Friday, July 18, 2025

Retro Reviews: Neil Young: After The Gold Rush

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Neil Young: After The Gold Rush
(1970)

**** ½

Producers: Neil Young, David Briggs, Kendall Pacios

Musicians: Neil Young, Danny Whitten, Nils Lofgren, Jack Nitzsche, Billy Talbot, Greg Reeves, Ralph Molina, Bill Petersen, Steven Stills

Songs: Tell Me Why, After The Gold Rush, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Southern Man, ‘Till the Morning Comes, Oh Lonesome Me, Don’t Let It Bring You Down, Birds, When You Dance I Can Really Love, I Believe in You, Cripple Creek Ferry

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    After the demise of the seminal Buffalo Springfield, Neil went off and marched to the beat of his own drum with his 1968 debut with Jack Nitzsche, and last year put out the phenomenal second album with Crazy Horse, an album that blended heavy garage rock with rich harmonies. The new album is a bridge to what he has done before, and a step forward. I am amazed at my peers that are critical of this one. When Neil plays the piano pieces, there’s a delicacy present, and yet he can also be rough the tumble with an electric. This album coincides with the launch of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà Vu album and seems to reflect another side of him.

    The opening track, “Tell Me Why” has a little of that CSNY sensibility in the vocals, the pensive, yet bouncy country flavor sets the tone. His first piano ballad, “After The Gold Rush” is an astonishing piece the blends a narrative of the past and future with a tasteful flugelhorn not out of place on a Beatles record. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is another ballad with a lifting chorus. The dramatic, “Southern Man” is the first true, mid-tempo rocker and a scathing critique of American’s history. The brief and whimsical “Till The Morning Comes” is as about as pop ass you can expect him to get. The only cover not written by Neil is “Oh, Lonesome Me”, a folky blues with harmonica.

    The dark and pensive “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” is another slower tempo number that helps to reveal other layers to the man. “Birds” is another piano ballad played by Neil that makes one suspect he’s been listening to Joni Mitchell, at least in capturing the bravery of her writing. Crazy Horse feels like it was truly brought back for “When You Dance I Can Really Love”, another great number and Nitzsche’s piano can be felt. The same is true with “I Believe In You” a track peppered with vibes and extra piano by Neil. The brief “Cripple Creek Ferry” brings things to a satisfying close. The Whitten, Talbot, and Molina line up is magical, But Nils Lofgren and Reeves are strong players. Nitzsche's brief presence is self-evident. If people expect Neil to stay static, they need to break that expectation and I say this to my peers. As the adage states, ‘a rolling stone gathers no moss’, Neil Young is going to keep moving, dear reader. Man, I love him for that. 


Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Retro Reviews: Gábor Szabó: Dreams

 

I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser known titles.

Gábor Szabó – Dreams  (1968)

****

Producer: Gary McFarland

Musicians: Gabor Szabo, Jim Stewart, Louis Kabok, Jim Keltner, Hal Gordon, Tony Miranda, Ray Alonge, Brooks Tillotson, Julius Schacter, George Ricci, Gary McFarland

Music; Galatee’s Guitar, Half The Day Is Night, Song of Injured Love, The Fortune Teller, Fire Dance, The Lady In The Moon, Ferris Wheel

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    European Jazz Guitarist Gabor Szabo has assembled a lovely instrumental album, that is both gentle, introspective, and daring. He had been building a reputation with a number of prior albums, but this might be his best and feels like it arrived at the right moment. In terms of a lead player, he sounds like someone that has been influenced by the contemporary scenes he has observed. He far removed from the influence of a Wes Montgomery, or Charlie Christian and has his own sound. Most everything is originals, except for two pieces from Manuel de Falla, and a Donovan piece. His last two albums “Bacchanal” or “Wind, Sky and Diamond’s” before then had relied on more covers so it’s refreshing to see a focus on originals.

    The album opens with the freeform section of “Galatee’s Guitar”, some lovely playing before it shifts to the rhythm and some very prominent Latin percussion, there’s both a subdued feeling and a quiet burn to the proceedings. There’s a raga feel to his playing as well as alternating notes. “Half The Day Is Night” has a more somber, introspective mood, some nice supportive violin playing on the track. “Song of Injured Love” is one of the first de Falla pieces. They manage a wistful quality to the recording. “The Fortune Teller” is one of the most lively tracks on the album with some great interplay between Gabor and the violin player. The structure bends and blurs as he falls into some open note riffing.

    “Fire Dance” is the second de Falla piece, another Latin shuffle adds to the mysterious quality of the piece, the string and horn coloring adds to it’s feel. Gabor’s overdrive and volume pedal – I am guessing – adds to the second half of the piece, while it all builds with a slow intensity. 2nd Guitarist Jim Stewart adds rhythm support or almost mandolin fills to Gabor’s lead / rhythm as is evidenced by “The Lady In The Moon”, the inventiveness of Jim Kelter really comes through on this track. His take on Donovan’s “Ferris Wheel” has another Latin feel with some nice support of the horn section. Some tasteful violin and Jim’s acoustic lead help to bring this home before Gabro wraps up the proceedings. I could see many guitarists lifting ideas from Gabro’s work, his controlled use of volume is tactical and tasteful. The album is another hybrid between Jazz, pop, Gypsy, Indian and Asian influences, all of which is fused beautifully.

    This is an album I could see Hippies and members of the counterculture putting this on, burning some incense, toking or dropping and relaxing to. It has a lovely feel throughout. Very much worth your time.


Friday, July 11, 2025

Retro Reviews: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced?

 I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced?
(1967)

*****

Producer: Chas Chandler

Musicians: Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell

Songs: Purple Haze, Manic Depression, Hey Joe, Love Or Confusion, May This Be Love, I Don’t Live Today, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Third Stone From The Sun, Foxy Lady, Are You Experienced?

Additional Songs: Stone Free, 51st Anniversary, Highway Chile, Can You See Me, Remember, Red House

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    What can be said about this guitar playing wunderkind that hasn’t already been said, he’s already a revelation in the short time he broke onto the scene. But I am surprised by some fellow critics and peers that are critical about his debut album. Of course, ex Animal’s bass player Chas Chandler discovered him in the US and brought him onto the British scene. Why the criticism, I can only guess, but my impression is that the skepticism is based on his flamboyance and stage theatrics, that his theatrics substitutes musical depth, but I hear a lot of musical depth, if you separate the fuzz volume and guitar feed back, I hear someone who not only has technical proficiency but real song craft as well. There’s some musical sophistication I don’t hear very often from others, and it even rivals Eric Clapton. Hats off to engineers like Eddie Kramer that has helped pull off those sounds. But make no mistake, Hendrix is responsible for those sounds, this is his vision.

    The opening track on the US edition, “Purple Haze”, it’s very opening sounds like a futuristic anthem before the verse even begins. Mitch Mitchell offers some rolling patterns on “Manic Depression” on a song that tumbles along with it’s ode to mental distress. The early single “Hey Joe”, has a full vocal backing that is interesting, and a lead guitar solo that is exhilarating, Once again Mitch offers strong support on “Love or Confusion”, the rhythm guitar is complicated and a second guitar sits on feedback. “May This Be Love” is the first truly lovely number on the album, good vocal and poetic lead guitar. Mitch pretty much carries the atmospheric blues of “I Don’t Live Today”.

    Side two’s “The Wind Cries Mary” might be one of the mostly pieces on the album and one of the better ballads I can recall. “Fire” is a simple fun blues, then again, nothing is exactly simplistic on this album. “Third Stone From The Sun” is Jimi’s take on surf music, but it’s structure is built on several sections. “Foxy Lady” musically struts about with some ebullient leads. The closing title track with it’s psychedelic blues, and backwards percussion manages to triumphantly close the album for the US print.

    But that’s not all, The UK print featured a number of songs that tied into the R and B blues tradition. “Remember” and “Red House” revealed that side of him. Some of the other B sides of the singles, “Stone Free” and “Can You See Me” showed other sides of his background. “Highway Chile” is more dramatic, the spry blues of “51st Anniversary” argues against marriage. Overall many of the tracks on the album explore depression, freedom, seduction and the reality of life for Americans who are of a different race.

    I could be wrong, but this album is the future, many of these songs will be recorded by others, analyzed and appreciated by others in the years to come. Hendrix has changed the rules – and that’s not a bad thing, baby.  


Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Retro Reviews, Rodriguez: Cold Fact

 

I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser-known titles.


Rodriguez: Cold Fact (1970)

****

Producers: Mike Theodore, Dennis Coffey

Musicians: Sixto Rodriguez, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore, Andrew Smith, Bob Pangdon, Bob Babbit, Detroit Symphony, Carl Reatz

Songs: Sugarman, Only Good For Conversation, Crucify Your Mind, This is Not A Song - it’s an outburst or the Establishment Blues, Hate Street Dialogue, Forget It, Inner City Blues, I Wonder, Like Janis, Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme), Rich Folks Hoax, Jane S. Piddy

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Why isn’t anyone paying attention to this artist? Rodriguez is a Mexican Troubadour song writer, a folk and rock stylist whose candid and incisive lyrics might be on par with Dylan. He also has a stronger and more accessible singing voice than Mr. Zimmermann, the support players and orchestral arrangements simply augment and add coloring to his performances I haven’t heard in a while a singer who has been this compelling. He feels authentically street in a manor that other singers merely feign to be street smart. Rodrieguez wrote all of the songs except for two written by his producers. Dylan has cultivated such a mystique about his origins that it’s difficult to gauge his class background, but Rodriguez observations make one suspect he’s seen some squalor. 

    The opening track, “Sugar Man” is obviously about a pusher, but it resolves into a psychedelic deluge at the end, the keyboards and orchestrations have an eerie quality. “Only Good For Conversation” opens with some heavy guitar that sets up the mood for a tale of a manipulative person. “Crucify Your Mind” along with the open track is probably one of the better tracks and most accessible for radio, it’s penetrating honesty is haunting. “This Is Not A Song, It’s an Outburst: Or the Establishment Blues”, while self-explanatory is a scathing comment on what he sees and covers some broad points. “Hate Street Dialogue” is one of the few songs not written by Rodriguez but stays true to the tone of the material. “Forget It” is the disillusionment song but also reveals musically he is a very sophisticated writer.

    “Inner City Blues” features some more intense lyrics and good acoustic lead blues support, the atmospheric string arrangement reminds me of Bobby Gentry’s ‘Ode To Billy Joe’. The next track is again one of the stronger ones, “I Wonder” has a very spry drum and rolling bass figure that quickly pulls you in. “Like Janis” has a pop sensibility but lyrically it is about someone who sees through the façade of another. “Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme)” is another song written by the producer, while it’s shifts are interesting, it doesn’t quite work for me. Things are back on form  with “Rich Folks Hoax” which feels very honest and real to me. The closer “Jane S. Piddy” is a satisfying revolve with lines like ‘You’re a loser, a rebel, a cause without’, about the resignation of a person who gave up on their potential. The guitar work from Coffey and Keyboard work from Theodore is quite strong. The band simply enhances the material. An outstanding debut from a man who seems to look past the surface and seems to insist on breaking down the facades of society.

Friday, July 4, 2025

Retro Reviews: Led Zeppelin II

 

I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Led Zeppelin II
(1969)

*****

Producer: Jimmy Page

Musicians: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham

Songs or music: Whole Lotta Love, What Is And What Should Never Be, The Lemon Song, Thank You, Heartbreaker, Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman), Ramble On, Moby Dick, Bring It On Home

By Matthew Anthony Allair

    After the launch of Zeppelin’s debut, they have created a lot of excitement, and especially during the North American summer tour where they have connected more than in Europe. I am not surprised, this new band just excites the average record buyer, and the new album might just solidify it more. The Jeff Beck Group’s second album, “Beck-Ola” went in a different vibe, and there is less comparison between the two acts now. The new album takes the best elements from Zeppelin’s debut, and improves on it, and it makes for one exciting listen. Failure offers a million explanations, but success rarely needs explaining.

    After a stutter, the album opens with the swagger of “Whole Lotta Love”, a fairly simple track as a song, but it makes for a great record, and a psychedelic middle section of percussion, sounds and shrieks, before building into a crescendo. “What Is And What Never Should Be” starts off with a laid back fusion jazz nod of a groove, before heading into overdrive with the choruses. “The Lemon Song” plays with every standard blue cliché, yet keeps it fresh. Let’s address the complaints I have seen that the band borrows from a lot of blues sources and doesn’t credit them, perhaps valid, but then again, the band seems to want to reshape what the blues actually means. Let’s also address the other issue, the repetitive nature of some songs from the last album, it looks to me that the method is to place the listener into a certain state, good or for bad, it’s up for the reader to decide. The next track, the lovely “Thank You” opens with some nice organ and layered guitars, and one of the most heart felt vocals from Plant.

    Side two opens with the sonic fire of “Heartbreaker”, and a pretty dazzling middle showcase section. “Living Loving Maid” seems to be the heavy pop number on the record, and probably the lightest track. The acoustic “Ramble On” has some spry percussion, before jumping into another heavy chorus. The drum show case “Moby Dick” opens with a nice grove before Bonham can dazzle with his light and share style of drumming, this track might even rival Cream’s “Toad”, which for some might seem unthinkable. Plants Harmonica is back for the slow blues groove of “Bring It On Home” that morphs into the raunchy groove that will leave you exhilarated. Great playing and vocals throughout.  Bonham’s drumming is outstanding overall, for example John swings like mad on “Whole Lotta Love”, you can tell when a drummer has a jazz influence, or influenced by players like Clyde Stubblefield, such players can often lift up a rock arrangement

    This band is quickly shaping up to be what might be the defining sound of the next decade, no wonder why certain music critics and industry peers are shook up. Ignore the bad notices you read, this has surpassed the promise of the first record. Incidentally, the track listing on the audio cassette is slightly different. This is as great of an album as you will ever get – all hail the new sound, Man.

A very special Raspberry to John Mendelsohn. 😏

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Retro Reviews: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band - Live Peace in Toronto 1969

 

I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band: Live Peace in Toronto (1969)

***

Producers: Lennon / Ono

Musicians: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Alan White

Songs: Blue Suede Shoes, Money (That’s What I Want), Dizzy Miss Lizzie, Yer Blues, Cold Turkey, Give Peace A Chance, Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow, John John (Let’s Pray for Peace)

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Man, I don’t know what to make of this live album, the recording is beautifully done, and while it’s a little ragged, it manages to work – for the most part. Apparently, John was asked to appear at the ‘Rock N Roll Revival Festival’ at almost the last minute in Canada, and drafted not only Yoko, but Clapton, Voormann, and Mr. White. That festival also featured Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Alice Cooper Band, and Chicago Transit Authority, with John ending up with top billing. They had only two brief rehearsals before going on stage, all things considered, they managed pretty well.

    John has always had a deep love for early rock and roll, and it makes sense he would open with the iconic “Blue Suede Shoes”, The guitar interplay between Lennon and Clapton is good, btu we’ll get back to that in a moment. The next number “Money” had been recorded by the Beatles and had featured in the UK ‘With The Beatles’ in 63 and the US ‘Beatles 2nd Album’, my big complaint is I wish Alan had leaned into some Ringo fills on it. The next number “Dizzy Miss Lizzie’ featured some good back and forth on guitar, but at times the mix suffers from the guitars being uneven.  They do a somewhat different version of “Yer Blues”, rumor has it Clapton played on two ‘White Album’ tracks as a guest. John drops in a new song, “Cold Turkey” which isn’t bad, and they close his set with “Give Peace A Chance” where John improvises some words in the verses. To his credit, John does admit at the opening they, the band, had never played together.

    Yoko’s work opens the second half and John does reveal ‘she’s going to lay something all over you’, or something to that effect. “Don’t Worry Kyoko” manages to have a pretty heavy groove, and the experimentation does meander towards the end. They morph into “John, John (Let’s Pray for Peace)”, the track builds into a layer of guitar feedback that hums into an industrial roar, which may have been the point of her segment. Yoko can sing, which is why it was baffling that her song “Remember Love” wasn’t included into set to ease the audience in. The two tracks had been featured on a single and their ‘Wedding Album’. I have never bagged on their three experimental albums as they are Avant Garde documents of their relationship, and just seem like oddities. Those last guitar feedback moments sound like aural representations of the horrors of Vietnam, and that might be the point. War is futile and pointless, and there must be better ways to deal with politics, land disputes and trade disputes. I hope we wise up to this someday.

    The packaging is nicely done, and the calendar is a nice touch. I do suspect that the last half might influence others in the future – it feels like something new. But overall, while there’s some terrific performances, the rest is just interesting. I can’t say this is a consequential album.