Tom Jones "Live in Las Vegas" 1968

        This is the first live album I have reviewed, and what a doozy it is.  Tom Jones is absolutely electric in a live setting, and based on what I hear on this record, the show must have been absolutely wonderful.  Everything on this record is absolutely epic.  The horns blare, the guitar blazes, and the drums beat with sweaty fury.  This is the sound of musicians giving everything they have to the audience.  And to top it all off you get the explosive, bombastic, grandiose, and decisively manly Tom Jones assuredly singing his guts out.

                Tom was at a great place in his career when this was recorded.  He had a nice string of hits, a television show, and lucrative touring schedule.  Playing is Las Vegas must have seemed like the natural thing for him to do at this point.  Some artists feel that playing the Vegas circuit is a little stale.  If Tom did feel this way, you certainly don’t get any sense of it at all.  He gives everything he has to the audience, and they in turn give it back to him.  There are women screaming on the record and Tom just eats it up.  Women screaming at Tom Jones are akin to spraying Aqua Net on a fire.  The things he says to the women in the audience are classic:

“Has anyone got a handkerchief or something?  There you are.”  Then, as someone runs up quickly, “Oh…Oh…Everything all right?  You’re a fast runner, aren’t you?  You don’t run away that fast though, do you?”

One thing I like about this album is the eclectic song selection.  There are some hits, but the covers/classics he sings make this album even more interesting.  I have never in my life heard a version of “Danny Boy” that sounded like it was meant for someone like me to hear.  It’s one of those songs that makes me feel a generation gap.  On the other hand, Tom makes this version feel like a smoky R&B number.  Between the tiny guitar drips and loud brass flashes, Tom makes it easy to forget what song you are listening to.  It just feels right, and I’m impressed he was able to make such a stuffy old song sound so big, powerful, and full of emotion. 

“Hard to Handle” also gets down right funky.  The wah wah guitars are what really do it for me.  They have a bit of a bird chirping quality that contrasts so well with the volume swells of the horn section.  I also have to confess that I have always had trouble deciphering what was being said during the hook of both the Otis Redding and Black Crowes version.  However, Tom is able to inject maximum power and emotion into the immaculately articulated lyrics.  I actually heard the Crowes version a few days ago and realized how good both versions are, for completely different reasons. 

There are also some hits on here that Tom just burns up.  “Delilah,” “It’s Not Unusual,” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” are great compliments to their studio versions.  Tom also sings each with so much gusto and bravado that you could never tell he’s sung them time and time again.  He sounds like he’s having a ball.  I have heard some people call Tom Jones’ singing melodramatic, but that seems silly to me.  That is like saying an elephant lumbers, or a cheetah slinks, or a toad sits, or a butterfly floats.  Yes, all these things are true, but an elephant is just being an elephant.  A cheetah is just being a cheetah.  A toad is just being a toad, and a butterfly is just being a butterfly.  Tom, my friends, is just being Tom. 

There is not a dud on this album.  “Bright Lights and You Girl” allows Tom to growl out a few nice lines.  The two Beatles songs, “Hey Jude” and “Yesterday” are handled exactly the way you would assume Tom would handle them: Big.  And the closing on the album is an almost seven minute version of “Twist and “Shout.”  I can get enough of old rock and roll numbers played by late 60’s and 70’s artists, but Tom keeps it happening the whole time.  It has as much, if not more energy than the early versions, if for no other reasons than the fast tempo and vivacious singing.    

Tones:  People don’t do big notes like this anymore.  Now, people get all swoony when they hear men sing big notes.  American Idol has made sure of that.  This is different.  There are so many amazingly sung notes on this record that it is practically a rain storm of colossal strength.  This is Freddie Mercury, Roy Orbison, Rufus Wainwright territory.   

Cover Note:  Tom is really workin’ it.  He looks sweaty and determined: a winning combination.  I haven’t seen too much video of Tom performing, but it looks like he’s got some moves too. 

Price Paid:  I got this for 25 cents at the library bookstore.  I thought they were kidding.  I didn’t even like Tom Jones at the time, but it just looked so cool.  It had no inner sleeve, but it played (and plays) great.  Normally, not having an inner sleeve is a bad sign, but sometimes you can get away with it. 

Bottom Line:  My wife and I saw Tom perform on his “Praise and Blame” tour several years ago.  It was amazing.  He played a lot from that album, but he chose his “hits” carefully.  Interestingly enough, he played “Delilah,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “It’s Not Unusual,” which he did on this album.  His voice has deepened over the years, and the keys he sings the songs in have dropped about 5 notes, but his tone was as rich and sweet as anything on this or his other records.  His hair was fully grey, as well as his goatee, but he was still making jokes about “Hot Cross Buns” that got the ladies screaming.  If you feel like my description makes him sound old, please know he seemed anything but.  Whether it’s 2012 or 1968, Tom Jones knows what he is doing on stage.  Get this one. 

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass "The Brass are Comin'" 1969

                I feel like almost every vinyl collector has a few Herb Alpert records in his or her collection.  And rightly so, Herb’s music is so easy to dig that it’s easy to see how it became such a phenomenon.  It’s light hearted, but complex.  It’s airy, but not light weight.  It sounds great in the background, but doesn’t disappoint when you get the headphones on.  It is also the kind of vinyl that is extremely easy to find.  You seriously can go to almost any thrift store in America and find a copy of something he released.  Not all of it though.

                “The Brass Are Comin’” was the last album Herb did with the Brass before he took a much needed break.  He had done a ton of work and had a ton of success, but the Brass was losing a bit of steam in terms of sales.  As a result, this record is harder to find than much of his earlier work.  It’s quite delightful though, and has a lot of songs and rhythmic feels that show Herb trying to expand his ever expanding sound. 

                The opening number “The Brass are Comin’” is one of my Top 5 Herb Alpert songs.  The combination of the snare drum mixed with the banjo and trumpet is titillating.  It sounds like nothing I have ever heard.  I have expressed in the past my love of fast songs that are played softly, and this only deepens my love for them.  The doubled trumpet has a few notes at the end of the phrases where the notes don’t match up perfectly.  Herb probably didn’t mean for them to fall out of sync at the end, but I am glad he did.  It makes the concept of a doubled horn part played by one man seem much more human.  For you music nerds out there, there is a bridge that has an interesting line based on the whole tone scale (one of my favorites).  After this, the song suddenly pauses and then when it returns, it doesn’t do so with a large cymbal crash.  The entrance back into the verse feels more like the letting go of a deeply held breath.     

                “Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine” has all the elements of a great Herb Alpert song, but also includes a delightfully woody sounding string section.  Dig how the melody is played at first by the trumpet, then by the strings, then by both.  Some superb trombone counterpoint can also be heard if you concentrate. 

                Another gem which shows up is “Country Lake.”  It has an intriguing solo that sounds like it is played on a B-Bender Telecaster.  I cannot confirm it, but I would bet my wristwatch that it is Clarence White playing the solo.  A B-Bender guitar was first used by Clarence in his work with the Byrds.  It is a very distinct sound that he was known for.   He uses it here to great effect over some well placed chord changes.  While looking for Clarence’s name in the huge list of names on the inside, I also saw that Carol Kaye (most famous for playing bass on “Pet Sounds”) is listed.  I met her once, and she was just about the kindest, most open person I have ever met.  I’ll give you the full story on her another time though. 

                When I heard him start to sing “Sunny,” I thought Herb was going for another “This Guy’s In Love with You.”  To be 100% honest with you, I never really liked "Sunny," and when I heard how slow he was taking the pace, I was a bit nonplussed.  However!  Herb came through for me.  The vocal only starts the song.  Then, the drums kick in and pick up the pace in a major way.  The song really cooks.  The melody is played (once again) by the classic doubled trumpet, but you can also hear a non lyrical vocal by Herb underneath it.  I have always liked the sound of Herb’s voice even though it isn’t a super strong one.  He never tries too hard, and as a result, never overextends himself or shows off.  It’s just good old Herb, walkin’ down the street singing a little tune and enjoying life.  I actually think this is one of the best songs on the album, and the melody, when treated this way, is infectious.  I even like the beginning vocal now.  If I was "nonplussed" when I first heard it, then now I am just good old fashioned "plussed".  Ya did it, Herb.  Ya won me over on “Sunny.”

               

Tones:  I wouldn’t say there are a ton of new tones that have never been heard on his other records.  You get the standard trumpet, marimba, brass, and guitars that are up to their usually high standards.  There is a cool sounding electric piano/harpsichord on “Country Lake,” but I am not sure what it is.  It’s sort of a muffled popping chime.  Anybody know what that is?  Also, the mixing on this album is great and offers some great stereo panning that only the late 60’s can provide.  

Cover note:  I would describe the overall color scheme as psychedelic sepia.  The way the border is colored, kind of reminds me of the marker like inks on the cover of Paul McCartney’s “Ram.”  I also love the western outfits mixed with the horns the guys are carrying. 

Price Paid: Are you ready?  Are you sure?  Here it is.  I paid 25 cents for this record at the crummy bookstore at the library.  It was in almost mint condition except for the fact that all of the paper on the spine was taken off.  How does that even happen?  The bookstore had some characters in it too.  You think record collectors are strange?  Hardcore book readers/seekers are even stranger.    

Bottom line:  I distinctly remember hearing my wife say, “That’s pretty,” as I played this album.  I also made a few little videos of my boy running around while this record was playing in the background.  It ended up being a pretty surreal video scored to this music.  My boy seemed happy as it and he played though.  I think the reason I like this album so much is that it has a familiar sound, but it hasn’t been overplayed.  I’m not sure if this is rare, but I certainly haven’t seen it often.  It’s definitely worth $5.00 or even a little more.  If you don’t have any Herb, this is probably not the best place to start.  However, if you like Herb, just go for it. 

Dusty Springfield "Dusty in Memphis" (1969)

                I have been listening to “Dusty in Memphis” for a long time.  My dad may have been the first person to tell me to listen to her, but I’m not sure.  I remember hearing her singles a lot, but this is the first full album I purchased of hers.  It is definitely a classic, and one of my favorites, but I don’t really hear a lot of people talk about it, except for “Son of a Preacher Man.”  There is not a bad song on here, which is understandable because most are written by either Gerry Goffin and Carol King; Burt Bacharach and Hal David; or Randy Newman. 

                The Randy Newman songs are the most quirky of the bunch.  “Just One Smile” starts off with some picked and then strummed nylon string guitar that is very pleasant.  Dusty’s delivery on this song is wonderful, especially considering the subject matter.  I find the idea of a person begging their lover for “just one smile” so they can have “a little dream to build my world upon” to be an interesting perspective.  It’s the dream of love that they are feeling, not anything real.  The same concept is explored by The Turtles in “Happy Together.”  It’s easy to forget (especially with that wonderfully classic Turtle’s chorus) that the first words to the song are “Imagine me and you…”  Randy Newman also throws in some great chord changes that really make the transition from verse to chorus very dramatic.

                “The Windmills of your Mind” is also great.  I took a trip to Chicago with my buddies Telly and Chris when I was about 24.  We were lucky enough to fine a very cool jazz club one night.  The two songs the band played that left the greatest impression that night were  “Birdland” and “The Windmills of Your Mind.”  I actually went over and talked to the drummer that night and told him how impressed I was that they threw that song in.  I had never heard it live before that night, and I have not since.  It was awesome to connect with someone over such an obscure song.  I don’t know why it stuck with me so much, but it was a defining moment on an already great trip. 

                “Just a Little Lovin’” is also a pretty great way to start to the record.  There is a sly sexuality to this song that I have always enjoyed.  And ain’t it the truth?  Wouldn’t the world a be all the better if we all had a little lovin’ early in the morning.  I feel like this song reflects some of the hippie pathos of 1969 without being in your face about it.  I also like that she sings “when the world is yawnin’.”  It makes the world sound sleepy, not her.  This is an important element to the song.   

                Over the years, my relationship to this album has changed a lot.  With its smooth melancholy strings and subdued rhythm section, it actually makes a very nice sounding Christmas record.  For going on 7 years, my wife and I have made it a tradition to listen to “Dusty in Memphis” while we decorate our Christmas tree.  I highly recommend you give this record a spin in this context.  It’s very pleasant and satisfying. 

Tones:  Dusty’s voice is powerful and hazy at the same time.  When she hits the big notes in “Don’t Forget About Me” you really see what a talent she is.  She can whisper and she can belt.  She also sounds like a cigarette smoker, which I’m sorry folks, is incredibly cool.  Maybe not in the long run, but defiantly in an ephemeral way.  Also, check out the tiny touch of reverb on Dusty’s voice.  It’s perfect: anymore and you would lose presence, and any less you would dry up and float away.  There are also softly spoken Motown style background vocals on “I Don’t Want to Hear It” that are not done by Dusty.  They actually put off a really cool attitude that contrasts nicely with Dusty’s delivery. 

Price Paid:  This was an Ebay purchase and was bundled with a “Best of the Supreme’s” record for some reason.  I don’t remember paying more than $15.00 for both.  Dusty’s record is definitely the rarer of the two. 

Cover Note:  Dusty stares directly into you with those penetrating, smoky eyes.  When I was a younger man, I found it hard not to stare back.  I really wanted to hear this record.  It just looks like a record that’s always been in your collection.  Her dress is also ornate in a way that you would never see nowadays.  I have always been intrigued by those fingernails too.  No woman I ever met had ‘em shaped like that. 

Bottom Line:  It’s a wonderful record without a bad song.  This is the place to start with if you want to get into Dusty Springfield.  It’s not a rare record, but it did not sell as well as expected, and sellers know it is a classic.  $10-$12 is fair.  There is also a re-mastered CD version that is great.  It includes a massive 14 extra bonus tracks.  The original album only had 11 songs to start.  That’s a steal.