Jimi LaLumia
10-14-2012, 09:05 PM
I have reviewed "Road To Motown" in the new issue of the NY area's GOOD TIMES Magazine, in my regular column/....
RHYTHM TRACKING/Jimi LaLumia
------------------------------------------------
THE BRATS
--------------------
It is so good to see and hear veterans of the NYC rock scene re surface, energized
and ready. This is the case with The Brats,who held their own on the downtown 70's
NY rock scene with The New York Dolls and KISS. In recent times, Keith West has
brought this legendary 'brand' back into the spotlight, notably with a powerful,exciting
set at this past spring's Max's Kansas City Alumni Reunion.I've had a grand time listening
to a 'classics' collection ,"Rock Candy", on the Whiplash Records label, and a brand
new studio set,"the BRATS"which was co produced by Brats guitarist Scott St.Clair,
and Brian Young of Fountains Of Wayne fame. This is the power punch that rock and
roll needs right now; check out "Rock Candy' at www.whiplashrecords.net,and [[http://www.whiplashrecords.net,and) visit
www.facebook/thebratsnyc [[http://www.facebook/thebratsnyc) to find out about the new set. welcome back, Brats!
ESP-DISK
--------------
In the hazy,crazy 1960's ,when far out was the word, there was no label that was more
far out than ESP DISK Records; who else would release the now legendary,infamous
Charles Manson album,a spoken word album by superstar LSD advocate, Dr. Timothy
Leary,and trip out NYC bands like The Fugs, Pearls Before Swine, and The Holy Modal
Rounders, not to mention making more current punk titles by Jayne County and my very
own Psychotic Frogs "Live! At Max's Kansas City" albums in the 90's during the label's
brief re birth via Germany.Jason Weiss has written a new book,"Always In Trouble: An
Oral History of ESP-DISK,The Most Outrageous Label In America". If you think you've
heard weird, wacky tales of the record industry, you have only scratched the surface until
you delve into this trip and a half. An extensive interview with ESP DISK mainman Bernard
Stollman is worth the price of admission by itself; the book is published by Wesleyan
University Press. Turn on, trip out,baby!
MOTOWN ROAD
----------------------------
An equally entertaining book follows a hero and somewhat unsung star of the Motown scene,
Ralph Terrana. "The Road Through Motown" follows Terrana from his childhood fascination
with music, in local bands, to his eventual tenure at Motown in Detroit ,the 'golden age' of the
Sound Of Young America. Terrana winds up wearing many 'hats' during his adventures,
be it with The Funk Brothers to Meatloaf[[who was signed to Motown in the early days of
his recording career, as part of a duo called Stoney & Meatloaf; I still have the promo glossy
photo that I got when I had the honor of being on Motown's press mailing list in the early 70's),
from the Holland/Dozier/Holland songwriting trio who wrote more hit records into the U.S. Top
10 in the 60's than Lennon/Mc Cartney did, to Jeff Beck, who harbored a deep desire to record
in the legendary Detroit studio.Terrana's book is a fun, involving read, even for those who are
not Motown fans, it's a true time capsule of an era ,the likes of which will never been seen again;
the book is available from Bankhouse Books, find it on line, it's well worth the effort.
ANDY WILLIAMS
-----------------------
Yes, I'm a sap when it comes to 1950's/1960's style crooners, and I was upset to hear of the
passing of smooth as silk Andy Williams, in his 80's. I used to watch his weekly entertainment
show, where The Osmond Brothers were first introduced in the early 1960's:
Andy's "Moon River" will always bring me
back to my young childhood, the music that the 'grown ups' enjoyed, as well as his takes on "Born
Free" [[the theme song to a hit movie about lions) and the vocal version of "Speak Softly Love"
from the first Godfather film.The world has moved on,and we no longer hear crooners having hit
records anymore, but trust me, when all the stars were perfectly aligned,the right singer with the
right song, nothing could top it. RIP, Andy Williams.
RHYTHM TRACKING/Jimi LaLumia
------------------------------------------------
THE BRATS
--------------------
It is so good to see and hear veterans of the NYC rock scene re surface, energized
and ready. This is the case with The Brats,who held their own on the downtown 70's
NY rock scene with The New York Dolls and KISS. In recent times, Keith West has
brought this legendary 'brand' back into the spotlight, notably with a powerful,exciting
set at this past spring's Max's Kansas City Alumni Reunion.I've had a grand time listening
to a 'classics' collection ,"Rock Candy", on the Whiplash Records label, and a brand
new studio set,"the BRATS"which was co produced by Brats guitarist Scott St.Clair,
and Brian Young of Fountains Of Wayne fame. This is the power punch that rock and
roll needs right now; check out "Rock Candy' at www.whiplashrecords.net,and [[http://www.whiplashrecords.net,and) visit
www.facebook/thebratsnyc [[http://www.facebook/thebratsnyc) to find out about the new set. welcome back, Brats!
ESP-DISK
--------------
In the hazy,crazy 1960's ,when far out was the word, there was no label that was more
far out than ESP DISK Records; who else would release the now legendary,infamous
Charles Manson album,a spoken word album by superstar LSD advocate, Dr. Timothy
Leary,and trip out NYC bands like The Fugs, Pearls Before Swine, and The Holy Modal
Rounders, not to mention making more current punk titles by Jayne County and my very
own Psychotic Frogs "Live! At Max's Kansas City" albums in the 90's during the label's
brief re birth via Germany.Jason Weiss has written a new book,"Always In Trouble: An
Oral History of ESP-DISK,The Most Outrageous Label In America". If you think you've
heard weird, wacky tales of the record industry, you have only scratched the surface until
you delve into this trip and a half. An extensive interview with ESP DISK mainman Bernard
Stollman is worth the price of admission by itself; the book is published by Wesleyan
University Press. Turn on, trip out,baby!
MOTOWN ROAD
----------------------------
An equally entertaining book follows a hero and somewhat unsung star of the Motown scene,
Ralph Terrana. "The Road Through Motown" follows Terrana from his childhood fascination
with music, in local bands, to his eventual tenure at Motown in Detroit ,the 'golden age' of the
Sound Of Young America. Terrana winds up wearing many 'hats' during his adventures,
be it with The Funk Brothers to Meatloaf[[who was signed to Motown in the early days of
his recording career, as part of a duo called Stoney & Meatloaf; I still have the promo glossy
photo that I got when I had the honor of being on Motown's press mailing list in the early 70's),
from the Holland/Dozier/Holland songwriting trio who wrote more hit records into the U.S. Top
10 in the 60's than Lennon/Mc Cartney did, to Jeff Beck, who harbored a deep desire to record
in the legendary Detroit studio.Terrana's book is a fun, involving read, even for those who are
not Motown fans, it's a true time capsule of an era ,the likes of which will never been seen again;
the book is available from Bankhouse Books, find it on line, it's well worth the effort.
ANDY WILLIAMS
-----------------------
Yes, I'm a sap when it comes to 1950's/1960's style crooners, and I was upset to hear of the
passing of smooth as silk Andy Williams, in his 80's. I used to watch his weekly entertainment
show, where The Osmond Brothers were first introduced in the early 1960's:
Andy's "Moon River" will always bring me
back to my young childhood, the music that the 'grown ups' enjoyed, as well as his takes on "Born
Free" [[the theme song to a hit movie about lions) and the vocal version of "Speak Softly Love"
from the first Godfather film.The world has moved on,and we no longer hear crooners having hit
records anymore, but trust me, when all the stars were perfectly aligned,the right singer with the
right song, nothing could top it. RIP, Andy Williams.