Jason Isbell Comes To New Haven

Jason Isbell - photo by John V

Jason Isbell has been making impressive music since his days with Drive By Truckers. Since going solo in 2007, he’s released several records, including 2012’s excellent Southeastern. He’s now on tour supporting his latest release, Something More Than Free. On Wednesday, July 22, he made a stop at New Haven’s College Street Music Hall. Showcasing selections from several of his albums, as well as some Drive By Truckers tunes, Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, treated us to a magnificent evening of music. Songs ranged from the driving opener "Palmetto Rose," and the tongue in cheek “Codiene,” to the powerful, moving “Elephant,” & “Cover Me Up.” Isbell & the band were tight. focused, and completely in sync during the well-paced show.

Isbell’s incisive & evocative lyrics combine elements of rock, folk & country. You can hear echoes of Bruce Springsteen & Jackson Browne, among others, in songs like “Speed Trap Town,” and “The Life You Chose.” Isbell is a unique & talented artist, and I think he’s truly come into his own on this latest album. He's also a strong live performer and sounded superb vocally during the show. There were no false notes from Isbell, who had a solid rapport with the audience, and played some killer guitar. The 400 Unit were awesome as well, including the fantastic Jimbo Hart on bass, Derry DeBorja on keyboards, Sadler Vadlen on guitar & Chad Gamble on drums. From “Stockholm” to “24 Frames” and “Alabama Pines” it was a compelling, soulful & thrilling concert. Jason & his brothers in song know how to put on a stunning concert.

The show climaxed with a three-song encore, ending with the audience singing along to the playful “Super 8.” If you get a chance to see Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit on tour this summer, head out & do so. And I urge you pick up one of his excellent albums as well; I'd start with Here We Rest, Southeastern or Something More Than Free, but they're all phenomenal. I’d also like to note that singer-songwriter Blake Mills did an amazing opening set. He absolutely shredded on guitar, playing cuts from his 2014 release Heigh Ho and doing a wonderful version of Joe Tex’s “I’ll Never Do You Wrong." Mills also produced the latest album by Alabama Shakes, and counts no less an authority than Eric Clapton among his fans. Mills is definitely worth checking out live. Here’s a link to Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit performing “Codiene,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUedNbfQFSs and “Cover Me Up.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUCDqWzy1k.

Set List:

Palmetto Rose

Stockholm 

24 Frames

Dress Blues

Decoration Day

Codeine

Different Days

Traveling Alone

If It Takes A Lifetime

The Life You Chose

How To Forget

Speed Trap Town

Cover Me Up

Children of Children

Alabama Pines

Elephant

Something More Than Free

Never Gonna Change

Encore:

Goddamn Lonely Love

Outfit

Super 8

The "Genisys" of The Terminator Saga

I really, really wanted to like Terminator: Genisys. I’m a big fan of the first two chapters in the saga, The Terminator & Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which were written & directed by James Cameron. The next two films, Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines, Terminator: Salvation and the TV spinoff, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, all had interesting moments, but could not live up to the amazing initial entries in the series. In this latest film, we get a story that wants to have it both ways. It pays homage to, and also reinvents, the original concept. It works on some levels, but it’s not quite as successful as it could have been. This time out, we revisit the now familiar war ravaged future Earth. The artificial intelligence Skynet has taken over after the apocalyptic Judgment Day. The human rebellion against the machines is still led by John Connor. Just like in the original film, Skynet sends a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah Connor, who will become John’s mother. John plans to send back his friend Kyle Reese to protect Sarah, and ensure the future of the human race. What he doesn’t know at the time is that Kyle not only protects Sarah, but also falls in love with her, and becomes John’s father. But something happens just before Kyle’s journey back in time, and there are ripple effects.

Suddenly, there are multiple Terminators, and multiple timelines. When Kyle arrives in 1984, Sarah Connor is already aware of Earth’s dark future, and her role as John Connor’s mother. Surprisingly, she’s being assisted by a Terminator who arrived when she was nine years old (portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger; who else?), and they’ve already neutralized the original T-800. They have an idea about how they can stop Judgment Day, and have built a time machine to travel to 1997. However, Kyle has new memories of a different future (and something called Genisys) after his time trip, and thinks the date & year when Skynet becomes self-aware has changed. Which means a new plan has to be forged to stop the dark future that Kyle & John live in from occurring. Meanwhile, our heroes must evade the Terminators that have been sent to stop them.

The script by Laeta Kalogridis & Patrick Lussier tries to be a new riff on the mythology, and wants to salute the original movies as well. While it essentially ignores the latter two sequels and the TV series, one or two elements from those films crop up. The story is a bit overcomplicated, and leaves a couple of threads dangling. There’s also a significant twist, which I won’t reveal, that actually attempts takes the story in new directions. But did we really need another entry in this series? Unlike the recent reboot of the Planet of the Apes films, this doesn’t feel like a relaunch that tells a classic story in a different way, but is still recognizable to fans, and also accessible to newcomers. You’ll really need to know your Terminator history to appreciate this movie, or study up before viewing it. The film also spends too much time trying to play off of Arnold’s classic lines & scenes from other entries in the series. Everyone loves those moments, but there are too many of them here.

The cast tries its best; Schwarzenegger could play this role in his sleep by now, and does a nice job; Jason Clarke is effective as John Connor; Jai Courtney is ok as Kyle Reese, and Emilia (Game Of Thrones) Clarke is quite good as the younger Sarah Connor. Oscar winner J.K. Simmons & Matt (Dr. Who) Smith also show up in small but significant roles. Director Alan Taylor and his crew stage some cool action sequences & keep things moving. The design of the movie & the effects stay true to the look of previous films, but there's also an attempt to update things for this new take on the story. The movie is mildly enjoyable, but it doesn't stick in your mind after it's over. The film just never reaches the level of the first two entries in the saga. Terminator: Genisys is currently in theaters. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62E4FJTwSuc. There is a brief mid-credits scene, so if you go, hang out in the theater for a bit as the credits roll.

Ken Sharp's Power Pop Heroes Return!

The 2^nd part of Ken Sharp’s exhaustive history of the power pop genre, PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes, Volume 2 has now been released. The massive book covers the 70s & early 80s and features excellent interviews with bands such as Cheap Trick, The Ramones, Utopia & Squeeze. In addition to the exhaustive coverage of those groups, Sharp also profiles such lesser known (to the casual fan) but still influential bands such as Shoes, Blue Ash, The Toms, The Records & XTC. Like Volume 1, which I reviewed here; http://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2015/03/power-pops-greatest-artists-rock-on.html, the book is an amazing achievement. If you’re a fan of this music, you’ll love it. It’s 754 pages of pure power pop nirvana. As always, the prolific & talented Mr. Sharp (who's written extensively about rock music & is a talented musician) deserves kudos for a job well done.

You’ll encounter great stories & recollections from artists & band members, including John Waite of The Babys, Billy Squier of Piper and the one & only Rick Springfield. There’s in depth analysis & discussion of key albums & songs by the bands following their profiles. What’s especially cool about this edition is that it features the second generation of power pop rockers. These bands were influenced by the progenitors of the genre, including The Beatles, The Kinks & The Who. Want to know more about Dwight Twilley, Sweet, The Rubinoos or Pezband? Maybe you're intrigued after hearing a couple of songs by these bands, but want to know more before digging deeper into their catalog? You’ve come to the right place. Sharp treats these groups with the same love & affection as the big names. He has a knack (no pun intended) for making his interview subjects feel at ease, which is why the content here is more detailed (and insightful) than what's usually found in books of this type. 

This is a thoroughly enjoyable work that will appeal to true power pop fanatics, and music devotees who want to know more about this sometimes under-appreciated genre. Sadly, PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes, Volume 2 is currently out of print. It sold out of its limited print run very quickly, just like Volume 1. There was eventually a small reprint run of the first book, so it’s possible this will be done with Volume 2 as well. Keep an eye out at: http://www.popgeekheaven.com. The site has a lot of info on power pop artists and has a lot of great items for sale. The final book in the series will be published later this year and will feature artists like Jellyfish, Matthew Sweet and Marshall Crenshaw. I’m very excited about that one, and can’t wait to see what cool information the brilliant Mr. Sharp gives us about the third generation of power pop rockers.

Haunter: Groundhog Day....of Terror!

Lisa Johnson has a problem. She wakes up every day and relives the same routine over and over.  Her parents & younger brother do & say the same things. She can’t seem to leave her house, which is surrounded by a mysterious fog. And her family doesn't realize that they're stuck in a continuous loop. Time goes on, and Lisa realizes she & her family are ghosts and that there is another family living in their former home. That’s only the beginning of the story in director Vincenzo Natali’s clever thriller, Haunter (2013). As Lisa tries to solve the mystery of her family’s deaths, she realizes there is also an evil force in the house, and that it wants to destroy the family that’s currently living there. And Lisa’s family may not have been the first victims of this evil force; can she warn the current occupants of the house and stop the cycle of violence & death?

The film offers a fun twist on the usual haunted house tale, as it’s told from the ghost’s perspective. Abigail (Little Miss Sunshine) Breslin gives a good performance as Lisa, and veteran character actor Stephen McHattie is creepily effective as the murderous spirit haunting the house. It’s an atmospheric, suspenseful and relatively gore-free terror tale. The film takes time to build its premise and tell the story, and should appeal to old school genre fans. If you're sick of the current cycle of slasher flicks and the overabundance of "found footage" horror films, Haunter offers a refreshing alternative. Director Natali also helmed Cube (1997) and the 2009 horror film Splice. The movie was written by Brian King, and has an eerie look courtesy of cinematographer Jon Joffin. Haunter is available on Blu-ray, DVD and for online streaming. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClAdBHrZNg.

Love & Mercy: The Genius of Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson has become recognized as a true innovator & musical icon for his work with The Beach Boys & as a solo artist. The word genius gets thrown around pretty casually these days, but that’s an apt description of Brian’s talent. Sadly, Wilson suffered a lot during his life. He endured a lot of pain & suffered from mental health issues before finding peace & contentment. He's now restored & rejuvenated, and touring again this summer. The new film Love & Mercy attempts (and largely succeeds) to give us a window into the mind & world of this brilliant, troubled, sometimes misunderstood artist. The film moves back & forth between two critical time periods in Brian’s life; the 1960s, when he was the leader & chief songwriter for The Beach Boys, and the 1980s, when he was under the thumb of Dr. Eugene Landy, a psychiatrist whose control over & obsession with Brian reached dangerous levels.

In the 1960s scenes, we see Brian (played by Paul Dano) retire from touring with the immensely popular Beach Boys. He stays behind to write & produce new music for the group. Inspired by exciting new music like The Beatles groundbreaking album Rubber Soul, Brian wants to move away from the pop tunes The Beach Boys are famous for, and create songs & sounds using new styles & techniques. There are some excellent scenes that recreate Brian at work in the studio with the famous group of backing musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. They're collaborating with Brian & recording the backing tracks for what will become the now classic album Pet Sounds. When the rest of the group return from the road, Brian plays them back the work he’s done, and asks them to help record the vocals. This begins a rift within the band, when some members, especially Mike Love, are against this new direction for the group. But Brian wants to continue, and take the musical transformation even further on their next record, Smile, which is eventually cancelled during the long studio sessions for the record. This causes more strife within the band, even though they work together with Brian on the "Good Vibrations" single, which becomes a tremendous success.

The portions of the story set in the 1960s alternate with scenes set in the 1980s, where Brian (now played by John Cusack) is struggling to overcome years of depression and drug use & deal with the emotional fallout of his turbulent youth, growing up with his abusive father. He's under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Eugene Landy, played by Paul Giamatti. Brian meets Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks, who's excellent in the role) while trying to buy a car, and they begin a tentative relationship. The sheltered, fragile Brian is completely dominated by Landy, who approves & supervises all access to Brian, and monitors him at all times. Landy also keeps Brian away from his family, and has him deeply medicated for what he says are Brian’s serious mental issues. Melinda begins to suspect that the doctor’s methods are hurting Brian more than helping him, and tries to contact Brian’s family to get help in freeing him from Landy’s control.

Dano is amazing as the young Brian; he doesn’t act the role so much as he inhabits it. He even sings solo in a pivotal scene. Dano brilliantly conveys Brian’s musical genius & fragile emotional state; his work is truly phenomenal. Cusack is very good as the older Brian, and accurately portrays the older Brian's personality & state of mind. But at times his familiarity to us (from his many previous roles) reminds us that this is John Cusack playing Brian Wilson. Still, he has some effective moments, and has really wonderful chemistry with Wilson as Ledbetter, whom Brian eventually married. Between the two actors, you get a real sense of Brian’s complex psyche. Giamatti has some creepy, chilling moments as Dr. Landy, and even if his performance occasionally veers into one note villainy, you get a very real idea of just how much this possessive, horrible person took over Brian’s life, and caused him great harm.

Of course, we get to hear a lot of music in the film, and see recreations of some famous moments in the career of the Beach Boys. Director Bill Pohlad and his crew have also put together some well-done sequences using visuals and sound to show us what’s going on in Brian’s head, and how he perceives things. There are some minor flaws: the rest of the band is portrayed in the background, and you don’t always get a strong sense of their characters or identities. The 1970s (when Brian’s tailspin into darkness became more pronounced) is mostly skipped over, though there are a couple of references to those years. But Oren Moverman & Michael A. Lerner’s screenplay truly gives us some insights into this complex, but impressive artist, who most people know through the wonderful music he’s given us. Brian Wilson was a man ahead of his time, and the rest of the rock & roll world finally caught up with him. Love & Mercy is currently in theaters, and is highly recommended. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lioWzrpCtGQ.

Steve Miller Band Jams At Oakdale

The Steve Miller Band sailed into the Oakdale Theatre Saturday night for a rousing show consisting of a slew of hits & old favorites. After a terrific opening set by singer-guitarist Eric Herbst (a member of the well-regarded local band Dizzyfish) which featured some fine versions of classic rock favorites such as The Beatles "Norwegian Wood" & Led Zeppelin's "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" as well as a couple of original tunes, Miller & his band took the stage, and jammed. From classics like “Take The Money & Run,” and “Abracadabra” to album cuts like “Lovin’ Cup,” the band deftly rocked & powered its way through the almost two hour set. Miller was in fine form vocally, and the magnificent band ably backed him every step of the way. The group has a loyal following that spans several generations & the crowd was very enthusiastic. In one case, an audience member even joined Miller on stage – at the artist’s request - to help sing “The Joker.”

photo by John V

Miller also performed a mini acoustic set in the middle of the show that featured “Wild Mountain Honey” and the Johnny “Guitar” Watson song “Gangster of Love,” which he played after telling a story about being in a band called The Marksmen with Boz Scaggs in his younger days. Since he was only 12 years old at the time, his Mom had to drive him to their gigs! After the brief unplugged set, the band returned for some more all out rock & roll. The musical artistry of the entire group was phenomenal. Miller gave everyone a chance to shine during the evening; they obviously enjoyed playing together and were having a grand time on stage. Kenny Lee Lewis' spectacular bass & Gordy Knudtson's excellent drums were matched by Joseph Wooten's vibrant keyboards & Jacob Petersen's fluid, masterful guitar work.

Its’s always a pleasure to see one of our long-time classic rock heroes continue to perform, as they (and we) get older. Miller (who's 71, believe it or not) played some sizzling guitar, and his positive energy radiated out into the audience. What rock fan doesn’t want to hear amazing live versions of Steve Miller Band standards like “Dance Dance Dance” and “Space Cowboy?” Another highlight was a fantastic take on the old R&B song “One Mint Julep,” which has been recorded by Ray Charles, among others. Of course, there were also wonderful versions of classics like “Fly Like An Eagle” and “Serenade. By the time the band got to the double-barreled encore, which consisted of “Rock N’ Me” & “Jet Airliner” most of the audience had been on its feet for the entire final third of the concert. The Steve Miller Band is on the road throughout the summer; check them out if they’re playing in your area. From a previous tour, here are links to live performances of “Serenade,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnbfq7UIDn0 and "Jet Airliner," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEp_IAfyldo.

Covers Gallery, Vol XI: Even More Remakes, Retakes & Reimaginings

Another selection of re-interpretations, re-dos & re-vamps

1. The Other End of The Telescope – Til Tuesday’s lovely take on this Elvis Costello song, originally featured on his album All This Useless Beauty. This version is on the tribute disc Songs Of Elvis Costello: Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous.

2. Can’t Get Enough of You Baby – Smash Mouth goes retro and re-does a Question Mark & The Mysterians track. It can be found on their All Star: The Smash Hits disc.

3. Crazy Love – Paul Carrack – It’s tough to pull off a Van Morrison cover, but Carrack does a fine job on this song, originally from Van's classic Moondance. It’s on Paul's album Still Groovin’

4. I Can’t Explain - Yvonne Elliman – Yes, it’s the songstress who gave us “If I Can’t Have You” & was a cast member of Jesus Christ Superstar, playing Mary Magdelene. She rocks out on her version of this Who classic. With Pete Townshend on guitar, no less. From her disc The Best of Yvonne Elliman.

5. Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead- Bonnie Raitt - Bonnie takes on a Motown tune originally recorded by The Marvelettes, and makes it just a little more bluesy. It’s on 1971’s Bonnie Raitt, her debut disc.

6. Mutineer – a beautifully done cover of the Warren Zevon song (the title track to his 1995 album) by Jason Isbell & Amanda Squires. It’s from the Sea Songs EP.

7. White Boy Lost In The Blues – Lyle Lovett's excellent version of the Michael Franks song, from his 2012 album Release Me.

8. I Don’t Know Why I Love You – Brand New Heavies bring the funk to the table on their run through of this Steve Wonder classic. It can be heard on their compilation, The Best Of 20 Years.

9. Great Big Kiss – The New York Dolls romp through a playful take on a Shangri-Las hit, from their album Seven Day Weekend.

10. Rock & Roll – Jerry Lee Lewis covers a Led Zeppelin standard, with a little assistance from Jimmy Page on guitar. From Jerry Lee’s 2006 release Last Man Standing.

11. Sugar Sugar – Wilson Pickett takes on the Archies bubblegum classic, and truly makes it his own, bringing the song into a soulful new direction. It's on The Very Best of Wilson Pickett.

12. If I Were a Carpenter – Robert Plant's nicely understated version of Tim Hardin’s folk classic is one of the best cuts on his 1993 album Fate of Nations.

Bonus Track: You – Lisa Mychols power pops her way through a cover of this George Harrison tune. It's one of the best tracks on the tribute disc He Was Fab: A Loving Tribute To George Harrison.