The Weekly Southern Blog

Old wine, in old wine-skins

3/28/2014

They call this new country. I call it the same old, same old! Once again the young folks put on grandpa's old clothes, rummage through the attic to find something of value, put a fresh coat of paint on it and call it cutting-edge.

Well, you gotta start somewhere, might as well look to the past for your brand new ideas. Not that it's bad, it isn't. In fact, it's reasonably interesting, and catchy to boot. It is, after all, pop music. It's also a way of keeping the past alive and kicking. If you have to play dress-up to capture people's attention, so be it!

So, you get a bunch of youngsters making out like depression era old-timers. Bob Dylan started out that way, so who's to say. You could have some 3rd generation hippies dressed like space-wizards. And, who'd want that! It could, no doubt, be a lot worse.

Mark Magula

Humble Pie, Free & The Jeff Beck Group 1970/71

1/13/2014

Very early Humble Pie, Free in all their grubby, youthful glory, including Paul Rogers and the ever deadly Paul Kossoff on guitar. Plus, a nearly forgotten version of The Jeff Beck Group. Yes my friends, we don't call this music nostalgia, we call it Rock! May it live long and prosper.

Rock, loud, raw and soulful! Is there any other way to hear it. Before the music committed suicide by consistently marginalizing itself as a kind of perpetual freak-show, rock and roll had morphed into just plain "Rock". Between the androgyny and the drugs came some very powerful stuff. Some was political, some was like jazz (only with a dose of rocket fuel) and all of it took whatever came beforehand and re-imagined it as cross cultural amalgam of American and British fury. It's hard to imagine this was forty plus years ago. But, rather than think of is as nostalgia, I see it as vital, sexy and loaded with testosterone powered attitude. This is where it all began, at least this particular stream of the music. There were others, mind you, but a whole multi-verse of musical possibilities came into being here.

In 1969 the original Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood came to an end, the result of Beck's near-fatal motorcycle crash. With Beck slowly recouping, Stewart and Wood ran off to join the Small Faces following Steve Marriott's departure from the group to form a new band with Peter Frampton called Humble Pie.

With Beck languishing in recovery, rock's history was being rewritten. Jimmy Page took the template Beck had established with his original group and used it as the basis for Led Zeppelin. Beck and company's version of "You Shook Me" laid out a blues based, hard rock sound that was a seminal part of Zeppelin's first few groundbreaking records.

Although Beck and Page had shared guitar duties in the Yardbirds, it was Beck that emerged first as a star. Page, prior to joining the group had spent years as a studio musician, playing anonymously on some of the best records of the era, while Beck joined the Yardbirds following Eric Clapton's departure and became a full fledged pop star. He eventually left to form his own group, putting together one of the premier bands of the late sixties, which abruptly ended with infamous motorcycle mishap.

While Led Zeppelin, The Faces and Humble Pie were carving their own niche, Carmine Appice and Tim Bogart (the rhythm section half of The Vanilla Fudge) waited for beck's recovery to form a new super-group. Unfortunately, it was taking longer than previously thought and they joined forces with singer, harmonica player, Rusty Day, formerly of the Amboy Duke's and guitarist Jimmy McCarty of Mitch Ryder and Buddy Miles fame to form Cactus. By the time Beck healed sufficiently, rock music had changed and he was left without a band.

Between early 1971 and 1972 he released two albums with a newly formed version of The Jeff Beck Group, one that was less hard rocking and more song oriented. Playing a mixture of American styled R&B and jazz laced rock, the albums were generally overlooked, in spite of the band's high level musicianship and song based musicality.

For many Beck fans it was simply a musical layover between his original group and the much anticipated supergroupm Beck Bogart and Appice. Over time, however, this version of the band has gained respect as one Beck's best and most underrated bands. Both Max Middleton (Keyboards) and Cozy Powell (Drums) continued to play with Beck in other variations of the group, in no small part because of their exceptional musicianship.

Thankfully, there's video of the band playing a complete set in a TV studio with excellent sound and image quality, a reminder of just how good this group really was.

Mark Magula

Gun - Race With the Devil

12/23/2013

The year was 1968 and Cream, that most awesome of super-groups had disbanded due to the acrimonious tendencies of its rhythm section. Unfortunately, without the bass and drums of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker there wasn't much left, even if what remained was Eric Clapton at the peak of his godliness. A number of bands rushed in to fill the gap, but, it clearly wasn't going to be easy. Into the mix came a brotherly guitar and bass duo with a sound close enough to Creams to meet the demand, but distinct enough to be more than a mere imitation.

Three British lads, Adrian and Paul Gurvitz, along with drummer Louis Farrell formed "Gun" and quickly recorded their first album, charting a hit (Race with the devil) in England. The songs opening appears to intentionally echo Cream's intro to White Room, while other parts of the song call to mind another forgotten gem of the period "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's" song "Fire." The basic riff , however, has enough muscle to stand on its own, making it more than just a pastiche of current (For the time) trendiness.

Adrian, the standout of the trio had pretty much nailed Clapton's sinewy vibrato and "Woman Tone" which in 1968 was a sufficiently worthy achievement among guitarists to inspire awe.

Unlike most of their fellow travelers on the newly emerging heavy rock scene, Gun occasionally used horns, giving them a toehold in the equally new progressive rock scene.

In 1969 the band followed up with a second album that went nowhere and then promptly broke up. Gun never really achieved noteworthy success in the U.S., although they were a part of the growing underground during the music's infancy.

Adrian eventually hooked up with the aforementioned Ginger Baker in the equally short lived "Baker Gurvitz Army." A decade or so later he entered into the most lucrative phase of his career as an award winning songwriter for films like "The Bodyguard."

Melody Maker at one time named Adrian as the ninth greatest guitarists in the world, which seems an oddly specific number when attempting to quantify guitar awesomeness, but, such is the nature of pop culture.

Gun remain a compelling, although largely forgotten chapter in the evolution of hard rock in its embryonic stage. Their first album is something of a forgotten near-classic for aficionados of the form, with a very cool album cover, to say nothing of the devilish lyrical imagery that only a year later would pay off big-time for another British band.

Either way, dig their raucous, youthful, heaviness and check them out. You will be too cool for the sheer obscurity of it all, and you'll hear some pretty imaginative music in the process.

Mark Magula

Jim Hall

12/11/2013

Jim Hall didn't play like everybody else. In the relatively short history of the Jazz guitar he was a true original. If that sounds like a cliché, it was, nonetheless, true. He approached the instrument with an understated sophistication that was unique for its time—and still is. When every other guitarist in a post Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker world sought to adapt the legato attack and ferocious tempos of Modern jazz to the guitar, Hall went in the other direction. Like Miles Davis, Lester Young and Paul Desmond (a frequent collaborator) melodic variation and harmonic refinement were the essence of his playing.

He possessed a sense of adventure that made his solos seem fresh, as though they were being invented at the moment, and in large part they were. Hall’s subtle radicalism, was, like Bill Eva’s piano, centered on harmonic coloration and invention instead of the usual scalar be-bop-isms that became typical of the music, particularly among guitarists.

In the early stages of his career he developed a reputation as a significant stylist during his tenure with The Jimmy Giuffre trio and Art Farmer's band. In one of the most demanding gigs for any guitarist, Hall joined Sonny Rollins comeback group following Sonny's much publicized sabbatical from the jazz scene. He became an integral part of one of Rollins greatest records “The Bridge.” Both men took some heat for having a guitar player with the wrong pigmentation in the band, with most of the blow-back coming from musicians of "Color" who thought Sonny should keep it pure.
Thankfully, Rollins stuck by his decision, even if it was for only one record.

It's remarkable how much things can change in fifty years, but still remain the same.

Hall was a perfect foil for Sonny's extended improvisations and re-harmonization. His unique chord-voicing and subtlety opened up the sound of the band, leaving plenty of room for Rollins to play, unimpeded by the more orchestral nature of the piano. Gerry Mulligan used a piano-less trio, at about the same time for similar reasons. Either way, the band is preserved on record and film, a rarity for the period.

You can watch as well as listen to Hall’s unhurried approach when negotiating the complex changes taken at tempos that would intimidate the hell out of most musicians. It's hard to imagine that he wasn't awed by it all. If he was, he appears to deal with it with a Zen-like cool. He simply takes his time and chooses not to give in to the impulse to play in a way that is more about dexterity than creativity. In doing so he points the way for succeeding generations of guitarists uninterested in cutting heads as a primary method of musical communication.

Hall's musical demeanor gave birth to a whole school of guitarists that used his approach as a template. Pat Metheny and John Abercrombie were just two of his better known disciples. Remarkably, he stayed in the vanguard of jazz for some sixty years, remaining relevant as a player even as styles changed and gave way to supersaturated displays of virtuosity. He was, perhaps, the last of the greatest generation of jazz guitarists, which included Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Chuck Wayne and too many others to list without a much, much longer article. Only Kenny Burrell, I believe, remains active, still gigging and teaching at the university level.

There’s a wealth of recordings and videotaped material to keep his music alive. His many acolytes remain as well, preaching his gospel of humor, subtlety and intelligence, traits that are rare among the six string brethren. They are, however, abundant in his work.

You could spend a lifetime absorbing his lessons—and I have little doubt that will be the case for generations to come. In terms of legacy, I'm not sure any musician could ask for more.

Mark Magula

Led Zeppelin live in 1970

12/1/2013

Led Zeppelin live 1970, with excellent sound quality.
This is the band when they were young, hungry and unpredictable, before the music was carved in stone. Robert Plant sings with the bluesy screech and howl of his mentors, effectively adapted for the era of Marshall stacks and huge drum kits. Jimi Page plays like Otis Rush and Scotty Moore had a baby. John Bonham takes the thunder of Ginger Baker and reduces it to an essence. And John Paul Jones holds it all together. This was before anyone was sure what to call it; acid rock, hard rock, heavy rock. The one constant was the word rock. Not rock and roll, but, rock, as in; a big, mountainous range of amplification, with riffs so awesome they could melt steel. This wasn't your parents blues, this was long-haired androgyny fused with the Hell's Angels by the way of Howlin' Wolf. Oh, those were the days!

Mark Magula

Set Rogan and James Franco: Bound

12/1/2013

This is the most vile, repulsive piece of crap I've ever seen. Not because of Seth Rogan and James Franco. They're actually funny. It's Kanye West's horrific rap that's the problem! Could a lyric, a poem or a rap be any dumber? I don't think so! This is a milestone in bad writing. I can't wait till this generation ages a bit and comes to the conclusion that these cretins were a low water mark in human history

Who Wrote The Bible?

6/9/2013

Like Shakespeare's work, the bible reflects a range of genres, including poetry, history, wisdom and apocalyptic literature. Not surprisingly, its history the way an ancient people from the Near East would have written it, not as post enlightenment Europeans would. It’s easy to forget that Jesus was an Asian, and “His” bible was the product of an Afro/Asiatic people. Only later does the influence of Mediterranean-Europe come into play, in the form of the Greeks. Read literally, its message becomes convoluted and can be used to justify some absolutely repulsive ideas. Read for what it is; a history of the world written from the view of an ancient people, inspired by God, with the intent of being useful for instruction—It is rightly considered the most influential work in human history.

Mark Magula

Andy Williams

10/9/2012

Andy Williams was never cool, but, he was one hell of a singer! No less a talent than the “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald invoked Andy’s name when asked who she thought of, when she thought of great singers. His rich resonant voice and effortless technique allowed him to cover a broad range of popular styles, from early rock & roll, to light R&B, the Great American Songbook and whatever else that happened to enter into the mainstream.

Like many of the popular singers that emerged in a post Sinatra world, his records seldom ever lived up to his talent. Where Sinatra was a powerful, but, often polarizing figure, which could be heard in the emotional extremes of his work, Williams cultivated an easy going persona that made people feel safe. By comparison, Sinatra made records that were intended to be art—while Andy Williams’s records reflected his audience’s expectations and seldom sought to move beyond them. His easy going, every-man persona, made him popular with a broad middle of the road audience, one that wanted familiarity, not a challenge. There are some good recordings in the mix, but, very little of his output has held up nearly as well as, say, Tony Bennett’s, another of the great singers from the same generation. Williams’s wide ranging appeal, however, opened the door to television, where he found his greatest success and remained a mainstay for more than a decade.

If you filter through the usual variety show fluff that dominated television throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, you’ll find some absolutely stunning performances by Andy and his various guest stars. Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, Julie Andrews and Ella Fitzgerald were just a few of the legends that he sang with on a weekly basis—and he always, easily, held his own. He was a generous host who gave his singing partners room to shine while providing vocal accompaniment that made both look good.

Television was in many ways a perfect medium for his talents. The versatility that he cultivated singing with his brothers in a group setting, or, as a session singer for recording dates of all kinds made him a perfect candidate for the variety show format.

His career stalled in the 70’s as styles began to change, and a young audience with its own, very different, aesthetic values increasingly dominated the musical scene. Williams eventually found a home in Branson Missouri, where his kind of entertainment has managed to thrive in a kind of cultural time warp.

But, it’s those many performances caught on tape almost fifty years ago that remain his legacy. That and the handful of records that are worthy of that rich, powerful and resonate voice, that confirm Andy Williams status as one the greats.

Mark Magula

Peace, Hope & Rhetoric

9/20/2012

Why is it that well-meaning people everywhere seem to think that peace, hope and love come about through the desire for a world filled with peace, hope and love? Does the food on your table come about as the result of your desire to eat a meal? It may start there, but, unless you’re willing to work for your food, no meal will be forthcoming. Good intentions alone are meaningless. Only when they're combined with the necessary knowledge, skills and action, will there be anything to eat.

Mark Magula

Just a Few of the Problems with Making Records

9/18/2012

Dear Tom

You asked the question; “do you like the newest version of our song”? My answer depends on what you mean by “like”? Like, as in “I really like it” or, “compared to suffocation, it was swell”! I tend towards the latter. As a demo tape it kind of works. As a finished product it aspires to mediocrity. Let me explain further with a story.

As I was driving home from taking my wife and son to work, I turned on the radio. That in itself could be viewed as a mistake, but, for the time being we’ll think of it as an act of god. The radio happened to be on that station out of West Palm Beach called the “Gator” their motto being “If we ever play anything that diverges further than an ant’s ball hair from the predictable, we’ll gladly kill ourselves”! As I drove along, the mellifluous sounds of Guns and Roses was playing what constitutes a thoughtful ballad, with lyrics so horrible I could see the hole in the ozone layer expanding. Then, came the guitar solo, a reworking of every cliché ever played by a long haired guitarist trying to figure out how to play, but, since he had cool hair, that was good enough. After that, came some more music that may have at one time been considered good, but now had been rendered a threat to national security by its mere existence. It was then that I had an epiphany. If subtlety is out of the question, maybe we should just go with it.

Here’s my suggestion. First, kill the piano. His playing is just there, it adds nothing but sound which takes up space. Second, I will rerecord a good old fashioned, strum-o-rific guitar part, one that locks in better with the bass and drums. They don’t really seem to be capable of a serious R&B groove, so let’s do it their way, better than fighting it. I will then plug directly into my POD and dial in a sound that will kill all life from at least a mile away. After that, comes the organ—and last, but not least, a grittier vocal, one that lacks any hint of understatement. That way we can please our new audience—the people who listen to the “Gator”—the ones whose motto is “If it doesn’t sound like rock from the 60’s, 70’s and possibly 80’s, we can’t hear it”. I mean, they literally can’t hear it, like a dog whistle to a human. But we will have a new and important fan base—one that looks like us, and maybe, just maybe, will like us. We can only hope.

Your friend

Mr. Sasquatch….just kidding, its Signor Sasquatch