Retro Reviews: Survivor: Caught in the Game

      I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. This is a lesser-known album.

Survivor – Caught in the Game (1983)

****

Producer: Frankie Sullivan

Musicians: Dave Bickler, Jim Peterik, Frankie Sullivan, Stephen Ellis, Marc Droubay, Daryl Dragon, Dave Arellano, Tom Kelly, Richard Page, Kevin Cronin

Songs: Caught In The Game, Jackie Don’t Go, I Never Stopped Loving You, It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way, Ready For the Real Thing, Half-Life, What Do You Really Think?, Slander, Santa Ana Winds

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Survivors follow up to the Eye of the Tiger album has been released and it raises some interesting questions. I would argue that Survivor didn’t full capitalize of the success with the “Eye of the Tiger” track, some of the follow up singles released on that album, while good, were questionable. Several songs that should have been the follow up singles - weren’t, and for a AOR band like Survivor, they need to build momentum per album, what’s more they had all of the tools with that album. This raises questions about their forth album if they can build further on the momentum. This new release, Caught In The Game, is consistent with the prior album, it’s the same team, and Frankie Sullivan is back as producer. Even REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin provides some background vocals, but make no mistake, singer Dave Bickler is more than capable. There’s some differences, as there’s more of an emphasis on Peterik’s keyboard’s this time. Sullivan’s guitar work cuts through on the album. Ellis, a capable melodic bass player, and Droubay on drums does a very good of it. Does the Peterik / Sullivan wrong writing team hold up? For the most part, it does.

    The opening title track, “Caught In The Game”, has some molten guitar work from Sullivan between the space with the bass and drums, a number about relationships. “Jackie Don’t Go” should probably be the single, Sullivan offers some meaty guitar, and Bickler vocal’s are pleading. The piano ballad “I Never Stopped Loving You” has a nostalgic quality, and some reflection Sullivan’s guitar lead is lyrical on this one, while may not as magical as “Ever Since The World Began”, another possible single. The up-tempo rocker “It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way” has Bickler offering a bit of hope. The pop leaning “Ready For The Real Thing” has some incisive lyrics, although it does lean towards sounding like advertising jingle at moments, but that is a minor complaint, Sullivan does his best Thin Lizzy / Queen guitar lead, although brief.

    Side two opens with another nod to the synth rock keyboards of “American Heartbeat” with “Half-Life”, but this manages to have far more dynamics, with shifting rhythms and some solid melodic leads and lifting chorus, as well as philosophical bent similar to “Eye of the Tiger”, and dramatic close in the last half. Peterik’s “What Do You Really Think?” might be one of the strongest numbers on here, with fine song craft, and some driving vocals from Bickler. The darker “Slander” has a more stripped-down rhythm, and incendiary guitar. It’s self-evident that background vocals are likely Cronin and Richard Page, there’s an interesting keyboard break down near the end that changes the pace, and a blues-based lead from Sullivan. The closer, the piano ballad “Santa Ana Winds” has some nice piano and guitar interplay, and a good vocal read from Bickler once again. Sure, this is anthemic rock, but they do a good job of it. It may take time to see if Survivor is getting lost in the shuffle on their peers on the AOR field. I hope that’s not the case, there’s some good material to be found here.  

Retro Reviews: Survivor: Eye of the Tiger

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70ss and start of the 80s, 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. 

Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger (1982)

****

Producer: Frankie Sullivan

Musicians: Dave Bickler, Jim Peterik, Frankie Sullivan, Stephen Ellis, Marc Droubay, Daryl Dragon, Fergie Frederiksen

Songs: Eye of the Tiger, Feels Like Love, Hesitation Dance, The One That Really Matters, I’m Not That Man Anymore, Children of the Night, Ever Since The World Began, American Heartbeat, Silver Girl

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    This Chicago based band Survivor has gotten attention with the second album Premonition, and the single “Poor Man’s Son”, so much so that they were picked to write the single “Eye Of The Tiger” for the Rocky III feature, which has been a phenomenal success. The kind of song that may have durability due to its universal themes. The song has become a flatform for their next of the same. This is a band that has already been dismissed by peers, for their AOR format, but I think this presumes a great deal when you consider the songwriting craft and secret weapon of the Peterik / Sullivan team. There’s a narrative intelligence behind the writing, and even a philosophical perspective on various songs. Keyboardist and Guitarist Jim Peterik, and Guitarist Frankie Sullivan make a solid team, and the rhythm support from Ellis and Droubay is quite good. Dave Bickler is an exceptional rock vocalist who is able to read the material well. While I wouldn’t say the writing is at the level of Dylan or Mitchell, there’s a lot more than there if you listen. Jim Peterik had been involved with The Ides of March and the impressive “Vehicle”, so the band has a good foundation.

    The potency of the title number leaves little surprised with its success, but the album would hold up well without the single. The brisk guitar and keyboard rocker “Feels Like Love” feels it could be a winner as a future single. The dual guitars of “Hesitation Dance” nearly has the feel of an AC/DC number, which seems to play on high school drama. The song craft of “The One That Really Matters” is impressive, while the guitar interplay with Sullivan and Peterik works well, at various points there’s hints of Brian May with the lead work. With the piano ballad, “I’m Not That Man Anymore”, Sullivan’s guitar fills offers some nice work, a number about a man who has grown up from a woman’s manipulation. It shifts into some high drama for Sullivan’s solo.

    The second half opens with the excellent guitar interplay of Peterik and Sullivan on “Children Of The Night”, an acoustic 12 string acts as extra bedding for the number. The exceptional piano ballad “Ever Since The World Began” has a universal depth and another possible single, and Sullivan sits out any leads to just serve the song. Bicker offers his best vocal, it just shows that they have instincts that one shouldn’t underestimate. The synth work that creeps in on various numbers doesn’t intrude. One of the true surprises is the drum and synth rock of “American Heartbeat”, another number that could have fit within Rocky III.  The album closer, the guitar and piano based “Silver Girl” offers some sentiment and dynamism, and heartfelt vocals. 

    Yes, this band is formulaic, it is anthemic, it is built for stadiums, it follows in the similar vein as Journey, REO Speedwagon, Loverboy, or, at its hardest AC/DC, but the band is a little more elevated than an act like Kiss. As have said it before, this is the type of band that teens and people in their early twenties will put in the cassette in their cars, and cruise at night – and that is a tradition I hope doesn’t disappear. 

Past Retro Reviews: Billie Holiday: Songs For Distingué Lovers (Revisited)

        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 new feature is a retrospective of work from decades before.  This was written as if it was 1968. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Billie Holiday – Songs For Distingué Lovers (1958) Revisited

****1/2

Producer: Norman Granz

Musicians: Billie Holiday, Harry Edison, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rowles, Barney Kessell, Red Mitchell, Alvin Stoller, Mondragon, Larry Bunker

Songs and music: Day In, Day Out, A Foggy Day, Star Fell On Alabama, One More For My Baby (And One More For The Road), Just One Of Those Things, I Didn’t Know What Time It Was

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    It has been just over ten years since Billie Holiday tragically passed on from needless misadventures and health issues. By the time of her work in the 1950s, her voice had changed due to wear, mistreatment, and bad circumstances. She didn’t have the same characteristics she held from the 40s until 1947, so she had to work around those issues. She may not have been the same singer as Sarah Vaughn or Ella Fritzgerald, but she dipped into her pathos and capitalized on her idiosyncratic phrases in the later years. Verve and Norman Granz did seem to know how to set up a good space for her work. She could still evoke joy and sadness, but there was always more a tinge of life experience with her later years. The tragedy of Billie’s later years was all too common for African American jazz players of her era. Drugs took many, namely heroin and you had a society where racism and segregation was all too common, it would wear on anybody as the years continued, hence, the use of drugs was the culmination of dead ends for many – talent elevated those out of bad situations, but it didn’t fix core issues.

    This album, with its six songs, saw her at the cusp, there’s a warmth and relaxed feeling with much of the material. Horn players Edison and Webster offered a fine counterpoint to her vocals, and Barney Kessell’s jazz guitar had a enough blues accents within it to hint at the discords. Pianist Jimmy Rowles had a dexterity and taste to respond to her vocal treatments. There’s a playful life to the opener, “Day In, Day Out” which is pleasant and some nice call backs from Kessell and Holiday, Edison has a detached Miles quality with his solo on it. Nice trade off with all of the players. Things are brought down a little with the ballad “A Foggy Day”, Billie is a little detached with the opening, but as the tempo comes to life, there’s a ebullience with her vocal that carries it. Kessell leads the feel with the soloing. “Stars Fell On Alabama” has a distinguished quality to it, and Billie offers an elegant read. 

    The second half offers the same tone of sophisticated ballads, “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” had already become a standard favorite for Frank Sinatra, and Billie offers a sad read with a sultry horn solo. Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things” has become another favorite of song interpreters. There’s a faster tempo and more dynamism with this arrangement, which builds into one of the more vibrant numbers on the album, “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was”, the album closer, another song about being a little wiser about love, has a nice set of leads, namely Edison and Kessel and the more sultry sax solo. Few realized she would be meeting a tragic end before the decade of the 50s ended. Have female artists learned the lessons of Holiday? Hard to say. New singers like Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick may have heeded the past. Marilyn Monroe didn’t survive long into the new decade, Judy Garland has already retired. It’s difficult to know what lessons new rock singers like Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, or “Mama” Cass Elliott from the legacy of a figure like Holiday. It’s easy for female vocalists to become victimized, and more a challenge to overcome those realties. 

Retro Reviews: Kate Bush: Lionheart

     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. This is a lesser-known album.

Kate Bush – Lionheart (1978)

****

Producers: Andrew Powell, Kate Bush

Musicians: Kate Bush, Andrew Powell, Duncan Mackay, Francis Monkman, Richard Harvey, Ian Baimson, Paddy Bush, Brian Bath, David Patton, Del Palmer, Stuart Elliott, Charlie Morgan

Songs: Symphony In Blue, In Search Of Peter Pan, Wow, Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heat, Oh England My Lionheart, Full House, In the Warm Room, Kashka from Baghdad, Coffee Homeground, Hammer Horror

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    After the impressive debut of Kate Bush’s first album, The Kick Inside and the astonishing “Wuthering Heights” earlier this year, Kate is finishing the year with her second album, Lionheart. Producer Anthony Powell is back, minus David Gilmour, but much of the same team has been brought back. She has an astonishing range while also retaining an idiosyncratic quality. Like the prior album, Kate continues to reference literary figures, and other aspects of pop culture. I must strongly disagree with peers who are dismissing the album, this doesn’t feel soulless or bland, this doesn’t feel contrived, but another step forward within a similar format from the first. I am a little puzzled over the sudden antagonism, it reminds me of the early reaction to Joni Mitchell, a woman who is immensely talented, but critics and writers had to damn with faint praise. In some respects, she is as intrinsically British as Peter Gabriel, or David Bowie, which leaves one of ponder if that is one issue. She is a part of the Progressive Rock movement, with maybe a touch of art rock for good measure.

    Much of Kate’s piano work is impressive and it compliments her vocals. Kate’s vocal range and her major interval jumps seem to be done for effect and to accentuate certain lyrical points, there’s a method behind this. Some of the stylistic adventures reminds me of Peter Gabriel’s first solo album. Onto the point to the album’s ‘sameness’ to the first, this reminds me of the similarities of Queen’s A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races, where both acted as a companion to the other. I have confidence that Kate will change in the coming decade. The opening number, the jazz pop flavored “Symphony In Blue” finds her in fine form, some of the themes behind the album, the ambivalence of relationships is sort of laid bare from the start. The next song plays into J.M. Barres themes with “In Search of Peter Pan”, that syndrome, but from a woman’s perspective, there’s also that nod to “When You Wish Upon A Star”, but with an altered melody. “Wow” manages to be an astonishing number and may be a comment on artist adulation. “Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heartbreak” uses an interesting vehicle analogy. “Oh England My Lionheart” seems to be a lament on World War 1, with another analogy to Peter Pan.

    The second half opens with “Full House” with a piano that accents an unsettled tone, and an accent to reggae at times. There’s a seductive yet introspective quality to “In The Warm Room”. While “Kashka from Bagdad” manages to have a more adventurous, yet laid back, with a tale of a clandestine romance. “Coffee Homeground” manages to have a music hall quality, nostalgic, the kind from a bygone era, yet with her own unusual take. The tale of a intended murder. All of which fits into the closing number “Hammer Horror”, a song that references Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this builds into a fitting sense of drama. The album ends with a pitched gong. While there’s no concept behind the album, there seems to be a threat, an inkling about the illusion of the myths we come to accept as the norm, where those myths are just hollow shadows against reality.

    While there’s merit to the sophomore slump of the obligatory second album, I would take a grain of salt over the press narrative about this album. Very worthwhile.

Retro Reviews: Fleetwood Mac: The Pious Bird Of Good Omen

     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. This is a lesser-known album.

Fleetwood Mac – The Pious Bird of Good Omen (1969)

****

Producer: Mike Vernon

Musicians: Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwin, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Eddie Boyd, Chrstine Perfect, Steve Gregory, Dave Howard, Johnny Almond, Richard Vaughan

Songs and Music: I Need Your Love So Bad, Comin’ Home, Rambling Pony, The Big Boat, I Believe My Time Ain’t Long, The Sun Is Shining, Albatross, Black Magic Woman, Just The Blues, Jigsaw Puzzle, Looking For Someone, ‘Stop Messin’ Round’

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    It may seem surprising that such a relatively young British blues act such as Fleetwood Mac would release a UK and US compilation, but this features a collection of singles, B sides, cuts from their sessions with Eddie Boyd, and cuts from their two albums. The recent American release English Rose, had featured a truly bizarre cover, and this album has a more banal design with a more poetic title indeed. For anyone who was frustrated that the prior albums didn’t seem to focus on enough pure blues numbers, this should satisfy those expectations. While this band differs from a heavy act like Led Zeppelin, I don’t know if I could argue that much more purist with the blues as some want to be. Peter Green still acts as a blues disciple, but tracks like “Albatross” and “Black Magic Woman” hint at something a little more that Green and Jeremy Spencer have to offer. Their next album is looming and there were rumors that personal changes may be afoot. 

    How could anyone stay true to the format of the blues without it sounding static? How many guitar shuffles and walking bass lines can one hear without it feeling spent? This release may offer a reprieve and assessment before the next phase of Fleetwood Mac, as it features cuts from 67 and 68. The slow blues of “I Need Your Love So Bad” features a lush string section with the bedding of an organ. Green remains an uncommon vocalist, and his brief time with John Mayall demonstrated his ability as a guitar interpreter. McVie and Fleetwood remain a solid foundation, after all the band’s namesake is built on the rhythm section. The rawer slide blues of “Comin’ Home” takes a nod at Elmore James, some Boggie piano and horns help to sell this and take it home. “Rambling Pony” even manages to feel more stripped down and evokes railroad labor. “The Big Boat”, a collaboration with Eddie Boyd, brings back the polish of the earlier singles, Green’s guitar has a haunted quality. “I Believe My Time Ain’t Long” does a good work out on Chicago blues. The juxtaposition of raw to polished numbers makes for an interesting listen when you explore “The Sun Is Shining”.

    Side two opens with the exquisite instrumental “Albatross”, driven by the rolling beat built on mood, layers of single line guitars, and jazz flavored chords take you on a costal visit. But “Black Magic Woman” is no less impressive, while it has a minor blues structure, there’s dynamics and dramatics that feel fresh. “Just The Blues” is the other Eddie Boyd number, it’s stride piano and guitar leads compliment each other. Danny Kirwin’s “Jigsaw Puzzle Blues” offers the most jazz flavored number and allows Green to stretch out. There’s an RNB infusion to the blues of “Looking For Someone” from the first album that keeps this varied. This collection is sent off with the full band, and horns of “Stop Messin’ Round”, with horn lines that reminds one of Ray Charles. This is a fine collection of material. 

Retro Reviews: Lou Reed: Coney Island Baby

   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. This is a lesser-known album.

Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby (1976)

***1/2

Producers: Lou Reed, Godfrey Diamond

Musicians: Lou Reed, Bob Kulick, Bruce Yaw, Michael Suchorsky, Godfrey Diamond, Michael Wendroff

Songs: Crazy Feeling, Charlie’s Girl, She’s My Best Friend, Kicks, A Gift, Ooohhh Baby, Nobody’s Business, Coney Island Baby

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    This is probably the most accessible Lou Reed album since Transformers, in contrast to the polarizing Metal Machine Music, or the concepts of Berlin, or even the showcase of the live Rock N Roll Animal, this feels like the Lou of old. While Lou’s vocal abilities are limited \, he does lean into the melodic here, and the album with its eight tracks is concise. As a Producer, Godfrey doesn’t try to emulate David Bowie, Steve Katz, or Bob Ezrin, but finds a space for Lou to be pretty informal here, Bob’s guitar work, and Bruce’s bass work finds room to keep’s Lou guitar rhythm interesting. Michael’s drumming is supportive and a far contrast from Mo Tucker’s Velvet’s days.  His melodic instincts on here nod to countless other artists, and that seems to be in contrast to what Lou has stated about pop and rock music in the past, but then again, the prior album was going to force a change.

    The warmer feeling is established with “Crazy Feeling” and lead guitar work that seems to imitate George Harrison, with background vocals and orchestral bells, has a statement of intent to pull listener, Bruce’s bass work is a standout. “Charlie’s Girl” is the closest to his Velvet Underground days, and I mean from the Doug Yuel period. “She’s My Best Friend” begins with some more open-ended chords before it shifts into familiar territory, a song about a partner who accepts the real person. The band really opens with the last half of the number, which is refreshing. “Kicks” has the misdirection of studio chatter before the lean back moods sets in, but the song acts as a kind of possible sequel to “Heroine”, but an older character who envy’s the youth’s self-destruction, or an ironic statement against such destruction. The boldness is a way to close out the first half. Michael’s free form drumming is a surprise. 

    Irony seems to be in good form with “A Gift”, is Lou playing the role of a Gigolo? It’s hard to say, but another observation to the New York street life he is all too familiar with. “Ooohhh Baby” is the most accessible nod to pop flavored Rock N Roll, with Lou’s piano, and the playful slide guitar that has a Stone’s nod, but this give’s Bob a lot of freedom, this also has some of Lou’s most narrative lyrics to be featured.  There’s the Country shuffle of “Nobody’s Business”, the background vocal’s of “Nobody’s” has the looseness of The Rolling Stones. The laid back feeling of “Coney Island Baby” has Lou in a spoken narrative mode, and it eases the listener out of the album.

    Regarding the album cover, Lou’s painted tuxedo shirt and bowler hat seems to take a surface nod to his glam dalliances. But Lou’s seems to be veering away from that mystique in the same way that Bowie has abandoned it. I am reluctant to adulate too much over Lou, The Velvet Underground as a collective was an important reset for the last half of the 60s and kept the scene more honest. Lou seems to be less interested in being provocative at the stage, maybe the burden of being a musical revolutionary has waned on him, like it did with Dylan years before. What you have is a well-played and vocally layered album, and perhaps Lou has figured out other means to paint pictures of urban life. It is one of the most romantic albums to come out of him as of yet, but the journey is worth it for the curious.

Retro Reviews: The Osbourne Brothers: Today Yesterday and the Osbourne Brothers

   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. This is a lesser-known album.

The Osbourne Brothers – Today, Yesterday and The Osbourne Brothers (1968)

***

Producer: Slim Williamson

Musicians: Bobby Osbourne, Sonny Osbourne, Dale Steed, Ray Edenton, Jimmy Buchanan, Ronnie Blackwell, Benny Birchfield

Songs: Will You Be Loving Another Man, Molly and the Tenbrooks, I’ll Never Shed Another Tear, My Little Girl In Tennessee, I’ll Never Love Another, I’ll Go Sleeping Too, Rocky Top, Gal, You Got a Job To Do, My Favorite Memory, Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin, If I Could Count On You

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Considering the release The Byrd’s Sweethearts Of The Rodeo, and the influence of new member Gram Parsons, it compelled me to think about the trends with the country scene and traditional Bluegrass, and established act The Osbourne Brothers has put out a new release of Bluegrass and Country material. Current Country has learned towards a pop sensibility with the aim to smooth out the rough edges, this is in contrast to Appellation culture, and segments of Bluegrass that embodies the deepest rural areas in America. All of which makes me wonder if the counterculture could embrace such an album, this isn’t to say, they shouldn’t, but many may perceive this as ‘square’ and out of step, which would be unfortunate. Many Bluegrass players, especially banjo players have a virtuosity with them that is enticing. 

    Leaders, Bobby and Sonny Osborune are adept players, and singers, and are backed by some solid musicians, side one is a little more stripped down with a sextet of players and side two features added percussion and Pedal Steel guitars. Most of these are traditional ballads, lost love, or affairs. Songs like “Gal, You Got A Job To Do” will feel hopelessly outdated to younger listeners, but then again The Rolling Stones get’s milage out of the same provocative attitudes as reflected here, therefore, it’s hard to say. Often the main showcase is Bobby’s Mandolin, Sonny’s Banjo, or Jimmy’s fiddle, all of which is established with the opener “Will You Be Loving Another Man”, There’s a certain spry feel to “Molly and the Tenbrooks” and the intimacy is reinforced. The pleasant “I’ll Never Shed Another Tear” has a catchy melody that is enhanced by the arrangement. The brisker “My Little Girl In Tennessee” has a similar set of changes from the prior number, but Bobby’s Mandolin stands out, Dale Steed offers the third vocal on many numbers. The first half is rounded out by “I’ll Never Love Another” has Bobby’s stretching out with his playing, and the closer “I’ll Be Sleeping Too” is a showcase for Sonny’s Banjo work.

    Side two has a more polished sound as evidenced by the single “Rocky Top”, a rather brisk number with electric pedal steal which duel with the banjo, and a shuffle. There’s a kind of kind of menacing humor to “Gal” with a nice switch up, but most people will take it with a grain of salt. With “My Favorite Memory” features some nice three part harmony, piano flourishes, pedal steal moments that offers a change of pace. “Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin” has a vibrant tempo, and honky tonk piano, in spite of the subject, someone spending too much time at the local bar. The closer, “If I Could Count On You” kind of finishes up the tone for the album. Most of this is all pretty straight forward, there isn’t much self-reflection, much of the music reminds me of the kind you’d hear on the Jukebox of a country bar. But it is pleasant for those looking for something relaxing and different.