John Mellencamp concert review

A version of my review originally appeared in the Orange County Register and can be viewed at ocregister.com/entertainment.

Authenticity was the primary goal in making “No Better Than This,” John Mellencamp's current, timeless sounding album done entirely in mono (the first non-stereo release in 46 years to make the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart). While listening to the blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll tunes, you could easily think it was recorded in the 1950s.

Like 2008’s equally impressive “Life Death Love and Freedom,” it was produced by T Bone Burnett. Mellencamp, his musicians and crew, laid down the tracks at the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Ga., legendary Sun Studio in Memphis and Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, where esteemed blues man Robert Johnson once rolled tape. They even utilized vintage equipment. The lyrics are at times, bleak, optimistic and best appreciated by those who have, as they say – “lived a little.”

In Los Angeles, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer took the Nokia Theatre stage on Friday alongside an electric band to Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” He kicked off the 95-minute set with a revamped “Authority Song,” now boasting a smoldering rock groove, plus call and response action at the end.

The singer’s voice had a grittier than usual timbre, giving searing Son House song “Death Letter” (extended and accented here with mandolin, accordion and violin) and “John Cockers” added heft.

Performing in front of a beautiful city painting backdrop including a poster for 1963 Paul Newman western “Hud” (also the name of Mellencamp’s son), the six-piece group came and went as needed and played with finesse. “Walk Tall,” off the 2004 greatest hits collection "Words & Music," had a fresh countrified vibe.

Perhaps referring to our inept lawmakers who can’t balance budgets efficiently, Mellencamp said a harrowing “The West End” was about “what happens when the government doesn’t take care of people.” Longtime violinist Miriam Sturm gave a spirited delivery as her boss man roared the words.

Another welcome changeup came via the slow, simmering intro to “Check it Out,” where the Nokia crowd (the balcony was closed, but the floor looked filled) was up and dancing while Mellencamp worked both sides of the stage.

“My Dad said you gotta do fun things for yourself,” noted Mellencamp before the hopeful “Save Some Time to Dream,” done solo acoustic. He joked around a bit before singing most of “Cherry Bomb” a capella, accompanied loudly by fans’ voices. 

Burnett, who was sitting with ex-KCRW DJ Chris Douridas (I also spotted Ben Harper nearby), went onstage and provided electric guitar on the haunting “Don’t Need This Body.”

Mellencamp did a spiritual rap about the devil before the feisty “Right Behind Me.” Then he quoted the U.S. constitution and criticized defense spending over the welfare of Americans in the lead up to a plaintive “Jackie Brown,” where Sturm added weepy violin strains. The singer also recounted a story about his late grandmother and prayer on the endearing mortality tale “Longest Days.” 

The atmosphere inside really sparked up after drummer Dane Clark moved from a cocktail kit to full setup and bassist John Gunnell switched from standup to a standard model on a suddenly twangy “Jack & Diane.” Unfortunately, the remainder of the set was hampered by a muddy mix. Mellencamp humorously ad libbed a lyric about his multiple marriages during “Small Town.”

A fine, reworked “Paper in Fire” contained a reverb effect guitar sound that recalled CCR’s “Suzie Q.” Each time band mainstays Andy York and Mike Wanchic would take a solo turn, Mellencamp looked proud; even more so for Sturm.

Troye Kinnett’s supple organ led the charge on the stomping “If I Die Sudden” – definitely more fiery live - and Mellencamp sang the soulful vocals while hunched over fans in front of the stage. He invited a lady up to dance and sing on “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” capping the inspired show on a boisterous note.

John Mellencamp, Nokia Theatre/LA Live, Los Angeles, April 8, 2011

Setlist: Authority Song/No One Cares About Me/Death Letter/John Cockers/Walk Tall/The West End/Check it Out/Save Some Time for Dreams/Cherry Bomb/Don’t Need This Body/Right Behind Me/Jackie Brown/Longest Days/Jack & Diane/Small Town/Rain on the Scarecrow/Paper in Fire/The Real Life/What if I Came Knocking/If I Die Sudden/No Better Than This/Pink Houses/R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.

Additional Q&A with Biffy Clyro

Here is more from my interview with bassist James Johnston of Biffy Clyro...

Q: Last time I caught Biffy perform was outdoors at the Epicenter Festival in Fontana, Calif. - probably not the ideal environment to experience the band live. It was a small crowd in the mid-afternoon.

We’ve played similar things in the UK. Never something quite so hot. We were really sweating and playing midday, right in the middle of the sun. So it’s wasn’t really the best place or a great rock ‘n’ roll environment. We’ve done that a lot in the past. You’ve got to give it your all. We certainly enjoy playing every show, even the ones less successful than others.

Q: The three of you have played America quite a bit over the past six months. Do you think you’ve made strides in getting name recognition and building an audience here?

We’re starting to. You country is such a huge place. It’s bigger than the whole of Europe in some sense. It just takes time. It took us a long time in the UK. It’s something we’re prepared to spend a lot of time at. It definitely feels like we’re building an audience. However slow that may be isn’t something that concerns us. We’ve got a lot of time on our side.

Q: It’s good to see a band willing to put the effort in, rather than just playing New York, Chicago and LA like so many do.

I think they’re lazy and get used to the short drives we have here in the UK. They think it’s just going to come easy. I don’t think that’s fair. It’s such a huge place. You’ve got to go to people’s hometowns if you can and let them judge for themselves.

Q: “Only Revolutions” has been your most successful album to date at home. Is it a relief to see your 16 years of hard work finally paying off?

I think in some ways it has. We’ve been afforded a lot of great opportunities directly as a result of the success of the record. But honestly, in some ways, it feels like we’ve been a successful band for a long time...That feels great despite measuring record sales...It’s good to get a chance to open for bands like the Foo Fighters on these huge [upcoming UK] shows and do some big shows on our own. That’s really exciting stuff.

Q: Biffy has shared a stage with some premiere acts, like Bono & The Edge and the Rolling Stones, over the years. Have you learned anything from watching them onstage?

Yeah. We all know how Mick Jagger likes to move. Watching him up there - I don’t know what show number it was for them, but it was probably in the thousands – he can move like a man half his age. We got a chance to meet [The Stones] before they went onstage. They’re getting ready and got a huge show about to happen and they’re still very happy to come and meet you, shake hands, get a photograph and be really courteous. That was really nice to see. I guess we learned a lot from that: 'you’re never too big to be nice to somebody.' Also, to go put on a great show. You can’t rest on your laurels and say, ‘we did a great show in 1974.’ You have to keep it going.

Q: When you first heard Neil’s lyrics on the current album were you amazed at what he’d come up with?

Yeah, Simon has always got really interesting lyrics; some that are easier to decipher than others. A lot of people have talked about how the lyrics are more uplifting. Sometimes they just sound that way and are actually a little darker than you might think. That’s the sign of a good writer – somebody that can make you see, depending on your mood, different messages. I don’t think Simon puts in hidden messages for people. He just writes for himself in some regards.

Q: Since “Only Revolutions” was inspired by the book of the same name, I wondered if you are all avid readers.

We all like to read on tour. It helps abate the boredom a little bit. We all read quite different things. The last few books I’ve read have all been Scottish crime fiction, which is bizarre. Simon likes wild books and is a huge fan of Danieleski and his first book “House of Leaves.” Ben reads a whole mixture. Books and movies, they all filter through your mind and inspire you in different ways. I think that’s always important.

Q: How would you say Biffy’s music has evolved since the band started?

We can say what we want to say quicker and be more to the point. I remember thinking after a few albums we almost trimmed away the fat and some of the excess and were able to get straight to the heart of the matter. We’re immensely proud of all the records we’ve made. We’re quite an ambitious band. I really think it’s worth for people to come back and check out [the entire catalog]. We still play songs from the first two records and still think they’re really important.

Q: Some groups, once they get to their fifth album, they disavow the early ones entirely.

They might be somebody’s favorite. Once you’ve made the record, it belongs to the listener. It’s theirs. We still occasionally put them on. Don’t get me wrong: we sometimes have a bit of a laugh, but we’re also very proud.

Q: It’s been 1 ½ years since “Only Revolutions” came out in the UK. Have you started work on the next album?

We haven’t committed anything to tape or made any recordings, but we do have a bunch of songs we’ve been working quite hard on. We’re eager, as every band is, as soon as you start thinking about a new record, you just want to get it done. But we’ve been enjoying our time in the States. Thankfully we’re getting a chance to play shows there. We feel if we don’t come now, then what’s the point? We want to show our dedication. As soon as we get some time off the road, we’ll get into the studio [possibly] in the fall. We’re very excited and hopefully we can make another great record.

Q: Any idea whether you’ll tap Garth Richardson to produce again?

There’s a good chance. We do have a good relationship with him and it’s one that we’ve nurtured. Every great relationship has its ups and downs. We’ve got to a great place with him. We get on super well. He’s definitely part of the family. It would be very difficult to choose somebody else. Put it that way.

      

  

Biffy Clyro interview

A version of my interview with Biffy Clyro originally appeared in the North County Times and can be viewed at nctimes.com/entertainment.

The band performs at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach on April 14.


Since the mid-2000s, Biffy Clyro has notched more than a dozen U.K. top 40 hits, but never topped the charts. This past December, the Scottish trio finally did so – albeit indirectly.

Soaring power ballad “Many of Horror,” one of their most popular tunes, was covered by Matt Cardle, the latest winner of British TV music competition “The X Factor.” Retitled “When We Collide,” it was that territory’s second biggest selling single in 2010.  

“Going from three guys playing in the garage together 16 years ago to -- in a roundabout way -- having a ‘Christmas No. 1’ was funny and very surreal,” said bassist James Johnston, during a phone interview at home in Glasgow.

All the added publicity drew attention back to the original version on their current album “Only Revolutions” and sparked a minor controversy among enthusiasts. 

“It deserved a few raised eyebrows. Some fans took it in a different light and called for a boycott. They were [ticked] off at him for doing our song…I think it was flattering he liked the song enough to cover it.

“Ultimately, people ought not to take [‘X Factor’] too seriously. It’s there for entertainment.”

Named after a 2006 fiction novel American writer Mark Z. Danielewski, Biffy Clyro’s Mercury Music Prize-nominated fifth effort “Revolutions” went platinum in the U.K. (nearly 400,000 copies sold). A potent mix of melodic post-hardcore with a prog rock slant, it was co-produced by Garth Richardson and features guest guitar work by Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme (the spacey jam “Bubbles”) as well as orchestral flourishes arranged by David Campbell throughout.

Pizzicato string parts on the dramatic “Know Your Quarry” are particularly memorable. Then there’s the heavy sounding “That Golden Rule” and “Shock Shock.” The latter even sports a theramin amidst the noisy barrage.  

Johnston said Biffy Clyro -- which also includes Johnston’s twin brother Ben on drums and Simon Neil on lead vocals/guitar --  has “always been fairly experimental” and that utilizing unusual time signatures comes naturally through “bands we listened to while we were younger,” like Nirvana and Soundgarden.

“With three people, you have to push yourself a little harder to try different things. It’s always really rewarding when you do. We love listening to music that suddenly takes a left turn and you’re like, ‘where the hell did that come from?’”

Just over a year ago, Biffy Clyro became the first rock group to do a gig before English government officials. The anniversary celebration for London’s national indie radio station Absolute (formerly Virgin Radio) found the musicians performing on a House of Commons terrace.

Johnston said it felt bizarre playing acoustically to the Speaker of the House and Parliament members with “posh” glasses of champagne. “If we played full on electric, it would’ve been too much for them to take. There was polite applause. We’ve haven’t been more nervous very often. That was definitely a nerve wracking experience.”

Last month, the trio headlined a charity show at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust, curated by Roger Daltrey. “When he calls and asks, you can’t turn it down. [The venue] has such history and prestige. It’s a really magnificent room to play. Being in a band is a selfish pursuit in some ways, so it’s nice to do something for other people.”

Come July, the band tops the Day 2 bill at the massive Sonisphere Knebworth Festival and supports Foo Fighters at two sold out Milton Keynes Bowl concerts outside London.

Here in America, Biffy Clyro is on a club tour with Cage the Elephant and will break away for a low dough Belly Up show.

“We feel as home on a small stage as we do on a big stage,” notes Johnston. “Smaller rooms are better because you can see the whites of people’s eyes and you really get that connection."

Fans can expect a total high energy set in Solana Beach. “We have a lot of passion and absolutely love doing what we do,” Johnston said. “It’s just about three guys up there with their shirts off, giving it everything they’ve got and meaning every word.”

For more information, go to biffyclyro.com

Photo by Kevin Westenberg/courtesy Warner Bros./14th Floor Records

40th Anniversary of The Doors' "L.A. Woman"

Here is some cool news I received about Rhino Records' latest Doors reissues. Read on...

In December 1970, Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore converged at The Doors’ Workshop on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles and began recording what would turn out to be the band’s sixth and final studio album, L.A. Woman. Released in April 1971, the album became an instant classic, earning double-platinum status on the strength of two Top 20 hits – “Riders On The Storm” and “Love Her Madly” – and the powerful and sprawling title track.

To mark the beloved album’s 40^th anniversary, Rhino will launch a celebration of L.A. Woman this April that will continue throughout the year. It begins on Record Store Day (April 16) with a “Riders On The Storm” 7” that contains the original stereo single b/w a previously unreleased mono mix of the single that was distributed exclusively to radio at the time.

The single will be presented in one of three different, randomly distributed picture sleeves, each featuring artwork originally used for the single’s international release. Limited to 2,500 total pieces, the “Riders On The Storm” single will be available exclusively at select independent music retailers during Record Store Day 2011 for a suggested list price of $6.98. For a list of participating stores, please visit www.recordstoreday.com. 

Rhino continues to give The Doors their due this Fall when it unveils a special 40^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of L.A. Woman. This two-disc collection contains the original album along with a selection of rare and previously unreleased session outtakes and studio dialogue.

Recorded mostly live in their rehearsal space, the 10-song album was produced by the band with longtime engineer Bruce Botnick, who created a comfortable vibe in the studio. In an interview with Modern Drummer, Densmore recalled the L.A. Woman sessions.

“We just did a couple takes, on everything. There were some mistakes, and I would say, ‘Ray, remember on Miles Davis Live At Carnegie Hall, on the intro of ‘So What’ there’s this horrible trumpet error? Miles said he didn’t care, because of the feeling.’ That’s what L.A. Woman is. Just passion — in our rehearsal room, not in a fancy studio. It was the first punk album! It was made cheap, in a couple weeks.”

There are more surprises in store for the L.A. Woman celebration, so stay tuned to The Doors (www.thedoors.com, www.facebook.com/thedoors) and Rhino (www.rhino.com, www.facebook.com/rhino) for additional announcements.

New album review: Bell XI

Bell X1

Bloodless Coup

(Yep Roc)

Grade: B+

This Irish alt-pop band is massively popular back home, where its albums debut atop the charts and concerts instantly sell out. Here, Bell X1 has a burgeoning fan base, lands frequent TV song placements and is a regular fixture on National Public Radio. Recently expanded to a quintet, the Dubliners incorporate more electronic music textures than ever on solid fifth album Bloodless Coup.

Twitchy beats launch “Hey Anna Lena” before singer Paul Noonan’s heavenly falsetto vocal enters amid dense instrumentation swells. Half the tracks are geared toward the dance floor. Drummer Rory Doyle brings some funk, especially in conjunction with the looped vocal refrain of “4 Minute Mile.” Slinky, electro-tinged “Safer Than Love” is a nod to early Gary Numan.

Insanely catchy “Sugar High” adeptly utilizes percolating beats, vocoder and a giddy melodica line that recalls Howard Jones’ “New Song.” Then there’s the uplifting, spacey “Velcro,” about unusual tour experiences. Noonan’s lyrics touch upon soul searching, shared human experiences and rising above it all (the simpler, introspective “Nightwatchmen,” “74 Swans,” “Built to Last”). He also uses offbeat humor like few others, making pop culture references to Dairy Queen, Adam & the Ants, McDonald’s salads, YouTube talents and more.

New album review: Elbow

Elbow

Build a Rocket Boys!

(Downtown/Fiction)

Grade: A

Over the past decade, one of the most captivating groups to hail from Manchester has been Elbow, which often delves into prog rock-styled experimentation like Radiohead. The Brit rock band’s magnificent fifth release Build a Rocket Boys! (the digital version is available now; physical CD in stores Tuesday) is the long-awaited follow up to Mercury Music Prize winner/million-selling U.K. breakthrough The Seldom Seen Kid.

During the epic, haunting grandeur of “The Birds,” leader Guy Garvey – who possesses an emotional vocal style a la Peter Gabriel - sings “looking back is for the birds.” Yet he does take a glimpse through life’s rear view mirror (chiefly teenage years and a brief college stint). Past orchestration is downplayed; instead, the hometown Halle Youth Choir appears on several songs. They provide a gospel fervor on the handclap-led “With Love” and heavenly soaring harmonies to the enticing closer, “Dear Friends.”

Elsewhere, standouts include: the reverb-drenched vocals and keyboards in “The Night Will Always Win” (about not drinking and pondering life late at night), organ-led defense of restless teens “Lippy Kids,” macabre lack of faith tune “Neat Little Rows,” where Garvey wails “lay my bones in cobblestones” and adventurous “High Ideals,” where the musicians traverse Spanish and Middle Eastern musical terrain. All told, Boys! is another intriguing sonic journey by Elbow.

George Michael's "Faith"

George Michael is back in musical action with the intriguing charity single cover version of New Order's "True Faith." So it's a good time to remind everyone about the great deluxe reissue of his 1987 solo album "Faith," which came out earlier this year. A real pop classic of the era, it was in constant rotation in my car during freshman year of college. And it sounds even better now in remastered form.    

Read more about both releases below.

Written, produced and arranged by Michael, "Faith" spent 87 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart (including 12 weeks at #1 in 1988), got a RIAA diamond certification (for U.S. sales in excess of 10 million units; the biggest selling album of 1988), and a Grammy Award for Album Of The Year. Among the other accolades were three American Music Awards: Favorite Album (Soul/R&B), Favorite Male Vocalist (Soul/R&B) and Favorite Male Vocalist (Pop/Rock). “Father Figure” took home an MTV Award for Best Direction.  

It spawned six hit singles: “I Want Your Sex,” “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” “Monkey” and “Kissing A Fool..” Together, they maintained the artist's presence on the Hot 100 for a cumulative 85+ weeks, from 1987 to 1989. 

Out now on Columbia/Legacy, "Faith: Deluxe Edition" is a 12x12 commemo­r­ative box set with the remastered 10-song album on CD, another CD of remastered 7-inch and 12-inch singles and B-sides, and a 180-gram vinyl replica of the original LP. A DVD (running 100 minutes) features a BBC interview from 1987 with UK TV presenter  Jonathan Ross; an electronic press kit produced in 1988 by Epic Records; and all seven promotional videos (re-synched with the new remastered audio): “I Want Your Sex,” “I Want Your Sex (uncensored),” “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” “Monkey,” and “Kissing A Fool.” 

The collection includes a 60-page hard-bound book with a Michael interview by BBC Radio personality Mark Goodier, an essay, rare photos and memorabilia.  A separate memorabilia envelope contains five art prints, reproduction poster, tickets, and tour pass from the Faith tour.

"Faith: Special Edition" has the two CDs and the DVD described above. A standard remastered double-CD edition will also be released.  Both of these editions are available at all retail outlets. 

Diehard fans will be particularly interested in the Jonathan Ross interview with a then 23-year-old Michael, who discusses his feelings about "I Want Your Sex." The song was banished to late night hours by certain radio stations because it supposedly promoted promiscuity. "It's actually about monogamy," he said. When asked by Ross about earlier hit "Careless Whisper," he surprisingly admitted, "I can't relate to it because it was a very precocious lyric. It doesn't do anything for me emotionally." 

Michael also candidly discusses Wham! and how certain aspects became embarassing and boring, thoughts on being rich, AIDS and condom useage and rumors of a potential acting career.

The 1988 "Faith" tour EPK includes rehearsal footage (see Michael confer with choreographer Paula Abdul) and segments taken from an interview conducted by MTV's John Norris.  

Arranged and produced by Michael, the new “True Faith” single was originally penned by New Order members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, plus producer Stephen Hague. A portion of proceeds from UK and Ireland sales go to the Comic Relief organization. The writers are also donating their proceeds to Comic Relief, along with the publishers’ mechanical royalties.

The single (an instrumental is the B-side) is available digitally abroad. In America, retail outlets such as amazon.com have it on physical CD via import. A new music video can be seen as well. 

In a press release, Comic Relief Vice Chairman Richard Curtis said:

"Over the years, George has been the most tremendous supporter of Comic Relief. Out of the blue one year he gave us all the cash from the release of “As”, his single with Mary J. Blige...It’s always so moving when people stick with us year after year – and we’re thrilled and delighted about the song, and the wonderful video that goes with it. We promise we’ll use every penny we make from it to save and change lives in Africa and all over the UK." 

For more information on "True Faith" and the "Faith" albums, go to georgemichael.com or legacyrecordings.com ("Faith" only).