Please Come Home For Christmas 45 by The Eagles

The Eagles are an iconic American rock band who are one of the most commercially successful groups in American history. Their first GREATEST HITS album is one of the two biggest selling albums in music history. It was number one but when Michael Jackson died, THRILLER passed it.

While their albums have sold ten-of-millions of albums, they also issued a number of successful singles, with five reaching number one on the BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Chart.

“Please Come Home For Christmas” was issued during the late fall of 1978 and became a holiday hit by reaching number 18. The flip side, “Funky New Year,” was also a catchy holiday song.

It may have been an unusual release for the Eagles but it remains one of the better holiday discs of the 1970s.

Think Visual by The Kinks

Sometimes I’m not sure how much thought and effort The Kinks put into their Think Visual album. They had just signed with the MCA Label and so, for better or worse, had to produce an album. What emerged was an average release, saved somewhat by several good songs.

The Kinks had been cranking out albums with a great deal of regularity for almost a quarter century, and the creative well may have been a little dry at this point in time. They were also trying to update their sound to make their music commercially appealing during the second half of the 1980s and seemed to have gotten a little stuck between eras.

The rock was a little lighter than most of their recent releases. The music did not have a cohesive feel, which was not helped by the varying quality of the material.

The Dave Davies creations traveled in separate directions. “Rock ‘n” Roll Cities” was a personal lyrical journey I did not want to take very often as it just dragged along. On the other hand, I found “Wish You Were A Child” charming and poignant.

The Ray Davies material was a mixed bag. The best of the lot was “Lost And Found,” which was a classic love ballad. It had drama, beauty, and a melodic nature and remains one of those somewhat forgotten but brilliant songs that Ray Davies would issue every now and then.

“Working At The Factory” was the album’s first track and found Davies on familiar ground as he criticized the music industry within a rock setting. “The Video Shop” was Davies looking at the ordinary and making it interesting. Today, given the topic, it is quaint and nostalgic. The title track was another critical look at the industry and, while he had traveled this particular road often, the guitar work by brother Dave made the track palatable.

Think Visual was not a brilliant but a middling effort by The Kinks. No doubt some aficionados of the band will consider it a worthy release, but if you want to explore their music, there are a lot of better and more creative albums that deserve your attention. In the final analysis, despite several good songs, it was a workmanlike album that is only for the hard core fan.

Article first published as Music Review: The Kinks – Think Visual on Blogcritics.

Dick’s Picks 31 by The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead’s Dick’s Picks series, named after Dead archivist Dick Latvala (1943-1999), ran from 1993-2005, and consisted of 36 multi-disc CD sets. They were taken from a two-track recording device that had been plugged into the main sound board and left running during concerts. The sound, despite the equipment limitations, has been surprisingly good and clear. Real Gone Music has been re-issuing the sets since last year, and doing so in reverse order, starting with the 36th volume.

Dicks Picks 31 is one of the more unusual sets in the series as it presents the band in the middle of their Wall of Sound tour. The sound system was designed and built by the legendary Owsley “Bear” Stanley and consisted of 480 speakers stacked 30 feet high and 40 feet wide. It was so sophisticated that each group member had his own independent mix. For example, each string of Phil Lesh’s bass had its own speaker.

Another difference with this release is, for better or worse, the track list is made up of highlights from three consecutive shows, rather than a complete concert. Disc Two was taken from the Dead’s 8/4/74 Philadelphia Civic Center concert. Disc Three has material taken from their show at the same venue the following evening, and Disc Four selects five songs from their Roosevelt Stadium show in Jersey City, New Jersey from 8/6/74. Disc One combines performances from the first two shows. Whether you are partial to complete concerts or not, it all adds up to about five hours of music from one of the more creative and powerful periods of the band’s career.

The Grateful Dead at the time consisted of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, keyboardist Keith Godchaux, and vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux. It was during the Godchaux era that the band began to expand musically. They began to fuse some jazz elements into their rock sound, which opened up all sorts of improvisational possibilities for Garcia and crew.

The band was spot-on during all three concerts and you can feel the energy. My only complaint is the compilers may have put a little too much thought into their selection of material. The last three discs contain no repetition of songs. It is always interesting to compare different versions of live songs by The Dead as they could be dramatically different from one show to the next.

Two songs from their Philly shows were also played at their Roosevelt Stadium concert and are the only repeats in the entire set. That Roosevelt Stadium show included a tight five-minute performance of “Playing in the Band,” while the first Philly show stretched it out to over 25 minutes with a number of intricate twists and turns. Likewise, two extended performances of “Scarlet Begonias” on consecutive nights show how the same song could be treated so differently within a mere 24-hour period.

The set is a ride through the well-known and the obscure. “Eyes of the World” (19:28), “China Cat Sunflower” (11:13), “Wharf Rat” (10:21), “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” (8:30), and a couple of jams share the limelight with the likes of “Sugar Magnolia” (10:42), “Truckin’” (9:46), “Casey Jones” (9:46), and “Uncle John’s Band” (10:46).

Dick’s Picks 31 finds a mature band at the height of its power. It should be a fine listen for Deadheads and casual fans alike.

D.W. Washburn 45 by The Monkees

The Monkees may have been a pre-fabricated group made for television but during 1966 there popularity rivaled that of The Beatles. Their first two single releases, “Last Train To Clarkesville” and “I’m A Believer” both reached number one on the BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Chart. “I’m A Believer” was the number one single of the year.

Their original career only lasted three years as once their TV show was canceled their commercial success began to decline.

THeir last top 20 hit until their 1980s comback was “D.W. Washburn.” it first reached the BILLBOARD Chart June 15, 1968. During its seven weeks on the chart, it peaked at number 19. The flip side, “It’s Nice To Be With You,” also charted at number 51.

It was not as catchy as many of their hits and in some ways it seems as if the band was just going through the motions. While they would disband during 1969, there would be reunions in the 1980s and 1990s.

Too Much Talk 45 by Paul Revere And The Raiders

Paul Revere and The Raiders were one of the premier singles bands of their era. During the mid-1960s through the early 1970s they had such hits as “Just Like Me,” “Kicks,” “Good Thing,” “Him Or Me What’s It Gonna Be,” and the number one “Indian Reservation.”

“Too Much Talk” was released during early 1968 and while it may not have been one of their biggest hits, it did reach number 19 on the BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Chart.

It was another up-tempo rock/pop type of song that they were so good at creating.

While the hits would stop during the mid-1970s, Paul Revere would keep the band on the road for decades.

Hats Off To Larry 45 by Del Shannon

Del Shannon is best remembered for his huge number one hit, “Runaway,” which topped the charts for four weeks during 1961.

His follow-up release was very similar to “Runaway” in style and tempo. “Hats Off To Larry” would reach number six on the BILLBOARD Pop Chart.

His hits would run out during the mid-1960s as his simple brand of straight forward rock ‘n’ roll would no longer be commercially successful. He made a brief comeback during the early 1980s but would committ suicide during 1990.

Del Shannon was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999.

Summertime 45 by Billy Stewart

Billy Stewart was a rhythm & blues singer from Washington D.C. who had his promising career cut short when he died in an auto accident during January of 1970, while in his early 30s.

He had 12 releases cross over to the BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Chart. His biggest hit was “Summertime,” which reached number 10 during the summer of 1966. It was also one of the first R&B singles that I ever puchased.

This old 1935 George Geshwin composition from PORGY AND BESS may have seemed like an odd choice for Stewart. While this old American Standard has been covered hundreds of times, none were like Stewart’s rendition.

He started with some soul scatting and used brass as a foundation for his vocals. One of the more creative covers of the era.

Rags To Riches by Tony Bennett

1953 came to end with Tony Bennett sitting on top of all three BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Charts with the third number one song of his career.

“Rags To Riches” found a mature Bennett with a voice that could soar. This brass laden track was a peppy and bright song that was perfect for radio play during the pre-1950s rock ‘n’ roll era.

Best Sellers In Store Chart – 11/21/53 – 6 weeks at #1.
Most Played By Disc Jockeys Chart – 11/28/53 – 7 weeks at #1.
Most Played In Jukeboxes Chart – 12/5/53 – 8 weeks at #1.

Today, Tony Bennett is one of the last crooners of the early 1950s still active on the road and in concert. Coming to a theater near you.

Open Your Eyes (New Vinyl Edition) by Yes

Ah, the smell of fresh vinyl. If you came of age during the CD era you probably never had the experience or joy of the odor of a freshly opened vinyl album. It was memorable and should be experienced by all music lovers at least once.

Vinyl has been making a comeback lately with annual sales now in the millions of copies. Open Your Eyes, by Yes, has just been reissued as a double vinyl LP. It returns on 180 gram heavy-weight vinyl, which has enhanced the listening experience. The sound is crystal clear and if a person possesses a good stereo system, record player, and most importantly a quality needle, then the sound of a record can be the equal of a CD.

Open Your Eyes was the 17th studio album by Yes. The band at the time consisted of singer Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White, and keyboardist Billy Sherwood. Steve Porcaro and Igor Khoroshev also provided keyboards on several of the tracks.

The album is sometimes underrated in the vast Yes catalogue. It contained simpler and shorter songs for the most part. It was also not as cohesive as many of their past releases as the music travelled in a number of directions, which in some ways gave it some charm.

“New York State Of Mind” and the title track were guitar-based and Steve Howe’s solo on the first found him at his creative best. “Universal Garden” was typical Yes as the synthesizer foundation found the band in familiar territory. Harmonies have always been an important part of the Yes approach and on “No Way We Can Lose” they shine. “Wonderlove” was the oddest song on the album due to its quirky structure, but was a prime example of the band experimenting with their sound. Sometimes simple is best and “From the Balcony” is just Howe’s acoustic guitar and Jon Anderson’s vocal.

There are no surprises with this reissue except for the format. The music is upbeat and interesting, but readily available on CD. It all comes down to whether a person wants to collect or experience the music on vinyl.

The music is spread over four sides so don’t forget to turn the records over every now and then.

Article first published as Music Review: Yes – Open Your Eyes [180 Gram Vinyl Edition] on Blogcritics.

Send Me Some Lovin’ 45 by Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke had one of the smoothest voices in music history. He began as a gospel singer but went on to place 43 songs on the BILBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Chart, 1957-1966. Who knows how many more would have followed had he not been shot and killed during December of 1964. He was inducted into the RocK And Roll Hall Of Fame during 1986.

“Send Me Some Lovin'” may not have been one of his memorable songs but it was a hit nonetheless. It first reached the BILLBOARD Pop Chart during January of 1966 and peaked at number 13. The flip side, “Baby Baby Baby” also charted at number 66.

Any of his Greatest Hits albums are still worth a listen today.