Jethro Tull: Standing Up

What a great surprise!  This single-record album opens up and this pop up display pops up.  I've not seen that before on a record album.  This is Jethro Tull's Stand Up.  Stand Up is their second album and before this album, Tull's first or original guitar player Mick Abrhams left over musical differences with founder Ian Anderson.  I saw Tull a few years ago at a free outdoor concert at Chicago's Preillo Band Shell - right in Grant Park - which is separated from Lake Michigan by Lake Shore Drive.  Stand Up is the first album where Anderson runs the whole show.  It's also the first Tull album with guitarist Martin Barre, who will appear on every future Jethro Tull album.  The song you know best here is an instrumental called "Bourée" is a cover of a Bach piece called Bouree in E Minor.  The album reached #1 on the British charts.  The gatefold album cover, in a woodcut style designed by artist James Grashow, originally opened up similar to a child's pop-up book, so that a cut-out of the band's personnel stood up — linking into the album's title.  Stand Up won New Musical Express's award for best album artwork in 1969.  Tull is playing at WDRV's 10th annual, free listener appreciation party.

Marvin Gaye: Midnight Love

  This is Marvin Gaye's Midnight Love.

Quite sadly, it is Midnight Love is the last studio album that he recorded. It is on the Columbia label, where he had just signed, after having left Motown. The hit Sexual Healing is on this record, which was made from April to August 1982 at Studio Katy, in Ohain, Belgium. Gaye had moved there to get his act together mainly his life: to get his finances in order (he had filed BK, and owed the IRS $4M in back taxes and penalties), and to try to kick drugs. There is no one playing on this record that I recognized in the liner notes. So I looked up a cat named guitar player Gordon Banks who has the same birthday as me. Banks has played with the Gap Band, Edwin Hawkins, and Stevie Wonder and in 1985, he was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America.

Steeleye Span; not so much

Ah - the forgettable Steeleye Span.  This is a compliation, double-record album.  To me, they sound like a cross between Jethro Tull with a female lead singer stuck on a rickety tour bus crammed in with various members of The Cheiftains.  But Allmusic.com tells us that this album is an excellent compilation of the first nine albums from one of the "most respected and revered" British folk-rock bands ever.  Despite numerous personnel changes, Steeleye Span  retained a readily identifiable sound built around folk-based instrumentation and the distinctive vocals of yes - Maddy Prior.  Beginning with amplified traditional songs, the group later adopted a more rock-oriented approach that attempted, often successfully, to stretch the boundaries of British folk music while still respecting and holding onto its roots. One of the best songs from the early years is "Lovely on the Water," which beautifully showcases the spirit and dignity of Prior's voice. Among the band's first successful experiments was "Gaudete," an a cappella Latin chant that somehow made the British charts. "Alison Gross" used loud power chords to give the impression of an all-out rock approach, and "Fighting for Strangers" used percussion to give an almost abstract atmosphere to the recording, something not expected from a band that started out as very traditional. Whether singing songs about romance, elves, violent upheavals, or witches, Steeleye Span successfully expanded the boundaries of British folk. Though longtime fans may prefer the individual albums, this is a fine introduction to the most creative period in the group's history.

The Clash: London Calling

I am getting to meet lengary rock and roll photographer Paul Natkin for lunch today.  I will report on that soon.  So that is why I am posting this: The Clash - London Calling.  I vote that this is the best album cover from the '70's.  It is a 2-record album that I bought it for fifty cents at a record collectors show, but - as the seller warned me, it was missing one disk.  And, argh - it's the disk with Train in Vain on it.  According to wiki: this cover photo is of bassist Paul Simonon smashing his Fender P Bass (P is for Precision - I might add) on stage at The Palladium in New York City in September 1979 during their Take the Fifth tour.  Pennie Smith, who photographed the band for the album, originally did not want the photograph to be used. She thought that it was too out of focus, but Strummer and graphic designer Ray Lowry thought it would make a good album cover.  Smith's photograph was named the best rock and roll photograph of all time by Q magazine, commenting that "it captures the ultimate rock'n'roll moment - total loss of control".  The cover artwork was designed by Lowry and as an homage to the design of Elvis Presley's debut album – shown below in screen shot since I don’t own it.  The cover was named the ninth best album cover of all time by Q magazine in 2001.  The album cover for London Calling was among the ten chosen by the Royal Mail for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued in January 2010.

Third World: Try Ja Love

This is my new favorite song for the summer.  It is awesome.  I forgot that I used to listen to it so much back in the early '80's.  It is called Try Ja Love by Third World.  Click on this post's title for a smokin' live version of it.  Third World also did a song you may recall called Now That we Found Love (what are we gonna do about it).  That song was originally recorded by the O'Jays, but 3rdW's version is faster and funkier.  On Try Ja Love - Stevie Wonder gets a writing and keyboard credit.  Third World is a reggae band that hails from Jamaica, they offer a blend of funk, soul, and rock.

T.C. Walker Band - Bottle of Beer

The T.C. Walker Band - Bottle of Beer.

There is literally nothing on the Internet that I can find out about this band or this record.  It is on the Statesboro Records Ltd. label, which is out of Nashville, TN.  The band is made up of Bob Jares on vocals and guitar.  John Maniatis, guitar.  Al Blakesley on drums.  And Larry Spalla, vocals and bass.  The back of the record lists this address for the T.C. Walker Fan Club, just down the road from me, at 15528 South 70th Court, Orland Park, IL 60462.  Very interesting - I'll get back to you.

Bill Bruford - Going Tornado

This is Bill Bruford's Gradually Going Tornado.

Back in our college dorm rooms in the early eighties, we all thought Bill Bruford was the best drummer in the history of earth.  That is because he seemed to land the coolest gigs and be mentioned on so many great records:  by Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, a semi super group called UK, and others.  This record is called  Gradually Going Tornado it is the third and final studio album by Bill Bruford.  It was co-produced by Weather Reprot collaborator Ron Malo, and was released in 1980.  On many Yes albums (the band's first 5 which include the classics Fragile and Close to the Edge) you can easily notice Bruford jazz-oriented playing style that is present throughout his career.  Bruford was approached in 1985 by Jimmy Page to drum for his then new band, with Paul Rodgers, called - The Firm, with reknowned bassist Pino Palladino.  Bruford stated "We rehearsed briefly, but I think decided we were mutually unsuited," according to wiki.

REO Speedwagon Golden Country - Gary Richrath

First thing - please see the video clip on this one by clicking on this post's title.  I am not sure which is better, the MC introducing the band, or the song they do (the classic 157 Riverside Avenue).  A local FM rock station (WDRV - the Drive http://www.wdrv.com/home.php) in Chicago is playing only live recordings of classic rock songs this weekend.  It's their Live Drive Weekend for you marketers out there.  Yesterday morning driving around on some errands (read: hitting garage sales) they played one of the greatest live songs from from what many agree is one of best DLA's of all time: photo above right.  The song is Golden Country.  If you don't have it on your iPod, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se3O2vHG1So  I will classify this further.   What Gary Richrath does is put out the best live recording on vinyl of a guitar solo on a Gibson Les Paul from the late '70's.   That's pretty narrow - but actually a large chunk of music.  Sadly, Gary left the band or was asked to leave.