Being so close to Liverpool, I come across a lot of Merseybeat / early Beatles cover bands and so they become just a tad tedious. However, The Overtures are on a different level to the meat and potatoes of every day outfits, in that they are fantastic at what they do. Covering the gamut of 60's UK Beat, their shows are a fun packed, singalong , nostalgic pleasure. They master the genre.
They've also overcome another problem here. In the band's fourth decade, they release their first album of original songs and it is really rather good. The problem when artists write their own songs in this style, they come across in one of two ways or even worse, both. Songs can either be so cliched, like for instance The Tearaways who seem to be covering the whole range of artists or genres for their song titles.
The other problem can be image. Suit, Beatles Haircut, Rickenbacker in hand, perma-smile from the likes of Johnathan Pushkar just become a yawn fest leading to Karaoke Beatles comparisons. Thankfully, this UK five piece have avoided both issues. This is a really pleasant listen, beautifully executed and professionally done.
This is helped by the vocalist and songwriter being Den Pugsley from one of the most underrated 80's Power Pop bands, The Pencils. There's a lot of jangle here and it is really good. At times I'm reminded of The Searchers a lot, but even more of Liverpool Express.
The band master that early to mid 60's sound, but they are even better when they veer from that course. Still On The Mind is a beat driven, brass accompanied joy, Red Dolls House is a cracking slice of 60's Beat and the stand out, Watching The Grass Grow is a wonderful Toytown Psych Pop affair. The latter really is a revelation.
I approached the album with trepidation, thinking that I knew exactly what I was gonna get. I deserve a slap for my prejudice. Well done The Overtures, this is a great listen. Few can do this type of stuff this well.
You can buy the album at the band's website here or from Ray at Kool Kat here.
Normally when I review an album, I try to give readers some idea of what the album sounds like by comparing songs to other artists. You just can't do that with Sparks, you can only maybe compare new songs to their songs or albums that have gone before. The first ever album that I bought was Propaganda as an 11 year old and I was already too young to have known that there had been three albums before it.
24 albums on, I can think of no other artist who releases new albums that are as good, if not better, than their main hey day. 2017's Hippopotamus, the closest thing to Propaganda, hit the UK Top 10. Fans can't understand how the Mael's aren't more popular, I have no idea why. Try listening to their albums objectively and then ponder how easily it is to get into them. Those who know, know and there are many of us. The greatest compliment that you can give them is that they keep appealing to a new generation of new fans.
The nigh on 50 year recording career has been joyous and apart from a blip with In Outer Space and Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat, it has been a massively inventive ride. The last five years have been every bit as good as those first five albums, if very different. The lyrical genius of Ron Mael is as present as ever, but it is matched by the realisation that repetition is nothing to be afraid of. Much has always been said about the wit and outlandish direction of Ron's songwriting, but Russell has come much more to the fore.
The younger brother is forever the front man, the voice of Ron's thoughts, but he is involved in far more. His work on the studio process and the multi layered vocal techniques have made Sparks even more outstanding during the past two decades. I have taken my time getting round to reviewing this album, it was out in May, simply because I like to concentrate fully on a Sparks album. There have been too many distractions before now.
A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is everything that you would want a Sparks album to be. The subject matter is as weird and wacky as you would want it to be. Songs about a man obsessed with his Lawnmower, Stravinsky toning down a song for a major hit and resenting it and the wonderful Iphone about people who are constantly on their smartphone give you some idea. There are songs that can easily be related to different Sparks periods without ever sounding anything less than original.
All That could be the closest that Sparks have got to writing a mainstream single, it's a real sing along poptastic affair. Onamato Pia, a song that would easily fit on Indiscreet, is simply wonderful. During other songs you think of Whomp That Sucker, Balls and Lil Beethoven, on others you just marvel at the variation on offer. The closer, Please Don't Fuck Up My World is a splendid save the planet anthem, yet compare that to I'm Toast with its twists and turns.
This may yet become known as Sparks' best album. There's so much variety that newbies might think it is a greatest hits. The wondrous lyrics are still everywhere, counterbalanced by vocal repetition and there is never enough credit given to how great their choruses are. If you are new to Sparks, don't buy a greatest hits as it will confuse you more. Listen to this and one of the early Island albums and see how long it is before you want everything. A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is simply exceptional, no one but Sparks could ever be Sparks.
The album is available to listen and buy everywhere.
The world may seem like The Amazing World Of Kreskin presently, so it is nice to have the odd constant. In the world of what is and isn't Power Pop, two solo artists have always shone through. One is Nick Piunti, the other Greg Pope. Both provide consistently excellent albums and their trademark is quality. You are never going to be disappointed with any of their releases, quite the opposite.
The ex Edmund's Crown guitarist, Pope, has become one of Nashville's finest with a splendid solo career dating back to 2008 when the Popmonster album hit the stores. Nine releases on, it is heart warming that I still get excited when I get a new Greg Pope album.
His last two albums, A Few Seconds Of Fame (IDHAS Review here) and Guiding Star (here), have been as wonderful as ever, but less up and at 'em. There are still the killer rock out riffs and big choruses present, but these are accompanied by more serene, thoughtful songs. As such, Pope fits far more in the Pop Rock category, than Power Pop, but the enjoyment is enhanced.
Wishing On A Dark Star continues the recent trend,. This album is very laidback, beautifully so. You still have the bust outs, Vacation (From My Vacation) sets a rapid pace. You also have the unusual arrangements, Blue Skies above in particularly has a fascinating arrangement in a great vocal harmony setting. But the majority of the album is unexpectedly chilled which is all very welcoming.
Pope's mellow vocals are ideally suited to the material. Gone is top notch 70s Pop Rock, very Explorers Club with harmonies to match. When The Road Road Began is an acoustic ballad that is almost Country, Crawling Back To You is moody and melancholic built around an hypnotic riff.
Jump Back From The Light is a jaunty Acoustic led joy and Wildest Dreams has one of those trademark Pope Guitar Solos that is worth the admission alone. The general feel is very Laurel Canyon, and the title track would adorn any Pop Rock album that you would care to mention. A Special mention must go to Care, a splendid beautifully arranged opening song, co-written with son, Asher.
One of the frustrations with the type of music that I cover is the lack of younger artists playing Guitar based Pop. Indeed, a little part of me lights up when I hear an outstanding album from a band much younger than me and the IDHAS audience.
The last wave of such species was probably with Busted and McFly, both bands that were not that original, but were bringing the genre to wider, with even more female, audience listeners. So I'm delighted that these three Jersey Boys master the genre. This is really intelligent Pop, far more clever and original than either of the mentioned bands could muster.
Not only do they master it, but there is far more here than you could ever hope for. There is a a lot to admire in an album that offers up great arrangements, both instrumentally and vocally, plus plenty of unusual twists and turns. There is plenty here for the Intelligent Pop brigade, something I don't say too often.
The general feel though is an Indie one. Guitar riffs and vocals that remind me of Franz Ferdinand or even the better bands in the third wave of Merseybeat during Brit Pop. It is allso hard to believe that the trio are American as the album sounds so British.
Both No Instructions and Hold Me Down are wondrous songs, particularly the former which has so much in it. Get A Job is up and at 'em in a Kaiser Chiefs sort of way and Sailing has a real maturity, incredibly laid back, almost Southern Rock balladry. She Wants Me (To Be Loved) borders on Maroon 5 and Moving harks back to American Diners in the late 50s / early 60s.
The string arrangement and vocal harmonies on The Garden and the title track sounds like a big UK Beat singalong ballad. Go Dumb is top notch down and dirty club beat. The standout take here is that What Could Be Better handles variation so well and with so much energy. It is one of the better things that I've heard all year.
Boston's Sal Baglio may be rightly largely known for his adventures in The Stompers, but it is his solo adventures as The Amplifier Heads that appeal to IDHAS most. The man is inventively prolific. You never know what to expect, but whatever it is is wonderful.
His previous album to this, Sonic Doom was a marvellous collection of lo fi recordings that would have been lauded by all if it was recorded by a 20 odd year old Indie Bedroom kid. Everything that I admire about Baglio was present. 25 songs, every one different, out Newelling Martin, Partridging
The outburst of ideas means there has already been an EP before this and an EP since, despite this album only being released this month. Here he returns to a more defined Pop. Music For Abandoned Amusement Parks is a concept album, but that doesn't mean wanky pretentiousness. This is an album that stands up in its own right.
The title gives away the subject, but more relevant is the underlying theme of lost youth and the Now v Then. There is plenty of the straight forward here. Funhouse Mirrors is American Graffiti, Candy Apple Girl is country yee haw and Ghost Song is gentle melodic Jangle.
Even in this pop laden first half, there's also room for two instrumentals, one a tumbleweed weeper, the other a summer gone affair. It is the Indie Rock that delights IDHAS most. Song For Abandoned Amusement Parks is the nearest that you will get to XTC without being XTC, Freaks is a freak out, very Guided By Voices.
Welcome To Deathworld is so Cleaners From Venus, Black Mascara could easily be on a David Lynch soundtrack and Freaks is a moody, Johnny Cash like, ending of despair. Freaks is so out of tune with the rest of the album, beautifully so.
There's still time for the running title track theme to morph into a five minute finale to end a wonderful trip. The beauty of Baglio's work is that he never overdoes anything. Every idea is a say whay you want to say and get off. There is so much variation here, but this is packed into 36 minutes. There is no turning three minute songs into seven, they stay at three minutes.
I can't recommend this album highly enough. I could say that this is the best thing that has ever appeared under The Amplifiers Head banner, but that would be just until the next one. Well done that Man! You can listen to and buy the album here.
To have one enormous, genre spanning super-mega-ultra-enormo-hit is pretty amazing. To have two is just plain arrogant. Well, that’s what I thought before I entered into conversation with Kimberley Rew, the man responsible for both “Walking on Sunshine” and “Love Shine a Light.” Somewhere in the world, a radio station is playing one of those songs, or possibly “That’s Just the Woman in Me” by Canadian chanteuse Celine “Titanic” Dion, also written by him. One would expect Mr. Rew to be lying on his mink-trimmed chaise longue, while a white gloved butler drops posh crisps – you know, the ones in the big bags with a fancy logo on the front – into his mouth. You may be shocked to learn, that definitely isn’t the case.
Mr. Rew, in partnership with his long-standing bassist, who also happens to be his wife, Lee Cave-Berry, is still very much, an active musician. He seems perfectly happy playing pubs and clubs in Cambridge, supporting up and coming local talent and knocking out a string of fine Pop Rock albums with Lee. If he’s full of resentment and vitriol that’s he’s not playing on the world stage anymore, he keeps it extraordinarily well hidden. A well-balanced musician? Surely not?
In August 2020, Kim and Lee are very gently plugging their new album – a compilation called “Sunshine Walkers” which gathers up material from their dozen collaborative albums, as well as early solo material from Kim. And the hits? Well, they’re not on it. IDHAS sat Kimberley Rew and Lee Cave-Berry down and gave them a damn good talking to.
So, what’s it like to have just released a “Greatest Hits” album, with none of your greatest hits on it?
Kim: “We had a natter with our publicist, and he said; “you've got to do a compilation - you need to introduce people to your stuff.” There's a tiny number of people that know us - there are a few people, scattered around the world and they follow what we do.”
You must have considered putting “Walking on Sunshine” on it. Surely?
Lee: “If you buy the album from our website, you actually get a free download of re-recordings of five songs – “Walking on Sunshine”, “Going Down to Liverpool”, “Love Shine a Light”, “Kingdom of Love” and a rewrite of ”…Sunshine” about our cats.”
Well that’s alright then. Apart from the Kim and Lee stuff, what else is on “Sunshine Walkers”?
Kim: “There are a couple of early things with members of the Soft Boys, Katrina and the Waves and The dBs providing the backing on there, but the remainder is me with Lee, Alex Cooper from the Waves on drums and Ian Gibbons from The Kinks. Ian played on twelve Kim and Lee albums, right up until his death last year. He propped up the whole thing with his buoyant personality. He was great fun to be around.”
There’s no evil record company behind this record, is there?
Kim: “No, it's entirely self-produced - we look after the pressing and sorting out the distribution. The only thing is, it only costs a bit more to make 1000 copies of an album, than it does to make 100. Inevitably, you get 1000 made, but if you only sell 100, you've then got another 900 copies sitting in the house!”
Lee: “We keep making albums and the attic just keeps on filling up. One day we'll have a competition and the winner takes them all on the understanding that they don’t all end up in a landfill!"
With Mr. Rew steadily cranking out the hits, is it hard for you to get a song on an album?
Lee: “Only because his songs are so good. He's so driven. Because he's such an iconic songwriter, my songs have to be 55 times better than the ones I’d normally write, because I’m competing with him. It's a confidence thing.”
There’s a song on “Sunshine Walkers” called “Backing Singer Blues” about a back-up vocalist who can’t work out why she’s not a star. This has to be autobiographical, right?
Lee “Not really. I was watching TV and there was a tiny little girl playing a huge acoustic guitar and behind her were three absolutely massive backing singers. Because she was a little waif with a little voice, and these girls behind her were so strong and imposing, I thought at least one of them must have been thinking, "why am I here and why is she there? How does that work!” And writing a song like that, means you can put in all the “heys heys” and “na na nas” you like!”
There are so many different styles on the compilation – is that a conscious decision?
Kim: “We don't want to be tied down to one type of song - we do blues, folk, anything. It comes down to writing songs with a broad appeal. I don't think Chuck Berry was consciously trying to do blues or black music, but he did want to be popular. When we saw him at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, he was chatting between songs and saying stuff like "well Frank Sinatra would do this…" Chuck was putting himself on the same playing field as somebody with that level of popular appeal.”
“The Dog Song” has a nice Chuck Berry/Canvey Island feel.
Kim: “I'm really glad you said that - I'm a great admirer of rock and roll as filtered through Southend. We met Wilko Johnson when we played at the Railway Hotel in Southend last year, which is his local.”
Lee: “He showed me his scar!”
Kim: “Yeah - it took him about eight seconds before he showed you that! The shirt buttons were popped open almost immediately.”
OK, I get the Canvey Island stuff, but what about your 2015 record, “Tribute to the Troggs”?
Kim: “You think it's easy to do that stuff, but it's so hard to copy the attitude. They do it all so beautifully - there's real magic there. Eventually, we got a copy of our CD to Chris Britton, one of the original members of the band. He said; "Blimey, you sound more like us than we did!" I'm sure we don't, but it was a lovely thing for him to say. I think I know what he means though. They didn't set out to sound like that - that's just what they sounded like.”
Moving away from the twentieth century, is there any contemporary music that you’re listening to?
Lee: “We're very fond of lots of local artists. We're big fans of George Breakfast who is such a good songwriter. He writes the kind of songs that make you think; “why hasn't somebody written that before?" We also like a lovely girl called Lexie Green who writes fantastic songs - she was on the Bob Harris ‘BBC Introducing’ stage at the Long Road Festival a while ago. I got to dep with her on bass too.”
So, there’s still a scene in Cambridge then?
Lee: “Yeah, we do a regular Wednesday evening jam session and loads of local musicians come and play. We get to be the house band for all these people so we end up doing stuff that we’d never do normally. The Wednesday sessions have moved online now. Kim and I do the opening set. That's kept us motivated as something is happening every week.”
As you haven’t been out gigging for a while, I suppose you got to see the programme that replaced the COVID-cancelled Eurovision Song Contest. “Love Shine a Light” must have been played twenty times over the course of the show…
Lee. “That means that song has won Eurovision for all time. That was the song they chose to represent the entire competition. Of all the songs they could have chosen, they picked that.”
Kim: “Abba are the only major band to come out of that.”
Lee: “Them and Bucks Fizz. Maybe you should have ripped some clothes off!”
Kim: “Well, believe it or not, Mike Read has just done a ‘lockdown’ version of ‘Pop Quiz’ for a company that’s based in Hong Kong. I found myself on the show with Cheryl Baker. When we'd finished, she said; "right, I'm off to do another skirt ripathon!" I don't envy her - that's something I don't have to do, every week. Thank God.”
Kim, there aren’t many musicians who’ve gone from indie-cult status to pop stardom to international fame like you have. From singing “Where are the Prawns?” with the Soft Boys to playing in front of millions of people for Eurovision is a hell of a leap. When’s the “kiss and tell” book coming out then?
Kim: “I often get asked to write reminiscences - Our publicist keeps nagging me to publish my Soft Boys scrapbook on Facebook, so I've been going through that, page by page. I think I’m going to do about a page a month - that's all people can handle. There are about 40 pages, so it'll take a few years.
You do need to add your own commentary, but then you’re obliged to describe stuff, like The Red Krayola for example - can I actually say that I found them unlistenable? I mean, I respect people who are left field but… there was a left field band in Cambridge around that time called Henry Cow - they were lovely people.”
And when that falls out of the best-seller lists, maybe Lee could write her book about being on the road with Martin Newell’s band Gypp?
Lee: “Blimey... how did you find about that! That whole thing started when the lighting guy for the band set all the gear up, went for a cigarette and never came back. Martin ran up to me and asked me if I’d do it, bearing in mind I’d never done any lighting in my life…
I climbed over to where the lighting desk was and perched my pint on a speaker, which immediately got knocked off and spilled all over me and the lighting desk. I did the gig soaking wet, thirsty, and fearing that I might go up in smoke. That was my introduction to the world of stage lighting! I did that for a year. I’m in Martin Newell's book somewhere, too.”
One of the saddest missed opportunities in rock history, is the fact that there was no Rush/Soft Boys collaboration when you were both in Rockfield Studios together, in 1977.
Kim: “They were in the big studio and we were in the little one, of course. We could see their huge pantechnicon parked outside. It was pointed out to me, reverentially and I was told; “that’s Rush.”
How could you resist the urge to pop over and try on their kimonos?
Kim: “We should have at least, introduced ourselves. This may be terribly rude but I couldn't hum you one of their tunes. They're one of those big bands in rock history, like Kiss and The Grateful Dead, that I know next to nothing about. Those bands don’t need me to endorse them. They’re like a force of gravity. That’s the thing about pop music – it’s not a religion and it can be deep, but ultimately its rock and roll and it should be fun.”
And that’s where we left it, as Kim and Lee had to get themselves ready for their regular Wednesday night, on line, lockdown gig. I got the distinct impression that as long as they’re playing something to someone, the pair are happy.
Far be it for me to pry into the financial situation of Mr. Rew, but I would imagine that two enormous hit singles (from the era when singles sold in millions) and the royalties from the Celine Dion and Bangles hits he’s written, will keep the bailiffs from his door for a while. Surely, they should just be tending their shrubbery instead of this rock and roll malarkey?
They don’t do it because they have to. They do it because they want to. And there’s no better reason to do something than that.
You can buy Sunshine Walkers hereand listen to the album here. You can also find out more about Kim and Leehere.
This year has obviously been different to other ones, but I've also never known a year for offering up surprises. Out of the ether, magnificent albums explode and here is another. On first listen, I felt like I did when I heard the Paul Malloy album and that's been the most popular review on here this year thus far.
So it seems fitting that the first review of this one a day for October features Tugboat Captain. Although this month is largely a catch up for IDHAS, this is an album that isn't released for another fortnight, but it is simply too good to miss out pre-ordering. Rut is beautifully arranged with so much in it, awash with variation, an incredible debut studio album.
This no basic lockdown affair. Partially recorded at Abbey Road, the band are aided by eight additional vocalists and 13 additional musicians providing Strings, Brass, Woodwind and Percussion. There is also an 11 piece choir present. All this adds to the soundscape, but doesn't distract from the quality of the songwriting.
So where do you start in describing the content here. It's really hard because there is so much variety here from the London quartet. Essentially this is a Pop Rock record, but that description does it little justice. The feel is very Psych Pop or Chamber Pop, but there is also Folk, Glam, Brit Pop and even showtime influences. I also hear so many front loaded albums these days, that I'm happy to report that the best song here may be the last.
If Tomorrow's Like Today is all jaunty, very Divine Comedy ish and Figure It Out is a heady mix of Glam Rock and late 60's Flower Power with added ELO style harmonies. Check Ur Health is all Toytown whilst Downward Slope is a delightful storytelling affair. Damned Right is like one of those great Pop Rock singles from the 70's with a superb, |Peter Skellern like, Brass accompaniment.
Rut...Waking Hour is two songs in one. The first half is all acoustic Al Stewart, the second half oozes Brit Pop. Stripped down, the band are just as good, Everything About You is all Lloyd Cole, You can make your own minds up about the two singles embedded here. However, I have to add that Day To Day is the best thing that you may hear this week.
It is also fabulous that the album is released on Glasgow's Double-A Side Records. There is something wonderful about an album with a sound this big being releases on a small independent |DIY label. I'd add that the two tracks that are playable on the Bandcamp site are ace, but there is so much more on the album.
Rut is released on 16 October. You can pre-order it here.
