ST. SAMMY?

Here’s something I just realized that is very hard for me to acknowledge: Sammy Hagar saved Van Halen. Yup, he did.

How so? Even though Van Halen were never a hairband they were hairband adjacent, having been the inspiration for many of them, whether they realized it or not. So, I’m assuming the distinct possibility that the classic Van Halen sound would not translate to the Alt-rock ‘90s, when Seattle was the promised land and Lollapalpoza gathered the tribes.

With the Red Rocker on board, they became a poppier, more commercially palatable version of the band—Van Jovi, as I have taken to derisively refer to that phase—which enabled them to survive. (Not coincidentally, Bon Jovi themselves did the same thing in order to avoid the hairband graveyard of the ‘90s.)

Now, fans of the Diamond Dave years will question whether it was ever worth it for the band to survive without him. They would likely reason that the brothers Van Halen could’ve taken a break after they broke off with DLR and not recorded anything until their swan song, A Different Kind of Truth [Interscope-2012] and no one would be worse for the wear.

Of course, that was impractical not to mention an incredibly selfish point of view, especially to those who enjoyed Hagar’s stint with the band and they are in the millions. (So were the bank statements of those closely involved in this rock and roll merger.) And, as the esteemed Chuck Klosterman once wrote, after Roth's departure they were too young to retire and too successful to quit, so... 

But you can’t overlook how this led to the band’s not entirely positive mainstreaming, as well as their very uncool participation in the Crystal Pepsi soft drink fiasco and its ad campaign, which featured the VH song “Right Now”. Alternative Nation was not gonna be down with any of that.

So the question becomes, was it worth it to save Van Halen in order for them to make the records they did without the Diamond One?

I have an answer, of course, but the only one whose answer matters is you.

UNDOUBTEDLY AMAZED

PAUL McCARTNEY
McCartney
[Capitol - 1970]

Recorded mostly at home as his first formal post-Fabs musical statement, it was the recipient of scathingly negative reviews but managed to reach and stay at the top spot of the charts for three weeks in the US. (It peaked at #2 in the UK.) The passage of time, however, has been kind to this one: these days it’s remembered as the first of his lone-man trilogy of solo albums and has earned much critical re-evaluation in the decades since it appeared, not to mention being regarded as an influence on the lo-fi/DIY movement. (It’s considered the first “indie” album by the man himself.) 

 

And while it comes across, undoubtedly, as a sometimes ragged and somewhat unfinished affair overall, even at his shaggiest and carefree the man was capable of bringing the magic, as evidenced by “That Would Be Something”, “Every Night”, “Junk” and the timeless “Maybe I’m Amazed”.

 

Despite being the antithesis of the, in comparison, elaborate and ornate ‘Abbey Road’ (which was the bulk of the negative critiques this one garnered), the homespun charm of this collection of songs has caught the ear of quite a few of his musical peers and descendants, who have voiced their fondness for it over the years, including the likes of Neil Young and Paul Weller. (Even the shit-stirring grouches at Pitchfork like this one!)

 

Sadly, while its release date coincides with the death of his beloved wife—who passed away on this date in 1998—I like to think the album’s airy and delicate opening track, “The Lovely Linda” and the aforementioned “Maybe I’m Amazed”, of course, are wonderful reminders of the anchor who kept him from going adrift at this time in his life. And for many years to come.

 

In late September 2020, the album got a deluxe 50th anniversary reissue three months before the release of ‘III’, the third installment of his solo trilogy.

 

Released April 17, 1970.

THEY WANT TO BE ADORED

LIAM GALLAGHER / JOHN SQUIRE
self-titled
[WEA - 2024]

There are instances of things that occur without warning that make sense once they do but not before. For instance, I didn’t have this particular collaboration on my bingo card but it made sense as soon as it made news. Two legendary Mancs who complement each other on a basic level—Gallagher’s need for a proven songwriting guitarist and Squire, a guitar hero looking for a voice for his tunes—make for an intriguing if not not necessarily enticing pairing.

While there’s no Oasis or Stone Roses here, a strong reverence for music of the past is quite present: a bit of Merseybeat; a touch of psychedelic Beatles; some Hendrix and Page-influenced guitar licks, on what in essence is a 21st century classic rock record. Interestingly, its warm production comes from Greg Kurstin, the Grammy Award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist best known for working with the likes of Adele, All Saints, Pink, Sia and Jessica Simpson.

But at the end of the day, the songwriting is what has to carry the heavy load. And in this regard, the album is a decent but somewhat tentative affair. It ably showcases the talents of both these gentlemen, but feels like a nice opening salvo for a collaboration which might bear sweeter fruit down the road.

Released March 1, 2024.

 

New Way Home

 

FOO FIGHTERS
But Here We Are
[Roswell/RCA - 2023]

Early reviews suggest it’s a back-to-basics album, implying it’s a throwback to earlier records in the band’s catalog. There’s some truth to that—songwise, this one comes across as somewhat of a hybrid of The Colour and the Shape and There’s Nothing Left to Lose with, for good measure, a sprinkling of late ‘70s’/early ‘80s pop rock towards the back end. But those expecting or insinuating a return to the raw, aggressive sound and feel of the self-titled debut—which, coincidentally, was the last time Grohl played drums on an entire album for the band—are barking up the wrong tree. Well-oiled, veteran, arena rock acts rarely revisit their sonic roots. And if they do it's usually out of desperation, which is obviously not the case in this instance, as the band remains as popular as ever.

 

Many of this outfit’s detractors bemoan Grohl leaving behind the kit to become a frontman, thus depriving rock and roll of one of the most gifted drummers of his generation. Well, he’s back on this one and the results are what anyone would expect: the man hasn’t lost a step. But the sad, tragic reason why he’s behind the kit cannot be overlooked.

 

The album is dedicated to late drummer Taylor Hawkins and Grohl’s mom Virginia, whose death last summer went largely unreported. (“Rest” and “The Teacher”, in particular, seem to be directly inspired by their respective passing.) Grohl’s daughter Violet sings backup, noticeably on “Show Me How”, so there’s a bit of a family affair vibe, if not a festive one. This is, after all, a collection of songs responding to absence and grief. It’s not a dour listen, however—as the up-tempo rockers on the record’s first half clearly attest to—but meant to be an expression of catharsis and, as such, the band’s playful, sometimes gimmicky, often goofy vibe is not present on this one.

 

In the end, it’s a solid record from a band that’s been releasing albums longer than Kurt Cobain was alive. (Which in this instance is kind of fitting since the grief over his bandmate’s death was one of the reasons he started this one.) So, no earth-shattering musical developments just a pretty decent record, one that will be embraced the band’s followers but probably won’t draw in anyone who previously shunned them. I’m pretty sure Grohl is fine with that.

 

Released June 2, 2023.

Bittersweet Symphonies

THE LEMON TWIGS

Everything Harmony

[Captured Tracks-2023]

 

Despite having begun their careers as child Broadway actors, these 20-something, Long Island, NY multi-instrumentalist siblings have been formally doing the music thing since high school. And over an EP and three albums—one of them a wild rock opera—Brian and Michael D’Addario have shown themselves to be keen songwriters and arrangers who owe a debt of influence to another quirky set of siblings: the Mael brothers of Sparks.

 

But they’ve toned down that playful vibe and it’s other influences they channel on album number four: “Any Time of Day” evokes the Todd Rundgren of the early ‘70s; “What You Were Doing” could be a long lost Big Star song; and “I Don’t Belong to Me” is reminiscent of the Beach Boys’ less commercially successful but musically satisfying immediate post-Pet Sounds output, just to name a few.

 

To be honest, that a couple of musicians who weren’t even alive when Jellyfish disbanded in the early ‘90s—a band with whom they share some musical DNA, as well a bit of a sartorial kinship—this kind of well-crafted, bell-bottom melodicism that chronologically resides somewhere between 1966-1976, is a head-scratching (albeit quite welcome) surprise. Simply stunning. More, please.

 

Released May 5, 2023.

Lucky 13

GUIDED BY VOICES
Tremblers and Goggles by Rank
[GBV-2022]

In a continuous but seemingly furtive way, Bob Pollard and his most recent of co-horts (Bobby Bare Jr, Doug Gillard, Kevin March and Marc Shue) have made 13 albums in the 5 years since this lineup came together. Not only is this the longest stretch of any lineup in the band’s history but the music they’ve been putting out has been consistently solid if not as seminal as Bee Thousand [Scat-1994] or Alien Lanes [Matador-1995].

 

Their most recent platter denotes a desire to further expand their sonic palette with melodic and rhythmic shifts that reference prog rock if not necessarily embracing it full-on. But this is no surprise as Uncle Bob has made clear that prog is one of the “4 Ps”—pop, punk and psych being the other three—that inform his songwriting. (For what it’s worth, it’s also one of the more Who-centric records in their catalog.)

 

While I would recommend this one to both fans of the band and the uninitiated, I would suggest the latter group check out first single “Alex Bell” and then decide whether to delve further into the record. A tribute to Big Star’s founders Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, “Alex Bell” best encapsulates the feel and purpose of the album overall, as it weaves thru melodies and quick turns but in Uncle Bob’s own unmistakable way.

 

Released July 1, 2022.

Sad But True: Music Is All About Falling In Love

Recently, the CEO of a well-known music services company posted a video on YouTube in which he addressed an incident with a disgruntled client. Said client, according to the CEO, was enraged about spending a few hundred dollars on an ad service the company offers, which yielded no results in terms of further exposure for the client’s music. The client was livid and accused the company of all sorts of things. The CEO countered this with an analogy: treat your career like you would your body and health. Take the proper steps, have discipline and determination and you will have a better outcome. All of which sounds to me like “Get a job, work hard, save money and buy a house”. Duh. No one is hiring an ad service as a mundane, practical step but a way to get a leg up. And if it can’t deliver that…

But that’s not even it.

 

The sad, undeniable truth that no one wants to admit is that there is no formula or guarantee when it comes to your music. Spending nothing/a little/a lot is not really the key, because luck is the only factor involved when it comes to the music business. Luck may be important in everyday life but in the music business it’s the only thing.

 

You can have the catchiest, best produced songs, performed by a talented, visually appealing artist, spend millions on advertising and have it go nowhere. Meanwhile, somebody uploads their goofy little song to YouTube and/or Spotify and it goes viral without spending a penny on any kind of advertising. Some artists do exactly what the aforementioned CEO suggests above and are successful. Others have also done exactly what he says and have little or nothing to show for it.

 

Why?

 

Because contrary to current popular opinion, music is not a product that you can sell like a hammer or a screwdriver, for instance. When you need a work tool such as those, you find the best one you can afford and simply buy it. Music doesn’t work the same way. Acquiring music is like falling in love: it’s about feelings. It’s about how you feel about a certain kind of music. And they can thrust this particular artist or album or song in front of you via advertising and if you don’t connect with it you won’t acquire it. Even if it’s a style of music that you enjoy or even love. Because it’s about feelings. And, of course, luck.

Welcome To The Machine

JOSTABERRY
Hello Turbine
[Tangy Citrus - 2022]

 

On Jostaberry’s 2020 debut album, Greener Grass, the band (essentially the musical playground of multi-instrumentalist Bruce Hamilton) delivered an intoxicating mix of accessible yet interesting art pop that both challenged and delighted the ears, weaving through different elements and permutations of avant garde, prog and straight up rock and roll.

Album number two further delves into its predecessor’s spiritual allegiance to A Wizard A True Star-era Todd Rundgren, bursting with engaging melodies and idiosyncratic left turns that just seem to make sense regardless of context. But interesting arrangements and sympathetic production can only amount to clever trickery if the underlying songs aren’t up to snuff. Hamilton, as he’s demonstrated before, is not one to fall into that trap. Everything here sounds like it has meaning and purpose, yet the beating heart at its core is far from silent. This is music made with a purpose but anchored with emotion. Those expecting a sophomore slump can move along—nothing to see here. But if you want more of the tasty Jostaberry experience, or have yet to be initiated, dig in.

 

Highlights: “Roots”, “Connecting”, “The New Savannah”, “Tree Line”, “Planet”, “6 or 7 Miles After”.

After The Hurting

TEARS FOR FEARS
The Tipping Point
[Concord – 2022] 

The question of relevance in popular music is a tricky one these days. And is surely a significant point when taking into account the standing of a band whose so-called glory days were decades ago. But despite the obstacles of chronology often sidelining artists of similar vintage, these gentlemen have managed to maintain an admittedly less prominent, but continued presence within the popular landscape, not only with the enduring popularity of their songs, but also the inclusion of these in beloved movies, as well as nods by current artists such as Drake, Lorde and The Weeknd. And so, almost 20 years after their last album—the critically acclaimed return to form ‘Everybody Loves A Happy Ending’ [Universal - 2004]—a new collection of songs by the Bath, England duo has returned them to the spotlight.

 

The rekindling of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith’s long-standing but often interrupted friendship coupled with the overwhelming grief from the former’s beloved wife of 25 years passing in 2017, led the two old friends to reconvene in Smith’s Los Angeles home armed with acoustic guitars and not only purposely write some songs, but attempt to capture some of that old magic. Mission accomplished.

 

While Orzabal’s ruminations on his late wife and his new life without her inform these songs, it’s not a dour experience in the least, but one in which the cathartic balm of letting it out reflects a sense of peace and hope that dovetails with the band’s most uplifting moments. And while their trademark sonic palette is slightly less panoramic this time, it’s still imbued with the feel good nature of their big choruses and engaging melodies.

 

Welcome back, gentlemen. You have been sorely missed.

 

Released February 25, 2022.

Here We Are Now

CHUCK KLOSTERMAN
The Nineties: A Book
[Penguin Press – 2022]

To approach this tome as an exercise in nostalgia would be a mistake. What Klosterman does here is attempt to both explain what the last decade of the 20^th century was about from a cultural/social/political standpoint and, in doing so, place that chronological span in context. But because he’s made a name for himself absorbing, studying and commenting on pop culture, it becomes the lens thru which his observations and conclusions are refracted. Hence, his analysis equally explores in that manner the significance of the Nirvana/Kurt Cobain phenomenon; sports; the political implications of Ross Perot and his 1992 presidential campaign; and the rise of the internet, for instance.     

 

And while Klosterman is uniquely suited for a book of this nature, one that acknowledges and mostly focuses on how the youth of the time—aka Generation X, of which he is a member—were perceived and perceived themselves, he comes across here not so much as a participant but more like a well-sourced observer who knows the lingo, understands the vibe but isn’t really that attached to any of it. At least not as closely as one would expect. However, this approach, as it turns out, was Klosterman's deliberate intention to remove himself from the narrative as much as possible, for fear of turning the book into a memoir and thereby compromising his original mission in this case.

 

Regardless, in the end, this was the book that Klosterman was meant to write. The Nineties is an interesting and, at times, fascinating look at not just what mattered to a generation of young adults of that time and place, but also the way they processed the world around them, and how particular views and stances adopted by Gen-X were brought on by circumstances surrounding them that could not or would not be duplicated today. (The concepts of authenticity and "selling out" come to mind.) 

 

Klosterman has argued that the ‘90s are the last decade in American popular culture to have clearly delineated characteristics and identity, as opposed to the foggy interchangeability of the first couple decades of the 21^st century. For many of us, who have lived through these last three decades as adults, that murkiness rings quite true.