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Blues Rock

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

(SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES/WALT DISNEY STUDIOS/TSG ENTERTAINMENT/VERITAS ENTERTAINMENT/WHITE WATER/RANGE MEDIA PARTNERS/THE PICTURE COMPANY/TURNPIKE FILMS(141 minutes; Rated R); 2024)

Biopics are always fraught with possible problems, among them an army of fans and pundits waiting to pounce on every historical inaccuracy and to analyze the actors playing the key figures, judging whether or not they did an authentic enough job portraying those figures… an especially opinionated exercise when it comes to MUSICAL biopics. Sometimes there is general agreement that the film did a good job (recent biopics on Ray Charles, Elton John and Queen, for example). And sometimes a film in this category flames out so quickly, hardly anyone even bothers to see it (anyone remember that Bowie film a couple of years ago that couldn’t even get the rights to use most of Bowie’s music?). James Mangold, the director of the superb new Bob Dylan biopic A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, is clearly aware of the burden placed on him to credibly tell the story of a true musical icon… he’s braved these waters before with his Johnny Cash film, WALK THE LINE, which mostly won audiences and critics over, despite some liberties taken here and there with facts. Mangold had his two main stars in that film do their own singing, a challenging task for Joaquin Phoenix, who played the man in black, and Reese Witherspoon, who delivered an Oscar-winning performance as June Carter. But Mangold did an impressive job selecting the parts of that story he wanted audiences to see, and using the enduring collaboration and initially iffy romance between Cash and Carter as his cinematic throughline, an artistic decision that worked quite well.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (MONICA BARBARO, TIMOTHEE CHALAMET) (screenshot)

All of this is to say that Mangold had an even loftier task bringing the story of the legendary Bob Dylan to life; Dylan is one of the most important and influential singer/songwriters of all time, and every music fan in the world over a certain age knows SOMETHING about the performer and has impressions (and favorite periods) developed over more than a half century of pop culture evolution. How could you make a worthy film about a musician who meant so much to so many, and still does? Well, two key decisions pointed the way: one was to focus entirely on Dylan’s first five years, when he made the biggest splash as the Greenwich Village “folkie” inconoclast who changed the rules and forced a debate about Folk music versus Rock and Roll to come to the surface, most notably at the infamous Newport Folk Festival. The second decision was to find the right actor to play Mister Zimmerman (Timothee Chalamet, simply superb) and have a good part of the script deal with two key women in Dylan’s first phase: Joan Baez (played here by Monica Barbaro) and Sylvie Russo (a character based on the real-life Suze Rotolo, an artist and activist Dylan was romantically involved with for a while and is pictured with him on the cover of his debut, THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN). Elle Fanning plays that role in the film with charm and often heartbreaking vulnerability. Anyway, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN does an effective job alternating scenes of Dylan singing his powerhouse and emotive songs and building an awestruck following in the process, with scenes showing his interactions with the already established Joan Baez (who inevitably falls for him after seeing his charisma and obvious talent) and the slightly more angsty young artist who shares his bed. It’s hard to just concisely sum up how well this movie delivers on these things. Chalamet is an absolute marvel, able to capture enough of Dylan’s early originality and relentless drive to convince you that you’re really in the presence of this legendary (and often prickly) performer, who simply will NOT reveal all his secrets or willingly be told what to do. I was frankly in AWE much of the time of Chalamet’s singing and successful portrayal of the inscrutable personality quirks that history has shown Dylan to always have had. You get whole songs sometimes and partial performances at other times, but it ALWAYS sounds authentic, with a handful of moments truly standing out musically, among them “Song for Woody” (a tune Dylan wrote for Woody Guthrie, who is seen ailing in a hospital bed early on when the young Bob visits and encounters Woody and fellow folk icon Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), “Girl From the North Country,” “Blowin’ In the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” and at least the first portion of “Highway 61 Revisted,” which is killer and I wish the film HAD given us the full song. I was personally absolutely riveted by every single scene showing Dylan interacting with Joan Baez, as I have some knowledge of that part of the story, and Baez was an early favorite of my late brother. Baez tires of Dylan’s abrasiveness and self-centered manner, flatly stating in one scene, “You’re kind of an asshole, Bob.” It’s absolutely not in the cards for these two very serious musicians to truly gel romantically, but they can’t avoid or ignore each other during this period. When they duet on an absolutely stunning live performance of Dylan’s song “It Ain’t Me Babe” at Newport, the way it is filmed and the subtext of the lyrics results in one of the most singular and memorable musical performances ever put on film. Seriously, I got chills from this scene, and the way Barbaro looks at Chalamet’s Dylan with a combination of respect for his immense talent and knowing sadness that he is ultimately sort of “unreachable,” is cinema magic. I loved Barbaro’s performance, and I loved the script, truthfully. There are so MANY moments that felt right to me as both a musician myself and a longtime observer of pop culture and the ever-changing music industry. You get plenty of scenes dealing with the industry’s attempt to capitalize on Dylan’s talent, by the way, and to reign in his sometimes unruly ways, culminating in the widely known controversy when Dylan “went electric” at the Newport Festival. It’s all engrossing stuff. And I can’t leave out Edward Norton’s solid performance as Pete Seeger… he’s our guide to the role that folk music was playing in the culture in the early ‘60s, an admirer (and mentor at times) of the stunning young talent who quickly starts changing the musical landscape Seeger has been a part of for so long, and the wise veteran who knows how songs can unite people in uncertain times (made clear by scenes showing the nuclear confrontation between the US and Soviet Union and growing civil unrest, something the Sylvie character addresses), but is concerned that Dylan may DIVIDE, rather than unite the audience.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (CHARLIE TAHAN, TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, ELI BROWN ) (screenshot)

That actually DID happen for a short time, but it’s quite clear that Dylan was simply ahead of the curve, and was too important and effective a songwriting voice to be held back by ANYONE… whether established peers like Baez and Seeger, his manager Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler) and other industry types invested in him, or an audience sometimes not willing to initially go along with the “new sounds” and aesthetic that Dylan was determined to explore. The film ends with Dylan heading off down the road on his trusty motorcycle, and we all know that the musician was soon to have a serious accident that would lay him up for a significant period and result in significant changes in his music. But I absolutely found myself feeling that A COMPLETE UNKNOWN had made almost all the right decisions: WHEN to begin the story (there is nothing about Dylan’s childhood, for example, something I’ve read a bit of grumbling about), when to end it, and how his music – and personality – significantly affected both those around him and those in his audience. You’re plunked down, as a viewer, into the middle of a vibrant Greenwich Village scene, and you’re given enough of a legendary artist’s music, impact and mysteriously insular nature, to gain fresh insight into how Dylan changed things, as well as to feel like you’ve time traveled a bit. I was consistently riveted by A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, and truly emotionally stirred by most of its scenes. Yes, it’s a terrific musical biopic. But even more, it’s a significant piece of cinema and possibly the best film James Mangold has directed (kudos also to his co-screenwriter Jay Cocks). Offhand, I can’t think of a better and more significant cinematic tale of how a musician came to change the world and remained mysterious and unpredictable throughout. Look for some Oscar nominations and plenty of revived interest in this Dylan fellow… I hear he is still around and doing things that people still argue about to this day.

MOTHER BRUCE FINDS UTOPIA: THE BRUCE FOWLER INTERVIEW

A FEATURE FROM THE VAULT

BRUCE FOWLER (uncredited photo)

PART ONE: THE INTRODUCTION

George Duke. Ruth Underwood. Napoleon Murphy Brock. Legendary Mothers, all. And, the list is endless… there are actually too many musicians to mention here who owe their careers to Frank Zappa. Some of the original or early members of Zappa’s Mothers – including Motorhead Sherwood, Bunk and Buzz Gardner, Jimmy Carl Black, Elliot Ingber – continue to tour as the Grandmothers. More recently, a group of latter day Zappa band members have been working together under the name Banned From Utopia. Though the membership of this group is fairly nebulous – much like Zappa’s many incarnations of the Mothers – the current group (drummer Chad Wackerman, bassist Arthur Barrow, percussionist Ed Mann, keyboardist Tommy Mars, vocalist Robert Martin, guitarist Mike Miller, special guest vocalist Ray White, horn players Kurt McGettrick and Albert Wing, as well as the Fowler brothers, Tom, Walt, and Bruce) have just released SO YUH DON’T LIKE MODERN ART on Steve Vai’s Favored Nation label. The album is a Mothers-like free-for-all, incorporating some of Zappa’s more adventurous compositions (“Dupree’s Paradise” and ”Sinister Footwear, Second Movement,” among them) alongside band originals that are definitely in the “Frank Zappa” musical mold (the raunchy “Freeway Vigilante” and the politically incorrect “Christian Coalition Blues,” included). Having long been fans of whatever musical entity that Frank would use to present his music, we here at the Mule simply could not let an opportunity to speak to Bruce Fowler get past us. And, so… we give you… the Man, the Myth, the Legend… Bruce Fowler (circa 2002).

PART TWO: THE INTERVIEW

THE MULE: Hey, Bruce. Let’s talk about a new album, some old albums, and some old memories. First, Banned From Utopia. One of the things I have noticed through speaking to various other members of Zappa’s former band, you guys… it’s almost like a club.

BRUCE: That’s right. It’s like, in the blood. I just went over to Gail’s (Zappa, Frank’s widow) house the other day. It was really, really fun. We listened to some stuff from ‘72, from the GRAND WAZOO band. We looked at this documentary that’s in progress of being made by… in Amsterdam… a guy named Frank Shepherd. It’s really great. It’s a work in progress. He’s has been here twice and he’s coming back again this year – trying to finish this thing.

It goes all the way from the beginning. He interviewed all these different people from the band. It’s really, really interesting. You know… even from being in it, I didn’t really know what his influence was on some of the other guys. So after seeing that, it was great. George Duke was talking about how Zappa opened him up to music and the synthesizer… it was amazing. You’d have to say that everybody who played in the band became a much better musician, first of all. For some guys, it was the only real training that they had. You could have been a self taught musician and come into his band, and by the end of it, you’ve been through the whole thing… you’re highly competent to do other music. You know, we can read and everything.

THE MOTHERS, live late 1973 (BRUCE FOWLER, CHESTER THOMPSON, NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK, FRANK ZAPPA) (uncredited photo)

THE MULE: I understand that he was pretty rough, in the sense that he demanded the best out of everybody. By the same token, he gave everybody a chance to shine in his band, a chance to move beyond a standard Rock and Roll, Jazz, Blues format.

BRUCE: That’s true; he was interested in every kind of music you could think of. He combined Classical influence, Indian music, Tibetan music. He talked about it on the video. All of that stuff is conglomerated into his music. Zarinsky combined with Varese, for instance. He talks about how something in between… a missing link between Zarinsky and Varese. He talks about that for a second. Let’s see… what was the question exactly? I kind of went off. Oh yeah… he was a taskmaster, to be sure. He would say – I saw in print many times – guys can be in this band as long as they can play the music, but if they can’t, they gotta go. It was nothing personal; he just had to have his music performed right. And it’s true, that members of the band – the personalities of the individual guys, had a lot to do with the music that he wrote. Always… from the beginning. He wrote music that those guys could shine bright; he could use the personalities of the individuals in the band. Duke Ellington was like that.

THE MULE: I think all great composers… musicians… have a little bit of that in them.

BRUCE: Yeah. Even if you go back to Strauss and the Classical guys… the guys that were playing with them definitely influenced the way they wrote.

THE MULE: I’m looking at the disc and the people that were involved – besides yourself and your brothers – most of the people involved are latter day Zappa musicians.

BRUCE: That’s right. I came in in ‘72, with THE GRAND WAZOO, before the George Duke/Jean Luc (violinist Jean Luc Ponty) days… actually, it was in between, because he was in there during Flo and Eddie, I believe. I’m not sure about it… I’m not sure that’s actually true, but maybe it is. At any rate, the band with Jean Luc Ponty that began in ‘73, that was really a strong instrumental band, so the guys could play really hard music. The first band… the original Mothers… those guys were entertainers. They had great personalities and they were funny and everything, but they weren’t heavily trained musicians in the technical sense. The music he wrote later on… during the Flo and Eddie era… when the guy threw him off the stage in London and he broke his leg. He was in a wheelchair for a year… during that time he wrote a lot of really hard stuff. He was looking to have really well trained guys, and the character of his band changed drastically. I’m good friends with some of those original Mothers… (keyboard/synthesizer player Don) Preston and Ian (Underwood, keyboards and woodwinds). Ian, now he was heavily well-trained; and Preston is well trained, but the other guys… not really. They’re more beat guys. The music that we learned so well by playing it a million times is that Jazzier, modern Classical, technical stuff. Sure, we played the earlier pieces, too… a lot of them. But, there was a strong emphasis on the more complicated music. Plus, it’s a lot of fun for a musician to play that stuff.

I think it’s interesting to note that a lot of these tribute bands, they’re all playing that stuff from the ROXY… record (ROXY AND ELSEWHERE, an infamous live album from 1974). The same stuff we played. So we kind of found out… we don’t play the same stuff as everyone else. But that’s the fun stuff to play. And also, Frank… his personality is so strong on some of those tunes, that it’s kind of weird to do it without him singing it. Even “Montana,” for instance… we didn’t do that for the longest time because it just seemed like it wasn’t going to be right. There are a couple instrumental tunes… guitar tunes that we don’t do because they really were Frank’s features on the guitar and we don’t want to do it. And… I don’t think he wanted people to do it, either. A lot of people miss him… it’s not a matter of having a tribute band and having that being some kind of a thing. It’s just a matter of having a lot of fun. It’s such an integral part of our history and we’re just drawn to do it.

FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS: ROXY AND ELSEWHERE

THE MULE: There are 10 songs on the album and half of those are original numbers.

BRUCE: That’s the other thing. We don’t just want to just be a tribute band; we want to have our own thing. The tradition of speaking out against the establishment, especially now with what’s going on… it seems the world needs some people who are going to stand up and tell it like it is. Instead of being a commercial… talking about your girlfriend or whatever and have a sort of nothing music. In the tradition of Frank, you have to get in and battle it out with the forces of evil. I think part of the reason we were hired in the first place by him, was that we sort of felt the same way he did about censorship and politics. And, as he says on this tape… he says, “Deviant behavior is necessary because you have to deviate from the norm in order to do something different” and, who knows… it might even be an improvement. That’s really well put. And plus… we like comedy; it’s fun to make fun. It’s kind of taken in fun, but we’re truly horrified by what we see going on around us. What was your reaction to those tunes?

THE MULE: The originals? Listening to the disc all the way through its almost seamless… you guys obviously got your chops.

BRUCE: One of the hardest things about that record was getting the right order of tunes. We tried a million of them out. And that’s probably the best we could do. We had a few other tunes that didn’t make it onto the CD. I think it came out pretty good, considering. And, you’re right… guys like Chad… he’s such a great drummer. All you have to do is stick with him. We recorded the rhythm section and then, we overdubbed just about everything else… although we kept all the original rhythm tracks and then we added additional rhythm stuff; like a lot of the original guitar tracks and keyboard tracks are there, but there might be another one added.

THE MULE: I think that you guys have definitely captured the spirit of Frank’s adventuresome nature and his desire to present what may possibly be alternative viewpoints in a method that people are going to actually listen to and – whether they realize it or not – they are receiving this message. Does that make sense?

BRUCE: Yeah. I think it’s important to have some message. It’s interesting that my daughter’s a musician… and she’s 14 and she’s talking the same way. I think that maybe this generation that’s just coming up might be more interested in genuine music… with actual players. We have so many machines running around doing everything… in music, too. Not that I have anything against it; believe me, I use it all the time.

I really like the way machines have entered the music world. They have made a lot of things possible that weren’t before. I can just imagine what Frank would be up to if he had the current machines. But still, you got to have a guy who can play it to have the true expression. Our thing is that we can still do it… I don’t know… we’re getting older, you know. It’s been along time since ‘72… 30 years ago! We played that stuff so many times that it’s just not that hard… even though it’s really hard to do it. We’ve already been through that. And a guy like Chad, he can come over here and we can pull out a tune like “Sinister Footwear,” which is incredibly complicated, and he plays it right down. Like we just did it yesterday. That’s amazing.

THE MULE: Yeah, definitely. The guy is incredible.

BRUCE: He is incredible. I think one of the traditions of Frank is to have this drummer who is just a monster and then he’d have a bass player who holds down the fort and keeps this solid-as-a-rock time going on while Frank and the drummer go crazy. That’s something that all these great drummers that started out on the scene, about the time of Flo and Eddie… about ‘70 or so… Frank was an R and B guy when he was younger. He was loving R and B… and he played R and B guitar, too. That’s very interesting, you know? I think that he got more interested in Jazz… more interested in Classical music and the rest is history. We’ve all kind of been that way, even before we met him. My father is a music professor and he taught me about those rhythms before I met Frank. That’s how I was able to pass the audition… because I had already had some practice superimposing one rhythm on top of another.

THE MOTHERS, 1973 (GEORGE DUKE, BRUCE FOWLER, TOM FOWLER, IAN UNDERWOOD, FRANK ZAPPA, RALPH HUMPHREY, RUTH UNDERWOOD, JEAN-LUC PONTY) (photo credit SAM EMERSON)

THE MULE: The one thing – we’ve already touched on it – is you’ve got to be able to play the stuff. I was lucky enough to see Frank later on, in 1980. Arthur was in the band… Steve Vai was along with him… Ike and Ray (guitarists/vocalists Willis and White)… Ed Mann… Tommy… they would pull out these songs from seemingly nowhere. And Frank would lead them through it. It’s just like – you know… I mean, you were in the band – a wave of the hand or a nod of the head and… you’re off.

BRUCE: Yeah… the signal. He would make up a set of signals and we’d write ‘em all down; then, we’d have this list of stuff that it meant. It might be changed from tour to tour. We had to know them well enough so we could go from anything to anything else at the drop of a hat. Also, there would be certain things that he could insert in the middle of any tune just by putting up his little finger or some other signal… two or three or four or five, even… or some other thing, like the sign for the “C” chord… you know, the little “C” with his hand. That “C” chord was very useful and poppy in places. I was noticing, in fact, that this 1972 GRAND WAZOO, which had 22 people in it… they were in the middle of this one tune and there were three different free sessions that went on for 10 minutes. It was wild. I had forgotten all about it.

He really got into some stuff… he was obviously just conducting us on the spot. I like to do that… freeform conducting. It’s really fun. I did it in Amsterdam for this orchestra a couple of years ago. We wrote a bunch of orchestral tracks that were based on WAKA/JAWAKA and that kind of stuff. After the big Holland festival, which featured Frank that year. They actually did 200 MOTELS live… we did “Gregory Peckory” live with Ensemble Modern… then we had this third group, the Metropol Orchestra, and we did our concert… which was pretty loose and I just started conducting, because the conductor couldn’t do it… there was no way! You had to see Frank do it in order to have some idea of what he wanted. So, I just started conducting them and then I just turned around and started conducting the audience and they were right with me. I didn’t have to tell them what to do or anything about it… what signals meant… they just did it. It was great! That thing was recorded, but they’re hiding the tape. They won’t even give it to Gail. They’ve got it hidden, you know? It’s weird. I’d love to see that come out.

I think, along the lines of music and Frank – and us, too – I’d like to see the stuff retain its spontaneity and not go the way of some Jazz, which is now like a highbrow music… with tuxes and everything. I hope this doesn’t do that. That’s one thing that I kind of wonder… Frank, the greatest composer of the 20th century… kind of turns me off because of that. For instance, when guys do arrangements of the music, there might be stuff that we improvised… and now it’s written down, like its gospel. Like, guys put music in front of me – “Play this!” – but that’s stuff that I made up. That’s my stuff… I can’t do that!

THE MULE: Within the current group, do you have the opportunity to do any of that… orchestrating on the spot?

BRUCE: Oh yeah. We do it. Ike was in our band and he drifted out before we did this record. I have a feeling that certain guys will probably be in and out of the band. Like him… Ike would do it. He would conduct in that Zappa manner. I can do it… different guys can do it, but it’s important for somebody to stand out there and do something because it keeps everything together. On the other hand, we can just play free… and that’s sort of the same thing. You do it by just listening, where nobody is actually leading us. But somebody needs to get out there and actually lead us in order to get that to work. It’s like… There’s one tune, “Christian Coalition Blues,” the last tune (on the SO YUH DON’T LIKE MODERN ART album). That’s our jam tune. It’s just a Blues, and then it goes into this sort of rap thing. It’s actually Rob Reed rapping… as if Rob Reed was a rapper. He’s the guy who started the Christian Coalition in the first place. He looks like he’s about 12… he doesn’t age… ever. Now he’s a big wig in the Republicans, you know… he’s an advisor and everything. This was actually written a long time ago; it was when we did a tour, at least five years ago. It’s a little out of date, but its never out of date because they keep doing the same stuff.

THE MULE: There are certain things that don’t go out of vogue.

BRUCE: No… if we play that tune, we go with whatever current event is happening. Like when Clinton was having all his troubles, we had the blue dress. I went to the thrift store and got a blue dress and I put a bunch of Elmer’s Glue on it… so that it would look right. And that was on-stage and, you know, it was fun! We invent these vignettes… we’ll start talking about something and it gets into like, a little play. Frank started that early on. When he first started doing his stuff at the Derek Theatre in New York, he experimented with the audience… he went to London and did this kind of a play, where the group all broke up on stage because some of the guys wanted to actually have notes to play; then they brought an orchestra out and had a big fight between the band and the orchestra. This was on this video that I just bought the other day. That’s the kind of thing you definitely want to do. That makes our gig so much more fun for us… rather than just going out there and playing.

The other thing is – as with Frank – where a set list is only presented to the band moments before we go out… like five minutes before we’d go out, we’d get the set list. We’d be squealing, “Oh, my God! We haven’t played this one for weeks! How does that go again? What’s my part?” Take a quick look at your part because we’re not supposed to have any music out there… and we had 125 tunes in ‘88. It was hard to remember ‘em all… and the thing is, it was the opposite of a touring band that goes out and does the same exact show for an entire year or something. Like the current way of doing a show… which is cool, too… it’s a totally different thing, with all the lights… everything’s programmed… the stage moves and all that stuff. That’s the opposite of the way Frank liked to do stuff. I like both scenes really but, man, if we had to play the exact same thing every night, I don’t know why we’d do it. Which is never going to happen with this band. We’re doing it because we really enjoy it… that’s the bottom line. We’re not great businessmen, though. We’re going to need some help. That’s why I appreciate you calling me.

BRUCE FOWLER (uncredited photo)

THE MULE: I’m looking at an album that came out on Rhino in ‘82, by the Grandmothers. I see that your brothers are in the band but, at that time, you weren’t involved. Were you ever involved with them and how would you compare that band of ex-Mothers – ex-Zappa sidemen – to the current group, Banned From Utopia?

BRUCE: This is a similar thing to us, in a way. Those guys are more of the earlier guys. The difference between us and them is that we’re playing more of the later stuff… not that we shouldn’t do that. We did play some of the stuff from WE’RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY… we’ve played that before… and we’ve played some stuff from FREAK OUT before… “Help, I’m a Rock,” we played that. So, we’re not, like, exclusive or anything. We’re not going to not do that stuff… it’s just that we didn’t put it on the record. I think, interestingly enough, the Grandmothers are playing the stuff that we were playing when we were in the band… it crosses back and forth.

Those guys had a history with Frank; the business of it caused a big problem. So, they’re not really in great favor with the Zappa family. And… I don’t know how important this is or isn’t… basically, we want good relations with the Zappa family. You have to be kind of careful about the way you use the name Frank Zappa and stuff like that because… we don’t own it. It’s him… it’s the family that deserves it and owns it and everything. In a way, the Grandmothers are more split up from the family… they had a pretty bad fight with Frank. I think its valuable that those guys are playing. They’re fine and… I think they’re going to actually go play in Europe real soon. They have some guys that I know that are in the band… some LA musicians that are friends of mine. They’re trying to get a better band… their band is getting better, all the way around… the instrumental playing of it. They weren’t that great at first, technically; now they are getting some other new players that are really good. They’ll be good and I think they’re going to Germany soon.

We’ve got to come out and play; we’re working on that now. We’re going to go play… we HAVE to go play. My problem is that I work in the movie business; I’m an orchestrator… so I get busy. I can’t do this… I can’t organize the band and still do the work I do. I’ve got to have help. Having a big group is what we need… we need the percussionist… we need the singing, which takes three guys really… and how could we do it without the horn section? That’s what’s different about us; we’ve got the horn section.

BANNED FROM UTOPIA: SO YUH DON’T LIKE MODERN ART

PART THREE: THE CONCLUSION

That wasn’t the end of our conversation with Mister Fowler, boys and girls, but it was the end of our tape. So engaged were we with this interview that we forgot to turn the tape over and lost probably another fifteen minutes of reminiscing about Frank and some of the other players involved in this and other projects that Bruce has been involved in. Banned from Utopia’s current release, SO YUH DON’T LIKE MODERN ART, features ten tracks – five originals, five Zappa compositions – all played as only a group of Zappa-nurtured musicians could play them. I’m certain that Frank would be proud.

BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY: NINE HUNDRED NIGHTS

(EAGLE VISION/EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT/MULTIPRISES/PIONEER ENTERTAINMENT (59 minutes; Unrated); 2004) A REVIEW FROM THE VAULTS

Before I get into specifics, just let me say… this is an absolutely awesome package! The main section is a very informative, nostalgic 2001 hour-long film, documenting the rise and fall of one of the seminal bands of the San Francisco psychedelic era; the extras include four complete (and obviously digitally remastered) live performances, a rare audio track (pre-Janis?) of “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” interview outtakes from the surviving members of the band and others (which add a lot of history and insight that, while not necessary to the story, are nice to hear), and a bunch of other archival oddities (photos, concert posters, etc.). Ironically, the full band name on the case is “Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin,” an appellation that plays heavily into the history of the band. So, having (hopefully) piqued your interest, let’s get into those specifics.

BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY (Sam Andrew; Peter Albin; Janis Joplin; Dave Getz; James Gurley) (uncredited photo)

The documentary includes a lot of music, a lot of archival material (including interviews), and a lot of reflections on the late ’60s emergence of Sam Andrew, Peter Albin, James Gurley, David Getz and Janis Joplin. The new interviews untangle the myth from the history, making for an intriguing look at a band and a society continually on the brink of collapse. Additional interviewees include music historian and Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye and psychedelic gadfly and post-Joplin Big Brother singer/producer Nick Gravenites (Nick also spent time in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Electric Flag, among others). Much is made of the Monterey Pop Festival and its backers, and their reasons for asking Big Brother to play. Everyone knows that the festival was basically a tool to package the San Francisco scene for mass consumption, via a documentary by filmmaker DA Pennebaker. What most people didn’t know (at least I didn’t) is that the musicians in Big Brother refused to be filmed; they’d agreed to perform non-gratis at the free show (as had all of the acts), but would not give the producers and backers the chance to earn a big payday at their expense. The powers that be went to Janis after the band’s performance and got the naive vocalist to sign a release by telling her that the band went over so well (that part, at least by all indications, wasn’t a lie) that they wanted them to do another set… this one for the camera. Janis, who may not have been as naive as everyone thought, may have been thinking ahead to her future… without Big Brother and the Holding Company. Contractually obligated by Joplin’s signature, the band performed the second set for the cameras, delivering a smoldering performance that actually set the band on the road to ultimate destruction. Digitally remastered clips from the film – “Ball and Chain” and the previously unreleased “Combination of the Two” – focus on Joplin, with the other four members pictured as nothing more than background dressing. Today, the band (and historians) cite the Monterey Pop Festival as the beginning of the end. But… I’ve already said too much! I don’t want to give the whole thing away, or you won’t want to go out and pick up the excellent NINE HUNDRED NIGHTS (the name refers to the nearly two-and-a-half years that the band’s most famous configuration was together).

BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY (Live at the Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, 1968: James Gurley, Sam Andrew, Dave Getz, Janis Joplin, Peter Albin) (photo credit/copyright: Elliot Landy/landyvision.com)

I will tell you about the extras that I alluded to earlier, however. The four complete songs featured are “Down On Me,” “The Coo Coo,” “Ball and Chain,” and “Piece of My Heart.” The latter two are from the Monterey film; the first two are black and white performances from, I believe, a German television show. Each shows the incendiary qualities of the group. One of the great misconceptions about this band – often cited over the last three decades as a reason for Janis’ departure – was that they couldn’t handle things musically and their ineptitude was holding Joplin back. This film, and especially these performances, debunk that long-held theory. True, the band may never have reached the heights it attained with Janis Joplin, but Getz, Albin, Gurley and Andrew were amazing musicians and had already carved a niche for themselves as one of the premiere groups in the San Francisco area. They were signed to Mainstream Records, a small but influential label, and were getting attention beyond the Bay Area. While no one can deny the talent and charisma of the Texas whirlwind named Janis Joplin, the boys weren’t exactly hacks. They were good! Most of the other extra stuff here just kinda reiterates what we learned in the film. Some of the background info from the interview outtakes adds to the story but, accessing them is sort of a pain: You can’t just play the entire sequence, as each question to each interviewee has to be played separately. That’s annoying, but a minor problem; not one that should keep you from picking up this package. The rest of the “bonus features” include a discography, photo gallery, biographical timelines and “Psychedelic Treats.” Even without the extras, this is a great addition to anyone’s DVD and music libraries.

NILUFER YANYA/ANGELICA GARCIA/LUTALO

(13 October, 2024; THE BOTTLENECK, Lawrence KS)

Sunday nights are supposed to be boring, right? A time to relax and re-energize for the coming work (or school) week. This particular Sunday night was anything but as Lawrence, Kansas became a melting pot of musical talent, featuring three compelling acts – Lutalo, Angelica Garcia, and headliner Nilüfer Yanya. Each brought a distinct sound and energy to the stage, making the night an unforgettable experience for the packed venue.

LUTALO (LILY SEABIRD, LUTALO JONES, MICAH RUBIN) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

Kicking off the evening was Vermont-based artist Lutalo Jones, an alternative singer whose music blended slow, moody rock with indie Blues. Lutalo was joined by Micah Rubin on drums and Lily Seabird on bass, creating a rich yet intimate sound. His set moved through a variety of vibes, with each song offering something different – ranging from introspective lyrics to more upbeat rhythms.

LUTALO (LUTALO JONES) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

Though Lutalo’s performance felt understated at first, it quickly gained momentum. His emotionally raw vocals connected deeply with the audience, who responded more and more as the set progressed. When a guitar string broke during the final song, Lutalo didn’t miss a beat, continuing the performance with the grace and professionalism of a seasoned artist. The diverse textures in his music showcased his versatility, leaving the audience with an appreciation for his evolving sound.

ANGELICA GARCIA (ANGELICA GARCIA, VAL SEPULVEDA) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

Angelica Garcia, from Los Angeles, brought an entirely different energy to the stage. With only Val Sepulveda on drums backing her up, Garcia’s voice took center stage, blending elements of Latin Punk and bilingual alternative electronic Pop. Her powerful, well-regulated vocals filled the room, captivating the crowd. Garcia’s vocal range is impressive, effortlessly moving from deep, rich tones to high, piercing notes – an indication of her natural talent and technical skill.

ANGELICA GARCIA (VAL SEPULVEDA, ANGELICA GARCIA) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

Garcia engaged the audience from start to finish, her bilingual lyrics resonating with many in the crowd. She described her second-to-last song, “Hey, Paloma,” as “cute” and invited the audience to join in, creating an interactive, fun moment. The final song was a fusion of electronic beats, drums, and her signature Spanish vocals, leaving a lasting impression. With only vocals and drums, Garcia proved that she didn’t need a full band to captivate the crowd – her voice and presence were more than enough. As her set concluded, a large portion of the audience immediately headed to her merch booth, eager to purchase her CDs and support her growing career. It’s clear that Angelica Garcia is an artist who knows how to leave a mark on her audience, and her upward trajectory seems inevitable.

NILUFER YANYA (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

Headlining the evening was London-born Nilüfer Yanya, whose indie/alternative sound has been steadily gaining her a dedicated following. From the moment she stepped on stage, accompanied by a stellar band, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. Nilüfer herself played guitar, alongside fellow guitarist Will Archer, Ellis Dupuy on drums, Beth O’Lenahan on bass and Jazzi Bobbi on saxophone, keys, and backup vocals. The chemistry between the band members was evident, their tight musical coordination enhancing the already polished performance.

NILUFER YANYA (JAZZI BOBBI, NILUFER YANYA, BETH O’LENAHAN) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

Nilüfer’s vocal delivery was hauntingly beautiful – her soft yet powerful voice combined with her band’s intricate sound created a mesmerizing atmosphere. Tracks from her latest album, MY METHOD ACTOR, were standouts, with “Run Away” eliciting particularly loud cheers from the audience. The live version of this hit showcased Nilüfer’s incredible vocal control, her voice soaring over the lush instrumentation.

NILUFER YANYA (NILUFER YANYA, WILL ARCHER) photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

As the show progressed, the audience moved closer to the stage, completely immersed in the performance. The mix of saxophone, layered guitar riffs, and atmospheric keys gave Nilüfer’s set a unique sound that felt both timeless and modern. Her music is difficult to categorize – at times, it recalls the soulfulness of Amy Winehouse, but with a more experimental, indie twist. The crowd swayed in unison, visibly moved by her hypnotic melodies and powerful stage presence.

NILUFER YANYA (BETH O’LENAHAN, NILUFER YANYA, WILL ARCHER) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

As the set came to a close, Nilüfer Yanya left the audience wanting more. With her US tour wrapping up in Los Angeles later this month, there’s no doubt that she’s on the verge of even greater success. Her sold-out vinyl and merch at previous venues, including hoodies and t-shirts, are a testament to her rising popularity. The support of her bandmates and manager Owen McAllister, who spoke fondly of their time touring across the US, only adds to the feeling that Nilüfer’s star is still on the rise.

NILUFER YANYA (NILUFER YANYA, WILL ARCHER) (photo credit: KASEY LEHMKUHL)

This concert was a perfect blend of styles and genres, each artist bringing something unique to the night. The opening trio, Lutalo, set the tone with an introspective and evolving sound, while Angelica Garcia’s bilingual Punk-Pop performance, firmly supported by drummer Val Sepulveda, lit up the stage and Nilüfer Yanya closed the evening with a mesmerizing set that showed why she’s quickly becoming a major figure in the indie music scene. All three acts showcased raw talent and left a lasting impression on the Lawrence crowd. As these artists continue to tour and release new music, there’s no doubt that their names will only grow more familiar. This show was a reminder of the magic that happens when artists truly connect with their audience, and it’s safe to say Lawrence will be talking about this show for a long time.

FINDING A WAY TO ROCK: SARAH BORGES LIVE PREVIEW

We were all hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown. Even if we managed to stay healthy, we all know at least one person who was sick; if we were lucky, we didn’t lose anyone close to us. Being separated from loved ones was tough, having to rearrange our lives because of this virus was maddening. A lot of people were forced to say home, work remotely or, in extreme cases, lost their jobs, their livelihoods. One of the worst hit industries was entertainment: We couldn’t go see a live show, they couldn’t play live. A working musician’s “bread and butter” is playing live, meeting the fans; selling their merchandise (T-shirts, CDs, albums… ) makes up a very large part of a touring musician’s income. The need to play and create new music is built into a musician’s DNA. So it was that Sarah Borges recorded her new album, TOGETHER ALONE, released earlier this year, working with longtime producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel and several bassists and drummers remotely. The cohesiveness of the album’s ten tracks is testament to the drive and determination to create.

SARAH BORGES live with KEITH VOEGELE (photo credit: BRYAN BOLEA)

Now, with Sarah coming to Off Broadway, one of Saint Louis’ coolest (and my personal favorite) venues, we spoke to her about what we can expect on August 24. “Well, you know, we’re touring in support of our newest record, which is called TOGETHER ALONE. It came out in February. And we recorded the record pretty much remotely during the lockdown portion of the pandemic so, luckily for me, the guys who play bass and guitar on the record, which are Keith Voegele from the Bottle Rockets and “Roscoe” Ambel, who produced all those Bottle Rockets records… they’re in the touring band, too, so… and, it’s rounded out by our drummer Kenny Soule. But the way we work it is, I play some songs from the record and then Roscoe will sing a few, play ‘em… we kinda trade back and forth during the show, lots of harmonies, lots of banter in between. It’s really fun, ya know? I kinda feel like, I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m so grateful to still be doing it. Every show is fun.”

SARAH BORGES (photo credit: LIZ LINDER PIX)

Packing in tunes from Sarah’s eight albums, as well as music from Ambel’s bands, the Del-Lords, Roscoe’s Gang and the Yayhoos and… maybe a few surpsises, the evening should be a good one! With traces of the Beatles – especially George Harrison – wandering through the remotely recorded TOGETHER ALONE, the new songs have a friendly, poppy sound that really allows Sarah to get into the vocal arrangements without being too in-your-face. I, for one, am looking forward to hearing these new tunes performed live. Nick Gusman opens the show. Tickets are available at offbroadwaystl.com, at the door day-of-show and from the usual ticket outlets; more information is also available at the venue’s website. See you there!

THE BEATLES: GET BACK

(DISNEY PICTURES/APPLE CORPS LTD/WINGNUT FILMS (468 minutes; Rated PG-13); 2021)

You can’t really argue that GET BACK, the new three-part documentary directed by Peter Jackson about a pivotal month in the life of the Beatles during their last year together, isn’t THE cultural media event of Fall 2021. It’s been talked about for months, Paul McCartney himself did an NPR interview in which he discussed it, and it aroused the emotions of Beatle fans everywhere when the pandemic caused the project to morph from an intended theatrical film to a much longer documentary to be streamed exclusively on Disney+, the company’s streaming service, for three nights over the Thanksgiving holiday. Speculation in advance was intense, as one contingent of fans feared it would “whitewash” the long-discussed tensions of the Fab Four in their final days (which the previous LET IT BE documentary certainly left one with knowledge of), and another contingent waited for validation of long held beliefs: that Yoko broke up the Beatles, that Paul was a dictatorial tyrant in those last days, that George Harrison had simply had enough and stormed out in anger, and that the lads were simply incapable of working together creatively anymore after the many pressures of being the most successful and influential rock band in history.

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (John Lennon, Peter Jackson) (publicity still)

Well, then. New Zealand’s legendary director Jackson, never having been shy about tackling enormous, “impossible” projects (remember that LORD OF THE RINGS thing?) has a mega documentary for YOU! And guess what? You can put everything you thought you knew about the Beatles’ final days aside, and marvel at the intimate scope and cumulative effect of this roughly eight-hour saga and the many revelations it contains. First, some clarity: This is not really a film about the “final days” of the Fabs. What we have here is a cinema diary of just over three weeks from January 1969, when the band was working on a planned project that became LET IT BE, intended to be a film, album and concert that would capture their intention to “get back” to a more youthful, spontaneous atmosphere that’d harken back to… well, when they were more youthful and spontaneous. A look at the ACTUAL last days of the Beatles would focus on the ABBEY ROAD recording, the massive tensions created by Allen Klein being hired to manage their financial affairs (a pivotal decision supported by all but McCartney, who fought it tooth and nail and had to sue the other three to put an end to Klein’s shady practices), and John Lennon’s increasing desire to be with Yoko and do his own thing instead of being wrapped up in the monstrous machine that was THE BEATLES. You see all the seeds of this stuff in Jackson’s doc: Klein is introduced in the latter half of it, Yoko is seen at John’s side throughout most of the footage, and songs that later appeared on ABBEY ROAD are indeed rehearsed and talked about in many segments. But no, this is NOT an investigation of what broke up the Beatles. Jackson was given access to 60+ hours of unseen video and roughly 150 hours of unheard audio, and from this massive trove, he culled together a day-by-day record of what John, Paul, George and Ringo were doing during those fabled days first at Twickenham Studio (where they were under pressure to get stuff done before the movie THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN was to take over the place, starring Ringo and Peter Sellers), and later at #3 Saville Row, home to the Beatles’ own Apple Records label. The band had a reasonably interesting project in mind; you can’t fault their intentions, and all seemed eager to dive in and work after a fairly long break following the White Album. But things did NOT go smoothly, and we see quite clearly that they were in over their heads, unable to figure out WHERE to stage a live performance, WHICH songs to record and HOW to carry on efficiently without a “daddy figure” (as McCartney refers to Brian Epstein, who’d previously sheltered the boys to some extent from the worst tensions brought on by fame and industry pressures). Jackson had an absolutely daunting task here: All this footage has been buried in a vault for half a century, and the Beatles clearly had NO taste for delving into a pile o’ stuff that would, rumor had it, show them in their worst moments, unable to cooperate with each other long enough to simply record a new album and go on about the business of being the world’s biggest band.

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison) (publicity still)

Except, that is not what happened. The story was WAY more complex than that, and not nearly so bleak. This amazing documentary allows us to travel back in time and be “flies on the wall” at the daily recording sessions, where the four lads discuss various songs and impulses, jam spontaneously, and gradually shape the compositions that would eventually become the songs most of us know like the back of our hands by now. Repeated segments showing the evolution of songs such as “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Two of Us” are fascinating, and from a songwriting point of view, the insight into the process is invaluable. You may get sick of some of the repetition, but I’m pretty sure most committed Beatles fans won’t mind at all. To see how “Get Back” evolved from being a “protest song” about immigrants to a more aesthetically vague pop/rock tune that the boys agreed should be the next single, is captivating. And “Two of Us” has layers of resonance about the close relationship between Paul and John, both in the actual lyrics of the song (“You and I have memories/Longer than the road that stretches/Out ahead… “) and in the discussions we are privy to about the arrangement, in terms of whether it should be a simple acoustic song or something more sonically dense, with many scenes showing the two most famous songwriters working closely together to try to get it right. They ALL want to do that, and these things take TIME. Plain and simple. We see them getting impatient, making fun of themselves, and trying various things over and over. It could and does get tedious at times. The infamous exchange between Paul and George where the latter mutters that he’ll “play anything you want, or I won’t play at all if it will please you… ” that was a focal point in LET IT BE, occurs here with much greater context, that primarily being that Paul was trying to be the taskmaster and keep the group focused, not only on specific arrangements but on getting things DONE in a timely manner. With the full backdrop of the proceedings on display here, it’s pretty reasonable, and George’s impatience is understandable, not because McCartney was a jerk, but because “it’s all too much” at times. Plain and simple.

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon) (publicity still)

George, of course, does walk out for a while; every essay about this documentary has talked about that. In 1969, Harrison was truly coming into his own as a songwriter, and there are two pivotal scenes that deal with this. A remarkable private conversation between Paul and John is captured on audio. John declares, “It’s like George said, he didn’t get enough satisfaction anymore because of the compromise he had to make to be together… it’s a festering wound that we’ve allowed to… and yesterday we allowed it to go even deeper, and we didn’t give him any bandages.” Paul is listening, clearly, and responds: “Yeah, we treat him a bit like that. See, because he knows what we’re on about. But I do think that he’s right. That’s why I think we’ve got the problem now, the four of us. You go one way, George one way, and me another… “

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon) (photo credit LINDA MCCARTNEY/APPLE CORPS LTD)

The revelatory conversation continues with John openly stating he’s intimidated at times by Paul’s insistence on certain arrangements, and how he’s sometimes given up speaking out in favor of his own thing. He admits that “sometimes you’re right” to Paul, but that other times he has disagreed with the final results. In the context of all we know about the Beatles, this is just groundbreaking, to have this inside look at a tension-packed time. Meanwhile, we’re all aware of what was coming next for George Harrison. He was writing tons of new songs, including numbers like “All Things Must Pass,” “Isn’t It a Pity” and a little tune called “Something.” A much talked-about scene shows George struggling with the line to follow “Something in the way she moves/Attracts me like… ” Lennon comically suggests singing anything at all until a good fit is found. “Attracts me like a cauliflower,” he suggests, and a different scene shows George singing “attracts me like a pomegranate.” This is all pretty amusing, but when you step back for a moment and realize you’re seeing one of the greatest songs ever written in its infancy, a song that was obviously one of the highlights of the Beatles’ soon-to-be final studio album, ABBEY ROAD, you can’t help but be totally caught up in George’s place in music history right here. There’s a separate conversation between John and George where the latter tells John he’s written about “20 new songs” and that it would take ten more Beatle albums to get them all out there at the current rate of “two George songs per album.” George suggests he may just have to do a solo album, something which at first surprises John, and then seems to turn a light bulb on in his head. We all know what actually happened, and it’s simply another revelatory moment. So is seeing George being the pragmatic one through most of this documentary. While the others are brainstorming ludicrous ideas like doing a performance at an ancient historical site in Libya, or taking a selected group of fans on a large ship across the ocean to be the audience for whatever they’re gonna do, George wryly declares “We can’t even get Fender to send us a free amp.” This documentary will almost certainly increase your respect for George Harrison and his importance to the Beatles…

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (Billy Preston, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, Yoko Ono) (photo courtesy: THE BEATLES)

Does the film show Paul McCartney as a raging egomaniac? No, because they ALL clearly were. Remember, they were already the most famous group in the world with endless expectations heaped upon them everywhere. We get to see various members reading their own press at the time, richly entertaining, including George reading a bit about him and John coming to physical blows, an event that did NOT actually happen. Paul is definitely shown paying the most attention to specific song arrangements, and the reality of trying to meet their deadlines, but he is about collaboration all the way. It’s amazing to see him and John working together closely; you really WANT them to figure everything out and keep making remarkable music. Songs that never became official Beatle songs are given bits of time, such as McCartney’s “Teddy Boy” and “Another Day” and Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” and “Child of Nature,” which would in a couple of years morph into “Jealous Guy.” And wow, is there some fun seeing early versions of ABBEY ROAD tracks like “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” (showing Beatles road manager Mal Evans banging a device gleefully), “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” and “Polythene Pam” enter the picture. Everything is a question mark in this film: WHAT songs will they record? WHAT songs will they play for whatever live concert they are going to do? How can they possibly deliver when they feel they only have maybe half a dozen songs with fully developed arrangements?

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison) (photo courtesy DISNEY PICTURES)

But what is NOT yet truly a question: Are the Beatles going to break up? NO, that is not yet obvious. There are no “fights” in the conventional sense here; the lads are having a good time, they clown around, they crack jokes. It’s surprising in particular to see how good-humored Lennon is most of the time. He’s happy to have Yoko around (SHE, by the way, is almost continually a gentle presence, never intrusive, and even defended by Paul in a couple of scenes (“they just wanna be together, you know… “). With remarkable foresight, Paul declares in one scene, “Wouldn’t it be funny if in 50 years people say, ‘Oh, Yoko broke up the Beatles because she sat on an amplifier?'” So there’s plenty of myth smashing in GET BACK. When this footage was being shot by original LET IT BE director Michael Lindsay-Hogg (looking more youthful than you’d think and probably a bit in over his head), there were still several possible futures for the Beatles. That is crucial, because this film is NOT a breakup film. It’s about ambition, mega fame, the ups and downs of collaboration, artistic egos stretched to the limit, and problem solving on a grand scale. Watch the happy look on John Lennon’s face when keyboardist Billy Preston enters the scene and shows effortlessly that he can spruce up the arrangements on some of these new songs. “You’re IN the band!” Lennon tells him. Watch a fetching Linda Eastman and her energetic young daughter Heather, respectively, holding hands with Paul and taking photos (Linda and Paul were two months away from their fabled wedding at the time of this footage) and dancing around the studio gleefully, exuberant as a young girl could be. And watch, for the first time, the legendary “rooftop concert” in its entirety, the Beatles’ final live appearance, which of course was filmed on top of Savile Row, to the delight of some on the street below and the consternation of many others, including the British bobbies, who amusingly try to shut things down because of complaints. People on the street are interviewed and shown in effective cross cuts as the Beatles play, reflecting a reasonable cross section of opinions. This is music history, folks. But it’s told in a fresh, fascinating manner that changes what we thought we knew about the Beatles. And Peter Jackson wisely avoids any present-day interviews… he stated his desire to avoid that sort of thing. Nope, this is time capsule stuff, our unique opportunity to experience what the Beatles were going through in January of 1969.

THE BEATLES: GET BACK (Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison) (photo courtesy: APPLE CORPS LIMITED)

It’s amazing, honestly. What was to follow was the group throwing up their hands in despair at their inability to complete the planned album (in a still controversial move, the whole thing was handed over to Phil Spector, resulting in an album that almost no one would be completely happy with), a stunning decision to record a brand-new studio album that would give George Martin one more chance to fully produce the band, George Harrison a chance to show he’d finally equalled the others in songwriting prowess, and give McCartney a chance to spearhead perhaps the greatest medley ever featured on a rock album; a furious legal battle over Allen Klein and the failure of the other three Beatles to stop McCartney from releasing his debut solo album BEFORE the release of LET IT BE (the accompanying press at the time appeared to show McCartney “officially” announcing the end of the Beatles, even though that isn’t quite accurate), a disbelieving fan kingdom unwilling to believe it was “the end,” and of course, lots and lots of nasty comments and bad feelings. But that was what would FOLLOW the events in GET BACK. It is NOT what we see on screen, which is in fact an energetic, lively, mostly upbeat look at an intense collaborative period by four of the most famous musicians in history and their handlers, all trying to respond to the immense pressure of gargantuan fame. GET BACK really is a treat, if sometimes a patience-testing experience, that will be richly rewarding for dedicated Beatles fans. You won’t forget it if you watch it with focus and attention. There are scenes that are simply stunning in what they tell us, all these years later. And it’s invaluable as a detailed look at the creative process itself. Sure, it’s a pain to have to find a way to get Disney+ in order to watch this thing. But do it. Really. There has never been a documentary as insightful and surprising, in musical terms, as THE BEATLES: GET BACK. We owe Peter Jackson a debt of gratitude for pulling this off, and let’s be happy for Paul, Ringo and the wives of John and George, for seeing a critical record set straight at last.

UPDATE: Since this review was written, a DVD of the film was scheduled for release in February 2022. Apparently, a few copies managed to make it into the hands of some lucky fans, though once Amazon’s stock was depleted, the Disney Company pulled the package from its schedule and in April announced that the title has been delayed indefinitely due to “authoring challenges.” It now appears that the DVD and Blu-Ray editions will be released, at least in the UK, on July 26. The three-part docuseries is still streaming at Disney+.

HEADHUNTING FOR FUN AND PROFIT: THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS LIVE PREVIEW

They’re a little bit Donny and a little bit Marie… and a little bit James Brown and a little bit McKinley Morganfield… maybe even a little bit Woody Guthrie. The music of the Kentucky Headhunters is permeated with an amalgam of everything that is American music. The boys from the heart of Kentucky are a lean and not-too-mean Rock and Roll machine, hitting on all four cylinders. Like the rest of the world, Greg Martin, Fred Young, Richard Young and Doug Phelps found themselves with jobs that they couldn’t go to and, in a couple of cases, they were put low by the virus that held us all prisoners for nearly 30 months. Guitarist Martin said that the band was just “crawling out of the wreckage” in 2021, reconvening in February to record what became the album THAT’S A FACT JACK! and somehow managing to play about forty-five dates through the end of the year. Now, the Headhunters are back on the road and coming to the Effingham (Illinois) Performance Center, just a few hours up the road from Greg’s adopted home of Glasgow, Kentucky. With opening act Confederate Railroad in tow, he has guaranteed a good time for all. When asked what can be expected on April 2 in Effingham, Martin said, “It’s gonna be like somebody opened the corn crib and let a bunch of hogs in. It’s gonna be a frenzy of Rock and Roll, Country and Blues. Naw, man… we’re gonna have a great time. We always love playing that part of the state; it’s always a blast. We got a lot of fans. Yeah. I think you’re gonna see some guys just happy to be out playin’ music again.”

THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS (Greg Martin) (photo credit: CHRISTIE GOODWIN)

As excited as the guitarist was to get back to playing live, he was just as excited to tell us about his other career and, naturally, our conversation eventually ambled into a discussion about Greg’s LOWDOWN HOEDOWN program on WDNS radio out of Bowling Green. The three hour Blues-intensive show airs Monday nights beginning at 7:00 Central time and streams at wdnsfm.com. Brother Greg is a true musicologist and traditionally delves into the roots and the seedy underbelly of the beast we call Rock and Roll… don’t expect any type of genre segregation with this show as the man was raised on AM radio when it didn’t matter what kind of music was being played as long as it was good. You can expect the same type of show from the Headhunters. What a great way to spend a Saturday night! For ticket information, head over to the Performance Center’s site, the-epc.org.

MARTIN BARRE: LEFT OF CENTER

Martin Lancelot Barre is one of the unsung heroes of Rock and Roll. As Tony Iommi’s replacement in Jethro Tull, he created and played some of the most recognizable riffs in the history of the electric guitar. I mean, who hasn’t marveled at the power of his opening salvo to “Aqualung” or the monstrous crunch of his work on “Locomotive Breath?” And, who can forget the epic, bone-crushing CREST OF A KNAVE, which won the first Grammy awarded for Heavy Metal Album? Standing stage left with Jethro Tull for more than 43 years, Mister Barre was Ian Anderson’s “left-hand man” and so much more. As Anderson was moving more toward a solo career in the early ‘90s, Martin branched out as well, finally having the chance to display his songwriting prowess on such albums as A SUMMER BAND (1993), STAGE LEFT (2003), and BACK TO STEEL (2014), alongside several live albums.

MARTIN BARRE (publicity photo)

Now, Martin Barre is bringing the music of Jethro Tull – AQUALUNG in particular – to the magnificent, intimate Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville for two nights, January 21 and 22. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Tull’s most well-known, most successful album (AQUALUNG, if you weren’t paying attention; actually, the record was released in 1971 but, you know… lockdowns and pandemics and such) and, since no one else was taking advantage of such an event, Martin and his band decided that they would. And, they aren’t coming alone… original Tull drummer Clive Bunker is appearing on (at least) the Midwest leg of the tour; keyboardist Dee Palmer, who was an integral part (as David Palmer) of the Tull machine for many years as an arranger, conductor and writer before having an actual “player” credit on SONGS FROM THE WOODS, has opted out of this tour due to health concerns amid the ongoing COVID scare. Martin declares that he and his group (vocalist Dan Crisp, bassist Alan Thomson and drummer Darby Todd) are more than up for the challenges presented by Ms Palmer’s absence. Clive, Dee and the Martin Barre Band can be heard (and seen) in all their glory on the latest release, a DVD called LIVE AT THE WILDEY, recorded during their 2019 tour. As far as other surprises this time around, Martin promised this writer – over a cup of tea and a telephone call – “Oh, there’s definitely surprises. Well, let me think… one, two, three, four… certainly four pieces of music that we’ve never played before. We swap it around… I mean, I always love throwing in something that’s really left of center. I really enjoy people being in shock.” It sounds like a great night of Rock and Roll,with plenty of Tull and an ample sampling of tunes from the Martin Barre Band, to boot!

MICK FLEETWOOD AND FRIENDS CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF PETER GREEN AND THE EARLY YEARS OF FLEETWOOD MAC

(BMG MUSIC GROUP; 2021)

A majority of people in the good ol’ United States of… believe that Fleetwood Mac began with (maybe even started BY) Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham; most of the rest of the world knows that the Mac had been around for at least 70 years before the Buckingham/Nicks tandem joined in 1974 or so. Actually, Peter Green left John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1967, taking drummer Mick Fleetwood with him to form what was originally called Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac; Bluesbreakers bassist John McVie would follow later that year. Drug use and a mental collapse led to Green exiting the group in 1970 and the game of musical chairs (so to speak) with guitarists began. Now, Mister Fleetwood is never one to forget upon which side his toast is buttered and, more importantly, who made it possible for him to pay for not only the bread and the butter, but also the knife to spread the butter and the house in which he sits at the table buttering that toast. That incredibly confusing run-on sentence is just a bored writers way of saying that Mick Fleetwood gives credit where credit is due and pays tribute to those who have made his lifestyle possible. So it was, that on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, Fleetwood and his hand-picked, suitably impressive “house band” (alongside an equally impressive lineup of friends) took the stage of London’s legendary Palladium to celebrate the music of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. As it turned out, the very next day, England was put on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The performance has been released in several formats: The video documentary has been making the rounds on various streaming platforms, as well as being released on Blu-Ray in a package that includes two CDs and a deluxe package that also features four slabs of vinyl; of course, the double CD and four LP versions are available separately, too.

MICK FLEETWOOD (photo credits: ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

Things get off to a fine start with “Rollin’ Man,” from the Mac’s second album, MISTER WONDERFUL. It features Mick’s specially chosen musicians – Andy Fairwether-Low, Jonny Lang and Rick Vito on guitars with David Bronze on bass and musical director Ricky Peterson on keyboards; Vito takes the vocals, as he did during his short time as a member of the Mac. Lang takes over the vocal duties on “Homework,” an Otis Rush tune played live in the earliest days of the band, while the final member of the group, the Who’s Zak Starkey joins in, keeping the beat alongside Fleetwood on drums for most of the evening. If there were any questions regarding the Blues pedigree of the original Fleetwood Mac, these opening salvos should dispel them. The first “friend” makes quite a splash as Billy Gibbons (yeah, one of the beards from ZZ Top) tackles “Doctor Brown” as only he can. As hot as the backing band was on the first two numbers, they somehow seem even more energized here.

CHRISTINE MCVIE (photo credits: ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

While I can find no indication that Fleetwood Mac ever recorded or even played the Otis Rush track “All Your Love (I Miss Loving)” in a live setting, I’m sure that Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie played it many times during their respective tenures in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. That somehow makes it the perfect tune for Mayall to join the festivities, supplying both vocals and keyboards. Mick introduces his former boss with, “Please give a grand, grand welcome to our mentor, Mister John Mayall,” as the band rips into a killer version of the tune. If you are unfamiliar with the music of John Mayall, first of all… WHY? And, second, the man sprang from the womb (in 1933, making him 83 years old when this concert took place!) wailing the Blues! Steven Tyler late of some band called Aerosmith delivers his version of “Rattlesnake Shake,” one of Peter Green’s and the Mac’s best known early songs (from THEN PLAY ON) in his inimitable over-the-top fashion. Tyler sticks around to add flavor and harmonica to “Stop Messin’ ‘Round,” the third of five tracks from MISTER WONDERFUL, the album that introduced Christine McVie (then, as now, “Perfect”) to the world of Fleetwood Mac. Since the group’s ascension to the Pop Rock hierarchy, we’ve known Ms McVie as the gruff balladeer, in contrast to Stevie Nicks’ wispy, ethereal flights of fancy; here, she shows that she can hold her own with just about anybody, belting out the Blues that the early band was known for.

RICK VITO (photo credits: ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

Not one to ignore a good thing, Fleetwood keeps Christine around for “Looking For Somebody” from the group’s first album. The memorable drum intro leads into a re-imagined version of the song with McVie trading vocal leads with Rick Vito. “Sandy Mary” comes with a strange pedigree: Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac had been performing the tune live at least as early as 1969, with the song appearing on various records of rather dubious origins. It wouldn’t see an official release until LIVE AT THE BBC in 1995. Jonny Lang’s soulful vocals make the song hard to forget. Vito takes over on vocals for “Love That Burns,” a slow-burning Blues number with a great slide lead and organ solo. It’s hard to imagine the rest of the album being as good as this side.

PETE TOWNSHEND (photo credits: ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

Next to the stage is one of the Gallagher brothers, Noel, whom (along with his equally distasteful brother, Liam) I dislike on general principals, though I must admit to liking some of their band’s earlier stuff. Noel actually acquits himself quite nicely on the stripped-down acoustic Blues of “The World Keep On Turning.” He hangs around for a more rocking “Like Crying,” a Danny Kirwan song from THEN PLAY ON. Overall, Mister Gallagher has taken steps with this performance to – if not endear – overcome my disdain for his earlier abhorrent behavior. He may be inching closer to gaining a certain respectability but… nope! I still don’t like the guy. Vito, Lang, and Fleetwood take center stage on Chester Burnett’s “No Place To Go,” a song that appeared on the first Fleetwood Mac album. A rolling kind of rhythm underpins some nice slide guitar (maybe it’s a dobro… credits on this thing are somewhat lacking) and some impassioned “church meetin’” vocals from Rick and Jonny. Pete Townshend makes a magnificent Who sound on “Station Man,” a great track from the first album after Peter Green’s departure from the band, KILN HOUSE. It seems that Townshend’s presence has re-energized the band, as they’re hitting on all cylinders throughout the Danny Kirwan/Jeremy Spencer/John McVie barn-burner. This may be my favorite single track up to the midway point of the set.

DAVID GILMOUR (photo credits: ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

Neil Finn, one of the newest members (and current co-winner of the guitarist musical chair game) of Fleetwood Mac, performs a nice version of the 1969 single, “Man of the World.” His voice isn’t unappealing and his guitar work is a thing of simplistic beauty. Just when you think that the song is gonna go on too long, it ends at just the right time; such a tune should never outstay its welcome. Billy Gibbons and Steven Tyler return for one of the Mac’s most well known tracks, “Oh, Well (Part One).” The pair trade vocals, with Billy playing his usual crunchy-mean guitar and Steven wailing (as one does) intermittently on the harmonica. The band finds a heavy groove to fall into before it smooths out for “Oh, Well (Part Two),” featuring one David Gilmour on guitar. By the reception, I must assume that a fine time was had by all.

ZAK STARKEY, RICK VITO, JONNY LANG (photo credits ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

Jonny Lang proves he is a bonafide practitioner of the Rhythm and Blues that set Fleetwood Mac off on their fifty-plus year journey with a Gospel-tinged version of Little Willie John’s “Need Your Love So Bad.” The vocals, the guitars (including a solo that would make BB King weep) and Ricky Peterson’s almost mournful Hammond organ all but scream the Blues. Rick Vito steps to the mic again for “Black Magic Woman,” possibly the greatest hit that Santana ever had. This version, obviously, owes more to the Mac’s original version than it does to the cover by Carlos and his boys. Fleetwood and Zak Starkey on drums and Dave Bronze’s work on the bass prove to be a formidable rhythm section, especially on the extended jam that ends the tune. The special guests are great – and a great tribute to Peter Green – but the power and passion of Mick’s hand-chosen band is monster and not to be slighted.

MICK FLEETWOOD, JEREMY SPENCER (photo credits: ROSS HALFIN, OLIVER HALFIN, KAZUYO HORIE)

Jeremy Spencer, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac (he stayed with the band through 1970’s KILN HOUSE album) is joined by former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman on a couple of Elmore James tunes. Mick introduces Wyman before adding, “The last time I shared the stage with this dear friend of mine was 50 years ago,” as an introduction to Spencer. First is a killer version of “The Sky Is Crying,” which Jeremy sang during the early band’s live set. With Mick holding down the drum stool and Bill laying down a solid bassline, Spencer’s somewhat reedy voice and brilliant slide work are allowed to soar over the rock-steady band. Things slow to a near-stroll pace for “I Can’t Hold Out,” with an even more impressive slide lead from Jeremy. Obviously, having another original Mac on board was a surprising treat for the ticket holders and he did not disappoint. The presence of a Stone was equally impressive, as was his playing.

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett straps on Peter Green’s beloved 1959 Les Paul for another well-known tune, “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown),” though probably a large percentage of America will credit the song to Judas Priest, who famously covered it on their 1979 live record, UNLEASHED IN THE EAST. The tune proves that Kirk has a little bit more to him than just “loud, fast rules.” ZZ Top’s Mister Gibbons joins the fray once more on vocals and guitar. David Gilmour returns, this time on pedal steel, for what can only be described as a lilting, stately take on one of the original group’s biggest hits, “Albatross.” Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker” closes the show, with a free-for-all that sees the entire cast return to the stage. The highlighted musicians and singers include Rick Vito, Ricky Peterson, Steven Tyler, Andy Fairweather-Low and John Mayall.

PETER GREEN, circa 1969 (photo credit: GETTY IMAGES)

Amid a haze of psychedelic drug use and mental collapse – diagnosed as schizophrenia – Peter Green walked away from the band he founded in 1970. His body of music during the course of those three-plus years as the group’s primary songwriter, vocalist and guitarist is quite staggering. The legendary BB King once said of Green’s playing, “He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.” Peter’s near fifty-year career as a professional musician began in 1961 and didn’t officially end until his death on July 25, 2020 at the age of 73, just five short months after this monumental tribute. The show and the music are particularly bittersweet as he was unable to attend what must have been one of the proudest moments of his life.

PRETENDERS: HATE FOR SALE

(BMG MUSIC GROUP; 2020)

When I heard that there was new music coming from Chrissie Hynde and Pretenders, I must admit I was pretty happy! HATE FOR SALE was released this past July, their first album of new music since 2016’s ALONE. There are a couple of new faces in the band’s studio make-up (a couple have been part of the group’s live line-up for quite awhile): James Walbourne on guitar and keyboards, Nick Wilkinson on bass, Stephen Street on keyboards and percussion, plus the studio return of original drummer Martin Chambers, who hadn’t recorded with the band since LOOSE SCREW in 2002. Of course, the linchpin, the main star, band architect and leader, Chrissie Hynde, sounds incredible; her songwriting, guitar work and readily recognizable harmonica blasts are feisty and ready to rock. Her voice, it almost goes without saying, is wonderful.

HATE FOR SALE isn’t very long… just a little over 30 minutes, but you certainly get your money’s worth with every song. Those songs flow well as the band moves flawlessly from one to another. Though I really do like all ten tracks here, I think my favorites are “Turf Accountant Daddy” and “Didn’t Want To Be This Lonely,” which just rock with reckless abandon. There’s an interesting kinda Reggae thing called “Lightning Man” which moves directly into “Turf Accountant Daddy” that manages to mix things up a bit. The record ends with a nice little tune, a beautiful piano ballad called “Crying In Public,” an emotional side that we rarely see from Chrissie.

PRETENDERS (James Walbourne, Nick Wilkinson, Martin Chambers, Chrissie Hynde) (uncredited photo)

Martin Chambers sounds great throughout and I’m so glad he’s back, but this is obviously Chrissie’s album and she makes the most of it. She’s been in the business for over five decades and I have certainly enjoyed her work. Having lost track of what Ms Hynde and her band had been up to in recent years, I was curious when I heard they had new music out. I was totally happy and surprised when I finally got to hear it. I’ve seen the group in concert a couple of times, once right after their debut album came out in the States, opening for the Who and once on a package tour with ZZ Top and Stray Cats. Both good shows (though they were nearly “Who’d” off the stage during the first one!) and I’ve always liked their music, but this new one, HATE FOR SALE, has become one of my favorites of this year. Stephen Street did an excellent job producing and mixing, giving the music a very clean sound. The entire record hits you right in the gut… in the best way possible! Pretenders were scheduled to tour with Journey earlier this year but, like countless others, those plans were put on hold due to the pandemic. So, even though we didn’t get live Pretenders this year, we did get an absolutely incredible record from them. For that and for decades of musical brilliance, I say, “Thank you, Chrissie Hynde!”