Addicted To Vinyl Musical thoughts from the open road, with headphones on

3Nov/092

Show of the Week: Pat DiNizio and Freedy Johnston

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

I'm going to save you some money with this week's pick for show of the week - let me just put that out there front and center for you to ponder for a moment.  Part of the proceeds from this week's show also go to benefit a very good cause - more on all of this in a minute.

My good pal CB, who normally writes up these show posts has been tragically AWOL for the past couple of weeks.  I'd say that he is missing, but I actually saw him this past Sunday during my first-ever visit to the Beachland Brunch.  After uttering a few choice and very unprintable obscenities at him, I made my way inside the Beachland to enjoy some severe brunch action that was every bit as delicious as you might have heard that it is.

For this week's show of the week, I'll return to the scene of the crime  on Saturday night (11/7) for a 90s rewind featuring two of my favorite singer-songwriters - Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio and Freedy Johnston!

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17Aug/097

The Monday Morning Mix – House of Dub Winterfest 92 – 8/17/09

Written by: Kevin Brennan

atv_mix_tape_02.jpg

Graphic by Rachael Novak

Click here for details on how you can be a part of The Monday Morning Mix and win some cool stuff!

We've got some great mixes in hand and on the way - where is yours?

A Note From Matt:

Today's mix comes from ATV's own Kevin Brennan - As many of you are aware, the Foo Fighters dropped one of their first jams on unexpecting radio listeners across the planet, a little ditty called "This Is A Call."  While there is no Foo Fighters to be found in today's mix, I do believe that THIS is a call.  You'll want to answer this particular call, and musically educate yourself a bit, or perhaps revisit a stack of old favorites that you already know, and haven't heard in a while.  This is one man's view of what mattered musically in the dawning moments of 1993.  In your hands, you're holding a jam tape loaded with 80 minutes that emphasize the jam part of "jam tape."  From the opening chords of Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" to the closing moments of the Georgia Satellites classic "Dan Takes Five," this sucker never lets up for a second.

As a final note, Kevin happened to mention that all of these tracks were merged on his original tape.  To stay with that feeling, I took the CD tracks and mixed them so that the entire mix segues from track to track, as it did on the tape back in the day.   This mix might be digital, but man, I swear I hear moments where the "tape" is worn out from playing it over and over.  Perhaps you'll hear it too!

P.S. - Note the Smithereens, Del Amitri, Matthew Sweet, and Social D tracks, and you'll begin to see why Kevin and I are friends!

Mix Notes:

Hey everybody, I guess it’s my turn at sharing the love of mix tapes with the flock.
Mine is a gem that I actually put to cassette tape on January 5, 1993 as I moved into my senior year of college. The name “House of Dub” comes from the fact that my two roommates and I had about 2,000 various titles on record, cassette, reel-to-reel and CD and any time there was an occasion for music, we got the call. There were about eight projects which comprised the “House of Dub” series and maybe we will get to more of them in the future.

This one brings forth many of my favorites from the 80s and early 90s.

Download complete mix (link is good for one week only.)

#1 – “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour from Vivid – Loved these guys from the day I first heard them. This song is just as relevant today as it was in 1989 and will continue to be so as long as there are leaders and followers. Stunning guitar by Vernon Reid, thunderous drums and bass by Will Calhoun and Muzz Skillings respectively and the power and glory of vocalist Corey Glover. The band is recording again and should be on your list of must-see live acts.

#2 – “Orange Crush” by R.E.M from Green – One of many excellent tunes from this album and one of the most interesting due to its commentary on the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Great production, great mix, great energy and unfortunately for me, the last album by R.E.M. that I really liked. By the way, Orange Crush is my favorite pop in the world.

#3 – “When the Love is Goob (I Mean Good)” by the BoDeans from Home – These guys had a fresh sound, catchy songs and were a lot of fun to listen to. This song leads off the album and sets the tone for what should have been a breakthrough project after the interest shown in their debut, “Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams.” It was to some extent but the sales didn’t match the quality they put forth. Guaranteed to stick in your head after one listen and that’s a goob, I mean good thing.

#4 – “Blood & Roses” by the Smithereens from Especially For You – If you have ever heard this song, you know it has one of the greatest bass lines in rock history. Besides that, it is very representative of what makes the Smithereens so good – Pat’s great songwriting and sad sack vocals lamenting the loss of love, Jim’s stinging lead guitar, and Dennis’ underrated drumming. These guys were schooled by the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks and AC/DC and that is all evident here.

#5 – “You’re Gone” by Del Amitri from Waking Hours – Another song of lost love by a group of guys who deserved better than what they got. Very interesting lyrically as the lonely guy observes that life goes on in the face of his breakup. Beautiful arrangement, great pacing, a masterful vocal by Justin as he brings the light and the dark to the front at just the right times and also one of my favorite Del Amitri passages ever: “They say that it's better to have loved and lost/Than never to have loved at all/But if you sit down and count the cost of/All those losses/There's no profit at all.” True that.

#6 – “Worldwide Brotherhood” by John Doe from Meet John Doe – The angry punk grows up a bit, realizes that the world still sucks in many ways and he decides to sing about it. There’s more than that here as the song is one of disillusionment and knowing, one of anger and laughter and above all, it flat out rocks. The song comes from Doe’s overlooked solo debut in 1990 which is a tremendous record. If you liked later-day Johnny Cash or always felt that John Hiatt should have been a bit more cynical and dangerous, then you need to find this out-of-print gem. This also includes the awesome Tony Marsico on bass from the Plugz and the Cruzados. “Life is so beautiful with the butterflies flying in the cotton-candy clouds/Whoo, I’m telling you that I love my life…”

#7 – “Under the Big Black Sun” by X from Under the Big Black Sun – The John Doe vibe continues with the title cut from X’s third album. This song has a bouncy hook and feel that belies its detailing of Exene Cervenka’s struggle to reconcile the death of her sister in a car crash with her religious beliefs and the fact that she has spent years with “plaid perfume on my breath” while waiting for stardom to come. It sounds heavy and it is thanks to X, the thinking person’s punk band.

#8 – “Girlfriend” by Matthew Sweet from Girlfriend – This tune came out of nowhere in 1991 and blew me away. Killer guitar, drums up high in the mix and a driving bass line all built around a pop song about a guy who misses his girl. It’s rock and roll the way it should be. This tune also features the work of Richard Lloyd on guitar who contributed heavily to the Meet John Doe album.

#9 – “Blues Before and After” by the Smithereens from 11- The band was primed for the big time and put out their best overall album led by “A Girl Like You,” but this song was the real jammer on the record. It’s heavy, it’s tight and it’s also a fantastic video that didn’t get much run on MTV. The subject matter is a guy who takes the abuse of a semi-interested woman and can’t get enough of it, not much of a stretch for Pat to write about but always interesting nonetheless. Great vocal by Pat as well. The guitars are crunchy and piercing, the drums pound and the bass walks along like a net keeping it together. Ed Stasium is the producer (Ramones, Living Colour, Motorhead, Soul Asylum, Hoodoo Gurus) and it sounds beautiful.

#10 – “Let It Be Me” by Social Distortion from Social Distortion – This song is nothing but energy, energy and more energy. An absolutely killer song that is representative of the best the band has to offer. If you don’t have this album, go get it now!

#11 – “You Don’t Move Me” by Keith Richards from Talk is Cheap – Keith’s now famous ode to Mick that is biting, sincere and shows that Keith still wanted to rock in a serious way. Steve Jordan’s drumming is always top-notch and he carries this song while Keith lays down some nice guitar. Keith’s production skills are also tremendous. This guy has a feel that is undeniable and he himself is indestructible despite the best efforts of drugs, alcohol and island trees.

#13 – “The Morning” by the Call from Reconciled – A confused man tries to sort out where he is going, what he should do and why it all matters. Again, it speaks to the struggle we all face at one time in our lives and does so with great conviction. One of Been’s best vocals ever backed by stomping drums and some wicked and wiggly slide guitar. “I’m standing at the edge of my mind/If I look in, I might fall in, I sense danger/I’m divided but I’ve decided it’s my nature/But if I look back I might fall back into yesterday.”

#14 – “I Wanna Be a Flintstone” by the Screaming Blue Messiahs from Bikini Red – A fun novelty song from a wickedly rocking band. Produced by the late great Vic Maile (Godfathers, Motorhead, Girlschool, Kinks and more), this tune recounts the entire Bedrock scene with vocalist/guitarist Bill Carter sounding like a speed freak playing manic guitar. This band suffered the double hit of being dropped by its label after its third album and Maile dying of cancer in 1989. Check them out as they have much more to offer besides this track. If you saw them live, you know what a wacko Carter was and how much fun they were.

#15 – “Love For Sale” by Talking Heads from True Stories – The album was David Byrne’s sardonic look at American culture and the song sums up the state of electronic media circa 1986. While still a pop song, the guitars are tough, the drums are loud and the message is clear: “I grew up in house with the television always on/Guess I grew up too fast/And I forgot my name.” As much as things change, they often stay the same…

#16 – “Jesus & Johnny” by the Havalinas from The Havalinas – A tune about a drug deal gone wrong that comes off like a good short story with a driving beat. It slaps and grooves its way along with ultimate cool until moving into overdrive. The band includes former Rockats members Smutty Smith and Tim Scott along with drummer extraordinaire Chalo Quintana (Plugz, Cruzados, Izzy Stradlin’s Ju Ju Hounds).

#17 – “Whiskey Talk” by Guadalcanal Diary from Flip-Flop – An in-your-face riff and a lesson about the dangers of being a stupid drunk. Cleverly written and loud, there’s depth in the song which shows that this band had what it took to make it but yet never quite did.

#20 – “Walkin Talkin Johnny Cash Blues” by the Godfathers from More Songs About Love and Hate – A rockabilly tribute to the Man in Black that cooks all the way through. The always great “I could care less” vocals by Peter Coyne are here and all else rocks. The late great Vic Maile produced the album and it was their best.

#21 – “Glamourpuss” by the Hoodoo Gurus from Magnum Cum Louder – It’s all about the one who’s the star and she’s all over this song. Played at a full throttle pace and noisy in good way, this tune helped drive the album to the top of the College and Modern Rock charts in 1989. Frantic vocals by Dave Faulkner and furious drumming by Mark Kingsmill set the tone.

#22 – “Six Feet Underground” by Jason and the Scorchers from Thunder and Fire – Likely the heaviest song laid to tape by the band and it is epic. Warner Hodges is monstrous on guitar and everyone runs to the finish in organized chaos. Lyrics by Perry Baggs are among his best and Andy York played on this album and toured with the band until their breakup.

#23 – “What Side of the Door” by the Paladins from Let’s Buzz – Very cool mix of organ and a big fat riff power this song about a guy who wants to know where he stands with his girl and then ultimately doesn’t care as long as he’s somewhere. Dave Gonzalez is lean and mean on guitar and vocals. A fine blues/rock band that appeared on Alligator Records in the 1980s around the same time as then-labelmates Johnny Winter, the Kinsey Report, Tinsley Ellis, Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials and Koko Taylor.

#24 – “Dan Takes Five” by the Georgia Satellites from In the Land of Salvation and Sin -
Dan breaks up with his wife/girlfriend, feels like he got screwed and wants to shout it out. This one burns from front to back, start to finish and everything else. Rick Richards is a guitar god and Mauro is a machine on drums. Nothing fancy, just rock and roll that any guy can empathize with.

Nearly two dozen songs in 80 minutes for your listening pleasure. Until the next time.

P.S. - A few omitted tracks that were on the original cassette mix - trimmed due to CD running time limitations:

#12 – “Everywhere I Go” by the Call from Reconciled - Lead singer and bassist Michael Been is a songwriter who brings simple yet insightful lyrics together with some great grooves and turns out wonderful cuts like this one. Yeah, I know the band had a religious angle that the label always tried to downplay and that was always cited as a reason for them not breaking out but don’t let that scare you. This is a song of faith that translates into everyone’s need to depend on someone for strength at some point just to carry on. The rhythm section is relentless and Peter Gabriel is back there somewhere singing along.

#18 – “Drive South” by John Hiatt from Slow Turning – A landmark album in Hiatt’s career, this song is the first cut and opens the door for a slew of tunes that together cemented his place as a great songwriter. Nice bouncy feel, makes you think of driving and summertime and that’s always good.

#19 – “Sweet Guy” by Paul Kelly & the Messengers from So Much Water So Close To Home – A great riff that doesn’t go away in the vein of “The One I Love” by R.E.M. and a story about love of an abusive type. Truly an excellent song that was radio ready. A legend in his native Australia, he never made it here after signing with A&M in the 80s. Thankfully, I worked at a record store and got a copy on cassette which led me to 5 other Paul Kelly albums.

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14Jul/095

From Me To You: A package from Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

They say that you always remember your first....

For me, one of the first bands that I met as a young impressionable youth, was The Smithereens.

As a regular reader of ATV, you'll know that I've certainly put a few posts up on the site in regards to my favorite bunch of New Jersey gents, forever "behind the wall of sleep."

I was hanging out with the band, behind the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH on a warm summer evening in the early 90's, and my friend and I talked about many things with all four members of The Smithereens for nearly an hour, as if we were old friends. They made quite an impression on this particular music fan, not yet jaded by the experience of meeting bands and "celebrities." I still believed.

The Smithereens have built this kind of relationship with their fans over the years, which is why I'm never surprised to see a hand addressed package show up in my mailbox from Scotch Plains, NJ, marked with lead singer Pat DiNizio's home address in the top left hand corner.

Don't get me wrong, we're not pen pals - it's just another batch of Smithereens/DiNizio collectibles to arrive in my household, dispatched directly by DiNizio, a one man operation right down to handling processing of mail orders from his fans, placed at his website.

DiNizio recently wrapped up nearly 140 shows in six months, combining Smithereens dates with the latest installment of his popular Living Room Tour series. Each night, DiNizio brought the rock to Smithereens fans in their homes, while driving alone 300 miles or more during the day traveling from city to city for the shows.

That's the definition of "workin' it," folks.

To celebrate, DiNizio offered up a special $20 end of tour package giving Smithereens fans a choice of several DiNizio and 'Reens items - mix and match, rock and roll! There are still a few of the sets left, and you can get your hands on those right here.

All sets come with a tour t-shirt, tour poster, Pat DiNizio documentary CD/DVD combo, and your choice of an autographed copy of either The Smithereens Play Tommy, or DiNizio's Buddy Holly tribute disc, personally autographed for you.

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Since I already had the Tommy disc, I opted for the Buddy Holly disc, which after a couple of listens, might be my favorite out of all of the recent DiNizio/Smithereens tribute projects.

DiNizio shared an update on the DVD companion to last year's Live in Concert CD release - a release is now planned for this fall, and the band (Pat, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken) have recorded a commentary track for the DVD. That's music to my geeky commentary track loving ears!

Pat also says that the band will finally enter the studio within the next month to begin pre-production on the long-promised new studio album from The Smithereens!!

Producer Kurt Reil has been behind the boards for all of the DiNizio/Smithereens recording in the past few years, and will be a good and very capable set of ears in the studio once the 'Reens are ready to record.

A January 2010 release is planned for the new album, and I've got my fingers crossed that Reil and the band will emerge from the House of Vibes studio with another classic 'Reens release.

For now, mark your calendar for the annual birthday/Halloween fan jam at DiNizio's house in Scotch Plains, scheduled for October 8th-October 11th.

Among the planned activities for the weekend: DiNizio will celebrate John Lennon's 69th birthday on the 9th by performing an entire Lennon solo album to be chosen by the fans, additional Lennon Beatles favorites, and plenty of Smithereens songs by request.

How do you follow that? How about an entire performance of the Beatles "White Album" in sequence for the next night?

Get the complete lowdown on the entire weekend here. I swear to God, this might be the year that I finally make the trip!

Closer to home, Pat DiNizio is booked for a solo Cleveland date at the Beachland Ballroom on Saturday, November 7th. Tix are $20 in advance, and should be available online soon via the Beachland's website.

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28Mar/090

Flashback: The Smithereens and The Kinks

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

The Smithereens

In addition to kicking out their own catalog of work over the years, The Smithereens have also provided backing band duties for a number of their musical heroes, including Otis Blackwell, The Beau Brummels, and The Kinks, to name a few.

Here's an interesting note on how the collaboration with The Kinks came about, taken from a recent book, The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night: Day by Day Concerts, Recordings, and Broadcasts, 1961-1996. (purchase) The book has several different notes on Smithereens/Davies appearances, including this one:

"On Friday 22nd, Ray and Dave appear at the Boston Garden in Boston, MA for the WBCN Rock Of Boston concert. Also on are The Raindogs, RTZ, The Smithereens and Foreigner, with a pre-concert set by The Stools. Originally billed as Kinks Unplugged (and supposedly with a third member), the brothers' appearance is changed to an acoustic set by "Ray & Dave Davies of The Kinks". (edit)

On the spot they arrange for the New Jersey-based Smithereens to back them for the last song and a half. This provides the audience with a pleasant surprise as the closed curtain that is behind the duo for most of the set is raised in the middle of 'Lola' to reveal The Smithereens joining in. A rousing set-closer of 'You Really Got Me' follows and Ray and Dave bring the crowd to their feet.

"The Kinks and The Smithereens played as if they'd almost rehearsed," writes Ted Drozdowski in Musician,"bashing along with ragged abandon while Ray pogo'd behind his microphone." Dave will later consider using The Smithereens as his first backing band in 1997, but ultimately the partnership never materializes. Dave subsequently heads back to LA while Ray remains in New York City for the next week before heading back to London."'

Ray and Dave Davies with The Smithereens - Lola - November 22nd, 1991

Highlights from some of the other 'Reens collaborations can be found on The Smithereens rarities compilation Attack of The Smithereens, released in the mid-90s.

The Smithereens Mega-Box Set is an item in my collection that continues to provide plenty of musical listening enjoyment for yours truly. For the unfamiliar, this item was briefly available, limited to 500 copies, signed and numbered by bandleader Pat Dinizio featuring "511 Amazing Rare & Impossible-To-Find Tracks on 21 Incredible CDS!"

Price for the above item was $100.

Sounds awesome, right? It's pretty cool, for sure. And they sold out like hotcakes. I almost didn't get one, and when I got a second chance, you'd better believe that I pounced on it.

Dave Davies - A long time ago

Today, I was listening to a disc of live rarities from the set that includes the version of "Lola" posted above, and wraps up with a trio of live performances featuring The Smithereens backing Dave Davies in Hollywood in August of 1994. It made me a little bit more hungry for the rumored Kinks reunion tour. And c'mon, having The Smithereens as your backing band certainly doesn't suck!

Drummer Dennis Diken lays down a serious backbeat on these tracks, which will come as no surprise to Smithereens fans. Diken is one of the hardest hitting drummers I've ever seen in the live setting. Here's a great shot of the monster at rest, behind the drum kit, from a January show in Spain. The photo below is from 'Reens guitarist Jim Babjak's Myspace page.

Dennis Diken

Check out frontman Pat Dinizio's continuing schedule of living room concerts and other events, including a date in Columbus, OH this coming week.

And in the meantime, enjoy these tracks of the 'Reens with Dave Davies!

Dave Davies Intro
Death of a Clown
Too Much On My Mind
Milk Cow Blues

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14Mar/093

The Smithereens – Now and Then

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

Gotta give thanks here at the top to Brian and The Frontloader for helping to spread the word about my current vinyl contest in support of Record Store Day.

Yes kids, a contest in which YOU can win some free vinyl from your good ol' buddy Matt here at Addicted to Vinyl. All I need you to do is share with me your story about the first album/CD purchase you ever made.

Click here and lay it on me in the comments!

Bruce at Not Lame Records caught my eye this evening with a Twitter message pointing me towards a page's worth of collected Smithereens videos courtesy of threedonia.com. One video in particular snagged my interest - an obviously live performance of "Now and Then" from the Blow Up album!

In the early 90s, quite a few people owned a copy of 11, the Smithereens album that caught a good amount of attention and radio/TV play with the single "A Girl Like You." 11 was in fact, the album that opened my eyes to the recorded genius of The Smithereens.

The Smithereens - Blow Up

I picked up 11, and slowly made my way through acquiring the rest of the catalog, and then anxiously awaited new releases from the band. Blow Up was an unfortunately titled album for the band, as things really did blow up for the band after the release, and not in a good way. The album was sadly overlooked, and the followup album A Date With The Smithereens (their first album for RCA after parting ways with Capitol Records,) suffered the same lack of attention from the record buying public.

It's a total shame, because both albums are great and in the same league with 11. I ended up seeing The Smithereens at least 4 times on the Date tour, including a show at the Newport in Columbus where scheduled openers The Grays were replaced at the last minute by this band called Weezer. That's right, I saw Weezer in front of a crowd of about 10 people that had showed up early to see the no-name opening bands. The show happened slightly prior to the release of "The Blue Album," and after that album was released, you know the rest of the story. On this night in Columbus, OH, they were far from being stars, and were the first band on the bill before Cindy Lee Berryhill, and a subsequent headlining set from The Smithereens. This show still rates as the best show I ever saw Weezer perform.

Back to The Smithereens..

I've always wished that I could take some friends back in a time machine to those days when The Smithereens were performing epic shows where the setlist went out the window within a half hour of the band taking the stage. I was amazed at the impressive grip that the band had on their catalog - they really could perform any song that was requested, no matter what album, no matter how obscure.

Thanks to this rare video of the band's appearance on The Dennis Miller Show, you can catch a small glimpse of the amazing unit made up of singer Pat Dinizio, guitarist Jim Babjak, eternally youthful bass player Mike Mesaros, and band historian/drummer Dennis Diken. I sometimes forget that Blow Up has some of my favorite Smithereens tracks - tracks like "Girl In Room 12," "Evening Dress," and "Now and Then." "The video below of "Now and Then" will give you a great appreciation for Babjak as a guitarist. I've always admired the modesty in his playing, and his ability to subtly drop a solo on you full of riffs that rip your face off. Here in Ohio, he was always good for a request for "White Castle Blues" as well!

Here's the other track that was performed on that night on The Dennis Miller Show - "Top of the Pops," which includes a short interview with the band on the tail end of the clip.

While we're on the subject of "Now and Then," I thought I'd share a rare live version featuring The Cowsills (who also backed the band on this song on Blow Up.)

The Smithereens - Now and Then (live)

Remembering the request-heavy shows that I saw in the 90s, I have to share one more track with you - a live version of "Groovy Tuesday" from the BBC, which was always one of my favorites to shout out (followed closely by "Time and Time Again.")

The Smithereens - Groovy Tuesday (BBC)

The 'Reens have a busy year on tap, some of which I've detailed previously here. Frontman Pat Dinizio also has a new limited edition autobiography on the way, packaged with some pretty cool items, and his annual Memorial Day fan shows have just been announced.

Dinizio is currently on the road touring an extensive winter living room tour - Check out the tour dates here.

Relevant Links:

The Smithereens - Blow Up - CD or MP3 Download

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26Dec/086

The Smithereens live DVD – 5 full-length video clips online now

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

As mentioned in a previous update, The Smithereens (a.k.a. world's greatest band/one of 'em anyway) will release a DVD companion to their 2008 live release on January 15th.

Smithereens frontman Pat Dinizio recently put up a post with 6 full length videos from Live in Concert. You can click through on each video link to watch a higher quality video, which makes a huge difference and will give you greater appreciation for the "film" effect that they used on the footage.

I'm really looking forward to this release - hoping that the between song chatter will be included (and I imagine chances are good that it will be!)

The Smithereens - Behind The Wall of Sleep

The Smithereens - Drown in My Own Tears

The Smithereens - Top of The Pops

The Smithereens - Since You Went Away



The Smithereens - Any Other Way

The Smithereens - A Girl Like You

Comments
7Jun/082

Quick Hits – Vinyl, Coldplay, Billy Joel, and Lou Reed

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

Happy Saturday from the Cleve! First of all, I was thrilled that my review of the new Smithereens live album wound up front and center on lead singer Pat Dinizio's website. Thanks Pat!

You can talk to Lou Reed about a lot of different things - just don't ask him any stock questions.

Billy Joel's The Stranger turns 30 with an awesome reissue that includes a bonus CD and DVD to boot. Call this one a box set - Sean Daly has the basic details on the set that you'll want to know.

My blogging brother in arms TJ @ Viva La Mainstream is a fan of the new Coldplay album, and ya know what? I'm digging it too!

TJ also reviews the new Disturbed album Indestructible, which is surprisingly very solid, in my opinion!

Tech buddy TDavid offers up the counterpoint to my Journey review, giving Revelation a passing grade, but not by much!

Bad Religion mainman Brett Gurewitz spills the details to Rolling Stone about the reissue of last year's New Maps of Hell. Gurewitz also says that the music industry is about to enter "a golden age."

Michigan's Van Andel Arena becomes "Van Halen" Arena in honor of the VH show. That makes me remember when the I-X Center here in Cleveland became the "INXS Center" in honor of the Welcome To Wherever You Are tour stop from the band.

Wayne and Garth reunited for the first time in 14 years. I want to tell you that it was great, but it wasn't THAT great. Good to see 'em though!

Vinyl notes:

Vinyl makes a comeback in the MP3 age according to Rolling Stone.

The vinyl issue of the Harold and Maude soundtrack (available for the first time in any format as a vinyl pressing that sold out quickly) has become an instant collector's item.

Newbury Comics is selling $100,000 a month worth of new vinyl.

Highlights this week here at Addicted to Vinyl:

Summertime reading never felt as heavy as it does right now with this book on Slayer's Reign in Blood album.

Chris Akin gets the goods from former Anthrax singer, and current Armored Saint frontman John Bush.

Having worked with many radio cheeseballs, I dug The Morning Guy video, a lot!

Next week: Iron Maiden hits Cleveland for a show at Blossom Music Center! Up the irons!

Comments
1Jun/084

CD Review: The Smithereens – Live in Concert

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

The Smithereens logo

When I pass on from this world, it is my hope that my next of kin will see within my musical collection, a large group of recordings from a particular group from New Jersey, called The Smithereens. If I have my way, curiosity will strike them, they'll put one of the albums on, and a new generation of Smithereens fans will be born. Assuming that is, that I haven't already converted them to fan status prior to my demise!

The Smithereens - Live in Concert! Greatest Hits and More (purchase from Amazon) has made a believer out of me once again. I've heard more than a casual amount of live recordings from the band, and although this is merely the band's 3rd official live release (and first proper full-length live recording,) I could definitely qualify slightly as the "jaded superfan."

But weeks before I heard a note, I was impressed with the track listing. Very impressed. Not bad for a single disc worth of the 'Reens, I thought.

And then tonight, I heard it. My first thought looking through the liner notes, was a bit of regret that I wasn't in attendance for any of the shows earlier this year. Those feelings quickly changed as I listened to the first few songs, to memories of all of the great Smithereens shows that I have seen over the years - memories that have now been properly captured and documented with the release of this live album.

The Smithereens returned to The Court Tavern (cap. 200,) in New Brunswick, NJ. for four hot and sweaty nights of live recording. The Court Tavern served as a launching pad in the formative years for the group, and the venue is referenced in the liner notes as the 'Reens equivalent of The Beatles' hallowed early gigs at the Cavern Club.

All the standards are here - "Behind The Wall of Sleep," "Drown In My Own Tears," "Only a Memory," etc; all are present and accounted for. Nice inclusions like "Time and Time Again," and "Room Without a View," and straight on nuggets in the form of "Spellbound," and "Especially for You."

Just to name a few, by the way.

I was engaged by the opening array of tracks, and then fully arrested by the nearly eleven minute version of "House We Used To Live In" that they somehow found room for on this 18 track/single disc concert disc. I thought I had heard the definitive version of "House," until I heard this disc, and heard THE definitive version. In the closing moments of this version, the roar of the band is brought down to near silence with the guitar intricately picking note by note with incredible clarity. It's a moment that takes me back to my teenage years pressed up against the stage at the Cleveland Agora watching the guitar interplay of guitarist Jim Babjak and frontman Pat Dinizio with eyes that were wide and awakened to the beauty of live rock and roll for the first time.

The band works in two cuts from Dinizio's most recent self-titled solo effort, and they fit seamlessly with the classics, particularly "Any Other Way," which bleeds out of the closing moments of "Especially for You." Almost as if the two songs were meant to be together. It's just a bit impressive, considering that the two tracks are separated by nearly 20 years of musical recording history.

There are rock songs, and there are anthems. We were uplifted at the Court, but there was also a sadness and a striving. Both the band and the audience know about hard work. They know that life will ultimately knock you down, and that rock music, at its best, doesn't make you forget your troubles so much as it makes you realize you're not alone.

- excerpted from the liner notes to The Smithereens - Live in Concert

Man, that really sums it up for me. Music has been my savior and best friend in times both good and bad. I have always made note that there is nothing in this world that a good album and the best of friends can't get me through. The Smithereens are a band that have given me great joy on many levels, particularly the privilege to watch 4 of the most uniquely talented musicians and their genuine love for playing music together on the same stage. I think that as a music fan, you can appreciate with me, when you find a group of musicians like that.

Very often, these are not the groups that are filling arenas (although, sometimes they are,) but their passion is undiminished, no matter the size of the audience. For nearly 15 years of the band's 25-plus year career, I've been enjoying the live shows from Pat Dinizio - Jim Babjak - Dennis Diken - Mike Mesaros, and more recently, Severo ""The Thrilla" Jornacion, taking over on bass for the sorely missed Mesaros.

"The Thrilla" deserves props - he really nails his place in the band with this release. If you didn't pick up on that with last year's Christmas release, you'll hopefully catch it when you hear him fully and properly locked in with the rest of the band on that smoldering rendition of "House."

Jim Babjak remains one of my favorite guitar players with what I would consider to be a signature tone that you can not only recognize, but you can also picture the trademark Babjak smile when you hear it.

Drummer Dennis Diken is still one of the hardest hitting consistent drummers that I've heard in my time being a music fan. Diken is another musician that I just love to watch him play. As a rock and roll fan, it was a thrill for me to be able to talk to him backstage in the 90s. His musical knowledge really is incredible, so it is no surprise that he has written liner notes for a number of non-Smithereens projects over the years.

And what can you say about frontman Pat Dinizio? As a songwriter, he's had a big hand in many memorable riffs and songs over the past couple of decades, and also a hand in many more riffs and songs that would have/should have/could have been more memorable than they are. Dinizio delivers the goods on this release.

The Smithereens - Live in Concert
is your very own "Smithereens concert in a box," and it matters not whether you've seen the band 40-50 times, or are hearing the band live for the first time via this CD. It is nearly 80 minutes of musical proof that The Smithereens are still vitally important as a band in 2008. The Smithereens - Live in Concert is a chance to appreciate everything that has happened up to this point, and also a chance to look forward to all that still lies ahead.

Let's all drink to that.

Further Listening:

Here is a favorite (one of many) Smithereens bootleg of mine. This radio broadcast captures a great performance from the band while they were on tour in 1994 supporting their lone RCA release A Date with the Smithereens. Recorded at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on June 19th, it's a scorcher!

Track Listing:

complete download zipped

Intro
Only A Memory
War For My Mind
Everything I Have Is Blue
Miles To Nowhere
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Groovy Tuesday
Afternoon Tea
Love Is Gone
Blood & Roses
A Girl Like You
House We Used To Live In

Relevant Links:

Purchase the new live album via Amazon - available as a physical CD, or via internet download.

My original post about the live album can be found right here.
Official website
Pat Dinizio's official site
A great review by longtime Smithereens fan Rich Firestone from the Steve Hoffman Forum.
The complete discussion of the live album at the Steve Hoffman Forum.

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23May/080

Top 5: Album Openers

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

First of all, shucks - my longtime Cleveland pal Len over at Jawbone Radio gave this baby blog a very nice shout-out. Jawbone is a great Cleveland-based podcast that once upon a time, I was blessed enough to be on as a guest. Len is also among other things, a big Star Wars fan, which makes him more than okay in my book. We kept threatening to do some more Cleveland cross-pollination, but alas, life got busy and crazy for me, and Len started drawing Monsters by Mail. Now that I'm back in Lakewood, who knows what could happen?

I swear to God, TJ @ Viva La Mainstream has given about a week's worth of material to blog about, in the past week. And since I already had at least two weeks of material to blog about already, I guess that means that my mind has been especially musically productive, thanks to TJ, so thanks for that :-)

TJ JUST saw one of my all-time favorite movies, the great High Fidelity with my much-loved John Cusack in the starring role, and a great cameo by my super-fantastic close-to-favorite-rocker of all-time, Bruce Springsteen.

"You give that big final good luck and goodbye to your all-time top 5 and just move on down the road"
- Bruce Springsteen in High Fidelity.

High Fidelity random Cusack shot

High Fidelity is a great film, and SO me as a music fan. I've had several "that is SO me" moments in the past week, including an unexpected one with Matt Pinfield this past Wednesday night. Perhaps I'll get a chance to blog about all of that in upcoming posts here, and perhaps not!

TJ threatened a number of Top 5 related posts based on his High Fidelity viewing, and has made good with post #1, a great posting dedicated to the top 5 album opening tracks. I agree with his number 5 choice of "The Pretender" by Foo Fighters, and discuss it in fact, in the comments section - go check that out.

For now, let's discuss my list. I didn't really obsess too long over this one. I thought of a few of them while driving in this morning to work, and thought of the rest of them while I was out on my lunch hour walking the office park, doing the exercise thing.

5. The Smithereens - War for My Mind

Public service announcement - the 'Reens have a new live album coming out on Tuesday. I can't wait. Go get it. I got into the Smithereens around the time of the 11 album. Made my way through their catalog backwards from that point, and was completely schooled, up to date, and a full-on Smithereens freak by 1994. In that year, I see the Smithereens FOUR times touring for A Date With The Smithereens.

"War For My Mind" is the opening face melting track for Date, and the album is in the category of albums so strong that the band opens a number of shows on the tour with several of the tracks in sequence as they appear on the album, leading off with War.

A Date With The Smithereens is in my short list of great albums that are totally unappreciated.

I went to see the 'Reens four times on this tour not only because they blew me away as one of the greatest live bands I'd ever seen, but also because this tour was a GREAT tour. And believe it or not, the Date tour was the first time that I had seen the 'Reens as well, hence my elevated excitement. War For My Mind smokes on the album, and smoked even more in the live setting (check out this live version from the Extended Versions live CD.)

4. Weezer - My Name is Jonas

In the midst of my personal Smithereens world tour in 1994, I saw a new band open for them at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH, who were about to release their debut album. That band was called Weezer, and you now commonly know of that debut album as "The Blue Album." My Name is Jonas is the Blue Album opener, and was the extremely loud opening shot that I saw from the band, delivered to an audience of about 10 people that had showed up for the first of two opening bands in front of the Smithereens. Click here to check out a ripping version of "My Name is Jonas."

My disappointment about The Grays being scrubbed from the opening slot quickly disappeared as Weezer played what is still to date the loudest and most satisfying set that I have seen at a Weezer show. I saw Weezer 3 more times on their touring cycle for The Blue Album, and they never touched that show.

side note: Anybody want to see a lot of live video from The Grays, recorded in Denver? Sheesh, check this out. Now, I am kind of disappointed after seeing these vids!!

The Grays - Very Best Years (live in Denver)

3. Sammy Hagar - Little White Lie

"Little White Lie" was the first bit of new music (and first single from his Marching to Mars CD) that we heard from Sammy post-Van Halen. Though it started off as an acoustically based number that had your mind floating in the general direction of Cabo, you knew that it wouldn't last the song, and indeed, a harmonica solo led into full on guitarmageddon (sorry, just wanted to use that cheesy reference) to musically assure Van Halen fans that were on the fence that indeed, Sammy was still here to rock.

Now, I know that there are DLR Van Halen fans that will debate the amount of rocking that Sammy did with Van Halen, but first - shut up, and second, put on the 5150 album, and shut up. Creatively, Sammy has gone a bit off the rails for me at this point with his more recent stuff, (see: Livin' It Up) but I respect the fact that he still cares about creating new music at a point when he could just coast on compilations and live albums.

2. Bryan Adams - One Night Love Affair

I've already made the argument that Reckless has one of the best "opening album sides" in this previous post, and "One Night Love Affair" is the track that starts the Reckless machine off. I bought the Reckless album on cassette, and it's one of a few that I distinctly remember going from side to side on my Walkman, which had the coveted "auto-reverse" function, over and over again. It's always a good moment when this track comes up on shuffle on the Ipod.

1. Van Halen - Poundcake

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was another album that was solid to the point that Van Halen opened each show on the tour with a number of tracks in sequence. By the time we got a hold of the album, the image of Eddie with the striped drill was burned into our MTV loving minds at a time when MTV still played a lot of videos, kind of.

1991, I was still young enough to be very impressed with my favorite guitar player for finding a way to incorporate power tools into the music making process.

Van Halen - Poundcake (live on the MTV Awards '91)

And then the runner-ups - so strong and awesome in their own right, that it hurts. But I made a point to stick with my originals as I thought of them, and not debate this list too hard, for once. I was going to give you five more, and then I thought of Social D, so here are six for you.

Aerosmith - "Young Lust" (from Pump)
Eric Clapton - "Pretending" (from Journeyman)
Cracker - "I Hate My Generation" (from The Golden Age)
Social Distortion - "Cold Feelings" (from Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell)
Bruce Springsteen - "Better Days" (from Lucky Town)
U2 - "Where The Streets Have No Name" (from The Joshua Tree) (suggested by my friend Rebecca - great pick!)

Man, we could be here all day talking about this stuff!

What are your favorite album openers? Maybe even your top five? Let me know in the comments.

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17Apr/080

Speaking of The Smithereens – live album AND DVD on the way!

Written by: Matt Wardlaw

The Smithereens - Blood and Roses (live at the Court Tavern, cool video!)

If you enjoyed the previous link to the interview with Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio, you'll be happy to know that there is more news from the band. The live album that was recorded at the band's old stomping grounds of The Court Tavern earlier this year, finally has a track listing and release date! And according to Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio, we'll see a DVD release at a later point, as well. Read onward for the press release, as well as the personal message from Pat.

The Smithereens - I Want To Hold Your Hand

The Smithereens are in the midst of a great creative rebirth, having put out a great tribute to Meet The Beatles, cleverly titled Meet The Smithereens, which was well received. They followed that release with a Christmas CD at the end of 2007 that had the goal to recapture the spirit and quality of classic Christmas releases that they had grown up with, such as the Beach Boys Christmas album. With the release of Christmas with the Smithereens, they accomplished all of that, and then some. The CD was one of my favorite purchases of last year, and promises to be a Christmas CD that will get a lot of play in my house during the yearly holiday season, and perhaps even a few spins outside of those winter months. It's that good.

The Smithereens - Christmas Time All Over The World

I first got into the Smithereens in the late 80's, captured as many rock fans were, by the 11 album release, which contained one of the songs that many people know from the band, A Girl Like You. The track sucked me into purchasing the album (back when people still bought music, right? That's a joke) and I was hooked on the 'Reens. Bought Blow Up day of release, and did the same with A Date With The Smithereens, which in my opinion, is one of the more underappreciated albums in the catalog.

It was the tour for Date that gave me my first chance to see the band live, and I would end up seeing them four times on that tour, including a show at the world famous Cleveland Agora, and also a show in Columbus, OH at the Newport Music Hall, where a band called Weezer opened the 3 band bill, playing to a crowd of about 10 people. Certainly Weezer have had a few accomplishments since that day, but on that day, they had what amounted to band practice on stage! The Smithereens were the first band that I got a chance to hang out with backstage, after that show, and they were (and are still) the coolest band I've ever gotten the chance to hang out with. Exactly the same regular guy image that they present on stage. That's what you got when you met the band backstage, outside the club, etc.

They were also one of the first bands that I saw that would get mid-set, and throw the setlist straight out the window. Yell out Groovy Tuesday, and you'll get it. Time and Time Again? Sure. One of the best live bands out there. Check out the Extended Versions live release, recorded on that 1994 tour for proof. There are just a few songs from the Smithereens catalog that perhaps I have never seen live. That was one thing of many that has always impressed me about the band. They have an amazing command of their entire catalog, and can somehow pull out the most obscure album track at a moment's notice. It was always amazing to watch, because you really never knew what you were going to get at a Smithereens show, although if you had seen the band before, you knew that you were going to see an amazing show!

The Smithereens - House We Used To Live In

The band had a double live CD slated for release in the mid-90's that got scrapped, and perhaps Extended Versions was sourced partially from those recordings. Hopefully someday, we might get that full double live CD. And now that I think about it, there was a Smithereens live DVD that was talked about last year, that hasn't materialized at this point. Anyway, the good news is, that we've got a new Smithereens live release headed our way shortly, and the setlist is a barnburner...with two new tracks.....and plenty to look forward to. God Save The Smithereens, and let them keep making records forever!

Here's the official press release and track listing for The Smithereens: Live in Concert from Koch Records:

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - April 14, 2008) - KOCH Records is pleased to announce the newest album by rock band The Smithereens. "Live In Concert - Greatest Hits and More" features music from The Smithereens' four-night stint at The Court in New Brunswick, New Jersey, a musical home away from home for the group, which took place January 30th - February 2nd, 2008. The band, all hailing from surrounding Central Jersey towns, played the Court Tavern often at the start of their career.

The album features live recordings of two brand new songs, "Any Other Way" and "Since You Went Away." The set also includes Buddy Holly's classic (and a big influence for The Smithereens) "Well Alright," and the ripping interpretation of the "Batman" theme, a live staple for the band.

For the past 25 years, The Smithereens have toured non-stop, recording and releasing Gold and Platinum albums that spawned Top 40 radio hits such as "A Girl Like You," "Too Much Passion," "Blood And Roses," "Only a Memory" and "Behind The Wall Of Sleep." But at the beginning of that long and successful road, the loved group spent many sweaty, rock filled evenings in the damp, close quartered basement of The Court.

Live at The Court takes us back to that hallowed ground and brings back the energy and edginess that was present at the beginning of The Smithereens' career. The club was packed for every performance, and the love and energy for the Smithereens is evident on each track.

This album features the Smithereens in their natural habitat, playing great music for their hometown fans. It shines a light on the love of their fans, and what the group is about.

Additionally, Pat DiNizio shared the following information with the Steve Hoffman Music Forum:

link to original posting

Pat DiNizio (of the Smithereens) asked me to post his message about the forthcoming "Smithereens Live In Concert!" CD to the Steve Hoffman Music Forum. He writes:

There will definitely be an expanded (including interviews with the band, fans, writers, record producers, etc.) KOCH full-length "THE SMITHEREENS LIVE IN CONCERT!" DVD Video forthcoming at some point (but not released by KOCH simultaneously with the official CD release on May 27th), including the entire 79:00-long Court Tavern Concert, as well as lots of historical documents, extremely rare video and audio materials from the band vault, and very possibly, a brand-new documentary about the band . The Final 24-track live mix is pretty amazing, a great job done by engineer/producer Kurt Reil, and the mastering by Joe Lambert at Trutone, NYC, is very full-bodied, and in-your-face ...There are non-CD release two bonus tracks (there wasn't enough CD time available or left on the disc to include them on one CD!), "GREEN THOUGHTS" & "IN A LONELY PLACE", which sound pretty awesome, and will most likely be given away at retail on some level-
There will also probably be 5 or 6 final edit DVD Live Concert Song Performances which will most likely be included as part of a online retail package to encourage folks to enjoy the entire live Smithereens concert experience, rather than just an individual track here or there...We're still figuring it out as we go along, but we do know that for maximum enjoyment and excitement, if possible, the CD should be listened to in its entirety, from beginning to end, as it was sequenced and arranged to closely and accurately replicate a real-life Smithereens Concert...

- PAT DINIZIO

For more information go to www.officialsmithereens.com

(and for even more info, visit Pat DiNizio's great and frequently updated website.)

Track Listing:

1. Behind The Wall of Sleep
2. Drown in My Own Tears
3. Miles from Nowhere
4. Room Without a View
5. Only a Memory
6. House We Used to Live In
7. Spellbound
8. Since You Went Away
9. She's Got a Way
10. Yesterday Girl
11. Well Alright
12. Especially For You
13. Any Other Way
14. Top of the Pops
15. Time and Time Again
16. Blood And Roses
17. A Girl Like You
18. Batman

Great interview

part one

part two

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