Records come and go like dust in the wind these days, but one that should catch your ears -- and is done for a good cause -- is the new, double-sided John Lennon tribute, "Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur.'' It's not all great and even the mighty U2 stumbles on their cover of title track "Instant Karma'' (an oddly disappointing, low-energy version), but there are enough highlights elsewhere to make this a worthy purchase.
Some of the big names sound too anal -- R.E.M., Flaming Lips and Lenny Kravitz don't do much with their treatments -- but there are surprises galore. Ben Harper offers an acoustic interpretation of "Beautiful Boy'' (Lennon's homage to his son, Sean) that is absolutely stunning. The same for Matisyahu's reggae twist on late-period Lennong tune "Watching the Wheels,'' and Jackson Browne's endearing "Oh, My Love.'' Snow Patrol scores on the more obscure "Isolation,'' while Christina Aguilera gets appropriately stirred up on "Mother'' (capturing Lennon's wail of concern) and Avril Lavigne nails "Imagine.'' It's only too bad that a couple of songs ("Imagine'' and "Gimme Some Truth'') are covered by two different acts apiece. What, Lennon didn't write enough songs to go around?
The guilty pleasure here is Aerosmith's unorthodox version of "Give Peace a Chance.'' It's done reggae style -- how often has Aerosmith ever done that? -- and singer Steven Tyler raps his brains out and sounds like he's ready to record with Dr. Dre. Aerosmith is accompanied on the chorus by Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, leading to an exhilarating climax that Lennon would likely have appreciated.
The hit from this album so far is Green Day's "Working Class Hero.'' It's milder than Lennon's original, but demonstrates an air of experimentation that makes much of this tribute record sing.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Stevie Nicks at Tweeter
Great to see Stevie Nicks come back so strongly at the Tweeter Center this week. She fronted a 10-piece band -- including familiar guitarists Waddy Wachtel and Carlos Rios -- and ripped through a set of her solo material and occasional Fleetwood Mac tunes such as "Rhiannon,'' which she probably had to sing or fans would have blocked her exit.
Nicks will always be best-known as a member of Fleetwood Mac, but her solo career is not to be underestimated. Right from the first song, the power-churning "Stand Up,'' she reminded the audience that her solo repertoire has sometimes rocked harder than her Mac output. This was arguably her finest solo tour since her "Belladonna'' era -- and that's saying something. She was more confident (no problems with her voice this time), and more personal, telling stories that climaxed with a Father's Day dedication on "Landslide.''
She even did a dervish twirl or two -- evoking the agility of her younger days -- and pleased the diehards with a crunching version of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "I Need to Know,'' which she sang as a guest on Petty's tour last summer. To hear her belt out that song was exhilarating.
Nicks also graciously shook the hands of many fans in the front rows during the instrumental vamps on "Edge of Seventeen,'' always a show-stopper. She radiated good will and warmly reflected the devotion of fans who have stuck with her since the '70s.
The night was further peaked by opener Chris Isaak, whose rockabilly-edged music continues to be first-rate, sandwiched around hit ballads like "Wicked Game.'' He also showed his Roy Orbison roots by performing Roy's "Only the Lonely'' in a magnetic manner. And while Isaak's on-stage shtick has gotten hammier and more Vegas-like through the years, he still delivers when he has to.
STEVE MORSE
Nicks will always be best-known as a member of Fleetwood Mac, but her solo career is not to be underestimated. Right from the first song, the power-churning "Stand Up,'' she reminded the audience that her solo repertoire has sometimes rocked harder than her Mac output. This was arguably her finest solo tour since her "Belladonna'' era -- and that's saying something. She was more confident (no problems with her voice this time), and more personal, telling stories that climaxed with a Father's Day dedication on "Landslide.''
She even did a dervish twirl or two -- evoking the agility of her younger days -- and pleased the diehards with a crunching version of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "I Need to Know,'' which she sang as a guest on Petty's tour last summer. To hear her belt out that song was exhilarating.
Nicks also graciously shook the hands of many fans in the front rows during the instrumental vamps on "Edge of Seventeen,'' always a show-stopper. She radiated good will and warmly reflected the devotion of fans who have stuck with her since the '70s.
The night was further peaked by opener Chris Isaak, whose rockabilly-edged music continues to be first-rate, sandwiched around hit ballads like "Wicked Game.'' He also showed his Roy Orbison roots by performing Roy's "Only the Lonely'' in a magnetic manner. And while Isaak's on-stage shtick has gotten hammier and more Vegas-like through the years, he still delivers when he has to.
STEVE MORSE
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Critic's tips, reviews
My web journal for WBOS-FM will now go into this blog. Cheers, Steve. spmorse@gmail.com.
June 14
* Merrie, Jennifer and Kris – at Club Passim on Thursday, June 14. Formidable singer-songwriters Merrie Amsterburg, Jennifer Kimball and Kris Delmhorst team up for this Respond benefit in Harvard Square.
* Cowboy Mouth – at the Paradise on Friday, June 15. A consummate rock party band that electrified the last Hot Stove, Cool Music concert at Fenway Park last summer. These guys can kick it.
* Sarah Borges – a Johnny D’s on Saturday, June 16. Boston’s most engaging female country-rock singer is starting to make her mark nationwide. She just released an album on Sugar Hill Records and the critics have been gushing.
* True Colors Tour – at the Tweeter Center on Saturday, June 16. This strangely compiled but inviting bill features Cyndi Lauder, Erasure, Debbie Harry (of Blondie fame), and Boston’s own cabaret-rock stars, Dresden Dolls.
* Stevie Nicks – at the Tweeter Center on Sunday, June 17. It’s easy to like Stevie Nicks with her regular band Fleetwood Mac – and likewise easy to enjoy her solo gigs. She was excellent when backing Tom Petty last summer and it’s good to see her continue her momentum. The likable, rockabilly-edged Chris Isaak opens up this Tweeter gig.
* Duke Levine – at Atwood’s Tavern on Monday, June 18. Duke has played with everyone in the local roots-music world – from Dennis Brennan and Peter Wolf to David Johnston and Jimmy Ryan – but this Monday residency is a showcase for the instrumental side of his repertoire. Guitarist/foil Kevin Barry adds to Duke’s energy.
CONCERT REVIEW:
Joss Stone at Avalon. I was hoping this show would be better. I love Joss Stone’s new album – an amazingly assured batch of R&B tunes, many written by Stone and the fast-becoming-a-legend Raphael Saadiq. But Stone was not consistent in concert. She was intermittently brilliant, but also intermittently amateurish. Her stage presence was shaky and her between-song banter was bizarre and often impossible to hear. At her best, she scored with the sexy “Put Your Hands on Me’’ (where her nine-piece, horn-stoked band shone) and the recent, Aretha Franklin-like hit, “Tell Me ‘Bout It.’’ But she often succumbed to monotonous tempos and it wasn’t a positive sign when one of her backup singers blew her away with a version of the Isley Brothers’ funky “It’s Your Thing.’’ Nor was it good when Stone came back for an encore of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,’’ but sang just a little of it and left. She needs to work harder on her presentation.
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Once.’’ This is a fantastic movie. Go see it at once. It has been receiving four-star ratings and deserves it. A lovely, low-budget tale set in Dublin, it’s about a street musician (played by Irishman Glen Hansard of the group the Frames) and his meeting, and subsequent songwriting collaboration, with Czech singer Marketa Irglova. The chemistry is remarkable between the two – low-key for a moment, then smoldering at another. Their affection for each other never turns physical (though hints are given galore), but the musical bond they forge is quietly exhilarating. A great, great movie.
June 14
* Merrie, Jennifer and Kris – at Club Passim on Thursday, June 14. Formidable singer-songwriters Merrie Amsterburg, Jennifer Kimball and Kris Delmhorst team up for this Respond benefit in Harvard Square.
* Cowboy Mouth – at the Paradise on Friday, June 15. A consummate rock party band that electrified the last Hot Stove, Cool Music concert at Fenway Park last summer. These guys can kick it.
* Sarah Borges – a Johnny D’s on Saturday, June 16. Boston’s most engaging female country-rock singer is starting to make her mark nationwide. She just released an album on Sugar Hill Records and the critics have been gushing.
* True Colors Tour – at the Tweeter Center on Saturday, June 16. This strangely compiled but inviting bill features Cyndi Lauder, Erasure, Debbie Harry (of Blondie fame), and Boston’s own cabaret-rock stars, Dresden Dolls.
* Stevie Nicks – at the Tweeter Center on Sunday, June 17. It’s easy to like Stevie Nicks with her regular band Fleetwood Mac – and likewise easy to enjoy her solo gigs. She was excellent when backing Tom Petty last summer and it’s good to see her continue her momentum. The likable, rockabilly-edged Chris Isaak opens up this Tweeter gig.
* Duke Levine – at Atwood’s Tavern on Monday, June 18. Duke has played with everyone in the local roots-music world – from Dennis Brennan and Peter Wolf to David Johnston and Jimmy Ryan – but this Monday residency is a showcase for the instrumental side of his repertoire. Guitarist/foil Kevin Barry adds to Duke’s energy.
CONCERT REVIEW:
Joss Stone at Avalon. I was hoping this show would be better. I love Joss Stone’s new album – an amazingly assured batch of R&B tunes, many written by Stone and the fast-becoming-a-legend Raphael Saadiq. But Stone was not consistent in concert. She was intermittently brilliant, but also intermittently amateurish. Her stage presence was shaky and her between-song banter was bizarre and often impossible to hear. At her best, she scored with the sexy “Put Your Hands on Me’’ (where her nine-piece, horn-stoked band shone) and the recent, Aretha Franklin-like hit, “Tell Me ‘Bout It.’’ But she often succumbed to monotonous tempos and it wasn’t a positive sign when one of her backup singers blew her away with a version of the Isley Brothers’ funky “It’s Your Thing.’’ Nor was it good when Stone came back for an encore of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,’’ but sang just a little of it and left. She needs to work harder on her presentation.
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Once.’’ This is a fantastic movie. Go see it at once. It has been receiving four-star ratings and deserves it. A lovely, low-budget tale set in Dublin, it’s about a street musician (played by Irishman Glen Hansard of the group the Frames) and his meeting, and subsequent songwriting collaboration, with Czech singer Marketa Irglova. The chemistry is remarkable between the two – low-key for a moment, then smoldering at another. Their affection for each other never turns physical (though hints are given galore), but the musical bond they forge is quietly exhilarating. A great, great movie.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Ringo Starr/Beatles art exhibit
The so-called "Ringo Starr Art Show'' just came to Harvard Square and it was about as bizarre as one might expect from Ringo. He makes computer drawings and they exude a cartoonish, frantically silly style, notably a piece called "Hat Man'' (an animated-looking head adorned with a hat at a rakish tilt) and the weirdly colorful face of "Krayzee'' and the one-eye-closed look of "Yer Baby.'' Frankly, they didn't add up to much more than hobbyist escapism, though the works sold for the fairly reasonable prices (by Beatles standards) of $400-$600. And, yes, it was a bit strange to see original Ringo Starr solo vinyl albums (still sealed) for $20. I didn't spot anyone jumping for them. Happily, though, all proceeds from Ringo's sales (no, he wasn't there in person) went to the Lotus Foundation. A noble gesture.
Not surprisingly, as happened in the Beatles, Ringo was overshadowed by a relatively small number of pieces from Fab Four mates John, Paul, and George. John was represented by a Bag One lithograph (hand-signed, one of 300 in existence) going for the rather gaudy sum of $12,000. And there were a couple of real highlights from Paul, whose "Big Mountain Face'' (acryllics on canvas) looked like a warmly psychedelic version of the now-fallen Old Man on the Mountain in New Hampshire.
An extraordinary footnote to the event was the handful of Beatles' Apple checks made out to the band for various expenses. The framed reproductions of the checks each sold for $60! Hard to believe, but that's more than the price that Ringo's solo albums fetched.
Not surprisingly, as happened in the Beatles, Ringo was overshadowed by a relatively small number of pieces from Fab Four mates John, Paul, and George. John was represented by a Bag One lithograph (hand-signed, one of 300 in existence) going for the rather gaudy sum of $12,000. And there were a couple of real highlights from Paul, whose "Big Mountain Face'' (acryllics on canvas) looked like a warmly psychedelic version of the now-fallen Old Man on the Mountain in New Hampshire.
An extraordinary footnote to the event was the handful of Beatles' Apple checks made out to the band for various expenses. The framed reproductions of the checks each sold for $60! Hard to believe, but that's more than the price that Ringo's solo albums fetched.
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