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Again, before I give you a couple more fresh reviews that didn’t make it into our issue 61, that I wasn’t able to post in my previous blog, on behalf of myself and my wife Mary I would like to welcome my son Jim into the world, and into the world of The Big Takeover (well, he won’t lack for music to check out), born 23 days ago. I’m hoping his progress will be quick enough so that he will be able to compose all my reviews and do all my interviews for me in time for the spring issue 62. A couple of you were kind enough to write and congratulate me after seeing little James Burton (his middle name, and no he’s not named after ELVIS PRESLEY’s guitarist, but it’s a coincidence I rather like) make the coveted #1 spot in STEVE HOLTJE’s Top 10 on this site last week (see, he’s already overachieving), and thanks to Steve-o for that honor as well. I will post two photos of the little blonde bomber if you want to see them, since Steve’s friend’s theory about the boy’s potential looks might have whet your curiosity.
And for those of you who have asked, it is indeed a trip to find myself a parent, with a newborn, even if it means I’m staying up til 4 A.M. every night for the first time since the early ‘80s. And his mother is doing just fine, everybody’s just fine.
OK, enough of that. On to the music! Quickly, let me thank BRANDON CAPPS for the great documentary video he’s given us on the home page to accompany his feature in the current issue 61 on L.A. singer-songwriter ARI SHINE. I think it’s truly great work, and adds a good deal of pizzazz to our site, and I hope you agree and enjoy it! Thanks to JIM SANTO of our staff for his own hard work in making it happen! We hope to make this a regular feature here if possible.
Next, speaking of videos, several of you have asked that my old/reformed band SPRINGHOUSE post our two old MTV videos, 1991’s “Layers” (from Land Falls) and 1993’s “All About Me” (from Postcards from the Arctic) on our myspace page at www.myspace.com/springhouse – if nothing else, you can see what I looked like playing the drums 15 years ago—both shot in the bitter January cold, two years apart, which is one of those things that just worked out that way, but man, was it freezing both times (on the “Layers” video, you can sure see the smoke coming out of our mouths when we breathe). And we invite you to sample a few songs from our new, third LP, From Now to OK —our first in 15 years—there as well. It will be out via the also revived Independent Project label later this year.
Now, as promised, here’s five more reviews of old stuff I ran out of time to review that should have been in the last issue! (Note: All of these are my own writing, unlike my last blog.)
NICK DRAKE
Under Review (dvd)
(Sexy Intellectual/MVDvisual)
The mysterious manic depressive Nicholas Rodney Drake (June 19, 1948-November 25, 1974) left an immense hurdle for directors; since he initially sold just a few thousand of his three LPs (to his immense dismay, contributing to his demise at 26 from an overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline—ruled a suicide, though we’ll never know), and partly because he barely cooperated in their promotion (rarely playing live or with relish, granting one tight-lipped interview, then retreating reclusively to his well-off parents’ home in rural Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire, where he died), we have no footage of him doing… well… anything! So it’s only photos, others’ recollections, and snatches of his affecting music that remain, 34 years later.
Following JOROEN BERKVENS’ shorter 2000 Drake bio film, A Skin Too Few, Drake’s entry in the Under Review series interviews a different cast with a different focus. Skin relied on the principals, actress sister GABRIELLE, producer and engineer JOE BOYD and JOHN WOOD, and college musicians chums such as key string arranger ROBERT KIRBY. But since Under is not authorized by Drake’s estate or Island Records, it calls instead on his two biographers, critics such as JERRY GILBERT who did the interview for Sounds, and esteemed Britfolk peers RALPH MCTELL, JOHN RENBOURN, and musicians from FAIRPORT CONVENTION (who backed Drake on record, including ASHLEY HUTCHINS, who discovered Drake), and INCREDIBLE STRING BAND. Under thus goes lighter on biography to explore the music, such technical aspects as Drake’s development of myriad alternate tunings, and demonstrations of Drake’s maverick jazz-influenced style, having come at guitar from sax and piano. Now that the moody genius is a cult star, Under is fascinating fable, not fatuous fanboy fluff. (mvdvisual.com)
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
Dancing Horses; Live at Shepherds Bush Empire (dvd)
(Secret/MVDvisual)
Unlike most modern reunions of halcyon legends, Liverpool’s Bunnymen have regrettably not been the astonishing greats they were on stage from 1980-1988. One badly misses the sadly deceased PETE DE FREITAS’s neck-snapping drum destruction and the staccato, hefty basslines of the sadly fallen-out LES PATTINSON. As well, singer IAN MCCULLOCH should never have given up playing rhythm guitar: statuesque, and hiding behind shades and overcoat, big Mac appears sedate, lazy, and bored, whereas he once radiated mystery and sexuality. He’s gone from the star who might steal your girlfriend to the guy who can’t be bothered.
Nevertheless, Dancing reminds they are still well worth seeing. Filmed in London, November 1, 2005, of these 19 songs, 14 are oldies, which is crucial. (And four of the five others are from their only good comeback LP, 2005’s Siberia.) And though they avoid their three ‘80s live zenith epics, the once frightening “Over the Wall” and the twin ten-minute extended punishments of “Crocodiles” and “Do it Clean” (all require De Freitas!), this vintage material is immediately reanimated by WILL SERGEANT’s still-dazzling array of lead guitar sounds. Meanwhile, McCulloch’s distinctive pipes (albeit with a slight rasp these days) sound great on 1980 _Crocodiles_’ classics “Going Up,” “All That Jazz,” “Rescue,” and “Villiers Terrace,” or more complicated stompers including “Show of Strength” and “The Cutter.” Like 2002’s Live in Liverpool import DVD, their four contemporary bandmates can’t collectively match the old rhythm section’s dynamism, but all acquit themselves forcibly, nonetheless.
So if we’d trade Dancing for more vintage ‘80s footage a la Shine So Hard, the retrofitted dog still barks. (mvdvisual.com)
GOOD CITY LIE STILL
Good City Lie Still
(Good City Lie Still)
This report is tardy, but I only found out about the Santa Rosa, CA quintet when this debut album was released, catching them opening for fabulous Fresno shoegazers SLEEPOVER DISASTER at San Francisco’s Club Retox basement in November (at earthshaking volume). GCLS singer/pianist ROSS GIFFEN is the brother of Sleepover Disaster frontman LUKE GIFFEN, but any similar dreampop proclivities are supplanted by more from prog rock, mood rock, and even ambient rock. The younger, more assertive Giffen sounds little like Luke vocally, either, with a dramatic, deeper soar that’s equal quarters Peter Gabriel, Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel, Damon Albarn, and especially Elbow’s Guy Garvey. (What happened to them?) All seven lengthy, lugubriously lashing songs throb with an unexpected, undisguised menace, using post-punk time-stretching signatures, assured, tight playing, and, distinctively, Giffen’s persistent piano—which prowls and circles the billowing, angry alterna guitars and rolling bass ‘n’ drums like a turf fight between cats, backs and tails up. One wonders what milieu this mélange of unyielding, sonically dense music might attract? Whatever, this big speakers-filling sound kicks impressively. (purevolume.com/goodcityliestill)
GRAM PARSONS WITH THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS
Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 (double cd)
(Amoeba/Fontana)
The few tracks of these seminal alt-country pioneers have been repackaged enough (most recently The Definitive Collection, reviewed in #61). Finally, here’s crucial Burrito vault material, a double knockout: two shows over three nights at San Francisco’s famed Avalon, April 4 and 6, 1969, of the peaking original, first-album quintet. Caught opening for Frisco principals GRATEFUL DEAD and preserved by Dead soundman BEAR (OWSLEY STANLEY), these A-grade, bass-warmed recordings are looser and more vigorous. Both shows highlight CHRIS ETHERIDGE’s cozy bass, SNEAKY PETE KLEINOW’s psychedelic lap steel, key, chirpy harmonies from the legendary, doomed Parsons and his ex-BYRDS buddy CHRIS HILLMAN, and suave drumming from newly recruited third Byrd MICHAEL CLARKE. One swoons anew at vibrant, ascendant, Gilded Palace of Sin (released two months prior) songs “Hot Burrito I” and (a funkier) “II” and “Sin City.” Meanwhile, “lost” Burrito-fied covers mitigate the regrettable, odd omission of Gilded ’s other six originals like Vietnam signifiers “My Uncle” and “Hippie Boy.” It’s an intriguing variety, from LITTLE RICHARD’s “Lucille” (a la the EVERLY BROTHERS’ 1960 version), R&B singers DELANEY & BONNIE, and ROY ORBISON to the best C&W shitkickers/heartbreakers, HANK WILLIAMS, GEORGE JONES, MERLE HAGGARD, WILLIE NELSON, and WAYLON JENNINGS—all delivered as country rock, post-Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline. Even without much audience sounds (probably stoned and waiting for the Dead anyway!) bleeding into Bear’s mics, Live is fantastic listening. Two home demos, one an Everlys tune, are just extra cream. “Cosmic American music,” indeed.
THE RED BUTTON
She’s About to Cross my Mind>
(Grimble)
NEAL AGNETA already capably reviewed this for us in #60, but this is the most fun, unabashed Beatlesque power-pop platter to come out of L.A. in years. Reminding refreshingly of ‘70s/’80s Angelino forebears The Last and Three O’Clock with flecks of All You Need is Cash Rutles, She’s is the style and flair that fans of the With the Beatles-_Sgt. Pepper_ fab four dream of nightly. These tasty, upbeat tunes are also the sugar plums dancing in those beat group lovers’ nocturnal visions, outfitted with brazen McCartney bass lines (“Free” is the latest in a long line to grab the one from “Taxman”), Harrison’s imitable Rickenbacker chimey guitars, and the simple harmonies of American contemporaries (fellow Brian Epstein client) The Cyrkle, Beau Brummels, and Lovin’ Spoonful. They’re 11 sunny, post-Merseybeat gems a la Brits The Zombies, Hollies, Searchers, and Elvis Costello (“Hopes Up”); or, to stick with L.A. lore, The Byrds, Knickerbockers, Merry-Go-Round, Monkees, Nerves, Bangs/Bangles, and Jason Faulkner’s many muses. Who are these happy Buttons, you ask? Two singer-songwriters with time for fruitful collaboration, SETH SWIRSKY—no relation to our own Bryan, Seth’s a hit tunesmith (and baseball collector/author), writing for TINA TURNER, AL GREEN, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, JANE WEIDLIN, etc., and his own 2005 solo LP, Instant Pleasure —and REX DAISY’s MIKE RUEKBERG—composer of indie film cult fave Dummy ’s soundtrack. Clearly, neither cares a fig how nostalgic this sounds, and neither should you. Just radiate in the poptastic splendor of the standout opener “Cruel Girl” and its 10 equally crush-cute friends. (theredbutton.net)
(Finally)
Just a reminder that there is a new issue of Big Takeover magazine out! Indeed, you can order on our secure online store at http://bigtakeover.stores.yahoo.net/
Remember, subscriptions are just $20 ($32 overseas and Canada), and our other stuff is even less. For our other stuff, remember, our t-shirts now come in three colors (black, white, and dark red) and six sizes (four men’s, two women’s), all but two of our back issues are still available (if you or your friends like a specific band we’ve featured), and we are now offering used, good-quality CD copies of the three out of print SPRINGHOUSE CDs (for a limited time) as well as sealed copies of EVEN WORSE, LAST BURNING EMBERS, DON McGLASHAN, DOUG GILLARD, and the brand new releases, NON-LINEAR THINKERS and EDP!!
For those without a credit card who want to mail us a check made out to “The Big Takeover” for a subscription or gift (using the prices on our store), that would be possible too. And here’s the address:
1713 8th Ave. Rm. 5-2, Brooklyn, NY 11215 USA
In any case, there was a lot of information on our new issue 61 in my recent blog, repeated below if want to know more.
Jack Rabid
p.s. here’s the info on the new issue again in case you missed it or in case you still need it!: Big Takeover #61 with THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS’ A.C. NEWMAN began shipping, so you should see it quite soon! Below is a quick description of its contents if you missed my last post!
Again, now is an excellent time to order it if you would like to receive it (go to http://bigtakeover.stores.yahoo.net/bigtakbacis.html), or subscribe if you’ve been meaning to; or renew your subscription if it has run out. And remember: BIG TAKEOVER ISSUES, BACK ISSUES, TSHIRTS, CDS, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS ALSO MAKE THE PERFECT GIFT!
If you want to subscribe or renew, just go to bigtakeover.com, and click on the “subscribe now” button to take you to our secure online Yahoo store (and feel free to indicate which issue you’d like to start with, issue 59 (DECEMBERISTS cover), issue 60 (SHINS cover) the current 61 (New Porns), or, if you have all that, the late Spring, 2008 issue 62. It’s only $20 for four issues (save 23% off the newsstand price including average sales tax), or $32 for overseas. Or, for those in the U.S. you can send us a check made out to “Big Takeover” for $20 to the following address:
The Big Takeover
1713 8th Ave. Rm. 5-2
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(As ever, there are back issues, T-shirts, and CDs available there as well if you’re interested, for you, or your friends on the holidays!)
Here, again, is what’s in the issue:
Interviews: NEW PORNOGRAPHERS • MAXIMO PARK • THE SHINS, pt. 2 • EMMA POLLOCK (DELGADOS) • THE CRIBS • DON MCGLASHAN (MUTTON BIRDS) pt. 2 • LITTLE STEVEN (Underground Garage/Sopranos) • THE PIPETTES • FIELDS • THE POINTED STICKS • MARY WEISS (SHANGRI-LA’S) • ROGUE WAVE • OKKERVIL RIVER • SEA WOLF • SONDRE LERCHE • SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME • WHEAT • OK GO • HAZEY JANES • ARI SHINE • GREAT NORTHERN • TOMMY WOMACK • EARWIG • THE JONESES • TUNECORE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
Editorials: Rick Rubin, Radiohead, “Record Men,” and the Revenue Redirect * Ackerman: On the End of Record Labels * Sommer: On Blue Oyster Cult
Live Reviews: Jon Auer • Bad Brains • Booker T & the MGs • Elvis Costello • Decemberists • John Doe (X) • Roky Erickson • Fiery Furnaces • Long Blondes • Morrissey • Only Ones • Sea and Cake • Sloan • Ralph Stanley • Stooges • Richard Thompson • Toxic Reasons • Voxtrot • Hippiefest (Zombies/Rascals/Badfinger/Mitch Ryder etc.)
Hundreds of CD Reviews: Bad Religion • Bags • Blonde Redhead • Bongos • Bon Mots • Clash • Clientele • Bo Diddley • The Eat • Editors • Effigies • Feist • Flying Burrito Brothers • For Against • Adam Franklin • House of Love • Howling Wolf • Ed Kuepper • Interpol • Junius • Len Price 3 • Libertines U.S. • Loose Salute • New Model Army • Robert Pollard • Ray Price • Radiohead • R.E.M. • Saints • Stephen Hero • Wedding Present • Wilco • Wire • and more!
Hope you all buy it now it’s out!
And/or hope you subscribe, as that is still by far the best way to support the print magazines you love if you want them to keep going. It means a lot to them!
cheers!
Jack R
