Skip to content

Pop Rock

10 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

(Some Aging Music Lovers Do That LISTING Thing… With Focus)

Hey dude, what’s your favorite album?

Imagine the number of times this topic has come up between music lovers through the years. And now imagine the lively debates every time there is a new “Best Albums of All Time” list from Rolling Stone or Pitchfork or Mojo or Consequence or Pop Matters or the just-published “500 Best Albums of All Time” special issue presented by the British music magazine UNCUT, an issue that I devoured eagerly over the course of a week in February. Music fans love lists… they like to discuss them, MAKE them and talk about why such and such a publication is way off in their choices. But the fact is, it’s entirely subjective, right? One person’s opinion is just that, an OPINION. And for the purposes of this article, we are making an important distinction. When you start arguing about the BEST albums of all time or the most INFLUENTIAL albums of all time, that becomes a pop culture exercise that requires knowledge and context and respect for “critical consensus” that puts everything in a weightier framework than the much simpler “favorite albums.” There are entire books and endless “special issues” that direct you to “100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” or the simple Uncut approach mentioned above, if you want to get an appraisal of what the critics say are the very best musical recordings ever. But there is something FREEING and non-controversial about simply saying “these are my personal favorite albums.” And my hunch is that most serious music lovers would delight at the chance to go down that particular road. So we are doing it here. Seven of us very serious music fans, all but one either approaching 60 or beyond it, have contributed to this article to simply say “THESE are the albums that have meant the most to me overall, and here’s why.” With all the music that has been released through the years, WHY do certain albums make our personal lists? I think it’s a worthy question, and we all hope you readers out there will find this piece a stimulating read. What do YOU like most, fellow music fans? Maybe the following lists will inspire some reflection.

A word about formatting: You’ll notice that the way albums are listed varies from participant to participant. Sometimes the Top 10 appears in order from 1 to 10, sometimes it is reversed, to provide for a sort of “conceptual suspense,” and sometimes no numbers appear at all. In each case this is by preference of the writer, and is indicative of nothing more than the “aesthetic” of taking on an assignment like this. As with everyone out there who listens to music, sometimes one finds it easy to make a “Top 10” list, and sometimes one just CHOOSES from a wide range of possibilities, and the sequence doesn’t particularly matter. It’s all part of the game, right? (KR)

KEVIN RENICK

(1) Ephemera Norway: MONOLOVE Sometimes we develop an intimate relationship with a particular album, almost like it is a divine lover or something, and over the course of 20 years, I sure did that with this Norwegian girl trio’s fifth album. Blissful emotive pop music that is filled with empathy, contemplation and exquisite singing and arrangements, this album still has the unique ability to instantly change my mood whenever I play it, and to give me a better perspective on life. And with peerless songs like “Chaos,” “On the Surface,” “City Lights” and the wildly inventive “Dead Against the Plan,” MONOLOVE has soundtracked my spirit-in-motion more than almost anything else ever released. A Nordic masterpiece, the apex of Ephemera’s singular career, and a sonic lover I can never quit.

(2) The Beatles: REVOLVER At the time it was released, I would NOT have been able to articulate why this fabs’ album was so much better than what had come before. But the concept of the ALBUM had evolved…the notion that a group of songs could hold together as a musical statement, and immerse you in every detail that the group served up. Hearing songs like “And Your Bird Can Sing,” “Good Day Sunshine”, “Here, There and Everywhere” and the revelatory “Tomorrow Never Knows” was startling and unforgettable for those of us hearing this music at the time. The Beatles knew that music was evolving rapidly, and they wanted to take us down a new road that was bound for the unknown.

(3) Simon and Garfunkel: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER I spent many watershed moments listening to these guys in my formative years, and honestly, this was just a pivotal album in my life. Impeccably recorded and produced, the obvious climax to the duo’s partnership, what was fascinating about this album was how diverse and quirky it was. You got the Peruvian-styled “El Condor Pasa,” the percussion-laced “Cecilia” (made more significant for me when I dated a girl actually NAMED Cecilia; we sang along to it together one glorious drunken night in college) and the weird and offbeat “Why Don’t You Write Me,” all sharing space on a powerhouse album that was anchored by the timeless title track and “The Boxer.” A true classic, and without doubt one of the greatest LPs of all time.

 

(4) Nick Drake: FIVE LEAVES LEFT I’ll never be at a loss to say things about the great Nick Drake. A young and overtly melancholy British tunesmith who sadly didn’t live long enough to see how big his influence would become, Nick saw deep into the wells of life, love, solitude and emotion and was able to get that depth into his haunting songs, such as “River Man,” “Fruit Tree”, “Time Has Told Me” and “Three Hours.” Those who know Nick’s music cannot forget it, and are happy to talk about it any old time. Peerless ruminations on the challenge of being a feeling human.

(5) Joni Mitchell: HEJIRA So much can be said about Joni Mitchell’s powerhouse songwriting, and I’ve said a lot of it myself. But this album in particular had enduring resonance for me, as it managed to soundtrack the notion of travel as a path to self-discovery, loneliness as a thing to acknowledge at all times, and, more personally, a yearning relationship with a lovely girl in Wisconsin (where the album’s photography was done) as a catalyst for thinking more deeply about life in general. Utterly masterful songwriting and sonic ambience, with little bonuses like Neil Young’s greatest harmonica playing (on “Furry Sings the Blues”), Jaco Pastorius’ inventive bass playing and transfixing lyrics about maps in service stations (“Refuge of the Road”), Amelia Earhart’s possible musings and comparisons to old friends’ lives (“Song For Sharon”) spurring Joni to some of her all-time best songwriting.

(6) Brian Eno: ON LAND I was predisposed to like ambient music early on, as I was effortlessly moved by sonics that evoked the mysteries of nature, and the utter loneliness of REALITY itself, which ambient music was a soundtrack for. Eno’s unconventionally composed ambient masterpiece was an absolute revelation for me, a journey straight into the heart of wilderness in all its complexity that caused me to write to the musician one fateful day in 1982 and essentially pour my heart out to him about my astonishment over his work. He responded enthusiastically, and it was one of the most magical moments in my entire life.

(7) Talking Heads: REMAIN IN LIGHT In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, music was changing rapidly and all sorts of remarkable innovations were happening with the young enthusiastic groups that were electrifying the scene at the time. I was a huge fan of New York’s eclectic quartet Talking Heads, and their Eno-produced fourth album REMAIN IN LIGHT was totally original and transfixing. Rhythmically groundbreaking (influenced overtly by African visionary Fela Kuti) and philosophically challenging, this was a very important album for me in my college days and the kind of album that could shift your entire attitude towards art and creativity. It did that for me then, and is still doing it NOW, 45 years later. And “Once In a Lifetime” is one of the key new wave songs of my entire life.

(8) Neil Young: AFTER THE GOLD RUSH/HARVEST I can’t help declaring a TIE between these two legendary Neil albums. Both were pivotal in my life, both made me want to write songs myself, and both saw Neil reaching previously unmatched songwriting heights. I had major experiences with both of these albums, let’s just leave it at that for now. Although I should add that “Tell Me Why,” “Birds,” “Southern Man,” “Out On the Weekend” and “Words” were to become pivotal soundtracks for the lonely teenager I was at the time.

(9) Paul Winter: PRAYER FOR THE WILD THINGS If nature and the concept of WILDERNESS are part of your life, an album like this from Paul Winter is going to affect you. Winter’s concept here was to capture a typical day in the forests of the Colorado Rockies, while combining the actual sounds of the wildlife of that setting and blending them into his musical ensemble, which consisted of cello, brass and evocative strings and percussion. It’s a tribute to the importance of wilderness itself, and a subtle lament for what we are losing as we continue our “progressive” ways in America. Haunting, atmospheric, and 100% organic, this is one of THE most evocative albums of all time when it comes to reminding us of nature’s diversity and importance. It also straddles an interesting intersection between new age, ambient and world music.

(10) Danielson Famile: TELL ANOTHER JOKE AT THE OL’ CHOPPING BLOCK Sometimes if you’re lucky, you wander into a record store when they are playing an album you are simply MEANT to hear. It wasn’t THIS album I heard at Vintage Vinyl back in the ‘90s, but it was definitely this group, a family band with a completely original, high-voiced lead singer who had a few things to say about empathy, awareness and yes, the spiritual component we humans perhaps needed badly. Daniel Smith has one of the highest natural falsettos in the world, and he employs it in this stunningly original Kramer-produced disc to talk about mothers, death, “hungry humans” and the search for spiritual fulfillment. I’ve only made this statement once, EVER, but I am on record as saying that if music THIS original and THIS hypnotic had something to do with promoting the essence of Christianity, then I was willing to go along. If the art makes me feel something overwhelming and magnificent, I will give the message a bit more of my time. There is simply NO ONE else that sounds like the Danielsons, and they instantly make me smile when I hear them… despite NOT being many others’ cup of tea.

Listing “honorable mentions” might be cheating just a tad, but if I were to push past the ten here, I’d include The Who’s TOMMY, Pete Namlook’s AIR II and probably Paul Simon’s debut on my list.

DARREN TRACY

Back in the Mule’s infancy, I started a list called “The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (According To Me).” I think I actually made it to number 96 (starting at 100) before I got sidetracked. The list still exists and I fully intend to review all 100 of them. There’s a solid core group of records that haven’t changed much since I first created the list, but whenever I think that I’ll kickstart the thing again, I shuffle some things around and replace an album or two with something that I think should be highlighted. Having said that, my Top Ten hasn’t changed at all since I created the original list in 2013. When Kevin suggested this multi-writer excursion, I was excited to see what some other writers would choose (I was fairly certain that I could at least guess the artists – if not the exact albums – that would be on Kevin’s list. I wasn’t far off, by the way) and I definitely wanted to throw my two cents (ten records?) in. I told Kevin that I could virtually guarantee that my list wouldn’t be anything like anybody else’s and that certainly held true (though Dave’s comes as close to my “populace Rocjectivity” as any other here; once Kevin saw my list, he agreed that it was certainly different from what he was expecting). Obviously, for this exercise, I won’t be delving in nearly as deeply as I will when I tackle them for my list of 100 greatest. And, so… without further ado, I humbly submit my` 10 Favorite Albums of All Time:

(1) Alice Cooper: BILLION DOLLAR BABIES Having consumed Alice Cooper’s first five albums, I was primed to be impressed upon the release of the band’s sixth record. And I was! From the opening chords of “Hello Hooray,” it was obvious that BILLION DOLLAR BABIES was special. “Raped and Freezin’,” “Elected,” “Sick Things,” the gender-bending ballad “Mary Ann,” and “I Love the Dead” all hold a special place in my heart (and my twisted psyhce). I mean, seriously, what’s not to love?

(2) The Jam: SOUND AFFECTS The Jam’s Paul Weller had his “angry young man” bonafides on full display on the trio’s early albums – especially IN THE CITY and ALL MOD CONS. But, it was his ability to craft a song that really impressed me. The group’s fourth album, SETTING SONS, featured a somewhat new sound, with great tracks like “Smithers-Jones” and “Private Hell,” but it was record number five, SOUND AFFECTS that saw Weller hit his peek as a songwriter. “Pretty Green” kicks things off in fine fashion; other stand-out tracks include “That’s Entertainment” and “Start!.” Simply stated, this is Weller’s PET SOUNDS or SERGEANT PEPPER’S-like masterpiece. An absolute treat for the ears!

(3) Wishbone Ash: WISHBONE FOUR Not many in my small (okay… tiny) circle of friends give much credence to Wishbone Ash or their recorded output (except maybe a begrudging acknowledgment to ARGUS, this album’s immediate predecessor), particularly WISHBONE FOUR. While there are a couple of flat-out rockers, the album is comprised of what could be called “pastoral” progressive folk rock. While the album as a whole is all prime-cut, I generally prefer listening to side two, which kicks off with the rocker “Doctor,” followed by “Sorrel,” the beautiful “Sing Out the Song” and ending with my all-time favorite Wishbone Ash tune, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Widow.” For me, WISHBONE FOUR stands the test of time far better than ARGUS, but that’s just one man’s opinion.

(4) Emerson, Lake and Palmer: BRAIN SALAD SURGERY This is the album that turned me into an ELP fan. A little over half of the first side is made up of four wildly divergent tunes: “Jerusalem,” the Alberto Ginastera piano concerto “Toccata,” Greg Lake’s tour de force “Still… You Turn Me On” and the giddy dancehall rag of “Benny the Bouncer.” The remainder of the album features a massive suite, in three impressions; clocking in at 29:32, “Karn Evil 9” is a mindblowing example of what these three legendary musicians were capable of together: Carl Palmer was (and still is) a formidable technical machine sitting atop his drum stool; Greg Lake was an impressive bass player with a majestic set of pipes and, he could play a bit of guitar, too; Keith Emerson was doing abusive things to his keyboards and coaxing sounds out of his early-model synthesizer that was a decade ahead of the times.

(5) New York Dolls: IN TOO MUCH TOO SOON As much as the Dolls’ debut record gets high marks for its seemingly haphazard approach and neo-punk aesthetic, I’ve never been a fan of Todd Rundgren’s production on that album. For me, the legendary Shadow Morton, who produced such groups and artists as the Shangri-Las, Janis Ian and Vanilla Fudge, was able to give just the right touch to the boys’ shambolic sound on their second full-length. In my estimation, every track – half originals and half well-chosen covers is a winner. By featuring so many cover tunes, I think that maybe producer Morton saw a way to push the band into a more mainstream, marketable direction without damaging their punky New York roots. Whatever the reason, it obviously worked for me!

(6) Grand Funk Railroad: SURVIVAL Grand Funk Railroad were one of the most reviled bands throughout their original run. Not by the fans, but by the “elite” music press (ROLLING STONE in particular). SURVIVAL was the fourth album released by the Funk in less than two years. Don, Mark and Mel were still hitting on all cylinders, with a great selection of originals and a pair of well-chosen covers. Favorite tracks here are the Don Brewer/Mark Farner tune “I Can Feel Him In the Morning,” a chilling, spiritual number that starts with several children describing God, with the last child’s final words, “And… if you’re good, you’ll live forever. And, if you’re bad, you’ll die when you die,” echoing into the song’s intro. Farner and Brewer share lead vocals on this song, as well as the other highlight, a killer version of the Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” The other cover, Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright,” is a whole buncha alright, too!

(7) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM I discovered the Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB) on one of those late night music shows (DON KIRSHNER’S ROCK CONCERT or THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) where the band performed “The Hot City Symphony” and their version of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.” The next day, I immediately checked for any albums by the group at the local Radio Shack, were I had to special order their latest release, THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM. These guys could (and did) play just about any style of music Imaginable, from hard-driving, melodic pop to oddly progressive jaunts to the adventurous Big Band Swing of “Sergeant Fury,” complete with a Ragtime-style piano break. THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM is unapologetic, unmitigated Rock and Roll bombast by one of Scotland’s finest exports.

(8) Sixteen Horsepower: SACKCLOTH ‘N’ ASHES The major label debut from Denver’s 16 Horsepower, was – if not the first – a very early example of what would become known as Americana music. David Eugene Edwards’ lyrics tended toward the spiritual (his grandfather was a Nazarene preacher), Native American mysticism and Gothic imagery. While the band never veered to far from their roots, over the course of four more studio albums (LOW ESTATE, SECRET SOUTH, HOARSE and FOLKLORE), they did turn into more of a rock group, utilizing standard “rock instrumentation.” SACKCLOTH ‘N’ ASHES found them at the pinnacle of their creative genius. It comes highly recommended by this scribe; have I ever lied to you about this kind of stuff?

(9) Three Dog Night: HARD LABOR Known more for their early ‘70s dominance of the AM radio dial and singles charts, the band’s eighth album, 1974’s HARD LABOR moved into a more Rock and Blues style while maintaining the tight vocal harmonies (though Danny Hutton’s participation was minimal due to a continuing substance addiction) and playing, highlighted – in particular – by drummer Floyd Sneed and guitarist Michael Allsup. Honestly, there isn’t a dud to be found anywhere on this record. If you only know Three Dog Night as a lightweight pop, singles band, HARD LABOR may just change your mind.

(10) Budgie: IN FOR THE KILL This is the first Budgie album I ever owned. Obviously, others followed, including the group’s self-titled debut, which featured the improbably named “Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman.” Budgie is the ONLY hard rock trio with a helium-throated bass player you’re likely to hear at the ol’ Tracy homestead. Unlike a certain group of haughty Canuckleheads, these guys never took themselves too seriously. But, if you’re looking for bonafides, Metallica recorded “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” for their EP of covers, THE $5.98 EP – GARAGE DAYS RE-REVISITED. For my money, you can’t go wrong with IN FOR THE KILL, featuring stellar performances by vocalist/bassist Burke Shelley, guitarist Tony Bourge and at-the-time new drummer Pete Boot.

As a consolation prize (and to, hopefully, point you to another list called – what else? – GREAT LIVE ALBUMS), here are my top two picks for favorite live recordings:

(1) Stiff Little Fingers: HANX A single piece of vinyl that captured SLF at the height of their feisty, militaristic Punk best.

(2) The Tubes: WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIVE This is one of those “If you know, you know” records. Two records of wicked parody tarted up with great songwriting and musicianship. If you need more proof of the quality of WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIVE, future Disney choreographer Kenny Ortega is on hand performing the same for this show; if you listen REAL hard, you may able to hear him groaning at what he had wrought.

STEVE WAGNER

It is said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. But even knowing we can never convey the power of music with mere words on a page, aficionados write about it as a true form of self-discovery. We arrange our cherished top ten lists with a precision rarely employed in any other endeavor, not (entirely) because we are obsessive-compulsive, but because we sense, at our vibrational core, that our relationship with music is essential to who we are, and who we are becoming.

Parsing a lifetime of rapt listening into only ten favorite albums is impossible without excising huge swaths of music history, setting aside entire beloved genres, ignoring the critical consensus, and braving potential ridicule from peers for serious lapses in taste. That said, this is a list of ten albums that, for me, are perfect. If there was a desert island with my name on it, and pleasepleaseplease let that be the case, these are the ten albums that Wilson and I would be grooving and contemplating to:

(10) The Beach Boys: SMILE The music historian in me could make a strong case that the “album” we envision when we say the name SMILE is the most ambitious, far-reaching in scope, and psychologically layered work of American musical art produced in the last sixty years. But even if this were true, it would not qualify for my list unless the music was as endlessly fascinating as the project’s legendary saga. This is peak creativity from (yes) a musical genius, a fearless and inspired artistic leap of faith for Brian Wilson. For the best “version,” I suggest disc one from THE SMILE SESSIONS. It exhibits brilliance in every melody, lyric, and production flourish, and the total listening experience is like no other in the history of popular music.

(9) The Beatles: REVOLVER I was eleven when I got it. I was stunned. These were the best songs I’d ever heard. The ones I didn’t yet understand – “Love You To,” “Tomorrow Never Knows” – made the experience all the more mystical and extraordinary. As for “Eleanor Rigby,” “Good Day Sunshine,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” and, most of all, “Here, There, and Everywhere,” well, I just couldn’t believe anything in life could be so breathtakingly beautiful. I’m 64 now, and still utterly in awe of REVOLVER. This was the big leap forward, for the Beatles as a band, and for me as a music lover. It encapsulates everything I love about the Beatles, everything that I love about music.

(8)Derek and the Dominoes: LAYLA AND OTHER LOVE SONGS This double album, which I saved up for and bought at age fifteen exclusively for the song “Layla,” with which I was completely obsessed, was far more crucial than I could have ever imagined. It introduced me to the Blues. I’d been exposed a bit through the Stones and Led Zeppelin, but this album was different, it was just awash in the Blues, crying out in pain from every groove. Even now, after plumbing the depths of the genre for decades, LAYLA AND OTHER LOVE SONGS sounds as authentic, raw, and utterly despairing as any Blues I’ve heard. When I’m feeling bad, I listen to this record. It always makes me feel really, really good.

(7) Lindsey Buckingham: OUT OF THE CRADLE Moving to California from the Midwest was the most challenging transition of my life. OUT OF THE CRADLE came out right before I hit the road, and I listened to it non-stop while driving across the country. With this inspired album as my guide, I was ready to take on the world. It is all about reinvention, rebirth, letting go of the old and welcoming in the new. This album was my musical mantra. With his greatest collection of songs on any record (Fleetwood Mac or otherwise), OUT OF THE CRADLE is Lindsey Buckingham’s reclamation as an artist and zenith as a musician, composer, and producer. I truly needed this album then, and I still do now.

(6) The Moody Blues: DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED Is this Rock’s greatest concept album? I can’t imagine a more universal one. Or a sweeter one. A true innovation of the psychedelic era, DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED is a trippy and reflective romp through 24 hours in the day of an ordinary life. Here, the gently rocking and ethereal mellotron music of the Moody Blues, with stellar compositions from all five members, perfectly complements the lilt and whimsy of Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” creating a deeply satisfying synthesis of soundscape and song cycle. This album makes me feel grateful to be alive.

(5) kd lang: INVINCIBLE SUMMER kd lang is the greatest singer of my lifetime. I know those are big words, but have you listened to her? She can sing anything. That said, I love her sensual approach to music even more. INVINCIBLE SUMMER is kd at her most confident and uninhibited; she’s positively giddy with love throughout. Her lyrics are dripping with desire but she’s always clear and perceptive, reaching for love’s deeper meaning and expression. The production is pristine and playful, the arrangements sport myriad exotic instruments and futuristic sounds, and kd’s rich, utterly singular voice has never been more joyful. INVINCIBLE SUMMER sounds like how a summer romance feels.

(4) Jeff Beck: BLOW BY BLOW Jeff Beck’s move into jazz fusion in 1975 was a seismic event in the evolution of the guitar. On BLOW BY BLOW, Beck’s melodic instincts and virtuosic playing are perfectly complimented by George Martin’s lush production and Richard Bailey’s expressive drumming, elevating this album into the Music of the Spheres. More than just my favorite album by my favorite guitar player, BLOW BY BLOW is a milestone in my evolution. It opened my mind to jazz, leading to a lifetime of musical exploration and immense listening pleasure. This was when I GOT IT.

(3) Joni Mitchell: COURT AND SPARK I love Joni Mitchell’s discography so much that six of her records were in serious contention for this list, but it always comes back to COURT AND SPARK for me. BLUE may have been more influential, and HEJIRA more intimate, but COURT AND SPARK was the zeitgeist, an immediate classic that captured the spirit of its time distinctively and enduringly. Here, Joni transforms from folk singer to band leader, from songwriter-of-note to major artist and cultural icon. She dives the depths of the divine feminine on this flawless record. From the hopeful romantic of “Help Me,” to the wallflower of “People’s Parties,” the floozy of “Raised on Robbery,” the jilted date of “Car on a Hill,” and most poignantly, the vulnerable lover/yearning everywoman of “The Same Situation,” Joni brings the Goddess to life, a modern woman with an ancient soul.

(2) The Beatles: ABBEY ROAD It’s their most exquisitely produced album. It’s the first in which George’s songwriting truly equals that of John and Paul – both at the peak of their powers. It matches REVOLVER in song quality and PEPPER in conceptual brilliance. Most importantly, ABBEY ROAD’s towering artistic, critical, and commercial achievement, against all odds given their compounding personal issues, elevates the Beatles’ legacy immeasurably. Without it, their dissolution would have been all the more tragic; with it their divine status is assured forever. I love that they found it in themselves to do this, to let music and love prevail. ABBEY ROAD is exhilarating and triumphant, and it’s my favorite Beatles album.

(1) Pink Floyd: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON How is this even an album? It feels more like a continent, a civilization, an epoch. How could anything this vast, this weighty be contained on 12 inches of vinyl? DARK SIDE OF THE MOON plays like an akashic record of ancient wisdom and future prophecy transmuted into sonic vibrations streaming through a cosmic wormhole into the deepest archetypal recesses of the human psyche. It opens with birth and cycles through the concepts of time, sex, money, duality, and insanity before its ultimate cathartic breakthrough – observing our reality with detached perspective and acceptance, in alignment with all that is, in awe of the miracle of creation. Pink Floyd held a mirror to our collective unconscious and found the musical and poetic language to reflect our most essential and universal truth. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is the most profound album in history, and it’s my favorite album of all time.

My list of honorable mentions is exhaustive: PET SOUNDS, BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, DUSTY IN MEMPHIS, NILSSON SCHMILSSON, FRAGILE, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, HEJIRA, THE ROCHES, GHOST IN THE MACHINE, NIGHT AND DAY, and PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN AND JONES LIMITED all vied for serious contention.

JIM FORD

Note: My first encounters with these albums dictate this order, and I know that a good twenty other LPs are dying to be included on this list.

The Beatles: SERGEANT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND This album was my baptism into the lofted world of rock and roll. It allowed me to understand and express how music made me feel about myself, my family, my friends, and society. It enhanced my connection to music, boosted my morale, sparked my creativity, and solidified my worldview.

Phil Ochs: PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR These eight songs are filled with beauty, death, pathos, sadness, and joy, which I was starting to identify and express as a young male in my late teens. Music can change the world; this album changed me.

King Crimson: IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING This album allowed me to be loud, daring, and bombastic, a Doomsday prophet and suspect of what would come. Its cover still evokes mystery and plunder to this day.

Neil Young: EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE Although AFTER THE GOLD RUSH is a perfect album with songs that helped me cope with my life and survive college, this album is my favorite. It had a life-changing effect on me and still does to this day. The power, the guts, the noise, the passion, and the extreme and wild emotions, via the clashing of strings and propelling vocals, stroking a young man’s imagination, set my musical journey on its way.

Joni Mitchell: LADIES OF THE CANYON The second time I ever performed in public in the early seventies, I played Joni’s “For Free.” I was a 20-year-old guitar-playing Phil Ochs wannabe, and this album nurtured and propelled me into adulthood.

Steve Wonder: TALKING BOOK This disc is a testament to the power of love. After years of adulating white males as the evangelist of rock and roll, I was ushered into the amazing and vital history of Black songwriters and musicians.

The Moody Blues: SEVENTH SOJOURN Symphonic vibrations, poetic storytelling, mellotron melodies, and musical journeys drift into each other; this recording always lifts me into another world I am grateful to experience.

Dan Fogelberg: SOUVENIRS A dreamer from the mountains of Colorado, blessed with an angelic voice that emits touching and humanistic lyrics, Fogelberg’s music on this album has been part of my mission statement for most of my life. “There’s a light in the midst of your darkness, let it shine!”

Jars of Clay: GOOD MONSTERS This album is about my life, a spiritual reckoning, a lesson in humility, and a call to action.

Amethyst Kiah: STILL + BRIGHT She is young, she is black, she is gay, and I have fallen in love with this album and her vision for our world. She reminds me that not all the great albums were created in the ‘60s and ‘70s! There is still great music to come!

MICHAEL BARTZ

Joni Mitchell: HEJIRA What is left to say except, Joni, you have given me so many hours of pleasure – musically, intellectually, poetically – I want to thank you with my whole being? Well, this: HEJIRA is a cool masterpiece that burns, a beautiful example of the melding of African American and African beats, tones, and rhythms within a unique version of Jazz/Pop and soaring poetry brought to birth by Joni, and bassist Jaco Pastorius. Also, one of the best album covers ever.

The Beatles: REVOLVER Life-changing music for young people of the time. “But listen to the color of your dreams,” Lennon sings in “Tomorrow Never Knows.” “Got to get you into my life!” the cutest kid on the face of the planet with one of the greatest voices ever recorded wails to the sea of totally adoring girls… and boys out there. The so innovative and original use of brass (thank you, George Martin!), the psychedelic overtones, the Eastern tones and instruments, the electronic experiments – all coalesce to create an album at times joyous, at times meditative, at times funny, at times lyrical, but always interesting. Also one of the great covers of the 20th century. Klaus Voormann, a bassist, artist, and friend designed and drew it. The photo on the back of the totally high Fab Four is as charming as it gets.

Bob Dylan: BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME One moment in an incredible life of music and art; ah, but what a moment! These are the months Dylan “went electric.” This album is the last great, polished, mature, modern-folksinging Bob Dylan before his marvelous evolution, here singing songs that were Folk, Rock, Rap (!), Blues; that were surreal, down home, political, romantic, emotional. Part acoustic, part electric, the album transports the listener from one genre to another effortlessly, and we, for sure, want to go along for the ride. (It was almost impossible for me to choose between BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME and BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, but I persevered and forced myself!)

Crosby, Stills and Nash: CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH No one alive in the summer of 1969 could miss the advertisements; they were ubiquitous. I never understood why Atlantic Records spent so much money pushing the album. These boys were quite popular in their previous bands, and folks would at least give them a listen when their collaboration emerged. Atlantic must have known what they had. And what was that? Well, a trio of cosmically talented musicians whose voices almost preternaturally blended, and each of whose abilities and work inspired the others. One problem for older lovers of this album is that whenever they listen to it they’re transported back to the late ’60s and early ’70s – the good parts anyway – and get lost in a pleasant haze of nostalgia that brings the day’s work to a halt. Every aspect of this album shows care and professionalism; this on top of the enormous range of tempo, subject, emotion, poetry, great musicianship, and harmony that is exhibited in the songs. Crosby, Stills, and Nash became the benchmark for this kind of music – often identified with California and the famous Laurel Canyon: Serious, loving, narrative driven, confessional, celebrative, youthful – all wrapped in lush harmonies.

Neil Young: AFTER THE GOLD RUSH Okay, call me a wimp. But you’d be WRONG. I absolutely LOVE “the Horse!” I love TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT. “Cortez the Killer” is one of my absolute favorite songs. Really. But, gosh, I do love me a wailful tune with Neil on a dark stage with just a soft spotlight, on guitar and harmonica, or piano. In fact, this is kind of a “piano album.” There’s pianoforte on many of the songs. But it’s also, a harmony album! And solo or with backup, Neil’s young voice – a mixture of baby, teenager, female, male – is totally original and arresting. There are intimate songs, future rockers, prairie (Canada, the Southwest US) inspired visions, and beautiful harmonies. The eponymous “After the Gold Rush” became one of the greatest eco-anthems of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. And the album has one of the greatest erotic songs of the time: “When You Dance, I Can Really Love.” Oh, and another basically black and white cover that is certainly in the top ten!

Karla Bonoff: THE BEST OF KARLA BONOFF: ALL MY LIFE Karla Bonoff, along with Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac and Carole King, is one of the great masters of the modern pop ballad. She has an absolutely seductive voice and gift for melody, in the sense that the listener just wants more – more melodies, more lyrics, more poignancy, more hooks. Bonoff’s hooks are the kind you don’t really mind becoming earworms every once (or more) in a while. You want to keep listening, keep hearing! Along with basic, competent musicians she’s created one masterpiece of a ballad after another in her long career.

Bob Marley and the Wailers: SURVIVAL Composed during the mature development of his musical powers, SURVIVAL showcases Marley as developing politically in radically beautiful ways. Dorothy Day was saying, “Our troubles stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system.” Bob Marley was singing, “Me say de Babylon system is the vampire… Suckin’ the blood of the sufferers.” Reggae was starting to conquer the world and Marley became its face for so many music lovers. He took the rhythms of Reggae and stretched them out with the help of magnificent contributors like Bunny Wailer and bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett. The album is pure musical visceralness – you can’t not dance, or at least move your body – at the same time your heart and mind are being moved by the lyrics. (It was almost impossible for me to choose among SURVIVAL, EXODUS, and UPRISING, as my favorite. Maybe it came down to the beautiful cover – 48 African flags and an historical etching of the hold of a slave ship – and what it began to teach us about the struggles of Black people historically and the attempts at the liberation of Africa itself.)

The Band: THE BAND There is no Dylan exactly as he is now without the Band. Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm were the central powers, but every member of the group was essential for the success of the music it created. It was such a time of experimentation and growth in popular music. The Band teamed a unique, rootsy quality with Rock ‘n’ Roll, Country, prairie, and electric guitar. The result was an absolutely pleasing, joyful, down-to-earth eclectic sound that was truly original. Dylan recognized their musical insights and their shared origins and thus MUSIC FROM BIG PINK was born. Both the Band and Bob went on to do some good stuff.

Simon and Garfunkel: BOOKENDS Childhood/old age. “ …between the forceps and the stone,” as Joni says. All great artists take on the big life questions at some time and here Paul Simon does so masterfully. It’s an examination of youth and mortality and the journey between. I was 21 years old when BOOKENDS was released, and was absolutely struck – naively, humorously, philosophically, religiously – by the line from “Old Friends”: “ …how terribly strange to be seventy.” It gnawed at my brain and heart for five decades, every time I listened to the album, until I actually was 70 and it’s power and meaning for my life became apparent; something tells me it’s all happenin’ at the Zoo. “America,” of course, is one of the greatest songs of the twentieth century. And, oh yeah, again: a great album in pristine black and white.

The Grateful Dead: WORKINGMAN’S DEAD True, AMERICAN BEAUTY is a masterpiece of California Folk-Rock, Robert Hunter visioned, roots inspired, Jerry Garcia driven music… but WORKINGMAN’S DEAD, which followed close upon, raised the bar in production values, musical exploration, and soul. Its grittiness is its charm. Its mournfulness was a needed antidote to the heavy sweetness of much popular rock at the time. The Dead spent a lot of time in the studio throughout their existence, but were never really satisfied; everyone knows that their live performances, in concert with, grabbing energy from, their audience of adoring followers was where they shone, where they achieved the heights of musical experience. I think WORKINGMAN’S DEAD comes the closest of any studio album to that level of creation. It also has one of the great album covers of the time.

Addendum: I wrestled mightily with the question of whether or not to include the following album – an outlier certainly – but in the end could not really justify dropping any of the above. But I wanted to state that one of my favorite albums of all time, one I’ve been listening to for over 50 years, is FLUTE CONCERTOS OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PARIS performed by Jean-Pierre Rampal. A perfect example of late baroque music including one of my favorite instruments, the harpsichord. (Keith Jarrett’s THE KOLN CONCERT and his JS BACH – THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS are also in the running.)

TED MONIAK

Out of a possible 500 Top Albums, it is impossible to pick 10. Still, these came to mind, in no particular order:

 

Leo Kotke: 6 AND 12-STRING GUITAR I heard this album when I was in my young teens, and it made me want to play guitar, which I then proceeded to do. I think it also made a lot of guitar players throw their guitars out the window.

Miles Davis: BITCHES BREW This album made me want to play music. I never get tired of listening to it. I think it incurred the wrath of traditional Jazz listeners, but it also beguiled Rock and Roll people. It changed music forever.

Robin Trower: BRIDGE OF SIGHS A classic Rock album. People say, uncharitably, that Robin Trower is a Hendrix wannabe, but that’s not true. Trower has his own style, particularly his own approach to songwriting.

King Crimson: LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC I only list this particular Crimson album because it was the first of theirs that I ever heard. It doesn’t sound like anything else but the incredible imagination of Robert Fripp. It includes the stunningly beautiful “Book of Saturday.”

The Sex Pistols: NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE’S THE SEX PISTOLS Impossible to explain how much this album meant to a 17-year-old Detroit punk. This was the beginning of punk rock for us, and though we waited impatiently for its US release, making do with a 45 of “God Save the Queen,” this album lived up to ALL the hype.

Pere Ubu: DUB HOUSING In its own way, as much a revelation as the aforementioned Sex Pistols album. Cleveland’s finest musical weirdos produced an album that describes post-industrial despair with, paradoxically, the feeling that you could do anything. Thank you, Crocus Behemoth. (EDITOR’S NOTE: David Thomas, the founding member, lead singer and chief composer of Pere Ubu, passed away on April 23 at the age of 71, a fact noted with sadness by Ted and fellow admirer Kevin. Pere Ubu were leading practitioners of a sort of “avant garde post punk,” and were most active from 1975 to 1982, and then intermittently from 1987 to Thomas’ death. The singer’s unique vocal style was characterized by Emerson Dameron as “James Stewart trapped in an oboe.” Renowned music critic Greil Marcus wrote that “Mr. Thomas’s voice is that of a man muttering in a crowd. You think he’s talking to himself until you realize he’s talking to YOU.”)

Joy Division: CLOSER An alchemical transmutation of lead into gold. No one is unmoved upon hearing this album. I remember listening to it for the first time in a dorm room at college only to be informed, mid-way through, that John Lennon had been killed and that Russia was thinking about invading Poland. This is the theme music to the world already having ended.

Richard and Linda Thompson: SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS No one plays guitar like RT, and no one sings ‘em like Linda Thompson. The astonishing beauty as a product of a disintegrating marriage. I met their daughter Kammy on a rooftop in North London once. She was very nice.

Nick Drake: BRYTER LAYTER Why this album, when I could have picked almost any of his? It’s just because it’s the one I heard first. It also includes the absolutely breathtaking song “Northern Sky.”

Joni Mitchell: THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS/HEJIRA Now, this is really two separate albums, but I don’t hear them that way. I hear them as bookends, complimentary colors, the summer and winter of Joni Mitchell as she reached maturity. She is in full command of her extraordinary songwriting ability on this pair of recordings. She worked with the finest new Jazz musicians she could find, such as Jaco Pastorius, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott and Victor Feldman. I can’t separate these albums in my mind, and frequently listen to them in order in one sitting. If there were any justice in the world these albums would have gone platinum, but of course, it doesn’t usually work out that way.

DAVE DYER

(1) Kiss: HOTTER THAN HELL Kiss’ second album, produced by Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, is a nasty, dirty, grungy sounding album, which is why I like it so much! The raw sound and deep bass by Gene Simmons pounds through you on tracks like “Got to Choose,” “Parasite,” “Watchin’ You” and “Strange Ways.” The amazing guitar work by Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley’s vocals are rock and roll genius!

(2) Electric Light Orchestra: DISCOVERY Pure Disco-ish pop sensibility by master songwriter Jeff Lynne. I remember going to the swimming pool with my mom during summer break and hearing songs like “Confusion,” “Shine a Little Love” and “Don’t Bring Me Down” on the jukebox. These are great songs that are part of my Life Soundtrack! All the songs are still as fresh today as they were in ’79. Special mention to “Diary of Horace Wimp.” If the Beatles had stayed together, this might have been what they sounded like at the end of the ‘70s.

(3) Saga: WORLDS APART If you have never listened to Saga, then you are missing something truly special. This album is a Prog masterpiece! From their one hit, “On the Loose” to “Wind Him Up” and “Times Up,” the whole damn album is a musical delight for your ears. Highly recommended!

(4) Cheap Trick: HEAVEN TONIGHT Crank this baby up to “11” and hold on and don’t stop! One of the greatest rock albums of the ‘70s done the Cheap Trick way, with such songs as “Surrender,” “On Top of the World,” “California Man,” and “Stiff Competition.” A true Rock and Roll delight and one HELL of an album that is just “Heaven Tonight!”

(5) Toto: TURN BACK Toto’s third outing was not a big album for them whatsoever and didn’t even spawn a hit for the band, yet I find it to be one of their very best! The songwriting is so strong and infectious, with great tunes such as “Gift With a Golden Gun,” “English Eyes,” “A Million Miles Away,” and “Goodbye Elenore,” just to name a few. From start to finish, it is just an exceptional album by – in my opinion – one of the most underrated bands around.

(6) Dokken: UNDER LOCK AND KEY The first three songs alone are skull crushers… “Unchain the Night,” “The Hunter” and “In My Dreams.” Don Dokken is one of the best metal singers of the 1980s; plus, you’ve got the scorching guitar shredding of George Lynch; now, sprinkle in backing vocals and bass and drums by Jeff Pilson (who is now playing with Foreigner) and Wild Mick Brown, and you’ve got a real metal threat on your hands! The best disc of their short career.

(7) Kansas: VINYL CONFESSIONS At this point in the history of Kansas, Steve Walsh had just left the band and, after the remaining members auditioned over 100 singers, they settled on a young guy by the name of John Elefante. Elefante was a born-again Christian, and meeting Kerry Livgren (who had also just found Christ), they began writing together for VINYL CONFESSIONS. “Play the Game Tonight,” “Right Away,” “Chasing Shadows,” “Windows,” “Play On”” and the rest of the songs all have an underlying religious theme. Though underrated, this is a great album with righteous songs!

(8) Gino Vannelli: NIGHTWALKER With such songs as “I Believe,” “Living Inside Myself,” “Put the Weight on My Shoulders” and the title track, you’ll want to turn the lights down low, pop a bottle of wine, take the hand of your lover and dance the night away! There is no voice more soothing than Gino’s. No joke… this is a beautiful album, written and performed by one of the most underrated songwriters of our time. Simply stunning!

(9) The Fixx: REACH THE BEACH A powerhouse of ‘80s goodness! The Fixx were new on the scene and had a mesmerizing new wave sound that exemplified what the 1980s were all about… sounds you had never heard before, with lots of synth, keyboards and catchy songs with unusual vocals. Among them: “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Sign of Fire,” and “Saved by Zero.” But then, listen to hidden gems like “Reach the Beach,” “Liner,” and “Opinions.” This album will not disappoint! In fact, pick any Fixx album and you’ll find that to be true.

(10) Gary Numan: DANCE One thing about the “Godfather of New Wave” was that he always challenged himself with what new sounds he could mix into the proverbial music pot. DANCEis what he cooked up in 1981, and I consider it to be the most ambitious of his ‘80s offerings. The dark journey begins with “Slow Car to China.” Side Two starts with the greatest of his songs, “She’s Got Claws.” The record ends with the mysterious and haunting “You Are, You Are” and “Moral.” This is a “must check out” album, truly. You can thank me later!

TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR

(25 October, 2024; CAESARS SUPERDOME, New Orleans LA)

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME, MUSIC AND CONNECTION WITH SARAHLINDA TWENTE

When I first heard that Taylor Swift was embarking on the ERAS TOUR, I was immediately transported back to childhood – riding in the back of my dad’s car, singing along to “Our Song” on a CD. At six years old, I had no idea how Taylor’s music would become a constant presence in my life, accompanying me through heartaches, losses, and moments of joy. As I grew, her music grew with me, providing a soundtrack for nearly every chapter of my journey. For younger fans, the way they experience Taylor’s music might look different – streaming songs on playlists instead of popping in CDs. But the connection remains the same. Her music has been a soundtrack for so many, spanning generations and providing a sense of shared experience across time and space.

TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (photo credit: SOPHIA GERMER/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE NOLA.COM)

The ERAS TOUR wasn’t just about hearing Taylor’s hits – it was an emotional journey. My first show, in Kansas City, was one of the best nights of my life, but the second time I saw her, in New Orleans, felt even more profound. As I looked out at the sea of fans, mostly women, I felt an overwhelming sense of unity. In a time of uncertainty, it was a powerful reminder of what we can do together – through music, through strength, and through shared experience. For many of us, Taylor Swift’s music has been a constant companion through the ups and downs of life. Her lyrics have helped us heal, inspired us to be brave, and given us the courage to keep going. But the ERAS TOUR brought something new – a sense of collective power. Inside the walls of Caesar’s Superdome, we were all ONE. It was one of those moments in life where you aren’t just surviving – you are living.

Author SARAHLINDA TWENTE with her Dad, MICHAEL, at the TAYLOR SWIFT show in New Orleans (uncredited photo)

Sharing the concert with my dad added another layer of emotion. As mentioned previously, he’d played Taylor’s music for me when I was a child and now, at 24, I was singing along beside him in the presence of Ms Swift herself. That moment – sitting together, as we had when I was young – reminded me that Taylor’s music isn’t just about the lyrics, it’s about time and the way it can pull us back to moments we thought we’d lost, but also carry us forward into new ones.

TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (photo credit: SOPHIA GERMER/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE NOLA.COM)

One of the most magical elements of the night in New Orleans was the light-up bracelets handed out at the start. As the music played, these bracelets flickered in sync with the beats, creating a visual display that made the whole arena feel connected. I found myself dancing along with my dad, who was grooving to “You Belong With Me” – a highlight I never saw coming and that will forever be etched into my memory. Each show, Taylor surprises fans with a couple of songs not typically on the set list. As a die-hard SPEAK NOW fan, hearing “Haunted” live was a dream come true. The notes of the song, paired with the crowd’s energy, turned it into a moment that felt almost otherworldly.

TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (photo credit: SOPHIA GERMER/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE NOLA.COM)

The ERAS TOUR was a celebration of togetherness. Taylor’s music has always been about resilience, and the energy in the arena provided proof of such. Thousands of fans, all singing, dancing, and celebrating together, felt like a collective statement: We are stronger when we stand together. In the midst of the upcoming election, anxiety and fear was no stranger. For me, the experience of attending this concert was a gentle reminder that no matter what life brings, there is power in community, and there is nothing we can’t do when we unite. The ERAS TOUR was a reflection of resilience, girlhood, and the incredible power of women. As I sang alongside thousands of others, I realized just how much Taylor’s music has given us – a shared space where we can heal, celebrate, and empower one another. It was more than just a concert; it was a reminder of the power of connection and the timeless impact of music. And right at the core of this impact, you have Taylor Alison Swift.

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.

IN PRAISE OF EPHEMERA’S MONOLOVE, A CLASSIC NORWEGIAN POP GEM ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

KEVIN RENICK REFLECTS ON MUSICAL PERFECTION

We live in a cynical world.” That famous line was uttered by Tom Cruise’s titular character in the movie JERRY MAGUIRE, and it pops into my head sometimes. There’s a lot of distrust, unhappiness and social division out there these days, and it’s hard to find your own personal “throughline” in a world that seems to be constantly struggling, with more and more individuals feeling trapped in some way, or just plain alienated.

EPHEMERA (Ingerlise Storksen, Christine Sandtorv, Jannicke Larsen Berglund) (photo credit BENT RENE SYNNEVAG)

Only chaos/Only empty days/Only thin skin/Only tension/Only make-no-sense,” sings Ingerlise Storksen of the divinely talented Norwegian girl trio Ephemera at the beginning of their fifth album MONOLOVE. The irony behind these seemingly gloomy lyrics, which are just as apt as ever 20 years after the album first came out, is that they are sung in an absolutely GORGEOUS and riveting pop song, “Chaos,” which opens with one of the most deleriously chiming keyboard flurries I’ve ever heard on a modern pop album. Sheer sonic beauty was already a hallmark of Ephemera’s career when MONOLOVE was released in late 2004; members Christine Sandtorv, Ingerlise Storksen and Jannicke (Larsen) Berglund had established themselves as supremely gifted songwriters and rapturous three-part harmony singers through the course of four previous discs, including successful outings like BALLOONS AND CHAMPAGNE in 2001 and AIR in 2003. But their winning formula only locked into place when they teamed up with producer Yngve Leidulv Saetre for an album called SUN in 2000. I will be upfront and say that this “formula” (an inadequate word to convey the lush and organic purity of this music) soon became one of my favorite sounds in the entire musical universe. And by the time I fully absorbed the depth, variety and spine-tingling perfection of the 13 tracks on MONOLOVE (an album that had a tendency to SLAY me on long road trips in my car), it managed to become my favorite album of all time. Yes, it’s THAT good and THAT personally significant to me.

It was a really fun album to record,” Jannicke told me via email correspondence this summer (I contacted all three women to get their feedback when I was planning this piece). “I loved all the songs that the other two had written at that time and it was very giving and exciting to record them. Harmonies and arrangements came easily and our producer (Yngve) understood really well what kind of sound we wanted to express.”

Of course MANY groups might say such things about the process of making an album they are justifiably proud of, but some kind of transcendent magic had to be taking place in the studio to result in songs like “On the Surface” and “Thank You,” two exquisite Ingerlise Storksen compositions that send shivers up my spine whenever I play them. Ingerlise’s vocal approach on these songs is “blue diamond” stuff in my book… breathy, intimate and heartfelt. Add the delicate string arrangement on “Thank You,” the enthralling three-part “mm mm” harmonies and the haunting lyrics about a person in the singer’s life who helped guide her journey (“You left your footprints in the snow/A guideline for me so I will know/The day I get lost/Which way to go… ”), and you’ve got yourself a positively transcendent art song. The harmony interlude that follows that first chorus is literally one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard on any record. And it affects me the same every single time I hear it. THAT’s magic!

But one of the notable things about MONOLOVE is how all three of the band members contribute peak, spellbinding songs to the mix. Jannicke gives us two of her very finest, “City Lights” and “Paint Your Sky,” stunningly arranged soft rockers that always change my mood for the better the instant either begins. And a secret, underlying component here – something I bring up in a songwriting class I teach – I would characterize as “aesthetic vagueness.” That’s when the listener gets the imagery and overall feel a songwriter is aiming for without knowing all the specific details of what the song is truly about, so you can insert YOURSELF into it. “I can put up a show, so simple and lame/It’s far from the same/But the line is thin/Between failure and success/There’s either more or less/You’re either out or in/The line is thin… ” Plenty to relate to here, especially when Jannicke sings the lyrics in a clear, plaintive voice and is soon joined by her two cohorts on a deceptively simple chorus: “Under the city lights I fail/Under the city lights I’m pale.” I have been positively transfixed by that chorus since the first time I heard it, and I am profoundly MOVED by the sonic blend the group and their genius producer achieve here.

“‘City Lights’ is a song about the very unfair differences in our world,” Jannicke told me. “The background sounds and voices in the intro were recorded in Tokyo or Osaka when we were on tour in Japan. I like how it sets the atmosphere in the song, both quiet and chaotic at the same time. What I mean to express in the song is that no one is better or more worthy than the other. We are all equally small and unimportant in this big universe, or big and important in this small world. The point is that no one should put themselves above others. Be a fellow human being instead, if you have the chance… ”

Jannicke plays evocative keyboards on this and many other Ephemera songs; in video clips of the band’s performances, she’s almost always behind the keys, playing something distinctive and resonant. You’ll also notice, when you hear this album a few times, that just a simple percussion bit here and there or the way the bassline comes in at just the right moment, reveal an ensemble with exquisite taste and a unified sense of purpose. Everything sounds just so clear and right… The trio seem to be brimming with confidence throughout, apparently paying close attention to literally every detail of every song.

EPHEMERA, 2004 (Christine Sandtorv, Ingerlise Storksen, Jannicke Larsen Berglund) (photo credit BENT RENE SYNNEVAG)

This was a really busy time for Ephemera, with a lot of traveling abroad,” Ingerlise related. “So it was really nice to have a break from it all, and that we got to stay home for a couple of weeks recording MONOLOVE at Duper Studio. We were in a very creative and productive state, I remember – and we did a lot of live recording in the studio. Most of the songs were written on the road and in between, so many of the songs were quite fresh by the time we landed in the studio. This gave it all a new nerve and feel to the sessions. I remember it being like busy, calming and lovely, all at once.”

To read those descriptive words busy, calming and lovely all at once from one of the people who actually MADE this amazing music was enormously helpful to me, as I’ve struggled through the years to explain to the uninitiated why Ephemera are just so darn brilliant. While it’s always a subjective thing to evaluate pop music (or really ANY music) – as a songwriter myself and a guy who has been doing music journalism for nigh on 30 years now, I think I have a reasonably good idea of what constitutes “good” music. But very, very FEW things have transfixed me and soundtracked my very being the way Ephemera’s music has. And I’m certainly not alone.

EPHEMERA (Ingerlise Storksen, Jannicke Larsen Berglund, Christine Sandtorv) (uncredited photo)

Your music is what reaffirmed my belief in the possibility that people have souls,” posted one enthusiastic fan on the trio’s original web site, from which I extracted as many opinions as I could before it went defunct. He was probably responding to the same sincere vulnerability, compassion and unquestioning LOVE for the human condition that I find so compelling, and that these remarkable women inject into every song. Think of any movie scene that once gripped your emotions or any powerful moment in your life that still fills you with aching nostalgia, and that’s the sort of feeling you’ll find in almost every Ephemera composition. And MONOLOVE has more of those than usual. Christine Sandtorv, commonly the most prolific songwriter in the band, contributes six songs to the record, and they are mostly of a stylish piece, dealing with the uncertainties of relationships, the whole “trust versus love” dilemma and the simple challenge of being a vulnerable human being. Her songs feature delicate, often masterful acoustic guitar picking, tasteful string arrangements and conversational-style lyrics that anchor her songs. Even titles like “Do’s and Dont’s,” “Leave It At That,” and “Put-On-Smile” hint at the reflective approach these songs contain. That latter song contains one of MONOLOVE’s most telling verses: “I’m not in the sky/I’m not on solid ground/I cannot lie/But I know how to pretend/I’m not in the mood/Don’t feel like jumping for joy/Though I should be happier than medium okay.” Medium okay, wow! I know that condition, Christine! The primary musical element here is rather jaunty, with even Christine’s memorable vocal delivery sounding almost upbeat. But a strongly melancholy acoustic guitar arpeggio later in the song and some solemn but beautiful three-part harmony from the band nails down the real mood here for any attentive listeners.

EPHEMERA onstage (Ingerlise Storksen, Christine Sandtorv, Jannicke Larsen Berglund) (photo credit TORE SAETRE)

I think a lot was on my mind at the time, as it often is when you are on your way to becoming an adult,” Christine told me. “It was probably a rather dark time for me. I was starting to get tired of traveling a lot. I like being close to family the most. You can see it thematically on many of my songs on this album.”

Christine related how the sparse, haunting album closer “Long” was played at the funeral of her father in 2007. “It became too difficult to play it live,” she said. “Even though it wasn’t written directly for him, I felt that a lot of emotions in the song fit.”

The existential sadness and uncertainty expressed in tunes like this helps explain why MONOLOVE steadily ascended to the very top of my list of favorite albums. Every song focuses on something relatable and timeless, something your heart was aching to hear… though perhaps you didn’t know it yet. I’d lost many loved ones myself and was constantly pondering the meaning of it all, something I tended to do a lot on long car trips. And I found that there was no better music to provide the soundtrack for such contemplation than Ephemera’s. And they truly outdid themselves in that regard with MONOLOVE. You get a real sense, song after song, of self-aware fellow human beings creating ultimate musical portraits of what it means to be a tuned-in, caring person in the “cynical world” of today. Take Jannicke’s anthemic song “Paint Your Sky,” a tune that absolutely bowled me over the first time I heard it. The subtly beautiful, lilting arrangement provides a bed for Jannicke’s clear, almost matter-of-fact vocal addressing the subject of self-doubt. The spellbinding chorus soon kicks in and I have quoted it often through the years. It plays rather continually in my head: “Those you rely on/They seem to be pretending/You’re in denial/Go out and hold your banner high/Painting your own sky… ” It’s unutterably lovely, creating one of the group’s most distinctive lyrical manifestos in those last three lines.

“‘Paint Your Sky’ is a song that shows the mood I was in at that time; happy, self-confident and ready to express myself, without being shy or afraid,” said Jannicke. “I was tired of compromising (myself), which is revealed as a layer of vulnerability in the song. I love the playful bass and the deep electric guitar, and the light, insistent mandolin.” She’s right about the arrangement; it positively dazzles. The group’s harmonies are luminous, and this is sure to be one of the songs that’ll stick in your head upon a first listen to MONOLOVE. But in a stroke of conceptual and sequencing brilliance, it’s followed by an even more unforgettable song, which doesn’t seem possible at this point. “Dead Against the Plan,” oh my lord. Absolutely unbelievable how good this song is. To this very day, after countless listens, I become positively awestruck listening to this Christine and Ingerlise collaboration. I thought about pressing them on how this track came to be, then decided I wanted it to stay somewhat mysterious. Not everything needs an explanation; it’s enough to say this is a stone CLASSIC. I’m not sure I can think of a better example offhand of a giddily inventive arrangement, peerless vocals both in the lead by Ingerlise and in the group harmonies, and the truest form of aesthetic vagueness thematically in the service of a song about something that has gone wrong in an unknown relationship. “Something happened/You could surely have done without” is about all the songwriters are going to clue you into here. There are three or four SEPARATE earworms in this track, and I’m on record already as saying the recording should be taught in music classes at universities as an example of getting every single aspect of a song just about perfect. You know those music-related queries in social media where they ask you, “If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?” If I wasn’t allowed to cheat and pick the entire ambient album of my choice, I would probably say “Dead Against the Plan” by Ephemera. Inside, I am laughing and crying at the same time when I hear this truly BRILLIANT piece of music making.

EPHEMERA (Christine Sandtorv, Jannicke Larsen Berglund, Ingerlise Storksen) (photo credit BENT RENE SYNNEVAG)

So at this point, I MUST take my hat off to Yngve Leidulv Saetre, the George Martin-like producer of Ephemera, who has shepherded every album of theirs since SUN at the turn of the millennium. He’s produced many other acts as well, including DumDum Boys and Kaizers Orchestra, and he was the lead singer of Barbie Bones in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. But I’m here to say that Mister Saetre helped this trio conjure absolute magic in the studio, and if I ever met him I’d give him a bottle of fine champagne or something to show my appreciation of his wizardry.

Yngve is the fourth member of Ephemera,” Ingerlise declared. “From early on, with our debut album GLUE (which he mixed and mastered), he understood what we were working on. Where we wanted to go with our music. Yngve is a very creative producer, creative in the same sense as the three of us in Ephemera. We think the same (at least most of the time), and he understands and catches the depth and the sense, as well as how he challenges us. With MONOLOVE we worked quite productive and fast, because we had such a busy schedule (in between touring). This was not an issue, because we were already on the same page, and knew where we wanted this album to go.”

The famed producer was tough for me to reach; I had tried twice before, most recently with Ephemera’s 2020 comeback album SEASONS, and wasn’t successful. But I got ahold of him this time and he spoke very highly of Ephemera, calling their previous collaborations “open, playful and inspired.” While mostly in sync with the group’s intentions, Saetre said that MONOLOVE posed a particular challenge overall. “It was in many ways a very ambitious project,” he said. “There were different ambitions from many angles, also from outside the trio. It was hard to try to unite all this into the wonderful tripod balance that to me is Ephemera.”

EPHEMERA (producer Yngve Leidulv Saetre) (photo credit CHRISTINE SANDTORV)

Certainly at this point in the trio’s career, pressure was coming from not only within as to what should happen next, but from the industry as well. The discussions must have been rather lively in the studio, but whatever tension may have occurred pushed the group to their highest creative levels yet. You don’t get a masterpiece like MONOLOVE without many, many factors coming together to influence the result. Other musicians have contributed to Ephemera albums in the past, but the sometimes more complex arrangements on their fifth full-length feature contributions from well-known Norwegian players Thomas Dahl and Julian Berntsen (for whom Ingerlise recorded a duet called “The Park 1920”), among others; both are credited on some of the lush strings that the album features, though it is difficult to read the tiny credits on the CD sleeve. My favorite credit reads “Bits and pieces of sound on just about every track,” which is how one of Yngve Saetre’s credits reads. And we also learn that “Long” was recorded live at the producer’s apartment, which helps explain the ambient birdsong and other outside sounds that effectively adorn that song, ending the album with a particularly evocative flourish. Not to mention revealing what a hands-on producer Yngve clearly was. Without making this article longer than it already is, I can only declare straight up that Yngve surely has something to do with the particularly evocative details in many of Ephemera’s catalog entries, two of my personal favorites being “Maple Tree” and “Bye.” To be able to listen to certain songs over and over and ALWAYS get lost in their beauty, takes a secret ingredient in the production, and as both Jannicke and Ingerlise pointed out earlier, Yngve simply has an intuitive understanding of what their songs are aiming for, and how a detail here and there can make them even more rapturous. I can’t know what “bits and pieces” throughout MONOLOVE were his doing, but I bet Yngve had something to do with the three-tiered descending harmonies on “Leave It At That,” or how in the next to concluding song “End,” in the lyric “I see us leaving hand in hand,” penned by Christine, the word hand is memorably repeated a few times in the last minute. And in songs that achieve actual perfection like “Thank You,” “Paint Your Sky” and “Dead Against the Plan,” the producer deserves some kind of award for sonic dazzling. I doubt that George Martin ever heard this album when he was alive, but had he done so, I bet he would have nodded and smiled.

I’m happy to hear you appreciate this album so much,” Yngve told me. “It’s always a good feeling to hear from somebody who found something of value in something one contributed to. Music has this direct connection to your feelings and you can’t argue with it. When you listen to something, you immediately recognize the way you felt when you got to know it the first time. I have it like this with a couple of other albums that were hard to make.”

I got the sense that Yngve is a modest chap, with an obviously strong work ethic. I wish I could have told him about the many, many transcendent moments on Ephemera recordings that I know he was at least partially responsible for. And to just THANK him for serving the trio so well… “Yngve always has good thoughts behind the work he does,” Christine related. “He allows us to be creative and try things out, while at the same time managing it all in a steady manner. We have never wanted to collaborate with any other producer, because we think Yngve is the best both as a producer and as a person. He understands us in a respectful way, which may have been extra important as an all-girl band.”

EPHEMERA, 2020 (Christine Sandtorv, Ingerlise Storksen, Jannicke Larsen Berglund) (photo credit: MAGNE FONN HAFSKOR)

We always put a lot of work, all our hearts and minds into the recording of an album,” said Ingerlise. “The devil and the angel are always in the details, and all three of us really love working with the minor details, the tiny twists and turns, sounds and feelings. I think we were all very happy with how MONOLOVE came out in the end.” She added that she thought it was “more mature than some of the other recordings. A more balanced album, from low and ‘heart hurt’ things to the more uptempo and feel good songs. We like it like that, some down, some up. And some songs in between. Like LIFE… ”

As a very dedicated fan of this amazing trio, I have often mused about their working process, i.e. how could they consistently come up with such beautiful music? Their ear for melody, the often subtle sonic detours in the songs, and, I must point out, the rather intoxicating precision of their singing in English… pure musical catnip for yours truly. It’s understood that most Scandinavian artists speak English rather fluently and can make music in that language as well as their own, depending on the audience. I absolutely ADORE hearing Christine, Ingerlise and Jannicke singing perfect words and well-constructed phrases in their soft, beguiling voices. There are many reasons why Ephemera’s music affects me like few other artists, and at least one ingredient is surely their natural, intimate vocal style, which is warm and comforting, eternally. I absolutely BELIEVE everything these ladies sing; there is never a false note of any kind. Listening to “Thank You,” “Do’s and Don’ts,” “Call Me Home,” “Long” or any other tune here is like having a special friend share something important and meaningful with you. Your ears perk up, constantly. The fact that the sentiments are couched in glistening, resonant pop tunes only makes the experience more potent. It’s easy to forget that human beings with their own personal issues and separate ambitions had to perhaps struggle a bit to record this stuff.

It was a challenging recording,” Christine acknowledged. “I remember a bit of frustration, with different opinions about where we should end up, together with a very strong desire to make something really good. Not too poppy and not too quirky. In retrospect, I think the album turned out really well.”

EPHEMERA, 2024 (Ingerlise Storksen, Jannicke Larsen Berglund, Christine Sandtorv) (uncredited photo)

Speaking for myself as a listener, I’m often fascinated by what the intentions were of the artists I like. It has not always been the case with “Artist X or Y” that their enthusiasm in public statements about their work correlated with my own level of appreciation. In the case of Ephemera and their sublime MONOLOVE disc, I soon came to the conclusion that I probably loved every single thing about this album more than they did! The platter contains timeless melodies, remarkably economical lyrics couched in rich, sparkling arrangements, gorgeous vocals both in leads and textured harmonies (sometimes occurring lower in the mix waiting to be discovered upon the umpteenth listen), and moments of such unforgettable emotional intimacy that I sometimes ended a listening session wanting to just say “thank you” to the universe and this band for, well, the SONG “Thank You” and all twelve other gems on this masterpiece. After any full listen to MONOLOVE, I end up feeling changed, and grateful. I hold the CD in my hands like it is a piece of jewelry or something, gazing at the cover photo of the three lovely musicians posing in a triangle-configured closeup of their heads, and leafing through the minimally adorned but classy booklet, soaking up every detail. And as an aside here, I want to say I still bemoan the devaluing of the CD and the “artistic presentation” in recent years. Yes, yes, I KNOW that downloading and streaming are the way most people listen to stuff, and people just don’t want to pay for physical “product” anymore. Phooey! To me, you simply CANNOT get the full experience of an album like this with a few digital downloads. Or, God forbid, “sampling” it on a YouTube video. I’d say the same about other artists I love like Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Talking Heads and more. All of whom, by the way, are also featured in my “Top 10 list of all time.” A really good album/CD is a work of art, something to be savored, something to immerse yourself in.

And that is what I do with MONOLOVE, every time. I’m aware it represented the culmination of everything this Norwegian trio were striving for. They and their crack producer worked their butts off on this thing. They were all at a peak of inspiration, coming off a major burst of attention and ambition, and they gave the world this gem. But it was to be the end of an era. No more new music appeared for 15 years from Ephemera, and while 2020’s SEASONS was a welcome return for sure, and featured the genuinely surprising classic “When the Best Ones Are Gone,” which accidentally became a pandemic-era soundtrack, plenty had changed, including their own career trajectory. On a simple level, all three ladies were just involved in growing families and their regular careers. Is that anything to be sad about? But shucks, in my “dream alternative universe,” there would be a “20th anniversary reissue” of MONOLOVE the way so many bands today reissue deluxe editions of classic albums. There’d be a stunning new booklet with unseen before photos, alternate takes of album cuts and some rarities, and perhaps even a delightful live album of an Ephemera concert, all housed in a handsome, shiny box. What a great treasure that would be in my alternative universe!

EPHEMERA (Jannicke Larsen Berglund, Ingerlise Storksen, Christine Sandtorv) (photo credit: BENT RENE SYNNEVAG)

But back here in reality… I am writing these words not knowing if there will EVER be any new Ephemera music again (hope I’m wrong), knowing that most music fans have never heard of them (unfortunately there is a Swedish heavy metal band with the same name, making any casual search for “Ephemera songs” a problematic exercise), and knowing I am probably the only writer in the WORLD, at least in America, saluting the 20th anniversary of an album you can’t even GET as a physical product anymore except from sellers on Discogs (and I highly suggest you old schoolers who are intrigued by what I wrote here to get the original album that way). I’ll finish by saying I did not want to casually just share some “top 10” list in social media or elsewhere with the Ephemera entry at the top, and then have some people scratching their heads over my entry. “He’s putting this obscure group above the Beatles and Joni Mitchell? What’s up with this dude?” Well, it was a simple evolution over time, that’s all… an emotional connection deep and enduring and truly personal. Because yes, MONOLOVE, by the Norwegian trio EPHEMERA, is indeed my very favorite album of all time, I am proud to say that. And I salute it, for all it means to me, and for the potent and enduring quality of its contents. I’ll let Jannicke (Larsen) Berglund have the last word.

Music brings us all together. And I love it… ”

For more about Ephemera, here are links to their social media: https://www.facebook.com/ephemeragirls, https://www.ephemera.no/

TEN YEARS AND KICKING: THE INITIAL KICK INTERVIEW

PART ONE: THE INTRODUCTION

INITIAL KICK (Steve Ojane, Frankie Schaffer) (publicity photo)

Angel is one of my all-time favorite “progressive” rock bands. The first time I heard “Tower” on the radio, I was hooked… went out and bought the debut album immediately. While I never saw the original band live, I did see them probably twenty-five years ago, when singer Frank DiMino and drummer Barry Brandt put together a short-lived version of the band. I had given up on ever hearing from the band again when it was announced that DiMino and the band’s incendiary original guitarist, Punky Meadows, were working on new material as Angel. Not long after, I had the opportunity to see this reconstituted band play live. This new Angel line-up was more in line with what the original band sounded like. Each member of the group was a stand-out musician, but I continually found myself focusing on the bass player, one Steve E Ojane. He had that beefy, muscular sound that drove most hard rock bands of the 1970s, including Angel, particularly the albums with Mickie Jones’ replacement, Felix Robinson. Steve recorded two albums with the group, RISEN and ONCE UPON A TIME. Recently, it was announced that Felix Robinson would be returning for select shows and that other players would be filling in on bass. Ojane’s time in Angel was apparently over. On the same day that I read the news about Felix, I received a promotional download of PLAYS WITH MERCURY by Steve’s new/old band, Initial Kick. I immediately requested an interview, the result of which follows…

ANGEL, circa 2022 (Charlie Calv, Billy Orrico, Punky Meadows, Frank DiMino, Danny Farrow, Steve Ojane (publicity photo)

THE INTERVIEW

THE MULE: So, the two of you formed Initial Kick about a decade ago… quite a while before Steve took up the bass duties with Angel. Steve, why did you decide to set IK aside and play with that iconic band? How has that experience influenced your work here?

STEVE OJANE: First off, I just want to thank you for talking with us today, Darren. It’s a pleasure. To answer your question – I was a big Angel fan since my early teens. Angel was five days shy of being my first concert. (The Meat Loaf BAT OUT OF HELL tour was my first, just five days earlier.) I had all the Angel albums, had their posters on my walls, et cetera. When this opportunity presented itself all these years later, there really wasn’t any question. I had to go for it. Frankie completely understood the decision to put Initial Kick on the back-burner temporarily. It would have been a bit too much performing live in two touring bands at the same time. But since we started recording the Initial Kick album before I joined Angel, we continued the recording and mixing during the interim.

THE MULE: Did Angel’s connections with Starz lead to Richie Ranno’s participation on PLAYS WITH MERCURY or did you know him before Angel?

STEVE: I met Richie through the shows we did with Starz and he’s been a good friend ever since. He’s a terrific guy and an incredibly melodic guitar player. His style blended perfect with the material on the Initial Kick album, and we are thrilled he generously offered to play on two of the tracks – “Tomorrow and Forever” and “Rock and Roll Saved My Life.”

THE MULE: Frankie, while Steve was touring and recording with Angel, how did you keep busy? Did you do any writing or work on other projects? Did Initial Kick continue to play and record during Steve’s downtime from Angel?

FRANKIE SCHAFFER: I’m so glad Steve got to live his dream and tour the world with Angel. That said, I’m very happy Initial Kick is back now and firing on all cylinders! The past few years for me have been filled with life, work, and lockdowns. Ha. Actually, I played in a Ramones tribute band for a while that was a lot of fun, and I’m always in the studio messing with things. Steve and I were always in communication and, although we placed IK, the live band, on hiatus for a bit, we continued working on making the record the best it could be. And we’re working on the follow-up now which, if you like the first record, you’ll love the next one!

INITIAL KICK (Steve Ojane, Frankie Schaffer) (uncredited photo)

THE MULE: I’ve been listening to the album and there’s a certain… smoothness to the sound, particularly the vocals. I think that this approach serves the material quite well, especially on the singles. “Tranquilizer” is jarringly tranquil… not at all what I expected. And, the cover of “Sugar, Sugar” is a blast. First, is the sound a natural extension of working together or is it an intentional attempt to do something just a bit different within the confines of Rock and Pop music? Second, obviously, the Archies were next level cartoon performers – on par with another like-minded band, the Beatles – but have rarely been covered. What prompted you to cover the national anthem of Pop confection and how much fun was it to record? Is there a cover of the Groovie Goolies in IK’s future? Or, the Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, Banana Splits, Jabberjaw and the Neptunes or Evolution Revolution from LANCELOT LINK: SECRET CHIMP?

STEVE: Maybe that “smooth” vocal sound you refer to is simply because I don’t have a particularly loud voice. So I would say it’s not a deliberate thing, just the way I sound I guess. Of course I belt it out on the heavier tunes. As for the bubblegum possibilities… I don’t know. Frankie, Is “Yummy Yummy Yummy” on deck for the next album? Ha!

FRANKIE: Steve and I both love upbeat, fun music and I’m a big fan of the original bubblegum genre – 1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express, Bay City Rollers, Sweet, et cetera. I think it was Steve’s idea to cover “Sugar Sugar” and I was instantly onboard 100%. It’s just a great song and fits well on the record. I’m not sure about the Banana Splits but I do see some Partridge Family in our future. Ha ha!

THE MULE: Steve, I saw Angel a couple of years ago (at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, IL) and was quite impressed, not only with your playing but with the tone of your bass. That is the sound that I grew up listening to, with bands like Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, Bad Company and so many others… a truly classic sound. Are you playing bass on the new IK album and will you play the parts live or are you concentrating solely on the vocals?

STEVE: Thank you, Darren. Yes, that classic bass sound is deliberate. That sound we all grew up on is still in my heart as the classic bass tone. I did play bass on the album but don’t play bass while singing live with the band. I’d rather be free to just sing, and I have limited attention bandwidth! Ha ha!

STEVE OJANE on stage with ANGEL, November 3, 2021 (photo credit: DARREN TRACY)

THE MULE: Tell us a bit about the songwriting process within the band. How do the tunes come together?

STEVE: Since you brought up “Tranquilizer,” that’s a good example. I had half an idea kicking around in my head for a while for a 3/4 timing song that spoke about finding relief for the things in life that ail ya. Then one day, Frankie started playing this sweet wah-wah guitar part that was perfect for the song. We fused those elements together into what became one of the standout tracks on the album. It was even used in a movie soundtrack – BOXANNE, directed by Brian Wild.

FRANKIE: Most of the material on the first record are songs, ideas, and melodies Steve had written over the years. I liken it to ice cream. Steve is the ice cream on this record. I am the sprinkles. Ice cream is great, but ice cream with sprinkles? Forgeddaboutit!!

INITIAL KICK (Alexx Reckless, Steve Ojane, Johnny Zabo, Frankie Schaffer) (uncredited photo)

THE MULE: I’ve mentioned Richie Ranno. Who else plays on the album? Aside from the two of you, who else would be a part of a touring Initial Kick band? Have you considered putting together a permanent version of the band outside of the core? What does the future hold for the two of you and the band?

STEVE: In addition to Richie Ranno, we also have Charlie Calv (keyboards) and Billy Orrico (drums) from Angel playing on a few tracks. Also, Damian MonteCarlo and Phil “Mad Dog” Roberts make an appearance. As far as the live band, we have our original drummer, Johnny Zabo, back on board and we’re looking to start performing live again early next year. In the mean time, like Frankie said, we’re actually working on the second album. It’s really a one-two punch. We had so much material that we couldn’t fit it all on one album. So we split the material in two and, for the complete Initial Kick experience, you’ll have to check out the follow-up album which will be released in 2024!

FRANKIE: There’s a bit more collaboration writing-wise on the next record. In reality, we have so many songs to choose from, it will be interesting to see what makes the cut. Just looking forward to the next single off of PLAYS WITH MERCURY and moving forward. IK2 is in the works!

THE MULE: Finally, Steve, I’ve seen posts from the Angel camp stating that Felix Robinson will be returning for a few shows on their next run and that others will be filling in, as well. Does this mean that you have officially parted ways with the group or is this merely part of a push to get Initial Kick into the public consciousness?

STEVE: I’m thrilled that Felix is back in the fold. He’s a great guy and of course – a phenomenal musician. I’ll be in the front row cheering him on! This is actually what I’ve always hoped for. Although I love the time that I spent in Angel, I was always hoping it would serve as a catalyst for getting the original members back together. This is a great first step, I think. Who knows what the future has in store but, for now anyway, I am no longer in Angel and I’m really enjoying writing, recording, and performing my own music.

THE MULE: Thanks, guys. Oh, yeah… one last thing: Please tell me there’s going to be a vinyl version of PLAYS WITH MERCURY.

FRANKIE: Ha ha! It’s in the works!

THE REVIEW

INITIAL KICK: PLAYS WITH MERCURY

(DEKO ENTERTAINMENT; 2023)

Guitarist Frankie Schaffer and singer/bassist Steve Ojane, for all intents and purposes, are Initial Kick and their debut album, PLAYS WITH MERCURY, has been a long time coming. The original band formed a decade ago, taking a six year hiatus while Steve toured and recorded with one of his favorite bands, Angel. Realizing that the time was right, Ojane stepped away from his Angel duties to finish what he started with Schaffer and Initial Kick. So, was the delay worth the wait? Well… DUH!

 

INITIAL KICK (Alexx Reckless, Ray Ray D, Johnny Zabo, Steve Ojane, Frankie Schaffer) (photo credit THE MUSICIANS ROCK NETWORK)

“On the Inside” gets the proceedings off to a bombastic start with a bit of “stun guitar” from Frankie and Steve’s effortless vocal style. “Tomorrow and Forever” features a chugging rhythm and some very nicely-placed tack piano by (Steve’s former Angel bandmate) Charlie Calv occasionally pushing its way up from the depths of the mix. The lead work and solo (from Frankie and Richie Ranno from Starz) are of the type that one would expect from an Arena Rock band from the latter Jurassic Period (late ‘70s and early ‘80s), but tweaked just enough to make it fresh and new. With pounding drums from Steve’s battery mate in Angel, Billy Orrico, and a riff that would make Chuck proud, “Wish You Well (Once Upon a Time)” could be the ultimate “kiss off” song of all time… kind of the biggest “I loved you, you broke my heart, I’m so over you” song ever written. Plus… COW BELL! The first single from the record, “Tranquilizer,” was featured in the Brian Wild movie BOXANNE. It’s about keeping the demons in your head in check and chugs along at a dizzyingly lethargic pace even after the drums pick up over the last half of the tune. A chorus with lyrics like “Give me a tranquilizer/To steady my head/To feel good instead,” certainly makes it an odd choice for a lead single, but… it works. You almost believe that the drugs are working when Steve sings “I will be good/The way that I should.” It ain’t a toe-tapper but, it sure does get stuck in your head.

INITIAL KICK (Ken Mondillo, Steve Ojane, Alexx Reckless) (uncredited photo)

Another great riff, a catchy melody, an appearance by original IK drummer Johnny Zabo and more of Ojane’s old-school bass style highlight “Sotheby’s Wasteland (It’s a Mall World After All).” The tongue-in-cheek lyrics are merely icing on the cake of another excellent mid-tempo rocker. The opening guitar on “Me and Rock and Roll” is somehow very reminiscent of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down” and the lyrics could be and updated version of “Beth” by Kiss. Given the name of the tune, both of those comparisons are quite apt. The guitars bite in a very laid-back way (as dichotomous as that sounds, that’s what I’m hearing). Frankie offers up another nice solo at the end. “Sloan Road Kids” is one of the more rockin’ tunes with a cool, almost familiar riff. With Steve, Frankie and the boys leaning into the Power Pop sound, it has a certain Cheap Trickesque magnificance. The instrumental harmonics of “’93” add a certain… here’s that word again… familiar warmth to what is the only actual ballad on PLAYS WITH MERCURY with a killer acoustic lead. The sound oddly brings to mind an old T Rex hand-clapper – especially the final minute or so – as the tempo picks up a bit, bringing a good song to a nice finish.

“At Home With the Animals” is an absolute rager compared to everything else here. And, like everything else here, it features solid licks, a cool solo and powerful though understated drumming. A true standout track among an album of standout tracks. I’m a sucker for cover tunes, the stranger the better. That, in a nutshell, is IK’s take on “Sugar Sugar,” that saccharine piece of bubblegum pop by the Archies, a cartoon group based on the ARCHIE comic books. In 1969 and 1970, it was almost impossible to escape the infectious song. Initial Kick adds a hard rock edge to the syrupy number, with rather tribal drumming and some stingingly awesome guitarwork. Of course, Ojane’s bass shines throughout and his smooth vocal delivery is almost a mirror of Ron Dante’s original. “Big In Singapore” is another lyrical gem, a track about the travails of a working rock band trying to find an audience in the good ol’ US of… in the 2020s. After quite a nice, melodic guitar intro, the lyrics take hold. With lines like “Thinking we passed the test/Then we get an F” and “We found our home abroad/Our US plan was a little bit flawed,” you hear a tinge of frustration, but also the ring of truth about the fickle state of the music industry (and its consumers) in this country. Steve gets bonus points for the line “Get your ass caned if you misbehave.” With a cool organ intro by Charlie Calv, aggressive power chords (are there any other kinds?) and the bass and drums as powerful as anywhere else on the album, “Rock and Roll Saved My Life” seems the antithesis of the previous number, extolling the healing properties of music and Rock music in particular. This is as close to a nod to Steve’s time in Angel as any of the previous eleven tunes. The song also has a snotty kind of guitar solo by Richie Ranno that fits perfectly here. Much like “On the Inside” was the perfect track to open PLAYS WITH MERCURY, “Rock and Roll Saved My Life” is the perfect set closer.

INITIAL KICK (Alexx Reckless, Ray Ray D, Steve Ojane, Johnny Zabo, Frankie Schaffer) (uncredited photo)

It only took ‘em ten years, but Frankie Schaffer and Steve Ojane have finally delivered the near-perfect debut album. Here’s looking to record number two. And… hopefully, a tour? What do ya say, boys?

JERRY HARRISON AND ADRIAN BELEW: REMAIN IN LIGHT/COOL COOL COOL

(February 22, 2023; THE FACTORY IN THE DISTRICT, Chesterfield MO)


I have always been a huge Talking Heads fan, right from the beginning of their CBGB’s/weird art-punk days. I listened obsessively to their debut album when I was working at a record store, was thrilled beyond measure when my musical and creative hero Brian Eno started working with them on their second album MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD, and was literally ecstatic by the transcendent weirdness of their artistic peak with FEAR OF MUSIC and the colossal REMAIN IN LIGHT. I could write pages about how much I adored those two albums, but… this is a concert review, so I gotta be disciplined here. But I’m just stating unequivocally how much David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison have meant to me as a music fan and still do. I saw the Heads twice in their heyday but never got to see the REMAIN IN LIGHT stuff performed live, until Harrison and Adrian Belew put together this amazing touring show with former members of Turkuaz, now renamed as Cool Cool Cool. I could not pass this show up, and although I had some personal circumstances that were daunting, I soon found myself venturing to the Factory in far St. Louis County for the first time. I was eager to see how these performers were going to make up for the lack of vocalist David Byrne and killer rhythm section Chris and Tina, one of the best EVER.

JERRY HARRISON AND ADRIAN BELEW: REMAIN IN LIGHT TOUR (ADRIAN BELEW, JERRY HARRISON) (photo credit: MICHAEL WIEINTROB/REMAIN IN LIGHT)

Cool Cool Cool opened the show with their expansive ensemble rhythmic funk, impressing with sterling musicianship that include a three-piece horn section, two percussionists and the delightful high-energy vocals of Sammi Garett and Shira Elias. It was a pleasant danceable mix, and the audience responded with enthusiasm. But there was definitely a feeling of anticipation in the air about what everyone had come here to see. Jerry Harrison had planned a “REMAIN IN LIGHT” celebration since before the pandemic, when his plans with Belew were derailed by an industry-halting nightmare. Once things returned to relative normalcy, the two legends revived their inspired plans, and you could be forgiven by perhaps thinking that doing something like this without Heads leader David Byrne might be a daunting proposition. But two key factors made this an absolutely thrilling show. First, Harrison and Belew were aiming to recreate some of the feeling of the legendary STOP MAKING SENSE tour that Jonathan Demme captured so amazingly in his film, where an extended cast of players could add layers and layers of sonic details to the blend both vocally and rhythmically… as well as the notable 1980 concert in Rome that a huge audience blissed out to and that the Heads themselves have pointed out as a career high point (Belew was part of that show, and it’s still available to see on YouTube). Secondly, the smart decision was made to have different musicians taking lead vocals depending on the song and who sounded best on it. Hence Belew sang lead on “Psycho Killer,” a surprising “Drugs” and a genuinely riveting “Life During Wartime,” which gained obvious rich thematic resonance due to the savage ongoing war in Ukraine. Harrison sang lead effectively on “Houses in Motion,” which was fab. But maybe the biggest surprise of the night was the strength of the vocals by “Cool” member (and baritone sax man-handler) Josh Schwartz, a tall bespectacled fellow at stage right who didn’t “Byrne it” so much on lead vocals as he “interpreted energetically” on songs like “Crosseyed and Painless,” “Born Under Punches” and the utterly transcendent classic “Once In a Lifetime.” These three songs transported me somewhere I haven’t been in years: I wrote in my notes “shivers of joy,” as such were traveling up my spine especially on the latter two songs. Besides the effectiveness of the insistent rhythms we were treated to, I cannot say enough about the hypnotic backing vocals of Sammi Garett and Shira Elias on these and other songs here. Whether it was their repeated “I’m STILL waiting” on “Crosseyed…, ” or the unbelievably transfixing phrases like “All I want is to breathe,” and “and the heat goes on” in concert high point “Born Under Punches” and the insistent “letting the days go by” and various water references in “OIAL,” these two ladies absolutely killed it musically. As a fan of backing vocals and repeated refrains and a recording artist myself lately, I just LOVE this aspect of music, and part of the true GENIUS of the album REMAIN IN LIGHT is how much of that kind of thing listeners were treated to, courtesy of the Talking Heads’ evolved aesthetic by that point and the crazy machinations of producer Eno in the studio. The gals also had their bigger than usual moment on “Slippery People,” a gospel-flavored workout in which they essentially sing lead on much of the song. Truly wonderful. It was also wonderful to hear “I Zimbra” from the FEAR OF MUSIC album, another chance for Schwartz to take the lead at the mic, even though this is certainly a group-based number, with its singular challenge of chanting made-up lyrics over tribal-sounding sonics.

JERRY HARRISON AND ADRIAN BELEW: REMAIN IN LIGHT TOUR (JERRY HARRISON) (photo credit: REMAIN IN LIGHT)
JERRY HARRISON AND ADRIAN BELEW: REMAIN IN LIGHT TOUR (ADRIAN BELEW) (photo credit: REMAIN IN LIGHT)

Okay, we gotta pause and single out Adrian Belew here. Holy effing shit. This guy is one of the most distinctive and trailblazing guitarists in the history of rock, and his leads are very much present throughout REMAIN IN LIGHT. Everything you were probably hoping to hear him do in this concert was firmly on display. I was writing down phrases like “great piercing lead by AB” in my notes on “Crosseyed and Painless,” “Houses in Motion” and others as fast as I could scribble, noting the smile on Belew’s face so much of the time, which I could see through my binoculars. Belew nodded to his long tenure with King Crimson by performing the band’s “Thela Hun Ginjeet” and sidling up to the fetchingly attired, chorus-sharing Garett, who was clearly having a ball all night. So was I, for sure! I was a happy man to be able to experience such tunes as “Cities” and my mega-favorite “Once In a Lifetime” and pretend I was approximating the joy any true fan must have felt experiencing the Heads at their performing peak. As for Harrison, he did a great keyboard solo on his own tune “Rev It Up” and served up the “quirk” on “Slippery People” and others. Harrison doesn’t always get credit for the delightful flavoring his insistent repeated keyboard parts added to the Heads’ oeuvre, and certainly classics like “Once In a Lifetime” wouldn’t have attained their legendary status without his work.

COOL COOL COOL (SHIRA ELIAS, CHRIS BROUWERS, MICHAEL CARUBBA, GREG SNADERSON, SAMMI GARETT, JOSH SCHWARTZ, CRAIG BRODHEAD) (uncredited publicity photo)

A spirited “Take Me To the River” found the whole ensemble wringing every bit of iconic juice out of a song that we all know extremely well, with the ladies adding drama by repeating the two-line refrain over and over, singing it more and more quietly (which the audience was noticeably riveted by) and then kicking up the volume at the end for a glorious climax. On both the floor and the balcony, contingents of people were dancing happily. There HAD to be an encore, of course, and Belew said “Are you sure?” to the audience when the ensemble was summoned for their expected callback. I was CERTAIN the song would be “The Great Curve,” the only RIL classic not already played, and I was right. It was thrilling, powerful and very much the rhythmic and danceable classic of its original incarnation. What an ensemble! What a show! Many people have listed REMAIN IN LIGHT as one of their “ten favorite albums of all time,” myself included. I was thinking about that in the waning moments of the concert, WHY that album made such an impact. Was it the reinvented afrobeat sound for a modern audience? Talking Heads leaping beyond their quirky art rock to another dimension? The timeliness of that album and its hit “Once In a Lifetime” finding a fresh audience at the dawn of MTV? Sure, all of that. But my own phrase is “transfixing weirdness,” captured on the album like few others at the time. Hearing Harrison, Belew and the very inspired members of Cool Cool Cool doing powerful justice to a beloved album which is unlike anything else ever released… weird, life-affirming, body-moving and consistently challenging and mysterious… made me very happy. Kudos to these immensely talented musicians for coming up with a great idea, and then carrying it off so thrillingly.

FINGERPRINTS: WHERE THE BEAT GOES ON

(BLACKBERRY WAY RECORDS; 2022)

You may not know this, but Fingerprints were a big deal… a VERY big deal. The Minneapolis five-piece formed in the mid-1970s and, after a few line-up changes, emerged as one of the first three bands signed by the soon-to-be heavily influential Twin/Tone Records (original home to such punk and post-punk bands as the Replacements, Pere Ubu, Babes In Toyland, the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum and the Mekons). Fingerprints released three seven inch records (FINGERPRINTS, DOWN and SMILES FOR SALE) between 1978 and 1979 and appeared on the legendary BIG HITS OF MID-AMERICA, VOLUME 3 compilation album. Between April, 1978’s DOWN and September’s SMILES FOR SALE, guitarist Robb Henry exited the band. His replacement, Jeff Waryan and the rest of the group – Mark Throne (vocals and saxophone), Steve Fjelstad (bass), Kevin Glynn (drums) and Mike Owens (guitar and vocals) entered Blackberry Way Studios (founded by members Owens, Glynn and Fjelstad) to record their debut full-length in 1979. The album was nearly completed when the band broke up and the project shelved. Now, more than forty years later, Owens and Blackberry Way Records have gussied up 24 tracks – including most of the tunes from the original Twin/Tone releases – and given us WHERE THE BEAT GOES ON, featuring both recorded versions of the band. To say that this collection is anything less than essential is like saying that Prince was an “okay” guitar player.

FINGERPRINTS, circa 1978 (Kevin Glynn, Steve Fjelstad, Robb Henry, Mike Owens, Mark Throne) (publicity photo)

Don’t Wanna Talk” kicks things off in a very ‘80s lo-fi Minneapolis Rock and Roll fashion. Fjelstad’s rumbling bass and Glynn’s unexpected and decidedly heavy drum sound underpins a simple but incredibly catchy guitar part that leads to some very nice interplay between Owens, Waryan and Throne’s sax. And, so, we’re off to a great start. Next up is one of seven tracks to feature Robb Henry, “(Now I Wanna Be a) Space Girl,” the lead track to the first Fingerprints 7” record released on Twin/Tone. It’s really hard to describe the beauty of the song without making a couple of oxymoronic observations: First, there’s a very non-guitary guitar running throughout; second, the sound is very post-punk before punk was pre-anything else; finally, the guys were in and out in an economically Ramones-tight fashion (less than three minutes). “Prisoners” features some nice backing vocals to bolster the enigmatic vocals of songwriter Mike Owens and a little piano-noodling from guest Harvey Ginsberg. There’s an actual guitar solo (and a right tasty one it is, too) which I’m going to attribute to Jeff Waryan, although Owens could more than hold his own in that department. The overall sound of this one is a bit of envelope pushing, ala the Replacements or Husker Du. “Boogada Bigadus (Big Reggie’s Theme)” is a little slice of meaningless surf music that is absolutely fraught with meaning. The instrumental again offers some wicked guitar and a Throne sax part that fades in and out of the mix and, all of this in a mere 2:10! Link Wray or Dick Dale woulda been proud… heck, maybe they were! The title track to the group’s final Twin/Tone 7”, “Smiles For Sale” features a more out-front screaming sax along with another cool guitar riff that punctuates one of the weirdest vocal performances ever (from Mark Throne or any other presumably human entity). At this point, everything is starting to take on a certain random simplicity and odd sameness in its brilliance… just like most of the great punk records of the era. Owens adds piano to his instrumental repertoire to the next track, as a simple, jangly guitar riff and massive drums punctuate “Illusions of Love,” a bizarre little ditty that forms an odd one-two punch with the like-minded “A Place In My Heart.” This one’s an oddly sentimental song that could be about jealousy, murder, an unhealthy obsession or a late night booty call… maybe all of the above. Throne’s vocals take on an eerie, otherworldly quality that is not unappealing. “Kind Affection,” featuring a cool Jeff Waryan vocal (he also wrote the thing) is one of the catchiest tunes in the first third of this collection and another in a series of the band’s odd take on love and its many shades. Once again, there are some great guitar parts that caress the listener’s ears while Kevin Glynn’s drumming threatens the sanctity of said listener’s eardrums. What’s more Rock and Roll than that, right?

FINGERPRINTS, circa 1978 (Kevin Glynn, Robb Henry, Mike Owens, Steve Fjelstad, Mark Throne) (publicity photo)

All manic drums, frenzied guitars and unhinged vocals (plus Mark making an appearance on the piano), “Uptown” might be a retelling of a secret liaison, a secret life or a tragic death. This band seems to have excelled at open-ended, ambiguous lyrical narratives. I like that! They were also good at delivering a memorable riff, a simple but effective backbeat, completely upbeat melody and vocal delivery for a rather maudlin subject. Such is the case with “Down,” an absolutely hummable tune that bores into your earholes and takes up residence in that little corner of your brain that – for better or worse – continually hits replay on the last catchy tune you heard. This one first made an appearance on the Twin/Tone double album BIG HITS OF MID-AMERICA, VOLUME 3. “Whose Side Are You On” offers a jackhammer guitar and drum sound, more great interplay between guitar and sax, a rumbling bass and an actual solo from Waryan, who wrote and sings the piece . Even a seemingly pedestrian song like “Hey Johnny” has something unique and unexpected to offer. In this case, more inventive six-string work (thanks to Mike Owens and Robb Henry) with an actual dual lead part that turns into a trio with the addition of Throne’s sax mimicking the twin guitars. Apparently giving the creators of SEINFELD the seed of an idea, “Nothing To Say” has a great riff, a great melody, and minimal lyrics (which fit the title perfectly). Just for kicks, Mike adds some organ to the mix. And all in a concise little package at just over 1:20. This song about nothing was originally released on SMILES FOR SALE. “Shake ‘n’ Roll” may be the truest punk song of the collection, with a snotty guitar solo courtesy of Owens and an indiscriminate use of the splash cymbal. Simply stated, it is pure fun for pure punks. A meaty psuedo-metal guitar intro leads into a moody “Young Love,” the oldest track here, predating Robb Henry’s coming. With another dose of ambiguity, the track could be about a stalker or a child molester or… Donny Osmond. Whatever the subject matter, the tune is creepy beyond belief! Mark Throne’s vocals sound particularly sinister over the grinding rhythm guitar (by Throne himself), Owens’ wah-wah laced leads and monstrous drums. It’s one of the longest tracks here, clocking in at nearly three-and-a-half minutes. A kind of Middle Eastern vibe is elicited from guest sax players Lynn Seacord and Peter Napoleon Barbeau and the tablas of Gary Waryan on “We Can’t Get In.” That rumbling bass and those forceful drums propel the swirling, mid-tempo number along at a Speed Metal pace. Dichotomous? Indeed. But, then, that’s what these Fingerprints were so good at!

FINGERPRINTS, circa 1978 (Robb Henry, Steve Fjelstad, Mark Throne, Kevin Glynn, Mike Owens) (publicity photo

A circular rhythm and repeating guitar lines drive “You Have To Push Them Over,” an instrumental from SMILES FOR SALE. There’s a lot going on here, with a slide guitar diving in before a nifty piano solo (compliments of the returning Harvey Ginsberg); a great kind of frantic guitar solo from Mike makes an appearance, joined by the return of the piano and the saxes of Barbeau and Seacord throwing down a few forceful notes just before the number ends. Robb Henry is back again for “Wasted On You.” This one has sort of an early U2 vibe with a very un-Edge like solo. All-in-all, it sounds very ominous… in the best possible way – I mean, “I was waiting for the world to die.” How much more ominous can you get? Mike Kearney adds some atmospheric sax, as well. “Must Be Me” has a nice, pedestrian chuga-chuga guitar riff that’s double timed by a steady, racing bass groove and imaginative lead guitar and another solid solo from Owens. Waryan’s vocals are nice and gritty and, all the while, Ginsberg’s piano hammers away just below the surface What a great little dose of power pop! Speaking of which, “Burn Those Bridges” is a very Who-sian piece in both depth and scope, with Townshendesque guitars (by Owens and Henry) and a lyrical bent to match. This is a solid effort from all involved, if a little weak on the backing vocals. Glynn’s drumwork on “Will You Be the One” features some absolutely massive fills (in fact, the drum parts are almost all heavy, muscular fills!). It’s one of the few songs to feature a sustained Mark Throne sax solo, who also delivers what may be is best vocal performance here, evoking Bowie. And, I shouldn’t have to mention it this far into a review, but the guitars are once again absolutely fantastic! “Made In the Shade” pumps the brakes, slowing down the tempo, which makes the Bowie comparison even more evident. Steve and Kevin find a nice pocket that allows the guitars (Robb and Mike, finishing off this set together), keys and voice to shine on what is a really nice tune. There’s an oddly pleasing little sax part that comes out of the woodwork toward the end of the four minute plus (!) track from the band’s debut EP. Next is “Back On the Street,” another four minute rocker. While I like the shorter, punkier stuff, I find myself wondering where those songs could have gone if they would have been fleshed out and extended like these two. This one offers a cool riff and a couple of really great guitar solos, the last one being somewhat diminished… lost in an overly long fade. The final track, “Half Past Zero,” almost seems like an afterthought or a simple work in progress. Another possibility is that it’s a demo that never really sparked anything creatively past the repeating riff. I know the guys have been playing around a bit lately and I certainly wouldn’t mind hearing a more fleshed-out version with vocals and solos and such.

FINGERPRINTS, circa 1979 (Mark Throne, Steve Fjelstad, Kevin Glynn, Jeff Waryan, Mike Owens) (publicity photo)

So, there you have it… what is, I believe, the entire recorded output of one of the most influential bands that you’ve never heard of. Fingerprints were there at the cusp of that great Minneapolis Rock scene of the early ‘80s but, unfortunately, didn’t stick around to grab some of the spotlight that shone so brightly on other groups like the Replacements, Soul Asylum or Husker Du. Ah, what could have been! WHERE THE BEAT GOES ON is available on CD and digitally here or at your favorite music dispensary.

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!”

SCOUT DURWOOD: COMEDY ELECTRONICA, VOLUME ONE

(EP; BLUE ELAN RECORDS; 2020)

There are a few ways to be funny in a song. One is to do a straight-up parody, a la Weird Al Yankovic or, in the old days, Spike Jones. Another is to offer a song packed with wryly humorous observations about human life and behavior, which John Prine and Harry Nilsson did quite often. And you can generate laughs with complete bizarre vocals and instrumentation, too… I have plenty of examples of that in my record collection… Ween comes immediately to mind. But to make electronic pop music with silly, often riotous lyrics that you have to pay attention to in order to fully enjoy, well, that’s a bit different. And for actress/writer/comedian/singer Scout Durwood, the sheer panache needed to produce something like COMEDY ELECTRONICA, VOLUME ONE, a 5-song digital EP that is undeniably entertaining, is worth pausing to appreciate. Durwood can count TAKE ONE THING OFF, a 22-episode digital TV series which got plenty of attention (and her debut recording of the same name) among her previous accomplishments, and a stint on the Oxygen Channel’s FUNNY GIRLS. She’s also done at least one comedy special. Born in Kansas City but based in LA these days, Durwood seems to be an unstoppable bundle of energy. With many different talents already on display, it’s curious that she wants to record goofy original songs. But she’s done just that here.

SCOUT DURWOOD (photo credit: SCOUT DURWOOD)

Durwood lures you in subtly, by starting this EP with “Steal UR Girlfriend,” an infectious, synth-driven rocker that sounds commercial and catchy from a distance… something that no one would object to casually. Start listening to the lyrics, though, and you realize something different is going on here. It moves real fast, but I caught lines like “I’ll take your princess home and I’ll ‘Leia’/You thought you’d have a threesome, but you left with your Han solo.” There was also a reference to Justin Bieber and a recurring phrase about a “predatory lesbian.” Durwood can sing and manipulate words and she’s a hottie, so there are plenty of ways she can get attention. To make you tap your feet and laugh a bunch seems genuinely ambitious to me. “I Don’t Want to Hold UR Baby” is next, and you gotta watch the YouTube video to fully appreciate this bit of nuttiness. Surrounded by dancers of both genders clad in ridiculous pink swimming attire, Durwood speaks assertively for the contingent of folks who, that’s right, have ZERO interest in holding your cute little infant. “”You’ve always wanted to be a mom/So you know, so you know, so you know/I’ve never even wanted to be an aunt/Maybe I could handle like a distant aunt, like a once a year aunt/Who drops off a gift and gets high in my car/Cuz babies freak me out.” This is zany stuff period, but coming from a woman, the comedic impact is undeniable, and Durwood wrings every bit of mockery the topic clearly inspires, from both the song and the video.

For those of us who are writers and musicians, “Sad Ukulele” is some kind of classic, though, with endlessly quotable lyrics. “Sad songs are inappropriate when you sing them on a ukulele,” Durwood begins, playing said instrument almost guiltily. The simple theme here touches on unsatisfying relationships, a sad tale of a sick old man in Durwood’s building and his cat that may need care, and random bursts of existential dread that eerily come close to actual conversations I’ve had with one of my own musician friends. “Sometimes I wake up in the dead of night/Having a panic attack that sexual slavery exists… what dark part of humanity can possibly explain it?” After many lines of this sort, Durwood can only conclude “It’s hard to acknowledge social justice on a ukulele.” To hear such sentiments sung in this context is somehow both bold and blackly comic, underscoring how, in many cases, laughter may be the ONLY remedy for some of us. “Sky Dancer” is a kind of exaggerated dance song with raps included… Durwood’s musical approach does allow her to explore this kind of musical setting, but the arrangement feels a bit frantic and cluttered to me. Much better is “Sexually Implicit,” a creatively ribald wordplay exercise that’ll having you listening close to catch everything. Mostly the listed words either SOUND sexual or are sex-related in nature. But Durwood mixes it up for maximum silliness. “Nut butter, Oedipus, oral, panties, peacock, penal code, pendulous, penultimate, pounding… pro bono,” one section goes (not totally sure about a couple of those). This is actually, by my reckoning, a pretty ambitious song, and a listenable one. Maybe Durwood will inspire some listeners to look up a few words, or to just get in the mood. But she’s doing something fun, witty and even literate here, and it’s been a while that I’ve been able to say that about a pop offering.

SCOUT DURWOOD (photo credit: SCOUT DURWOOD)

I haven’t heard Durwood’s previous full-length recording, so I can’t make comparisons. I can only say that, as a newcomer to her kooky, upfront talents, I was truly entertained by both the music and the two videos I watched. Anyone likely named after a beloved character in Harper Lee’s classic novel immediately puts me in a certain frame of mind. And this “Scout” is doing some “mocking,” all right – birds, babies, business and a whole lot more. Well worth your time if you want to giggle at life’s absurdities and enjoy a fresh, bracing new talent.

A FRAGILE TOMORROW: MAKE ME OVER

(MPRESS RECORDS; 2015) A REVIEW FROM THE VAULT

South Carolina four-piece A Fragile Tomorrow features the brothers Kelly – Sean and Dominic, two of a set of triplets (the third passed away several years back), and their non-multiple sibling, Brendan – and bassist Shaun Rhoades. MAKE ME OVER is the group’s fifth studio album and first for indie label Mpress Records; lead vocalist Sean Kelly is the primary songwriter and his glam rock tendencies drive the sound, so… fans of Marc Bolan, David Bowie and, for the power pop-minded amongst you, Cheap Trick, strap in for one heck of a fun ride!

A FRAGILE TOMORROW (Brendan Kelly, Dominic Kelly, Sean Kelly, Shaun Rhoades) (photo credit: TOM MOORE)

The album kicks off with Sean’s paean to the legendary Slade vocalist and glam rock icon, “Make Me Over (Noddy Holder).” Actually, the track is Kelly wondering if pursuing the rock and roll lifestyle is really worth all the trouble: “Maybe we can start all over/Change our name and make me over.” Now that I see that in writing, that happened to Holder and his band before glamming up their image and purposely misspelling key words in song titles. The song features a pulsing, hard rock undercarriage, courtesy of drummer Dominic Kelly and the double whammy of bassist Shaun Rhoades (he of the standard electric variety) and guest musician, Ted Comerford (he of the twelve-string version). And, just that quickly, this record is off and running. “Tie Me Up Again” slows things down a bit, though it is equally as introspective as the first song. There are guitars aplenty from Sean and his non-wombmate brother, Brendan; I’m reminded of the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” (in a very jangly and precise way) and very early psychedelic Alice Cooper (via a sped up guitar freakout, a la Glen Buxton). The number also features a string quartet (cellist Ward Williams, violist Rachael Jones and violinists Diana Brewer and Lyais Hung, who crop a few more times later on), quite a nice addition. Musically speaking, “Billion” is sort of Beatlesque thing which quickly morphs into a spry little Power Pop affair that could very easily have outstayed its welcome; as is, it kinda ended at the perfect time. A ton of cool guitars keep things interesting, as does the bouncy drumwork. Another lush, jangley, pop tune, “One of Two, Two of Three,” hearkens back to such 1960s psychedelic-pop acts as the Jefferson Airplane, Roy Wood’s (and, later, Jeff Lynne’s) the Move, PET SOUNDS-era Beach Boys, as well as early ‘60s Phil Spector produced “Wall of Sound” records. Even the “trippy” title and the lyrically vague implications are drawn from that same general time period and fertile asthetic; the words still ring agonizingly true today: “One of two, two of three/Everything is as it seems/It’s not black and white, cut and dry.” Next, we have “Kissing Games,” a heartbroken power pop ballad that SOUNDS far happier than the words imply. It’s actually more of a self-empowering note that this person is finished being used and is taking control of his own life for once. The string quartet returns and is more upfront than on “Tie Me Up Again.” Rachael Sage offers up some very nice piano and bassist Rhoades delivers one of his best performances here. “Tell Me How To Feel” is shiny, poppy and pretty with a definite “Then He Kissed Me” vibe during the intro and with the drums throughout. It’s one of the few tracks here to feature the group’s four core members alone; only the odd guitar signatures save it from being the most disposable song on the record. The first lines of “In My Mind” says everything you need to know about A Fragile Tomorrow and MAKE ME OVER: “Oh, unrequited love/It’s kind of my thing.” Shimmery and solemn, the number is another “everything PLUS the kitchen sink” kinda thing with sleigh bells, timpani, guitars of varied stripes and, of course, the string quartet. Even though it seems like the song is about to take off a couple of times, it remains in first gear all the way… Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

A FRAGILE TOMORROW (Brendan Kelly, Dominic Kelly, Shaun Rhoades, Sean Kelly) (photo credit: TOM MOORE)

Hit Parade” is about the ultimate search for that ever illusive “Hit Single.” Unlike most of the rest of the album, the song features the four band members exclusively along with an actual guitar solo; it’s very catchy, in an XTC sort of way with lyrics that include: “Same old turn of phrase/Here’s your chord change/Please make way for the hit parade/All my dignity’s gone.” That pretty much sounds like every musician I’ve ever met! “Interlude” is an odd little ditty that features absolutely none of the actual band members, with samples by Michaelangelo, drums by Russ Broussard (even though I really didn’t hear them) and, naturally, the by-now obligatory string quartet. “Siouxsie” is obviously a song about X-Ray Spex singer Poly Styrene. With vocals by Dominic and guest artist Mark Hart (of Crowded House fame) providing organ and lap steel, it is actually a tune extolling the (many) virtues of Siouxsie Sioux and her undeniable influence on – not only punk and Goth – but popular music in general. It’s fun and bubbly and you may catch yourself humming along to the melody… in a totally anarchic punk kind of way, of course. John Cowsill and the Bangles’ Vicki Peterson add their voices to “Everybody Knows,” another wicked swipe at stardom. The track is sort of a lo-fi avant-surf masterpiece with a guitar/trumpet (the latter provided by Clay White) interplay that’s echoey and (maybe) backwards; that alone makes the song, at the very least, quite interesting. “Can’t You Hear Me” is another cool power pop thing that features, of all things, a singing saw performed by the multi-talented Clay White. Everything is hitting on all cylinders on this one; it’s a definite favorite on what is a fairly solid record. I think that the term “bonus track” may have been applied to “One Way Ticket (Coda)” simply because it features Joan Baez (THE!) and Indigo Girls Amy Ray (on mandolin) and Emily Saliers (on banjo). I mean, those are some heavyweight names right there! Did I forget to mention that the cut also features White and his saw? This song alone makes MAKE ME OVER worth owning. Yeah… it is THAT good. Of course, you get the additional bonus of the first twelve songs, too. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up your very own copy from your favorite dispenser of fine music… now!