RiffRaf

Top 5 Rolling Stones Albums

It has been more than fifty years since The Rolling Stones borrowed money from Mick Jagger's father in order to rent equipment for their first gig at the Marquee Jazz Club in London. 

Plans for a 50th Anniversary Tour haven't been clearly expressed, but there is a rumor circulating that The Stones will kick off a worldwide tour by playing two shows at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn this November. It appears that there aren't any plans for a new studio album. In fact, the band hasn't released any new material since 2005's A Bigger Bang, which did not make our Top 5 list. Surprise!

Throughout their fifty-year career and twenty four studio albums, The Rolling Stones have had numerous peaks and valleys, and like most music critics and journalists we favor their prolific four-year period (1968-1972), which includes some of their greatest artistic achievements.

So here it is...Riffraf's Top 5 Rolling Stones' albums. 

 

Album: Beggar's Banquet

Year: 1968

Highlights: Sympathy for the Devil, Street Fighting Man, Stray Cat Blues, Salt of the Earth 

Beggar's Banquet is an album of new beginnings and farewells. When the band's long time producer and manager Andrew Loog Oldham departed, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards hired producer Jimmy Miller who had worked with Traffic and the Spencer Davis Group. The collaboration proved to be invaluable as Miller worked with The Stones during their most fruitful period (1968-1972), producing four albums on our list (Jagger and Richards produced the other, Some Girls).

On Beggar's Banquet, The Stones returned to their blues roots - "No Expectations," "Dear Doctor," "Parachute Woman" and "Prodigal Son." Brian Jones' slide guitar playing on "No Expectations" is one of the record's highlights.

However, the blues-based rockers, "Street Fighting Man" and "Stray Cat Blues" and the epic "Sympathy for the Devil" are the album's real gems. "Street Fighting Man" is a reflection of the political and social turmoil in 1968; "Stray Cat Blues" is their first foray into a sexually depraved world; and "Sympathy for the Devil," with its satanic lyrics and African rhythms is one of the band's defining moments.  

Album: Some Girls

Year: 1978

Highlights: Miss You, When the Whip Comes Down, Beast of Burden, Shattered, Respectable

By the late 70s, The Stones had lost some of their Mojo. While Jagger had become a parody of himself, Richards' drug habit had reached legendary heights. But the Glimmer Twins were determined to prove their critics and naysayers that they were still the world's greatest rock and roll band.

Some Girls is an irreverent, high energy record that's more rock and roll than punk, but it's edginess and nastiness reflects that of the punk ethos. On "Miss You," The Stones appropriate disco and make it their own.

Punk and disco were certainly an influence on Mick Jagger, but the singer also cites New York City as highly influential: "The inspiration for the record was really based in New York and the ways of the town. I think that gave it an extra spur and hardness. And then, of course, there was the punk thing that had started in 1976. Punk and disco were going on at the same time, so it was quite an interesting period."

The group's rejuvenation was also due to Ronnie Wood's arrival. Like Brian Jones and Mick Taylor, Ron Wood's guitar playing meshed with Keith Richards' style. For the first time since Beggar's Banquet, only the core band played on the record.

The Stones recorded approximately fifty new songs, many of which would turn up on Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You. 

 

Album: Let it Bleed

Year: 1969

Highlights: Midnight Rambler, Gimme Shelter, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Live With Me

December 6, 1969, the day after Let it Bleed was released, The Rolling Stones played the infamous free concert at Altamont Speedway. The concert was a disaster, whereas the record was a triumph.

In many ways, Let it Bleed is an extension of Beggar's Banquet. There are plenty of blues tunes - "You Got the Silver," "Midnight Rambler" and "Love in Vain." There are plenty of blues-based rockers - "Gimme Shelter," "Monkey Man," and "Live With Me." There is even a haphazard experiment with country music, "Country Honk." 

Founding member Brian Jones appears on only two tracks, "You Got the Silver" and "Midnight Rambler." Tragically, Jones died several months before the record's release. Jones' replacement, Mick Taylor, plays guitar on only two tracks, "Country Honk" and "Live With Me." Keith Richards sings his first lead vocal on a Stones' record, "You Got the Silver." 

Album: Sticky Fingers

Year: 1971

Highlights: Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, Bitch, Dead Flowers

 

Sticky Fingers, the band's first release on its newly formed label, Rolling Stones Records, is the quintessential drug album. The Stones kicked off the Seventies with a dark, and dreary record. Every song is draped in a rather delirious haze that upon listening to the entire record one is likely to become anesthetized.

Mick Taylor plays a more prominent role on Sticky Fingers. His influence on Mick and Keith as well as his presence as the group's lead guitarist can be heard on the classics "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and "Wild Horses."

"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" features Taylor's massive guitar chops. His solo in the coda is mesmerizing and perhaps the greatest solo on a Stones' record.

In a 1979 interview Mick Taylor said, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking...is one of my favourites....(The jam at the end) just happened by accident; that was never planned. Towards the end of the song I just felt like carrying on playing. Everybody was putting their instruments down, but the tape was still rolling and it sounded good, so everybody quickly picked up their instruments again and carried on playing. It just happened, and it was a one-take thing. A lot of people seem to really like that part."

"Wild Horses" is the band's first genuine attempt at a country song that could not have happened without Mick Taylor's influence and incredible slide guitar playing. 

In the early Sixties, Keith Richards and Brian Jones developed a technique they called "guitar weaving," where both guitarists play rhythm and lead without distinct boundaries between both roles. With Taylor in the band, he picked up where Jones had left off. 

 

Album: Exile on Main St.

Year: 1973

Highlights: Rocks Off, Tumbling Dice, Torn and Frayed, Happy, All Down the Line, Shine a Light

 

Exile on Main St. is the group's undisputed masterpiece.

Although the double album received mixed reviews when it was first released, since then it is often regarded as their finest record. Perhaps it's Exile's sprawling nature, consisting of blues, rock, country, soul and gospel, that caused some of the critics to hiccup.

Keith Richards said, "When [Exile] came out it didn't sell particularly well at the beginning, and it was also pretty much universally panned. But within a few years the people who had written the reviews saying it was a piece of crap were extolling it as the best frigging album in the world."

In 1972, The Stones couldn't afford to pay their taxes in merry ol' England, so they uprooted themselves and moved to France. Like Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers, there is a genuine bleakness that shrouds the record. Perhaps being in "exile" contributed to the album's weariness. Certainly Keith Richard's drug addiction contributed to the weariness of the record. Even though Exile was recorded in the basement of Keith's villa, there were several occasions where he didn't show up to the recording sessions.

In Bill Wyman's memoir Stone Alone, the bassist pointed out that some band members wildly indulged in drugs (Richards, Jimmy Miller, Bobby Keys, Mick Taylor, engineer Andy Johns), whereas other band members were prepared to work (Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Mick Jagger).

In 2003, Mick Jagger said, "Exile is not one of my favourite albums, although I think the record does have a particular feeling. I'm not too sure how great the songs are, but put together it's a nice piece. However, when I listen to Exile it has some of the worst mixes I've ever heard. I'd love to remix the record, not just because of the vocals, but because generally I think it sounds lousy. At the time Jimmy Miller was not functioning properly. I had to finish the whole record myself, because otherwise there were just these drunks and junkies. Of course I'm ultimately responsible for it, but it's really not good and there's no concerted effort or intention." 

Even if Mick doesn't regard Exile on Main St. as a major achievement, there is no denying that the album includes several masterpieces: "Rocks Off," "Tumbling Dice," "Torn and Frayed," "Happy," "Let It Loose," and "Shine a Light."

The sign of a great album is that you can listen to it over and over and with each listen you'll find something new and exciting. Go ahead, give Exile a listen.

5 Amazing Autumnal Tracks

Autumn in New York. Ahhhh!!!! My season of choice. Spring may be the season of rebirth, but for me autumn is the season of possibility.

Okay, so it's not quite fall - it officially arrives September 22nd - but can't you just feel the crisp autumn air on the back of your neck and smell the smoldering fireplace in your nose? Can't you?

Here are five amazing songs that celebrate my favorite three months. 

"Harvest Moon" by Neil Young

Mr. Young's quiet song is a lullaby of sorts. He sings with gentle ease, while the lush acoustic guitars and the harmonica solo contribute nuance to such a wistful number.

 

"Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo

Great album. Great song. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy like that ratty old cardigan you own. The one with the moth holes in the sleeves. Yeah, that one:

"When I heard the knock on the door, I couldn't catch my breath. Is it too late to call this off? We could slip away. Wouldn't that be better? Me with nothing to say and you in your autumn sweater."

 

"Moondance" by Van Morrison

Van The Man makes use of the not-so-brilliant portmanteau "fantabulous" in his brilliant song "Moondance" on his brilliant third album, Moondance:

"A fantabulous night to make romance / 'Neath the cover of October skies / And all the leaves on the trees are falling / To the sound of the breezes that blow." 

 

"Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were never one to shy away from their influences. In "Ramble On," Robert Plant borrows from his muse, J.R.R. Tolkien's poem "Namarie" from The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's poem was certainly the inspiration for the song's entire first verse:

"Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way/ Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay / But now it's time for me to go / The autumn moon lights my way / For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way."

 

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" by The White Stripes

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is the raunchy opening track to the White Stripes' 2001 album White Blood Cells. Judging by the song's title, we can surmise that autumn isn't Jack White's favorite time of year. Perhaps winter is.  

"Dead leaves and the dirty ground / when I know you're not around / shiny tops and soda pops / when I hear your lips make a sound."

10 Great Rock Documentaries (Part II)

         
                                                                                                                            By Elford Alley

The Great Rock And Roll Swindle

In 1980, Julien Temple created a mockumentary about the Sex Pistols with the band and management’s full cooperation. What followed was a 103 minute saga detailing the band’s rise and fall through the eyes of their manager Malcolm McLaren who claims that he created the band and their image from the ground up, manipulating every aspect of their career with Machiavellian skill. In 2000, Temple released a follow-up called The Filth and the Fury in which the band refutes McLaren’s claim of creating the band.

 

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

Anvil should have been one of the biggest metal acts in the 80s. Nearly twenty-five years later its members were working in construction, homeless, or driving a catering truck. This documentary follows a band that inspired Metallica and Anthrax as they try to embark on a European tour that includes sleeping in train stations and playing to empty venues. Have you ever seen This Is Spinal Tap? It’s the same thing, but it's not a mockumentary and that makes it infinitely more tragic. 

 

The Beatles Anthology

You knew they were going make the list at some point. This massive effort documents every facet of The Beatles’ career. Seriously, it’s massive. In addition to the four disc DVD, there is an accompanying three double albums worth of music, featuring alternate takes and unused demos. Plus there's a book, which is filled with interviews arranged so they give a more or less chronological view of the band’s history. Although most of the stories and anecdotes are already familiar to hardcore fans, if you have the time The Beatles Anthology is definitely worth checking out.

 

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco

Everyone agrees Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is an amazing album, possibly one of the best albums of the 2000s. But Wilco’s label, Reprise, didn’t agree. Sam Jones' documentary follows the band as they record their masterpiece, only to be dropped by the label and then picked up again once word spreads about the album’s brilliance. The film also follows the escalating tension between members Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, leading to Bennett’s exit from the band.

 

The Last Waltz

The definitive rock documentary and the second on the list directed by Martin Scorsese.  Essentially a farewell concert for The Band, it includes segments about The Band’s trials and triumphs, featuring guest performances from Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Ringo Starr. Although the Robbie Robertson talking head segments can wear on you, the film is filled with great music from legends at the top of their game. 

(Elford Alley has written plays, sketch comedy, and short stories. He currently lives in Dallas with his wife and daughter. Follow Elford on Twitter.) 

10 Great Rock Documentaries (Part I)

                                                                                                                By Elford Alley

The greatest rock documentaries promise drugs, debauchery, clashing egos and raging neuroses of ordinary people becoming extraordinary icons. Some, like The Beatles' documentary Let It Be, even offer a glimpse into a band’s complete collapse.

There are tons of amazing rock documentaries that deliver more than promised and here are ten of Riffraf's favorites: 

Gimme Shelter

Released in 1970, Gimme Shelter covers the Stones' disastrous 1969 American Tour and the tragedy at the Altamont Free Concert. Management decided to hire the infamous biker gang Hells Angels as security, since they were willing to work for $500 worth of beer. Everything fell apart during the Stones’ performance of "Under My Thumb" when a Hells Angels member stabbed a rowdy concertgoer to death in front of the band.

 

Fearless Freaks

In 2005, Brad Beesley directed a documentary that chronicles the life of the psychedelic Oklahoma outfit The Flaming Lips. Featuring footage of the band recording and touring behind the album At War With Mystics, the film features interviews with friends and family. It also shows the heavy affect drugs have had on the band and their family, including a disturbing shot of member Steven Drozd shooting heroin.

 

No Direction Home

Simply the definitive documentary on Bob Dylan. Dylan’s manager, Jeff Rosen, began gathering interviews and materials in 1995, bringing Martin Scorsese on in 2001 to turn hours of film into an amazing documentary that follows Bob Dylan’s beginnings as the “voice of his generation” to the controversy surrounding his going electric.

 

The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years

From the director who brought you Wayne’s World comes the 1988 documentary chronicling the laughable rise of glam metal. It’s all here: the excess, the hair, the mediocre music. While director Penelope Spheeris admitted in 1999 to faking a scene about Ozzy Osbourne’s difficulties with sobriety, the film did accomplish one important thing: it has been blamed again and again for the death of glam metal and the rise of grunge rock.

 

The Kids Are Alright

This in depth documentary on The Who’s career is the work of one really, really dedicated fan. Jeff Stein had been a Who fanatic since he was a teenager, and in 1975 tried to convince the band to let him chronicle their career up to the late seventies. The band finally came around, and using fan footage, forgotten interviews, and getting The Who in the studio to record songs never captured live or fix faulty audio. Released shortly after the death of drummer Keith Moon, the film is both an comprehensive depiction their storied career, and a glimpse of the day to day life of one of the world’s greatest rock bands. 

Check back tomorrow for part two.

(Elford Alley has written plays, sketch comedy, and short stories. He currently lives in Dallas with his wife and daughter. Follow Elford on Twitter.) 

Rob Schwimmer: Theremin Hero

            Russian physicist Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) invented the theremin in 1919. What's a theremin, you ask?

A theremin is the only instrument that generates sound without being touched. It is one of the first electronic instruments, inspiring the development of the synthesizer. Originally intended for classical music performance, the theremin instead found its success supplying eerie background music for numerous horror and science fiction movies. 

The theremin has been utilized in popular music too. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys employed the theremin on "Good Vibrations," a classic track off their brilliant record Pet Sounds. The theremin was also featured on Captain Beefheart's "Safe as Milk" and on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."

If there were such a thing as "Theremin Hero," the video game, there'd certainly be a character based on Rob Schwimmer. He'd possess long flowing locks with the steady intensity of a devoted conductor. But Rob Schwimmer is not only one of the few theremin virtuosos in the world, he's also a celebrated composer and pianist.

Schwimmer is a founding member of the highly acclaimed Polygraph Lounge music and comedy duo with multi-instrumentalist Mark Stewart. He has ​worked with countless musicians the list is ridiculous, everyone from Simon and Garfunkel and Stevie Wonder to Willie Nelson and Josh Groban. 

Mr. Schwimmer will be performing with the NY Theremin Society on Thursday Sept. 20th at Joe's Pub. We caught up with The Maestro and picked his brain about the idiosyncratic theremin amongst other things.

Why did you start playing the theremin?

I felt an instant attraction to the instrument and the sound and approach of Clara Rockmore's style of playing. Her style was very different from all other theremin playing I'd heard before; it looked crazy! I couldn't understand the hand movements in correlation to what I was hearing. The heavenly/unearthly music/sound was the thing! 

It was a beautiful singing style, infinitely shaded and not at all like the fast psycho sci-fi vibrato we know and love. I thought, "I must have this instrument!" I thought since I have very good pitch that I would be able to play well right away...followed by a rude awakening to a whole new wide world of difficulties.

I figured after about 5 minutes that it had to be a hoax! Impossible to play in tune! Nevertheless, I kept at it, annoying my family and neighbors to the best of my abilities until after a (long) time it started to sound better...slowly.

What’s your typical response to someone who asks what a theremin is?

"You talkin' to me?" Followed by too much information if they're really interested. Usually I get more people talking about it after they've seen/heard it. It's a very striking thing to see/hear something out of nothing. Kinda like tickling The Invisible Man and hearing laughter.

You’ve worked with a diverse group of musicians, from Simon and Garfunkel and Stevie Wonder to Willie Nelson and Queen Latifah. You’ve even worked with Kurt Vonnegut and Steve Buscemi. What experience has been the most rewarding musically? Personally?

I try to make the most rewarding thing I've ever done be what I am working on at that moment. While that sounds good it doesn't always work out that way. I really liked playing with Wayne Shorter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paul Simon, Bobby McFerrin at Carnegie Hall, Simon & Garfunkel in front of the Colosseum in Rome for more than 600,000 people, playing in my group Polygraph Lounge, playing my solo piano/theremin/continuum concerts. Oh, yeah, and playing for strippers at a truck drivers' convention.

 

Your last record was released in 2007. What have you been working on since then? Have you been recording new material?

I think I'm just going to agonize over my next move until complete paralysis sets in. I was very happy with how my last record Beyond The Sky turned out, so I want whatever comes next to be at least comparable. I had a great producer, Joe Mardin, working with me.

Actually, I have been recording new stuff (mostly piano, my main instrument), but lately things have begun to change in terms of wanting to record some different kinds of music. I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill myself.

You recorded with Martin Rivas on his most recent album, Reliquary. Can you tell us about the session?

Evidently producer Alex Wong and Martin had been thinking of using theremin on a tune. I didn't know Martin or Alex at the time. (Strangely enough a good friend of mine asked me a few months before, "Did you ever hear a guy named Martin Rivas? Really good!") I was heading out of town when they wanted me to come in and the only possible time was the morning. It's hard to make a good impression on new people on an impossible instrument when I'm such a cantankerous fuck at that time of day. We had a great time and they were fun and funny and great to work with.

What’s next musically?

My latest passion is an instrument called the Haken Continuum! It's amazing! Rather than try to describe it for 12 paragraphs here are 2 links of me playing at home with lousy camera sound. The first is The Beatles' "Because." Check out the totally polyphonic aftertouch and vibrato.

 

This second one is imagining Jeff Beck blowing on a Rachmaninov etude.

 

Songwriting 101: Steve Forbert

   
Steve Forbert is grateful for having written "Romeo's Tune," which reached #11 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1979. Thirty-three years later, the singer-songwriter maintains a positive attitude, still thankful for the opportunities his highest charting song has given him.

Although he hasn't aged very much physically - still baby-faced - Forbert's songwriting has certainly matured. His fourteenth studio album, Over With You, a cycle of ten new songs about "often-mixed emotions involved in personal relationships," could have only been written by a seasoned songwriter, one with years of experience under his belt. "This is an album that has taken a lifetime to make," explains Forbert. "You don't just pull these songs out of thin air - you have to live them."

Like Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, Steve Forbert has left his unmistakable imprint on the landscape of American music.

What was the first piece of music you heard that made you want to write songs of your own?

Probably “Mr. Tambourine Man,” written by Bob Dylan and recorded by The Byrds. Folk rock is the genre I like best and that was the first folk rock hit.

What was the folk scene like in NYC in the late 70s? What is one of your most cherished memories of “that place and time”?

When I arrived in NYC in June 1976, there were still a lot of clubs with hoot nights (open mic nights), and kids coming from all over the country to play original songs. One of my best memories was meeting songwriter Tim Hardin and playing a song or two for him one afternoon at the Other End Café.

What was it like to be a folk singer playing CBGB’s in the late 70s? What is one of your favorite memories of CBGB?

CBGB stands for Country Bluegrass and Blues, so you can see that it was originally opened with something else in mind. The owner [Hilly Kristal] was open to all music and liked a lot of American roots music. The punk thing just happened to find a home there.

My favorite CBGB memory was when I opened for John Cale and his band. I really enjoyed the intensity of his shows. It was also fun opening for Talking Heads when they were just a trio.

After “Romeo’s Tune” became a hit, did your approach to songwriting change at all?

No, not at all. I still kept writing songs on any subject that appealed to me. I didn’t try to just strictly write upbeat love songs.

How has your songwriting evolved since Alive on Arrival?

It really hasn’t; I’m just trying to keep the quality of each song as high as I can - that remains the challenge.

What Steve Forbert song has had the biggest influence on you? Either musically or personally?

“Romeo’s Tune.” Having a hit single enabled me to tour the world, from the US to Europe to Japan. And it still makes for a pretty good calling card to this day. It would be a lot harder to still be working clubs and theaters if I hadn’t had a hit song.

There are three years between The Place And The Time and Over With You. Why did you take the break?

It takes that long to write an album now, which includes having extra material to pick from. We chose the songs we did because we wanted to create somewhat of a song cycle.

What can we expect from Over With You?

Over With You is sparser than my last few records and because of that, it comes off as a more natural and honest record. Also, the songs all deal with relationships – the good, the bad and the in-between.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

Yes, the title song, Over With You, particularly the last verse:

“Forever’s such an easy word to say or write on paper/ All things end in time/ We have been together far too many nights and days for us to end unkind.”

I liked taking a critical look at the word “forever.” It’s a word you hear every day but what does it really mean? 

                        

("Songwriting 101: Steve Forbert" is also featured on American Songwriter.)

Riffraf's September Music Preview

As we usher in a new school year, it's time to hang up your surfboard, put away your sunblock and head out to Staples and purchase your pencil cases, pink erasers and spiral notebooks.

Every autumn is accompanied by a glut of new music. Riffraf has been anxiously waiting for Cat Power's Sun, her ninth studio album and first of original material in six years, which was released yesterday. 

Here are ten more records that will knock your socks off this September. 

 

Bob Dylan

Tempest (9/11)

Mr. Zimmerman's thirty-fifth studio album contains a tribute to the late John Lennon, "Roll on John," and the fourteen-minute title track about the Titanic. Because the album's title is reminiscent of the title of Shakespeare's final play, rumors began to spread that the Tempest would be Dylan's final album. Dylan was quick to dispel the rumor, however: "Shakespeare's last play was called The Tempest. It wasn't called just plain "Tempest." The name of my record is just plain Tempest. It's two different titles."

 

Dave Matthews Band

Away From the World (9/11)

Steve Lillywhite produced the Dave Matthews Band's eighth studio album, their first since 2009's Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King. "The Riff" is the album's standout track in which Matthews ruminates on mid-life: "Ain't it funny how time slips away/Looking at the cracks creeping across my face."

 

Steve Forbert

Over With You (9/11)

According to a press release, Steve Forbert’s first studio album in three years is a "focused song cycle featuring an earnest account of the often-mixed emotions involved in personal relationships." Over With You is a highly personal record. Forbert said, “The songs are about what people feel in deep relationships — mainly love and friction.”

Riffraf's interview with Steve Forbert will be posted tomorrow. The singer-songwriter chats about the song that stirred him to write songs of his own, his latest record and playing CBGB in the late 70s.

 

St. Vincent & David Byrne

Love This Giant (9/11)

Most of the time cross-generational collaborations come off as overwrought and contrived, but Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) and David Byrne appear to have forged one that's worthwhile. Clark and Byrne composed lyrics together in person and via e-mail, which resulted in an entire album's worth of material. 

 

Aimee Mann

Charmer (9/18)

Charmer is Aimee Mann's eighth studio album. It features the track, "Living a Lie," a duet with The Shins' leader James Mercer. It's hard to believe that Ms. Mann has released eight solo albums. Each record has demonstrated Mann's dedication to the craft of songwriting. If that's any indication, Charmer will not disappoint.

 

Ben Folds Five

The Sound of the Life of the Mind (9/18)

The Sound of the Life of the Mind reunites Ben Folds (lead vocals/piano), Robert Sledge (bass/backing vocals) and Darren Jessee (drums/backing vocals) who haven't recorded together since 1999's The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.

 

The Killers

Battle Born (9/18)

In January 2010, Brandon Flowers and gang announced that they would be going on hiatus. After little more than a year of relative non-activity, the Las Vegas quartet ended their break in order to record their fourth studio album, Battle Born. The Killers hired an all-star team of producers to assist them: Steve Lillywhite, Brendan O'Brien, Daniel Lanois, Damian Taylor and Stuart Price.

 

Grizzly Bear

Shields (9/18)

Los Angeles Weekly might have voted them one of the worst hipster bands of all-time, but that hasn't stopped the Brooklyn-based Grizzlies from releasing their fourth studio album, Shields. 

 

Green Day

Uno! (9/25)

On the recording of the new album, Green Day's leader Billie Joe Armstrong said,"We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives....This is the best music we've ever written and the songs just keep coming. Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. Every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can't help ourselves....We are going epic as fuck!"

The trilogy, aptly titled Uno!, Dos!, and Tre!, will feature a face from the individual band members on the album's cover: Armstrong graces the cover of Uno!, while Dos! will feature bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool's likeness will be on the cover of Tre. Dos! will be released on November 13th and Tre on January 15, 2013.

 

Mumford & Sons

Babel (9/25)

The British indie folk band Mumford & Sons have followed-up their debut record, 2009's smashing Sigh No More, with the highly anticipated Babel. According to the band, they haven't deviated from their sound but have tried to perfect it.

It's a genuine challenge for a band to match the success of their first record. Many have fallen prey to the sophomore slump. What do you think is the most successful sophomore effort of all-time?

Best of Riffraf: 5 Awesome Music Videos

                                      

I'm old enough to remember when MTV took to the airwaves - August 1, 1981. It didn't take long before the music channel assaulted all of us with its slogan, "I want my MTV." I remember the cheesy promotional photos of the Apollo 11 moon landing, with the flag featuring MTV's logo. I even remember the original five VJ's - Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Martha Quinn - and thinking none of them had an ounce of talent, but I didn't mind Martha Quinn because at least she was pretty cute.

                               

I'm old enough to remember when MTV played music, but I didn't see the first two videos that were aired, The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" and Pat Benatar's "You Better Run," because we didn't have cable. Both videos are merely mediocre, but here are five killer videos that I have had the opportunity to view. 

Song: "Hurt"

Artist: Johnny Cash

Director: Mark Romanek

Romanek's video captures a beleaguered Cash at the end of his tumultuous life. The video accomplishes what every great video should accomplish - it enhances the singer's performance.

 

 

Song: "Buddy Holly"

Band: Weezer

Director: Spike Jonze

Who's the coolest fictional character of all time? That's right, Fonzie. Well, The Fonz is the star of Spike Jonze's video, so that makes Weezer's video the coolest of all time.

  

 

Song: "Once in a Lifetime"

Band: Talking Heads

Director: Toni Basil

Remember Toni Basil? She had one that annoying hit in the 80s, "Mickey." "Mickey" wasn't so fine, but the Talking Heads video she directed certainly is. Basil directed and helped choreograph the "Once in a Lifetime" video that managed to capture David Byrne's bizarre brilliance. Even though "Once in a Lifetime" didn't receive much radio play, it was in heavy rotation on MTV.

  

 

Song: "Jeremy"

Band: Pearl Jam

Director: Mark Pellington 

One of the most artistic videos ever. The final scene still gives me goose bumps. Mark Pellington has said, "I think that video tapped into something that has always been around and will always be around. You're always going to have peer pressure, you're always going to have adolescent rage, you're always going to have dysfunctional families."

 

 

Song: "Sledgehammer"

Artist: Peter Gabriel

Director: Stephen R. Johnson

In 1986, Stephen R. Johnson's video for "Sledgehammer" was considered groundbreaking for "its innovative use of claymation, pixilation and stop-motion animation." Today, it's still impressive.

 

Best of Riffraf: Ringo Starr: Great Musician or Just a Guy Who Likes to Party With Them?

Just because Ringo Starr had the good fortune of being a member of the Fab Four, did he really earn the moniker? Should The Beatles' nickname have been The Fab Three and a drummer named Ringo?

Ringo’s a fabulously, peaceful man. He’s a fabulous personality. He has a fabulous sense of humor. He’s even a fabulous train conductor. But is he really a fabulous drummer?

Mr. Starr's drumming has been challenged throughout this career. For instance, on the recording of “Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You," producer George Martin called in a studio musician, Andy White, because Ringo had trouble keeping time. 

Ringo himself has been the first to acknowledge his shortcomings: "Whenever I hear another drummer I know I'm no good. I'm no good on the technical things [...] I'm your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills. The fills were funny because I'm really left-handed playing a right-handed kit. I can't roll around the drums because of that."                        

John Lennon was once asked if he thought that Ringo was the best drummer in the world; Lennon jokingly replied, "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles!" 

Ringo has taken a fair share of criticism, but when he joined The Beatles in 1962, he brought an unbridled personality, enthusiasm and talent to a band that simply would not have succeeded without him. Ringo was the missing piece, and he did more than hold the foundation for the rhythm section. Ringo's drumming is essential to every Beatles' composition.

Drummer Steve Smith from Journey has praised Ringo's virtues as a musician and collaborator: "Before Ringo, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Ringo's popularity brought forth a new paradigm in how the public saw drummers. We started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect." 

Here is a sampling of Ringo Starr's fabulous contributions. They are so fabulous, even John Lennon would agree:

"I Feel Fine"

This song is well known for Paul's opening bass note and feedback of John's guitar, but Ringo's bossa nova beat makes the pop song truly original. Much of this tune is an homage to Ray Charles' "What'd I Say," including the rhythm section. Nevertheless, Ringo's playing is in the pocket and really drives the Lennon/McCartney composition.

 

"Ticket to Ride"

In 1964, Ringo Starr found his groove, and by the time The Beatles recorded Help, he was the greatest rock drummer in the world. George Martin once said, "He's got tremendous feel. He always helped us to hit the right tempo for a song, and gave it that support—that rock-solid back-beat—that made the recording of all The Beatles' songs that much easier." This particular drumbeat is ingenious, demonstrating Starr's authentic feel for the song. It has been emulated by countless drummers, including Larry Mullen of U2. 

"Rain"

Sure, he may have been high as a kite during its recording, but Ringo's drums absolutely sneer on this track. Starr has often stated that "Rain" - the B-side to "Paperback Writer" - along with "She Said She Said" contain some of his best drumming. 

"Tomorrow Never Knows"

Can Ringo play with the intensity of a Keith Moon? Listen to his playing on “Tomorrow Never Knows,” and you decide. Steve Smith said, "One of Ringo's great qualities was that he composed unique, stylistic drum parts for The Beatles' songs. His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song." This is perhaps Ringo's most original drum part.

"Strawberry Fields Forever"

Ringo's drumming can be categorized as simple and straightforward, but that should not be mistaken for unimaginative and humdrum. His feel for his instrument is exciting, inventive and above all original. His fills on "Strawberry Fields Forever" - particularly during the chorus and reprise - are exciting, inventive and highly original.

 

"A Day in the Life"

Phil Collins, who has been influenced by Ringo Starr, said, "Starr is vastly underrated. The drum fills on 'A Day in the Life' are very complex things. You could take a drummer today and say, 'I want it like that.' He wouldn't know what to do."

"I've Got A Feeling"

On January 31, 1969, the day after the band performed for the last time on the roof of Apple Studios, Paul McCartney sent Ringo Starr a postcard stating: "You are the greatest drummer in the world. Really." See for yourself.

Mark Lewisohn, the author of The Beatles' Recording Sessions,  claimed that Starr has influenced various modern drumming techniques, such as the matched grip which is holding the drum stick in the same way by gripping it with one index finger and middle finger curling around the bottom of the stick and the thumb on the top. This approach allows the stick more freedom and bounce. Starr was also innovative when it came to sight and sound; he placed the drums on high risers for visibility as part of the band, he occasionally sang, tuned the drums lower, and employed muffling devices on tonal rings.

Mark Lewisohn has also stated that Ringo Starr "was both proficient and remarkably reliable and consistent. According to Lewisohn, there were fewer than a dozen occasions in The Beatles' eight-year recording career where session 'breakdowns' were caused by Starr making a mistake, while the vast majority of takes were stopped owing to mistakes by the other three members." 

As a matter of fact, Ringo played drums on every Beatle track with the exception of five: "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You," in which he played tambourine and maracas, "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence," where John, Paul and George all played drums because he had temporarily quit the band, and "The Ballad of John and Yoko," where the drumming was left to the capable McCartney because he was filming The Magic Christian.

So where do the readers of Rolling Stone rank Ringo Starr, a drummer who has influenced countless others including: Dave Grohl, Max Weinberg, Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden, Eric Carr of Kiss, Phil Rudd of AC/DC and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater? In the February 2010 Readers' Poll, Ringo Starr came in at number six. Sure, these numbers are subjective, but it's nice that the little fella from Liverpool has been recognized for his contributions.

In September 1980, John Lennon had this to say about Ringo Starr: "Whatever that spark is in Ringo that we all know but can't put our finger on -- whether it is acting, drumming or singing I don't know -- there is something in him that is projectable and he would have surfaced with or without The Beatles. Ringo is a damn good drummer."

Simple. Original. Inventive. Ringo.

 

Best of Riffraf: Top 5 Bruce Springsteen Albums

On March 6th, Bruce Springsteen released his 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball.

It's The Boss' first record since Clarence Clemons passed away last June. "Land of Hope and Dreams" has been dedicated to Clemons who performs on the album. The rest of the E Street Band has also contributed to Wrecking Ball, which has been described as Springsteen's angriest record. 

Bruce Springsteen has been making music for forty years and has recorded so many transcendent albums. Wrecking Ball might become a classic one day, but here are five bona fide masterpieces from The Boss. 

Album: Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.

Year: 1973

Stand-out tracks: Blinded by the Light, Growin' Up, For You, & Spirit in the Night

Springsteen's debut album is in many ways an homage to one of his biggest influences, Bob Dylan: folk tunes, acoustic guitar, piano and organ, a unique voice, and an intricate lyricism that creates vivid imagery. While Dylan approaches his songwriting from a more cynical place, Springsteen's songs - at least on this particular record - are hopeful amidst tragedy and brimming with energy in a depleted world.

 

Album: Tunnel of Love

Year: 1987

Stand-out tracks: Brilliant Disguise, Tunnel of Love, One Step Up, & Spare Parts

Springsteen followed the most popular album of his career, Born in the U.S.A., with a stripped down, understated, autobiographical record about the dissolution of his marriage, Tunnel of Love. Jason Warburg, editor of the Daily Vault, calls Tunnel of Love "one of the clearest and frankest views an artist has ever offered of what a crumbling relationship looks like from the inside." In 1987, The Boss was definitely at a crossroads in his life and career, "learning to live with what [he couldn't] rise above."

 

Album: The River

Year: 1980

Stand-out tracks: Sherry Darling, Hungry Heart, Out in the Street, The River & I'm a Rocker

The River is a double album that feels like two disparate records. One album contains some of the same themes from Darkness on the Edge of Town - disillusionment of working-class life, familial conflicts, ordinary people trying to overcome their mundane lives, whereas the other album is lively, uptempo and rockin'. On "Hungry Heart" - Springsteen's first Top Ten hit - the songwriter blends elements of both albums by placing a somber lyric over some downright energetic music.

 

Album: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Year: 1978

Stand-out tracks: Badlands, The Promise Land, Prove it All Night & Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town is, well, for lack of a better word "dark." Unlike Born to Run, Springsteen's cast of characters are less hopeful and have little chance at redemption. The stories are less romantic, less heroic, less hopeful, while Springsteen's angst is manifested in his furious guitar playing.

In the Rolling Stone review (July 27, 1978), journalist Dave Marsh wrote, "Occasionally, a record appears that changes fundamentally the way we hear rock & roll, the way it's recorded, the way it's played...I have no doubt that Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town will someday fit as naturally within that list as the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" or Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music."

High praise indeed!

 

Album: Born to Run

Year: 1975

Stand-out tracks: Thunder Road, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Badlands, Born to Run & Jungleland

Springsteen said that he wanted Born to Run to sound like "Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by Phil Spector." I'm not sure if Bruce sings like Roy, but the album has a distinctly big sound that is complemented by plenty of big songs. The result? An album that catapulted Bruce's career.  

It was on Born to Run where Springsteen developed a "four corners" approach. The songs beginning each side ("Thunder Road" & "Born to Run") are uplifting, while the songs ending each side ("Backstreets" & "Jungleland") are tragic tales.