Saturday evening, July 31, 2010
Former musician from the group Chicago plays it soft and safe at the Boston Esplanade
By Joe Viglione
recordreview2001@yahoo.com
To those of us who loved the pop music of The Velvet Underground and The Beatles, the underground rock/pop of Lou Reed and the mainstream pop of John, Paul, George & Ringo,
the music of the group Chicago was truly anathema when it first touched our collective ears.
Four decades or more later one can appreciate the majesty of songs like "If You Leave Me Now", "Hard Habit to Break" and the endless stream of other adult contemporary confections that Peter Cetera has collected during and after his stint in Chicago.
With a solid band of musicians behind him P.C. strangely put together an extremely pedestrian presentation. It was actually quite shocking that the performance concentrated so heavily on the sounds of the eighties when there was much potential for a dynamic roller coaster ride through his career.
Interviewing Syb Hashian of Ernie & The Automatics (and the group Boston, of course), Cetera stopped by and said hello to Sybby...a professional and very nice gentleman, I was hoping he would go out there and out Chicago his former band Chicago!
Alas, the audience was hoping for the same thing too and didn't get it. Rather than open up with the song co-written by legendary Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller and Traffic's Steve Winwood, "I'm A Man", a huge hit in Boston for Chicago as the flip side of "Questions 67 and 68" as well as a Top 10 hit for Spencer Davis Group in 1967 - produced by former Bostonian-for-a-time, the late Jimmy Miller, the set featured laid-back ballads punctuated by a quasi-reggae tune (??), a cover of "Lady Madonna" (??????). A pleasant surprise early in the set was the accompaniment by a young lady who performed duets on Peter's hits with Cher and Amy Grant. When they went into the Top 10 1989 smash "After All", the young lady (we'll track her name down) sounded so much like Cher the audience resounded with total enthusiasm. The audience also responded when the star asked them to pull out cameras and sway with one of the super power ballads, possibly "Hard Habit To Break" (wasn't that from the interesting movie "Summer Lovers" back in the day?....no, no, no ...it was probably "Hard to Say I'm Sorry")...anyway, lots of Cetera vocals/songs have spilled over into the film world...good for him - glad he has something to fall back on because the free concert audience was clearly getting tired waiting for the break of day, waiting on "Make Me Smile" or "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is", songs that he avoided. Perhaps because Robert Lamm or Terry Kath were the voices on those old hits (it seems that Lamm did take the lead on "Does Anybody Really Know...", proud to say I'm not an expert on the music of Chicago...far from it!)...still, the audience wanted some punch and the Chicago hits would have brought them to life.
The rendition of "If You Leave Me Now" was more Dan Fogelberg than Chicago, the strings definitely needed to bring this one home, and the acoustic encore of "25 or 6 to 4" was truly foreplay without the kiss - don't even think about the sex. When the riff that's as classic as "Sunshine Of Your Love" (I'm not comparing the value of the tunes, just that both songs contain two of the most historic opening riffs in rock) came in for verse two the audience finally almost got what they came for. But unlike Eric Burdon's mesmerizing "Sky Pilot" or Three Dog Night's terrific "Celebrate" or Peter Noone's exquisite "There's A Kind of Hush", all performed on the Esplanade in years past and all delivering pandemonium, the truncated rendition of the most necessary song of the night (though not Cetera's biggest) was a let down. As was the concert.
Look, I was not a Peter Cetera fan to begin with, but I do appreciate his contributions and was rooting for him. When someone is giving an artist more than a benefit of the doubt and that artists takes his hits and puts together a show with the worst pacing this writer's witnessed in a decade, well, it is clear he's having fun and if you can enjoy it with him, all the better.
It was a nice summer night with pleasant music on the Esplanade with a major name who could have walked off the stage owning this town. Instead, he delivered predictable songs with a bit of a dated feel to them. A pity...the song construction and his marvelous voice could have made for a dynamite conclusion to this year's summer concert series from 103.3 FM. Cetera showed up sober and was professional throughout, but he could have won some converts over and just didn't care to.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
July 2010
Joe Vig Top 50 for July 2010
#1 THE TAMI SHOW
#2 Exile On Main Street
The month of May, 2010 has Mick Jagger on your TV screen…from Jimmy Kimmel to Larry King, with welcome chatter about the greatest band in the world…and the quintessential double album that is now expanded with bonus tracks…EXILE ON MAIN STREET. We’ll be reviewing the Exile On Main Street DVD in the very near future…but as I haven’t opened the “official” Universal Music promo copy download of the CD (what the heck? Can’t even hold the disc in your hands when reviewing…what’s the world coming to?) for now we’ll revisit a space in time with the man who made Exile On Main Street, the late Jimmy Miller. Jimmy Miller remembered Read more here:
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=11585
Lots more on this CD and the DVD reissue
Stones to Retire?
http://www.spinner.com/2010/07/26/the-rolling-stones-to-retire-after-world-tour/
#3
#4 Dave Munro & Air Traffic Controller
Air Traffic Controller features singer/songwriter guitarist Dave Munro and his drummer/brother Rich Munro. Dave recently performed at Boston City Hall Plaza with a string quartet. On Friday, July 23, he is appearing with producer Bleu for the Lowell Folk Festival. On Saturday, July 24, though, you can catch Bleu and Air Traffic Controller with the Aquavia String Octet for a 6 p.m. and a 9 p.m. show. CLUB PASSIM is in Harvard Square near the Coop/Barnes & Noble at 47 Palmer St., Cambridge
#5 Peter Noone's New Photo Book
The entire, unedited copy of the Foreword by Rock Journalist Joe Vig
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=12550
#6
As Stephen Davis put together a biography entitled “Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend” with less of an emphasis on The Doors, Author Michael Spöerke has written a much-needed book on Big Brother & The Holding Company with an attempt to focus on the band itself: bassist Peter Albin, drummer David Getz with Sam Andrew and James Gurley creating an awesome guitar duo.
That this is the 40th anniversary of the passing of Janis Joplin means that more people will be looking for information on the innovative and highly creative band that backed her up. This book fits the bill. Don’t let the 106 pages make you think it is a small book…on large paper with double-spaced text, there is a lot of history here worthy of review and deserving of a place in your bookcase
Read more here:
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=12918
FOUR CDS from TOMMY JAMES ON COLLECTABLES
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=13405
#8 GETTIN' TOGETHER
#9 TRAVELIN' THE FINAL TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS CD
#10 MY HEAD MY BED MY RED GUITAR
#11 Lou Reed's BERLIN LIVE
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=1654
#12 JAMES SULLIVAN ON GEORGE CARLIN
#13 STEPHEN McCAULEY - INSIGNIFICANT OTHERS
#14 Mark Black "Pictures of the Highway"
#15 Patty Larkin
#16 The Monster & The Ape
#17 Peter Parcek
#18 SEA OF BLACK by the group MASS
For those who enjoy the hard-hitting precision of Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers album or the late Ronny James Dio fronting Black Sabbath this exquisite new collection of a dozen tracks by the band I consider New England’s premiere metal outfit will surely satisfy the group’s followers as well as hard rock aficionados.
The title (and closing) track, “Sea Of Black“, is probably my fave of this top-notch collection …”can you feel the power…”…yes, you can as Gene D’Itria’s guitar riff chugs along underneath Joey Vee’s incessant beat and bassist Michael Palumbo’s moving bottom-end waves of sound.
Read more here in TMRZoo
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=13478
#19 Peter C. Johnson 1978-1981
#20 PETER WOLF Midnight Souvenirs
#21 Canned Heat
With Bob Hite and Alan Wilson switching off on vocals, Canned Heat delivered as consistent a blues product as George Thorogood, only with more diversity and subtle musical nuances keeping the listener involved. "Same All Over" breaks no new ground, opening up the Hallelujah disc, but the enthusiasm and reverence the band has for the genre is special. Al Wilson's distinctive voice -- heard on two Top 20 hit records in 1968 -- is enhanced with his eerie whistling on "Change My Ways" and the wonderfully ragged instrumentation. The way the keys bubble up under the guitars, it would have been a natural for these guys to groove their way into a Grateful Dead-style jam band thing, but two vocalists dying within an 11-year span is a bit much for any ensemble. The name Canned Heat is so cool that it becomes the title of the third song. "Canned Heat" is a pretty accurate description of what they play, and the bluesy, slow Bob Hite vocal works wonders over the incessant Henry Vestine/Alan Wilson guitar work. Nice stuff. Read more here
http://test.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kifrxqw5ldje
#22 Canned Heat Cookbook From Monterey Pop & Woodstock
This initial best-of package, Canned Heat Cookbook, was released rather quickly in 1969 after the band's initial burst of creativity resulted in four albums and two hit singles between 1967 and 1968. Friend/manager/producer Skip Taylor lists tons of the band's engagements from 1966 on the gatefold of the album, which constitutes its only liner notes. Dozens and dozens of gigs, from the Monterey International Pop Festival to Club 47, the Boston Tea Party, and what they call the Woodstock Pop Festival, are all listed, and this is a staggering resumé suited well to a greatest-hits package. There are baby photos of the five bandmembers (and the obligatory thanks to their moms for providing them), as well as a very cool cover design by Dean Torrence, which features his artistic rendition of each performer along with a couple of butterflies. They look somewhat like the Band here, and their rocking blues were actually somewhat similar to the dudes who backed up Bob Dylan. But the sound of their records differed from that other ensemble, and Al Wilson's personality shines through on "Goin' up the Country" and "On the Road Again," two blasts of '60s pop which were quite different from anything else on the radio at the time read more here
http://test.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:abfrxqe0ld0e
#23 Joplin In Concert 2-12-69 on Wolfsgang's Vault
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/janis-joplin/concerts/fillmore-east-february-12-1969.html
PERRY MASON!
Radio's DELLA STREET on Perry Mason was from Malden
Thanks to Peter Levine, Malden historian and archivist, for this information July 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/news/lifestyle/columnists/x695085704/COLUMN-Malden-Musings
#1 THE TAMI SHOW
#2 Exile On Main Street
The month of May, 2010 has Mick Jagger on your TV screen…from Jimmy Kimmel to Larry King, with welcome chatter about the greatest band in the world…and the quintessential double album that is now expanded with bonus tracks…EXILE ON MAIN STREET. We’ll be reviewing the Exile On Main Street DVD in the very near future…but as I haven’t opened the “official” Universal Music promo copy download of the CD (what the heck? Can’t even hold the disc in your hands when reviewing…what’s the world coming to?) for now we’ll revisit a space in time with the man who made Exile On Main Street, the late Jimmy Miller. Jimmy Miller remembered Read more here:http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=11585
Lots more on this CD and the DVD reissue
Stones to Retire?
http://www.spinner.com/2010/07/26/the-rolling-stones-to-retire-after-world-tour/
#3
Entertainment Hotline visits Ringo Starr; Malden musicians perform Beatles music
Malden —
Hotline bumped into Malden guitarist David C. Mooney at the Jethro Tull/Procol Harum show on June 15 and again for Ringo and his All Starrs at the Bank America Pavilion on Tuesday, June 29.
At the superb Ringo event, where Beatlemaniacs were out in full force, Mooney brought his fellow Maldonian guitarist, David Andrulli, along with him. Mooney performed in a Jethro Tull cover act back in the day but Andrulli informed the Malden Observer that his musical colleague is currently busy working on a number of his own versions of Beatles’ songs.
“They came out really good...he did a good job,” Andrulli stated while Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Gary Wright, Ringo Starr and the band played on the old Harbor Lights stage... The songs recorded thus far include “And Your Bird Can Sing,” “Run For Your Life” from Rubber Soul and an acoustic rendition of John Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels” from Double Fantasy.
Andrulli, de facto spokesman for Mooney, said, “He did all the instruments, harmonies and vocals,” while noting that the recording of “She Said, She Said” was erased by accident.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/features/x522012184/Entertainment-Hotline-visits-Ringo-Starr-Malden-musicians-perform-Beatles-music#4 Dave Munro & Air Traffic Controller
Air Traffic Controller features singer/songwriter guitarist Dave Munro and his drummer/brother Rich Munro. Dave recently performed at Boston City Hall Plaza with a string quartet. On Friday, July 23, he is appearing with producer Bleu for the Lowell Folk Festival. On Saturday, July 24, though, you can catch Bleu and Air Traffic Controller with the Aquavia String Octet for a 6 p.m. and a 9 p.m. show. CLUB PASSIM is in Harvard Square near the Coop/Barnes & Noble at 47 Palmer St., Cambridge
#5 Peter Noone's New Photo Book
The entire, unedited copy of the Foreword by Rock Journalist Joe Vig
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=12550
#6
Living With The Myth of Janis Joplin: The Story of Big Brother & The Holding Company 1965-2005
Author Michael SpöerkeAs Stephen Davis put together a biography entitled “Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend” with less of an emphasis on The Doors, Author Michael Spöerke has written a much-needed book on Big Brother & The Holding Company with an attempt to focus on the band itself: bassist Peter Albin, drummer David Getz with Sam Andrew and James Gurley creating an awesome guitar duo.
That this is the 40th anniversary of the passing of Janis Joplin means that more people will be looking for information on the innovative and highly creative band that backed her up. This book fits the bill. Don’t let the 106 pages make you think it is a small book…on large paper with double-spaced text, there is a lot of history here worthy of review and deserving of a place in your bookcase
Read more here:
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=12918
FOUR CDS from TOMMY JAMES ON COLLECTABLES
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=13405
#7 I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW
If Collectors Choice wants to reissue all the James’ discs separately, I say go for it. If they want to give us two-fers, unreleased tracks, different language versions (and those rarities DO exist for some of the hits) and interviews, please do so. The more the merrier. In any case, all four discs are strongly recommended, even the Travelin’ album which, though a swan song for the band, is beautiful in its “back to the future” approach, the seasoned professionals going back and recording something akin to their earlier discs what Tommy did in his first incarnation on the Hanky Panky album…loose and fun and full of life.
Tommy James will be appearing at the National Rock Con this July 30 – August 1 at the Sheraton Meadowlands
#8 GETTIN' TOGETHER
#9 TRAVELIN' THE FINAL TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS CD
#10 MY HEAD MY BED MY RED GUITAR
#11 Lou Reed's BERLIN LIVE
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=1654
#12 JAMES SULLIVAN ON GEORGE CARLIN
#13 STEPHEN McCAULEY - INSIGNIFICANT OTHERS
#14 Mark Black "Pictures of the Highway"
#15 Patty Larkin
#16 The Monster & The Ape
#17 Peter Parcek
#18 SEA OF BLACK by the group MASS
For those who enjoy the hard-hitting precision of Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers album or the late Ronny James Dio fronting Black Sabbath this exquisite new collection of a dozen tracks by the band I consider New England’s premiere metal outfit will surely satisfy the group’s followers as well as hard rock aficionados.
The title (and closing) track, “Sea Of Black“, is probably my fave of this top-notch collection …”can you feel the power…”…yes, you can as Gene D’Itria’s guitar riff chugs along underneath Joey Vee’s incessant beat and bassist Michael Palumbo’s moving bottom-end waves of sound.
Read more here in TMRZoo
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=13478
#19 Peter C. Johnson 1978-1981
#20 PETER WOLF Midnight Souvenirs
#21 Canned Heat
With Bob Hite and Alan Wilson switching off on vocals, Canned Heat delivered as consistent a blues product as George Thorogood, only with more diversity and subtle musical nuances keeping the listener involved. "Same All Over" breaks no new ground, opening up the Hallelujah disc, but the enthusiasm and reverence the band has for the genre is special. Al Wilson's distinctive voice -- heard on two Top 20 hit records in 1968 -- is enhanced with his eerie whistling on "Change My Ways" and the wonderfully ragged instrumentation. The way the keys bubble up under the guitars, it would have been a natural for these guys to groove their way into a Grateful Dead-style jam band thing, but two vocalists dying within an 11-year span is a bit much for any ensemble. The name Canned Heat is so cool that it becomes the title of the third song. "Canned Heat" is a pretty accurate description of what they play, and the bluesy, slow Bob Hite vocal works wonders over the incessant Henry Vestine/Alan Wilson guitar work. Nice stuff. Read more here
http://test.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kifrxqw5ldje
#22 Canned Heat Cookbook From Monterey Pop & Woodstock
|
Send to Friend
This initial best-of package, Canned Heat Cookbook, was released rather quickly in 1969 after the band's initial burst of creativity resulted in four albums and two hit singles between 1967 and 1968. Friend/manager/producer Skip Taylor lists tons of the band's engagements from 1966 on the gatefold of the album, which constitutes its only liner notes. Dozens and dozens of gigs, from the Monterey International Pop Festival to Club 47, the Boston Tea Party, and what they call the Woodstock Pop Festival, are all listed, and this is a staggering resumé suited well to a greatest-hits package. There are baby photos of the five bandmembers (and the obligatory thanks to their moms for providing them), as well as a very cool cover design by Dean Torrence, which features his artistic rendition of each performer along with a couple of butterflies. They look somewhat like the Band here, and their rocking blues were actually somewhat similar to the dudes who backed up Bob Dylan. But the sound of their records differed from that other ensemble, and Al Wilson's personality shines through on "Goin' up the Country" and "On the Road Again," two blasts of '60s pop which were quite different from anything else on the radio at the time read more here
http://test.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:abfrxqe0ld0e
#23 Joplin In Concert 2-12-69 on Wolfsgang's Vault
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/janis-joplin/concerts/fillmore-east-february-12-1969.html
PERRY MASON!
Radio's DELLA STREET on Perry Mason was from Malden
Thanks to Peter Levine, Malden historian and archivist, for this information July 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/news/lifestyle/columnists/x695085704/COLUMN-Malden-Musings
Remembering Maldonians
Joan Alexander passed away this past May at 94 years of age, and although her ties to Malden are somewhat tenuous I will note them anyway. Her career was long and successful — fashion model, star of the stage, and popular radio actress from the 1940s most notably playing Lois Lane, ace reporter working at the Daily Planet and constantly being rescued by Superman. But her claim to Malden fame is from her re-occurring role as “Della Street” on the very popular Perry Mason radio serial from the same time period.
Perry Mason was created by one of Malden’s most famous residents Earle Stanley Gardner and the character “Della Street” (Perry Mason’s loyal secretary in the series) was named after Dell Street in Malden, which is located right off of Salem Street. Interesting side note, Joan’s second husband was John Sylvester White, otherwise known as Mr. Woodman, an actor universally known and loved for playing the assistant principal in the smash hit Television series “Welcome Back, Kotter.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)