Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo & Eddie) "The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie" 1972

Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (aka Flo and Eddie) are easily two of the most underrated talents in rock history.  Everybody knows these guys voices, but very few people know who they are.  As the leaders of the Turtles, they turned out satirical laughs, several amazingly idiosyncratic albums, and some of the best singles of the 60’s.  After getting royally screwed by their record company, White Whale, they worked with Frank Zappa on some of his most humorous work.  Some of it was totally over the line, and really irritated/offended a lot of Turtles and Zappa fans.  All of it however was performed with stunning musical prowess and over the top showmanship.  After Frank Zappa was hospitalized, by a deranged fan who pushed him off stage, Howard and Mark set out on their own using most of Frank’s band as backing musicians.  “The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie” was the result.

       Listen very carefully as the banjo on this album begins and you can hear someone quietly say, “Pete Townsend” for some reason.  As the song begins and the boys introduce themselves, a choir (literally) of vocals says “We hope you’re ready for Flo and Eddie.”  And boy you better be because this is not your regular run of the mill album.
              Mark starts off “Thoughts Have Turned” with some raunchy clean guitar and takes the lead vocal.  The beat is driven hard by Aynsley Dunbar, who plays dynamically in a sort of more focused Keith Moon fashion.  The vocals weave in and out with falsetto that is as light as a cotton ball.  Mark sings that his thoughts have “turned to love” for a girl who is able to “share herself with everyone.”  Poor Mark. 

                When I first heard this album, the song that stuck out to me most was “Feel Older Now.”  If the falsetto in “Thoughts Have Turned” as light as a cotton ball, then here it’s sharper than a straight razor.  Part of me feels like they are making fun of bands like Led Zeppelin (Immigrant Song) here, but they do it with straight faces.  This is actually an epic song with angry creaked out vocals, subtly nasty lyrics (“I’m hard on you”), and a chorus that burns with rocket-like fury. 

                Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to walk into a party in the year 1972.  As I picture it, “I’ve Been Born Again” would be playing with its scant two chords and high-hat sizzle.  This may be the best song on the album, and it is easy to get wrapped up in this one.  Everything in this song is a hook.  The trumpet and repetitious vocals just go on and on.  Things never get boring though.  Vocals harmonize and fade in and out.  It is not a song that really builds.  It is a song that holds steady.  I would rate its intensity a 7 from start to finish.  Tell me you don’t want to walk into a party that is cookin’ at a seven when you walk in.  My wife absolutely loves this song.  Her face lights up when I play it.  She even asked for a CD copy of my vinyl copy which I gladly gave her.  Now, she plays this song for me in the car.   

            My son on the other hand really likes “Nikki Hoi.”  Either that or he likes how weird my wife and I act while it is playing.  This is a song that would have fit nicely on the Turtles record “Battle of the Bands” (where the Turtles pretend to be a different band for every song).  Mark and Howard were always great at making convincing sounding genre exercises.  They always found a way to make them their own though.  For example, the little bubbling sounds they add on the song would never be on a real “Hawaiian” song, but are a silly (and surprisingly fitting) addition.  Also catch some of the classic Flo & Eddie humor at the end with one of them saying “Aloha, Joe” in a female voice to an American G.I.  In addition to their talent, these guys are silly.  

Tones:  Jim Pons sings and plays bass on this record.  He was also in the Turtles, and followed Flo & Eddie for several Zappa records.  His voice is extremely low and I love that it is featured here.  It really gives a bit of continuity which flows from Turtles to Zappa to Flo & Eddie.  You can hear his low “Ooh Ahh, Ooh Ahh” at the end of “Goodbye Surprise.”   Don Preston adds some great keyboard parts to this record as well.  Check out his piano rolls on “Why It Never Happened.”

Cover Note:  Wow!  Look at these guys!  Mark’s yellow shirt is incredible!  And have you ever seen a more perfect set of chompers?  I want to hang out with these guys so badly.  Howard was always a touch chubby when he was in the Turtles, but here he is super thin and has a head of mostly grey hair.  Seriously, what is he, 31?  His duck shirt is amazing too.  I could frame this record on my wall and smile every time I look at it.  Looking at it really makes me happy.

Price paid:  I had to order this off of Ebay.  It was about $11.00.  I have seen a few of their later records in the bins I dig through, but never this one.  If you find it, snatch it up because you won’t see it again.

Bottom Line:  This is a great record for music weirdos and family men.  It’s quirky, but not offensive.  It’s silly, but not hokey.  It’s musical, but not heady.  This album lies in the middle ground between the Turtles’ poppyness and Zappa’s musicality.  If you like the Turtles, there is enough of their sound to keep you happy.  The same is true if you are a Zappa fan.  I hope you’re ready, for Flo &  Eddie. 

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 Millennium "Begin" 1968

Now this one is obscure.  The band Millennium was actually the brainchild of Curt Boettcher and a few of his friends.  Curt’s most notable work is as the producer of The Association’s first record.  This is not the kind of record you are going to stumble upon in an old record bin (unless you are incredibly lucky).  Someone has more than likely suggested this record to you (as my old buddy Vic did for me) or you have heard about it in some dimly lit corner of the internet.  The great thing about this record is that it really is a lost masterpiece.  The songs are catchy, the production brilliant, and the performances adroit. 

                The introduction to the album, “Prelude,” is a wonderful harpsichord and tuba workout.  When I first heard this piece, I was extremely impressed.  The juxtaposition of the prickly harpsichord and the fat-bottomed tuba is lovely, but what holds everything together is the sound of the drum beat.  In 1968, there is absolutely no comparison in terms of booming sonic splendor.  It would take 20 more years before people started getting into beats recorded like this.  My wife summed up “Prelude” perfectly: "This song is just waiting for a hip hop artist to sample this intro and turn it into a hit."  And she’s right.  There is nothing inherently “hip hop" about the song to begin with, but could certainly be used that way (with some gentle nudging). 

                Speaking of my wife, she loves this record, and so does my son.  This has been dinner music for over a week now.  Soft Psych is a hard sell for most people, but good music is good music, period.  There is not a song on here that she does not like.  One of her favorites is “5 A.M.”  I think it’s the rising chord progression and the way he sings “5 O’clock.”  Most people would say, “A’clock,” but he clearly says “Oh.”   “I Just Want to be Your Friend” also has a tiny sweetness to it.  Sometimes I feel like I would need a microscope in order to see the people singing this song.  There is also some great percussive use of shakers in this one. 

                Personally, I enjoy “The Island.”  There is a wonderful blend of Soft Psych and Exotica on this one.  You get cloud like vocals and watery steel guitar.  You get circular guitar figures and far off animal sounds.  The bridge is absolutely wonderful too.  In the 1960’s, record stores were inundated with Hawaiian records.  It is only natural that Curt Boettcher would have heard a lot of them.  I think it’s great he was able to incorporate these sounds into a forward thinking record such as “Begin.”

                I always got a bit of a Todd Rundgren vibe from the song “It’s You.”  It’s a little like his song “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” from Something/Anything.  It must be that double tracked acoustic guitar.  I have always thought that the lyrics were interesting as well.  The concept of someone peering through a frosted window at someone makes me feel weird.  Obfuscated points of view seldom leave me feeling warm and toasty.

Tones:  Oh man…so many.  Here is a little list for ya:

1.  The chorus effect on the bass on “To Claudia on Thursday” is very rare for the 60’s.  Chorus on bass is more of an 80’s thing to me.  I have also never heard a cuíca on a 60’s pop record before, unless it was straight out of Brazil.  It’s the best squeaky sound ever. 

2.  Speaking of squeaky sounds, the guitar at the start of “It Won’t Always Be the Same” is almost Theremin like. 

3.  The vocals in “Sing to Me” show that harmony is not always necessary.  It sounds like there are several voices singing in unison.  Harmony is the default on most Soft Psych records, so it is nice to see this vocal color used as well. 

4.  Something is going on with the trumpets in “The Know It All.”  They may be slightly sped up or on some kind of tape loop.  The drums also have a dead, flat, sloppy punch that sounds like a petulant child punching a pillow.    

5.  The vibraphone part on “Some Sunny Day” sounds a lot like “My Girl,” doesn’t it?  

Cover Note:  I wonder what they were going for here.  Certainly a cover with a black and white church scene is somewhat out of sync with late 60’s pop sensibilities.  There just doesn’t seem to be anything overly special about it.  I do like how it feels like you are looking out a window though. 

Price Paid:  I had to pick this one up new for about $15.00.  The original is extremely rare, but surprisingly you can still find reissues of this in print in both CD and vinyl formats.  It is pushing $27.00 for the LP version on Amazon, which I think is high.  Check out some other stores or Ebay for a better price. 

Bottom Line:  If one thing is true, it’s that this is a quality record.  A lot of hard work and focused energy went into this LP.   It is a niche record and will mostly appeal to Soft Psych fans.  There are some Beach Boys and Association comparisons that are fair, but at the end of the day, it’s really its own thing.  

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. 

Laura Nyro "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" 1968

                My sister and I are the only two people I know that like Laura Nyro.  Her voice can take a little getting used to.  It’s like a bird tied to a string; it goes all over the place, and is constantly on the verge of breaking free and losing control.  I happen to think that is cool, but my wife does not.  I put this album on to make some notes, and the mood in the room instantly changed.  She puts up with a lot of crazy music in this house, but it was very clear that this was not a record that was going to be in rotation for very long.  I can get that.  She is not alone in this opinion, and that is fine with me.  She asked if I would please put the Bob Dylan back in the player, after I was done listening to “that girl with the ridiculous voice.”  How could you be upset with a woman who encourages you to listen to more Dylan?  She’s a keeper.

                I, however, love this record!  It just soars for me.  Laura does all of the lead vocals as well as the background vocals.  Having one person do all the vocals is like putting magnifying glass on the personality of the performer.  Instead of one over the top vocalist, you get 20.  My favorite song is “Sweet Eyed Blindness.”  In some parts, I am hearing at least 4 vocals intermingling.  The rhythm is also all over the place, and the beat changes tempo throughout the song.  The most important thing is how wonderfully happy the song feels.  The song is about drinking, and as a result gives the song a bit of a medicated happy feel.  How could you not sing along to this?

               “Poverty Train” is full of intrigue.  The song has a limping quality, with its starts and stops.  Laura and her piano are joined by light flutes, ringing vibes, buzzy fuzz guitar, and soft horns, but each instrument seems to be independent of the others.  They simply wander in and out of the song like confused children.  By the end, Laura and her piano are again alone. 

                This album came out in 1968, but I get sort of a mid 60’s/Motown/Brill Building feel to it.  This makes a lot of since because Laura was a songwriter who scored several hits with groups like The 5^th Dimension, Three Dog Night, and The Blood, Sweat and Tears.  I happen to prefer her version of “Eli’s Comin’” over Three Dog Night’s.  I feel like the vocals mesh far better in her recording than the hit version.  The song also works much better from the perspective of a woman than a man.  I find it hard to believe that a man, especially like Chuck Negron, would sing about watching out for a heartbreaker.  “Stone Soul Picnic” on the other hand lacks the bold production of the The 5^th Dimension’s version.  Laura’s version, however let’s you focus on how wonderful the melody really is.  It’s very good, but far less lush. 

“Farmer Joe” absolutely knocks my socks off every time I hear it.  The piano is thick, guttural, and as satisfying as butter on a biscuit.  Laura must have been pretty happy the day she found that groove.  The lyrics are simple and repetitive and easy to sing along to.  Also, pay attention to the section where she sings “run, run like a son of a gun.”  The note she sings when she says “gun,” is so out of key, but just so right.  Who does that? Why pick that strange note?  Because she pulls it off; that’s why.  Sometimes you just do things because others haven’t.  I am glad she did. 

                Did I say I like to sing to this record?  Well, I should make an exception for “The Confession.”  It is a lovely melody and the finger picked acoustic guitar really percolates the song, but…and I do mean but…I am not sure this song was meant for me to sing along to.  Groove on these lyrics:

Super summer sugar croppin'
In the mornin'
Do your shoppin' baby
Love my love thing
Super ride inside my love thing

You may leave the fair
But you'll be back I swear

And

Oh I hate my winsome lover
Tell him I've had others
At my breast
But tell him he held my heart
And only now am I a virgin
I confess

Love my love thing
Love is surely gospel

This is 1968 we’re talkin’ about here, and “Super ride inside my love thing,” is so far past anything you will hear from this era.  This is especially true for a woman.  This was ground breaking music and credit should be given where credit is due.  Even though I, as a man, am uncomfortable singing along with it, “The Confession” should be viewed as the major statement it is.  Sometimes songs push the boundaries of sound or harmony, but this one was a great step forward for lyrics. 

Tones:  Everything sounds pretty close mic’d except for the strings, which sound like they were recorded in a massive studio with only room microphones. 

Cover Note:  It’s a very basic cover.  I guess the stark black cover is notable because of how non psychedelic it is for 1968.  I get kind of a singer/songwriter vibe from it.  Also, I have seen this used quite a few times, and each time the cover has had a massive amount of ring wear.  Roxy & Elsewhere by Frank Zappa is the same way.  I guess some records were just printed poorly compared to others.

Price paid:  I have the CD reissue, but I did buy a vinyl copy for my sister.  It was in the $4.00-$6.00 range, which is a fair price.  The bonus tracks on the CD are also very good. 

Bottom line:  If someone was interested in 60’s music and had never heard a thing, I would probably tell them to start with the Beatles, then move to the Beach Boys, then The Stones, then The Kinks and so forth.  A logical progression of appreciation would then develop and their life would gradually improve until they exploded from pure joy.  This album and Laura’s others would probably not fit into the first 50-100 records I would suggest to a 60’s music novice.  However, after some of the more obvious choices are covered, this would be a great suggestion.  It certainly won’t disappoint any long time lover of 60’s music. 

Bill Evans Trio "Everybody Digs Bill Evans" 1958

It took me some time to realize how amazing Bill Evans was.  Sometimes music hits you over the head, but sometimes it just gets slipped under your pillow.  Bill Evans always seemed like a fragile character to me and I pick up a lot of that from the music.  He can also really swing though.

 Bill was the king of impressionist harmony, which will only mean something to you if you are a musician.  You may have heard of impressionist painters. Well, whenever I look at their paintings, I always enjoy their hazy quality.  The clarity is gone therefore I am forced to focus on other aspects.  Well, what they do with painting, Bill does with harmony.  To do this, he stays away from the obviously pleasant (and familiar) sounding notes in a chord.  These would be the ones that make up about 98% of all written music.  Instead he plays notes that are close to the “good” notes, creating an impression of the chord.

 Think about it like this.  If you go outside on a sunny day and look up in the sky, the sun can hurt your eyes.  So what do you do?  You put you hand up to cover the sun, and try to decipher what you can.   You aren’t seeing an accurate representation of what the sky really looks like; you just get an impression.  You have lost the key element, so now you are forced to focus on the rest.  This is why Bill Evans’ music sounds the way it does.  I hope that makes sense.  Please do not translate that into, “Bill Evans was an impressionist painter who couldn’t see the sun, so he played wrong notes on the piano.”    

“Minority” starts off sounding pretty menacing for a jazz record.  They make me think of someone slipping through prison bars.  These jagged sounds are coming from the same guy who played the beautiful opening chords on Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” album.  The main melody is quite memorable and swings elegantly.  I really dig how Bill’s solo builds momentum.  It starts off slow and gets fancier as it progresses.  The more I listen to this, the more impressed I am by how planned out it seems.  Bill starts to trade solo breaks with drummer Philly Joe Jones and they taunt each other back and forth.  Some of Bill’s runs sound like mice running across the floor.  Very hip jazz mice. 

On the emotional flip side, you get “Young and Foolish” which is melancholy at its best.  If I had to be sad, this is the kind of sad I would want to be.  Not the real thing, but an oozing, gray version of it.  Bill’s piano rolls like constant thunder clouds dimly pushing their way out of an old movie projector.  Just when I think that being gloomy is great, Bill hits some harsh dissonant notes that feel like pangs of guilt or loneliness.  It’s really quite emotional. 

          One thing I like about this record is the interesting sequencing of its songs.  The slightly eastern sounding “Epilogue” after “Night and Day” closes side one beautifully.  Bill has a way of letting strange chords ring out with an uncomfortable beauty.  They are like looking at a beautiful woman who scares the hell out of you.  The same little “Epilogue” pops up again at the end of the record. 

                Side two also contains what I consider to be the centerpiece of the record: “Peace Piece”.  Bill’s left hand plays a creamy repeated figure, and his right hand improvises.  The first half of the song is wonderfully calm and relaxing, like warm sheets on a cold day.  Conversely, the second half is much more challenging to relax to.  The notes feel like sharp little pebbles or drops of black ink on canvas.  The left hand keeps going though.  You may still be lying in those warm sheets, but you just got your heart handed to you by your lover.  My wife loves the first half of this song, but gets frustrated by the second half.  I think most people who are not into modern jazz would be too. 

               

Tones:  This is a three piece jazz combo, so there is not a lot of tone variety.  You do, however, get some changes in texture that are quite charming.  “Oleo” starts with mostly bass and piano.  Halfway through, the drums crash in as Bill pays some chromatic bumblebee runs.  These guys must have been aware that three instruments can only create so much variety.  As a result, you get some fascinating interplay that generates patches of sound that very much hold my interest.

Cover Note:  This was an innovative cover back in the day.  Miles Davis, George Shearing, Ahmad Jamal, and Cannonball Adderley all sing Bill’s praises.  In 2014, it’s hard to be shocked by a cover like this, but I am sure it stood out back in 1958.  Seriously, if Miles Davis thinks you’re cool, there’s a pretty good chance you are.  I’d probably buy a sandwich if I thought Miles dug it. 

Price paid:  I have a vinyl reprint that I bought online for about $16.00.  I feel like finding old jazz is pretty hard to do.  Every time I look for old jazz stuff, it’s either scratched, or way out of my price range.  I don’t think this stuff was ever majorly popular to begin with, so copies are rare.  I have no problem buying a new reprint of an old album.  Besides, jazz on vinyl is a special thing. 

Bottom line:  You have to be sensitive to appreciate an album like this.  Sure, if you are a musician, you can dissect the complex harmonies and technical intricacies, but where does that leave you?  Musicians don’t push the boundaries of harmony just to push them.  They do it so they can convey new, deep, and hopefully insightful emotions.  The greatest part about this album is its ephemeral nature.  The Bill Evans Trio was certainly in the moment when they created this record, and what a great moment it must have been to be in.    

Todd Rundgren "Runt" 1970

If you are even a casual music lover, then you have more than likely heard plenty of Todd’s music.  He is one of those artists that had a smattering of hits, however it’s his full albums that are really where it’s at.  On many of his records, Todd does it all (literally and figuratively in many cases.) He has been known to play guitar, keyboards, bass, saxophone, and sing.  He also produces and engineers many of the records himself. 

                On his first record, “The Ballad of Todd Rundgren”, Todd plays many but not all of the instruments.  He is joined by a drummer, bass player, and a few horns, but everything else is straight up Todd.  Sometimes you can tell that the people who make “one man band” records are more or less guitar and piano players with less than amazing abilities on other instruments.  Todd seems to shine on every instrument he plays though.  The guitar tone on “Devil’s Bite” is not only a stellar riff, but has originality to its tone and presentation.  It’s like a dog barking underwater, but with a much thicker sound.  His vocals are also interesting.  I would say that Todd has a “nice” voice, but he really knows how to push it.  He is at the top of his shouting range and he must know it, because he certainly doesn’t blow it.  He just hits that perfect rock and roll point of exhaustion. 

                My mother has always been a big fan of Todd Rundgren, and as a result, “We Gotta Get You a Woman” has been played way too loud in the car with her over the years.  My mom is the kind of person who listens to music at appropriate levels…for rock and roll that is.  She likes to feel it, so that makes her a fun person to listen to Todd with.  “We Gotta Get You a Woman” was the hit on this record and it’s clear why.  It’s catchy as all get out, and really excels at the quiet verse/loud chorus arrangement.  The last line of the song is great too.  “And when we’re through with you, we’ll get me one too.”  I always love it when artists make it worth your while to listen to the very end of the song. 

                It is safe to say that my wife does not like Todd Rundgren (or “Todd R” as she calls him) at all.  Believe me, I’ve tried hard to get her into his music, but it just does nothing for her.  One time I even made her an unlabeled mix of instrumental songs, and included one of Todd’s.  I remember being at a stoplight and hearing her say as Todd’s song came on, “This is the only song on here I don’t like.”  As I have said before, my wife listens to a lot of really great music, so I give her a pass when she really doesn’t dig something.  It looks like Todd and I have a date with some headphones.

                Which is fine because I get to hear the double tracked guitars that sound like fireworks exploding, and the lead vocals (some are thick and bassy, and others supremely dry) that sound like they were meticulously recorded using different microphones on different songs.  There is a real eye (ear) for detail on this record.  For instance, the guitar solo on “Who’s That Man” comes in like a samurai sword slicing through a wild running animal; it’s hot, buttery, and visceral.  He’s clearly put some time into the lyrics as well.  Check out these lines from “Broke Down and Busted”:

You know that I would go anywhere

That I could go in my old wheelchair

But I wouldn’t get far ‘till it fell apart

I’m a broke down man with a busted heart.   

            To casual listeners, Todd is mostly known for his softer numbers, and there are a few of those on here.  “Believe in Me” is probably the prettiest song on the album.  I love how soft and tender his singing is on this one.  It really shows his versatility, especially compared to the more rockin’ songs. 

My favorite song on the record is the suite called “Baby Let’s Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands.”  The “Baby Let’s Swing” section is especially fun because it appears to be a tribute to Laura Nyro.  He emulates her style while also singing directly to her.  The “How I love to shuffle” part is a dead ringer for many of the songs on her “Eli and the Thirteenth Confession” record.  This is a huge thrill for me, being a huge fan of both Rundgren and Nyro.  I have never had the guts to play this song for my wife though.  In addition to her…let’s say ambivalence for Todd Rundgren, she also is put on edge by Laura Nyro’s music (especially her voice).  A combination of both styles may just send her over the edge.  Like I said, this is a headphones record in my house. 

Tones:  What the heck is that weird sound at the beginning of “I’m in the Clique”?  It sounds like electronic wind.  It also comes back in during the drum solo.  The horns on this song are also bouncy in a sort of Frank Zappa kind of way.  The song (if you want to call it that) “There are No Words” creates a strange effect with vocals and reverb alone.  If this song was a painting it would not be a John Singer Sargent landscape.  It would be more like a Mark Rothko color swath.  

Cover Note:  Todd is so young on the cover, and also skinny as a rail.  The word “Runt” written on the manuscript paper on the floor looks sharp too.  I also can’t resist calling his belt an “Alphabelt.”  Make sure you check out the back for a very flashy old school cartoon.

Price paid:  $2.00 at a record show.  My copy is a little banged up, but still sounds nice.  You should be able to find this because it did have a hit on it.  I have seen “Runt” and the follow up, “The Ballad of Todd Rundgren” a few times, so you should be able to pick it up for under $6.00. 

Bottom Line:  Todd’s records are amazing, but only if you are the type of person who thinks Todd’s records are amazing.  If you are into song craft, music production, blazing guitar, or layered vocals you may love this.  If you are into music, and into it deep, Todd Rundgren’s record catalogue is a diamond mine of delights.  “Runt” is where Todd’s solo career started, and would be a good place for you to start too.