DVDs, Mini CD Reviews and Other Mentions

This month I want to hit a couple things – first, I'd like to talk about some DVDs I've been watching. Music related DVDs, of course. Then I'd like to catch up on some CDs I've listened to for Fufkin.com that deserve a mention, though, for one reason or another, haven't merited a full or capsule review.

DVDs

First up, let's take a look at Ray Paul. With his band RPM, Paul was a star in Boston in the late ‘70s. They played some of the nicer venues in Boston, laying down the type of music that fans of skinny tie pop should eat up. Paul's music was certainly in line with The Raspberries, Dwight Twilley and The Scruffs.

This two-DVD set (entitled Performance Reel – check out www.permanentpress.net/raypaul.htm) is primarily comprised of vintage performances, some directly from the concert stage, some from local television appearances. The video quality isn't impeccable, but it works. Thankfully, the sound is fairly solid. The performances show off a good tight rock band with strong songs and fine vocals. If you are a fan of Paul's music, this is a must. If you haven't heard his music, but are a fan of the like minded power pop bands of the era, this serves as a fine introduction.

And there's something else that makes this a worthwhile purchase. Not one, but two (yes, two), live appearances from Paul at recent pop festivals with special guest Emmet Rhodes. The first is from Poptopia in 1997, the second from the 2000 International Pop Overthrow. Granted, at the latter appearance Rhodes is much more the backing musician, but he gets a few vocals in the Poptopia appearance. If you are a Rhodes fan and think you have everything, you don't, until you get this.

Next, let's talk about The Undertones. Teenage Kicks is a nice little documentary which tells the story of the rise and fall of the Irish band that may have been the apotheosis of punk-pop. Legendary British DJ John Peel, who has declared "Teenage Kicks" to be the best rock ‘n' roll record ever, is the interviewer for this doc, which takes place primarily in the band's home town of Derry, Northern Ireland. All of the members are interviewed, though lead singer Feargal Sharkey is interviewed separately. His original departure from the band was acrimonious, and while most of the wounds have healed, they obviously keep their distance to this day.

Most of the documentary is devoted to the band's formation and everything that led up to the ‘tones getting signed to Sire Records and becoming U.K. stars. No matter how many ‘rise to stardom' stories you may have heard, The Undertones' story is still special. After all, this was a band from Derry, for crissake! The band's music is equally special. It is liberally featured on the soundtrack, with some cool TV and live footage. The documentary does not focus much on the band's musical development after they signed to Sire, instead heading right to the break up, after four albums, and then the reformation with a new lead singer. It is a trip hearing him sing a few old ‘tones songs – and makes me hope they do a full U.S. tour sometime – he sounds great.

While this may not satisfy those who want to know everything, these are the most important parts of the story, and make for a good film. As a bonus, all of the band's music videos are included. Oh my, these guys were charming. Almost as fun as Madness, for which Sharkey deserves a large share of the credit.

The new DVD documentary on Sweet, Glitz, Blitz and Hitz, is not quite so successful, though still worth a look for the hardcore fan. This documentary relies on only three sources: original producer Phil Wainman, songwriter Nicky Chinn and guitarist Andy Scott. It rushes through a history of the band, throwing in some promotional clips and TV appearances. These alone are what big fans will want.

I'm certainly biased as a megafan of the band, but Wainman (who produced the Bay City Rollers and The Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays", among other things) is a nice guy with not much insight and Chinn also comes off at times as fairly clueless. Nothing is better when he tries to proclaim that Sweet stood for ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll', without the ‘drugs' part. Amazing that he could do that with a straight face. Moreover, there are other parts which seem to gloss over seamier or more gossipy material – this is a much sexier story! Too bad they didn't bother to interview the eminently quotable bass player Steve Priest (whose self-published memoir, Are You Ready, Steve? is a hoot).

However, the production team here did deal with the acrimonious split between Sweet and the Chinn-Chapman songwriting team. Scott and Chinn's stories are, no surprise, different. Would have loved to hear what Mike Chapman or someone from RCA Records had to say about this. I'm probably being too harsh on this, but it's not definitive.

The disc also includes a smattering of filmed clips from their heyday. As with other clips from that era, what really is striking is Brian Connolly – he looked like a rock star. Yet he didn't pose or preen – he just committed himself to every word of every song. He was contrasted by the wackier persona of Steve Priest, who really embodied the camp side of the band. Again, too bad he wasn't interviewed for this. Oh, and finally, it should be noted that Sweet had a ton of great singles.

Finally, I'd like to say a few words about Freaks And Geeks. If you're not familiar with the show, but have seen the extreme praise that it has garnered upon its DVD release, I'm here to tell you that every word of praise is merited. Having graduated from high school in 1982, having definitely been of the Geek persuasion, but having friends of the Freak persuasion, I can say that the show captured the feel of high school back in those days. Of course, fitting in is a theme suitable for a high school show set in any era. Which is why the show worked so well – it mastered its general theme as well as its specific context (the very early ‘80s).

The creative geniuses behind the show (Paul Feig and Jud Apatow) managed to mock and celebrate the cultural foibles of the ‘70s with affection (for example, the Freak gang heading to the laser show – we're treated to a laser interpretation of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"). They also realized what I suppose every generation in this technological age comes to notice – that while the core problems of adolescence are still the same, things seem so much more complex now. At the risk of sounding cliched, it was a simpler time back then.

For example, in the Halloween episode, Mrs. Weir spends her day making cookies to give away to the trick-or-treaters. However, with all the safety warnings about candy and such going around, no parent will take and/or keep the cookies – they throw them on the Weir lawn. This was a big deal just a couple or so decades ago.

The show also scored big points by having a large secondary cast that flowed in and out of the show. I attended a Q & A at the Chicago Broadcasting Museum with Feig and Apatow in 2000 (a similar Q & A is included in the 8-disc deluxe version), where Feig explained that they hated high school shows where everything revolved around just a few kids – that folks always floated in and out of your life. So the show reflected it (though it made the budget much higher than many would ever imagine). Another perceptive touch was that the producers made an effort to make sure that no character was black-and-white. As Feig noted at the Q & A, not all jocks were jerks, and the show showed that (like Cindy's boyfriend). And the character of Alan, the bully who tormented the Geeks, pretty much always remained a jerk, but they offered insight into why.

Yes, rarely does a TV show love its characters so much. Indeed, in a later episode, a spin-the-bottle game gives Bill (played by the amazing Martin Starr, who did the best job of capturing adolescent awkwardness, with an unexpected dignity and backbone) the chance to kiss a pretty popular girl. This was actually done to reward both Bill and Starr. How cool?

And while the show had some contrived moments, the strength of the characters and the amazing actors who played them always rang true. John Francis Daley was wonderful as the tongue-tied freshman who almost always seemed overwhelmed. Dave (Gruber) Allan's turns as the hippy guidance counselor are classic, as he really found the right notes for the counselor who tries to be "cool" with the kids, when he's as square as anybody else. Joe Flaherty really turned in a great performance as the father – note how his acting becomes more naturalized throughout the run. He's a great TV dad – a bit focused on his own job (his own kingdom), but when he needs to step up to the plate, he's terrific.

Most of all, the show was made by Linda Cardellini. One reaction shot from her was worth 10 script pages. While dealing with her own adolescent confusion, trying to decide whether to stay a mathlete or run with the burnouts, her character, Lindsay, saw through the artifice and illogic of authority and teendom. Her looks of befuddlement, disbelief and, rarely, disgust are the looks that we've all had when confronting the folly of life. Yet we rarely see those looks on TV – characters seem oblivious to it. But not Lindsay Weir. One of the greatest characters of all-time, even if she does end up a Deadhead.

CDs

We get a lot of CDs sent to Fufkin.com headquarters. A lot of those discs are forwarded to my attention. I listen to every CD I receive. Now, some of those CDs I might only listen to for a few minutes. The ones that really grab me, I review. I also accumulate discs that, had I more time, I'd also review. So I decided to go through as much of the maybe stack as I could in a busy April. Here, I'm trying to give a brief overview – these all have some quality that might appeal to you, the Fufkin.com reader.

Karmella's Game – What He Doesn't Know Won't Hurt Him (Speedbump): This is fizzy guitar-pop in the tradition of band's like Letters To Cleo. Mandy Koch is a strong vocalist. The keyboards add an oddly effective grandeur. Solid EP. speedbumponline.com.

Battery Life – Shotgun Mouth (Avebury): Trio sounds like a good bar band, mixing some basic rock, a little power pop and even some twanging bashers into the mix. The vocals could be a bit stronger, but otherwise, this is a just a bit above average in all areas. aveburyrecords.com

Barb Waters – Rosa Duet (Laughing Outlaw): Smooth country-tinged acoustic rock. Waters, a fine vocalist whose honeyed voice has a bit of edge, comes across as somewhat in the vein of Lucinda Williams and Kasey Chambers, and maybe even Bonnie Raitt. Includes a duet with Kim Salmon of The Scientists. laughingoutlaw.com.au

Jay Bertalan – The Only One (self-released): What category does music like Bruce Hornsby fall into? Because that's where this disc falls, too. Bertalan has a limited but expressive (kind of folky) voice, and makes low key rock, with some prominent piano. This is not my cup of tea, but if you have Hornsby, Sting and Don Henley in your CD changer, Bertalan would fit right in. This is very well-executed. jaybertalan.com

The Winnerys – and...The Winnerys (Rainbow Quartz): Rainbow Quartz now dominates the ‘60s revival market niche. This isn't a bad record, but it just is a bit too derivative for me. These guys know their 1964-65 era British Invasion very well. If you are a big fan of the style, then this may make your cut. rainbowquartz.com

Private Lessons – False Alarms (No No): Atlanta duo likes they synths and keyboards, and take advantage of the way they can be icy and warm at the same time. They jump around with styles, from new wave, to ‘60s psychedelia, to more ethereal stuff. I wish they had more distinctive vocals and the songwriting is spotty. But the sound is good. They are capable of real good stuff in the future. nonorecords.com

Keith John Adams – Sunshine Loft (dcbaltimore): A home recording by an Anglophile popster. Adams is a creative arranger with a firm melodic sense, doing one song on toy piano. He definitely likes the Beatles and other swingin' London bands circa 1967. Adams just needs to learn how to build a chorus, and he'll have something. dcbaltimore.com

Brad Postlethwaite – Welcome To The Occupation (Makeshift): Sort of folk based singer-songwriter, Postlethwaite has one of those voices that is akin to Franklin (Nothing Painted Blue) Bruno and Jonathan Richman – it's not really on key, yet it is quite musical. His songs, which range from traditional folk-based rock, to the occasional creative touch, sound good, but need just a bit more...stickiness, I guess. Thisclose to being damn good. makeshiftmusic.com

Rock E. Rollins – the post modern adventures of 21st century rock n roll boy (Vinyl Frontier): A sandpapery voice and music that grafts pub rock onto power pop, when Rock E. rocks, this is pretty good. The slow numbers kind of meander. And a couple of other tunes lay there. So three of the nine songs here are fine rock and roll – the rest is just okay. rockerollins.com

Forest Giants – In Sequence (Invisible Hands): The duo of Tim Rippington and Ruth Corcoran play bass heavy post-punk in the tradition of Joy Division, The Chameleons, The Jesus And Mary Chain, with the occasional nod to The Velvet Underground. Lo-fi probably works to their advantage, automatically giving this a dank vibe. "Nervous" sounds like a great early Church song. invisiblehands.co.uk

The Normans – Dreams Of Autocrashes (India): Gentle British jangle pop...from Austin, Texas. Mixed in with this are a few decidedly more rocking moments. Mostly pithy, sometimes plain loud. I also hear a bit of The Connells at times. This band needs a bit more focus, to hone their many good ideas. indiarecords.com

Of course, there are some more that I could mention, but I need more time. However, I will try to periodically do some more mini-reviews to give props to some more of the fine music we get sent at Fufkin.

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