Posts Tagged ‘rock music’

The Byrds albums, ranked

Posted: December 29, 2024 by John Ruberry in culture, entertainment
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By John Ruberry

The Byrds are deservedly one of the most acclaimed rock bands. However, despite their lasting fame and their membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there are several misconceptions about them.

Formed in 1964, the original members were Chicago native Jim McGuinn (lead guitar and vocals)–he later changed his first name to Roger–Gene Clark (tambourine and vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar and vocals), Chis Hillman (bass and vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums).

All but Clarke were songwriters.

This is the “classic” lineup. Gene Clark, arguably the band’s principal songwriter in the early days, left the act in 1966, rejoining in 1967, and then he left for good, that is, until he joined the others for the disappointing reunion album, Byrds, in 1973.

Also in 1967, Clark quit again, and Crosby was fired. The latter gained superstar status after co-founding Crosby, Stills, and Nash–later joined by Neil Young. 

In 2018’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo Live, recorded with Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, Hillman remarked that by the time The Notorious Byrd Brothers was finished, he and McGuinn “were the only two Byrds flying around at that time.”

In 1968, a series of members joined, and sometimes left, the Byrds. They are Gram Parsons, Gene Parsons (no relation), John York, Clarence White, and Skip Battin. 

Gram Parsons was the most noteworthy new Byrd, contributing two songs to Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and co-writing with McGuinn, “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man,” which appeared on Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde in 1969. By that time, Parsons and Hillman had left the Byrds, forming the pioneering country rock band the Flying Burrito Brothers. Over the years, Battin, Gene Parsons, and Michael Clarke later became members of the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Parsons, who died in 1973, released two groundbreaking solo albums after leaving the band he cofounded. 

The Byrds arguably created not only created the folk rock, but also country rock, and with The Band, they birthed the Americana music genre.

While it was true in the post-Sweetheart era, another misconception is that the Byrds were primarily a McGuinn project. Actually, like the Beatles, in the early days each member, except for Clarke, wrote and sang leads on songs. McGuinn, on the other hand, sang lead on the band’s two biggest hit singles, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” a Bob Dylan song, and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” a Pete Seeger cover.

McGuinn’s mastery of the 12-string guitar established the Byrds’ trademark sound. 

As for Dylan, another misconception is that the Byrds’ creative output, outside of their Dylan covers, was negligible. 

That’s absolutely not true.

So here are the rankings of the Byrds 12 studio albums.

12) Byrdmaniax (1971): Terry Melcher, who worked with the Byrds earlier in their career, was behind the boards for this over-produced mess. The Byrds had a hectic touring schedule at the time, the songs don’t have much feeling. Among the better tracks are “”I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Politician,” “Citizen Kane,” and the oft-covered spiritual “Glory, Glory.”

11) Farther Along (1971): The Byrds chose to self-produce this album and the sound is stripped down. Like Byrdmaniax, the best song is an old spiritual, the title track. “Bugler” and the Vaudeville-esque “”America’s Great National Pastime” standout.

10) (Untitled) (1970): This is a very strange collection. A double album, (Untitled) is half a live LP–the other half our studio tracks. Side two is an insufferable 16-minute long “Eight Miles High.” The studio songs are week, but “Chestnut Mare” is outstanding, it is the only Byrds song from the 1970s that can stand up to their earlier classics.

9) Ballad of Easy Rider (1969): Lots of people probably purchased this album, the top-selling album of the Byrds’ later career, believing it was the soundtrack to the enormously popular Easy Rider film. An acoustic version of the title song appeared on the actual movie soundtrack, sung by McGuinn, and the band’s version is also strong. Three covers, Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” and “Jesus Is Just Alright,” which was recorded by the Doobie Brothers in 1972, are memorable.

8) Byrds (1973): The year prior, Creedence Clearwater Revival released its last album, the loathsome Mardi Gras. Dubbed “John Fogerty’s Revenge,” the two other members of the band–John’s brother Tom quit the year before–Fogerty turned the band into a democracy. The far-less talented other members, who has long objected to Fogerty’s dominance, sank CCR’s swan song. Byrds was a reunion of the band’s classic lineup, and this collection could be called David Crosby’s revenge. CSNY was on hiatus and Byrds was produced by Crosby, who believed that his 1960s Byrds’ compositions weren’t given enough respect. Only one of his songs, “Lady Friend,” was released as an A-side single during his first go-around in the band. Byrds, not surprisingly, sounds like a CSNY album. Although McGuinn denies it, the other members of the band, except for Gene Clark, were accused of saving their better compositions for their solo efforts. Crosby’s “Long Live the King” is a stellar track, but it belongs on a CSNY album. Clark’s “Full Circle” is terrific, it’s the opening cut, but it’s downhill from there

7) Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde (1969): With McGuinn being the only founding member of the Byrds left, it was a smart move to have Roger since lead vocals on every track, for continuity. Besides the aforementioned “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man,” the best cuts are the folk song, “Old Blue,” and a cover of “This Wheel’s on Fire,” which was co-written by Dylan and The Band’s Rick Danko. The original appears on The Band’s Music from Big Pink.

6) Fifth Dimension (1966): From here on in, the output is much more impressive. Shortly after recording of Fifth Dimension began, Clark left the Byrds for the first time. While he’s missed on this effort, there’s some dazzling stuff here, particularly the psychedelic hit “Eight Miles High,” which was written by Clark, Crosby, and McGuinn. The former had a terrible fear of flying. “Mr. Spaceman,” a McGuinn country rock tune, as well as a cover of “Hey Joe,” are the highlights of Fifth Dimension.

5) Younger than Yesterday (1967): McGuinn and Hillman stepped up for this album. The duo co-wrote the often covered single “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” Hillman’s “Have You Seen Your Face” and Dylan’s “My Back Pages” were deservedly given much deserved attention after they were released as singles.

4) Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965): The Byrds’ second album leads off with the soaring title track. There are two Dylan compositions, “The Times They Are a-Changin” and “Lay Down Your Weary Tune.” A cover of an old Porter Wagoner hit, “Satisfied Mind,” presages the Byrds’ later work.

3) Mr. Tambourine Man (1965): The title track on the Byrds’ debut album was a groundbreaking recording, and like “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” it reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. There are three other Dylan covers here, including “Chimes of Freedom.” A Clark song, “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” sent word that the Byrds weren’t just a covers band.

2) Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968): Although it didn’t sell well initially, Sweetheart is one of the most influential albums ever. There are only two tracks written by a Byrd, both by Gram Parsons, “One Hundred Years from Now” and “Hickory Wind” (co-written by Bob Buchanan). There are two Dylan covers here, including the opening cut, “You Ain’t Going Nowhere.” Some of the cuts are obscure, such as Cindy Walker’s “Blue Canadian Rockies.” Every song is fantastic.

And now, number 1) The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1967): One of only two early Byrds albums without a Dylan cover, the songwriting brilliance of the McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby is on full display on The Notorious Byrds Brothers with such songs such as “Old John Robertson” and “Draft Morning.” However, the Byrds weren’t afraid to look elsewhere for great songs. “Goin’ Back” and “Wasn’t Born to Follow” are Carole King and Gerry Goffin compositions. The latter tune figured prominently in Easy Rider.

Time has not been kind to most of the members of the Byrds. Of the many performers who played with the Byrds, only McGuinn, Hillman, Gene Parsons, and John York survive. Some, such as Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Gram Parsons, succumbed to the rock and roll lifestyle. Crosby, a notorious substance abuser, lived until he was 81. COVID claimed him in 2023.

Albums by the Byrds can be found on Amazon.com and can be downloaded on iTunes.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Elvis Costello at 70, here are his ten best albums

Posted: August 28, 2024 by John Ruberry in culture, entertainment
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By John Ruberry

This week Elvis Costello turned 70.

The angry young man whose first album, My Aim Is True, was released in 1977, has released 32 studio albums. His most recent collection, The Boy Named If, was issued in 2022.

Costello, whose real name is Declan Patrick MacManus, was part of the new wave movement of rock, and to this day, he’s still lumped into that genre. But Costello has released country, jazz, rhythm and blues, baroque pop, and Americana albums as well. The London-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist is a walking musicology department. 

Although he’s made extensive use of session musicians, Costello has mostly worked with two backing bands. The Attractions, consisting of Steve Nieve on keyboards, Pete Thomas and drums, and Bruce Thomas (no relation) on bass. 

Depending on who you talk to, Bruce left the Attractions in the late 1990s–or he was kicked out. Davey Faragher replaced Thomas on bass in 2001, the new lineup was renamed the Imposters. Nick Lowe produced Costello’s first five albums and two others later on, T-Bone Burnett produced several mid-career collections.

Generally, when you purchase a Costello album–there are a couple of exceptions, The Juliet Letters and Kojak Variety come to mind–you’ve made a smart buy.

But let’s talk about Costello’s 10 best albums.

Oh, first, a clarification. Early in his career, Elvis’ American albums and British albums varied a bit by a song or two. My selections are based on the USA collections.

10) Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (2009): An Americana offering, Burnett was behind the boards on this collection. “Red Cotton” is one of the best condemnations of slavery ever recorded. “Hidden Shame,” a Costello-penned tune that was originally recorded by Johnny Cash, is another highlight.

9) Trust (1981): This is a forgotten album of sorts from Costello. But Elvis was remembering when he recorded it. He had an enormous influence on other new wave artists, and here Elvis gives a nod to those new wavers who followed. “You’ll Never Be a Man” is a nod to the Pretenders, “Fish and Chip Paper” salutes Squeeze, and “White Knuckles” is a tribute to XTC. Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook contributes vocals “From a Whisper to a Scream.” But the best of the bunch is the opening track, “Clubland.” 

8) Brutal Youth (1994): This might be a good collection for the Costello novice. The last Elvis album to be produced by Nick Lowe, it includes baroque pop with “London’s Brilliant Parade” and “You Tripped at Every Step,” as well as echoes from the new wave with “Pony Street” and “Sulky Girl.”

7) My Aim Is True (1977): Costello’s debut, with American country rock group Clover backing him, usually is ranked higher by his fans. The Van Morrison and Graham Parker influences are evident, particularly on songs like “Pay It Back.” But several of his most recognizable songs, “Miracle Man,” “Watching the Detectives,” “Alison,” and “Mystery Man” are here. Great stuff–but greater stuff was coming.

6) Spike (1989): The first results of Costello’s songwriting collaboration with Paul McCartney appear here, and not surprisingly, “Veronica,” Elvis’ biggest hit single in America, was one of the songs they partnered on. While it’s a single album, there’s a deluge of musical instruments–and styles–which makes Spike feel like a double album. Other great tracks here include “Any King’s Shilling,” “…This Town…” and “God’s Comic.”

5) Armed Forces (1979): Perhaps Costello’s’ best-known work, “Accidents Will Happen,” “Oliver’s Army,” and the Nick Lowe-composed “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” are among Costello-fan favorites found here. A couple of weak songs, “Two Little Hitlers” and “Chemistry Class” prevents Armed Forces from ranking higher. As do some bizarre Nazi Germany references used–besides the cuts mentioned earlier.

4) King of America (1986): Like the work of the Band–that group’s output was a major influence on Costello’s work, this is an Americana album before anyone knew such a genre existed. While the Attractions appear on one song, the soaring “Suit of Lights,” California-based session musicians, most prominently the Other Elvis’ backing group, the TCB Band, support Costello on this Burnett production. Other standout songs include “Brilliant Mistake,” “Jack of All Parades,” and “Indoor Fireworks.”

3) Get Happy!! (1980): After recording demos for his fourth album, Costello thought the tracks sounded “too new wave.” So, he rearranged most of the songs as if they were 1960s Memphis rhythm and blues tunes–a sound that was not that fashionable in 1980. But Get Happy!! has aged well. “Temptation,” “Riot Act,” and “High Fidelity” are particularly strong songs among the 20 found here.

2) This Year’s Model (1978): Regardless of the talent of the artist, second albums are usually disappointments. Inspired by punk, Costello revved up his act–backed for the first time by the Attractions—and his sophomore effort gave listeners a punchier sound with iconic classics such as “Pump It Up,” “Radio, Radio,” and “You Belong to Me.”

1) Imperial Bedroom (1982): Produced by Geoff Emerick, who did engineering work for the Beatles, Costello’s best album is clearly inspired by mid-1960s work of the Fab Four, as well as old-school songwriters such as Cole Porter and George Gershwin. It’s a dazzling preview of Costello’s later baroque pop work. “Beyond Belief,” “Almost Blue,” “You Little Fool,” and “Man out of Time” are particularly notable. 

Happy birthday, Elvis! 

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Review, Van Morrison’s Live at Orangefield

Posted: August 4, 2024 by John Ruberry in covid, culture, entertainment
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By John Ruberry

Under the radar, a new Van Morrison album has arrived. On Morrison’s website, the release of Live at Orangefield, had been promised for a while, and last month, on vinyl and CD, on Van the Man’s Orangefield Records, it went on sale. 

I subscribe to iTunes, and with any artist whose work I’ve downloaded, I will usually find that performer’s latest effort on the “New Releases” tab of my Apple Music homepage. But not always with Morrison, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member who has released an astounding 45 studio albums since 1967. 

Morrison, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, also has cut six live albums. His first one, It’s Too Late to Stop Now–an expanded edition was issued in 2016–is one of the best live albums ever. His second live collection, Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast, obviously was recorded in his hometown. 

As was Live at Orangefield. The Belfast Cowboy’s first live performance took place with his skiffle group in 1959 at Orangefield High School when he was a student there. In 2014, the school closed, and to salute the school–and even more so Belfast–Morrison, with his always tight band, returned.

A Facebook Morrison group–Van, by the way, is no fan of Facebook–alerted me that Live at Orangefield was available to download. Apple didn’t notify me. Possibly, because both musically and in interviews, Morrison was probably the most strident opponent among entertainment industry figures of the COVID lockdowns, that online slight was intentional. Three Morrison singles, one recorded with Eric Clapton, attacked government COVID-related restrictions. The triple-vinyl album, Latest Record Project Volume One and its follow-up, What’s It Gonna Take?–continued the pushback. 

While there were some favorable reviews, most critics savaged, unfairly, that output. Rock critics are mostly an intellectually vapid lot–and like sportswriters, most of them prefer writing about politics when the opportunity arises. Morrison, despite his legendary status, offered those mental midgets a ripe target. But history has been kind to this septuagenarian rebel. At the very least, the COVID lockdowns were an overreach. Still, in the media and the music business, Van Morrison, is almost certainly purposely ignored. 

In a Google News search, as of this writing, I could only find two reviews of Live at Orangefield.

And that’s a pity, because Live at Orangefield is an essential Morrison work. While Morrison has a reputation as an aloof and ornery fellow–which is either not true or it is possibly an exaggeration pushed by those self-worshipping rock critics–he offers some charm here.

In a mostly spoken-word piece on this album, “On Hyndford Street,” Morrison calls out to the crowd, “If any of the guys from ‘the street’ are here, give me a shout if you remember this one.” 

Playing ’round Mrs. Kelly’s lamp
Going out to Holywood on the bus 
And walking from the end of the lines to the seaside
Stopping at Fusco’s for ice cream [loud cheers follow] 
In the days before rock ‘n’ roll.

I looked it up–I don’t know if the establishment I found online is the same Fusco’s that Morrison and his pals used to patronize, but there is a Fusco’s in Belfast.

Van the Man was born on August 31, 1945 at 145 Hyndford Street. And particularly with “On Hyndford Street,” which as originally released on the Hymns to the Silence double album, but also on other tracks here, listeners get the feeling that they are participating in a walking tour of Belfast–with Morrison as a tour guide.

I’ve only seen Morrison once in concert–he was fantastic. Morrison has a reputation for not playing many of his hits from the overexposed “classic rock” era. But Van is a performer, not a fossil, and if he had fossilized his career, then he’d be on the stale casino circuit along with Lynard Skynard, which carries on even though that band has no original members left on its roster. But they play the hits, as do the Van Morrison tribute bands. 

But there are some of those Van hits on Live at Orangefield. The album opens with the instrumental “Celtic Excavation,” and then segues to “Into the Mystic.” Belfast of course is a seaport. I don’t know if this stanza is about Belfast, but it could be.

And when that foghorn blows
I will be coming home
And when the foghorn blows 
I want to hear it 
I don’t have to fear it.

Another hit, albeit a minor one, “Cleaning Windows,” follows. Morrison’s job before becoming a full-time musician was toiling as a window washer in Belfast. Then comes “Orangefield” and “Moondance.”

Other Belfast-related songs include “Got to Go Back” and “Northern Muse (Solid Ground).”

Another highlight here is “That’s Life,” the Frank Sinatra song, which Morrison recorded with Georgie Fame in 1995. Lyrically it’s an important addition to the set list, and musically too. In the 2000s and the following decade, much of Van the Man’s output had a jazzy and swing feel. New age jazz is a genre Morrison worked with in the 1980s; several of the songs I mentioned earlier utilize that sound. 

Live at Orangefield is an essential collection for the Morrison fan, and it’s a good place to start, particularly if you enjoy jazz-flavored popular music, if you want to learn more about this fantastic musician. 

And if you live in Belfast–then, man, what are you waiting for?

One more thing: Smart people listen to Van Morrison.

Live at Orangefield is available in vinyl and CD forms at Van Morrison.com. And you can download it at iTunes and stream it on Spotify.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

13 great songs about getting old

Posted: March 3, 2024 by John Ruberry in culture, entertainment
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By John Ruberry

You’ve heard it before and probably not from me. No one ever got younger. 

Getting old is natural as youth, but our culture of course is focused on the latter–music especially.

Yet, I’ve managed to discover some great songs about aging. 

13) “A Lady of a Certain Age,” the Divine Comedy. Neil Hannon, who is essentially the one and only member of this baroque pop act from Northern Ireland, is a first-rate storyteller, along the lines of the Kinks’ Ray Davies. We’ll hear from Davies later. As for that lady of a certain age, Hannon, leaves it up to you whether to like her or not.

12) “Something about England,” the Clash. The self-styled “Only Band that Matters” often went too far with their pedantic politicking, and this song, about a young man (Mick Jones) encountering an old homeless man (Joe Strummer), gets off to a bad start with a condemnation of anti-immigrant sentiment, which has nothing to do with the rest of its poignant lyrics.

“You really think it’s all new
You really think about it too,”
The old man scoffed as he spoke to me,
“I’ll tell you a thing or two.”

Jones’ character learns that he has much in common with Strummer’s old man, just as another old man we’ll encounter later. This track is probably the best matchup of the contrasting vocals styles of Jones and Strummer in the Clash’s catalog.

11) “When I’m Sixty-Four,” the Beatles. You’ve certainly heard this one before. Paul McCartney, who sings lead here, sadly didn’t find out if his first wife, Linda, would love him at 64, she passed away from cancer when he was 55. Linda by all accounts still loved Paul until the end.

10) “Glory Days,” Bruce Springsteen. Lost love is a common topic in songs, here’s one about lost youth. “Glory days, yeah, they’ll pass you by, glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye,” is part of this song’s chorus.

9) “Minutes to Memory,” John Mellencamp. Two Hoosiers, Mellencamp and a 70-year-old retired steelworker from Gary, are sitting next to each other on a Greyhound bus, probably heading back to Indiana. The elderly man gives Mellencamp advice, which, years later, he finally sees as sagacious.

The old man had a vision but it was hard for me to follow,
“I do things my way and I pay a high price,”
When I think back on the old man and the bus ride
Now that I’m older I can see he was right.

Another hot one out on Highway 11
“This is my life, it’s what I’ve chosen to do
There’s no free rides, no one said it’d be easy,”
The old man told me this, my son, I’m telling it to you.

8) “Old Man,” Neil Young. Another song you are probably familiar with. The opening line says it all, “Old man, look at my life, I’m a lot like you were.”

7) “Where Have All the Good Times Gone,” the Kinks. Astonishingly, the Kinks principal songwriter, Ray Davies was only 21 when this song was released in 1965. The Kinks have a very loyal support base, but this song, similar in sentiment to Springsteen’s “Glory Days,” was a sleeper fan favorite, not becoming a staple of the Kinks’ live set until a decade later. Davies developed the idea for this song by listening older men reminisce and regret in pubs.

6) “Veronica,” Elvis Costello. Paul McCartney, the co-writer of course of “When I’m Sixty-Four,” penned this tune with Costello. While “Veronica” has a bouncy, British Invasion-type melody, in typical Costello fashion, it’s paired with downcast lyrics. “Veronica,” which was Costello’s highest-charting single, was written about his paternal grandmother, Molly McManus, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. While Mellencamp’s steelworker character in “Minutes to Memories” is filled with memories, tragically Veronica’s have faded away.

5) “100 Years,” Five for Fighting. A solo act in all but name, like Neil Hannon’s the Divine Comedy, Five for Fighting is the work of John Ondrasik. “100 Years” takes the listener from the main character’s teen years deep into old age. It’s a lesson about how seemingly short even the longest lives are.

4) “Father and Son,” Cat Stevens. His birthname was Steven Demetre Georgio–now he’s known as Yusuf Islam–but as Cat Stevens, he movingly wrote about a father who says, “I am old, but I’m happy.” But is he? And while this father has wisdom, he still doesn’t understand his son. Sometimes relationships aren’t destined to be blissful ones, however hard we try.

3) “The Lion This Time,” Van Morrison. Unless you know a lot about Van the Man’s storied career, this song doesn’t seem to belong here. So let me provide the background. Rare for a pop tune as it was written in the 6/8 time signature, “The Lion This Time” is a sequel of sorts of sorts to “Listen to the Lion,” an 11-minute long Morrison masterpiece recorded over 30 years prior. “The Lion This Time” is a standout of his Magic Time album, Morrison’s best collection from the 21st century. Van the Man turned 60 a few months after the release of Magic Time. In a contemporary review for Paste, Andy Whitman wrote of both this song and the album, “You expect to encounter a tired legend, a once-mighty king becalmed and tamed by the miles and years. You find instead an echo of a full-throated roar hanging in the air, the telltale signs of a bloody struggle, and an empty cage. The lion in winter is on the loose.”

And the Belfast Lion is still on the prowl. Last autumn he released his 45th studio album.

2) “Martha,” Tom Waits. Closing Time, Tom Waits debut album, didn’t gather much attention–or sales. But the Eagles noticed, and they recorded “Ol’ 55” from that album for their “On the Border” collection. But an even better song is “Martha.” Waits’ character, Tom Frost, calls an old flame, “Martha,” after forty years apart. They married others, but Frost can’t let go.

I guess that our being together
Was never meant to be
And Martha, Martha
I love you, can’t you see?

Not surprisingly, “Martha” is one of Waits’ most covered compositions.

1) “Hello in There,” John Prine. I’ll let Prine, who as a teen delivered newspapers, tell the story behind this gem. “I delivered to a Baptist old people’s home where we’d have to go room-to-room,” Prine said, “and some of the patients would kind of pretend that you were a grandchild or nephew that had come to visit, instead of the guy delivering papers. That always stuck in my head.”

The chorus is haunting yet beautiful.

You know that old trees just grow stronger
And old rivers grow wilder every day
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, “Hello in there, hello.”

This song is so good it could be used to recruit volunteers for assisted living homes.

Amazingly, all of the lead singers of the songs in this assemblage are still with us, except for Prine, who, after years of poor health, was taken by COVID in 2020.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

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