The Rascals "Once Upon A Dream" 1968

If you bring up the Rascals in conversation with me, you are pretty darn cool.  However, very few people do.  I still remember the first time I heard this album.  My old buddy PJ let me borrow this on vinyl back in 2004 or 2005.  I think he said his dad gave it to him.  Albums by bands that had really big hits in the mid 60’s and then progressed have always fascinated me.  I guess you could say that about a million bands but it’s the albums like this that are really neat.  What I like about it is that it keeps that classic “Rascals” sound but expands on it in not only a profound way, but a cool way.  It’s not like they just put a bunch of stings and horns and harps on their existing sound and then called it “forward thinking” music.  This is heartfelt and rockin', dark and reassuring. 

                The first thing that hit me about this record was how murky it sounded.  Where did they record this, under somebody’s house?  It’s like a cloud garden and each song is like a puff of smoke rising out of a long forgotten fire.    

There is also an easy going quality to this album.  Sometimes it reminds me of a relaxing day.  Of course there are two kinds of relaxing days: the ones you have to try to make relaxing, and the ones that are relaxing all by themselves.  This album is the latter.  “Easy Rollin” feels like you are driving 50 mph on a smooth highway. That classic “Rascals’ organ” smooths everything out nicely and makes it feel like the wind is gently blowing your hair.  Nothing feels forced on this record; everything is a logical progression from their earlier sound.  I also love the ending of this song where the tape slows down and the organ falls. 

“Rainy Day” is a gorgeous slice of orchestral grandiosity mixed with unpolished vocals, and…wait for it…syrup.  It’s just enough though.  “Syrup” or “Syrupy” usually has a connotation of something overly sweet on an album.  Not here.  If you were eating pancakes, you could compare the syrup factor to about ¼ of the way into your meal.  That is the point where you are still really digging the sweetness, but aren’t sick of it yet.  I also really dig the bridge where everything speeds up for a few bars.  It feels like some 50’s action adventure safari soundtrack.  Just lovely. 

What strike me about “Please Love Me” (my wife’s favorite) and “It’s Wonderful” are the background vocals.  They are wonderfully high and piercing.  I think what I like about them is that they feel like regular guys singing with their regular voices.  These aren't the angelic tones of the Beach Boys or the silky smoothness of The Association that I usually get caught up in.  These are very functional background vocals.  It’s like they were in the studio and said, “Can you sing the lyric ‘please’ really high and shrilly? You can? Great!  Go do it, and then do the same thing on “It’s Wonderful.”  And just like that, the background vocals were done.  As I have stated in other reviews, it is that lack of pretension that makes it feel so raw and compelling. 

                When I think of this album, I find that songs from the first side tend to pop into my head first.  The songs are a little punchier and to the point.  However, the second side has some very pretty songs that are very much of their time.  “Sattva” with its sitar and chants of “this is love” is pure 1968.  But it’s the second part of the song that blends the more straight forward Rascals’ sound with the hook.  I think the real accomplishment here is that they didn’t just try to just do an “Indian” song.  They blended it successfully with their own sound, making it something much more special. 

Tones:  There are several songs that feature some very jazzy saxophone playing by King Curtis.  Most bands that incorporated sax into their sound did so in more of a honking R&B way.  The Rascals were able to explore jazz elements, which was rare in the late 60’s.  The jazz accents are one reason I find this record so compelling and original.  When you listen to bands like The Beatles and the Beach Boys, you hear them pushing boundaries, but not in the way the Rascals do.  The Rascals would move in this direction even more as they moved into the 70’s.

Cover Note:  The inside says that the drummer, Dino Danelli, was responsible for the cover.  I feel like this is an interesting cover, but I wouldn’t want to see these artifacts in person.  It’s very grey/blue, and if my mind did not attach the artifacts to the music, I would be uncomfortable.  I also have to say that the gatefold on this record (and all my late period Rascals’ records) is extremely high quality, and has/have held up nicely. 

Price Paid:  $3.00 and I have gotten so much joy out of this one.  It isn’t a terribly hard one to find either. 

Bottom Line:  This was one of the first records I found that was not an obvious classic.  It took me a few listens before I really fell in love with it and I think the same was true for my wife.  She never made any comments about the record until I had been playing it for a few days.  After that, she had all kinds of things to say.  For example, she can’t decide if she likes or dislikes the sped up vocals at the end of “It’s Wonderful.”  I find that fascinating and it gives us something to talk about each time we listen together with our son.  My wife and I have also had a great time singing, “I’m Gonna Love You Any Way I Can” to our boy.  You can totally get away with playing this one around your family.  They’ll love it.  It’s wonderful.   

The Beach Boys "Friends" (1968)

            “We've been friends now for so many years.”  They're singing to me, right?  Well, it feels like they are.  I am unashamed to say that The Beach Boys are my favorite band of all time.  It’s safe to say that I own all of their albums, save for a few that were put out very late in their career.  I think that the best of their work should be held in the same regard as Mozart, Gershwin, Bacharach, Miles Davis, and The Beatles.  Their average stuff is better than what most bands ever dream of creating, and their bad stuff is…well…hard to listen to, even for a fan as dedicated as I am.  So where does “Friends” fit into all of this?

            1968 was a rough year for Brian and the boys.  They had lost a lot of credibility with the record buying public after “Smile” fell apart, and were seen as unhip by many music lovers.  I’m not really sure why this is.  After all, it had only been two years since “Pet Sounds,” and even less time since their epic single “Good Vibrations.”  Were people’s memories that short?  Could music tastes change that fast in the 60’s?  I always have a hard time understanding that, but what do I know?  I was born in 1982.  My dad (who was born in the 1950’s) told me that he used to love the early Beach Boys singles and albums, but that he never really got into the late 60’s stuff.  When he sat down a few years ago and listened to “Smile,” “Friends,” “20/20,” and “Sunflower,” he loved them. 

            To me “Friends” is the best album, start to finish, that the Beach Boys released post “Pet Sounds.”  They have albums with better songs, but this album really gels nicely.  It has a wonderfully light vibe that is calm and inviting.  The songs are not heady and will not blow your mind in the typical late 60’s mind explosion way, but are special in a different kind of way.    

            Take a song like “Busy Doin’ Nothing.”  He mentions sharpening a pencil and writing reminder notes.  Seriously, that is the action in the song.  That, combined with the directions to his house he gives to a potential visitor, makes for a very interesting song.  Nobody wrote about this stuff back them.  Ray Davies of the Kinks was certainly mining some new ground talking about little, seemingly unimportant people, but Brian took even simpler things and created great songs with them.  Top it off with a great sounding clarinet section and you have a wonderfully original and compelling tune.  Can you even name five pop songs that have clarinet sections on them?  “When I’m 64” by the Beatles comes to mind, but then there is a pretty steep drop off.  It should also be noted that the chords on this song are very advanced too. 

            After the wonderfully short opening song “Meant for You,” we get “Friends.”  Everything you love about The Beach Boys is present in this song: harmonies, harmonicas, and high notes.  Although not as confident as he once was, Brain was still at the top of his game, and could crank out some very highly developed tunes.  How cool is it that there is a modulation after only six seconds?  Brian was a master and it shows all over this album.  One little quirk I have noticed is that at 1:21 in the song you can hear someone turn over a piece of paper, presumably sheet music.  I guess when you listen to something hundreds of times you start to pick that stuff up.       

            “Passing By” is wonderfully breezy, and contains some swirling organ sounds in the bridge.  Some baritone instrument also buzzes away.  I’m not even sure what it is.  It could be an organ, baritone sax, or fuzz box on goodness knows what.  In the outro, the melody is changed very slightly which renews your interest just as the song fades out.   

            As a new father, “When a Man Needs a Woman” has become more interesting.  It’s been very fun sitting with my son listening to a song about Brian waiting for his baby to come.  So many artists write songs about their kids, but Brian takes an original perspective by focusing on this particular thought.  Waiting for your son to be born is a thought provoking experience, and I can certainly relate to wanting to make your child feel loved when they get here.      

            The other songs do not disappoint either.  Dennis nails it with “Little Bird” and “Be Still.” “Diamond Head” feels like Brian’s attempt at Exotica.  “Anna Lee, the Healer” makes me wonder exactly how Anna Lee is helping these boys.  “Wake the World” has some great tuba on it, and “Transcendental Meditation” finishes off the record with some blaring horns and mantra like harmonies. 

Tones:  The sound of The Beach Boys voices’ together is one of the seven wonders of the music world.  The sound makes me feel like I’m 16 years old, feeling things so deeply that it’s scary.  There is something else mixed in there with the harmonies, and to try and figure out what it is would be futile.  I’m just gonna listen instead.     

Cover Note:  This is a very cheerful cover that would not be out of place on a country record.  Bruce looks a little weird though, and Carl’s face is very…wide.  Mike, as always, has a hat on.  Maybe that’s why I think it looks like a country cover. 

Price Paid:  I actually have two vinyl copies.  One is an original pressing, but I really can’t remember how much I paid.  I did however get an unopened reissue for only $6.00 at a record show. 

Bottom Line:  If you have the early stuff, “Pet Sounds,” and “Smile,” then this is the next logical step.  I wouldn't give this to somebody as a starting point, but once you dig their sounds, this is just more of the good.  The CD reissue is also paired with the follow up “20/20.”  That album is good too and the bonus tracks are totally worth it.  

Walter Wanderley "Kee-Ka-Roo" (1967)

                There was a time when I only worked 4 days a week.  Granted, they were 10 hour days, but Monday –Thursday was my work week.  My wife was also working as a nanny and she had Fridays off as well.  Each Thursday night was the end of our actual work week and most of our friends still had to plow through Friday, so my wife and I would enjoy what we dubbed “Secret Friday.”  This primarily involved whiskey sours on the back porch and lots of records.  The three records I remember us listening to the most were “Di Doo Dah” by Jane Birkin, “Histoire De Melody Nelson” by Serge Gainsbourg, and “Kee-Ka-Roo” by Walter Wanderley.  I can’t put on any of these without remembering our “Secret Fridays.” 

                Normally, we would get our drinks together during the first two songs.  “Amazonas” kicks off side one with a low wandering flute and Walter playing the organ in his “Bop Bop ba ba Bop Bop” style.  I have heard a lot of great organ players, but Walter is just so darn sure of himself.  Nothing crazy, nothing out there, just satisfying, like a good handshake.  His playing is delightful, it’s laid back, and it’s deceptively simple.  You forget very quickly that this is very complex music, both harmonically and rhythmically. Some may find this type if organ music a little cheesy, but I highly encourage you to give it a listen with fresh ears.  This is top notch Bossa Nova.

                By the time we made it to the back porch and sat down, our favorite song would start.  “Canto De Ossanah” begins with piano, organ and a donkey jawbone.  Like a heart bursting with love, this song pumps for a full minute before letting loose on the main theme, but it’s the transition that is so exciting.  It’s like the curtain gets pulled back and you realize you’re alive again.  I’m not being dramatic about this.  This song is really that good.  It will let you forget about your garbage week and help you remember that you have a lot of good things in your life to enjoy.  This is why we listen to music, these types of songs.
   

            After this song, it’s just like coasting down a mountain.  I have always been a fan of songs that move quickly, but are still quiet.  Walter does this style so well.  “Sambao” is a nice example of this.  Listen to the drums.  It takes years to master this kind of stuff.  It also has some cool background vocals that are not really sung, or spoken, but more whispered.  It goes “Ahhhhh,” with a heavy emphasis on the “H” sounds.    

                 I briefly have to mention the song “Wait until Dark.”  It is the only vocal on the record and it is pretty darn hokey to me.  The music is nice, but the lady singing, Marge Dodson, sounds like a cocktail singer, and not in a good way.  It’s bad, but it’s entertainingly bad, so I always just smile and give it a pass.

                

Tones:  Walter’s organ tones are soft, percussive, and almost bell like.  Nothing ever cuts.  It’s easy to forget he’s playing with two hands and two feet as well.  Although he is know primarily as an organ player, he also uses an electric piano on “Sensuous.”  What a warm and inviting sound he gets out of that thing.   

Price Paid:  $3.00 at an antique store that has a ton of records, however many are hit or miss.  Over the past few years they have steadily raised their prices from $3.00 to $5.00 to $7.00.  I told my buddy Dave (who has a very different record collection than mine, but is excellent just the same) about this and he said “For $7.00 I want them clean and alphabetized.”  I think that is very fair. 

Cover Note.  This one has a great colorful painting that wraps around all the way to the back.  There are flowers and birds and peppers and I think a dog.  It’s wonderful. 

Bottom Line:  I do a see a lot of Walter Wanderley as I shop, but this one does not pop up too often.  Knowing how much I like it, I would probably pay up to $7.00 if I needed to replace it.  More people should know about how good Walter's music is, so if you see any of his other stuff, go ahead and pick it up, especially if it’s on the cheap.  Buy it and have your own “Secret Friday.”