Vegas With Randolph - Drops Of Gold : The Best Of Vegas With Randolph

 

A celebration of the career thus far of Washington DC's Vegas With Randolph. It isn't deliberate, but this month seems to be celebrating releases by bands that we covered in our early months. This lot were one of the earliest.

We reviewed Rings Around The Sun in 2016, their third album, we weren't around for the 2008 self titled debut nor the 2011 follow up,  Above The Blue. That album remains one of my favourite albums ever, I still listen to it regularly and it sort of announced what we were about.

The band specialise in outstanding melodic Pop Rock. Two vocalists, Erick Kern and John Ratts, who sing lead on their own songs and the sheer harmony of their individual and combined vocals is matched by stellar arrangements and in particular, sing along choruses.

Collating 24 of their songs, remastered, particularly with Vinyl in mind across double Vinyl and double CD releases. There are also 10 bonus tracks on the Digital Edition with the Bandcamp purchase. It is a celebration of an 18 year career of mini masterpieces. Ecological thinking without shoving it down your throat.

That career shows that you can offer up big productions, without going over the top, everything is about the song. At times they fit into AOR and can be compared to likes of Queen and yet can produce great Power Pop or slow things down within get mawkish.

Drops Of Gold shows how great Pop Rock can be. Singalong,  foot tapping joy. Fair warning to look out for the Guitar solos, you won't believe what you are hearing. I've selfishly gone for my favourite VWR songs to embed, you can listen to a whole lot more on the link below.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.

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Vegas With Randolph - The Future Store

 

It really doesn't seem that long. but it's five and a half years since the last Vegas With Randolph album, Legs With Luggage. That album featured in the Top 20 in our Best 100 Albums Of 2018 and I've been a long term fan, well before IDJAS was launched to the world. Reviews started way back in our Anything Should Happen days.

The band specialise in a brand Of Pop Rock that is both melodic and harmonic. At times, it can feel a little AOR, but at others there is a crunch and when they do Rock, they can really let go with a multi guitar assault. The odd time they go Soft, which they thrive at too, but it is less frequent.

Having two writers in John Ratts and Eric Kern adds to variety as they sing their own songs and the vocals are very different allowing great Power Pop from one and a more harmonised Pop Rock from the other. That's more a guide as both cross over into other genres. 

Songs like Lake Paradise, N.S.A. and Show Me How are Power Pop Of The Highest Order, a field that the band master at will. The delight here is that they can stretch out, never more so than the duet with Honeychain's Hillary Burton which is great rocked up UK New Wave

The band excel when they raise the volume, Howl At The Moon bristles with intense Guitar Runs and yet there is also the softer Guitar Pop of Shake The Cage which has a joined string to earlier work. The jaunty Pop and hand claps of I'll Be Waiting For You which heads into Squeeze territory. 

Vegas With Randolph do love a medley or Triple Play as they call it. Here it is extended with 7 songs in 10 minutes, the sort of thing that City Boy used to do. Combined it is wonderful in its scope, however, it doesn't quite work listening to the tracks individually due to the brevity of some. 

Fortunately, the Bandcamp download allows you to listen to the complete thing in one listen and you can hear the whole thing in one uninterupted go which reveals how great a piece it is with its twists and turns. The album feels a little looser than previous work and the songs more about relationships than worthy causes. This simpler aim works splendidly to offer up a storming album.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2018 : 11-20

2018 has been a fantastic year for the type of music that we like. It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a Top 10 person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the first time last year, I did a Top 50, normally I just say what my favourite album of the year is. I've simply done it again, because those five posts of last year were so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists.

As I said the standard this year is incredibly high, so much so that I've extended the choice to 100 albums. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review if applicable.


No 11 : The Ragamuffins - Cause Of Causes     IDHAS Review here.







No 12 : Andy Bopp - Wherewithal      IDHAS Review here.

No 13 : Vegas With Randolph - Legs And Luggage






No 14 : Mothboxer - Open Sky






No 15 : The Gold Needles - Pearls       IDHAS Review here.





No 16 : Greg Pope - A Few Seconds Of Fame    IDHAS Review here.





No 17 : Nick Piunti -Temporary High     IDHAS Interview here.






No 18 : Fernando Perdomo - Zebra Crossing 





No 19 : McPherson Grant - Song





No 20 : SUPER 8 - Hi Lo 



 


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Vegas With Randolph - Rings Around The Sun

Since an operation solved my hearing problems, a couple of months ago, I've been like a kid in a sweet shop music wise. I've also realised that over the past two or three years I have been largely in a permanently bad mood due to listening to music with one half good ear. It's been more like 1968 Radio Luxembourg than glorious stereo sound.

I'm also pissed off because I've missed out on Vegas With Randolph.




All the sign posts were there for me. On this, the band's third album. the involvement of Andy Reed of The Legal Matters, Brandon Schott and the excellent Wim Oudijk. I missed them all.

I even find that one of my best friends, Mick Dillingham, has been a long time admirer.

Power Pop can be such a labelling genre, holding back bands that are far more than that and Vegas With Randolph are much more than chiming riffs. There's a cleverness in what they do, melody, lyric and subject wise, a greater depth.

I'm sure there will be Fountains Of Wayne comparisons and in some cases you can hear that. More importantly, I've been looking for another Silver Sun for well over a decade and I can see similarities there. But the band are far more than Power Pop. In fact, the only real straight ahead Power Pop is Late June. Let's settle on Power Pop with Brains. In fact, the songwriting reminds me of the likes of Lannie Flowers.






The album is a natural follow on from the previous album, Above The Sun, equally excellent. The 7 part Double Play on that album is absolutely splendid.

Rings Around The Sun relies a bit less on Orchestration and multi harmony in favour of even more hooks. There seems less keyboard.

There's far more variation, the rock out of Salt Water Taffy and the FOW like Cool Things, although I'm not sure of the Only Fools Like Horses like rap. The Glam like Everybody Wants An Atom Bomb and could be the best song on the album, but one beats it.

Snow Day, despite the title, is a real fun summer singalong and My Lost Colony is all jangle, almost Tom Petty in the verse.

The absolute gem though is the title track, a superb anthem, something that would have stood high and mighty in the Brit Pop era with it's Beatlesque overtones. It then morphs into a Queen like harmony and Brian May type solo. A great song.



 


The album could suitably end there, it's a song that would end the old Side 2's. But there's a further treat to wind it all up.

The closer Drops Of Gold is a real country shuffle with a real twang and some great orchestration. This just proves the band's versatility. I'm really really impressed with the album, A real depth to the Power Pop canon, rarely seen. You wouldn't normally bother too much about the lyrics in this format, you do here.

The band are currently recording Album Number 4 and I can't wait. You can purchase all three albums for download at the band's Bandcamp Site here. There's also some newer recordings to buy there. However, I'm a firm believer that some bands should be played on CD and Vinyl and Vegas With Randolph are one of that category.

You can buy all three albums on CD for the ridiculously cheap price of 22 dollars. I listened to this album a few times yesterday on CD and it sounds even more wonderful.

As I mentioned on Facebook earlier, I'm rarely surprised by anything these days and I've been surprised by two albums in the last 24 days. This album will enrich your life and I'll leave you with one of the newer songs. another glam stomper, Three Red Hooks.