Let's Visit The Weeklings at "Raspberry Park"

If you haven’t been listening to the music of New Jersey’s terrific power pop quartet, The Weeklings, then you’ve been missing out on something truly special. The group’s phenomenal songs are a remarkable blend of the sounds of the British Invasion and power pop, liberally sprinkled with a hint of modern rock. They’re also a superb live band, whose must see performances always win rave reviews from fans. Now is the perfect time to check out the band and their music, as their fabulous new album, Raspberry Park, is being released this Friday, January 19, on JEM Records. Raspberry Park is something of a concept album dedicated to the band’s home base in Asbury Park, an area which features a diverse collage of musical styles, including rock, pop, soul, R&B, and punk.

  

Raspberry Park kicks off with the title tune’s brief musical introduction, which segues into the fantastic “Like We Used To Do,” an energetic track which recalls an early Beatles number infused with the harder edged sound of bands like The Kinks. That’s followed up by the sensational “Brian Jones,” a tribute to the late co-founder of The Rolling Stones, featuring tasty harmonica licks, impressive vocals, and some very groovy guitar, bass and drum work. “Etude In E,” another interlude, comes up next, followed by the group’s stupendous version of The Beatles classic “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” The Weeklings are well-known for their unique interpretations of the music of The Fab Four, and their superlative cover of this beloved tune from Rubber Soul is yet another high-water mark in the band’s repertoire.

The Weeklings’ marvelous potpourri of rock, pop and soul sounds is on display throughout Raspberry Park. The album is filled with magnificent songs, ranging from the 90s rock infused ”All the Cash in the World” and “Falling Down a Flight of Stairs,” to the New Wave-styled, punk-fueled “None of Your Business.” You’ll also dig the straight ahead rock and roll vibes of “April’s Fool” and the 1980s-esque gem “Angeline,” one of my favorite tracks on the record. Every song is imbued with the band’s passion, high energy, and top-notch musicianship, whether it’s on brief interludes like “Samson” and “Appalachian Revenge,” or the group’s truly inspired rockabilly re-vamp of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire.” Another highlight of the disc is the brilliant intertwining of the music of Buffalo Springfield and The Rolling Stones on the extraordinary “Mr. Soul Satisfaction,” which features guest vocalist Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits.

The Weeklings lineup consists of Zeek, aka Bob Burger, on lead vocals, harmonica, and guitar; Lefty aka Glen Burtnik, on bass and background vocals; Rocky, aka John Merjave, on guitar and background vocals, and Smokestack, aka Joe Bellia, on drums.The outstanding original tunes on the album were largely written by Lefty and Zeek, and several of these well-crafted songs feature a bit more of a bittersweet tone than the band has featured on previous records, which is perfectly fitting given the album’s theme as a tribute to the wide array of musical genres which abound in Asbury Park. By the time you’ve finished your visit to Raspberry Park with the group’s deeply soulful take on the Sgt. Pepper track “She’s Leaving Home,” you’ll understand why The Weeklings just keep getting better with every new release!

For more info on The Weeklings and Raspberry Park, head over to www.jemrecordings.com. For a little taste of Raspberry Park, here are links to the videos for “Brian Jones” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abAFKBANq0I and “I’ve Just Seen A Face” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGlfZ6up7NI.

Retro Movie: Don Siegel's "Charley Varrick"

Sheree North & Walter Matthau in Charley Varrick

1970s movie screens were filled with celebrated thrillers such as The French Connection, Klute, The Parallax View, Chinatown, and Serpico, but there were a number of other excellent genre films released during this period, including The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Outfit and Night Moves, which are just as good as those well-remembered classics. One of these under the radar gems is Don Siegel's 1973 crime drama Charley Varrick. Siegel is best known for helming hard-edged crime films like Riot in Cell Block 11, Private Hell 36, the 1964 version of The Killers, Dirty Harry, and Escape From Alcatraz. He also directed the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Walter Matthau plays the title character, Charley Varrick, a former stunt pilot and crop duster who masterminds the robbery of a small-town bank in New Mexico. Unfortunately, two members of the crew, including Charley's wife Nadine, are killed during the heist, leaving the world weary Charley and a younger man, Harman Sullivan, on the run. When Charley and Harman discover that they've gotten away with a lot more money than they expected, Charley figures out that the bank must be a drop that launders Mafia money, and that the mob will be after them to recover their cash.

Charley's theory turns out to be correct. The mob dispatches a lethal hit man named Molly to recover the money, and kill the two thieves. It's a race against time as Charley tries to stay one step ahead of both the cops and the mob, while dealing with the impatient Harman, who wants to start enjoying their unexpected windfall. Charley Varrick is a tense, well-acted thriller, featuring a terrific lead performance from Matthau, who during this period was also exercising his flair for fine dramatic work in films like The Laughing Policeman and the original version of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

The marvelous supporting cast is chock full of faces that will be familiar to fans of 1970s cinema and TV shows, including Joe Don Baker, Sheree North, William Schallert, Woodrow Parfey, Norman Fell, John Vernon, Benson Fong, and Andy Robinson (best known as the serial killer Scorpio in director Siegel's Dirty Harry, and later as the duplicitous Garak on Star Trek; Deep Space Nine) who does a good job as Harman. In addition to the taut direction by Siegel, the film also features some fine cinematography by Michael Butler, and a cool score by Lalo Schifrin. The well-crafted screenplay was written by Dean Reisner and Howard Reese, based on the novel The Looters by John Reese.

The sharp, suspenseful Charley Varrick definitely earns its place among the pantheon of must-see (albeit lesser known by some viewers) 1970s films like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Yakuza, Rolling Thunder and The Driver. If you're a fan of 1970s crime dramas with well-defined characters, a clever plot, and a touch of noir, you should definitely add Charley Varrick to your watch list. The film has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and is also available on some streaming services. Here's a look at the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqv1VwhWTv.

Monogroove's Extraordinary "The Flip Side"

Monogroove, the fantastic West Coast band led by the incomparable Rin Lennon, are back with their latest release, The Flip Side. Like the group's last two albums, There's Something Here and Into The Sun, The Flip Side is a fabulous record, filled with a terrific selection of rock, pop, folk, and punk flavored songs, which are steeped in the sounds of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, ranging from the ultra-cool, retro vibe of the opening track "Modern Day Romeo" to straight ahead rockers like "Brimstone" and the psychedelic-tinged "So Many Other Lives."

Lennon's extraordinary vocals, tender and angelic one moment, imbued with tough girl swagger the next, are passionate and filled with conviction. Just check out the phenomenal "I Am The Sun" and the 1960s pop-inspired "I Think Of You" and "I Don't Wanna Say" to see what I mean. Her guitar playing is also terrific, and is ably matched by the outstanding work of the band, which features Michael George on guitar and vocals, Jay Smith on drums and vocals, and Alias Wilde on bass. From the fabulous ballad "Let Me Know" to the modern rock flavored sound of "Mine All Mine," their top-notch musical chops, and superb vocals and harmonies, are clearly in evidence throughout the album.

The Flip Side also features a pair of very cool covers. The group's high-energy take on "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" (previously recorded by the likes of Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Monkees and The Sex Pistols) is a groovy delight, and their heartfelt rendering of Coven's "One Tin Soldier" is a powerful version of a song whose themes are more topical than ever in these often fractious times. It's not easy to re-do well-known songs like these and truly make them your own, but Monogroove succeeds admirably with their superb renditions of these classic, much loved tunes.

Every track on The Flip Side (which will be released on Janaury 5) is worthy of multiple spins, from pop-flavored confections like "My Town" to guitar-infused rockers like "Tuff on Dirt" and "Dirty Dogs." These brilliantly crafted songs are definitely going to become new favorites, and are absolutely worthy of being added to your personal playlists. This is an exceptional record, made with care and affection by musicians who like ourselves, are clearly fans of the rock, pop, punk and power pop of the classic era. You can find out more about Monogroove and their music by heading over to bandcamp. Here's a link to the page for the album: https://monogroove.bandcamp.com/album/the-flip-side.