2024 Rock Hall Nominees

     It's been a minute since I've written one of these. The past few years I've made a conscious effort to lighten up about this process and the Rock Hall in general. It is what it is and I have no control over it. I live in Cleveland. I like to visit the Rock Hall periodically. I met Geddy Lee there. I saw Guided by Voices there. I'm glad they are expanding it. We all have our feelings about what is, and isn't, rock 'n' roll. I have feelings about this years nominees. I had feelings about last years nominees. I wanted The White Stripes to get inducted. I didn't give a crap about George Michael getting inducted, but my wife loves him, so I was happy for her. In the end, all these artists have fans and I'm happy for them, even though I don't consider many of the to be rock. My question now is, have all the artists who deserve induction been inducted? I would say the answer is, mostly, yes. 

     Looking at this years nominees, there is no one who is newly eligible. Many of these artists have been eligible for quite some time. If I were to vote, I would probably select Oasis, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Ozzy and A Tribe Called Quest. But, I wouldn't feel good about it. I love Oasis and feel they should be inducted, but they aren't going to reunite for the Rock Hall and will just indulge in some Gallagher Brother brand nonsense. I liked Foreigner and Frampton almost 50 years ago, but are they really seminal acts? Probably not. Ozzy had a couple good solo albums 40 years when Randy Rhoads was alive, but his legacy is being in Black Sabbath. A Tribe Called Quest is an influential hip hop/jazz group and their album Low End Theory is a classic 5 star album, so I'm good with them. That leaves me with two artists I feel good about inducting. Why does the Rock Hall Foundation continue to insist on 5 inductees every year? There aren't that many deserving artist left. 

     I would like to see the Rock Hall shift to an induction process similar to the Baseball Hall of Fame. They have years where no one receives enough votes for induction. Most years, only a couple players are inducted. And people continue on with their lives. Why is 5 the magic number for rock 'n' roll? It's one less than 6, I guess. Maybe it should "Go to 11". No, it shouldn't. Just a little Spinal Tap joke. Not to be mean, but Sinead O'Connor is nominated because she died. I love Sade's voice, but she's not integral to the story of rock 'n' roll. I can't stand Dave Matthews Band, Jane's Addiction or Lenny Kravitz. If they've had to circle back around to Foreigner and Frampton, it seems that most everyone who deserves induction has already been inducted. Sure, I could argue artists from other parts of the world than the U.S. and the U.K. are deserving; such as Midnight Oil and Crowded House, but for the most part there work is done. Going forward, they should just consider newly eligible artists and vote yea or nay. But that's not going to happen, so I will try to be happy for the fans of all the future, undeserving inductees. Peace.

Tears For Fears: Songs From the Big Chair

      Yesterday, we had a memorial service for my father-in-law, who passed away in January. He was an interseting person. He was an O.G. sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll guy. Yet, since I've known him, he was a conservative, FOX News junkie. He was a nice guy, though, and was always there to help us or his grand kids. He served in the Navy during Vietnam. He was an electrician and fortunately didn't see combat. At some point, after he divorced my wife's mother, my wife cut off communication with him for several years. When our son was born in 2007, I asked her to call her dad and let him know he had grand kids, because I felt he deserved to know. After some soul searching, she agreed and we had a nice relationship with him for the remainder of his life. 

     After he passed, we had to take several trips back to Detroit to deal with his affairs and house. In keeping with the premise of the Sound Mind Blog, I brought back all 400-ish of his records. For the past six months, I've been cataloging, cleaning, grading and, most importantly, listening to these records. He was a chain smoker, so the collection was quite dirty and the sleeves and media were in various states. I found old notes and ads and even an old match book in some of the records. There's some great stuff in the collection; The Stones, Pink Floyd, Hendrix and Bowie. There's also things like, London Calling, Meat is Murder, a couple Depeche Mode albums and a Misfits record. I've gone through most of the good stuff and the best sounding record in the collection is Songs From the Big Chair. In fairness, it probably would have been the Robert Ludwig mastering of AC/DC's Back in Black, but it isn't in great condition.

     I know most people don't believe there's a difference between vinyl and other formats, but I have heard these Tears For Fears songs hundreds of times on the radio and CD and when I put on this record it was like hearing them for the first time. The production is clean and hot. There is amazing seperation of the instruments. This copy has some hairline marks on it, but it sounds immaculate. It was mastered by the legendary Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York. I was also stunned by how great the whole album is. Back in the day, I never owned the album and only knew their hits. I thought they were ok, but not really my wheelhouse. 

     The record begins with "Shout". Sounds so powerful on LP. My mind was instantly blown by this pressing. The next track, "The Working Hour" has some great sax on it and sounds quite similar to Duran Duran, especially the vocals. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" has always been one of my favorite songs of theirs and it sounds tremendous here. Apparently, "Mothers Talk" was a single and had a video, but I don't have any recollection of ever seeing it. The video actually shows them rockin' out like a band. Great track. "I Believe" is dedicated to Robert Wyatt and is quite jazzy, with some beautiful Grand Piano and sax. "Broken" is a fantasic track that teases, then seemlessly leads into the stunning "Head Over Heels". The album closes with "Listen" which is '80's style prog rock/ jazz fusion. Great vocals by Roland Orzabal and Marilyn Davis. 

     I will probably post about some of the other albums from my father-in-law's collection, as there were many outstanding pieces in his collection. There may also be some additional Mt. Rushmore's and what not. Peace.

                                                        

Mt. Rushmore: Singers

 

     I've already spoiled my Mt. Rushmore of singers over the course of the series, but I wanted to make it official and mail in a post. Sorry, I've been very busy lately but I still want to post everyday. Generally, I don't care much about singing as a skill. I don't watch American Idol, I don't care about Mariah Carey's range and I hate opera. Even in the context of rock music I don't value the lead singer's vocal skills. I like Wayne Coyne as much as Freddie Mercury. And don't make me explain why I like Tom Petty, but can't stand Zimmerman. My top four are pretty good, though. I think what they have in common is their voices have character. I can't define it, but I know it when I hear it. Oddly, three of them are Americans and one is a Brit. I didn't rank them, so in no particular order here's my Mt. Rushmore. 

     Jay Farrar is the voice of God. It's powerful and cuts right to the soul. It puts the country in alt-country. His songs in Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt are largely about struggle and fighting to get by. His voice is a rock in a raging river that you cling to for survival. "Standing in the neutral zone, living on sleep deprivation". "Whiskey bottle over jesus, not forever, just for now". "As soon as we're out, we're kickin' our way back in". "Nothing's free in this country and there's no place to hide". So good. 

     The singer I enjoy listening to because of his voice is Jackson Browne. It's beautiful, but you can tell he has lived some real shit. "Running on Empty" is a top five song in the American Songbook. "Running into the sun, but I'm running behind". He's an artist that I only know the hits, but someday I will dig into the albums. It gives me something the look forward to. 

     I can't put a finger on what I love about Evan Dando, but The Lemonheads are my security blanket. No matter what kind of day I've had, hearing Dando's voice puts everything right. I hope his singing is as healing for him as it is for me. 

     Finally, the great Ray Davies of The Kinks. He was the most English of the British Invasion singers. He was clever and cheeky. There was so much character in songs like "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" and "Well Respected Man". "Lola" was way ahead of its time. And there was the raw power of "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night". "Waterloo Sunset" is beautiful. "Til the End of the Day" is a rocker. My personal favorite is "Do It Again". "Standing in the middle of nowhere. Wondering how to begin. Lost between tomorrow and yesterday, between now and then. And now it's back where we started. Here we go round again. Back where we started, come on do it again". Peace. 

Mt. Rushmore: Drummers

 

     I've had a long day of trying to find a hip-hop album from the 2000's to post about in an attempt to expand my musical horizons. No luck with Ludacris, The Roots or Outkast. Missy Elliott is still a possibility. Anyhow, I decided to throw together my Mt. Rushmore of drummers to feel like I did something today. It's not a typical Mt. Rushmore. These are four drummers that I feel are important for various reasons, not the four best. 

     My favorite drummer is Keith Moon. He was the heart of The Who. His style was unique and can't be duplicated. The way he and Pete Townsend played off each other was magic. Too bad he had to die before he got old.

     The best drummer was Neil Peart of RUSH. He never stopped trying to be the best, even after it was clear to everybody else. Glad I saw him multiple times. Also glad they were inducted into the Rock Hall while he was still alive. 

     The most underrated drummer is Bun E. Carlos, formerly of Cheap Trick. He's tremendous, but never got credit because he looks like an old, chain smoking accountant. He was the engine that powered Cheap Trick. If you don't believe me, go watch At Budokan. Too bad I never saw them until after he was kicked out of the band. 

     The drummer who was most important to his band is Bill Berry of R.E.M. He single-handed got the band off the ground with his connections to IRS Records and by threatening to join Love Tractor if the other guys didn't get serious. He was key to their sound and was it's most vocal defender. Just listen to the albums after he had to retire. Peace.

Tommy Keene: Crashing the Ether (2006)

 

     It sucks that I had never heard of Tommy Keene until he teamed up with Robert Pollard for their Keene Brothers album in 2006. It was released shortly after Tommy Keene's own fantastically jangly album, Crashing the Ether. The only time I ever saw Keene perform was as Pollard's side man in his band The Ascended Masters, which also included Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy. It was at St. Andrew's in Detroit, also in 2006. I dragged my pregnant wife to the show. There was no seating and people were smoking like chimneys. However, what annoyed her most was me not talking to Robert Pollard when he walked by us multiple times during the opener's set. I never know what to say. Sorry. My wife was a champ, but we did leave early. I'm not a monster. 

     Tommy Keene had been a solo artist since 1982 and had been in many bands, including The Nazz, before that. In 1984, he released a song called "Places That are Gone", that in an alternate stream of the Multiverse may have been a huge hit, but not ours. Ten years later, he performed that song on the Conan O'Brien Show, but there would be no Big Star style revisionism for his career. It took Robert Pollard introducing him to indie pop fans to finally generate some buzz for Keene. Crashing the Ether came out at this time and that's where I started my deep dive. 

     Tommy Keene, in retrospect, gets lumped in with power pop. In reality, he writes mostly guitar-driven indie pop. The most exquisite example is the second track from Crashing the Ether, "Warren in the '60s". It has a Gin Blossoms vibe. Keene's vocals are laid back and the guitars are jangly. "Wishing" is another strong guitar track with a great singalong chorus. "Eyes of Youth" is a rocker with great drum work that teases a hooky chorus, but takes off again instead. "Driving Down the Road in My Mind" is beautifully languid. He even makes an XTC reference about his senses working overtime. And the guitar runout is tremendous. The most muscular tracks in this set are "Alta Loma" and "I've Heard That Wind Blow Before". They are his most powerful vocals on the album and the guitar and drums are right in your face. There's not a bad song on this album.

     If you're interested in Tommy Keene, there was a 2 disc compilation released in 2010, Tommy Keene You Hear Me. which is a great sampler of his career up to 2009. He also put out an amazing covers album in 2013, Excitement at Your Feet. His cover of The Who's "Much Too Much" is worth checking it out. He also covered the excellent Guided by Voices song, "Choking Tara". Sadly, Tommy Keene passed in 2017, but he left behind an impressive catalog of songs. Peace.

Kasabian: The Alchemist's Euphoria (2022)

 

     Why am I posting about the new Kasabian record instead of the debut or Empire? I'm not sure. I guess I'm trying to process everything that has happened with the band over the past few years. I've been a huge fan of Kasabian since I first heard "Clubfoot" from their self-titled debut in 2004. A couple years ago, Kasabian went through a seismic upheaval when lead singer Tom Meighan was involved in a domestic violence incident with his then girlfriend and current wife, which lead to his dismissal from the band. The Alchemist's Euphoria is the first Kasabian album since the incident and features songwriter Sergio Pizzorno on vocals. Pizzorno had always been important to the sound of Kasabian, but not as the front man. The new album is pretty much a Sergio production and is a departure from their previous catalog. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The last couple albums were alright, but not at the level of their first three releases. 

     As they began releasing singles from The Alchemist's Euphoria, I was concerned about the direction of the band. Sergio is an okay singer, but lacks the gravitas of Meighan. The new album is pretty heavy handed with the vocal effects. Also, there seemed to be a lack of guitars and a surplus of electronics. When the album finally came out it went straight to the top of the U.K. charts. It took a couple weeks for my record store to get it in stock, so I had to stream it at first. I finally got to listen to the LP yesterday. My first impulse was to question why they didn't just scrap the name Kasabian and start fresh. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's not a Kasabian album. It's adventurous and sounds modern. It's rhythmically interesting and has some world music influence. If you're young and hanging out at the club it's fantastic. If you're an old dude who likes anthemic arena rock it's a curiosity. 

     The closest they come to a rock track is "Chemicals". This song has some modern elements, but the guitars and drums are more up front. Had the whole album taken this approach it would have been a good transition to whatever Kasabian is going to become in the future. The album closes, oddly, with a mostly acoustic song, "Letting Go". It's on tracks like "The Wall" that Sergio struggles as a lead singer. In his defense, some of this might just be the production. I do like some tracks, like "SCRIPTVRE" and "ALYGATYR". Yes, those are the spellings. Like "Chemicals" they are a combination of the old Kasabian swagger and modern electronics. I have only listened to The Alchemist's Euphoria fout times, so I'm not writing it off yet. However, I am looking forward to hearing Tom Meighan's solo album when it's finished. He is married and seems to be working on his personal problems and I am pulling for him. We need to reach a point as humans where we can resist the urge to erase anyone who makes a mistake in their life. Next time it might be you. Peace.

The Weakerthans: Left and Leaving (2000)

 

     The Weakerthans are another band, like The Mountain Goats and Neutral Milk Hotel, that I discovered from listening to WRUW; the college radio station at Case Western Reserve University. They hail from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and are fronted by singer-songwriter and poet laureate of The Great White North, John K. Samson. Ok, he's not actually the poet laureate, but he should be. Few bands have more literate lyrics than The Weakerthans. Their style ranges from punk pop to pedal steel tinged country to sparse ballads to indie rock. Samson's vocals sound like a combination of the Schoolhouse Rock guy and the singer from Treblecharger. So...pretty good. I titled this post as an examination of their 2000 album, Left and Leaving, but it will cover their whole catalog, plus some solo stuff, because it's all equally great. I think Samson's world view is best understood in the song "Longitudinal Centre" from his solo album Provincial. "The Atlantic and Pacific are the very same, far away". Winnipeg is the isolated, landlocked centre (center) of Canada. Isolation is a dominant theme in The Weakerthans discography. Only Samson could write "Plea From a Cat Named Virtute", a song from the perspective of a cat whose owner is depressingly alone and sedentary. I especially like the outro, "All you ever want to do is drink and watch tv and frankly that thing doesn't really interest me. I swear I'm going to bite you hard and taste your tinny blood if you don't stop the self-defeating lies you've been repeating since the day you brought me home. I know you're strong". 

     Gun to my head, Left and Leaving is probably their best album. My favorite track is "Aside". I am tempted to post the entire lyrics, but there's a lot. So here's a sample that I really relate to, "Terrified of telephones and shopping malls and knives. We're drowning in the pools of other lives. Rely a bit too heavily on alcohol and irony. Get clobbered on by courtesy. In love with love and lousy poetry". The track "Watermark" is a bittersweet track about a relationship, "I've got this store-bought way of saying I'm okay. And you learned to cry in total silence. We're talented and bright, we're lonely and uptight, we've found some lovely ways to disappoint". Another great track is "This is a Fire Door, Never Leave Open". "I still hear trains at night when the wind is right. I remember everything. Lick and thread this string that will never mend you or or tailor more than a memory of a kitchen floor. Or the fire door that we kept propping open". 

     Much like Franz Kafka and Prague, John K. Samson can never seem to escape Winnipeg. The title track to Left and Leaving begins, "My city's still beathing, it's true, but barely, through buildings gone missing like teeth. The sidewalks are watching me think about you, sparkled with broken glass". The song "My Favorite Chords" begins, "They're tearing up streets again, they're building a new hotel. The mayor's out killing kids to keep taxes down". Perhaps, The Weakerthans best known song is their homage to Winnipeg, "One Great City" from their album Reconstruction Site. Apparently, the title came from the billboard when you enter Winnipeg that proclaimed it "One Great City". It's a love-hate song with the refrain "I hate Winnipeg". "The Guess Who sucked, the Jets were lousy anyway". Ironically, they recorded a show at the Burton Cummings Theatre. Of course, Samson doesn't hate Winnipeg, but some days it's a thin line. 

     So, to wrap up this post before it gets too long. let me list some of my favorite Weakerthan songs that I couldn't squeeze in here. Maybe I will revisit them in the future. Wellington Wednesdays. Diagnosis. The Last Last One. Anchorless. The Reasons. Reconstruction Site. Psalm For the Elk's Lodge Last Call. Our Retired Explorer. A New Name For Everything. Tournament of Hearts. Sun in an  Empty Room. 

     I would like to close with a another section from "Longitudinal Centre" that may be Samson's finest bit of songwriting. "So the sun pulls me out a bit and lets me go. I'm a vacuum power chord in the back of a van full of kids cleaning carpets for the Lord. And I make a list of sounds I found have comforted us in the past; the roar of the rumble strips and the Mennonite meter of the flood forecast. Oh how the wind strums on those signs that say the Atlantic and Pacific are the very same, far away". Peace.