{"id":7373,"date":"2015-03-06T05:30:30","date_gmt":"2015-03-06T10:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=7373"},"modified":"2015-03-06T05:30:30","modified_gmt":"2015-03-06T10:30:30","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-for-march-2015-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2015\/03\/06\/hundred-word-reviews-for-march-2015-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred Word Reviews for March 2015, Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the final entry in this run of hundred-word reviews, I take quick looks at some rare and\/or reissued music. I think it&#8217;s all worth your time.<\/p>\n<p><center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/tv_eyes.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"280\" \/><\/center><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=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00MVI8ABK&amp;asins=B00MVI8ABK&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;linkId=G3T6B2YWJIYO5PHI\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>TV Eyes \u2013 <\/strong><em><strong>TV Eyes<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n<strong>TV Eyes<\/strong> was a 90s alternapop supergroup. <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=267\"><strong>Jason Falkner<\/strong><\/a> has a stunningly high quality catalog of his own. <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=3486\"><strong>Roger Manning<\/strong><\/a> was a prime mover in <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=7036\"><strong>Jellyfish<\/strong><\/a>, one of the 1990s&#8217; best, least-appreciated bands. And <strong>Brian Reitzell<\/strong> is renowned for his work with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musoscribe.com\/blast_from_the_past\/air_moon_safari.shtml\"><strong>Air<\/strong><\/a> and <strong>Moog Cookbook<\/strong>. The bad news is that the group&#8217;s sole (2006) album was Japan-only. Until now, that is. Its dance-friendly sound weds guitar pop to an electroclash underpinning; it will appeal to <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=4768\"><strong>Gary Numan<\/strong><\/a> fans. <em>TV Eyes<\/em> also helps explain what <strong>Beck<\/strong> saw in Falkner and Manning (both toured as part of his band in 2014).<\/p>\n<p><center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/ron_nagle.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"280\" \/><\/center><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=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00R3YU1FK&amp;asins=B00R3YU1FK&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;linkId=WSRLRQS6ZJWSF7PW\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ron Nagle \u2013 <\/strong><em><strong>Bad Rice<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nI find it endlessly fascinating just how many truly creative artists are lurking right around the fringes of rock&#8217;s universe. Nagle was a member of <strong>The Mystery Trend<\/strong>, a band who were historically important (if largely unknown) in the 60s San Francisco scene. And as co-leader of <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=3319\"><strong>D\u016brocs<\/strong><\/a>, he created some skewed (and again underheard) pop music. And there&#8217;s his solo album, done in the interregnum between those projects. It&#8217;s even less known, originally released on the cult-friendly Warner Brothers label (see also: <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=642\"><strong>Van Dyke Parks<\/strong><\/a>, <strong>Randy Newman<\/strong>, etc.). It&#8217;s more mainstream than its pedigree suggests, and it&#8217;s funny, too.<\/p>\n<p><center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/linda_jones.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"280\" \/><\/center><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=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00O58SPG4&amp;asins=B00O58SPG4&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;linkId=FKU7QMHO4TKXGZYX\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Linda Jones \u2013 <\/strong><em><strong>The Complete Atco, Loma, &amp; Warner Brothers Recordings<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nJones&#8217; 1967 single (R&amp;B #4) \u201cHypnotized\u201d may well be where the malpropism \u201chyp-mo-tized\u201d originated. Regardless, that and many of her other singles of the era are fine examples of gospel-flavored soulful R&amp;B. When she passed away prematurely in 1972 (as the result of a diabetic coma) at age 27, she left behind an impressive if under-appreciated body of work. Her expressive voice and breathtaking range are showcased in her music. <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?tag=real-gone-music\">Real Gone Music<\/a> once again does yeoman&#8217;s work in rescuing these 21 sides from obscurity, and working through the knotty licensing to bring them all together on a single disc.<\/p>\n<p><center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/five_stairsteps.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"280\" \/><\/center><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=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00O58SPNW&amp;asins=B00O58SPNW&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;linkId=KNYTMVMEUBLBJIRF\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>The 5 Stairsteps \u2013 <\/strong><em><strong>Our Family Portrait \/ Stairsteps<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nA family band in the <strong>Jackson 5ive<\/strong> style (though the Burke family recorded <em>before<\/em> the Jacksons), <strong>The Five Stairsteps<\/strong> are sometimes characterized as bubblegum (or \u201cbubblesoul\u201d). True, there&#8217;s an undeniable family-friendly vibe to their music, but that shouldn&#8217;t diminish their work in the ears of music lovers. From the doo-wop-meets-TV-variety-show music of \u201cA Million to One\u201d to their smash \u201cO-o-h Child,\u201d there are pleasures to be found throughout their catalog. But their first two albums (now compiled on CD with bonus tracks) are their best. Their covers (\u201cThe Look of Love\u201d and studio-era <strong>Beatles<\/strong> album cuts) are often quite impressive.<\/p>\n<p><center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/unforgiven.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"280\" height=\"280\" \/><\/center><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=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00O58SPN2&amp;asins=B00O58SPN2&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;linkId=TJYR3PXQ2PAB72OZ\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Unforgiven \u2013 <\/strong><em><strong>The Unforgiven (Expanded Edition)<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nImagine if <strong>The Alarm<\/strong> were from Los Angeles instead of Wales, and you&#8217;ll have an idea of what this six-piece sounded like. Very dated 80s production flourishes (gunshot drum sounds, roaring arena-styled guitar) wedded to the odd c&amp;w flourish (an occasional dab of pedal steel) and a perhaps ill-advised preoccupation with their look (cowboy dusters before every lame country band started wearing &#8217;em) are the three legs of <strong>The Unforgiven<\/strong>&#8216;s musical stool. Every song swings for the fences, wanting to be an anthem, and it&#8217;s all a bit too earnest. Worth a listen but in no way a lost classic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/the_musoscribe\">Follow \u201cthe_musoscribe\u201d on <\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/the_musoscribe\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/icon_twitter_small.jpg\" alt=\"\" name=\"graphics3\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" align=\"BOTTOM\" border=\"0\" hspace=\"1\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/the_musoscribe\"> Twitter<\/a> and get notified<br \/>\nwhen new features, reviews and essays are published.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the final entry in this run of hundred-word reviews, I take quick looks at some rare and\/or reissued music. I think it&#8217;s all worth your time. TV Eyes \u2013 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,51,60,62,64,65,69],"tags":[730,833,1105,1130,1321,1622,1796,1883,2282,2294],"class_list":["post-7373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-wave","category-pop","category-rb","category-rawk","category-reissue","category-review","category-soul","tag-durocs","tag-five-stairsteps","tag-jason-falkner","tag-jellyfish","tag-linda-jones","tag-omnivore-recordings","tag-real-gone-music","tag-ron-nagle","tag-tv-eyes","tag-unforgiven","cat-50-id","cat-51-id","cat-60-id","cat-62-id","cat-64-id","cat-65-id","cat-69-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7373","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=7373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7373\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}