Journey Makes Believers Out Of All Of Us

"Don't Stop Believin" has had an interesting life, in the 80s it was an dominating rock anthem that many a Class Of '81 graduated to. But in the grungy alt rock 90s the song disappeared from view. The rock critic elite that had trashed Journey throughout their career was all too happy to see them go, until a sign of life flickered in 1998 thanks to an incredible string version used for the film The Wedding Singer. Since the turn of the century "Believin" has returned to its former glory, referenced by sports teams, movies and television series alike. It's become the theme song to a nostalgic view of modern optimism, maybe made more complex by chance than design but still there it is. And everyone wants a piece of it, in the last decade or so "Don't Stop Believin" has become a standard like "Strangers In The Night" or "If I Had A Hammer". So I spent tonight subjecting myself to a variety of cover versions so I can take a look at the song past Journey or Steve Perry.

There are a couple of basic ways to cover this song, I'll start with the best known one.

The Musical Take

What if all those streetlight people that were holding on to that feeling were to sing in unison while performing complex choreography? That question seems to weigh heavily on people's minds because two of the most popular cover versions of "Don't Stop Believin" is exactly that. The tv show Glee has the best known cover, going all High School Musical with zippy production and emphasis on a capella to accent the groove. It's not bad for what it is, I'm indifferent to it myself other than it brings recognition of the song to the young generation which is nice. The Broadway play Rock Of Ages uses the song as well for the big finish to their show. In both Glee and Rock Of Ages the tune is used as a sweeping gesture to bring a bunch of characters together to allow their moment to shine. While the musical take draws a lot of the rock muscle out of "Don't Stop Believin" I guess it isn't too different than hearing 25,000 fans in an arena screaming along with three or four beers in them. The Glee cover has caught on like wildfire with similar versions coming out from as unlikely places as Big Brother. Though when you get to the point where one or two people are making covers of the Glee cover, that goes a little too far. By the time you get to Alvin and the Chipmunks (who are autotuned to death, who thought of autotuning what is already understood to be a studio manipulated vocal?) it's game over.



The Full On Cover

Who dares to challenge the greatness of Steve Perry? Other than everybody with two turntables and a microphone? Can anyone sing this song better than the originator, he who gives life to magic, Steve Perry?? Don't give me no back talk, no. But a lot of people try and some do really well, even those that aren't officially sanctioned by Neal Schon and Jon Cain to do so under the Journey name. He who was nearly Steve Perry's replacement in Journey Kevin Chalfant does a good job of getting some Perry Power into his version. Tribute band singer Hugo has made a lifetime career out of being Steve Perry so ditto him as well. Plus the tribute band Evolution has this guy who even mimics the dress and mannerisms of Sir Perry. Where it gets interesting is Starship's Mickey Thomas covered it too, I always enjoy Thomas' vocals and got a kick out of his version. Wish I could say the same about American Idol's James Durbin tackling the arena rock classic, I enjoyed his performances generally but on tv he was to distracted by playing to the crowd to nail his vocal. Fans of Durbin must have felt the same as he was voted off the next night. Eric Dover (of Slash's Snakepit) had an OK take with his voice but the backing track seemed thin. His You Tube posting said he would go after anyone who makes a bad comment about his cover, it will be interesting to see if that's true. Fall Out Boy took a shot at it live, too bad the singer's voice failed him on the really high end. When it comes to the full on cover, the version with the most impact is Steel Panther's. A great balance of energy and knowing cheese, a mix they often do well.



String A Long

The Wedding Singer made the string arrangement of "Don't Stop Believin" a dream for people's nuptuals, except that version can't seem to be found anywhere. But there are string versions out there. Vitamin String Quartet had my favorite of the versions out there because it came closest to Wedding Singer with the slowed down tempo. Low Strung does a nice rendition too with a pace that's closer to the original. Still, it's that Wedding Singer version that everyone remembers fondly including me.



Dancing Machine

If Dance Dance Revolution taught me one thing, it's that I really can't dance. Other than that, DDR taught me that any song can be remade into a bleepin' and bloopin' electronica jam. The best of the dance covers was by some guy named Newton. It at least had a eurodisco feel to it. There were a few other versions I listened to but I'm not a big electronica fan so it all starts to sound the same after a bit.



Alt Rocka

We're getting into more painful territory as we get to Alternative Rock covers. Journey's slick arrangements and Perry-ized vocal style doesn't translate too well to the angsty mild punk pop of today. The best of what I could dig up was by somebody named Five Hour Flight Music, it was at least clean and entertaining. Another group called Flight 409 (what is it with alternative rock and flights?) has a singer that works in that current style what is it called - emo? I think he sounds emo. Doesn't work well for this song. I give them credit though for retaining the lurching drums. The biggest laugh I got out of this You Tube cruise is what's labeled a screamo cover. Funny stuff.



Odds & Ends

You'd think that would be all the covers right there...but wait! There's more! A group or person named Boyce Avenue has a pleasant piano ballad version that's pretty decent. There are also bluegrass and lullaby renditions that have a novelty to them. But my favorite of all the "Don't Stop Believin" covers is the a capella one done by Petra Haden. I guess her version influenced Glee's which takes some of the edge off, I remember when I first heard it how impressed I was with it's inventiveness. It's fantastic.



Which brings us full circle. There are tons more covers out there, I just don't have time to go through them all. The movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on.

I Like You, Man

I've taken a long break from blogging here, so here's my first shot at getting back on the horse. Been watching a fair amount of television and without realizing it became a fan of a specific actor: Jason Segel. I just think this guy is funny, often playing this sort of sincere buffoon character in a variety of shows and movies. Even looking at photos of the guy to put on this post has me chuckling and all he's doing is standing around (not the pic I eventually picked though). The first time I saw a performance by him where I paid specific attention to his acting was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Marshall funnily enough is his name on How I Met Your Mother but i'm getting ahead of myself). He played his character with the right amount of pathos and humor to keep the film rolling. Next I saw him in I Love You, Man where he was a bit more antagonistic but in a nice way (and also revelled in another recurring theme for this actor, a bit of Rush worship like his character in Freaks and Geeks but again I'm getting ahead of myself).

Anyway, one tv show I've been checking out is reruns of the much acclaimed tv series Freaks and Geeks. It was one of those high school shows from ten years ago that was set around 1980 or so. It was also one of those shows that would gain an American Graffiti / Fast Times At Ridgemont High aura of being a hot bed for young actors that would break big later. F&G included Linda Cardenelli (ER), Seth Rogen (tons of movies), James Franco (Spider Man) and yup, Jason Segel. Having watched about ten episodes I could see why critics still cry at the mention of this one season wonder. It's deftly written with healthy doses of realistic characters, teen drama and nostalgia.

At the same time, How I Met Your Mother has hit syndication giving me an opportunity to catch up on this great show. As scatalogical as it is focused, the five characters clown around and bounce off each other the way a group of friends would. Reruns have let me see the character's rich history of inside jokes and epic events like the Pineapple, the time Aunt Lily kicked Asian Elvis in the nards and a couple's first "I Love You" stemming from a bag of Funions. A fun lightweight show.

I'd say I can't wait to see what Segel does next, but it looks like his next major project is a Muppets movie. Can't say I'm really into Muppet movies (though the first one was OK) but if anyone is gonna make me like it it's probably this guy. Count me in as a fan, bro.

Holy Effin Crap!

The ad for the upcoming movie The Expendables reads like a teenage Mr Mike's dream of hyperviolent action. I used to fantasize about a meeting between Stallone, Schwartzenegger, Willis (along with Norris and Gibson, who aren't in this) and how bad ass that would be. Expecting bad reviews and a kick ass time when this one finally gets on DVD!

Jimmy Carter's Revenge Part Three: Revenge Of Col. Steve Austin

A man barely alive...we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better...stronger...faster...

Or something like that, man what child of the 70s didn't dig the Six Million Dollar Man? I mean, he cost six million dollars! Oh the adventures we shared with Steve Austin, tackling big foot, losing Jamie's love to a parachute accident, the decision whether or not to wear a mustache - such amazing times! And the Six Million Dollar Man doll with the see through eye and drug addict training arm (you rolled up the skin on the fore arm to plug cords into the bionics) was dy-no-mite!

Lee Majors, the fantastically craggy squinty eyed thespian who portrayed the cyborg Colonel, went on to more fame in the 80s as Colt Seaver resident Fall Guy. I think the theme song even became a Country hit, it certainly was memorable. And after that, he continued to work but his visibility went way down. So imagine my surprise when I saw him not once, but twice recently on network tv.

It took me a moment to recognize him as the community college boating teacher on the comedy Community. He played his character with perfect pitch of comedic sternness.

Then, Lee Majors struck again on the action drama The Human Target playing a mysterious body guard in flash back. He still has the crusty voice of rugged warrior bit down cold.

So welcome back Lee Majors, I didn't realize I missed you until you reminded me of your coolness. And hey, with green energy now focusing on nuclear power there may one more Six Million Dollar Man tv movie left in you yet. Maybe Steve Austin can run his atom powered legs on a treadmill and power New York or something. Think green! Dun-na-na-na (that's bionic leg sounds).

Get That Little Runt

The ever popular crazy guy effect

This started with part of a Meat Loaf song and a Def Lep Behind The Album doc. Last week I was thinking about how much I liked the song "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad", one of the funniest power ballads ever. Hearing the Loaf sweetly croon "I want you, I need you but I'm never ever gonna love you" to an imaginary girl is killer, I'm cryin' icicles instead of tears! There's a part of the song that goes "I'll never be able yada yada yada" that has a layered vocal and slightly sways. That part is a trademark sound of the Runt, Todd Rundgren. Obsessing on that part, I remembered something Joe Elliot of Def Lep said of Jim Steinman's attempt to produce the band, "Jim Steinman didn't produce Bat Out Of Hell, he wrote it. Todd Rundgren produced it."

When I first started listening to music closely, my neighbor (also named Mike) played a key role because he was already deep into it. At the time, he had this hero worship for his older brother. His older brother was a huge fan of Todd Rundgren. So as a result, Mike was always trying to get me into Todd Rundgren, giving me copies of Rundgren and Utopia tapes even when I didn't want them. I did give them a try but didn't enjoy them, Rundgren was too artsy for my taste back then. So I've heard a lot of his back catalog yet I can barely tell you anything about it.

Since that point, Rundgren has slowly creeped into my life. Mainly as a producer, the first song I got hooked on with his fingerprints was Cheap Trick's "I Can't Take It". Again, my neighbor Mike made me a copy of this record he had to have just because Rundgren produced it. I can definitely hear the Rundgren influence on this album, and since I was already a fan of the Trick it wasn't a stretch for me to like this. My same friend who hated Loverboy because his brother told him they suck, borrowed my Keep It Up tape for over a month because their ballad "It's Never Easy" sounded Rundgren-esque. The Runt kept popping up in my life here or there, as it surprised me when I read his producer credit for XTC when they delivered their atheistic epic "Dear God".
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After that, Rundgren fell off my radar until last year. His music that had been covered, used in tv shows and movies a bit in the past decade. When I put together an AOR compilation cd for my car, I included Utopia's "Crybaby" and played that track to death. Then, I heard his ballad "Can We Still Be Friends" on some movie soundtrack and became hooked on it. The delicate, tenative sound of the song was engrossing. Then Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs featured not just one, but two Rundgren covers "Hello It's Me" and "Couldn't I Just Tell You". They were highlights on the duo's covers album. His music would pop up when I saw reruns of That 70's show, again "Hello It's Me" memorably used on a shot of Eric and Donna lying back on his car looking skyward. And lastly, during my final months at work a co-worker repeatedly put on a playlist that included...you guessed it...."Hello It's Me".

All this exposure has led me to re-evaluate the Runt. Those swaying choruses, lush keyboards, plaintive first person ramblings developed meaning for me. Last week I downloaded The Very Best Of Todd Rundgren for my IPOD and couldn't be happier. In fact, one of my favorite songs right now is his version of "Couldn't I Just Tell You" thanks to Sweet/Hoffs memorable cover. So, nearly 30 years after my first Rundgren record I'm finally getting what it is he did. As my wife would be happy to tell you, I'm a little slow.

Mars Needs Women

Being a fan of cheesy hair metal since the Reagan Presidency (admit it, some of you started during the first Bush era) there has been a minor issue that has bothered me for the past twenty odd years. That's the lack of love for Mick Mars, the axe slinger for Motley Crue. Mars is an excellent guitarist, maybe a little economical compared to his peers (I can't recall any twenty minute solos from the albums, I haven't seen them live) but that is actually part of his strength. He swoops in, kicks ass and leaves before wearing out his welcome.

Now I'm not the biggest Motley Crue fan in the world, I mainly like the hits such as "Wildside", "Girls Girls Girls" or "Dr Feelgood". So I can't go into whatever his greatest solo is or best riff or anything like that. But I know good playing when I hear it and Mars could definitely play. So why is he so ignored by guitar fans? Normally the lead guitarist is one of the focal points of a hair band. Ratt = Warren Dimartini, Europe = John Norum, Poison = CC Deville and so on. When it comes to Motley Crue, they equal...well, everyone but Mick Mars. And I think the reason Mick Mars gets ignored is, he just ain't pretty.

That was one of the big draws to being lead guitarist in the late 70s thru the 80s, the romanticized vision of guitar god. The guitar god who looked pretty and got the girls while wowing the dudes with his shredding solos. Mars didn't fit that profile, he could amaze with his six string antics but no one wanted to watch him do it. While I watched a video of "Home Sweet Home" today I noticed when his epic power ballad solo came up you see him start the solo then cut to a bunch of slo mo shots of the other band members for the rest of it. Even in his own band he got little screen time.

I remember when Motley Crue broke big with the Shout At The Devil album. There were all these rumors as to why Mars looked the way he did. "He was born prematurely" was one, "He was born with his stomach inside out and that's why you never see his chest" was another, and of course the old standby "He got messed up in a car accident." People just couldn't accept Mick Mars the way he was.

Bottom line, I think Mick Mars doesn't get enough respect for his guitar playing. He let his talent do the talking during the MTV era, a time when looks are more important than sound. So I'm going to take this small piece of cyberspace to say Mick Mars is a bad ass guitarist and here's a nice solo from 1985.

Meet The Beatles Again

Thanks to Rock Band: The Beatles video game there is a renaissance of their music taking place, the likes of which hasn't been seen since 1995. 2009 may be the year of rediscovering old music, what with Michael Jackson's death sparking a flooding of the airwaves with his music a few months ago followed by this new wave of Beatlemania. What's next, the return of Frank Sinatra?

And who am I to stand in the way of a fad? I can't stop it so I may as well roll with it. I've already done a Top 10 favorite song list, so I'm just gonna hit the high points on the impact their music has had on my life and/or random memories about The Beatles

• My Mom is a fan of the Beatles, so I grew up with Beatles records in the house. Rubber Soul is her favorite album of theirs. My Mom thought Paul McCartney was cute.


• I watch Yellow Submarine whenever I can on tv as a boy, because its a cartoon


• "Revolution" is the first song not related to a tv show that I can remember really liking a lot. I liked the idea of a revolution.


• Being Asian, I have to hear a lot of Yoko Ono insults growing up.


• I start to like The Beatles a lot and so we go to see Beatlemania (The Beatles tribute band) live which may have been the first concert I went to, I had forgotten about that until now. I remember it being colorful and loud.


• The movie Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is released starring Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees. At the time I liked this movie a lot. Earth Wind & Fire's cover of "Got To Get You Into My Life" is still definitive over the original to me. Aerosmith kicks ass as the evil band performing "Come Together". And I found the dreamy segment for "A Day In The Life" spellbinding. Now, as an adult, I can see how dull and poorly constructed this movie really is. At the time I really dugged it, man. Give Frampton his Oscar now.


• John Lennon is assassinated :(


• Paul McCartney becomes the duet king. First he's the Ivory to Stevie Wonder's Ebony in "Ebony and Ivory" (spawning the classic SNL parody with Eddie Murphy as Stevie Wonder and Joe Piscopo as Frank Sinatra). Then he playfully argues with Michael Jackson that "The Girl Is Mine" (you can guess who won that argument) before having his last "Say Say Say". Then Jacko and McCartney stop being friends after the gloved one buys the Beatles catalog.


• Motley Crue cover "Helter Skelter". Cool.


• John Lennon's posthumous single "Nobody Told Me" is released and plays constantly everywhere. I hated this song and it drove me nuts it was played so much. Particularly that music video made up of old clips of Lennon in a boat or some kinda crap. Interestingly, this song came up on my IPOD a few months ago and I didn't mind it.


• Paul McCartney's song "No More Lonely Nights" plays constantly after its release as well, kinda gets on my nerves a bit after awhile. It doesn't bother me too much now though. The inclusion of "Eleanor Rigby" in McCartney's film Give My Regards To Broad Street catches my ear, it becomes a favorite Beatles tune for me. Friday Night Videos could not get enough of "No More Lonely Nights".


• I lost interest in The Beatles after that, except as a novelty. The inclusion of "Twist and Shout" in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off motivates me to buy the 45. Save Ferris!


• The movie Can't Buy Me Love is a teen classic!


• The Thompson Twins wreck "Revolution" at Live Aid. What the hell happened to my jam?


• In college, I have a roommate who loves The Beatles. Through him I hear every single Beatles album multiple times. For some reason Beatles '65 stands out to me from that time period. "I'll Follow The Sun" I liked at the time. But my favorite Beatles record to listen to at that time? A Hard Day's Night.


• George Harrison has a big hit with the catchy "I've Got My Mind Set On You", though I like Weird Al Yankovic's version "This Song Is Just Six Words Long" more.


• Late night at Tower Records, me and my friend hear the most bizarre version of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." My friend who is also a Star Trek fan pegs the voice as William Shatner. I buy the tape and become a lifelong fan of the great one's warblings.


• I get into James Bond movies, McCartney's "Live and Let Die" becomes a favorite of mine.


• U2 cover "Helter Skelter". Meh.


• "Imagine" becomes a standard, being covered by everyone with a half decent voice. I'm still fascinated that a song that openly states a wish for the end of religion could be so popular. Anyway, of the covers I've heard Tracie Spencer's comes to mind as being the best one.


• In the early 90's, my favorite tv show was the Sunday night family drama Life Goes On. The Beatles song "Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da" is used as the theme song. C'mon Corky, fight the power!
• Guns N' Roses revive "Live And Let Die" as their own, Axl does his damned best to try to make kilts cool.


• Shortly after being married, my wife and I take up record collecting. The Bunny becomes adept at spotting Vee Jay label counterfeits and mono recording Capitol label Beatles records. We become obsessed with and eventually buy a poor copy of the famous "butcher cover" record sleeve (featured at the top of the post). Which we later lost to a used record store guy named Zig when his shop closed (he was selling on consignment for us).


• The Anthology series is released on CD and as a tv miniseries. We take in all of it, I enjoyed the new Beatles singles "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love". The a capella version of "Because" is awesome. Everyone loves The Beatles even more.


• I think it's Intel that uses "Getting Better" as a theme song in commercials, so I get a copy of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to get that one.


• Ozzy Osbourne comes up with a memorable cover of "In My Life".


• Lennon's "Instant Karma" appears in shoe commercials, hooking me on that song.


• Eddie Vedder covers "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", which I like more than the original.


• Some loser stabs George Harrison in his own house.


• A few years later George Harrison passes away. "Here Comes The Sun" gets played all over the world.


• Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard gets into heavy rotation on my CD player. I play "Jenny Wren" a lot.


• I go through a Beatles phase and pick up some of their CDs, Abbey Road becomes my favorite Beatles album. This happens around the time of The Beatles1. Coincidence? I think not!


• Tried to watch the movie Across The Universe, couldn't get past the first ten minutes. Something about a cute lesbian cheerleader singing about another cheerleader, it didn't grab me so I fell asleep. It looked like it was going to be one of those ensemble musicals.


• Paul McCartney and U2 perform the "Sgt Pepper" song at the start of Live 8. Cool.


• The Beatles: Rock Band video game is released. People party like it's 1995.

And that's my Beatles story. Not a lot too it, I was a big fan as a kid afterwards I thought they were good. Their music is legendary and has been everywhere throughout my life. In terms of influence, there isn't a rock band that has had more impact.

The Waite Is Over

Englishman John Waite rocked the radio waves like nobody else! Wait, not this Waite...

...this Waite. That buzz cut, that synthesizer, surely John Waite is a brilliant New Wave artist. Or not.

John Waite. Troubadour. He owns a mansion and a yacht. My posting of "Head First" a few days ago has gotten me off my butt to write something about Mr. Waite. In the 80's John Waite was a voice I could identify with. His voice wasn't very strong and a little on the reedy side. In verse sections he would sort of talk sing. At times it would seem like he was singing to a different beat than the rest of the song. These traits would kill off the career of other singers, with John Waite it made him more distinct and the perfect embodiment of adolescence. Loud and awkward with a lot of soul.

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As great as he is, in my opinion John Waite was never able to come up with a perfect single album. So I tended to remember Waite through single songs more than a complete record. Granted I didn't follow his career after 1991 so I don't know if he accomplished this feat later on. Before kicking into this post full gear, a disclaimer: I'm going to quote a lot of lyrics of Mr. Waite, but not necessarily the way he wrote them. It's going to be the way I remember them. I'm just too lazy to look up all these song lyrics and his words resonated with me a certain way even if I probably misunderstood them. Anyway, he did have recurring themes to his music, starting with:

Mr. Saturday Night

John Waite was great at the fast breakneck paced rocker, a song that would allow Waite to show what a cool party guy he is. Guitars would scream, keyboards would rollick as Waite breathlessly spat out his lyrics. On Ignition it was "White Heat" which had a slight punky edge to it. On Mask Of Smiles he had "No Brakes", which ironically was not on the album No Brakes. That album had my favorite of this style, "Saturday Night", because I'm a sucker for songs that use days of the week in the words. I think it went "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...SATURDAY NIGHT! Oh Yeah!" ( I couldn't find "Saturday Night" online, so here's "White Heat")

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Neo, Are You The One?

In what may be a sign that we all really live in The Matrix, JW is obsessed with either being the One or finding the One. "She's The One" because he's the "Wild One" (which makes him Brando?) since he's part of "The Restless Ones". You can't spend all your time partying, you've got to be the One to find the One.

Heaven Is A 4 Letter Word

Once you've found the One, what do you do? If you're John Waite, you get hecka nasty. You show that girl "The Best Of What I Got" (awesome lyric alert! "Put my key / inside your door / feels so good"). To show he wasn't all horndog passion, he could get a little clinical like on "Act of Love" (You and I / Fit together / Like a hand and glove / It's just / an Act / of Love). But let's face it, particularly with Bad English JW liked to raunch and roll. Song titles like "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word" or "Rockin' Horse" didn't happen by accident. Nor did lyrics like "Laydown / stay down / for MY LOVE!" (from the correctly titled "Laydown"). But the best of JW's letters to Penthouse was when he was a Baby, I'm talkin' 'bout "Midnight Rendezvous". Put aside the fact that it is one of the best songs ever, with that killer drum pattern and blatantly Jon Cain driven chorus. At the tail end of the fade out John Waite yells to his lady love "Oooh I really wanna F*CK YOU!". Pure genius sneaking that one in sir. My hat is off to you.

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These Times Are Hard For Lovers

My favorite kind of John Waite song, the all out melodic rocker. Songs in which backed by a big ass chorus and sturdy guitar riffs Waite would fret out his tortured soul over a girl. His time in Bad English was awesome for this, the hard charging "Forget Me Not" ("I will be your shadow, when you walk away / Forget Me Not / Forget Me Not / I will follow you until your dying day!!") or "Straight To Your Heart" In the summer of '87 I played "These Times Are Hard For Lovers" endlessly, that magic Desmond Child hook ringing in my ears. Because these times are hard. For lovers, that is. Part of what kicked off this post was finding a video for The Baby's "Turn and Walk Away" online. My favorite of this style for John? The "Layla" of the 80's, "Tears". Of all the girls I've had at my feet (that's some power trip to think you have a bunch of women at your feet by the way) you're the only one that can bring me to these TEARS! Then an epic guitar solo courtesy of Gary Myrick. No, wait a second, I just remembered the first John Waite I ever heard was even better. So nice it was released as a single twice (once for Ignition and then again as part of the Vision Quest soundtrack), "Change". People talkin', they say that you are leavin'. So unhappy DAH DAH DAH!...

Back On His Feet Again

With all that partying and heartbreak there had to be a softer side to the man. Maybe even a sappy side. The guy who famously rejected the uber power ballad "Open Arms" for being too syrupy when Jon Cain presented it to him in The Babys, John Waite is best known for his rock ballads. Whether he's "Back On My Feet Again" or with you "Every Step Of The Way", in music dude is not a commitment phobe. His numero uno in this category, his piece de resistance', is Bad English (or from what I just wrote Bad French?) "When I See You Smile". Because when I see you smile, I can FACE THE WORLD!!! Oh, whoa. I can do anything. Certainly Dianne Warren's most Zen moment (and Waite would dip into that Warren well again with "The Time Alone With You", not to mention the wonderfully sarcastic "Don't Lose Any Sleep"). That's the price of love baby. a .99 cent download. See, you can put a price on love. How did I get by without this? Everytime I think of you, it always turns out GOOD!

Welcome To Paradise

Despite all that commitment and frettin', in song John Waite's relationships with women would crash and burn. What was left after that? Sadness and loneliness with a hint of poetic self awareness. "Sometimes" from Rover's Return has one of my favorite JW hooks, ("Sometimes / yyoouuuu dooonnn'tttt kno-ow") to express that longing. But the money in the bank shot for JW sadness is the appropriately titled Mask of Smiles record, you know the one with the cover where he has his translucent hands covering his face like some kind of alien from V the miniseries? One of my favorite memories was a long time ago giving someone a ride home from work and when he heard the lyric in "Welcome To Paradise" comparing New York to burning Rome he said he was from New York and that was a great metaphor. On that same album is his greatest ode to the lonely hearts club that is not "Missing You", it's "The Choice". The quiet, pensive drifting feel of that song just kills. ("The Choice" isn't online, so here's "Welcome To Paradise" instead).

Love In The Movies

Remember the big deal when John Waite did some acting on a network tv show about models? I forget what the show was called, what was it Paper Dolls? I can't remember. John Waite's music made for great movie moments, even if I can't remember the titles of a lot of those films. There was some I think National Lampoon in College kind of movie that used "Tears" to great effect while some character walked through the quad at night. "Change" was featured in Vision Quest and got a brand spankin' new video clip in the process. Days of Thunder had "Deal For Life", because that's what you do when you get in a car with Tom Cruise. Tango and Cash had "The Best of What I Got" at the end title credits. I went nuts when I heard "Woman's Touch" in Jim Belushi's bar scene of The Principal. Yet the song that really grabbed me was "If Anyone Had A Heart" from the About Last Night... soundtrack. Cinematic romance in all its shoulder padded electronic drum glory. Back when Demi Moore wasn't surgically modified and all the girls swooned for Rob "Youngblood" Lowe. Such great memories of the summer of '86 for me as I played that 45 after graduating high school. Good times.

Missing You

And yet for most people, understandably, John Waite boils down to one song: "Missing You". The ultimate expression of drum machine synthesizer longing, John Waite's stream of consciousness verses (something about electric clouds or a storm that's raging in my soul tonite) was a #1 smash in 1984. This song was inescapable in '84, playing all over the place and on Friday Night Videos with amazing frequency. It was hard not to get sick of this one, particularly since a school dances we'd get the 10 minute remix. This is back when a 12" remix consisted of three minutes of the regular song, then the chorus repeated in chopped up bits through an echo chamber, followed by the synth line disappearing and reappearing while these same echoey bits flew in and out as the metronome like beat plows on. At least that's how I remember it, I put the original remix below but haven't played it. Watch it turn out to be really good. Crazy memory!

After a few years I was able to hear "Missing You" more objectively and naturally loved the crap out of it. Canny guy he is, JW has rerecorded this song over and over to try to give people a reason to buy his later stuff. This would be a waste but one of his remakes was a duet with my favorite Country singer, Alison Krauss.

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See, with John Waite you get the whole sha-bang. Artistry. Commercialism. Really bad covers of Marvin Gaye songs ("Ain't That Peculiar"). Through it all, you know you can count on JW to go into everything "Head First"! (to close out, here's The Babys with "Turn and Walk Away")

Focus On...Over The Hills And Far Away

How can you decide to post about the career of Robert Plant and not mention Led Zeppelin in some detail at some point? How I ask you? Well, I guess if I was a bigger fan I would own all his solo albums and could do a post about that. But I'm not enough of a fan to have all those albums, so I'll have to post about Led Zeppelin. This poses a second question: what can I say about Led Zeppelin that hasn't already been said before? Their music has been studied, dissected and analyzed for decades. So the only thing I have left for me to say about Led Zeppelin is the effect their music has had on my life. Since I live Led Zeppelin but can't say I'm their #1 fan, this comes out like cliff notes - a smattering of incidents and memories here and there. As Steve Martin used to say, "And awwayyy we go!"

• Early in life, Led Zeppelin rarely came up at all. When they came up, it was by reputation of being a Satanic rock band (it was the '70's, lots of bands were considered Satanic back then.)


• The first Led Zeppelin song I have a distinct memory of hearing was "Kashmir" from the scene in 1982's movie Fast Times At Ridgemont High. I was such a newbie to Led Zep I didn't know when Damone says to play side 2 of Led Zeppelin IV that "Kashmir" isn't on there. But I didn't care, the image of cruising to that heavy groove with Jennifer Jason Leigh was a great cinematic moment.


• In High School I learned Led Zep and Black Sabbath were the measuring stick for all other Hard Rock bands that followed. I notice Sabbath seems to have more influence on people with them writing "OZZY" on their knuckles but more bands sound like Zep.


• In High School I mention to a group of friends I've never heard "Stairway to Heaven", only heard of it. I'm told the song has been played to death and is overrated.


• After moving to Sacramento, I listen to more radio which includes a lot of Led Zep. "Over The Hills And Far Away" comes up often and becomes my favorite Led Zep song at the time.


• I watch Atlantic Record's 40th Anniversary show which includes a performance by Led Zeppelin. At the time I was blown away by the performance and even transfer "Whole Lotta Love" to a cassette tape from the VHS tape. Earlier this week I found this performance on You Tube and found the performance lacking, but back then I was mesmerized.


• Several bands copy or are inspired by the Led Zeppelin sound, causing Robert Plant to slam all of them. Around this time I listen to both Plant's solo album (the previous post) and Jimmy Page's Outrider.


• My College fuels a taste for more Zep, first by seeing a tribute band play in one of the school cafeterias and then later in the year catching Dread Zeppelin outside of the Student Union lawn. Dread Zeppelin, a reggae band playing Led Zep covers fronted by an Elvis impersonator, is really entertaining and makes me a fan of "Heartbreaker" after hearing it combined with "Heartbreak Hotel".


• I buy my first Led Zep CD with Led Zeppelin II because it has "Whole Lotta Love" and "Heartbreaker" from my local Rainbow Records store. I eventually buy the first four Led Zeppelin albums which includes "Stairway to Heaven". Finally got to hear it.


• For a course in video production we are required to create a program based on a poem. I ask if song lyrics count and am told yes so I read "Stairway to Heaven" while displaying photographic images from a Life Magazine issue on the best photos of all time. Got a good grade on that one!


• While dating my girlfriend who would later be my wife, I note that she likes Zeppelin and buy her the box set Remasters as a gift.


• John Paul Jones arranges the strings for R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People disc and does a really good job!


• While playing Led Zeppelin at me and my wife's first and only apartment together, some new neighbors move in. The girl remarks that her boyfriend thought it was cool we were playing Led Zeppelin. This turns out to be the only cool thing to ever happen with these people. Their drug parties and boyfriend's physical abuse come through loud and clear in the paper thin walls of the apartment. We call the Police on them a few times which fails to help at all except make enemies out of them. As a result the couple and their friends take to throwing eggs and/or peeing on our door. At least we suspect it was them. My wife puts shaving cream on their parked car while we move out (we weren't moving because of them though they were annoying).


• In the mid 90's while listening to the box set, I get hooked on "Since I've Been Loving You" 'cause it's an awesome song.


• The movie Dazed and Confused is really good and so I go binge on that song for awhile too.


• Sheryl Crow covers "D'yer M'ker" which she reveals means "Did you make her?" which in turn means "Did you sleep with that girl?" I had no idea. Stone Temple Pilots cover "Dancing Days" about the same time, I like their version better than the original even though it's practically the same arrangement. Go figure.


• Somewhere around this time I realize the song title is not "Misty Mountain Top" but "Misty Mountain Hop". D'oh!


• Jimmy Page pairs up with Whitesnake singer David Coverdale to form Coverdale / Page. The combination of Zep and the 'Snake is pretty potent stuff, but Plant quickly pulls Page back to his side leaving Coverdale rejected.


• Robert Plant and Jimmy Page re team sans John Paul Jones but their artsy groove fails to catch my ear, though I buy the CD for cheap a decade later anyway. Turns out it was a pretty good CD.


• On the radio I hear a live version of Coverdale / Page's "Shake My Tree" from Plant and Page, the version kicks ass.


• My wife includes "Nobody's Fault But Mine" on a mix tape and it becomes my new favorite Led Zeppelin song. The groove and expert timing on the drums is astounding. I become a big fan of John Bonham.


• Around this time I realize my favorite Led Zeppelin album is Houses of the Holy and play "The Ocean" a lot.


• I forget exactly how, but I get hooked on "Hey Hey What Can I Do?" in the late 90's.


• Jimmy Page begins attaching himself to anything and everything remotely Zeppelin like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver, worst of which is a ridiculous version of "Kashmir" he makes with Puff Daddy/Diddy/Don't he/Whatever where the lyrics are changed to something like "Come to Me" for the Godzilla soundtrack.


• A good thing comes out of Page's renewed obsession with his old band, he teams up with the Black Crowes for a live album and tour performing Led Zeppelin songs. They sound great! I listen to a lot of their take on "What is and What Should Never Be" at this time.


• One of my favorite films, Almost Famous, is revealed to draw some inspiration from Cameron Crowe's experiences with Led Zeppelin. As well as The Eagles and of course, Heart.


• I borrow the Led Zeppelin DVD from a friend and enjoy watching footage of live Led Zep from the 70's.


• "The Immigrant Song" begins to appear in movies, first in Jack Black's comedy School of Rock and then later in a Shrek movie. I now associate the song with birds attacking after the Shrek movie.


• Led Zeppelin reunites for a one off performance. I patiently wait to see if it comes out on DVD. Rumors of a tour are squashed by Robert Plant's refusal to get involved due to his artistic integrity, which I respect.

That brings us to the present. I bought the Led Zeppelin CD Mothership last Christmas and enjoyed it a lot, what can I say, their music is timeless. I can't say I play Led Zeppelin regularly, but this is a good reminder to play them a little more than I do right now.

Bringing It All Back Home

Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

There are certain cardinal rules in Rock & Roll that all self respecting music critics and fans agree on: Elvis is The King, The Beatles are the greatest rock band ever and Bob Dylan is the ultimate songwriter. I like each of the artists above and can appreciate why they have their standing for the most part. I grew up listening to Beatles records because my Mom is a fan, records like Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper and the White Album were all great. Elvis was still heavily featured on TV in my childhood even after he died, the crazy leg dancing and early hits like "Hound Dog" or "All Shook Up" were fun songs. But Bob Dylan? The people "in the know" insist he's the greatest thing ever. For most of my life I did not get what the big deal is about this guy.

About ten years ago or so I finally started to have some appreciation for Dylan. It started with hearing the song "Masters of War" on a record, I really liked that song a lot. I bought a box set of his Greatest Hits (which did not include "Masters of War" ironically" and later took a liking to his Love and Theft disc. I liked Bob Dylan now. But I don't worship Bob Dylan to the level he is often held by the general public. He's good, but I didn't get why he was so adored.

Recently I watched the film I'm Not There (2007) by filmmaker Todd Haynes. The movie had a bout five different story lines running from different decades to illustrate the meaning or impact of Dylan's music. I found I'm Not There to be an interesting but somewhat off putting experience, it was well structured and had a host of notable actors (Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere) including Cate Blanchett playing a version of Bob Dylan from the 60's. The film succeeded in bringing some fresh meaning to Dylan's music to someone not immersed in his catalog like myself, but as a film it failed to hit home on any emotional level for me.

So after watching this movie I decided to dig into Bob Dylan's music with a fresh perspective. At one point in I'm Not There, an unfriendly music critic says Dylan's music and nasally voice is considered the honest sound of the people and their feelings. After a week of listening to Bob Dylan in my car, here's what I found out.

"Blowin' in the Wind" actually is a good song

That song, Blowin' in the Wind, has been a cliche' for most of my life. It's a song I felt was sort of rammed down my throat as being "good", it is so revered that it seemed it could never be questioned just accepted as is. When hippies or ex-hippies on tv would grab an acoustic guitar and play, they usually played this song. It became a parody of itself, most memorably when Merideth Baxter Birney would perform the beginning over and over again on Family Ties. But this past week I paid close attention to the song out of any context other than it was music. And I found the song actually has lasting meaning about raising questions about maturity, death and war without offering any pat answers. I've never heard it as a fresh piece of music before, it's actually kind of moving. Who knew? Oh yeah, hippies knew.

I like that he's harshly sarcastic

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I've found that my favorite Bob Dylan songs are the ones where he's really harsh on people. Like I mentioned earlier, Masters of War is my favorite Bob Dylan song. In "War" he takes the people who have power and money that create war to task and ends it with hoping they die soon so he can watch their funeral and confirm they're dead. That's harsh! My second favorite song is Idiot Wind from his divorce album Blood on the Tracks. In that one he describes the speech from his "babe" as the "Idiot Wind blowing each time you move your teeth". That is so scathing yet oddly poetic that I find it really funny. Even It Ain't Me Babe cracks me up as Dylan outlines all the reasons for his "babe" why he wouldn't be good for her, pretty much says you can count on him to treat you like dirt. Don't Think Twice It's All Right is humorously dismissive. When it comes to mean relationship songs, this guy can't be beat. And last but not least, Maggie's Farm uses a metaphor to mean he won't be owned or held accountable to anyone.

His political stuff is just OK for me

Dylan made his name based on the political angle of his music. While I do like the political songs I listed before, other songs I mostly just find as decent. This includes another immortal classic, The Times They Are A-Changin. While listening to his discs in the car, this one failed to come alive for me the way "Wind" did. It has been covered and used so many times to signify cultural revolution that I can't separate it from it's tired context of the Peace and Love 60's. The only political song that really connected for me was Hurricane, a song that sharply told the tale of a boxer falsely imprisoned for racist reasons crushing his hopes for a professional career. But other than that, I really haven't heard anything to really grab me the way I was led to believe.

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The thought of Bob Dylan getting it on is really out there

Now obviously Bob Dylan has gotten it on, he has a son Jakob after all. And the sex life of Bob Dylan is really not something I give a lot of thought to. It's just that on certain songs he takes on a lover man persona. When he does this, the crypt keeper element of his voice seems heightened calling to mind that he's a little scruffy ragamuffin dude that doesn't look like he bathes regularly. It's like listening to a homeless man come on to a girl, which is something you don't really want to think about unless you're homeless yourself. Lay Lady Lay, a song I like, almost works with that worn out voice of his and smear of steel guitar. But then when we go to, say, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight with it's slight country blues raggedness it becomes a bit comical.

Murphy Brown Homesick Blues

Another song that hit the TV a lot back in the day was Subterranean Homesick Blues, mainly because of it's innovative video where Dylan dumps a bunch of flash cards in front of the camera with some lyrics and other references. It became cemented by watching Murphy Brown bond with Frank the reporter over the lyrics to this song when they first met. It's a catchy, fun song that I have no idea what it's about. I think it's about being on the run or something. It's good though.

I Like His Music Better When It's Covered By Other People

Purists, David Crosby is one I saw an interview with, contend that Dylan's music has more meaning when heard from the original artist himself. Maybe it does. Still, I like his music better when other people perform it. I remember in the late 80's getting into A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall because of Edie Brickell's version. The Byrds (which included Crosby) covered a lot of Dylan, most memorably Mr Tambourine Man. My favorite cover is The Byrd's version of You Ain't Goin Nowhere, I thought they brought more of an offhand feel to it. Later day Dylan sounds good in other people's hands too, Make You Feel My Love was a hit for Billy Joel and is on Adele's current CD as well.

So to summarize I like Bob Dylan though his music doesn't live up to the historical hype for me personally. I realize this is just my take on it because there are plenty of artists that are my age or younger that like Dylan a lot. He laid down the framework for a lot of music and musicians that followed. Writing this post has given me more insight to Dylan's artistry and impact on music yet I can't list the guy as an all time favorite. There are parts of his music that's just impenetrable to me, I just can't get into it strongly enough. But that's how it feels. To be on your own. With no direction home. A complete unknown. Like a Rolling Stone.

Focus On ... Retro Rock: Glam Slam or Bell Bottom Blues?

Johnny Bravo to the rescue! Lenny Kravitz has spun bell bottom Gold for nearly twenty years.

The Answer? It just may be The Answer, a band I hadn't heard about until recently when they got the opening act slot on the AC/DC tour. Now this Irish band is gaining a lot of buzz as the latest in a line of retro rockers. If recent history holds true, The Answer may be good for about one corker of classic rock riffola like The Darkness' I Believe In A Thing Called Love or Wolfmother's Woman before fading back to obscurity. Which made me wonder, how much value is there in Retro Rock?

It's a fine line between finding inspiration in a classist sense versus aping the past just because it can be done. Watching an artist dip heavily into the Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Queen vein can just be a reminder of how great those acts were more than present anything new. Or it can serve as a tool for self expression. The Retro Rock genre is epitomized by a man who often does both - Lenny Kravitz.

Lenny Kravitz filching of 70's jams can be impressive when he combines the right guitar riff with a strong hook and fine sentiment a'la Are You Gonna Go My Way or Fly Away. But in my opinion Kravitz is inconsistent, if any of the three elements listed are substandard the whole enterprise falls apart. And that's what lies at the heart of the Retro Rock issue for me, these retro artists can come up with the goods but too often its easy for them to fall into pastiche. Though to his credit Kravitz has managed to come up with memorable songs from the present and dating as far back as 1989.

It is possible to morph past being merely a copy of the Old School as The Black Crowes can attest to. Starting off as a band mocked for being slavishly contrived, The Crowes steadily evolved into a Southern jam band with its own style and authenticity. Yet they are the exception to the rule. Most of the Retro Bands I've heard don't have enough creativity to fill a whole album or career with prime material.

So where does that leave The Answer? I think they will be like The Darkness or Wolfmother once they come up with their piece d' resistance (is that spelled right? I don't speak or write French). For now, their renewed exposure is gaining attention for them and I've checked out the videos from their sole 2006 release and was sufficiently impressed. So I plan to enjoy their probably short but wild ride until after they hit their peak. Because when that magic formula of 70's guitar and melodies hit the right way it's pure nirvana (not the band). To check out The Answer for yourself, here's two fun clips - one reminds me of 70's glam rock mixed with a bit of Spirit in the Sky and the other strikes me as pure Purple. Great fun!

The Answer "Under The Sky" & "Come Follow Me"

Focus On... KISS Army Time

Without the absorbing power of make up KISS unleashes buckets of sweat. "Tears Are Falling" indeed.

Sometimes a mood just strikes me to listen to a certain artist. About mid week I just felt like listening to some KISS. So I put a KISS Cd in my car and listened to their rocking jams with zeal. Though they were more famous in the '70's and I originally wanted to hear a lot of Detroit Rock City, I found I really wanted to hear the 80's stuff. I know, I know...what a surprise.

KISS was one of the most dominant bands in the '70's, they turned rock music into a theatrical carny smorgasbord. Flame throwing demons, sensitive cats, space aces and star childs gave millions a dream to aspire to. And Rock and Roll still had some rebel cred left, enough to have the mainstream culture brand them as Satanists (Knights In Satan's Service was the popular supposed acronym). While I was aware of KISS at that time, I wasn't really a fan of them or any other rock band. So other than KISS meets the Phantom (I think that's what the TV special was called) and Rock and Roll All Nite I didn't think much of them at all.

It wasn't until the make up came off in 1983 that I found KISS songs I liked whole heartedly. Removing the make up was a big deal because without the kabuki face paint and ornate costumes they seemed so ordinary. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley's mugs definitely looked fancier with the make up and it seemed like they had made a mistake. Their long guarded mystique was gone. And yet that was when I finally heard a song by KISS that I flat out loved. Their first make up free video, "Lick It Up". The strutting energy of that tune is awesome and the song was nice and dirty even without any sexual connotation (back then I thought the song was about licking the ground). Is it me or without makeup do they look more like street walkers than the women in the clip?

With no distractions, KISS's music was pushed to the forefront and revealed what a nasty little band they were. Meanwhile, some of my friends got into KISS and reveled in the sounds of their Animalize album. Copying the tape gave me the next KISS song that kicked ass, "Heavens On Fire". I've been cranking that gem up all week long. Also I have warm memories from reminiscing about my friends being pissed that the local radio station wouldn't play "Burn B*tch Burn" at their request. They thought the radio station were wusses for not putting that song on and went on about it for weeks. You just don't live in reality if you think a radio station is going to play that one. At least back then, now it would probably be tame enough for a fast food commercial.

I lost track of KISS again after that though I recall hearing Crazy Crazy Nights a bit. The next song to catch my ear was the power ballad "Forever". A quintessential flick your bic lighter ballad, KISS got all sensitive courtesy of Michael Bolton himself. As much as I would like to bash on Bolton, I can't bash on this song. For-Ev-Ahhh!

Though I'm not religious, I thought "God Gave Rock and Roll To You Pt. II" from the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey movie was outstanding. Epic and cheesy in all the right ways as the hair band era drew to a close. Also a little amusing when you think about how much they've been accused of devil worship that they would do a song like this. Not that it's an incredibly religious song or anything, but still its a little ironic. A few years later KISS would bring back the original members and the classic face paint resulting in a huge reunion tour that went on for...I think it kinda still goes on even though Peter Criss and Ace Frehley aren't there again.

The last jam of KISS to blow my mind was a song I hadn't heard until last year even though it was released in 1982. It was from the last record to have the make up, "I Love It Loud". A muscular rock anthem, the song emphasizes the powerful drumming of the late, great Eric Carr. Carr was a dynamic and fluid drummer who sadly passed away at just 41 years old. He died the same day Freddie Mercury of Queen passed on, November 24, 1991. In the case of both, it was a great loss to music.

Even though they have good songs from their hey day, I guess I think more of KISS' visual style and showmanship from their swingin' 70's period. Once the make up went back on in the 90's I found I felt the same way again effectively closing the door for me on the part of their career I enjoyed the most. While I was never a die hard fan (I think Animalize was the only music I had of theirs until the 90's), KISS has given me enough great hard rock moments to make me want to shout it out loud!

Focus On...Urban Cowboys and Cowgirls

18 and life to go - Taylor Swift preps for even more success with the release of the second album.

During the 90's, I noticed as Country music became increasingly popular with Garth Brooks, line dancing, boot scoot boogieing and what not that the music was taking on a more mainstream pop / rock sound as well. It seemed like Country music was moving out of the, uh, country and into the suburbs. This actually made the music more listenable to me as mainstream rock all but disappeared and stayed gone until recently where's it's come back as a sort of teen pop vehicle. I've found the occasional Country song enjoyable and even found I liked bluegrass artist Alison Krauss because of that song The Lucky One. This is just my personal taste, I'm not into hardcore Country where it gets either super slow and twangy or kicks into that hyperactive two step beat. My cousin, who likes Country quite a bit, was nice enough to give me some CDs to check out in the Modern Country vein. So I'm going to write my impression of these artists, which should be fun because I don't have as much knowledge or context about these people so it's new to me.

Taylor Swift is up first. She's all over the tv and media lately, she's had some break up with one of those Jonas brothers and recently did a CMT Crossroads with Def Leppard. I watched the Crossroads episode and felt she had some star power but some of her vocals seemed flat and emotionless in spots (the segments where Lep and Swift sit and talk were funny, it had the awkwardness of a girl talking with her distant Uncles). Though I thought the version of Lep's When Love and Hate Collide with her came across well. On a CD there is such a thing as retakes so that shouldn't be a problem here.

The CD cover and booklet looks like an issue of Teen People, or what I imagine it to look like since I've only seen the front of the magazine in supermarket check out stands (honest!). She kinda looks like Faith Hill and lo and behold the first song is called Tim McGraw. Swift writes or co-writes a lot of the material and it shows as a strength on this disc. It sounds like a diary of upbeat girly angst shook loose to a fiddle and has a sincere world view. The subject matter never strays from infatuation, hooking up or getting dumped and the liner notes even has a jokey remark laughing at the guys who inspired her songs. Vocally she sounds naive, which is either refreshing or annoying depending on your taste. After all these years of slutty teen pop sensations sounding like auto tuned porn stars while rolling around in their underwear it is definitely different. Because of her songwriting skill in being able to form rambling feelings into poppy hooks I think she has potential to stick around for a while, but since I'm not a teen girl I'll have to chalk this one up to OK background music. That Teardrops on my Guitar was the best track from this CD to me, if you take the steel guitar off it could easily have fit on a Kelly Clarkson disc.

Now we're into Lady Antebellum. My first question is: what's an Antebellum? Is it against Bellum and is that a bad thing? I'm too lazy to look it up. The cover art looks like an advertisement for a CW TV series. Fresh faced youngsters, cleancut image, snazzy threads, carefully styled coifs down to the facial hair-welcome to the O.C. by way of the County fair b*tch . The guy standing on the right above sort of looks like David Cook from American Idol. Off topic, never thought I would say this, but I kinda miss that WB frog after seeing this CW thing play out. Was his name Froggy? Or was it Frogger? No, that was a video game. You know what was cool, that Frog voiced guy from the Little Rascals. That guy was funny!

Anyway, I press Play on the CD player and to use a baseball term it's a clean hit up the middle. A rough hewn male voice and smooth plaintive female voice backed by a tight beat and fairly big guitar for Country. As this disc plays on, it seems like a good fit for me-it has distinct commercial instincts, a sort of Country music for people who don't know or want to know what real Country music is. No hoedown breakdowns here or super twangy moments, just sturdy pop rock structures with harmony vocals and some fiddle. I bet this sounds good driving on two lane roads out in the middle of nowhere. The duet ballad is the most memorable thing here, All We'd Ever Need. A late inning ballad, the languid Can't Take My Eyes Off You isn't bad either.

Onward and upwards! Trace Adkins Greatest Hits Volume II American Man. Darn, I've already missed part one. How will I know how the story starts? I hope this is a continuation of hits chronologically and not the almost hits that didn't make the first disc. I recognize some songs here, Chrome and Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. Oh yeah, I remember this guy's videos. They're like rap videos with a bunch of girls dancing all over the place while he sits still and brags in clubs and parking lots. I do get a kick out of "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", it's the "Baby Got Back" of Country music! He's got a black hat on in the CD jacket, this means he's a badass. Fancy grey suit on the back cover!

Adkins voice is pretty low and he doesn't sing as much as talk-sing so delivery is everything here. Personality counts for a lot with Adkins which seems like a strong representation of traditional Country themes. The hard working blue collar man on the prowl for a good time (Ladies Love Country Boys), red blooded objectification of women (Hot Mama), a solid dose of macho sentimentality (You're Gonna Miss This) and a patriotic fervor ("American Man"). Of the three CDs so far, this is the one I like the most. Predictable but well made. It reminds me of Sammy Hagar and I think we all know what I think of Saint Sammy.

Last one on the stack, The Wreckers. I actually had heard of this duo because of Michelle Branch's pop beginnings (like her appearance on Santana's The Game of Love). She is paired up with Jessica Harp, who I have no idea about. This is a live CD so assuming this hasn't been fixed up in post production I'll hear their unvarnished sound. The vocals are surprisingly not that strong for a duo, usually when two singers choose to work together its because of how their voices blend. I don't hear a lot of blending. The songs aren't that impressive. I'm skipping to the hit Leave the Pieces. Nope, no love there either. I'm sure they have their fans, just not feeling The Wreckers. Calling this one off early, I can't take much more of this disc.

Modern Country I think will stay a place I will visit on a case by case basis, too much of it doesn't work for me. There are songs from the genre I enjoy like Restless Heart's When She Cries or Faith Hill's Like We Never Loved At All. I'll have to thank my Cousin though, I have had fun running through these discs to see what sticks and what doesn't. I think it all comes down to Honky Tonk...Badonkadonk!

Focus On ...The Many Faces of John Cafferty

The pictures of John Cafferty online are pretty small (how small was it?!) , so I had to use Michael Pare'. Even in his own post, John Cafferty has to look like Pare'.

In the recent movie Tropic Thunder, Robert Downey Jr. said "I'm a dude pretending to be a dude pretending to be another dude." While I sat and watched Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (he does dammit!) I was reminded of this quote as I watched Michael Pare' lip sync mightily to the Springsteenish growl of John Cafferty. And it made me wonder who is John Cafferty? I've bought his records, I've even seen him live, but I know almost nothing about him. And what's more, I've never bothered to find out anything regarding Cafferty. That's actually part of what I liked about him, Cafferty served up fist pumping heartland rock in an uncomplicated way. You felt grounded and blue collar listening to John Cafferty, but you didn't have to think as hard as when you heard Springsteen. Instead of being The Boss, John Cafferty was the Assistant Manager. But a good one who would slash prices and throw in an extra item to make the sale.

So let's take a look at the man behind the music (please wait one moment while I process your request...) John Cafferty comes from Narragansett, Rhode Island. He had local success in New England before his "big break". That's it, that's all the info I could find. Well, that definitely filled in the blanks. John Cafferty led an E Street style unit, they were known as John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. That may sound like an X rated movie from the 70's but it really was their name. Despite the catchy moniker they were never able to truly stand on their own. Johnny had to rely on others to get his music out to the public. So it goes, John Cafferty - man in the shadows!

Eddie Wilson/Joe West

Between this and Streets of Fire, Michael Pare' had a serious jones for rock and roll musicals. But to me, he'll always be that kid from The Greatest American Hero. Which reminds me, Streets of Fire was a Bruce Springsteen song. The plot thickens!

Cafferty hit the national spotlight in one of the most roundabout ways imaginable. He provided the voice and soundtrack for the film Eddie and the Cruisers (1983). The film starred Michael Pare' as Eddie Wilson, a cross between Jim Morrison's tortured brooding and Springsteen's bar band warrior plus a little Dylan thrown in, trolling through the 60's looking for success. When Eddie got the big stardom using the Dark Side, he recorded his ultimate musical statement Season in Hell and then became embittered by the record company resistance to its lack of commerciality. Mysteriously, Eddie Wilson drove his car off a bridge and disappeared. Initially none of this mattered because the movie bombed at the box office. But the next summer it was heavily featured on the pay channel HBO which spurred the song "On the Dark Side" into the Top 10. "Dark Side" with it's poetic piano, stomping groove, wild sax and angsty heroism put the best features of The Boss behind a movie star face. Cafferty/Pare'/Wilson was born. The soundtrack featured decent bar band rock, rounding up the usual suspects ("Runaround Sue", "Runaway") and a minor hit ballad, Tender Years.

The triple threat returned for the 1989 sequel Eddie II and Cafferty had his "Hungry Heart" intact, handing Pare' some choice rock material like the chanting "Run Through The Fire" and my personal favorite-the straight ahead rock of Pride and Passion. This time out Pare' was Joe West, the flimsy cover Eddie Wilson devised for himself while hiding out. If you ever wondered if that construction worker you saw on the street really was Jim Morrison, your question is answered here. The movie tanked and pay cable couldn't save them this time out, but the movie permanently linked Cafferty to Pare's muscle T shirted visage.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - "On The Dark Side"

Sylvester Stallone

You take that Flavor Flav joke back or you'll get this gun rammed down your throat! Yo!

While Sly never pretended to sing like John Cafferty, he used Cafferty almost as much as his signature band Survivor (must be a Scotti Brothers thing). For his craptacular classic Cobra (1986), Stallone used the group's patriotic anthem Voice of America's Son as the theme song. But if the thought of Stallone throwin' down with baddies in his big sunglasses, hanging toothpick and silver handled guns to get some Bridgette Nielsen isn't enough to evoke John Cafferty fever, the Beaver Browner did one better. For the awe inspiring Rocky IV ("I must break you") Cafferty voiced the ultimate in 80's training montage music - "Hearts On Fire". Now do some sit ups and go climb a hill.

John Cafferty "Heart's On Fire"

The Assistant Manager

Say what you will (or what I will), the man is into his fourth decade of rockin'. He's doing something right.

My personal nickname for JC, The Assistant Manager actually got a little glory for himself in 1985 with the Tough All Over album. Two singles, Tough All Over and "C-I-T-Y" made it into the Top 40. Personally, I liked the Tough All Over tape with it's wanna be Born in the USAisms right down to the shiny steely synths and thumping backbeat. The title song was another favorite and used to get played often on Friday Night Videos. Though the video is nowhere to be found so the best I could do was find someone's home movies set to the tune of that song. And "C-I-T-Y"? It was the "Y-M-C-A" of 80's midrange midwestern rock. When I saw the band open for Foreigner in 1985, the Beaver Brown laid out an energetic set that culminated in the group leading the audience in big hand signals to go with the chorus. Unfortunately, the good times couldn't last and eventually reissues of this album would have Michael Pare' / Eddie Wilson on the cover.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band "C-I-T-Y"

So who are you, John Cafferty? I don't think I've found my answer. Maybe he's a talented East coast bar band dude that got lucky. It may not sound like much, but it's more success in the music business than most. Though I poke fun at the guy, the reason I know all this stuff about John Cafferty is because I really do like his music. So here's to you John Cafferty. Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie Lives folks. To make this post complete, a little Eddie and the Cruisers rounds this one off. Skip to about 1:30 into the clip to see Michael go into full Pare' mode jammin' to the sound of Mr. Cafferty. As Peter Griffin would say, Yeah!

Eddie and the Cruisers clip includes "Wild Summer Nights"