Sunday, December 06, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Ronnie Spector @ TCAN 11/19, Yardbirds in Beverly, 11/20, Lez Zeppelin in Somerville 11/20, 11/21
Concert Roundup - Wednesday, 11/18/15
for Joe Vig's Pop Explosion on
http://bostonfreeradio.com 1 pm - 3 pm
Nov. 18, 2015 radio show
Ronnie Spector at TCAN November 19, 2015
Ronettes on Jimi Hendrix's Earth Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W054gK7oPo0
http://www.allmusic.com/album/dangerous-1976-1987-mw0000055936
Ronnie Spector at TCAN on Thursday night 11/19/15 AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/siren-mw0000850407
There are many extraordinary things about Ronnie Spector's Siren album. It was conceived and produced by the legendary Genya Ravan (aka Goldie Zelcowicz) of one of the first all-girl bands, Goldie & the Gingerbreads. It has a street feel much like Ronnie Spector's solo concerts over the years. Members of Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, the Dead Boys, and Mink DeVille must have been honored to appear on this, and the musical integrity and heart is there, for sure. The problem here was the timing. The new wave was just cresting with Willie Alexander, producer/singer Genya Ravan, Ian Hunter, Mink DeVille, the Shirts, and so many others releasing substantial records that mainstream radio turned its back on. And here's the classic '60s voice which ruled on Top 40 for five hit records in
______________________________________________________________________
Ronnie Spector 11/19/15 at TCAN in Natick AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Here's her cousin, Nedra Ross of The Ronettes
http://www.allmusic.com/album/full-circle-mw0000892548
Full Circle is a difficult album by Nedra Ross, formerly of the Ronettes. On one hand, she gave up show business for the Lord, yet show business is the biggest selling point here -- the information about Ross' time with the legendary girl group, a reprint of an article from the November 1968 Ebony magazine, a photo of Ross with Ronette Estelle Bennett and Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison, a reprint of the "Be My Baby" disc label -- all on the inner sleeve. If the Lord is displeased with the borderline deceptive advertising, He may be less pleased with the music inside, as Ross and her producer/husband Scott create an album with less inspiration than her God-given talents deserve. "Gonna Keep My Mind (Stayed on You" is a funky Chaka Khan-type tune with religious overtones.
RONNIE SPECTOR BIO
Ronnie Spector's Bio - originally on AMG
Sat, 2 Nov 2002 12:13:31 -0800 (PST)
From:"Joey Viglione"
RONNIE SPECTOR Biography
Ronnie Spector's stardom effectively began when "Be My Baby" exploded on radio at summer's end in 1963. Her voice could cut through the quagmire of eventual husband Phil Spector's wall of sound with a unique timbre and charm that has made her a revered figure among pop musicians and a cult heroine adored by the underground rockers. Born in Spanish Harlem to Louis and Beatrice Bennett, Veronica had the distinction of being the girl her historic band would be named after. It's an important point often lost in the shuffle of rock history. The group was not called the Estellettes after sister Estelle Bennett nor titled The Nedrettes for cousin Nedra Ross, and not even the Spectorettes for the man who overshadowed the work of all the acts he produced, there was only one name possible and that was The Ronettes. Ronnie released a three hundred page plus biography in 1990, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness or My Life As A Fabulous Ronette. Co-written with Vince Waldren it gives the world her story from her point of view.
Her autobiography says that Phil Spector wanted to call her Veronica but that she was given the name Ronnie Spector by John Lennon and George Harrison in 1971, convincing their mutual producer it was a better stage name. Thus, the singer was given a moniker that has stayed with her in the decades following the hits that made her famous, but a name not associated with those hits. An artist like Cat Stevens can change his name to Yusuf Islam, but d.j.s still refer to that performer by his former title, while "Be My Baby" has become "Ronnie Spector's tune", the name change appropriate and
fitting as she, like Tina Turner and The Righteous Brothers, were able to step out of the omnipotent shadow of producer Phil. Her musical work on Colpix and Dimension records before Phil Spector produced his future wife, the five Top 40
hits and fabulous Christmas recordings that made her a household name, and her relationship prior to her 1968 marriage to the record producer which kept her from
participating in the 1966 final tour by The Beatles, are all essential elements of her story, but it is Ronnie Spector's attitude and voice that took that all important genre known as "Girl Groups" to another level, to a higher level. There were The Chiffons and The Shangri-Las and The Shirelles}, The Toys, The Jelly Beans and The Marvelettes, but Ronnie Spector was the first (a few months before The Supremes ) to carve an identity that made the lead singer synonymous with her band.
The Supremes, and Diana Ross especially, owe much to Ronnie's stance and persona. Yes, Goldie & The Gingerbreads were issuing that subtle angst in Europe but without someone like Phil Spector's guidance to bring them to the transistor radios of America they remained cult heroines. The eventual teaming of Genya Ravan a.k.a. Goldie of The Gingerbreads as the producer of Ronnie for 1980's underground classic Siren lp made that disc as vital historically as it was musically. Veronica said of Ravan in her book "Genya was a strong producer who knew what she wanted, just like Phil."
But Ronnie also indicated that she didn't like the new wave/underground rock direction Genya put her in. However, in another testament to Ravan's industry insight, the sound which the former singer of Ten Wheel Drive also gave to The Dead Boys and her own Urban Desire album was at and on the cutting edge, finding the audience Ronnie has played to for over two decades after the Siren album was released. That alternative rock crowd embraced her as more than a princess, as the Queen of the Underground. When she performs the tune Billy Joel wrote in her honor, "Say Goodbye To Hollywood}, she rocks with the best of them. When Joey Ramone produced her She Talks To Rainbows EP featuring Johnny Thunders' "You Can't Put Your Arm Around A Memory" and "Don't Worry Baby", the tune Brian Wilson wrote before Billy Joel was inspired by The Ronettes, it verifies conclusively that Genya Ravan had insight to the market that would embrace girl group pioneers.
On records with The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, Eddy Money, and so many others, included in film soundtracks to Good Fellas, Mean Streets, Just One Of The Guys, Quadrophenia and many more, Ronnie Spector's influence and sound continues to have a positive ripple effect throughout the music industry.
Here's her cousin, Nedra Ross of The Ronettes
http://www.allmusic.com/album/full-circle-mw0000892548
Full Circle is a difficult album by Nedra Ross, formerly of the Ronettes. On one hand, she gave up show business for the Lord, yet show business is the biggest selling point here -- the information about Ross' time with the legendary girl group, a reprint of an article from the November 1968 Ebony magazine, a photo of Ross with Ronette Estelle Bennett and Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison, a reprint of the "Be My Baby" disc label -- all on the inner sleeve. If the Lord is displeased with the borderline deceptive advertising, He may be less pleased with the music inside, as Ross and her producer/husband Scott create an album with less inspiration than her God-given talents deserve. "Gonna Keep My Mind (Stayed on You" is a funky Chaka Khan-type tune with religious overtones.
RONNIE SPECTOR BIO
Ronnie Spector's Bio - originally on AMG
Sat, 2 Nov 2002 12:13:31 -0800 (PST)
From:"Joey Viglione"
RONNIE SPECTOR Biography
Ronnie Spector's stardom effectively began when "Be My Baby" exploded on radio at summer's end in 1963. Her voice could cut through the quagmire of eventual husband Phil Spector's wall of sound with a unique timbre and charm that has made her a revered figure among pop musicians and a cult heroine adored by the underground rockers. Born in Spanish Harlem to Louis and Beatrice Bennett, Veronica had the distinction of being the girl her historic band would be named after. It's an important point often lost in the shuffle of rock history. The group was not called the Estellettes after sister Estelle Bennett nor titled The Nedrettes for cousin Nedra Ross, and not even the Spectorettes for the man who overshadowed the work of all the acts he produced, there was only one name possible and that was The Ronettes. Ronnie released a three hundred page plus biography in 1990, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness or My Life As A Fabulous Ronette. Co-written with Vince Waldren it gives the world her story from her point of view.
Her autobiography says that Phil Spector wanted to call her Veronica but that she was given the name Ronnie Spector by John Lennon and George Harrison in 1971, convincing their mutual producer it was a better stage name. Thus, the singer was given a moniker that has stayed with her in the decades following the hits that made her famous, but a name not associated with those hits. An artist like Cat Stevens can change his name to Yusuf Islam, but d.j.s still refer to that performer by his former title, while "Be My Baby" has become "Ronnie Spector's tune", the name change appropriate and
fitting as she, like Tina Turner and The Righteous Brothers, were able to step out of the omnipotent shadow of producer Phil. Her musical work on Colpix and Dimension records before Phil Spector produced his future wife, the five Top 40
hits and fabulous Christmas recordings that made her a household name, and her relationship prior to her 1968 marriage to the record producer which kept her from
participating in the 1966 final tour by The Beatles, are all essential elements of her story, but it is Ronnie Spector's attitude and voice that took that all important genre known as "Girl Groups" to another level, to a higher level. There were The Chiffons and The Shangri-Las and The Shirelles}, The Toys, The Jelly Beans and The Marvelettes, but Ronnie Spector was the first (a few months before The Supremes ) to carve an identity that made the lead singer synonymous with her band.
The Supremes, and Diana Ross especially, owe much to Ronnie's stance and persona. Yes, Goldie & The Gingerbreads were issuing that subtle angst in Europe but without someone like Phil Spector's guidance to bring them to the transistor radios of America they remained cult heroines. The eventual teaming of Genya Ravan a.k.a. Goldie of The Gingerbreads as the producer of Ronnie for 1980's underground classic Siren lp made that disc as vital historically as it was musically. Veronica said of Ravan in her book "Genya was a strong producer who knew what she wanted, just like Phil."
But Ronnie also indicated that she didn't like the new wave/underground rock direction Genya put her in. However, in another testament to Ravan's industry insight, the sound which the former singer of Ten Wheel Drive also gave to The Dead Boys and her own Urban Desire album was at and on the cutting edge, finding the audience Ronnie has played to for over two decades after the Siren album was released. That alternative rock crowd embraced her as more than a princess, as the Queen of the Underground. When she performs the tune Billy Joel wrote in her honor, "Say Goodbye To Hollywood}, she rocks with the best of them. When Joey Ramone produced her She Talks To Rainbows EP featuring Johnny Thunders' "You Can't Put Your Arm Around A Memory" and "Don't Worry Baby", the tune Brian Wilson wrote before Billy Joel was inspired by The Ronettes, it verifies conclusively that Genya Ravan had insight to the market that would embrace girl group pioneers.
On records with The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, Eddy Money, and so many others, included in film soundtracks to Good Fellas, Mean Streets, Just One Of The Guys, Quadrophenia and many more, Ronnie Spector's influence and sound continues to have a positive ripple effect throughout the music industry.
Friday, November 06, 2015
Jethro Tull: The Rock Opera
Ian Anderson, In Concert, November 5, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyWbLyMwo8Q
_________________________________________
JETHRO TULL: THE ROCK
OPERA
REVIEW BY JOE VIGLIONE
In the theater where we Bostonians caught
many a film, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” in 1969, “Diamonds Are Forever”
after that, how appropriate that the
seminal seventies group, Jethro Tull, morphs into a three-pronged multi-media
event here at what is now the Wang Center.
The Rock Opera, is, of course, also a ock Concert and an onscreen film
with an added fourth dimension, the original lead singer narrating and
performing alongside, inside and throughout the presentation. Always ahead of the curve Ian Anderson isn’t
content for a band to play with the holograms of Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix,
Janis Joplin …with an idea that the Beatles will go from Cirque de Soleil to
the hologram circuit as well – Anderson presents a living, breathing human
being turning the tables on the hollow digital heading towards us like the big
old train on the screen in “Locomotive Breath.”
With Jethro Tull’s
publicist on the phone before the show I noted “all these gray-haired people
with Tull shirts on were probably at the half dozen or so Jethro Tull concerts
I attended in the 1970s – Thick as a Brick, Passion Play, Bungle in the Jungle
from War Child. Let’s call it a class reunion, of sorts, with the eloquent
personality and his flute that we have followed for the better part of five
decades.
My old pal Buddy
Guy was playing next door at the Wilbur Theater, Steve Miller Band performed in
Lynn, Massachusetts, a rather big night for classic rock in Massachusetts, in
Boston proper. And let’s be honest here, all three artists have their material
and their performance skills down pat, this is the fine wine presenting a new
episode of their artistry in the middle of the second decade of the new millennium.
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Burton Cummings, 8 PM tonight Saturday October 3, 2015 Berklee Performance Center
LIVE TONIGHT - October 3, 2015
BURTON CUMMINGS speaks with rock journalist Joe Vig
July 2012 at the Boston Esplanade
_________________________________
LIVE TONIGHT - October 3, 2015
BURTON CUMMINGS speaks with rock journalist Joe Vig
July 2012 at the Boston Esplanade
__________________________________________________________
Burton Cummings is one of the great live acts touring in 2015, his voice as strong as it was in the 1960s and 1970s when his hits ruled the Top 40 alongside the Beatles, Chicago, the Rolling Stones and other major acts of the day. "These Eyes" and "Laughing" hit the charts in 1969 prior to Gary DeCarlo and Steam knocking the Beatles out of #1 in December when "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Good Bye" took over for "Something" / "Come Together" in the top spot. Come 1970 the Guess Who exploded with "No Time" beginning a legacy that forty five years later is a musical gift that truly keeps on giving, the music of Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman and the Guess Who.
Let's take a random look at some of my AllMusic.com reviews of the Guess Who and Burton Comings:
WHEATFIELD SOUL
Wheatfield Soul
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
The album is Jack Richardson's excellent production of Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings' music played by this particular four-piece unit, which Peter Clayton's liner notes claim were together "for three years when they cut this album in late 1968." The naïve sound of Cummings' voice on the album tracks is charming, but the hit "These Eyes" has that authority which the band would repeat on diverse chart songs like "No Time," "American Woman," and even "Star Baby" further down the road. "Pink Wine Sparkles in the Glass" is a precursor to "New Mother Nature," but the solo Cummings composition "I Found Her in a Star" is very nice Guess Who-style pop that their fans adore. "Friends of Mine" is a strange one, though, ten minutes and three seconds of Burton Cummings imitating Jim Morrison, not just Morrison, but the copping of his vocal riffs straight from "When the Music's Over." This is a band stretching and searching for direction, and rather than hit you with hard Randy Bachman assaults which were a welcome addition to future long-players by this group, as well as Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Wheatfield Soul concentrates on Brit-pop and experimental songs. Randy Bachman's "A Wednesday in Your Garden" is British rock meets jazz, and is one of the LP's most interesting numbers.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/wheatfield-soul-mw0000199923
__________________________________________________________________________
THESE EYES
Song Review by Joe Viglione
The Guess Who
http://www.allmusic.com/song/these-eyes-mt0010074346
_____________________________________________________________
FRIENDS OF MINE
The genius of Jim Morrison and the Doors was their ability to hold the audience's attention for the full duration of extended trips like this. Iron Butterfly, Rare Earth, and even Jethro Tull all overdid their self-indulgent moments. Where the Velvet Underground leveled the White Light/White Heat album with 17-plus minutes of the riveting "Sister Ray," plowing through most of side two of that record with intuitive abandon, the Guess Who seem more intent on just screwing around and emulating. Sky Saxon had the right sensibilities on the live Seeds album, but with a golden opportunity to go that route at their turning point, the Guess Who fall flat, and "Friends of Mine" takes up too much time on a classic album by one of rock's great pop groups.
http://www.allmusic.com/song/friends-of-mine-mt0010074339
LIVE TONIGHT - October 3, 2015
BURTON CUMMINGS speaks with rock journalist Joe Vig
July 2012 at the Boston Esplanade
THE GUESS WHO #10
THE GUESS WHO #10
http://www.allmusic.com/album/10-mw0000846052
Joe Viglione
But this is Cummings in total control, and the album is consistently good despite his tendency toward self-indulgence. Jack Richardson's guiding hand does not get enough credit for keeping this crew on the straight and narrow. "Glamour Boy" is a brilliant poke at the glam of T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, and RCA's own labelmates for the Guess Who, Lou Reed and David Bowie. It is the only song on this album to be included on The Best of the Guess Who, Vol. 2. Though Cummings dominates this outing, writing and co-writing the majority of the tunes, the Bachman replacements have adjusted to the post-Bachman era, one example being "Cardboard Empire" by bassist Bill Wallace and guitarist Kurt Winter, which shows real style. On that particular tune, a Jefferson Airplane-like hook and Cummings' voice are joined by stunning guitar solos.
__________________________________________________________________
ROCKIN' the Guess Who
http://www.allmusic.com/album/rockin-mw0000844866
As an artistic statement it's all very interesting, but for a band whose bread and butter was the Top 40, this stuff tempts fate a bit too much. Along with the musical about-face, this is also the darkest Guess Who album, featuring a black-and-white cover and a black-and-white gatefold, and when the band's not back in the past, pre-color TV, they are doing boogie-woogie like "Get Your Ribbons On" or going negative with "Guns, Guns, Guns." "Guns, Guns, Guns" does have a terrific melody (though you'll swear Aerosmith nicked from this one as well),
Rockin
http://www.allmusic.com/album/rockin-mw0000844866
__________________________________________________________________
FLAVOURS THE GUESS WHO
http://www.allmusic.com/album/flavours-mw0000843050
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/flavours-mw0000843050
__________________________________________________________________
The Way They Were
http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-they-were-mw0000462495
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
________________________________________________________________
BURTON CUMMINGS LIVE AT MASSEY HALL
Audio CD (November 6, 2012)
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Import
Label: Imports
ASIN: B009OTZM7O
BURTON CUMMINGS speaks with rock journalist Joe Vig
July 2012 at the Boston Esplanade
_________________________________
LIVE TONIGHT - October 3, 2015
BURTON CUMMINGS speaks with rock journalist Joe Vig
July 2012 at the Boston Esplanade
You Tube interview
Burton Cummings and Joe Viglione July 2012
Burton Cummings is one of the great live acts touring in 2015, his voice as strong as it was in the 1960s and 1970s when his hits ruled the Top 40 alongside the Beatles, Chicago, the Rolling Stones and other major acts of the day. "These Eyes" and "Laughing" hit the charts in 1969 prior to Gary DeCarlo and Steam knocking the Beatles out of #1 in December when "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Good Bye" took over for "Something" / "Come Together" in the top spot. Come 1970 the Guess Who exploded with "No Time" beginning a legacy that forty five years later is a musical gift that truly keeps on giving, the music of Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman and the Guess Who.
Let's take a random look at some of my AllMusic.com reviews of the Guess Who and Burton Comings:
WHEATFIELD SOUL
Wheatfield Soul
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
The album is Jack Richardson's excellent production of Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings' music played by this particular four-piece unit, which Peter Clayton's liner notes claim were together "for three years when they cut this album in late 1968." The naïve sound of Cummings' voice on the album tracks is charming, but the hit "These Eyes" has that authority which the band would repeat on diverse chart songs like "No Time," "American Woman," and even "Star Baby" further down the road. "Pink Wine Sparkles in the Glass" is a precursor to "New Mother Nature," but the solo Cummings composition "I Found Her in a Star" is very nice Guess Who-style pop that their fans adore. "Friends of Mine" is a strange one, though, ten minutes and three seconds of Burton Cummings imitating Jim Morrison, not just Morrison, but the copping of his vocal riffs straight from "When the Music's Over." This is a band stretching and searching for direction, and rather than hit you with hard Randy Bachman assaults which were a welcome addition to future long-players by this group, as well as Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Wheatfield Soul concentrates on Brit-pop and experimental songs. Randy Bachman's "A Wednesday in Your Garden" is British rock meets jazz, and is one of the LP's most interesting numbers.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/wheatfield-soul-mw0000199923
__________________________________________________________________________
THESE EYES
Song Review by Joe Viglione
The Guess Who
These Eyes
Composed by Burton Cummings / Randy Bachman
Some songs and performances have that in-the-pocket "magic," and "These Eyes" by the Guess Who is such a recording. Sung by Burton Cummings, who replaced pianist Bob Ashley in Chad Allan & the Expressions a year after the group hit with "Shakin' All Over," his distinctive voice would become the cornerstone of the band's sound. The innovative piano pauses which begin the song, along with the restrained guitar through echo, lay the groundwork for Burton Cumming's career-making performance on what became the band's true "breakthrough" 45. A premier love song of broken love, it is Randy Bachman/Burton Cummings collaborating on a masterpiece. Jack Richardson's production is sublime, Jim Kale's bass speaking volumes, doing most of the work while allowing the spaces to be filled in by strings and drums. That the Guess Who didn't want to release this first because it was a ballad is ludicrous in retrospect as it is the most cohesive work on the band's RCA label debut, the Wheatfield Soul album. the Guess Who's vast catalog contains album rock classics, but this remains the band's only true love-song "standard."http://www.allmusic.com/song/these-eyes-mt0010074346
_____________________________________________________________
The genius of Jim Morrison and the Doors was their ability to hold the audience's attention for the full duration of extended trips like this. Iron Butterfly, Rare Earth, and even Jethro Tull all overdid their self-indulgent moments. Where the Velvet Underground leveled the White Light/White Heat album with 17-plus minutes of the riveting "Sister Ray," plowing through most of side two of that record with intuitive abandon, the Guess Who seem more intent on just screwing around and emulating. Sky Saxon had the right sensibilities on the live Seeds album, but with a golden opportunity to go that route at their turning point, the Guess Who fall flat, and "Friends of Mine" takes up too much time on a classic album by one of rock's great pop groups.
http://www.allmusic.com/song/friends-of-mine-mt0010074339
LIVE TONIGHT - October 3, 2015
BURTON CUMMINGS speaks with rock journalist Joe Vig
July 2012 at the Boston Esplanade
THE GUESS WHO #10
THE GUESS WHO #10
http://www.allmusic.com/album/10-mw0000846052
Joe Viglione
But this is Cummings in total control, and the album is consistently good despite his tendency toward self-indulgence. Jack Richardson's guiding hand does not get enough credit for keeping this crew on the straight and narrow. "Glamour Boy" is a brilliant poke at the glam of T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, and RCA's own labelmates for the Guess Who, Lou Reed and David Bowie. It is the only song on this album to be included on The Best of the Guess Who, Vol. 2. Though Cummings dominates this outing, writing and co-writing the majority of the tunes, the Bachman replacements have adjusted to the post-Bachman era, one example being "Cardboard Empire" by bassist Bill Wallace and guitarist Kurt Winter, which shows real style. On that particular tune, a Jefferson Airplane-like hook and Cummings' voice are joined by stunning guitar solos.
__________________________________________________________________
ROCKIN' the Guess Who
http://www.allmusic.com/album/rockin-mw0000844866
As an artistic statement it's all very interesting, but for a band whose bread and butter was the Top 40, this stuff tempts fate a bit too much. Along with the musical about-face, this is also the darkest Guess Who album, featuring a black-and-white cover and a black-and-white gatefold, and when the band's not back in the past, pre-color TV, they are doing boogie-woogie like "Get Your Ribbons On" or going negative with "Guns, Guns, Guns." "Guns, Guns, Guns" does have a terrific melody (though you'll swear Aerosmith nicked from this one as well),
Rockin
http://www.allmusic.com/album/rockin-mw0000844866
__________________________________________________________________
FLAVOURS THE GUESS WHO
http://www.allmusic.com/album/flavours-mw0000843050
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/flavours-mw0000843050
Flavours was the first of the final two official Guess Who albums from the 1970s, and yet another change in direction, despite the band getting chart action with the previous Road Food disc. After more than a two-and-a-half-year absence on the Top 40, and four albums all containing some material that should have become very popular, Burton Cummings shook up the proceedings at this critical juncture where pop success had returned to the storied band. Journeyman guitarist Domenic Troiano, who actually played on Randy Bachman's first album away from the band he co-founded, 1970's Axe, listed there as a Don Troiano, is the sole guitarist here, following Don McDougal, Kurt Winter, and Greg Leskiw in attempt to fill Bachman's shoes. Yes, Cummings having a true collaborator gave the nine songs here and nine tunes on Power in the Music that concise presentation found on the Canned Wheat and American Woman albums, but once again there's a distinct lack of angst, Troiano complementing rather than battling with the lead singer. "Dancin' Fool" went Top 30 at the end of 1974, but there was the enormous attention garnered by "Star Baby" and "Clap for the Wolfman," evidence that the band was showing signs of AM radio life again.
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Flavours was the first of the final two official Guess Who albums from the 1970s, and yet another change in direction, despite the band getting chart action with the previous Road Food disc. After more than a two-and-a-half-year absence on the Top 40, and four albums all containing some material that should have become very popular, Burton Cummings shook up the proceedings at this critical juncture where pop success had returned to the storied band. Journeyman guitarist Domenic Troiano, who actually played on Randy Bachman's first album away from the band he co-founded, 1970's Axe, listed there as a Don Troiano, is the sole guitarist here, following Don McDougal, Kurt Winter, and Greg Leskiw in attempt to fill Bachman's shoes. Yes, Cummings having a true collaborator gave the nine songs here and nine tunes on Power in the Music that concise presentation found on the Canned Wheat and American Woman albums, but once again there's a distinct lack of angst, Troiano complementing rather than battling with the lead singer. "Dancin' Fool" went Top 30 at the end of 1974, but there was the enormous attention garnered by "Star Baby" and "Clap for the Wolfman," evidence that the band was showing signs of AM radio life again.
__________________________________________________________________
The Way They Were
http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-they-were-mw0000462495
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Seven titles recorded at RCA Studios in Chicago during the spring of 1970, produced by Jack Richardson, were abandoned when Randy Bachman and the Guess Who with Burton Cummings went their separate ways. What resulted was a solo instrumental album by Bachman entitled Axe and the Share the Land album by the group. This title, The Way They Were, is now being dismantled by BMG and disseminated as bonus tracks on the Buddah re-releases of Guess Who catalog product. Canned Wheat has the songs "Silver Bird" and "Species Hawk," although in a bizarre twist, the original pressings of the re-release lists "Miss Frizzy" instead of "Species Hawk." The rare disc is worth keeping, for obvious reasons, but Buddah in 2001 will replace it for those who want the official release with the proper track listing. The Share the Land album contains "Palmyra" and "The Answer" as its bonus tracks. It's a shame. This is a decent album and deserves its place in Guess Who history. Although there is no "hit" here on the level of the Guess Whos' "Share the Land" or BTO's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" or Burton Cummings' first solo hit "Stand Tall," the addition of these tunes to albums other than Share the Land is a bit misleading. Tall," the addition of these tunes to albums other than Share the Land is a bit misleading.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-they-were-mw0000462495
______________________________________________________________________
ARTIFICIAL PARADISE
http://www.allmusic.com/album/artificial-paradise-mw0000840046
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
__________________________________________________________________http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-they-were-mw0000462495
______________________________________________________________________
ARTIFICIAL PARADISE
http://www.allmusic.com/album/artificial-paradise-mw0000840046
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
Artificial Paradise may be the most consistent album project by the post-Randy Bachman Guess Who, a solid offering of strong melodies, superb production, and focused artistic vision. It is also one of the group's more obscure offerings; a small fortune was obviously spent on the gratuitous and excessive packaging which says absolutely nothing and probably did much to sink this fine effort. Surprisingly, Burton Cummings only writes two titles on his own, contributing to four others by his current bandmates. Winter, Wallace, and McDougal actually get a freer songwriting reign on this ten-track release and it harkens back to the initial success of the Share the Land album, the first project where the new members explored, blending their musical skills.
____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-in-the-music-mw0000843004
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-in-the-music-mw0000843004
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
____________________________________________________________________________
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-in-the-music-mw0000843004
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
When Burton Cummings was looking to change the sound of the Guess Who, he partnered up with Domenic Troiano for 1974's Flavours and this 1975 conclusion to this phase of the group, Power in the Music. Self-indulgence pervades the proceedings, with Cummings rewriting history. "When the Band Was Singing (Shakin' All Over)" is a perfect example of a song that could have but doesn't. Gone are the magic guitar lines of "Share the Land" and the intensity of "These Eyes." Jack Richardson's production along with engineer Brian Christian's pristine sound set the table, but Cummings and Troiano give the world appetizers instead of a main course. Richardson and drummer Garry Peterson are the only holdovers here with Cummings; latter-day bassist Bill Wallace is not allowed to contribute to the songwriting, though he provided input on six of the ten titles found on 1973's Artificial Paradise, the same number as frontman Cummings on that disc. "Dreams" is brilliant, though, an anomaly,
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AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-this-for-a-song-mw0000119261
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AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-this-for-a-song-mw0000119261
Doug Yule had no right to put the Velvet Underground name on the U.K. album Squeeze; half of Creedence Clearwater Revival and a fifth of the Cars is not Creedence or the Cars. Veteran bassist Jim Kale certainly has paid his dues. But 1971's Brave Belt with Chad Allen and Randy Bachman had more of a right to use the name than Kale and Don McDougal, McDougal having joined the band in 1972 when Kale left! That being said, how does this album rate on its own? Well, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman wrote the hits, and sustained a career beyond the Guess Who. Live, this band was a competent cover act (with even more changing faces), but tunes like "C'Mon Little Mama," "Raising Hell on the Prairies," "It's Getting Pretty Bad," even a melody like "That's the Moment," they simply miss the mark. This is a great example of how important the creative force of a star, an egomaniac with great ideas and tons of attitude, is to the construction of important art. This is as much the Guess Who as a bottle of cola is a box of Cheerios.
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AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/lonely-one-mw0000175322
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AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
http://www.allmusic.com/album/lonely-one-mw0000175322
When original Guess Who bassist Jim Kale released 1979's All This for a Song along with Don McDougal, who joined the group in 1972, it didn't have the charm or inspiration of Randy Bachman's Brave Belt albums, the precursors to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Brave Belt also boasted Chad Allan as a member, original focal point for the Guess Who prior to Burton Cummings joining the party. The 1995 version of the group does include the original rhythm section of bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, but all they do is play and provide a name -- Peterson's other contribution is merely a co-write of one of the ten titles, "Rock & Roll Classic," and that is derivative as all get out with a quick reference to "American Woman" and nicks of famous classic rock riffs. It's actually as close to the Guess Who's sound as the band can get. For those looking for a the neo-bubblegum pop of the Guess Who, get ready to be greeted by big-hair '80s arena rock ten years after the fact. This could be Johnny Edwards from King Kobra and the 1991 Foreigner Unusual Heat days on the Razor's Edge, while "Still Feels Like Love" could be Edwards fronting the Commodores on a sequel to their post-Lionel Richie hit, "Nightshift." Please note all the post-heyday versions of bands that this aggregation resembles
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Guess Who REUNION AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
What's unique about Reunion by the Guess Who is that it brings together the "original" band that found fame with "These Eyes," the quartet that emerged from Chad Allan & the Expressions and ended abruptly in 1970 when they abandoned what became 1976's The Way They Were LP, recorded around the time Randy Bachman taped his Axe solo album. Producer Jack Richardson pines in his liner notes to the 1976 compilation that this foursome was/is his original Guess Who (though he recorded all the acts' RCA discs with the various bandmembers), and that the band "never were again." Well, they say never say "never." Richardson is back producing, and it is Randy Bachman who writes the liner notes and dedicates the album to Chad Allan, Bob Ashley, Kurt Winter, Bill Wallace, Greg Leskiw, Domenic Troiano, and Don McDougal -- the Guess Who alum. Bachman's liner notes explain how the four got back together in January of 1983 for the first time since the split in 1970.
| The Guess Who Live At The Paramount UK vinyl LP album (LP record) | ||
| Tracklisting | 1. Albert Flasher 2. New Mother Nature 3. Glace Bay Blues 4. Runnin' Back To Saskatoon 5. Pain Train 6. American Woman 7. Truckin' Off Across The Sky | |
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BURTON CUMMINGS LIVE AT MASSEY HALL
| 1. No Sugar Tonight/ New Mother Nature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Albert Flasher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Clap for the Wolfman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Laughing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. Guns, Guns, Guns | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6. Stand Tall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7. Hand Me Down World | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8. Above the Ground | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9. Running Back to Saskatoon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10. Undun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11. I M Scared | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12. USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13. These Eyes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14. American Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15. Timeless Love | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16. Star Baby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17. No Time | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18. Share the Land WIKIPEDIA The Guess Who https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guess_Who Wild One - The Guess Who | Songs, Reviews, Credits ...
www.allmusic.com/album/wild-one-mw0000853928
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+] ... and at least the spirit here is better than All This for a Song, which was Kale's post-Cummings version of the Guess Who.
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Born in Canada - The Guess Who | Songs ... - AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/album/born-in-canada-mw0000848091
Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Born in Canada - The Guess Who on AllMusic - 1969 ... AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+].
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These Eyes - The Guess Who | Song Info | AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/song/these-eyes-mt0027516417
Song Review by Joe Viglione [+]. Some songs and performances have that in-the
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Axe - Randy Bachman | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/album/axe-mw0000746987
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+] ... recorded in June of 1983, featuring Bachman on most of the Guess Who hits, notably the ones he never played on before.
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The Great Fatsby - Leslie West | Songs, Reviews ... - AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-fatsby-mw0000815947
Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for The Great Fatsby - Leslie West on AllMusic - 1975 ... AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+].
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Shakin' All Over: Guess Who's Chad Allan & the ... - AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/.../shakin-all-over-guess-whos-chad-allan-th...
Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Shakin' All Over: Guess ... AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+] ... feat: The Guess Who. 2.
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Alice Clark - Alice Clark | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/album/alice-clark-mw0000335469
Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Alice Clark - Alice Clark on AllMusic - 1972 - The ... AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+].
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Brainbox - Brainbox | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/album/brainbox-mw0000698570
Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Brainbox - Brainbox on AllMusic - 1970 - Holland's ... AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+].
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Songs for a Tailor - Jack Bruce | Songs, Reviews ... - AllMusic
www.allmusic.com/album/songs-for-a-tailor-mw0000194919
Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Songs for a Tailor - Jack Bruce on AllMusic - 1969 ... AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [+].
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___________________________________________________________  Domenic Troiano - Domenic Troiano - 1972 - Mercury Domenic Troiano http://overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com/2012/01/domenic-troiano.html The solo debut from guitarist Domenic Troiano came at a time when he was releasing two albums with the James Gang. Charlotte Dillon's biography on the All Media Guide states that this album was initiated prior to his joining the James Gang and completed during that phase of his career. There's a definite Steely Dan feel to the proceedings, especially on "Let Me Go Back," and the first of two compositions co-written with James Gang vocalist Roy Kenner, "Try." The rhythm section for Lou Reed's classic Rock 'n' Roll Animal album, drummer Penti Glan and bassist John Prakash, appear here a year before they would cut the historic live album with guitar heroes Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner. The musicianship is superb, with a loose and funky feel, and the album looks expensive as well. A gatefold with band photos and interesting design, Mercury was no doubt serious about their artist. This was a year before that same label would release Bachman-Turner Overdrive, whose guitarist Troiano would later replace in the Guess Who. This album is distinctive, though, as it shows Troiano in an interesting light and identifies his versatility. Clichés like "The Writings on the Wall" and "Is There No Rest for the Weary" become songs, and the music is more suited to Delaney & Bonnie than the James Gang or the Guess Who. In fact, the elements here do not really show up on his work with Burton Cummings' final two '70s Guess Who LPs, Flavours and Power in the Music, which gives an indication of Troiano's ability to adapt. From the Delaney & Bonnie meets Steely Dan style so prevalent on tracks like "Let Me Go Back" and "I Just Lost a Friend," Troiano concludes the album with an about-face, nine minutes and 40 seconds of "Repossession Blues." It makes for a well-rounded debut by a journeyman who has never really gotten his due. Maybe the bands he played with wanted formula, because allowed to stretch out, the Domenic Troiano album is quite enjoyable and has lots to offer. It's also important to note the co-production work by James Gang producer Keith Olsen came at a time when Olsen was engineering Dr. John for Jerry Wexler. That seems to have had an influence on this project. © Joe Viglione © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/domenic-troiano-r51512/review Rock Journalist Joe Viglione writes the foreword to Peter Noone's book http://joevigupdate.blogspot.com/2010/06/foreword-to-peter-noone-photo-book.html _______________________________________________________________ Joe Viglione quoted on WIKIPEDIA from AllMusic.com reviews Carole King Where You Lead https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_You_Lead References[edit]
The Right Thing to Do - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Right_Thing_to_Do
Jump to Lyrics and music - ... is a love song directed to Simon's then husband James Taylor. ... Viglione and Billboard Magazine both praised the song's ...
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Millworker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millworker
"Millworker," or "Millwork," is a song written by James Taylor. ... Allmusic critic Joe Viglione finds her version to be entertaining, and that it plays to Midler's ...
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The Right Thing to Do - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Have_No_Secrets
Jump to Lyrics and music - ... is a love song directed to Simon's then husband James Taylor. ... Allmusic critic Joe Viglione and Billboard Magazine both ... Music from Free Creek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_from_Free_Creek
Joe Viglione from www.allmusic.com has stated that "Music from Free Creek is a super ... Cissy Strut (A. Neville, L. Nocentelli, G. Porter, Jr. and J. Modeliste).
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Angel in Blue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_in_Blue
Viglione praises it further, stating that it is "arguably the smartest lyric in the J. Geils Band catalogue" with a "strong melody," concluding that it is "four minutes ...
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Love Stinks (song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Stinks_(song)
Justman provides extensive keyboards, which Associated Press critic James Simon feels gives the song "a little extra zing." Viglione describes the riff as "Lou
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Haven't Got Time for the Pain - Wikipedia, the free ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haven't_Got_Time_for_the_Pain
Jump to Lyrics and Music - Allmusic critic Joe Viglione described "Haven't Got Time for the ... plus acoustic guitar played by Simon's then-husband James ...
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Where You Lead - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_You_Lead
Allmusic critic Joe Viglione pointed out that Taylor's version has a "totally ... King performed the song with James Taylor on many of the shows on their joint 2010 ...
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Judy's Turn to Cry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy's_Turn_to_Cry
"Judy's Turn to Cry" is a song written by Beverly Ross (who also co-wrote Roy ... Viglione also notes that because both "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" are
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Joe V. compared to Lillian Roxon The song's instrumentation includes drums and horns.[2] Allmusic critic Joe Viglione describes "Judy's Turn to Cry" as having "a monstrous hook as valuable as 'It's My Party' with violence that may have been inspired by The Crystals pushing the envelope with their withdrawn classic 'He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)'".[2] Viglione also notes that because both "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" are short, both at just under 2:20, and both songs are different from each other, and each starts off with its own identifiable hook, and the choruses are different but the verses tell one continuous story, the two songs could be played on the radio back to back, allowing Gore to sing the entire "soap opera."[2] This song is in the key of D Major, while "It's my Party" is in the key of A Major.[12] Connie Landers sang the two songs back to back on the 2008 album Girls Girls Girls: 1960's Rock N Roll.[13] Author Maury Dean notes that Gore's "crisp soprano uses very sophisticated jazz progressions."[7] Music journalist Lillian Roxon commented that "you could savor every bitchy second of Lesley's triumph with her sequel 'Judy's Turn to Cry.'"[14][15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy%27s_Turn_to_Cry __________________________________________________________________  Hinch hits back at Greer’s Roxon death claimshttp://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/11/hinch-hits-back-at-greers-roxon-death-claims/ Roxon, the aunt of federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, served as Fairfax’s New York correspondent for 10 years before a 28-year-old Hinch took over as bureau chief — and Roxon’s boss — in 1972. Hinch, who had arrived in the Big Apple in 1966, was one of the last people to see Roxon alive on the night before her death when he swung by to pick up tickets for a Helen Reddy concert. He later identified her body in the Manhattan morgue. Roxon, who was simultaneously writing for the New York Daily News, the Herald and then-Fairfax publication Woman’s Day, as well as compiling her legendary Rock Encyclopedia, had a fatal asthma attack in her East 21st Street apartment on August 10, 1973. She had become the leading chronicler of the city’s nascent underground rock scene based around the infamous Max’s Kansas City bar frequented by Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. _________________________________________________________________ BOOK OF TALIESYN 
Track Listing 1. Learn, Read On Listen 2. Hard Road 3. Kentucky Woman 4. Exposition/We Can Work It Out 5. Shield 6. Anthem 7. Mountain High River Deep 8. Oh No No No [Studio Outtake] - (take) 9. It's All Over [BBC Top Gear Session] 10. Hey Bop a Re Bop [BBC Top Gear Session] 11. Wring That Neck [BBC Top Gear Session] 12. take) Playground [Remixed Instrumental Studio Outtake] - (remix
Album Notes Deep Purple: Rod Evans (vocals); Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Jon Lord (keyboards); Nicky Simper (bass); Ian Paice (drums).Personnel: Jon Lord (vocals, organ); Nick Simper (vocals, bass guitar); Rod Evans (vocals); Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Ian Paice (drums).Recording information: De Lane Lea, London (08/1968).Several months after the innovative remake of "You Keep Me Hanging On," England's answer to Vanilla Fudge, was this early version of Deep Purple, which featured vocalist Rod Evans, and bassist Nick Simper, along with mainstays Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice. This, their second album, followed on the heels of "Hush," a dynamic arrangement of a Joe South tune, far removed from the flavor of one of his own hits, "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." Four months later, this album's cover of Neil Diamond's Top 25, 1967 gem "Kentucky Woman," went Top 40 for Deep Purple. Also like Vanilla Fudge, the group's own originals were creative, thought-provoking, but not nearly as interesting as their take on cover tunes. Vanilla Fudge did "Eleanor Rigby," and Deep Purple respond by going inside "We Can Work It Out" -- it falls out of nowhere after the progressive rock jam "Exposition," Ritchie Blackmore's leads zipping in between Rod Evans smooth and precise vocals. As Vanilla Fudge was progressively leaning more towards psychedelia, here Deep Purple are the opposite. The boys claim to be inspired by the Bard of King Arthur's court in Camelot, Taliesyn. John Vernon Lord, under the art direction of Les Weisbrich, paints a superb wonderland on the album jacket, equal to the madness of Hieronymous Bosch's cover painting used for the third album. Originals "The Shield" and "Anthem" make early Syd Barrett Pink Floyd appear punk in comparison. Novel sounds are aided by Lord's dominating keyboards, a signature of this group.Though "The Anthem" is more intriguing than the heavy metal thunder of Machine Head, it is overwhelmed by the majesty of their "River Deep, Mountain High" cover, definitely not the inspiration for the Supremes and Four Tops 1971 hit version. By the time 1972 came around, Deep Purple immersed themselves in dumb lyrics, unforgettable riffs, and a huge presence, much like Black Sabbath. The evolution from progressive to hard rock was complete, but a combination of what they did here -- words that mattered matched by innovative musical passages -- would have been a more pleasing combination. Vanilla Fudge would cut Donovan's "Season of the Witch," Deep Purple followed this album by covering his "Lalena"; both bands abandoned the rewrites their fans found so fascinating. Rod Evans voice was subtle enough to take "River Deep, Mountain High" to places Ian Gillam might have demolished. Some CD reissues contain an additional five tracks. ~ Joe Viglione http://aceterrier.com/?cat=4&paged=3  File Between: Janis Joplin and Maggie Bell Comments: I’ve known who Genya Ravan was for years — in fact, I first learned of her, and of this album, when I first began looking up obscure 1972 records, and the Allmusic review by Joe Viglione put it at the top of my wishlist. But I didn’t find it, and didn’t find it, and in the meantime I listened to her 60s girl-group work in Goldie & the Gingerbreads (as Goldie Zelkowitz), J. Geils Band One Last Kiss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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