee (Expanded Edition) (2014 RPM) Deluxe Edition, Remastered, Stereo, Mono , 2 Disc

The Mascots had a reputation for doing some of the best faux British beat-style music to come out of Europe during the 1960s, but one can't fully appreciate how good they were at it until one hears this album. Issued in 1967 and intended to appeal to the English-speaking market,

it includes a few single sides intermixed with tracks done especially for 12" release, and the results are kind of eerie, mostly because they are done so well in a British beat mode by musicians who are obviously coming to the music from the outside. The fuzz-laden rockers such as "I Close Your Eyes" could have passed muster as proper British freakbeat circa 1965-1966, like a more commercial version of the Creation's sound,

while folkie-based pieces such as "The Proud Crowd" come off as a variant of the folk-rock sound embraced by John Lennon on "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," except the inspiration is less Bob Dylan than, maybe, Phil Ochs in his most commercially minded moments. And then there's the downright weird "Things Are Turning Out," a strange (and strangely accurate) European answer to British music hall-influenced novelty rock,

which seems to have been inspired more by Herman's Hermits than the Beatles, while "Droopy Drops" sounds like someone trying to impersonate the Hollies and Unit 4+2 in the same song and the same breath. They also deliver a better than decent hook-and-harmony-laden piece like "Nobody Crying," with its superb middle eight and a great break, which could just have become an underground classic in America or England. 

The original LP's first side is stronger than its second, and it all sounds as though someone took the hooks, choruses, and playing (and some of the singing) of the Beatles, the Hollies, et al., put them into a blender, and came up with something generic but pleasing in its musical flavor. And thanks to its short running time and lack of pretenses to anything greater or more important, this never overstays its welcome as prime mid-'60s U.K.-style pop/rock. (Bruce Eder, allmusic.com)

Without the Beatles this album would never have existed, even though you might be able to pick out other bands here, the fact is that the Beatles more than influenced all the British bands. The Mascots cover a whole range of styles of British pop music back then. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Psychedelic Rock/Folk Rock/Sunshine Pop/Psychedelic Pop: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - Living Dream -The Best Of (2005 Sundazed)

 

A late-'60s California quintet with a sound that falls somewhere between the Mamas & the Papas and the Jefferson Airplane -- unfortunately without the elegance of the former or the edgy recklessness of the latter -- the Peanut Butter Conspiracy's albums now seem like timepieces of the flower power era, and since the group never managed a big radio hit, they don't even generate the easy nostalgia that might bring them a fresh audience in the 21st century.

Led by bassist Alan Brackett and guitarist John Merrill, both songwriters, and singer Sandi Robinson, who should have been the marketable centerpiece of the band, but curiously wasn't, the PBC certainly had potential. Columbia Records teamed them with producer Gary Usher, who spotted the 12-string guitars and the careful group harmonies of the band and promptly made them sound like the Byrds, which wasn't necessarily a bad idea,

 but a better idea might have been to make Robinson's vocals the clear focus of the group, which would have given them a stronger public identity. The closest the PBC came to having a hit was with their first single, the now hopelessly dated "It's a Happening Thing," and if most of the songs on this anthology (drawn from the group's first two albums, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading and The Great Conspiracy) now seem half-written and full of hippie-driven jargon, there are still a few gems here, including Merrill's Byrdsian "Twice Is Life" and "Dark on You Now," as well as Brackett's intriguing "Living Dream."

Other songs have strong points, like Brackett's "Living, Loving Life," which has a killer opening line ("Everyone has a bomb in their mind"), or the previously unissued "Peter Pan," which sounds today like a brilliant satire of the late-'60s hippie ethos, but wasn't anything of the sort when PBC recorded it. Maybe the strongest cut is "I'm a Fool," a Brackett song that features an unusually aggressive vocal from Robinson (matched in the arrangement by horn blasts) that suggests an alternate musical path for the group that unfortunately was never followed. 

This set from Sundazed has all the essentials from the group's 1967 and 1968 albums for Columbia, plus two previously unissued tracks and the single mix of "It's a Happening Thing," making it both an ideal introduction to the Peanut Butter Conspiracy and probably all that most listeners will ever really need. (Steve Leggett, allmusic.com)

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Pop/Power Pop: Famous Groupies - The Furry White Album (2020 Orange)

Seanair Patrick “Paisley” McKenzie isn’t the first rediscovered or discovered-for-the-first-time-after-a-long-time compositional savant I have encountered, but he is clearly the most prodigious, as evidenced by the trove of delightful songs from the sixties and seventies, both complete and in-process, left in the hands of his grandson, Kirkcaldy.

For three albums now, the latest being The Furry White Album, a glowing love letter to the sounds of yesteryear, Kirkcaldy and his five-piece band of merry fellow travelers have, along with some perfectly placed guests, been tidying up Patrick’s creations and recording them for posterity and our mutual enjoyment. The Furry White Album, 17 songs strong, helps spread the Patrick love with Wings’ Laurence Juber, Rosie Abbott, and retro-pop purveyor Dana Countryman in tow; the results are marvelous and earworm inducing.

Kirkcaldy McKenzie pounds the beat

Channeling, through Patrick’s wide-angle lens, certain of yesteryear’s classic, original pop scribes, Kirkcaldy and crew draw lovely sound pictures that celebrate the sounds that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. To wit: “Little Bird” reminds one of the pure, aching honesty of Paul McCartney’s bouncy piano balladry; “Maggie’s Farm” calls for steady toe tapping as its bluesy pop filters through a bagpipes-colored, faux Appalachian workout a la the Band, and the Nilsson-esque “Ghostwriter” channels a courtship worthy of Eddie’s father.

The songs of The Furry White Album speak for themselves; the performances are perfectly played. That Kirkcaldy continues to mine the output of his talented grandfather and present it to us in a succession of releases is a continuing gift that keeps on giving. The Furry White Album proves that good songs that touch the heart and soul can originate and thrive in any decade. (Paul Haber, Pure Pop Radio)

I hope you like this like i do. And if it so you can buy it HERE !!!

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Rock/Rock'n'Roll: The Runaways - Japanese Singles Collection (2008 Cherry Red)

 

There's no denying the Runaways' immense contribution to rock music. But that said, their studio recordings never truly reflected the raunchy punk attitude of their live shows. So perhaps the best way to experience the Runaways nowadays (since the band is long gone) is to start off with a "best-of" compilation, such as 2008's import set Japanese Singles Collection.

As its title suggests, what you get are all of the band's singles issued in Japan (where the group was absolutely huge), in a pretty impressively assembled package -- which includes lyrics, discography, sleeve notes, etc. 

All of your favorite Runaways classics are included here, including "Cherry Bomb" (how this song didn't become an arena-shaking anthem remains a head-scratcher), "Blackmail," and "I Love Playing with Fire" (which along with "Cherry Bomb" would be re-recorded by Joan Jett early in her solo career), 

among countless others -- including the group's last-ever U.K. single, "Right Now," and its B-side, "Black Leather" (the latter penned by ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook). For a single-disc set of Runaways classics, Japanese Singles Collection is pretty hard to beat. (Greg Pato, allmusic.com)

Für mich eine Band und  ein Sound für ganz besondere Momente. Ich bewundere sehr daß und wie sie ihren Traum wahr gemacht haben. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Alternative Rock/Pop: The Lemonheads - Varshons 2 (2018 Fire)

 

Evan Dando hasn't exactly been prolific in the 21st century. After threatening to become prolific in the 2000s -- he released a solo album, Baby I'm Bored, in 2003, then reunited the Lemonheads for their first new album in ten years in 2006 -- he decided to settle into a role he always longed to be: a college rock crooner, lazily strumming his favorite songs in the twilight hours. Throughout the Lemonheads' career, Dando always steered the group toward other people's songs, but 2009's Varshons was a full-fledged covers album, split between chestnuts from classic singer/songwriters, rustic versions of indie tunes, and the occasional spike of irony. Varshons 2 -- delivered a swift decade after its predecessor -- sands down those rough edges, swapping GG Allin for Florida Georgia Line, and sounding altogether warm and cozy.

The only time there's a hint of underground squall is a vigorous cover of the Eyes' "TAQN" (its speed countering the intent of the lyrics) and the gnarly electric guitar threaded through a version of Lucinda Williams' "Abandoned," which provides a nice, nervy contrast to Dando's honeyed voice. Ten years later, he's remarkably no worse for the wear; his voice doesn't sound weathered, it sounds broken in, wrapping itself easily around songs he clearly knows by heart. Dando remains a sensitive, nuanced interpreter and, as produced by Matthew Cullen, the Lemonheads sound amiable and charming: the best college bar band you could imagine stumbling upon on a Saturday afternoon. (S.T. Erlewine, allmusic.com)

I must say, Dando has once again shown with this album that he does not deviate from his path and does what he wants. And I love him for that. The songs are not just covers but interpretations. That he is also a great songwriter he has proven elsewhere. Evan Dando is a great musician. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Power Pop: The Loud Family - The Tape of Only Linda (1994 Alias Records)

 

Loud Family's first album, Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things, was obviously born of Scott Miller's fondness for the aural mix-and-match of the editing and mixing process. On the other hand, the group's follow-up, The Tape of Only Linda, reflects the work of a band that had spent some time on the road and came back playing tighter, harder, and louder than before. The sonic montage that dominated Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things is almost entirely absent; instead, this album goes for a live sound, with the group stretching out on longer tracks dominated by the guitar work of Miller and Zachary Smith, and while Miller's trademark melodic sense is very much in evidence, this is the closest thing to a straight-ahead rock album in his repertoire. (Even the album's semi-acoustic finale, "Ballet Hetero," has a surprisingly tough melodic undertow.) While Miller has traditionally dominated the songwriting process on his albums, The Tape of Only Linda reveals a greater sense of collaboration with his musicians; six of the ten tracks find him co-writing with other members of the band, and two songs are even sung by keyboard player Paul Wieneke (whose vocals don't fare quite as well as Miller's self-described "miserable whine"). Dark, heavy, and with more than a bit of sneering cynicism in its lyrics, this is the most atypical of Loud Family's albums; it's also one of their best. (Mark Deming, allmusic.com)

Definitely, the album has a sound that puts more emphasis on the band's structure. It rocks and I think Miller and the band had a lot of fun recording it. Enjoy. (Frank)

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