{"id":11807,"date":"2016-11-23T05:30:03","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T10:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=11807"},"modified":"2016-11-22T22:01:49","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T03:01:49","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-for-nov-dec-2016-part-3-of-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/23\/hundred-word-reviews-for-nov-dec-2016-part-3-of-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews for Nov.\/Dec. 2016, Part 3 of 10"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Five more quick reviews of archival\/reissue material. Three of today&#8217;s five are from Grammy-award winning label Omnivore Recordings. One of these days I&#8217;ll write liner notes for one of their fine releases; I just know it. Meantime, I&#8217;ll review the ones that I dig (which, as it happens, is nearly all of &#8217;em).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11797\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/becoming_beach_boys.jpg\" alt=\"becoming_beach_boys\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/becoming_beach_boys.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/becoming_beach_boys-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01HRENTOU&amp;asins=B01HRENTOU&amp;linkId=dea30c4c65c6717e48ea7a9a12233757&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>The Beach Boys \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Becoming the Beach Boys: The Complete Hite &amp; Dorinda Morgan Sessions<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nBack in the 1990s, tape\/CDR trading was a big thing among hardcore music fiends. We collectors shared live and\/or unreleased material from their favorite artists. And among the most interesting items were studio sessions from the likes of the <b>Beatles<\/b> and Beach Boys. What we have here on this 2CD set is <i>legitimate<\/i> release of the very earliest recordings made by the Beach Boys. Unadorned, warts and all multiple takes of nine songs fill the discs. What&#8217;s inescapable is the innocence, fun and \u2013 it must be said \u2013 musical\/vocal skills of the band (even the widely detested <b>Mike Love<\/b>).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11796\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/rave_ups.jpg\" alt=\"rave_ups\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/rave_ups.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/rave_ups-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01FCQJBII&amp;asins=B01FCQJBII&amp;linkId=c5cca9ebafbf4f8507b3ab40004d9cea&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>The Rave-Ups \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Town + Country<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nSome people look at and listen to <b>John Cougar Mellencamp<\/b> (or god forbid, New Jersey&#8217;s <b>Bon Jovi<\/b>) and see American heartland music. Fair enough, I guess, but Pittsburgh&#8217;s Rave-Ups were a strong contender for that tag, too. A bit less countrified than <b>Long Ryders<\/b> or <b>Jason &amp; the Scorchers<\/b>, the group made a very enduring record with <i>Town + Country<\/i>. Leader <b>Jimmy Podrasky<\/b> was an evocative, spellbinding and articulate songwriter; his liner note essay for this 30<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary reissue makes that even clearer. The reissue generously more than doubles the disc&#8217;s original length by adding unreleased live and studio tracks.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11795\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/connells.jpg\" alt=\"connells\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/connells.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/connells-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01IPCSTUC&amp;asins=B01IPCSTUC&amp;linkId=5b2a4e03dafebd4581bc49eaf0d6859e&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>The Connells \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Stone Cold Yesterday: Best of the Connells<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nHere&#8217;s another underrated act from the 1980s. This 16-track collection features songs from the Connells. Arising out of the same fertile Southeastern USA musical ground that gave rise to <b>Let&#8217;s Active<\/b>, the<b> dB&#8217;s<\/b> and <b>R.E.M.<\/b>, Raleigh, North Carolina-based Connells were perhaps a bit less quirky or distinctive. But they wrote solid tunes, and played them in a winning powerpop style that seems to have been an influence on later bands like <b>Gin Blossoms<\/b>. \u201cStone Cold Yesterday\u201d and the wistful \u201c&#8217;74 \u2013 &#8217;75\u201d are the group&#8217;s most well-known songs, but the other tracks here are good as well. Check it out.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11800\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/heaters_american_dream.jpg\" alt=\"heaters_american_dream\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/heaters_american_dream.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/heaters_american_dream-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01HRENTL8&amp;asins=B01HRENTL8&amp;linkId=9ec63ca68dee955d372ca28d007b2be1&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>The Heaters \u2013 <\/b><i><b>American Dream: The Portastudio Recordings<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nI had never heard of the Heaters. So I looked &#8217;em up, and found their web site (which hasn&#8217;t been updated in about 7 years). But it had a really good history of the band by famous artist <b>William Stout<\/b>, one that told their story of mistakes and missed opportunities. This collection predates their non-fame, but it&#8217;s amazing. Combine <b>Phil Spector<\/b>-styled girl groups with the sass and no-b.s. attitude of the 80s, and record it all superbly on cassette, and you have this collection. \u201c10,000 Roses\u201d is a lost classic to rival anything <b>Mary Weiss<\/b> ever did; that&#8217;s saying something.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11810\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/lucassen.jpg\" alt=\"lucassen\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/lucassen.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/lucassen-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01FSHQ17U&amp;asins=B01FSHQ17U&amp;linkId=cfc3c9b8952fe551017a89d0c1824c3c&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<strong>Arjen Anthony Lucassen &#8211; <em>Strange Hobby<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nThe hype around this album elicited eye-rolls here at Musoscribe HQ: as the story goes, this collection of classic &#8217;60s covers was released in 1996, but without crediting the artist (Oooh! Mysterious!). Now <em>Strange Hobby<\/em> is reissued with Lucassen&#8217;s name on the spine, so hey: mystery solved. He&#8217;s a Dutch prog\/metal artist involved with <strong>Ayreon<\/strong>, a band with an entry on Prog Archives. These songs are anything but metal; they&#8217;re (uh-oh) <em>updated <\/em>covers of psych and pop tunes that \u2013 if you&#8217;re a reader of this blog \u2013 you probably dig. Such busman&#8217;s holidays are wholly unnecessary, but fun nonetheless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Five more quick reviews of archival\/reissue material. Three of today&#8217;s five are from Grammy-award winning label Omnivore Recordings. One of these days I&#8217;ll write liner notes for one of their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11797,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,19,42,51,57,62,64,65],"tags":[2899,276,416,2896,2897,2898,1622,2895],"class_list":["post-11807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alt-country","category-compilation","category-jazz","category-pop","category-psych","category-rawk","category-reissue","category-review","tag-arjen-anthony-lucassen","tag-beach-boys","tag-brian-wilson","tag-connells","tag-heaters","tag-john-surman","tag-omnivore-recordings","tag-rave-ups","cat-4-id","cat-19-id","cat-42-id","cat-51-id","cat-57-id","cat-62-id","cat-64-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11807"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11814,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11807\/revisions\/11814"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}