Alphabet Beats #170: Z is for....Zevon as in Warren

For the final time in this series of Alphabet Beats (it's possible that a revisit might happen but no promises!) we return to The Letter Z which is for....

Warren Zevon's first album, released in 1969 was a commercial failure produced by Zevon himself after a fall out with Kim Fowley who originally had been scheduled to produce it. Warren said that the album was released to "the sound of one hand clapping". Sales were very poor and the critics all but ignored it. An attempt at a follow up failed as well as Warren Zevon jumped on board with the Everly Brothers playing keyboards for them and was their band leader and musical director.

But come 1975 he was heading to Spain where he ended up living and working in a small tavern not too far outside of Barcelona. But in September of the same year he was back in LA working with Jackson Browne on a new album that would eventually be released in May of the following year. 

(My love of reading liner notes really comes to the fore with Warren Zevon, so please forgive me for getting a little excited when speaking of the artists who played on his albums because I find this kind of stuff thrilling!)

What is of great interest is some of the artists who worked on the Self -Titled album with him: Jackson Browne (of course as he was the producer but played on tracks), Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks (both of whom had only recently joined Fleetwood Mac and therefore not really well known), Phil Everly, Glenn Frey and Don Henley (The Eagles), J.D. Souther (early writer for The Eagles), Bonnie Raitt, and Carl Wilson (Beach Boys). Whilst the album was not a massive seller it did help lay the groundwork for what was to come. 

His third album 'Excitable Boy' was a Top Ten Album (peaking at #8) and it contained the song that he is probably known for the world over, 'Werewolves of London'. 'Werewolves' actually has Mick Fleetwood playing Drums and John McVie on Bass. Linda Ronstadt (who would record a number of Warren's songs) and Jennifer Warnes are on Backing Vocals and J.D. Souther and Jackson Browne were present again.

For Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School he basically has The Eagles (Felder, Frey, Henley, Joe Walsh) playing alongside Ronstadt and Jackson Browne again.

After the release of The Envoy in 1982 he was dropped by Asylum as the album was not a success. Zevon only discovered he had been dropped after reading about it in the Rolling Stone magazine! He went into a bit of a tailspin after this and didn't surface again until 1987's Sentimental Hygiene. On this one he had Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry of R.E.M. (Michael Stipe appears on backing vocals on 'Bad Karma'). Also working on this album were Mike Campbell, Stan Lynch, Bob Dylan, Flea, Brian Setzer and even Neil Young turns up on a track!

I could go on and on about this. Let's just say that Warren Zevon was a pretty connected guy. I wanted to mention his last studio album 'The Wind' which includes guest appearances by close friends including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, David Lindley, Billy Bob Thornton, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, T-Bone Burnette, Ry Cooder, and Mike Campbell. His son Jordan Zevon appears on the album also (not for the first time).

The Music of Warren Zevon
    Wanted Dead or Alive, 1969
    Warren Zevon, 1976
    Excitable Boy, 1978
    Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, 1980

Stand in the Fire (Live), 1980
    The Envoy, 1982
    Sentimental Hygiene, 1987
    Transverse City, 1989
    Mr. Bad Example, 1991
    Learning to Flinch (Live), 1993
    Mutineer, 1995
    Life'll Kill Ya, 2000 (Incomplete)

Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon, 2002 (Incomplete)
    My Ride's Here, 2002
    The Wind, 2003

Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings, 2007

Headless in Boston (Live), 2013

Warren Zevon passed away 7th September 2003 after being diagnosed with inoperable peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the abdominal lining that is associated with exposure to asbestos).

More Warren Zevon

Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon, released in 2004, is a tribute album to the late Warren Zevon by many famous musicians. It includes two unreleased Zevon songs: "The Wind", sung by actor Billy Bob Thornton; and "Studebaker", sung by Warren's son Jordan Zevon.

The album's title comes from an interview Zevon did on the Late Show with David Letterman following Zevon's having been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Letterman asked Zevon if there was anything he understood now, facing his own mortality, that he didn't before. Zevon replied, "Just how much you're supposed to enjoy every sandwich."

Listen Here to the Album.
    1. "Searching for a Heart" – Don Henley
    2. "Werewolves of London" – Adam Sandler
    3. "Reconsider Me" – Steve Earle with Reckless Kelly
    4. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" – Jackson Browne with Bonnie Raitt
    5. "My Ride's Here" (Live) – Bruce Springsteen
    6. "Lawyers, Guns and Money" – The Wallflowers
   7. "Studebaker" – Jordan Zevon
   8. "The Wind" – Billy Bob Thornton
    9."Splendid Isolation" – Pete Yorn
    10. "Mutineer" (Live) – Bob Dylan
    11. "Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse" – David Lindley and Ry Cooder
    12. "Don't Let Us Get Sick" – Jill Sobule
    13. "Ain't That Pretty at All" – Pixies
    14. "Keep Me in Your Heart" – Jorge Calderón/Jennifer Warnes
    15. "Keep Me in Your Heart" (Strings Only) – arranged by Van Dyke Parks

Alphabet Beats #169: Z is for....Zion Train

Z is for....

Zion Train are a British dub reggae ensemble. Initially formed in Oxford as a sound system in 1988 by Neil Perch and Ben Hamilton, Colin Cod and Dave Tench joined in 1990 upon relocation to London. The line-up was added to with vocalist Molara in 1992. Their initial releases were the 7" singles 'Power One' and 'Power Two', which became hits on the dub scene in the early 1990s. In 1992 they released the groundbreaking 'Follow Like Wolves' single which fused Dub and Acid House styles and spawned their reputation as innovators. Their second album, Natural Wonders of the World in Dub, hit the UK indie charts in 1994 and was followed by several small-issue EPs. Additionally, they worked on remixes for The Shamen, Afro Celt Sound System, Loop Guru, Kava Kava and others. They released both vinyl and CD material on their own label, Universal Egg, until 1995, when they signed with China Records. They returned to their own label in 1999. Much of their back catalog was reissued in 2005.

Lately, their early albums, such as A Passage To Indica, have been cited as primary influences on the minimal techno and minimal dub genres. There was a bitter feud within the band beginning around 2001, which led to Neil Perch continuing the band with an almost new line-up, comprising long-term trumpeter Dave Hake, trombonist Bigga and an assortment of international session players and studio vocalists. This line-up released the album Live As One, with which Zion Train won the 'Jamaican Reggae Grammy 2007' for 'Best Dub Recording'.

Zion Train and Ruts DC Peel Session (March 1996)

The Music
    A Passage to Indica (Universal Egg, 1993)
    Great Sporting Moments in Dub (Universal Egg, 1993)
    Natural Wonders of the World in Dub (Universal Egg, 1994)
    Siren (Universal Egg, 1995)
    Homegrown Fantasy (China, 1995)*
    Grow Together (China, 1996)*
    Single Minded and Alive (compilation, China, 1997)*
    Love Revolutionaries (Universal Egg, 2000)
    Secrets of the Animal Kingdom in Dub (Universal Egg, 2000; recorded 1994)
    Original Sounds of the Zion (Universal Egg, 2002)
    Live As One (Universal Egg, 2007)
    State Of Mind (2011)

 * Incomplete

More Zion Train

Live as One Remix EP.

Live as One Remixed Album.

Just Say Who EP.

The Early Recordings.

Money EP.

Land of the Blind.

Live in Brighton.

 

Alphabet Beats #168: Z is for....ZZ Top

Z is for....

ZZ Top  formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. The band comprises guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons (the band's leader, main lyricist and musical arranger), bassist and co-lead vocalist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard. Their line-up has not changed in 46 years!

The beared wonders (Frank Beard used to be the only one not sporting a beard but the above concert from 2013 shows that he has one, though not as long and thick as Billy and Dusty's) have been churning out their own brand of the blues a long time and have known a period of success when they were one of the biggest bands on the plant.

They kind of dipped out of the record market for awhile (though a re-release of expanded earlier albums was undertaken in this time) after their 2003 album Mescalero but bounced back with a Top Ten album in 2012 with La Futura.

They are currently out on tour until August.

Click on the links to enjoy the music.

The Music
    ZZ Top's First Album (1971)
    Rio Grande Mud (1972)
    Tres Hombres (1973)
    Fandango! (1975)
    Tejas (1976)
    Degüello (1979)
    El Loco (1981)
    Eliminator (1983)
    Afterburner (1985)
    Recycler (1990)
The Greatest Hits of ZZ Top (1992)
    Antenna (1994)
One Foot in the Blues (1994)
    Rhythmeen (1996)
    XXX (1999)
    Mescalero (2003)
 Chrome, Smoke and BBQ: The ZZ Top Box (2003)
Rancho Texicano (The Very Best of ZZ Top) (2004)
Live From Texas (2008)
Texicali EP (2012)
    La Futura (2012)

Selected Singles, Promos and other bits of Texas Boogie
Salt Lick (1969 Debut Single)
Francine.
Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers.
Tush. 
Arrested For Driving While Blind.
I Thank You.
Cheap Sunglasses.
Gimmie All Your Lovin'.
Sharp Dressed Man.
TV Dinners.
Legs.
Sleeping Bag.
Stages.
Rough Boy.
Velcro Fly.
Doubleback.
My Head's In Mississippi.
I Gotsta Get Paid.

Alphabet Beats #167: Z is for....Zones

Z is for....

We have reached the Letter Z and that means there are only a few more posts to go in the Alphabet Beats series.

Today's offering is a band I've recently returned to after an absence of many, many years. I heard Gary Crowley play their debut single 'Stuck on You' on his Punk and New Wave Show on Soho Radio and it sent messages to this old brain to dig out their music. Now, there's not a lot of it. They have never been released on CD and so being able to track down some songs on You Tube is fantastic for the purposes of this blog.

Zones were a Scottish New Wave/Power Pop band who formed out of the ashes of PVC2 (who had formerly been teen hearthrobs - for a short while - Slik, who had decided to play punk music as the band were having little success with their pop career). PVC2 released only one single, on Zoom Records: Put You in the Picture backed by Deranged Demented and Free. Then Midge Ure left the band to join up with Glen Matlock and the Rich Kids. The remaining members Billy McIsaac, Kenny Hyslop and Russel Webb (who had joined Slik for their final tour - he would eventually go on to become bass player for The Skids and The Armoury Show) recruited Willie Gardner to take on lead vocals and became Zones.

My first record of Zones was actually their second release Sign of the Times. I got it from one of my Dad's friends who worked at a Record Pressing Plant that dealt mainly with artists connected with Arista Records and he used to get some freebies each week and so along with Patti Smith records and The Kinks I grabbed a copy of Zones 2nd release (future freebies would include the debut from Simple Minds!).

They would go on to tour with Iggy Pop and Magazine and recorded two sessions for John Peel (the first one is not on You Tube* but the second one is - Click Here to Listen). None of the singles charted and the album didn't sell so well and in 1979 they went their separate ways.

Click on the links to enjoy the music.

* If you click the link at the end of this piece there will be a wee surprise waiting.

The Singles

Stuck With You / No Angels.

 Zoom Records, February 17, 1978

Sign of the Times / Away From It All.**

Arista Records, July 1978

**Couldn't find studio version so this is the Peel Session Version.

Looking to the Future / Do It All Again.

Arista Records, May 24, 1979

Mourning Star / Under Influence.
Arista Records, July 20, 1979

The Album

 Under Influence

The album was released with four different covers (see picture at the head of this post)

Arista Records, June 1, 1979

Tracklist

1. Do It All Again
2. Vision On
3. Deadly dolls
4. The End
5. Mainman
6. You're Not Foolin' Me
7. Anything Goes
8. Strength to Strength
9. Looking To The Future
10. Mourning Star. 

A Wee Zone Bonus

Click Here to Discover It!

Alphabet Beats #166: Y is for....Yachts

Y is for....

When you speak of bands in Liverpool at the near the end of the the 1970's not many people mention The Yachts. Not sure why that is. They had a number of smashing singles released in their time. Well today we can give them a wee bit of honour by spotlighting them for today's Alphabet Beats. Click on the links to go Yachting!

Formed in Liverpool in 1977 out of a band called Albert and the Cod Warriors (who had apparently supported the Sex Pistols in 1976). The Yachts performed their debut show as The Yachts at Liverpool's Erics supporting Elvis Costello. That led to a short lived deal with Stiff Records to release their debut single 'Suffice to Say' as the 19th single to be issued by the label.

 Suffice to Say / Freedom (Is A Heady Wine).

The band originally consisted of Bob Bellis (drums, vocals); John (J.J.) Campbell (vocals); Martin Dempsey (bass guitar, vocals) (later replaced by first Ray "Chopper" Cooper, then Mick Shiner and finally Glyn Havard); Henry Priestman (vocals, keyboards); and Martin Watson (guitar, vocals).

On Radar they released a couple of albums and a bunch more singles (collected together on the video at the head of this post), recorded a couple of Sessions for John Peel ('Mantovani's Hits' was the only one I could find on You Tube from their first session from October 1978), toured with Joe Jackson and The Who and the band split up in 1981.

A couple of interesting things about the band were that John Campbell left the band in 1978 and he helped found the band It's Immaterial. Martin Dempsey left the band in 1980 to become a member of Pink Military (who had formed when Big in Japan split in 1978). When The Yachts split Priestman went to join It's Immaterial (who are best known for their single 'Driving Away From Home') who at one point had three ex-Yacht members Campbell and Dempsey being the other two. Priestman was also a member of Wah! and then The Christians.

Yachts 

(Radar, RAD 19, June 1979) – released as S.O.S. in the USA

Without Radar 

(Radar, RAD 27, May 1980)

features

Don't Call Us.

I Couldn't Get Along Without You.

Now I'm Spoken For.

March of the Moderates.

There's A Ghost In My House.

Consequences.

On The Bridge.

Alphabet Beats #165: Y is for.... Young and Crazy Horse

Y is for....

Much like a lot of his solo work Young's albums with Crazy Horse are a bit take it or leave it I think. It's hard to top 'Rust Never Sleeps' and 'Live Rust' in my opnion and of all Neil Young's output both Solo and with the Horse those two are my absolute favourites.

Click on the links to enjoy the music.

The Music

 Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
Zuma (1975)
Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Live Rust (1979)
Re-ac-tor (1981)
Life (1987)
Ragged Glory (1990)

Weld (1991)

Arc (1991)
Sleeps with Angels (1994)
Broken Arrow (1996)
Year of the Horse (1997)
Greendale (2003)

Live at Filmore East (2006)
Americana (2012)
    Psychedelic Pill (2012)

Alphabet Beats #164: Y is for....Young as in Neil

Y is for....

I decided to split this Neil Young post into two with today focusing on the Solo releases and tomorrow focusing on the releases with his band Crazy Horse.

He's had a lot of output over the years, not all of it great mind you but the ones that are not so great are interesting from the fact that Young is his own man and he does what he wants even when the Record Label is left scratching their heads wondering what on earth has landed on their desk!

Of his solo material the ones that stand out for me are 'After the Gold Rush', 'Harvest', 'American Star 'n' Bars', 'Freedom' and 'Harvest Moon'.

Some of the live material as well is quite a fascinating listen. His set for MTV's 'Unplugged' is superb I think.

He's been on the go since 1960. Wow! 55 years of performing! He still putting out new music as well and doesn't look likely he'll be stopping anytime soon.

As can be expected there's loads of links, click on them to hear Mr Young in action.

The Music
    Neil Young (1968)
    After the Gold Rush (1970)
    Harvest (1972)
    Time Fades Away (1973)
    On the Beach (1974)
    Tonight's the Night (1975)
    Long May You Run (1976)
    American Stars 'n Bars (1977)

Decade (1977)
    Comes a Time (1978)
    Hawks and Doves (1980)
    Trans (1982)
    Everybody's Rockin' (1983)
    Old Ways (1985)
    Landing on Water (1986)

Cow Place 1986
    This Note's for You (1988)
    Eldorado (1989)
    Freedom (1989)
    Harvest Moon (1992)

Unplugged (1993)

Lucky 13 (1993)
    Mirror Ball (1995)
    Silver and Gold (2000)

Road Rock Vol 1 (2000)
    Are You Passionate? (2002)

Greatest Hits (2004)
    Prairie Wind (2005)
    Living with War (2006)
    Living with War: "In the Beginning" (2006)
    Chrome Dreams II (2007)

Live at Massey Hall 1971 (2007)

Sugar Mountain - Live at Cantebury House 1968 (2008)

The Archives Vol.1 1963-72 (2009)
    Fork in the Road (2009)
    Le Noise (2010)

Live at The Cellar Door (2013)
    A Letter Home (2014)
    Storytone (2014)
    The Monsanto Years (2015)

Alphabet Beats #163: Y is for....Yellowcard

So, The Letter X was not really as fruitful as I thought, no worries though The Letter Y might fair a little better (just a little). I've got a possible five artists, one which I'm not to sure of at the moment. The Letter Z has a possible four artists to focus on but again one of them I'm hesitating over. What ever the case, we are drawing near to the end of Alphabet Beats and it's time to get the thinking cap on as to what comes next. - Doug

Y is for....

Yellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997 and based in Los Angeles since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin. They are best known for their singles 'Ocean Avenue', 'Lights and Sounds', and 'Light Up the Sky'. The band went on a two-year hiatus from 2008 through 2010 and they returned with their seventh studio album, 'When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes', in March 2011, and then 'Southern Air' in August 2012. Their most recent album, 'Lift a Sail', was released October 7, 2014, with lead single 'One Bedroom'.

I can't quite put my finger on why I was drawn to Yellowcard because there are a stack of bands in a way similar to them that never really appealed to me. But their album 'Ocean Avenue' and then 'Southern Air' really gripped me (especially 'Southern Air'). I liked the sound and enjoyed the lyrics a lot more than I ever thought I would. It's interesting to see, looking at their Discography, how they progressed musically, and they are better for it. Their debut 'Midget Tossing' sounds totally immature compared to the likes of the 'Southern Air' and even the latest 'Lift a Sail'.

Click on the links to enjoy the music

 The Music
    Midget Tossing (1997)
    Where We Stand (1999)

Still Standing EP (2000)
    One for the Kids (2001)

The Underdog EP (2002)
    Ocean Avenue (2003)

Beyond Ocean Avenue: Live at The Electric Factory DVD (2004)

AOL Sessions EP (2004)
    Lights and Sounds (2006)
    Paper Walls (2007)

iTunes Live from Las Vegas at the Palms (2008)

Deep Cuts EP (2009)
    When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes (2011)

When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes Acoustic (2011)
    Southern Air (2012)

Ocean Avenue Acoustic (2013)
    Lift a Sail (2014)

Promo Vids

Powder.

Way Away.

Ocean Avenue.

Only One.

Lights and Sounds.

Rough Landing Holly.

Light Up The Sky.

For You and Your Denial.

Hang You Up.

Sing For Me.

With You Around (Acoustic).

See Me Smiling (Acoustic).

Be the Young (Acoustic).

Always Summer.

Here I Am Alive.

Telescope (Acoustic).

Awakening.

One Bedroom.

The Deepest Well.

Crash the Gates.

Alphabet Beats #162: X is for....XTC

X is for....

For James Newall - one of the the biggest XTC fans I know.

Swindon is not exactly a place known as a hive of rock and roll activity but it's the spotlight of today's Alphabet Beats as we turn our attention there and specifically toward XTC.

Formed in 1972 by Colin Moulding (bass and vocals) and Terry Chambers (drums) with the addition of Andy Partridge on guitar they managed to get in the NME as The Helium Kidz, an up and coming band from Swindon that played Glam Rock heavily influenced by the New York Dolls! Barry Andrews joined the band in 1976 on keyboards and shortly after they were reneamed XTC.

I still have vivid memories of when I first saw and heard XTC. The hearing was a John Peel Session in June of 1977 and the seeing would be a few months later on a Friday Tea Time Kids show called Magpie on ITV. They played 'Science Friction' and afterwards it was announced that they had just released the song as part of the 3D EP. I can remember rushing down to Sydenham High Street to the record shop Treble Clef and getting there 5 minutes before they were due to close for the night and handed the money over for a nice 12" that contained three songs, the already mentioned 'Science Friction' on the A- Side and on the B-Side 'She's So Square' and 'Dance Band'.

Whilst there were a few more singles of theirs that I loved ('Life Begins at the Hop' especially) and a first few albums I kind of lost interest in them and only within the past five years ago actually sat down and listened to a number of the albums that I seemed to go over my head when they were first released. I wouldn't say everything in their catalogue appeals to me but I think they are a band worthy of further investigation if you've never really heard much beyond the hit singles.

There's lots of music here so click on the links to enjoy the sound of Swindon's most famous sons, XTC.

The Albums
    White Music (1978)
    Go 2 (1978)
    Drums and Wires (1979)
    Black Sea (1980)
    English Settlement (1982)
    Mummer (1983)
    The Big Express (1984)
    25 O'Clock (1985, as the Dukes of Stratosphear)
    Skylarking (1986)

The Compact XTC (1987)
    Psonic Psunspot (1987, as the Dukes of Stratosphear)

Chips From the Chocolate Fireball (1987, as The Dukes of Stratosphear)
    Oranges and Lemons (1989)

Rag and Bones Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers (1990)
    Nonsuch (1992)
BBC Radio 1 In Concert 1980 (1992)

Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-92 (1996)
    Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999)
    Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000)

Coat of Many Cupboards Boxset (2002)

Selected Singles

Science Friction.

Statue of Liberty.

This is Pop.

Are You Receiving Me?

Life Begins at the Hop.

Making Plans for Nigel.

Generals and Majors.

Towers of London.

Sgt. Rock (is going to help me).

Senses Working Overtime.

Wonderland.

Dear God.

The Mayor of Simpleton.

King for a Day.

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.

Wrapped in Grey (Rare 7" that was withdrawn).

More XTC
Neon Shuffle (So It Goes 1977).
Live at Erics in Liverpool 3rd June 1978 (Audio Only).
BBC Sight and Sound In Concert (1978) .
Swindon Viewpoint Studios December 1978.
Live in Australia 1979 (Audio Only). 
Live at the Old Waldorf February 1980.
Live in Melbourne, Australia 1980. 
Live at Rockpalast 1982.
MTV Studios NY 1989.
Live on KROQ Pasadena 1989.
Live in Paris 1982 (Final European Concert).