Medleyville

TEN REASONS WHY BRIAN WILSON: SONGWRITER 1962—1969 SHOULD BE THE LAST BEACH BOYS DOCUMENTARY YOU NEED EVER WATCH

1. Veteran SoCal socio-musical historian Domenic Priore more than ably launches our story over a wealth of Eastman-colored freeway and beach footage, drawing, as only he can, that all-important connection from Gidget to Dick Dale all the way to teenage Wilson's Hawthorne, Calif., music room.

2. We see some very cool vintage Four Freshmen footage, and the undeniable influence that quartet's equally cool jazz vocal stylings had on Wilson and his Beach Boys, explained to us by none other than First Lady of the Wilsonian Bass Guitar, Carol Kaye.

3. Next, back-to-back clips of Chuck Berry serenading "Sweet Little Sixteen" at The TAMI Show and the young Beach Boys themselves belting out their just-released "Surfin' USA" illustrate, as thousands of words over the years have til now failed to, why Berry's name is the one listed as composer of the latter hit.

4. Similarly, Inside the Music of Brian Wilson author Prof. Philip Lambert takes to the piano to juxtapose Phil Spector's "Be My Baby" with Wilson's equally ingenious "answer" song "Don't Worry, Baby" … as Spector's former Wrecking Crew-man Hal Blaine gets a little Prison Wall of Sound joke in at his ol' boss' everlasting expense.

5. We get to hear lots of fly-on-the-acoustic-tile recording studio chatter, stretching all the way back to the making of that very first Beach Boy record, "Surfin'." Not to mention a terrifying example of father/manager/producer [sic!] Murry "I'm a Genius, Too" Wilson putting the psychological screws into his son's brain at the infamous "Help Me, Rhonda" vocal session (which ended at least one person's career).

6. Why, we even get to hear Winterreise by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe used in the very same sentence as Pet Sounds!

7. Three Dog Night tripper Danny Hutton, however, has an even better word for this all: "Marijuana!"

8. Original Beach Boy David Marks talks about all the treble Capitol Records liked to put on the band's Fender guitars, while current Beach Boy Bruce Johnston talks about all the trouble Capitol Records liked to put Brian Wilson through whenever he dared stray from his original musical sun-n-fun formula.

9. Which reminds me: Wilson’s most noteworthy-by-far collaborator, Van Dyke Parks, is shown attempting to explain why Mike Love never could get a lyric such as "Over and over the crow flies uncover the cornfield" into his head, let alone out of his mouth.

10. And we end with lifelong Beach Boy friend, confidante and concert promoter Fred Vail still, 40 years later, shedding a righteous tear recalling how he failed to get the band's "Add Some Music to Your Day" single added to a powerful East Coast radio station playlist back in the daze because, he was told, "The Beach Boys aren't hip anymore."

Needless to say, said program director —not to mention his station (and Top 40 radio in general) — is long, long gone, Vail for one survives to tell this and many other poignant Beach Boys tales and, of this there can be no doubt, Brian Wilson's magical melodies are poised to enter their second half-century of faithful, never disappointing service to one and all.

This magnificent 190-minute, two-DVD package, and the fine cast of musicians, historians and Wilson pals and players therein, do a most remarkable job in explaining to us exactly why. Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1962—1969 should indeed be considered required viewing by all who still love to add good vibes to their days.

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

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TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. Glossary — Feral Fire (Liberty and Lament)
Smart, catchy, blue-collar anthems about life's hard-won victories, set to glorious, ringing guitars that suggest Thin Lizzy as a Southern bar band.

2. Freedy Johnston — Rain on the City (Bar None)
With his first set of new material in nearly a decade, Johnston shows he's better than most at crafting songs that are melodic and morose.

3. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings — I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone)
Jones' smoldering vocals and her combo’s pitch-perfect arrangements make for a modern soul classic.

4. Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social — Love It to Life (Side One Dummy)
Former D Generation frontman has never sounded more focused as he melds his latter-day troubadour stance and punk past.

5. John Mellencamp — No Better Than This (Rounder)
Stripped-down approach and sparse production by T Bone Burnett befit no-frills stories of American dreams dying hard ("No Better Than This," "No One Cares About Me").

6. Old 97's — The Grand Theatre Volume One (New West)
After two albums that represented a bit of an identity crisis, twangy Texan tunesmiths rediscover old form as alt-country’s elder statesmen.

7. Alejandro Escovedo — Street Songs of Love (Fantasy)
The veteran singer/songwriter eschews strings and chamber music in a return to full-on rock mode, and the disc’s high points — including well-placed cameos by Bruce Springsteen and Ian Hunter — are enough to offset its spotty second half and somewhat chintzy production.

8. Ike Reilly — Hard Luck Stories (Rock Ridge Music)
Former doorman offers up more vivid, unvarnished sketches of unsavory characters most people wouldn’t care to explore in detail, such as a pot-dealer dad and a high school coach partying with students.

9. The John Henrys — White Linen (Linus Entertainment)
Canadian roots rockers wear their influences well, taking cues from countrymen The Band as well as The Wallflowers and early Tom Petty, with a healthy dose of pedal steel added to the formula.

10. The Candles — Between the Sounds (End)
On its debut release, the New York band offers up a collection of jangly pop so shimmering that one can overlook singer Josh Lattanzi dispensing a steady stream of clichés.

THE NEXT 10 (PLUS ONE)

1. The Gaslight Anthem — American Slang (Vagrant)

2. Hacienda — Big Red & Barbacoa (Alive)

3. Johnny Cash — American VI: Ain’t No Grave (Lost Highway)

4. The Doughboys — Act Your Rage (RAM)

5. The Len Price 3 — Pictures (Wicked Cool)

6. Nick Curran & the Lowlifes — Reform School Girl (Eclecto Groove)

7. Willie Nile — The Innocent Ones (River House)

8. Backyard Tire Fire — Good To Be (Kelsey Street)

9. Tom Jones — Praise & Blame (Lost Highway)

10. Neil Young — Le Noise (Warner Bros.)

11. Drive-By Truckers — The Big To-Do (ATO)

YEAR-END (DIS)HONORS

* Most Disappointing Album of the Year: Mojo by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Petty's first proper Heartbreakers effort in eight years is almost as forgettable as the previous one (The Last DJ), as forays into blues, psychedelia and even reggae find the band straying too far from its strengths. (For a refresher course on those, fire up the new Damn the Torpedoes reissue instead.)

* Wardrobe Malfunction of the Year: Lady Gaga wore the wrong ensemble when she showed up at a New York Mets game in her underthings; if only she had donned her dress made of raw meat, she could have doubled as a stadium food vendor.

* Spinal Tap Moment of the Year, only worse: Kings of Leon aborted a July concert at a St. Louis amphitheater after three songs because pigeons rained down excrement that nearly landed in bassist Jared Followill's mouth. We can only assume Spinal Tap probably would have finished the show.

*Scientific Breakthrough of the Year: Scientists studying Ozzy Osbourne's DNA concluded his body is predisposed to handle alcohol dependence "something like six times higher" than normal. Wait till they get a hold of Keith Richards!

— By George Henn

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Starring Jesse Malin and Marah
The Stone Pony – Asbury Park, N.J.
Dec. 18, 2010

The event included a charity toy drive, but the biggest gift of all was a start-to-finish night of good music headlined by Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social.

Following a spirited performance by New Jersey’s own Outside the Box that included a fun version of Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again," singer/songwriter Charlie Mars played a four-song solo acoustic set. Prior to each tune, the personable Mars told brief stories that had the audience laughing, and he also gave well-received sing-along instructions before performing "Meet Me By the Backdoor" and "Listen to the Darkside," two of the best songs on his latest album, Like a Bird, Like a Plane.

Nicole Atkins, who grew up not far from The Stone Pony, also played a solo acoustic set, which was highlighted by the opening "Maybe Tonight" (from the 2007 album Neptune City) and a country-ish version of "Cry, Cry, Cry" (a more funky version will be included on her new album, Mondo Amore, due in January).

Led by a Santa Claus-hatted (and slightly under the weather) Dave Bielanko, Marah showed the most holiday spirit, mixing in ragged versions of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" into its lively set.

Malin was equal parts raconteur and rocker, telling Bruce Springsteen-length tales and playing choice songs from his various solo albums, as well as a stomping cover of John Lennon's "Instant Karma."

-- Review and photos by Chris M. Junior

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There were plenty of musical highs and lows throughout 2010, and what better way to recap all that went down during the year than with some subjective awards.

* Concert of the Year: My Morning Jacket's five-night stand at Terminal 5

The Louisville, Ky.-bred band played five October shows at this top-notch New York venue, each night playing one of its studio albums from start to finish. Sure, this concept has been done before by other acts, but it usually coincides with some sort of release or anniversary. In this case, it was just for the sheer enjoyment of their fans (and with proceeds going to charity).

* Story of the Year: The Beatles' catalog on the Apple iTunes Store

It happened late in the year, so the impact probably won't be felt until 2011, but this is a game-changer. Now that one of the last big holdouts of the digital age has migrated over to iTunes, the collectors and vinyl holdouts can now repurchase all that Fab Four material digitally. The Beatles are the Star Wars of music: Just when you think there is no way to squeeze another dime out of the fanatics, they find a way.

* Song of the Year: "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

This perfect country crossover hit took off early in the year. It was one of the most-played songs on radio all year, and it still hasn't gotten boring or annoying with repeat listening.

* Album of the Year: Croweology by The Black Crowes

There isn't any new material here — instead, the album contains re-recorded versions of some of the Atlanta band's best-known songs. If the Crowes had only written and recorded material this memorable for their last three albums, maybe they wouldn't have to go on hiatus every five years.

* Joke of the Year: Modern country music

This is now the most self-indulgent genre of music, so the heat is off rap music for now. Here's why: Take a long look at the current crop of mainstream country acts, and it seems eerily similar to '80s hair-metal bands. There are very few unique modern country artists — especially in the female category, where blondes are all the rage. Plus the "party ‘til you pass out" message in the songs and videos makes one nostalgic for the days of soundstage performances on Dial MTV.

— By Mike Madden

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Shelby Lynne unwraps her first Christmas album

With her 2008 album, Just a Little Lovin', Shelby Lynne showed she has the courage and the chops to take some familiar material and put her stamp on it.

Lynne has done it again with Merry Christmas, her recently released album of yuletide songs. In addition to renditions of such seasonal classics as "Silver Bells," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "White Christmas," among others, Lynne recorded two original holiday tunes for the album, which was issued on her own Everso Records label.

The Grammy Award-winning Lynne recently checked in to discuss Merry Christmas and her plans for Dec. 25.

Medleyville.us: What was the bigger challenge for you — putting a different spin on familiar Christmas songs or writing your own tunes about the holiday?
Shelby Lynne: "It was a challenge making the standards 'original.' But I decided to keep it simple and let the songs do the work. I love Christmas songs, so choosing them was the hardest part. I chose some of my faves. Writing new songs wasn't too hard because I really had something to say."

Did writing the originals "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas" and "Xmas" mark the start of your Merry Christmas project, or did you write them after you had already picked out a few holiday favorites to record?
Lynne: "I had written 'Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas' a couple years ago, just fooling around during the holidays, so I had it ready to go. It was easy to write off the cuff because it's just fun. And 'Xmas' I wrote in the hotel room having coffee before I went to the studio one morning while recording the record. It just hit me and came together pretty fast. I'm lucky when that happens."

"Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas" sounds like something Brenda Lee would have recorded back in the day. Did you have her — or even another era of music — in mind during the writing and recording of this song? What was the stylistic approach you and your band took in the studio with this tune?
Lynne: "Well, I am such a sucker for fun, swing, rockabilly tunes. They just make a record move and put you in the mood for having a good time. So when we cut it, we just ran it a couple times, then counted it off and cut it live. Those are the most fun and you can feel it on the track."

Compared to "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas," "Xmas" is much more somber and serious. Talk about some of the personal and/or world experiences you drew from in order to write this song.
Lynne: "If you listen to the lyric of the tune, you can feel and hear the truth. I wrote this song because sometimes Christmas sucks. It's not all buttons and bows and happy times. Sometimes it's just plain sad. I wrote that for people who don't have a problem feeling what they really feel around the holidays."

What are your Christmas plans for this year?
Lynne: "My plans are to be at home with my dogs and the peace and quiet. I have a busy year planned, and I am getting ready to hit the ground running in the new year, so I'll be relaxing, enjoying the time to think and plan."

— Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

Shelby Lynne appearances and tour dates (schedule subject to change):

* Dec. 8: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (performing "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas")

* Jan. 21: MSU Riley Center — Meridian, Miss.

* Feb. 1: Evanston Space — Evanston, Ill.

* Feb. 3: Beachland Ballroom — Cleveland

* Feb. 4: The Crofoot Ballroom — Pontiac, Mich.

* Feb. 5: Little River Casino Resort — Manistee, Mich.

Photo by Victory Tischler

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BORROWED TIME

As we arrive at the 30th (!!!) anniversary of John Lennon’s death, I found myself reaching far back indeed within my archives to exhume one of my very first-ever articles on the subject. I believe its drift remains as relevant today as it was back in December 1985, scribbled in a fit of FM-powered pique from my childhood bedroom. Perhaps you still feel the same way, too.

December 8th found me relaxing by my stereo for the first time in much too long. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, I found myself switching the radio on, only to be bombarded by scratchy old Beatles tunes on nine stations out of 10. "Which one died now?" I immediately thought, pessimistically thinking. It was then that I realized it was that time of year again: The anniversary of John Lennon's assassination.

Tapes of Lennon’s final rash of interviews, published in magazine and book form dozens of times already, were again rebroadcast between the predictable parade of Lennon hits: "In My Life," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "A Day in the Life," "Give Peace a Chance," "(Just Like) Starting Over" and, of course, "Imagine." (How come they never play "Cold Turkey" or "Revolution 9"?!!) Being the loyal baby boomer I am, I duly listened with half an ear as I read my mail, these songs being, as I’m constantly reminded, The Soundtrack of My Life.

Most disturbing by far, I found whilst scouring the dial for a non-Lennon tune or two, were the tear-soaked calls from listeners that seem to be the featured attraction of these annual Lennon radio tributes. Calls saying how shocked we were on that fateful night outside the Dakota. Callers nit-picking the minutest prop and dialogue inaccuracies out of the Lennon and Yoko Ono TV movie bio-pic. And caller upon caller bemoaning the fact that Elvis Presley’s death continues to out-vigil, outdraw and out-headline that of the Chief Beatle’s, despite the fact that "Presley died a wasteful, self-inflicted death long after his peak, while John was savagely gunned down in his artistic and spiritual prime."

Believe it or not, I am a fan and admirer of Lennon’s life and music, and my thoughts and sympathies still find themselves turned toward his family on quite a regular basis. But I no longer find any legitimate purpose in dwelling on the man’s death throughout the media every Dec. 8, particularly when such anniversary productions are dubiously disguised as "Celebrations of the Man and His Music."

I, for one it seems, am glad Lennon’s death has not (yet) turned into the cabaret Presley's has, and hereby strongly and sincerely urge all his followers to finally awaken from their morbid mourning and listen instead to the music and words of today as opposed to yesterday. And I’d bet Lennon himself would join me, if he only could, in demanding all you fossilized Beatlemaniacs begin concerning yourselves with the tunes, trials and tribulations of tomorrow — and let sleeping Beatles lie.

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

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