Mike
Bennett
Capsule
Reviews:
November,
2001

Various Artists -- "Listen to What the Man Said" (Oglio): Proceeds from this Paul McCartney tribute disc go to breast cancer research. Better than average, as far as these things go. Sloan, with an ornate take on "Waterfalls", Matthew Sweet ("Every Night") and Linus Of Hollywood's all-vocal extravaganza on "Warm and Beautiful" are excellent. Not far behind are Robyn Hitchcock ("Let Me Roll It"), The Minus 5 ("Dear Friend"), Owsley (a faithful "Band on the Run") and Virgos, who can't equal Macca's versions of "Maybe I'm Amazed", but come close enough to feel plenty proud. Only a few just O.K. tracks - both "Jet" (Semisonic) and "Coming Up" (John Faye Power Trip) don't seem to be the best match for the talented performers. The only outright loser is SR-71's desecration of "My Brave Face" - the pop-punk band who manages to be incompetent at pop and punk could probably find a way to fuck up John Cage's "4' 33"" (FYI - a Cage composition consisting of total silence for the titular time). Great start to the Tribute LLC series of benefit comps. Oglio.com

The Dismemberment Plan -- Change (DeSoto): Emo veterans continue to mutate into something of a post-punk art rock band. The music is groove oriented, with precise work by the rhythm section which allows the guitars to shape the simple but effective melodies and gives singer Travis Morrison plenty of room to vocalize his prolix lyrics. Some of the songs might appeal to fans of the final works of The Police or mid-to-late '80s Rush, though the Plan's music avoids the pretentiousness of either of those bands. The meticulous care taken with the playing and arrangements never overwhelms the personal nature of the tunes; the low-key grandeur of the music and Morrison's empathetic style make for an inviting combo. The hooks are subtle, but come to the fore after a few plays. A couple rockers and a reggae knock off give the album some variety. The soaring "Superpowers", playful "Ellen and Ben" and the searing "Time Bomb" are A-list tunes. Desotorecords.com

Gallygows -- Give It To Her (Rainbow Quartz): Spanish group produced by the Posies' Jon Auer plays light-hearted '60s pop, with enough rock to avoid being simply pigeonholed as a soft-pop outfit, though fans of that style will find some fluffy fodder for their entertainment pleasure. Their sensibility is not too far from Tahiti 80 - though they don't dabble in dance music to the same extent (when they do on "Roller Disco Combo" it works very well). In fact, the best tunes are the least retro - the oddly arranged "Senseless", with a repetitive piano part and found sounds, is very cool and "Things I'll Never Tell You", a slow-tempo rock number, is well rendered. Not that there's anything wrong with '60s styled numbers like the memorable "All About You" and "Burning at the Stake". Guest vocalist Monica Klamburg shines on her two Swan Dive-ish songs. Nice record, but the band would benefit from either a more distinctive personality or bigger hooks. Rainbowquartz.com

Steve Allen -- In + Out Of The Light (Babalink): This is the former 20/20 member who penned one of the all-time greatest powerpop songs ("Yellow Pills"). He's now a Nashville cat and a true blue American rock and roller. Oh, and a scorching guitarist. If you've been looking for a disc to keep your Rory Gallagher and Keith Richards albums company, this would do the trick. A well played mix of blues-based rock, a few mellower numbers (the inspired "Surfin' with Jimi" could have been titled "The Wind Cries Jimi") and the obligatory reggae spiked ditty ("Completely Free" - good tune), the songs all have solid craftsmanship and come alive thanks to Allen's fretboard magic. Allen gets playing/writing assistance from notable dudes like Bill Lloyd, Tommy Heath and former 20/20 teammate Ron Flynt. Analogy: as part of being a healthier human, I've drastically cut down on eating beef. So when I eat the occasional hamburger, it's a real treat. This album hits me the same way. Steveallenmusic.com

Paula Kelley -- Nothing/Everything (Stop, Pop, And Roll): Bostonian used to warble for Boy Wonder, which was a charming poppy rock band, somewhere in the realm of fellow Bostonians Fuzzy and Letters To Cleo. Solo Kelley gravitates towards the lush side of the '60s, which is well suited to her girlish voice (two parts Julianna Hatfield to one part Belinda Carlisle). Kelley not only has the right voice, she clearly has a feel for the material, and invests it with ardor and intent. Her assignment for the follow up is to stay the course while honing the songwriting chops. While "Everything", "All Request Hour" and "Showdown" are very good tunes, some of the tunes are solidly crafted, but aren't distinctive, getting by on Kelley's obvious charm. A very promising debut. Stoppopandroll.com

Henry Gross -- I'm Hearing Things (Zelda): Gross was an original member of Sha Na Na and played at Woodstock, which is cool, and left before the band's annoying-as-hell TV show (cooler) and, coolest of all, went on to write and perform one of the most enduring smash singles of the '70s, the Carl-Wilson-wonderful "Shannon". Gross is still in fine vocal form, with just a bit of range shaved off the top, and has probably forgotten more about songwriting than most folks have learned. This is an effortless Southern pop record, a mix of old fashioned rock and roll, '60s influenced grooves, and twang that would bring a smile to the face of a Bill Lloyd or NRBQ fan. Gross has some cool pals lend a hand, like the E-Street Band's Gary Tallent, Clive (Any Trouble) Gregson and Southern Rock stalwart Henry Paul (anyone remember "Gray Ghost"?). Picks to click include the Dixie Britpop "Above the Rain", the Buddy Hollyish "Mona Lisa Smile", the melodic popabilly "Mama Who's Gonna Rock" and the plaintive, lovely "You Can't Tell Time". I would love to get Gross in a room with Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman - all great craftsman who haven't lost their mojo. Henrygross.com

Doug Powell -- Venus DeMilo's Arms (Wizzard In Vinyl): Great title for this 4-song EP of leftovers, though, coming on the heels of Powell's brilliant LP More, perhaps Less would have been appropriate. 20/20's Steve Allen (he's everywhere!) co-writes one tune and plays bass and/or guitar on three, with Dave Perkins sharing writing credit and playing some fantastic lead guitar on "Shot Like a Bullet Into the Sun", a propulsive pop-rocker with impressive lyrics - have a thesaurus handy. This has the usual Powell virtues - sparkling production, Powell's beautiful powerpop perfect voice, and songs that build a bridge between The Beatles and Jellyfish. The blue ribbon goes to the slightly downcast "Do You Know Mary", an amplified whisper with a soaring middle eight and guitar solo. "Bye Bye Magpie" is an angry scorcher, leavened by some sweet melodies, as Powell takes on junk journalism. And "But I'm Only Dreaming" is a relaxing jangle, Allen twanging his lead guitar, and Powell's vocal having a bit of a Robin Zander-ish quality (am I allowed to compare Powell to Cheap Trick, or will they sue me for it?). The jangle gives way to an insistent, hooky chorus - but you wouldn't expect any less from Powell, right? This is a limited edition Japanese import, so don't be late, gate. Wizzard-in-vinyl.com

Million Yen -- Blue Television Windows (Veronica): Like a lot of Midwestern bands who play loud guitar rock with a distinct melodic vibe, the Cheap Trick comparison crops up. While you can find a little Trick in the Million Yen mix, you might as well compare them to E'Nuff Z'Nuff. And that wouldn't be right either. The band is more relaxed vocally - the sweet singing layers on top of the ringing lead guitars and crunchy chords. Hmmm…that kinda sounds like Teenage Fanclub - they share a similar sensibility, but the songwriting vibe is closer to the aforementioned powerpop than the Fannies. The swirling "Velveteen" has a Catherine Wheel vibe. "Seven Days" has a big guitar riff like the ones that keyed all those '80s .38 Special hits, but the song takes a less obvious, but still catchy, direction. The range of comparisons I'm making is a sign that these guys have come up with a cool sound - there's lots of keen stuff here - this disc will sneak up on you in a very pleasant way. Veronicarecords.com

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