By Chris Moore:

Is for Karaoke EP (Pt. 2) (Relient K)

Released: October 4, 2011

Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Interstate Love Song” (originally performed by Stone Temple Pilots) & “You’re the Inspiration” (originally performed by Chicago)

This is already the second time this year that a young band has performed a cover of the Wallflowers’ “One Headlight”: first by Parachute in concert and now here as the opener to Is for Karaoke Pt. 2.  My first thought on this is that this is suggestive of some communal desire, subconscious or otherwise, for more of the sort of music Jakob Dylan specializes in.  His band’s masterpiece Red Letter Days (2002) may have gone even more unnoticed than 2000’s Breach (as if that was possible), and Rebel, Sweetheart (2005) fared even worse, but perhaps the time is right for a new Wallflowers record.  I think I heard something about that being in the works…  But we’re here to examine Relient K’s second EP of covers this year.  This seems like an odd distribution plan, and though I downloaded both, I must admit that these might as well have been a set of individual downloads than two supposedly cohesive EPs.  The production quality of this second set of covers may be as high as the first seven (who could deny that after hearing their take on Cake’s “The Distance”?), yet the selection is decidedly less dynamic.  One of the standouts is their version of Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration,” taking this epic love song into our decade, perhaps reminding some who have forgotten it.  (Though I’m not certain how expansive the market is for Relient K covers…)  The presence of certain tracks defies understanding; I have to wonder if they decided to tackle “Africa” simply because they stumbled across the same keyboard effect that Toto took for their own in the eighties.  Still, other tracks, like “Interstate Love Song,” are remarkably true to the original performances, and serve to further stretch Matt Thiessen’s range and show off his capabilities.  All told, I would download “Interstate Love Song” and “You’re the Inspiration,” maybe “Motorcycle Drive By” (originally by Third Eye Blind), return to Bringing Down the Horse (1996) for the Wallflowers version of “One Headlight,” and forget the rest.

People and Things (Jack’s Mannequin)

Producer: Jim Scott, Rob Cavallo, and Andrew McMahon

Released: October 4, 2011

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Amy, I” & “10 Days Gone” (Amazon Bonus Track)

As with 2008’s The Glass Passenger – which, by the way, gets name-dropped in “Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Gonna Die)” – People and Things is eminently listenable: always energetic, accompanied with passionate vocals, and all upon a foundation of rock piano.  Andrew McMahon is like the poppier Ben Folds: using piano to characterize his somber and reflective tunes, yet more predictable and, specifically, more predictably pop/rock than the aforementioned Folds.  This familiar style of arrangement works against People and Things concerning repeated listens, but once in the mood to listen, the album rolls out one expansive, epic production after another.  Some blend into the mix, none really falter, and a few rise up from the median: the heavily rendered ballad “Amy, I,” the near –scream of “Release Me,” and the gorgeously layered “People, Running,” not to mention the outstanding bonus track “10 Days Gone” (how that didn’t make the final cut is a head-shaker at best).  Jack’s Mannequin is a band I want desperately to hate, to despise for churning out formulaic piano indie pop/rock, and yet… I’m taken by it, every time; if only for that reason, I must recognize their achievement.  And they seem to be one of the few acts today – with a few exceptions, like the Wallflowers (see: Rebel, Sweetheart) – that understand how to use a comma, so there’s that…

The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams (Various Artists)

Released: October 4, 2011

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart?” (performed by Norah Jones) & “You Know That I Know” (performed by Jack White)

I can’t stomach modern country music.  I review a relatively wide range of popular music: generally, if there’s a guitar or piano or some bass or drums in the mix, if the track is at least performed by an artist who wrote the song, I’m willing to give it a shot.  I’ve recently expanded my reach into rap a bit.  But country…  Country…  I’ll save this rationale for another time, but suffice it to say that my distaste for country music is specifically for that of the modern variety; when it comes to Johnny Cash, I’m in awe.  Some of his peers and predecessors receive the same reprieve in my book, Hank Williams being one of them.  How could I not reserve such a space in my musical heart for a hero of Bob Dylan?  So big a space, in fact, that I’m willing to grant the Alan Jackson performance of “You’ve Been Lonesome, Too” a thumb’s up.  Norah Jones, Jack White, Jakob Dylan, and Sheryl Crow: who could ask for a better variety of popular artists to balance out the more straightforwardly country artists who perform the other half of the songs on The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams?  It’s a fascinating concept for a tribute album, really: take the lyrics to unfinished songs by Hank Williams, found with him after his death, and inject twelve new songwriting styles to put music to them.  What you end up with is a sort of collection of posthumous collaborations between Williams and contemporary artists.  Some have criticized the songs for being too flatly like Williams’ other originals, or too interpretive, strongly taking on the sound of the contemporary artist.  Regardless of your critical standpoint, it would be difficult to ignore this project as anything less than an interesting approach.  What would be the alternative: an album of covers?  Instead, curated by Bob Dylan and highlighting the second set of outstanding contributing performances by Norah Jones and Jack White this year, The Lost Notebooks is no Mermaid Avenue, but it’s almost on the level of Mermaid Avenue Volume II.  I would even recommend individual downloads for a more consistently enjoyable experience, but I wouldn’t suggest missing the liner notes that tie this project together.

The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (Ben Folds)

Released: October 11, 2011

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “House” (new Ben Folds Five recording) & “Rocky” (Ben Folds demo)

More than sixty songs, an additional five-song EP via free download, expansive and fittingly funny packaging, and all tied together with detailed liner notes by Ben Folds himself: The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective is, without argument, the best packaged Folds effort in a decade and perhaps ever.  Ever since the poorly designed barrage of EPs post-Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001), I’ve been hesitant about Folds’ non-album releases.  There have been more recent releases of questionable overall quality (the a cappella album, anyone?).  And yet, I had a good feeling about The Best Imitation of Myself, one that was confirmed in every conceivable way.  Whether you have loved his work since Ben Folds Five or have never heard of him before, I would strongly recommend picking up this set of essentials, live tracks, rare/unreleased songs, and three new Ben Folds Five recordings.  Speaking as someone who is not generally a fan of “best of” and “greatest hits” collections, I have no doubts that you won’t regret it. 

Bad As Me (Tom Waits)

Producer: Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan

Released: October 21, 2011

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “New Year’s Eve” & “Bad As Me”

Straight from the vocal chords that make modern-day Bob Dylan sound downright angelic comes an album from Tom Waits that, somehow without compromising his uniquely quirky – at times disturbing – sonic sensibilities, offers itself up as an immediately accessible work of artistic expression.  Its raw quality engineered by some of the best darkly folk musicians available, drawn together thematically by the failing state of the man, society, and morality in general, Bad As Me offers itself up to new realizations regarding vocals, instrumental performances, and perhaps most deeply through its lyrics with each listen.  The ramshackle stomp-rock of “Chicago” shakes the album to a start by riffing on escapist sentiments, “Raised Right Men” reinforces the reasons for leaving, and “Talking at the Same Time” adds a shockingly smooth quality to the mix, Waits’ voice rolling over the typically rough edges.  With nary a clunker in the set, all thirteen tracks of Bad As Me contribute hauntingly, fittingly to the stark culmination of the album in “New Year’s Eve.”

Mylo Xyloto (Coldplay)

Producer: Markus Dravs, Daniel Green, Rik Simpson, & Brian Eno

Released: October 24, 2011

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Us Against the World” & “Hurts Like Heaven”

Mylo Xyloto isn’t a step forward from 2008’s Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends, but it would be overstatement to suggest that it denotes a regression.  Instead, it is the logical blending of the pre-Viva La Vida style exemplified on X&Y (2005) with their new big picture perspective on the album.  As such, the concept-level of Viva La Vida isn’t quite achieved here, but neither is the uniform pop soundscape that came to a head for Coldplay in 2005.  Here, there are instrumental pieces added to provide transitions at key moments, and there is a sense that Mylo Xyloto embodies an attempt at cohesion (stronger in the first third than thereafter), a mixture of art and consumption-ready pop, clearly weighted toward the latter.  This is, after all, the band that, for three consecutive albums, has hit number one in all eleven countries deemed worthy of recognition in their Wikipedia profile.  Not a number two to be seen.  Last time around, the band’s work seemed much more worthy of the aforementioned accolades than this latest record, but Mylo Xyloto is far from a throwaway effort.  Why the world at large seems incapable of balanced criticism of this band, tending instead toward either blind devotion or deeply felt disgust, I will most likely never fully understand.  Simply put, Mylo Xyloto is good: it isn’t bad, but it isn’t great.

In the Key of Disney (Brian Wilson)

Producer: Brian Wilson

Released: October 25, 2011

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Colors of the Wind” & “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”

What, oh what, to write about an album of Disney covers…?  The eleven-track collection is surprisingly – or, given Brian Wilson’s legacy and recent track record, not surprisingly – In the Key of Disney is eminently listenable, adding maturity and characteristically Wilson-esque flairs to these children’s songs.  Some are transformed, as in the nearly perfect arrangement and performance of “Colors of the Wind” and the groovy rock version of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” while others offer greater resistance to assimilation into Wilson’s catalog at large, namely “The Bare Necessities” and, the admittedly typically brilliant vocal arrangements notwithstanding, the “Heigh-Ho / Whistle While You Work / Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” medley.  For the hardcore fan, In the Key of Disney won’t shake your faith in the master, but it probably won’t distract you for long from the news of the new Beach Boys material to be recorded by the four surviving members in 2012 either.

Ceremonials (Florence & the Machine)

Producer: Paul Epworth, James Ford, Charlie Hugall, Ben Roulston, Isabella Summers, & Eg White

Released: October 28, 2011

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Never Let Me Go” & “Breaking Down”

As promised by Florence Welch herself, Florence & the Machine’s sophomore effort Ceremonials offers up more in the way of beats this time around, adding vitality to her murky lead vocals and the deep intonations of her piano work.  There is a decidedly heavier, more epic feel to much of her work here that makes good on the potential she demonstrated on 2009’s Lungs.  There is still a certain dynamic quality lacking in even Ceremonials, but this album certainly suggests a significant step forward, a surging of confidence in the tenor and energy of tracks like “Shake It Out” and “Never Let Me Go,” as in the compositional ambition and vocal saturation apparent in “Breaking Down.”

By Chris Moore:

RATING:  4.5 / 5 stars

Nowhere else in the Bob Dylan catalog will you find a title that is simultaneously so blunt and yet so aptly written.

To be certain, Another Side of Bob Dylan may have been released in the same year as the preceding The Times They Are A-Changin’, an album that earns the distinction of being the most topical, protest-driven record in his resume.  The arrangement here on the fourth is the same as his first three albums: vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica.  There is a lyrical poem, “Some Other Kinds of Songs…,” included in this packaging, much like the previous record’s “11 Outlined Epitaphs.”

And yet, in many ways, this album’s material and approach could not be more divergent from what Dylan fans had come to expect.

For one thing, the in-your-face lyricism of his previous protest-genre songs is gone here, replaced by the more abstract, vivid, and provocative lines that begin to demonstrate a different aspect of Dylan’s worldview.  And, although I do love The Times They Are A-Changin’, it feels like he regressed in some ways after Freewheelin’, stating the “truth” on songs like the title track.  Here, on Another Side, he is back to asking questions a la “Blowin’ in the Wind,” perhaps most notably in “Ballad in Plain D” when he sings, “‘Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?’”

Even the arrangements — or perhaps the delivery more than the sounds — have progressed here, noticeable from the first “doooooo” of “All I Really Wanna Do.”  Dylan is clearly relaxing on this record a bit, allowing his most honest voice to shine through at times in ways that would have seemed out of place on the more serious tracks of his previous album.  Songs like “Black Crow Blues” and particularly “Motorpsycho Nightmare” simply wouldn’t have fit on previous records in all their humorous glory, oftentimes verging on the absurd (i.e. in “Motorpsycho Nightmare”: “I had to say something /to strike him very weird, /so I yelled out, /’I like Fidel Castro and his beard.’ /Rita looked offended / But she got out of the way /As he came charging down the stairs /Sayin’, ‘What’s that I heard you say?’”)

Bob Dylan's "Another Side of Bob Dylan" (1964)

If you think that Dylan was an impressive lyricist prior to this album, then Another Side redefines one’s sense of what it means for words to be “impressive.”  Across the eleven tracks, it’s understandable if the listener might feel swept away into a world entirely separate from our own, into an environment where it is possible for the most raw of emotions and convictions to be translated into words.

In “My Back Pages,” Dylan sings that “Lies that life is black and white spoke from my skull.”  This is an admission of the shortsightedness of his youth, perhaps equally as much as it is a commentary on his own mortality, as he refers to his “skull” rather than his mind, soul, or something else more spiritual.

In my career as a teacher, I have always tried to avoid the pitfalls of the so-called “mongrel dogs who teach”…

Where he is not experimenting with word play (as in “All I Really Wanna Do,” “I ain’t lookin’ to compete with you /Beat or cheat or mistreat you /Simplify you, classify you /Deny, defy or crucify you”), he is surpassing the best songs of his catalog (think: “I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)” as an updated departure song since “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” sung with all the bitterness that the lyrics require.

Even within this broad range of topics and interests, Dylan has come a long way towards blending his thoughts across multiple songs, avoiding any particular tags.  For instance, “It Ain’t Me, Babe” could be viewed as a sad love song, and it could also be read as a statement about his opinions on the folk movement: “You say you’re lookin’ for someone /Who will promise never to part /Someone to close his eyes for you /Someone to close his heart /Someone who will die for you an’ more /But it ain’t me, babe.”  This new side of Bob Dylan is adamant that he must follow his heart and do what he feels is right, rather than acquiesce to the demands and expectations of others.  Closing his eyes or his heart are simply not options.

This sense of increased confidence amidst confessions of his perceived over-confidence is carefully worked out across the record, aided by his unflinching assessments of others (recall “Ballad in Plain D,” when he sings, “I stole her away /From her mother and sister, though close did they stay /Each one of them suffering from the failures of their day.”  Increasingly, Dylan does not rely on grand, poetic statements or metaphors to capture his meaning; rather, he can deconstruct a character’s psychology through deceptively simple lines, like pointing out the “suffering from the failures of their day.”

Additionally, Dylan’s artistry is all the more complete for the inclusion of a track like “To Ramona,” on which he sings, “Everything passes /Everything changes /Just do what you think you should do /And someday maybe /Who knows, baby /I’ll come and be cryin’ to you.”  Pioneering some cross between sagely wisdom and open vulnerability, this track reads in many ways like the logical progression of Freewheelin’ alum “Girl of the North Country,” if it is even possible to improve upon such a beautifully bittersweet track.

Finally, he has not even abandoned politics entirely as one might imagine.  Instead, he approaches this topic — and this shouldn’t come as a surprise — with more subtlety and humor, as when he sings in “I Shall Be Free No. 10,” “Now, I’m liberal, but to a degree /I want ev’rybody to be free /But if you think that I’ll let Barry Goldwater /Move in next door and marry my daughter /You must think I’m crazy! /I wouldn’t let him do it for all the farms in Cuba.”  That last line is particularly funny, and again signals the spark of an entirely fresh and exciting step in Dylan’s evolution as a songwriter.

What is most impressive is that, as young as he was, Dylan was such a gifted and careful wordsmith.  I’m always struck by his choice of words here; he does not label these songs as “the other side” of Bob Dylan.  Rather, this is “another side,” suggesting that there are more than two sides to him.

As the numerous outstanding albums of his career — Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, Slow Train Coming, and Time Out of Mind, just to name a few — would go on to suggest, there are myriad sides to this singer/songwriter.  And, if last year’s release of Christmas in the Heart is any indication, there may yet be many more sides to explore.

By Jim Fusco:

Hey hey, everyone!  Time for another Laptop Session acoustic cover song music video from yours truly, Jim Fusco!

Tonight, I bring you a song that I’ve known for a very long time- “It Ain’t Me Babe” by the Turtles.  Of course, it took until Chris became interested in Bob Dylan (sometime around 2000) for me to realize that he actually wrote this song.  So, why did I come back to it tonight?

Well, I love the Turtles version- it’s a great rock song that has slow parts on the verses and faster rockin’ parts on the choruses.  Plus, it’s short and just has so much energy packed into it’s two minutes.

But, I also thought of covering it because I was just listening to “The Bob Dylan Show”, which is a radio show on our own WCJM Radio.  This really isn’t a great show in terms of execution- Chris and I did it on a whim and Chris just wasn’t on his “A-game” when it came to on-air chatter.  For the most part, the show seems forced and that’s probably why I kept it offline and in the archives since the summer of 2001 when it was recorded.

Actually, an interesting note- Chris talks about looking forward to when Dylan’s new album at the time, “Love and Theft”, would be released- he says he can’t wait for September 11th to get here.  Little did we all know…

But, I digress.

The show actually redeems itself because of the music (which is surprising when talking about a show with all Bob Dylan music).  The covers of his songs from Manfred Mann (“The Mighty Quinn”) and George Harrison (“I’d Have You Anytime” and the co-written “If Not For You”) are great additions.  I actually listened to the show twice this week (putting up with the really poor dialogue- I’ve had better conversations with myself!) because I wanted to hear those great cover versions of Dylan’s songs again from the likes of Eric Clapton (“Born In Time”), Jimi Hendrix (“All Along the Watchtower”) and, of course, the Byrds.

So, after you’re done watching my acoustic cover song music video here today, you should head on over to WCJM Internet Radio and listen to “The Bob Dylan Show” (or any other show there) absolutely free!  There’s nothing to sign up for or anything like that.  Just click “Play” and start listening.  Click HERE to visit the “Jammin’ With Jim Show” page and click on “The Bob Dylan Show”.

I hope you enjoy both forms of entertainment this Tuesday.  I’m very excited for the next few days, as they’re starting to frame our new home and all employees at work were given a surprise free “Appreciation Day” off, so I get to choose any day in the next two weeks and just not go to work!  I love my job.

Have a great one, and to echo Chris’ sentiment yesterday- please make sure to come back for another great acoustic rock cover song music video from our very own Jeff Copperthite on his “Thumpin’ Thursday” post!  See you next week.

For the cover song music video, CLICK HERE!

“New Pony”
Bob Dylan (Covered by the Dead Weather)

A
I had a pony; her name was Lucifer.
I had a pony; her name was Lucifer.
A                     E
She broke her leg and needed shooting;
E                                                                        A
I swear it hurt me more than it could’ve hurted her.

Sometimes I wonder what’s going on with Miss X.
Sometimes I wonder what’s going on with Miss X.
She got such as sweet disposition;
I never know what the poor girl’s gonna do to me next.

I got a new pony; she knows how to fox trot, lope, and pace.
I got a new pony; she knows how to fox trot, lope, and pace.
She got great big hind legs;
Long big shiny hair hanging in her face.

SOLO

Everybody says you’re using voodoo; I’ve seen your feet walk by themselves.
Everybody says you’re using voodoo; I’ve seen your feet walk by themselves.
Oh baby, but that god that you’ve been praying to
Gonna give you back what you wishing on someone else.

Come over here, pony; I wanna climb up one time on you.
Come over here, pony; I wanna climb up one time on you.
You oh so nasty and you’re so bad,
But I swear I love you, yes, I do.