What You'll Find Here: Music, Movies and Me

Since May 1976, I have written in journals. When I have nothing particularly resonant to say about my own inner turmoil, philosophic ramblings, sexual peccadillos or whining on about the state of the world around me...I have always fallen back on reporting the cultural time consumption that takes up in inordinate portion of my daily goings on.

In the 40+ years since my first concerts seeing Children's Symphony presentations on Sundays at the Pasadena Civic or The Hot Jazz Society's monthly Dixieland romps in an old meeting hall on the edge of the L.A. "River" across from Griffith Park, I have been sold heavily on the magic of live music. As Neil Young so aptly put it, "Live music is better bumper stickers should be issued."

Growing up a few orange groves and canyons length away from Hollywood also contributed greatly to my family's addiction to movie going. From the time I was a small there were weekly trips to the drive-in theaters that dotted the landscape, or the local Temple theater for the Saturday matinees. Once in a while we'd drive the 12 miles into Hollywood and see something in one of the magnificent old movie palaces like Grauman's Chinese, the Egyptian, The Pantages or later the Cinerama Dome. My dad loved Westerns and War movies, as if he didn't get enough shoot-'em-up as an L.A. County Sheriff in his day gig, my mom adored musicals and comedies. My brother and I loved them all.

At SDSU, I played in my first gigging band and began booking concerts on campus as part of the well-funded Cultural Arts Board, kindling for my future life in and around music.

So it's not surprising that my first jobs out of college were working in local video rental places (which were all the rage) or managing a couple of Sam Goody record stores in Mall's on the East Coast where we marveled at the new CD format and sold the first home computers and video games (yes Commodore and Pong and Atari).

So these are really just extensions of all of those journal entries talking about the great new movies I was seeing and LPs/CDs I was listening to.

Though iPODS/iPADs, apps, smart phones and downloads now make music and movies accessible in your own pocket, there is still nothing like sitting in front of a stack of speakers with a room full of people swaying to music created before your eyes. Nor is there anything that works quite so well for me to escape the real world and all of it's pressures just outside than two hours in a dark theater, absorbing the stories flickering across that wide screen as they pull you into their world.

But a really good taco runs a close third...

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ARCHIVAL CD REVIEW - RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS - III/IV

Having just listened to the brand spanking new Ryan Adams CD, Ashes & Fire about a dozen times on the free NPR stream, I am going to start digesting post gush and write about it but first let me pull s little something from the archives before it turns. I was gonna lay this review on y'all last year but got distracted by life and other roadblocks. Here's my review of the previous Ryan album. Okay, so I'm a little laid back. I wrote the review of Ryan's III/IV immediately after hearing it many months ago and then decided not to post it until I'd listened a few more times but never got around to a re-write. Here is the initial rushing spew in all of its flush-cheeked exuberance.

Watch for the new review of Ashes & Fire in a day or two...the CD comes out on October 11. Pre-order here. I just spent hours deciphering and scrawling out the new lyrics, learning a few chord changes for my next gig and ordering it on Amazon. In the meantime listen it here while it is still up on NPR and buy his entire catalog.   

RYAN ADAMS - III/IV




Buy RYAN ADAMS III/IV now!...especially if you like The Strokes, Todd Rundgren, 80s power pop, Pretenders...his most rockin' record all the way through in ages...outtakes from Easy Tiger (Bonus CD) ...but this sounds so different than that wonderful album. Most of the tunes on this 2 CD set would have radically changed the vibe of that disc. Welcome back Ryan and Cardinals...keep 'em comin'.

Now, I'm one of these guys who can't believe that this guy isn't just the biggest thing ever but then again, I wouldn't want that because then he'd be even more pissy about the state of the bidness and maybe even quit again and I like him right where he is--big enough to be always striving for more vision and more expression. This guy is a craftsman first and foremost but not in the Steely Dan/Eagles pristine production way. More in the intense ability he has to make basic rock n roll songs sound unique and compelling through myriad sections, leaps of melodic faith, and memorable riffs. The thing about almost ALL of his records and the last couple in particular are how much is revealed on subsequent listens. Just when you think there are no hooks, they pull ya back in. On the next listen you feel inundated with them. This is music that is not obvious. My how refreshing he has become in today's rock world.

For those who don't know this guy HE RIPS! Any of his numerous previous albums are full of well-crafted songs, compassionate vocals and bottom line just a glimpse into one of the eras most prolific and accomplished singer/songwriters. And the Cardinals are what The Band used to be for Robbie Robertson...a songwriter's best friend: a group that can play any style you throw at them well.

There's a pretty direct paean to Tom Petty on the first disc's "Stop Playing With My Heart". But from past releases, you'll know that Adams is most definitely not afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. I hear Todd R mostly in some of his vocal phrasing ("Kisses Start Wars" and the tune that immediately follows it "Crystal Skull", for instance).


                        Kisses Start Wars

There's a edgy hint of the Costello-esque in the slashing rhythm guitar figures here and there, but not much Dead or country or Neil Young this time out (but don't miss his last 3-4 for that tip). "NUMBERS" reminds me of X playing a Pete Townshend tune circa The Who Sell Out until the bridge which is pure Ryan.

 
Numbers                                      

"Sewers At the Bottom of the Wishing Well" melds The Clash with The Byrds, Crazy Horse with an opening riff halfway to The Beatles' "Please, Please Me". How hip is that!


         Sewers at the Bottom of the Wishing Well

He even gets a bit of Freddie Mercury overbite on in "Star Wars" which is just a weirdly cool song. He gets slagged for being prolific but bottom line is, I've downloaded buckets of unreleased outtakes from this guy that put many of the present day chartbusters to shame. Rock on, baby.

Adams' albums are like those of Neil Young or David Bowie in that you always know a) that it's him b) that it will be interesting, c) that it may just be very different and unexpected from what you previous know but d) that it will always be quality and always be compelling. Sure we all have our favorites (I'm a Cold Roses and Easy Tiger guy), and like Neil and Bowie, there are always masterpieces to exist alongside near misses and blunders. But in the big picture, such is life. That these guys consistently just put it out there, diving in, heart first, craft second, critics/audience/sales somewhere farther down the list is a call for discerning listeners to keep supporting them, keep listening, keep buying tickets. Give these sonic poets their canvas and let `em run with it.

Since his recent marriage to pop/movie star Mandy Moore and his "retirement" from music, this surprising release was a wonderful treat. Recorded in 2007 during sessions for the Easy Tiger album, these 21 tunes have more bite and no real country.folky vibe like lots of his output with the Cardinals. This is a ROCK record, teasingly referencing Ryan's earlier incarnations pre-Cardinals. Here he has modernized his alt-rock pose from years ago, left the Grateful Dead references behind. A bit of arena rock grandiosity, barroom brawling 80s edge, some punk simplicity with a dash of hippie metal. Fun and somehat tossed off, not as desperately rockin' as his pre-sobriety music but no real twang as he's recently courted either.

While this holds up well, there is still something of a feeling that it is a stop-gap release while Ryan rejuvenates himself, folds his prodigious radar around his new muse and waits to see what shakes out next time. With Adams, like the best of his forebears you never can tell what will come next...and you can't wait!

(Obviously, "next time" is HERE on Oct. 11 and here's a tease...if you haven't already checked out the full stream of Ashes & Fire on NPR...this is a solo acoustic version of the lead track, "Dirty Rain". The album version has some band on it though subtle and tasty...)





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