Medleyville

THE BRITISH ARE COMING … AGAIN

"No more Beatles! No more Stones! We just want the Viletones!" went the cry of true teen angst 'round my Toronto neighborhood circa the Summer of Hate, 1977. And, memories of my favorite punk-rock combo from a misspent youth notwithstanding, I do find myself feeling very much the same these thirty-three-and-a-third revolutions later as big Beatles boxed sets and Rolling Stones reissues continue to dominate our collective, sonic rear-view.

Well, finally, someone – namely those utterly fab folk over at Reelin' in the Years – has seen fit to shed light upon some of the other mop-tops whose sounds and styles filled our six-transistor radios and Sunday evening Ed Sullivan shows. Yes, the first four editions of what’s promised to be an entire British Invasion series of DVDs are here at last, spotlighting Dusty Springfield, Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Small Faces.

And what audio/visual treats these discs are -- meticulously researched and packaged, expertly restored and annotated and whenever possible hosted by many of the actual participants themselves. The songs and stories flow in never less than quick, loud frenzies so perfectly reminiscent of those once-swinging '60s themselves.

So, wherever to start then? How about Gerry Marsden fondly recalling the very birth of the Liverpool Sound in the kind of detailed – sometimes most candidly so – way no Beatles Anthology would ever dare to. Or a self-admittedly "numb" Dusty Springfield deplaning into Australia only to be accused of being "kooky" and a spokesperson for "the hippie philosophy"?

Elsewhere, we discover the hitherto-unknown connection between Lord Buckley’s spiritual "Nazz" and the Small Faces' ritual Methedrine, plus learn that it was in fact Peter Noone’s seemingly innocent rhythm section who schooled Keith Moon in the fine art of Holiday Inn "redecorating."

But this is one British Invasion which truly concentrates, as all such documentaries should but seldom do, on the music. And there are literally hours of vintage performance clips filling these discs, immaculately reproduced and shown complete and uncut, with nary a single word of needless graphic or narration dubbed over the guitar solos for once. Plus, not just the usual stream of oft-recycled Shindig and Ed Sullivan Show snips, either: The producers have obviously gone to incredible lengths to scour the globe in search of seldom, if ever seen footage of, for example, Herman’s Hermits on Norwegian television or Gerry's Pacemakers in Liverpool's Cavern Club.

Interestingly, though, from the wealth of treasures spread across these discs, I was most pleasantly shocked to witness downright incendiary footage of the Small Faces' Marquee Club debut in March 1966. While for all the world looking, dressing and acting like little more than a Cockney Monkees with cooler hair, trapped from the get-go inside these lads was apparently a solid, fighting-tough beat ‘n’ soul combo whose only Caucasian rivals at the time would have been those Young Rascals themselves. Who knew?

"None of us knew how good and how ahead of our time we were," Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones admits herein, and that statement could rightfully serve as the modus operandi behind this entire series. Because, you see, The British Invasion, for the very first time ever, delves so very deeply into the hitherto-unexplored "second tier" of mid-'60s U.K. talent, and in doing so paints most vividly an indelible picture of the era’s myriad musical and social upheavals -- and in a way you just won’t get from any existing thumbnail study or PBS pledge drive, needless to say.

Dusty Springfield: Once Upon a Tim, Herman's Hermits: Listen People, Gerry and the Pacemakers: It's Gonna Be All Right and Small Faces: All Or Nothing are available separately or, even better, housed together with two and a half full hours of additional bonus disc interview and performance footage as a five-DVD collector’s set. Either way you take them, each one deserves to be seen and heard repeatedly by any Merseybeating fan or serious student of rock 'n’ roll -- or even for someone who just needs to know the correct way to toss a cherry bomb down a Holiday Inn toilet.

Musician/writer Gary Pig Gold is the co-founder of the To M'Lou Music label.

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Guitar great never seems to hit a wrong note

On Emotion & Commotion (Rhino), his first album in seven years, legendary guitarist Jeff Beck weaves his way through new and familiar compositions ranging from bold to bluesy to melancholy. Embellished with solid orchestral arrangements, the songs soar with a passionate range of emotion and intensity that pervade the album like a testament from a rock 'n' roll evangelist.

The opening track, "Corpus Christi Carol," has a mournful resonance that is steeped in history, from the origins of the carol in 1504 to the recent adaptations by Benjamin Britten and Jeff Buckley. "Hammerhead" (co-written by keyboardist Jason Rebello) is vintage Beck, his trademark power chords segueing into a dynamic orchestral accompaniment.

"Never Alone" is given an intricate bluesy treatment by Beck that is supported by Rebello’s keyboards and Peter Murray's orchestral backgrounds.

The classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (written by Harold Arlen and best known as a Judy Garland number) is given a seemingly effortless rendition by the masterful Beck.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" is a natural for Beck, who is content to give the spotlight to Joss Stone's soulful vibe while still managing to make his ubiquitous presence felt.

"Serene" (also co-written with Rebello) is described by Beck in the liner notes as a song that begins with a reverb effect called a time bender, a digital delay system that perfectly suits Beck’s style as he cuts a voluminous path through Rebello's keyboard treatments. The track also is lifted by expert session drummer Vinnie Colaiuta's rock-steady beat.

James Shelton's "Lilac Wine" is driven by Imelda May's passionate vocal. Beck never seems to hit a wrong note on this album, and it is never more evident than in this song as the spaces in between the notes resonate with longing.

The orchestral arrangements imbue Beck’s version of "Nessun Dorma," the aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot," most identified with the late Luciano Pavarotti. You can almost imagine Pavarotti smiling in the wings as Beck gives a tearful homage to the great tenor.

Stone revs things up on "There’s No Other Me" (co-written by Rebello and Stone), as Beck's tremolo bathes the listener in a cosmic tsunami.

The closing tune --"Elegy for Dunkirk," written by Oscar-winning composer Dario Marianelli ("Atonement") -- is a quiet lament painted with a thin coating of loss and grief and aided by a heartfelt vocal by Olivia Safe. It perfectly bookends the opening track and seals the album in a mood of somber melancholia.

With Emotion & Commotion, Beck and the musicians he has assembled give credence to the title of one of his most mature and eclectic works. The end result is nothing less than a sublime masterpiece.

-- By Donald Gavron

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Like many singer/songwriters, Martin Sexton walks to the beat of his own drum. For Sexton, that not only means making albums with songs that cross different genres, but also taking calculated risks during the recording process.

Sugarcoating (Kitchen Table Records), Sexton's latest, covers a range of sounds and emotions, and the process he used to make the recordings required a lot of confidence and preparation on his part.

Sexton recently discussed his approach to Sugarcoating and his upcoming tour, which begins April 15 in Connecticut.

Medleyville.us: What inspired the no rehearsal/no pre-production approach to making Sugarcoating, and at what point did you know you wanted to record the album that way?
Martin Sexton: "I wanted to make a record that sounds live off the floor, and I felt what better way to do it than get the best players and get them in a room – just show them the tune in the morning, have them write out the charts and take it from there. That's the beautiful thing about great players, and they had great ideas, so you don’t have to think of everything as a producer.

"It's kind of like being a contractor at a big construction job. You get great tradesmen; they’re just great at what they do. You don’t have to baby sit them and tell them how to do a job, and [oftentimes] being a producer is similar to that.

"I guess what inspired me to take this approach to making a record is a lot of the old-school records I've heard, and as well as my own experience making records – it’s kind of the way I've always done it. I’ve found that, for me, works the best, as opposed to building tracks a few by few and then laying down a lead vocal on top of it all. It can be technically superior in that way, but I just wanted to get great performances on tape and then pick from those.

"I consider myself a real live performer, and so I like my records to demonstrate that. My songs … are not like a Steely Dan or a Frank Zappa song, where there's all kinds of [stuff] going on and changes here and there. They're pretty standard, simple-structured songs – basically boiled down to soul tunes, and soul tunes are a few chords and maybe a bridge. So it's not a real stretch for an A-player to nail that kind of a song without a rehearsal."

Of the 13 songs on Sugarcoating, how many are entirely first takes, and how many have overdubs?
Sexton: "I think there are about two take-ones on the record, and all of the others are within the first five or six [takes]. Most all of them have some overdubs. I did some backing vocals and laid down percussion or tambourine, but the base of the whole song – the bass, the drums, the keys, my performance on guitar and vocals – that's all recorded live."

What did you learn about yourself personally and artistically by making an album in this way?
Sexton: "I think what I learned, I learned long ago because it is the way I've done it on so many other records: To capture a live performance is to capture the moment, the essence of music. That doesn’t happen when you’re thinking. It happens when you’re feeling and doing. Every record of mine has vocal things on it -- mistakes with lyrics -- that I wouldn’t have done if I was reading off a sheet a paper and doing a vocal overdub. I think an imperfection gives it charm and vibe and style. Every song has so many little mistakes or immediate reactions that you wouldn’t get if I was just singing to a track.

"So that's what I learned long ago. For me, that works best. And there are times when I do it the other way, too, but for the most part, live is the way to go with me."

Of the musicians on Sugarcoating, will any of them be touring with you this year?
Sexton: "No. My touring band will be my opening act – the Ryan Montbleau Band. They're a great bunch of guys; I’m actually producing their [upcoming] record now. They're a great band out of Boston. I wanted them to come out as the support act, and I was putting together a band at the time for this tour, and then I thought, 'Hey, [Montbleau and company] can just be my band.' "

-- Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

Martin Sexton on tour (schedule subject to change):

* April 15: Toad's Place – New Haven, Conn.

* April 16: 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.

* April 17: House of Blues – Boston

* April 18: Westcott Theater – Syracuse, N.Y.

* April 20: City House Opera – Traverse City, Mich.

* April 21: The Ark – Ann Arbor, Mich.

* April 22: The Vogue – Indianapolis

* April 23: Park West – Chicago

* April 24: Majestic Theatre – Madison, Wis.

* April 25: Fitzgerald Theatre – Minneapolis

* April 28: House of Blues – New Orleans

* April 29: New Orleans Jazz and Blues Festival

* April 30: Variety Playhouse – Atlanta

* May 1: Mercy Lounge – Nashville, Tenn.

* May 2: Sticky Fingerz – Little Rock, Ark.

* May 5: Compound Grill – Phoenix

* May 6: Belly Up – San Diego

* May 7: The Fillmore – San Francisco

* May 8: House of Blues – West Hollywood, Calif.

* May 9: Harlow's – Sacramento

* May 11: Humboldt Blues – Arcata, Calif.

* May 12: W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, Ore.

* May 14: Crystal Ballroom – Portland, Ore.

* May 15: The Showbox – Seattle

* May 16: Knitting Factory – Spokane, Wash.

* May 18: Knitting Factory – Boise, Idaho

* May 19: The Depot – Salt Lake City

* May 20: Ogden Theatre – Denver

* May 21: Crosstown Station – Kansas City, Mo.

* May 22: The Pageant – St. Louis

* May 23: 20th Century Theatre – Cincinnati

* June 4: Scranton Cultural Center – Scranton, Pa.

* June 5: Nokia Theatre – New York

* June 10: Bonnaroo – Manchester, Tenn.

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Carrie Rodriguez, Christine Ohlman, British Invasion collection

* Carrie Rodriguez -- Love and Circumstance (Ninth Street Opus)

She may not be as well-known as Allison Moorer or Patty Griffin, but fellow alt.country-leaning singer Carrie Rodriguez packs the pipes and personality to tackle a collection of cover tunes, just like Moorer and Griffin did in recent years.

Love and Circumstance (due April 13) finds Rodriguez – who’s made her mark playing fiddle for the likes of Chip Taylor and Alejandro Escovedo -- kicking things off with a great slow-burn version of "Big Love" (a forgotten gem by the 1990s supergroup Little Village), followed by covers of songs written by Lucinda Williams ("Steal Your Love"), Townes Van Zandt ("Rex's Blues"), Hank Williams ("I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry") and others. Buddy Miller lends harmony vocals to a great rendition of "Wide River to Cross," which he co-wrote with wife Julie.

* Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez -- The Deep End (Horizon Music Group)

Bonnie Raitt fans who are eagerly waiting for her to release a new studio album might want to check out the latest from singer/guitarist Christine Ohlman. On The Deep End (due April 6), singer/guitarist Ohlman covers the same kind of bluesy territory as Raitt, only with a little more grit and kick.

There are big-names galore throughout The Deep End, such as ex-NRBQ guitarist Al Anderson, Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter and former Band drummer/singer Levon Helm. The best guest spots come from Dion DiMucci ("Cry Baby Cry") and Marshall Crenshaw ("What’s the Matter With You Baby").

* Various Artists -- British Invasion (Reelin' in the Years Productions/Voyage Digital Media)

As entertaining as VH1's Behind the Music series was, it often amped up the drama in the lives and careers of featured artists even if it wasn’t interesting or relevant. Not so with British Invasion (out now), a handsome five-DVD boxed set chronicling the careers of 1960s stars Dusty Springfield, Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Small Faces. At the core of each volume are concert and TV performances from the peak of each artist’s career, and those are surrounded by new and archival interviews. The result: entertaining, informative documentaries without unnecessary filler.

Liner notes from the likes of Grammy Award winner Rob Bowman and others provide great insight and context. The set’s fifth disc contains an hour-plus of unseen Springfield and Herman’s Hermits performances, plus more than 90 minutes of extra interview footage with Peter Noone, Gerry Marsden, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan.

-- By Chris M. Junior

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There are only five songs on Sweet Sister, but the latest from Raleigh, N.C.'s Annuals contains a double album's worth of interesting sounds and instruments.

The recently released new EP (on Banter Records) finds singer, songwriter and band leader Adam Baker once again in the producer role. Baker recently answered some questions about each track on Sweet Sister, as well as offered some additional insight into the making of the experimental pop collection.

1. "Loxtep" -- What was used to make that swirly, disco-ish keyboard sound? Also, is there a Hammond B3 or a xylophone in there anywhere?
Adam Baker: "The swirly keyboard, if we're thinking of the same one, is some MIDI software called "vacuum," which comes with Pro Tools 8. It's basically an analog synth modeler -- I loooove it because it has all the same parameters as a great analog synth, without the constant maintenance. And yeah, there is a Hammond, which I am very fond of, and ya gotta have the xylophone."

2. "Turncloaking" -- How did you get that megaphone-sounding vocal? And are those drum-machine handclaps?
Baker: "That vocal sound is one of my favorites to generate. All I have to do is gain up the take beyond its peak and then it starts to distort. With some nice fat compression, it sounds pretty gritty.

"The handclaps are organic. I always spend, like, 30 minutes debating between just dubbing and overdubbing claps, or just stacking 808 claps with others. Every time, it’s more fun to clap them out myself."

3. "Sweet Sister" -- Are those bongos that are mixed real low?
Baker: "Are they mixed low? That's comforting. For the longest time, I thought they were too loud. But yes, that song in particular I wanted a nice 'Rhythm of the Saints' kind of groove. I still wish the kick drum was louder in that song, but then again, I always want the kick louder. My favorite thing about this song is the bass line. I challenge any bassist to play through that song all the way without getting cramps -- no picks allowed."

4. "Holler and Howl" -- Talk about those rhythmic squeaks that come at the end of each main acoustic guitar part.
Baker: "Anyone whose listened to us before already knows I'm a huge fan of using environmental sounds in music. The squeaks are the tip of pool cue being chalked up; it goes very well with the Taco Bell straw riff at the end of the song. The T-Bell straw also sounds amazing with a contrabassoon, which was a sweet surprise.

"I love this song; it's one of my favorites I've ever written. I sat on it for a few years waiting for a chance when [I] could focus on making it a truly interesting and different song. When I finally decided to take it into the studio, it was just too fun to record and experiment with."

5. "Flesh and Blood" -- Does this song feature strings, keyboards, neither or both
Baker: "I mean, it certainly features both of those instruments at one time or another. It's a Johnny Cash cover, and I made it a point to remain true to its first recording. It was really fun to work on this song because I love, love, love the song already, and since I decided to honor the original arrangements, I don't know -- it was a just cool to imagine Johnny and June [Carter Cash] and their band hearing it the way they did when they were working on it the same way I was now. Johnny Cash has always been one of my heroes, and it was very personally rewarding to re-create one of his best songs."

-- Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

Annuals on tour (schedule subject to change):

* April 17: Clemson University -- Clemson, S.C.

* May 5: The Pike Room -- Pontiac, Mich.

* May 6: Grog Shop -- Cleveland Heights, Ohio

* May 7: The Empty Bottle -- Chicago

* May 8: 400 Bar -- Minneapolis

* May 11: Crocodile -- Seattle

* May 12: Doug Fir Lounge -- Portland, Ore.

* May 14: Bottom of the Hill -- San Francisco

* May 15: Spaceland -- Los Angeles

* May 16: The Rhythm Room -- Phoenix

* May 19: Emo's -- Austin, Texas

* May 20: Mango's Cafe -- Houston

* May 21: Hailey's -- Denton, Texas

* May 23: Old Rock House -- St. Louis

* May 26: Duke University -- Durham, N.C.

Annuals photo by Charles Harris

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