Throwback Thursdsay: Young Americans, by David Bowie

In 1975 pop rock sensation David Bowie underwent yet another transformation in terms of sound and appearance. For the past few years he had been the glam rocking gender bending Ziggy Stardust, but when he made the Young Americans album he entered the next phase of his creative journey by transitioning into the R&B/soul singing well dressed and groomed Thin White Duke. Although many people were shocked to see him go such a direction, they stayed with him because Bowie is awesome no matter what he does.

Young Americans is definitely heavily influenced by the popular R&B music of the early-mid 70's. Bowie had become fascinated by it in '74 while touring and decided that was what he wanted to do next, but with his own creative Bowie spin on it. It is more mellow and grooving than the loud and raucous tunes Bowie had been writing up to that point. Incidentally, it features former Beatles member John Lennon on backing vocals and guitar on the hit single Fame as well as Bowie's cover of Across the Universe.

Young Americans is probably the epitome of the Thin White Duke style of music making. It has a lot of soul to it, but at the same time it has elements of Latin music to it as well. It's smooth, it flows, and has a great groove to it that you can get up and move to. It's necessary for any 70's themed party playlist. Lots of great vocal harmonies are in this one as well. Bowie definitely knew how to pick his backing singers. He nailed the kind of sound that was going 'round in that era.

Across the Universe is my favorite tune on this album and not just because it's a Beatles song. It's the way in which it was done. Bowie took this song and just blasted it into outer space. This time there is a full plugged in band playing it rather than just a single acoustic guitar and it is extraordinary. Lennon was so happy with the way it turned out that he said it was the best recorded version of the song to ever exist. That's saying something considering that is the man who originally wrote the song in the first place.

Young Americans is definitely one of Bowie's major landmark albums. It was outstanding then and it's a classic now. It's not my personal favorite Bowie album as I'm more of a Ziggy Stardust fan, but I still dig a lot of what is on it. If you're someone who loves old school R&B/soul then this album will most definitely be up your alley. Fans and non-fans of Bowie alike will find at least a couple of tunes on here that they keep as a permanent part of their musical rotation.

Young Americans, by David Bowie receives 3.75 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Young Americans
2. Win
3. Fascination
4. Right
5. Someone Up There Likes Me
6. Across the Universe
7. Can You Hear Me
8. Fame

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Young-Americans-David-Bowie/dp/B000TEPLCO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490928739&sr=8-1&keywords=Young+Americans

Aerosmith to Write and Record One More Album

The bad boys from Boston, Aerosmith have decided to postpone their upcoming Aeroverderci, Baby! tour, much to the disappointment of their fans. However, the postponement is to give the fans something even greater: a new album.

This will be Aerosmith's first release of new music in five years when they put out their less than spectacular album Music From Another Dimension. In a recent interview with AZ Central, lead guitarist Joe Perry talks about the decision to do another album, saying:

“We want to get in and give ourselves some time to get something done. We definitely have another record in us, if not two. But we’ll see how that goes.”

Perry was then asked if the new material would resemble the sound of Music From Another Dimension, to which he responds:

“Well, the next one will be a little more cohesive. At least in talking to vocalist Steven Tyler about it, that’s been kind of our vibe on how it’s gonna go. The main thing is just getting in a room and starting to lay stuff down.”

Personally I'm just hoping for a good record. As much as I would like for it to resemble what they did in the 70's, I know they have grown and moved on since then. You can't expect lightning to strike the same place twice. I'm sure it will be better than the last album, but quite frankly that isn't saying much. Even Just Push Play was better and it was filled with poppy junk. Regardless, hopefully this final album will come out nicely and will be a good way for them to go out on top.

Deep Purple's Roger Glover Puzzled on Former Bandmate Ritchie Blackmore Reviving Rainbow

Former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has always been a man shrouded in mystery and legend. Most people don't seem to know why he does things the way he does including his former Deep Purple and Rainbow bandmate bassist Roger Glover when it comes to why he revived Rainbow within the past year.

In a recent interview with AntiHero Magazine, Glover expressed his puzzlement over Blackmore's decision, saying:

“I wish him luck. In a way, calling it Rainbow, I thought, he’s got his own name, I would have thought he should have gone out as just Ritchie Blackmore and some really great band. I don’t want to disparage him at all – I’m a fan of Ritchie as much as anyone else is. He’s a musician. I’m blown away that I got to work with such a musician.”

Personally I kind of understand why Blackmore is using the Rainbow name again. Rainbow is essentially whatever group of musicians he puts together to play rock n' roll as a solo artist. It is a living, breathing, growing organism. Plus, Rainbow has been a long enough established name that he probably sells more tickets that way (though I'm sure that's not the main reason he did it). Regardless, I hope to see some Rainbow dates in the U.S. some time in the not too distant future.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #111

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Big Boys, by Chuck Berry

In case you didn't see the post I made earlier in the week, there is a new Chuck Berry song out, Big Boys which is the first single from his upcoming album Chuck. It will be his first in almost 40 years, though sadly he passed away before it could be released. That said, this is exactly what you would expect from a new Chuck Berry song. It has that same 1950's fun energized rockabilly feel, but with a bit more modern production and shine to it.

2.  Uncle Salty, by Aerosmith

This has always been one of my absolute favorite Aerosmith songs. It has a nice walking along groove to it. It's simplistic, but has a bit more depth to it than you might give it credit for upon first listen, especially when you hear the chorus of: "Ooh... It's a sunny new day outside my window...". If you listen closer it's actually quite a bit darker, which is why I will give them credit for being so creative in terms of layering.

3.  Soap on a Rope, by Chickenfoot

I miss Chickenfoot. Sadly each member of this super group has their own thing going which keeps them from getting together any more. That said, they made some good songs during their run; especially this one. It's big ball simplistic rocking fun, but with that's all you really need when it comes to making rock n' roll. You'll be singing pounding on your steering wheel while driving and drumming along to this tune. Definitely some good stuff.

4. Crazy Train, by Ozzy Osbourne

Can't go wrong with a classic. You've probably already heard this song on the radio countless times over the years, but it's for good reason. Every last part of this song is iconic and without it Ozzy's solo career probably wouldn't have catapulted overnight the way it did. Guitarist Randy Rhoads definitely did some of his finest playing in this one. Rhoads is also the main reason Osbourne had any real success with a solo career as well.

5. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, by Led Zeppelin

In my opinion the first Led Zeppelin album is pure gold. There isn't a single bad track on it and that's why Led Zeppelin was a huge overnight sensation. You might not hear every track on the radio, but anyone who has ever bought the album cherishes every last song on it, especially this one. It's the perfect blend of acoustic and electric guitar playing and you can hear Robert Plant showing off just how much vocal and emotional range his singing has. You can tell they had something to prove to the world.

 

New Chuck Berry Song "Big Boys" Premieres

Earlier this week we lost Chuck Berry, a rock n' roll legend and a man who helped build the foundation of the genre as we know it today. As many of you already know, at 90 years old he was working on a brand new album; his first in almost 40 years. Now we have the first taste of what it will sound like when it gets released. A song called Big Boys (which you can listen to in the video above).

It sounds pretty much exactly how you would expect a Chuck Berry song to sound. It has a lot of those same kinds of simple, but lighthearted fun 1950's rockabilly lyrics, riffs and licks that he made signature back in rock n' roll's infancy, but with more of a modern sounding polish production-wise. Berry's voice and playing are in pretty stellar order considering his age when he did this.

Honestly, this is exactly what I was expecting from and hoping for in a new Chuck Berry song. He has his own style that in my opinion is timeless and there is no need for him to really deviate from it. I'm just sad that he didn't make it long enough to see the whole album released. I'm sure it will be well received by critics and fans alike if it is anything like we have heard here in Big Boys.

Throwback Thursday: Pressure and Time, by Rival Sons

Today I'm cheating again and doing an album that is a little less than the usual 10 year old minimum criteria I set for Throwback Thursday. In 2011, one of the single greatest albums to happen to rock n' roll in quite some time by a little Californian heavy blues rock band named Rival Sons hit the scene. This album titled Pressure and Time though not the band's first album was what many consider to be their true debut into the world of rock n' roll and showed that you can play an old style that you love while still doing something original with it.

Pressure and Time is a mix-up of blues, hard rock, surf rock, ballads, and so much more. It's pretty well rounded and it feels like you're on a journey the entire time you're listening to it. Overall there is a very heavy classic rock vibe, but it doesn't sound like they are trying to knock of Led Zeppelin (as many have accused them of). Tunes like Pressure and Time and Face of Light are major concert staples for Rival Sons, though to be fair many fans consider the whole album to be classic material.

All Over the Road in my opinion is the most fun track on the entire album. It's the first song and in my opinion does a fantastic job of getting the party started. It punches you right in the face the second you hit the play button with big, beefy, pulsing guitar riffs from guitar master Scott Holiday with the rhythm section backing him with massive pounding thunder. It's not all crash, boom, bang, though. There is a lot of melody and groove that makes you feel like you could move or push the pedal to the metal while your girl or guy is in the seat next to you grinning. Buckle up. It's a wild ride.

Pressure and Time is the first song I ever heard from Rival Sons and it's what instantly hooked me within seconds. The drums ground and pound, the bass has a subtle but ever noticeable rolling presence, and the guitar rattles off some grinding echoey riffs. What makes the song for me though is Jay Buchanan's howling vocals. It feels like he could blow the roof off a building with how powerful his voice is in this song. You can feel the energy of him giving it his all. That said, this is a Rival Sons classic for a reason.

This is one of the few albums I love completely from start to finish. It's not absolutely perfect, but it's not far from. If you're a fan of older rock n' roll but feel like it's been hard to find anything other than what the radio has been playing for the last 20+ years, Rival Sons is right up your alley and Pressure and Time is where you want to start. You can feel their raw energy and passion pulsing through every last note from the moment you put the album on till the time it wraps up. Definitely a must-have.

Pressure and Time, by Rival Sons receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. All Over the Road

2. Young Love

3. Pressure and Time

4. Only One

5. Get Mine

6. Burn Down Los Angeles

7. Save Me

8. Gypsy Heart

9. White Noise

10. Face of Light

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Time-Rival-Sons/dp/B00BWTJ2WU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1490301598&sr=8-2&keywords=rival+sons+pressure+and+time

Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood: "New Album Without Stevie Nicks Will Win Awards"

 

 

Recently much to the dismay of many Fleetwood Mac fans singer Stevie Nicks stated that she doesn't want to do any more albums. However, we will not be going completely dry. guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and keyboardist Christine McVie are putting together a new collaborative album to be titled Buckingham - McVie that will also feature bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. Fleetwood has come forth to express how he feels big things are in store for this album.

In a recent interview with Uncut, Fleetwood talks about how much life, energy, and drive McVie and Buckingham both have and how their album will be something special, saying:

 

“The crafting of the album became so specifically about Chris and Lindsey some time ago. It came under the heading of music that had to come out. Chris is full of vim and vigor, which is mind-blowing, and I’m really happy for Lindsey, because this is what he most likes to do – putting something together.

This relationship is a real expression of a musical powerhouse that’s come to the fore, and we’re all happy about that. It’s really cool. I think they’ll be walking down some red carpets with this one.”

 

Personally I'm stoked for this album. Whatever Buckingham and McVie will be nothing short of gold, I'm sure. Plus, I always felt that Nicks was kind of the weak link in Fleetwood Mac anyway. Even if Nicks did participate it would still be great, don't get me wrong. I just think she would be kind of half hearted about it. That said, having everyone else working together with her out of the way will definitely bring about something spectacular.