THE ROSE REVIEW: Music

NEW TALKING HEADS DUALDISCS MAKE CLASSIC ALBUMS EVEN BETTER

2006-03-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

by Don Rose

Love Talking Heads? Whether you want to rediscover the discs you loved, or are discovering TH for the first time, the new DualDiscs from Rhino shine. Highly recommended.

As you may know, DualDiscs feature two sides -- regular CD on one side, DVD with enhanced content on the other. What enhanced content, you ask? For a start, all the songs in better audio. Plus, extras like videos and photos.

On "Talking Heads 77", one of their very early efforts, the music sounds fantastic, but the video of "Pulled Up" hooked me completely, you will love it. For one thing, it was filmed amateur style, with no cuts, just one long slightly-shaky take, at a college show (apparently their encore, since they left the stage once it was done). Seeing all the young heads in the audience bobbing up and down to the tune was great fun, and the sound of this live recording is amazingly clear and crisp. Of course, it also helps that it is a great song, simply stellar timeless pop. The DualDisc also has another rare video treat, an early song featuring David Byrne singing shyly and no Jerry Harrison, and drummer Chris Frantz on vibes rather than drums. A rough song, sounding like it still needed some work, yet delightful in its roughness and strangeness. What gems!

On the "Speaking In Tongues" dualdisc, there are also nice bonuses in addition to all the original songs -- 2 bonus tracks on the CD side, and an alternate 5.1 mix of "Burning Down the House" on the DVD side -- which also contains two videos ("...House" and "This Must Be The Place").

In short, go explore the new Talking Heads dualdiscs, you will have fun. And if you are ever in a down mood, just put on "Pulled Up"; you will feel better, guaranteed.

# # #

MAR.14: THE NEW CARS, LIVE AT HOB SUNSET TUES MORN?

2006-03-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Are the Cars reforming, and playing live at the House of Blues on Sunset this Tuesday morning? It certainly seems so. The rumors appear to be fact. And Todd Rundgren seems to be the new frontman. I was also told that Jay Leno is having "The New Cars" on "The Tonight Show" Tuesday night.

Here are the highlights of what I've found on the Web about all this (mainly from Deaconlight.com and KasimInfo.com -- all of the following is from these other websites):

=====================================

New Cars Live Performance Tuesday Morning

Deaconlight.com received this bulletin:

Go to the House of Blues in Los Angeles (Sunset Blvd) this coming Tuesday, March 14th at 9:15 a.m. to watch one of the most successful bands of the late '70s and early '80s perform for the first time in 17 years.
Be the first to find out who it is and hear some of your favorite songs.
This legendary band heavily influenced hot acts like The Killers and The Bravery who are leading the worldwide new wave revival. But now, fans young and old will get to see true pioneers of this sound perform LIVE in concert!

Are the Pretenders on Board?
There have been some suggestions floating around online that the Pretenders will be included on this tour or part of it. Perhaps it is just chance the new Pretenders 5-disc Box Set Pirate Radio will be released the same day of the press conferenced mentioned below.

Press Conference Scheduled for "Let the Good Times Roll Again" at House of Blues in LA

Well, to paraphrase Todd Rundgren's quote, it looks like the Model 2006 New Cars will officially roll off the lot Tuesday, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, CA.

You can see the full press release - where else? - KasimInfo.com/Blog.html .

New Cars 2006 Model to Hit the Road in May with Todd Rundgren Behind the Wheel
Deaconlight.com, March 5, 2006

Forget the Rumours - The New Cars are Bona Fide!

I just got this link (below). ................. Now although there is nothing that explicity announces the new lineup (that I found on my first visit), if you dig around you will find enough evidence pointing to what's coming. You can sign up for alerts, buy stuff, listen to the juke box. It's obvious there will be some fun stuff to do on this site.
www.thecarszone.com
THIS IS THE OFFICIAL CARS WEB SITE!

More About the New Cars

The New Cars to appear on Jay Leno March 14.

for more info see:

KasimInfo.com/Blog.html

Todd Rundgren Deaconlight.com Page
The Cars Deaconlight.com Page
Blondie Deaconlight.com Page '

And...
www.thenewcars.com
www.thenewcars.net

# # #

MAR.2 - CHUTZPAH LIVE AT KNITTING FACTORY, L.A./HOLLYWOOD

2006-03-02T00:29:00.000-08:00

Don Rose recommends................CHUTZPAH..................
I saw these guys at the hot Spider Club here in L.A. a few weeks back, and they were a blast. They even had star actor Gary Oldman introduce them! And what's this -- George Segal as hip hop star? Yep. Takes a lotta chutzpah to pull it off, but he does, somehow... hence he and his cohorts really do live up to their name. And check out the press release below, what chutzpah to challenge the all-consuming Oscars! Love it. Check 'em out at the Knitting Factory... before they get too big for their britches (or is it bitches?)...
...........................................................................................

OSCARS SCHMOSCARS!

I know they're coming up soon but...

You're just letting the manic media mavens misdirect

your attention away from what's really important....

CHUTZPAH!

Come to the show tomorrow night...

whether you just wanna have fun or

you wanna catch the fast ascent of your local Hebrew Homeboys

before they split for the HBO Comedy Arts Festival on March 8

...whatever your deal, don't cheat yourself out of

THE PLEASURE THAT IS

CHUTZPAH!

***********

Thursday, March 2, 2006 - 9:00pm

CHUTZPAH

"THE WORLD'S FIRST EVER

JEWISH HIP HOP SUPERGROUP"

Makes life worth living with

another LIVE performance in LA

"Hip Hop a Licious"

with CHUTZPAH

and Special Guests...

...a once-a-month

'dream come true (for you!)'

residency at

The Knitting Factory

the First Thursday of Every Month!

This Thursday's Bill:

Etan G

CHUTZPAH

The Q Brothers

and

DJ Mondo!

Only $10!

Catch CHUTZPAH before they take off for

HBO's Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen

for the World Premiere of "Chutzpah, This Is?"

Click link to see Chutzpah on Fox11 News!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=klFidbPj1kQ

VH1 VAL DAY QUOTES: MUSICAL INSPIRATION TO PREPARE FOR FEB.14

2006-01-09T04:14:00.000-08:00

VH1.com has a webpage that collects some choice quotes about Valentine's Day, from a wide range of musical artists. (Sure, it's January, but can it ever be too early to prepare to please your partner? Okay, don't answer. It's rhetorical, Mr. Cynic. One of my resolutions was to stop procrastinating, so sue me if I'm a tad early.) Here are some highlights:

Al Jourgensen - Ministry

My wife and I have two songs that are "our" songs. There's Buck Owens' "Excuse Me, I Think I've Got a Heartache." It's just your basic Bakersfield sound from the early `60s. It's got a skiffle train beat and a lot of pedal steel. I wouldn't do Buck justice to sing it for you! Then at Graceland, while we were getting married, they were blasting "Can't Help Falling in Love With You." Two schmaltzy, corny songs.

David Crosby

You know what we do on Valentine's Day? We sneak off by ourselves, and...Well, this is how I do it. I go get crayons and scissors and glue. And I make a valentine for her. They're usually pretty elaborate; they've got a lot of colors. And they're kind of corny. And we've been doing that for a long time, we make Valentine's for each other.......

Jeffrey Gaines

I've got the very best intentions for Valentine's Day. All I want to do is love everyone! I used to love it when we were in elementary school and you'd get that box of Valentine's and hand them out to everyone. Now everyone says, "Well, what did she get? And what did she get?" It's like a love competition! I'm like, "It's like a family. It's nothing. Don't be that way, because life's too short." As far as songs go, there's a Byrds track called "Triad" where David Crosby sings, "Why can't we go on as three?" That's a good song for Valentine's Day.

Andy Bell - Erasure

I just bought my Valentine's card today. It's got a 3D baby on the front and it says, "Whenever I'm near you, I get all hot and flustered. For you I would dance all day in my pants and swim through a river of custard." I don't really get into it. I love roses and I love receiving flowers, so I love sending them. ....... As far as physical romance goes, the first sign of lust is looking into someone's eyes and really wanting to kiss their lips.

Gaz Coombes - Supergrass
Our Valentine's song is "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones. It's quite nice, but it's a bit cheesy. It's not really our song because of the content, it's because we always played it in my girlfriend's bedroom when we first got it together!

To see the rest of the quotes, from many more artists, click here.

And if you can't dream up a unique experience, musical or otherwise, for your special someone, there is always flowers. The one Val Day gift that's always music to a mate's ears.

Even Mr. or Ms. Cynic.

JAN 11-FEB26: Remembering Ricky Nelson at MTR

2006-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Remembering Ricky Nelson at MTR, Museum of TV and Radio

January 11 to February 26, 2006
Wednesdays to Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The rarely seen documentary, It's All Right Now Rick Nelson, which was produced by acclaimed filmmakers Lynne Littman (Testament) and Taylor Hackford (Ray), will screen along with an original 1966 musical, On the Flip Side, that stars Nelson and includes songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

www.mtr.org

2005 BEST-OF PICK: DICK CAVETT SHOW DVD TRIO

2005-12-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

Ray Charles? Rock Icons? even John Lennon and Yoko Ono?
Yeah , yeah , yeah!

OK, maybe I regret that last line, but you won't regret getting these discs. Those names above are the subjects of 3 new 2005-released DVD's from the vaults of "The Dick Cavett Show", one of the great TV talk shows of the 60s-70s era, or any time for that matter. What other guy could talk to Groucho one minute, then have the Stones or Bowie bowing the next?

Wonderful collections... guaranteed regifting-proof.
Take a trip back to when music actually had melody. You will dig it.

BACK DOOR CROWES OFFER FREE DOWNLOAD, NOT IN STORES

2005-12-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

THE BLACK CROWES recently took time out from their tour to record a cover of an R&B holiday song, "Back Door Santa." This marked the band’s first visit to the studio since the recording sessions for 2001’s LIONS album. They rejoined forces with producer George Drakoulias, who worked with them on their first two albums. Don’t look for “Back Door Santa” in stores, as it won’t be sold commercially; instead it will be available as a free download on their website (www.blackcrowes.com), and you can bet the band will play it at their first-ever headlining show at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve.

Lennon Lives: Music Legend Celebrated with a Free Download of 'Imagine'

2005-12-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Sapphire Recording is celebrating the life and music of John Lennon on Thursday, December 8, 2005 by offering a free download of the first movement of their new compact disc, “Imagine: A Flute Serenade."

While it has been 25 years this December 8th since John Lennon has lived an earthly existence, his music is continually reborn as a cultural touchstone. In this spirit, Sapphire Recording is releasing “Imagine: A Flute Serenade” by Michael Rose, which incorporates Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Give Peace a Chance” into an instrumental tribute. And from December 8, 2005 until January 2, 2006, visitors to www.SapphireRecording.com can download the complete twelve minutes of the 1st movement, Imagine, for free.

Taking a cue from the ethereal piano introduction of John Lennon’s original recording of “Imagine”, Michael’s flute spontaneously weaves peaceful, meditative and moving improvisations on the melody and chorus of the song. His music has been called ‘ambient’, even ‘New Age’, and fans have used it for meditation, relaxation, highway traveling, as well as background music for massage.

This unusual musical composition is a complete Serenade based on John Lennon's Imagine and other famous songs for peace. This is a completely instrumental collection, woven with spontaneous flute improvisations on these themes with powerful backgrounds of piano, synthesizer, tambura and tables. The form is actual classical with distinctive related movements, and repetitions and variations on the various themes in each movement. The second movement (Larghetto) is This Land based on the ubiquitous Woody Guthrie song along with its Russian equivalent, Meadowlands. The Third movement (Trio/Scherzo) takes off on the melody of John Denver’s Calypso and other sea songs by Gordon Bok. The last movement (Andante) is a world music rendition of Give Peace a Chance With tablas providing rhythms that move seamlessly from 4/4 to 5/4 to 7/8 calling forth a dreamlike state. One can almost imagine Dave Brubeck and Ravi Shankar sitting in on the performance.

While the basic outline of each piece was conceptually composed by Michael Rose, he spontaneously recorded the actual melodic and improvisational flute parts without notes or written music. Sapphire Recordings invites the listener to become a co-creator of peace while listening these melodies. As the liner notes to the CD say, “Let your own listening be a way to bring love, healing, and energy to the planet. It's one small way for you to help the world to give peace a chance.”

Imagine: A Flute Serenade is available through:
www.cdbaby.com/rosemichael
www.amazon.com
www.internatural.com

The theme of Sapphire Recording is:
Music for Meditation, Music for Dreaming, Music to Open Your Heart

Soon to be released will be Amazing Grace, another flute serenade that soars from the traditional Appalachian melody to eastern European chants and hymns from India. And for children, there’s Doggie in the Window, a collection of flute instrumental lullabies “for babies, puppies, and sleepy mommies and daddies.” Michael Rose recorded amazing Grace live at an Earth Healing concert, and his Doggie in the Window has even been used on subliminal tapes for dogs.

About the artist, Michael Rose:
Flautist Michael Rose began learning flute at the age of 9 from his father. By the time he was 13 he was studying with Arthur Goldring, who had played under the great conductor Toscannini. Michael also learned recorder from Arnold Grayson in Coconut Grove, Florida. At New College he studied jazz with the legendary jazz trombonist, Buster Cooper, and also took lessons from North Indian Classical music virtuoso , Roop Verma. He remembers the first Beatle’s releases in the USA and the screaming girls, as well as the rumbling of “A Day in the Life” from Sgt. Pepper knocking him off his feet. When John Lennon’s first album came out, he remembers dancing with his friends in the fields of Canada singing, “One thing you can’t hide is when you’re crippled inside”. A serious student of music theory and world music, Michael Rose uses all of his background to create a complete cycle of unique improvisations in the Flute Serenade, Imagine. Michael’s artistic philosophy is summed up by his favorite poet, William Carlos Williams who said, “I believe in the power of beauty to right all wrongs.”

NAPSTER 3.5 ROCKS - LATEST SOFTWARE BOASTS BETTER INTERFACE, MORE CHOICES

2005-11-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

More songs (1.5 million is probably more than you can consume in 1.5 lifetimes), plus a slicker more useful interface, makes the latest version of Napster's music software a must-see for fans of online tune downloading and sharing. More info at: www.napster.com

Free Download: 11MB

TONIGHT, NOV18: A COUPLA CAPITOL CONCERTS: SHOUT OUT LOUD, THE DANDY WARHOLS

2005-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Why not Capitol-ize on the fact that a couple of great bands are playing in LA tonight:

At 8:00 p.m., Swedish indie poppers Shout Out Loud play,
promoting new album HOWL HOWL GAFF GAFF.
The Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood.

And, at 9:00 p.m., The Dandy Warhols perform, along with The Out Crowd.
Avalon, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood.

Choices, choices.
Whichever one you see, buy the other's album, and then you're covered.
More info on the bands at www.capitolrecords.com.

Now, tell me Shout Out Loud and The Out Crowd wouldn't be a great double bill to say out loud...

NEW DICK CAVETT DVD FEATURING LENNON/YOKO DUE NOV.1

2005-10-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on The Dick Cavett Show three times. Clearly, they enjoyed their time with Cavett as these television interviews stand out as their most relaxed and in-depth. The show which aired on September 11, 1971 (taped three days prior) is noted as Lennon's first American on-camera interview after the Beatles split.

After the taping of that show ended, John and Yoko remained on set and continued their interview with Cavett while the cameras remained rolling. These interview segments were later woven into the show which aired two weeks later, on September 24th. During their first visit with Cavett, John and Yoko promised the host they'd return to perform; they honored that promise for the show that aired May 12th, each performing one song.

The 2-disc set also includes all-new episode introductions, and a featurette interview with Dick Cavett. The new Cavett DVD will be available in stores November 1, 2005.

(Also look for another great DVD, currently available in stores, "Dick Cavett: Rock Icons".)

BLACK CROWES TO GIVE PROCEEDS FROM OCTOBER 7 MUD ISLAND AMPHITHEATRE SHOW IN MEMPHIS TO HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS

2005-09-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

THE BLACK CROWES, together with their Memphis promoter, Don Fox at Beaver Productions, will dedicate their performance and all proceeds from their October 7 show at the Mud Island Amphitheatre to people who’ve been misplaced by Hurricane Katrina. Fans attending the show in Memphis will be encouraged to donate canned food and clothing, the distribution of which Beaver Productions will oversee.

The band’s longtime manager Pete Angelus (Angelus Entertainment) says, “We have all been profoundly saddened and deeply moved by the tragic events that recently unfolded in the Gulf Coast. In that regard, this will be the first of many efforts made by The Black Crowes—and as many of the ‘Amoricans’ in their loyal fan base that care to be included—to reach out and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and their families.”

Don Fox, whose home office in New Orleans was decimated in the flood, added: “Beaver Productions has been part of the Memphis and New Orleans music scene for many years and we are very proud to be working with The Black Crowes to help the victims of Katrina.”

10 or MORE FREE SONGS, IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO TOP MAGAZINES!

2005-09-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

10 free songs if you subscribe to ESQUIRE, see ad at music.msn.com

Also at that site: another great deal, if ROLLING STONE magazine is more your thing:
Subscribe to Rolling Stone and you'll receive a code worth 12 free songs on MSN Music with your first issue.

One year of Rolling Stone Magazine (26 issues)

12 free downloads from MSN Music

Special promotion price of $12.97

12 songs is worth around 12 bucks if you had paid/downloaded them online, and the mag is already a great deal if you subscribe, so this sounds like music to my ears.

VIRGIN DIGITAL: YET ANOTHER MUSIC DOWNLOAD SERVICE LAUNCHES

2005-09-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Check it out at virgindigital.com

AD: Learn to Play BEATLE Songs on Guitar

2005-08-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Experienced, patient, down-to-earth guitar teacher/performer/songwriter (and former singer/guitarist with Beatlesque band "The Blend") will tutor you in your home, teaching you how to play guitar. Any age or level of musical skill okay.

Learn to play Beatle songs! (and other melodic tunes).
Discover the joy of making music!

Currently available at the discounted rate of $40 per hour.
Will drive to you (if you are in the LA area).
All you need is a guitar... and a love of learning.

More info: contact Don at ddrose@aol.com

RIP RIO: PIONEERING MP3player GOING BYE BYE

2005-08-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

The RIO digital music player is joining the ranks of all ground-breaking technology that gets overtaken by intense competition. According to "Digital Village" on KPFK (90.7 FM in LA), the parent company that has made the Rio -- an MP3 player that helped jumpstart the huge digital portable media industry -- announced that soon they will no longer make it.

Via con dios, Rio.

JUL 22 - AUG 7: IPO RETURNS TO LA! POP/ROCK MEGAFEST

2005-07-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

The 8th Annual International Pop Overthrow in
Los Angeles will be held from July 22-August 7! IPO Los Angeles will
feature more than 170 of the best pop and rock bands from all over the
world! We will be using eight different venues; 23 shows in all!

You can check out the schedule at
http://www.internationalpopoverthrow.com/la05.htm

It's going to be quite the pop extravaganza, so don't miss it!

CRAZY FOR CRAZY FROG, or, Peter Principle of Pop Phenomena?

2005-06-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ted.Cohen@EMICAP.COM writes (on KenRadio's CONNECTED mailing list):

"the #1 song in the U.K., over every band in the world, is a ringtone" --- Do you really believe that Crazy Frog is the beginning of a sweeping new trend in music?? Or maybe just "Purple People Eater 2005 "??

Just wondering

Hi Ted,

I think it's the latter. Good analogy, actually -- both song subjects being non-human!

Just proves yet again that if something is a bit crazy and weird and gains viral wordofmouth steam and becomes a net phenomenon, it can morph into other media as hits, too -- but then seems to die out fast in just about every case. (A Peter Principle of Pop Phenomena, Perhaps?) Another example: Dancing Baby... was born online, became viral net-phenom, made it into a hit TV show episode (Ally McBeal), then didn't last much longer, didn't really have strong legs (cute little legs, maybe, but not strong ones). --------Don

Ed. Note: Ted Cohen and other interesting folks discussed current trends in music on the most recent installment of KCRW's entertainment-analysis-news show, "The Business"; go to www.kcrw.com for archived shows.

KEY CLUB: UPCOMING SHOW CALENDAR

2005-05-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

DATE / SHOW / GENRE / DOORS / TICKETS

05.05.05 UMPHREY’S MCGEE Jam Band/Rock 8:00 PM $15.00

05.05.05 VIDEOSTAR 80’s New Wave Residency 9:00 PM $10.00

05.06.05 POWDER Rock 7:00 PM $15.00

05.08.05 PIGFACE Goth Metal 7:00 PM $15 adv/$18 day of

Sheep on Drugs, Nocturne, Voodou

05.12.05 FREQUINOX Jam Band/Rock 8:00 PM $15 adv/$17 day of

Delta Nove

05.12.05 VIDEOSTAR 80’s New Wave Residency 9:00 PM $10.00

05.13.05 AMERICAN EYES Indie Rock TBA TBA

05.19.05 SMILE EMPTY SOUL Hard Rock 7:00 PM $12.00

Fractional, Ananova

05.21.05 ZACK HEXUM Alt. Rock 7:00 PM $10 adv/$12 day of

Just Jinger, Feed the Kitty, & Nico Vega

05.27.05 ONE POUND PENNY Local Rock TBA TBA

05.28.05 PHANTOM ROCKERS Psychobilly TBA $10.00

Hellbillys, Slanderin, Los Creepsers, The Henchmen

06.01.05 AGENT STEEL Speed Metal 7:30 PM $10 adv/$12 day of

Resistance, Bloodlust

06.16.05 OTTMAR LEIBERT & LUNA NEGRA Jazz/New Age 7:00 PM $30.00

(Seated Show, Dinner Packages Available)

06.17.05 ROBERT EARL KEAN Alt Country 7:00 PM $20.00

Paul Thorn

06.19.05 DEICIDE Metal 7:00 PM $25.00

Immolation, Skinless, Despised Icon, With Passion, Gatekeeper

06.24.05 SPIN DOCTORS Alt. Rock 7:00 PM $15.00

07.06.05 JUNIOR BROWN Alt Country 7:00 PM $20.00

09.25.05 THERION Prog Rock 8:00 PM $25 adv/$30 day of

Deception

10.10.05 STRATOVARIUS Rock 7:00 PM $29.50

11.10.05 DAVID ALLAN COE Country/Rock 7:00 PM $23.00

for more info, see the Key Club website at www.keyclub.com .

"LENNON REVEALED": NEW BEATLE BOOK (w/ dvd) COMING SOON

2005-05-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Chris Carter, host of the ever-popular BREAKFAST WITH THE BEATLES radio show, said today that famed Beatleologist/journalist Larry Kane is set to release a new book entitled "Lennon Revealed". A nice bonus will be a DVD, included with the book, that contains what Carter calls one of the best interviews ever done with John Lennon and Paul McCartney (conversing with Kane, from around the time of the two hitmeisters' Tonight Show appearance in 1968, said Carter).

MAY 1-4 EVENT: MUSEXPO Music & Media Forum

2005-05-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Read all the details at: http://trrevents.blogspot.com/2005/05/may-1-4-musexpo-music-media-forum.html

REAL's RHAPSODY, REBORN: (Free) MUSIC TO YOUR EARS?

2005-04-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

A New Business Model For REAL?

by Don Rose

Seems REAL NETWORKS has decided to do something potentially revolutionary on this, the 10th anniversary of its launch, way back in the embryonic 'net days of 1995. Here is the (New) Deal:

You can now get "free music" every month (see below).
Over a million songs to choose from.
Download Rhapsody software - FREE.
(They are calling it the "Digital Music Revolution".)
No credit card required. No commitment.

"Sponsor: Chrysler" (ahh, so maybe this is an AD based biz model now? At least in part?)

Here's what their "Digital Music Revolution" brings you, according to Real:

* "Hours of free music every month
* Your choice of 1,000,000+ songs
* Completely ad-free radio stations
* Software to manage all your music
* The power to mix and burn CDs"

See their website, www.real.com , to check out the fine print.
By digging further on their site, I found some more details:

"Download Rhapsody’s revolutionary jukebox software and get hours of on-demand plays every month from our million+ song Rhapsody® library, plus a lot more – with no credit card or commitment required.
--Complete jukebox software
--Free radio stations
--No monthly fee
--CD burning
--Music transfer to 100+ devices
--Playlist sharing in Playlist Central"

And more details:

"Create a Rhapsody account and get all the great features of our player software. No credit card required and nothing to cancel.
If you like what you hear you can upgrade anytime for unlimited access to our entire music catalog of over 1 million songs.
Your FREE Rhapsody account includes:
	Complete Music Management Software
	25 Ad-Free Radio Stations
	One-click music store access
	25 free song plays each and every month"

Available in the US only.

So, in summary, it seems the big news here is the "no credit card or commitment" part to get rolling with Rhapsody, and the chance to enjoy 25 free songs each month -- all as enticement to get you to eventually upgrade and pay per month to rent songs in an "all you can eat" model (which Napster has been promoting heavily as of late). In other words, Real is betting that, to paraphrase an old Lay's Potato Chip campaign, "bet you can't eat just 25". Real's announcement today could be quite a development in the ongoing music downloading saga, and seems well worth checking out.

N2GO A GO!: NAPSTER ROCKS YOUR MUSIC WORLD... AGAIN

2005-03-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

"Napster To Go" Latest Advance In Music Downloading Evolution; Allowing Songs On MP3 Players Heats Up Competition With Apple, May Make Pay-Per-Tune Model Obsolete

by Don Rose

(March 30, 2005: West Hollywood, CA) As we all remember, Napster rocked our world back in the Dot Com Boom, by making Peer To Peer music downloading a household phenomenon -- and inspiring millions to huddle around the "comp-fire" to upload/download millions of tunes. Cut to today: a new mini Net Boom of sorts is back, and the Cat has come Back in a big way in its battle with Apple for music downloading supremacy -- first by relaunching (as a fine pay service), then topping itself with its unique new service called NAPSTER TO GO. The key New Thing here: PORTABILITY OF SONGS, allowing N2GO subscribers to download and listen to an UNLIMITED amount of music, and do so on (certain compatible) MP3 players, as long as a low monthly $14.95 fee is paid. So, if you are the type who, say, buys at least 1 new CD each month, on average, that same general price can instead get you all the songs you want (on a PC or an MP3 player, at home or on the road).

To get the word out with a Big Bang here in L.A., Napster took over Mel's Diner on the Sunset Strip tonight, with celebs like Nick Lachey in attendance, to give music lovers a lot of FREE tunes, FREE coffee -- and, yes, even FREE MP3 players! (The latter being the amazingly cool iRiver H10 5GB MP3 Player, which not only holds upwards of a thousand tunes but can display photos, record FM or your voice, and file your taxes -- okay, okay, not the latter, just making sure you're paying attention, but by the way, you have two weeks left to file -- and speaking of files, you can store all the songs you want from Napster, for as long as you want, pretty much wherever you want, thanks to N2go -- from a pool of tunes totalling one MILLION, says the Napster website -- as long as that aforementioned fee is paid each month; if you stop paying the monthly fee, you can no longer listen to the songs you downloaded, so in essence you are renting them).

You may be wondering, is it better to RENT or OWN when it comes to music? Well, do the math. If you currently buy at least 15 songs a month from napster.com or iTunes.com or other similar services -- or, say, buy around 1 CD a month from real-world "dino-stores" or online stores -- you get a MUCH better deal from Napster To Go, which lets you listen to UNLIMITED songs (ok, a million, but to many that's plenty) -- yet it's around the same price per month. For those who download a lot of music, who like to find and try new music out without having to shell out almost a buck each time, the All You Can Eat model of Napster To Go is great. If you download 3 songs a month, $15 seems high; if you download 300, or 3000, $15 is a steal (oops, I mean, bargain).

You can also analyze this using an analogy from the net access world: if you use the internet less than 15 hours a month, you are better off just paying a dollar an hour for service (if that is available on your service). But if, like most people, you are online at least an hour a day and tend to use WAY over 15 hours a month, a flat monthly fee makes more sense -- and that is exactly what AOL and other ISPs are selling to the vast majority of net users today.

Let's face the music: "All You Can Eat" entertainment seems to be winning out everywhere. This model won out in the Cable TV realm (most folks pay a flat fee per month, but can buy a PPV movie on demand or add special channels for a fee). Napster To Go is similar; pay a flat amount per month to consume all you want, but you can buy songs outright for extra fees (a buck a pop). "All You Can Eat" may also soon win out in DVD rentals, thanks to the ingenious NETFLIX folks (they forced BLOCKBUSTER to offer a similar "all you can eat DVD rental" option, and even spawned a sorta-copycat service that offers only special, unusual or niche films called, pun probably intended, NICHEFLIX). With the Napster To Go model sure to shake things up in the music world, and gain legions of new users, I predict Apple and other tunesellers will be forced to respond with their own subscription models that either copy Napster's N2go or are very similar.

(Perhaps Napster should concoct an ad or slogan that somewhere pushes the notion that "the M in Mp3 now stands for MOBILE -- mobile music, mobile audio (books, etc), mobile podcasts, etc. Most users want to enjoy their downloads anywhere they want, all they want, when they want. With N2go, it's a go!)

So, perhaps all things old are new again; the more things change, the more they stay the same. We seem to be headed for a new version of the old days, where millions of music mavens once again download millions of songs, consuming all they want -- the only difference being this time, the RIAA can stay away, there's one low monthly fee to pay. Think of that fee as a modest tip, if you will, for being assured great sound quality and compatibility with your player and better selection. Or, think of it as "pay for 1 CD, get several thousand free, every month". No matter how you make it sound, Napster To Go sounds good to us.

Stay tuned to The Rose Review for future developments in the ongoing Download Wars saga.

SEXY SOUNDS OF "SEX AND THE SIXTIES" CD

2005-03-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

From the retro-genius of Hal Lifson comes yet another great artful 60's artifact, and the fact is, it's great -- just as great as his seminal creations, the book and CD called "1966!". The list of tunes on the new CD is eclectic, which is one of its strengths (I challenge you to find any other CD where you can hear Agent 99 from "Get Smart" singing and purring through a ditty, along with Nancy Sinatra and the soothing seducing sounds of other sultry sex kittens). Get this CD, and something from Esquivel, and your bitchin' bachelor pad will be, like, totally happening, daddy-o.

SAY IT WITH ME, AND TOMMY T: "8 6 7 5 3 0 9"

2005-03-28T02:28:00.000-08:00

Wondering why that sounds so familiar?
Why you know this seemingly random set of numbers, 8 6 7 5, 3 oh ny-ee-ine.......

Because it is, arguably, the Most Famous Phone Number In Music History.

Tommy Tutone, damn him, infected Gen X and Late Boomers brains in the 80's with this seven digit virus, and now I/we can never forget this number. But, hey, is it really really Jenny Jenny, Who Can I Turn To's number? And, what AREA CODE, for gosh sakes? Someone please solve this mystery... hell, get Baretta, maybe, ain't he available again?

YOU SHOULD KNOW "JACK": LA'S 93.1FM RELOADED

2005-03-28T00:43:00.000-08:00

Another FM radio station has bit the dust. And been resurrected.

The latest Phoenix tale: ARROW 93 is gone; in its place, the new "JACK FM" (93.1 FM in LA).

The old station used a classic rock format, and perhaps felt too much competish from KLOS 95.5. The new JACK FM still has a DJ (who sounds pre-recorded, not live), but he is hardly ever in the way; so far, at least, they are letting the songs speak for themselves -- which is great; not only do we get uninterrupted music blocks, but we also get to play the game of "Guess What Our New Format Is". One clue: this DJ has said several times, in various ways, that "the advertisers give us money so we can play what we want" (in fact, that is pretty much all he has said). They have been playing many songs in a row, with no interruptions until a short ad block hits. (No dumb banter or back-announcing song titles -- just song after song, end to end. Maybe that is why one caller said, in a nano-promo spot, that now he knows what happened to his iPod.)

Here are the bands I have heard so far early this morning (some titles may be a bit off, but you'll get the gist): Grateful Dead (my favorite Dead ditty, Touch of Gray), Peter Gabriel (In Your Eyes), Eagles (All She Wants to Do Is Dance...), The Clash (You Can Stand by Me...), Van Morrison (Brown Eyed Girl), Oingo Boingo (Dead Man's Party), Kansas (Dust In The Wind), Tears For Fears (Everybody Wants To Rule The World), and Sir Paul (Band On The Run). Sounds like a greatest hits from other major stations in LA. But I like that, cuz I like eclectic. If you don't like the genre now, wait 3 minutes and odds are you may like the next song. If KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" only played songs before Bush the Elder ruled the world, it might be like this new JACK.

So far, I likes what I hears. Keep your fingers crossed.

JACK FM, 93.1 FM, in Los Angeles. 866-931-JACK is their number. The DJ dude said they don't take requests, because "we play what we want". But if you call anyway, let me know what you find out...

ALANIS AT LAST A LASS OF OUR LAND

2005-03-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

It’s official--ALANIS MORISSETTE is now an American citizen. At a recent ceremony, ALANIS and 4500 others took an oath and were sworn in at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I know what you're thinking: great, more traffic. But face it, you and/or most of those you know are not true natives either, so get over it -- and besides, You Oughta Know that immigration is what makes this Melting Pot so great.

It was no surprise that Alanis, an emotional performer, got emotional on her special day. “There was a turning point during the ceremony where I felt connected to this country in a way that I didn’t quite expect. America has been really great to me and I have felt welcomed since the day I came here." When the national anthem was about to be performed at the ceremony, the singer’s emotions almost overtook her. “I wanted to walk up to one of the officials to ask if I could sing the anthem.” Instead, concertgoers at her Los Angeles show that evening were treated to an impromptu version of the “Star Spangled Banner” in mid-set. The show also featured surprise guest performers like actor Dermot Mulroney (who knew "The Wedding Date" man played cello?), Boyd Tinsley (Dave Matthews Band violinist) and fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne. Toward the end of the set, Alanis began performing Avril’s “Losing Grip,” during which Avril joined Alanis onstage before the two dueted on Alanis’ “Ironic.”

But Alanis fans north of the border needn’t worry, she isn’t turning her back on her native land. “I will never renounce my Canadian citizenship--I consider myself a Canadian-American,” says the singer, songwriter and musician. “It can be difficult to travel and being an American will make it easier to travel over borders. I’ll also be able to sponsor family members who want to come and live near me.” And, not unexpectedly, she added, “I’d like to make political comments and not have my chops busted by people who say I don’t have the right to comment.” Personally, I can't picture anyone who's heard "You Oughta Know" trying to bust Alanis's chops... but if they did, watch out -- she now has the right to make a citizen's arrest. And if she did, I know what you'd be thinking. "Isn't it ironic..."

FREE MUSIC ONLINE! GET 750+ SXSW SONGS USING BIT-TORRENT

2005-03-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

WIRED News is reporting that the South By Southwest music festival, or SXSW, "has provided on its website a library of free MP3s of bands participating in the conference. This year, the festival is making it even easier to listen by providing a huge BitTorrent file (2.6 GB) of more than 750 songs. The songs can be downloaded for free using the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing application." Wow, free tunes, and no lawsuits to worry about! Let us at TRR know which are the best tunes.

JANET RENO INSPIRES 'SONG OF AMERICA' ALBUM; TEAMS WITH DAVID MACIAS, GRAMMY WINNER FOR STEPHEN FOSTER TRIBUTE

2005-03-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Maybe there is something about the Attorney General post that inspires music. First, recent A.G. John Ashcroft sings "Let The Eagle Soar" (ruffling a few feathers in the music critic field, I suspect). Now, former A.G. under Bill Clinton, Janet Reno, is getting in on the (musical) act.

Reno is teaming with Grammy-winning producer David Macias on the project, called SONG OF AMERICA -- a series of recordings that will tell the history of our country through music, from 1620 up until the present. Inspired by Reno, and due out in 2006 on MACIAS' own Emergent label, SONG OF AMERICA will feature 50 tunes performed by an eclectic assembly of well-known artists covering all styles of music. (Macias garnered a Grammy for "Best Traditional Folk Album" for his co-production work on the critically acclaimed Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster).

The pair first met after Reno -- the country's first female Attorney General -- was given a copy of Beautiful Dreamer during a visit to Nashville. After learning the Stephen Foster tribute was Macias' brainchild, mutual friends brought Reno and Macias together. "I got a call asking if I'd like to have lunch with Janet Reno," says Macias. "So I said, 'well sure, sure I would.' The conversation centered on this idea of telling the story of American through its songs. Basically, we want to go back to colonial times, through the revolutionary war and retrace the country's footsteps to the current day with a musical narrative of what happened."

Reno originally conceived of the SONG OF AMERICA with her niece's husband, songwriter/producer Ed Pettersen, as a way for Americans to reconnect to their musical and cultural heritage. Pettersen further developed the idea as a compilation that would donate profits to folk music education, which garnered Reno's enthusiastic support. The ex-A.G. is delighted about the project finding a home with Macias' Emergent label because she sees it as a great project for America's youth. Along with Reno, Macias believes the album could be a great educational tool, adding, "One of the things that we'd like to be able to do is to get this album and an accompanying teacher's guide to every elementary school teacher in America."

Macias will co-produce SONG OF AMERICA with Pettersen and the production company Split Rock Records. In doing so, Macias will draw on his experience as co-producer of Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, where he was pivotal in bringing the work of America's first great songwriter to life. Along with Steve Fishell, he enlisted a group of talented artists -- including John Prine, Alison Krauss, Raul Malo, Michelle Shocked, Mavis Staples, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Ron Sexsmith and Roger McGuinn -- to put their unique stamp on such Foster compositions as "Oh Susanna," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Camptown Races," "Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair" and "Hard Times Come Again No More." Performing Songwriter called the album "a star-studded and notable release that is garnering acclaim as being that rarest of creatures--a tribute record that lives up to its promise."

"To have something that you think about and you dream about for such a long time finally come to fruition is very special," says Macias about his work on the album. "Then to have it recognized by the creative community is very special. It just feels wonderful."

"Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster" won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album on February 13 at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards Pre-telecast. Kudos to producers Steve Fishell, David Macias and Tamara Saviano -- and all the contributing artists.

BESTofJAN05: "DIESEL U MUSIC" LAUNCH PARTY

2005-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

Q. What do Louis XIV, Avril Lavigne, and Diesel have in common?
A: They all invaded Ivar on the 13th of January...

....where a packed house celebrated the launch of Diesel U Music, an initiative to give exposure to new bands "under the radar of mainstream radio and TV" -- "an international music competition for unsigned, unsung and unseen talents". Four of those talents were on when I arrived: Louis XIV, their sound sounding fresh even though this quartet coulda crashlanded from CBGBs circa '78. They had the crowd transfixed (perhaps because many in attendance could not recall 1978 -- "what be these strange sweet sounds betwixt my ears?!"). Part Bowie, part Stooges, part punk/new-wave, part Power Pop, Louis XIV rocked, with a look hip yet familiar -- longish shaggy hair, mod Brit-sleek attire and black eyeliner.

And then, Holy Synchronicity, I see a swarm of people weaving through the crowd, and in the Eye of the storm is none other than the Queen of Black Eyeliner --- Avril Lavigne, wearing an engineers cap, leading her posse to the VIP area. This mademoiselle looms large in print, but in real life, tres tres petite! And ironically, she was sans the famed overabundance of black eyeliner. Oh sure, there was some, but not the massive amounts she used to be known for.

Yes, our favorite sk8rgrrl is growing up, and perhaps so is a New Sound. Perhaps a torch was passing last night to a New Wave of eyelinered rockers, from one French-monikered music act to the Next. Perhaps I am at Ground Zero of a new French Revolution... in music!

Wait -- who am I, Kurt Loder?

But hey, you really should check out Louis XIV while you can. Because if Avril was there, who knows, maybe she knows something we should know. You know?

Many thanks to Nicole and Reagan at Landers PR for all their assistance on this event. Check out the raucous rock of Louis XIV on the KCRW website, where you can hear their archived performance from a recent Morning Becomes Eclectic show.

REVIEW: "THE BEATLES: THE CAPITOL ALBUMS VOL. 1" CD BOXSET

2005-02-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

by Don Rose

The subtitle to this collection coulda been "The Beatle Box you Better Buy your Baby Boomer".

Or, "The Ka-ching Continues".

Yes, serious coin careened into Capitol coffers this Christmas, and should still be pouring in, as this long-overdue remastered-rerelease of the first four American Beatle albums is finally in fans' hands. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, and Beatles '65 can finally be yours, in one set, with both mono AND stereo mixes on each disc, digitally remastered. What a joy to hear all these sonically scintillating stereo songs -- like a great novel you can't put down, I devoured all the notes in one sitting. (You might want to reserve some time the first time you spend time with these discs.)

I also like the way the four discs are packaged -- pull them out of the box and it's like you're holding mini versions of those original four vinyl albums. The original front and back covers of the vinyl versions are reproduced in exact detail. A nice touch of nostalgia, and also information; I loved reading the original notes that appeared on each album. Interesting how the "Meet The Beatles" debut cover billed the band as a "pop combo", not a rock band.

Come to think of it, perhaps "pop combo" IS the best description for these moptops. Sure, there is great rock on the quartet's first disc-quartet (like "Rock 'n Roll Music" -- which outrocks the original by its creator, Chuck Berry -- as well as "Slow Down", "Roll Over Beethoven" and many more). But there are great melodic croonfests and ballads too (like Paul doing "Till There Was You", "And I Love Her" and "I'll Follow The Sun"). Want a little countryesque pickin' and rabble rousin'? That's here too ("She's A Woman", "Honey Don't", "I'm A Loser", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby"). Heck, you even get a song sung German (a version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" meant as a nod to their early Deutschland fans, where they trained for greatness as rough youths; listen for the opening flubbed vocal in your right ear at the very very beginning!). Yes, there truly is something for every musical taste on these four CDs -- great pop in all its forms, combined in unique, satisfying ways.

While each CD does contain all the original tracks in both stereo and mono, this reviewer gave the edge to the stereo mixes. I went back and forth on several tunes, and couldn't find one that seemed better in mono ("I Saw Her Standing There" is a good example, from the first record -- the stereo "Standing" simply sends an emotion explosion the mono can't match). For Beatlemaniacs who simply must own all songs in all forms, of course, this two-discs-in-one inclusiveness will be a welcome feature. (But will they experience the irony of playing both versions of "Not A Second Time"?)

Also in the box is a fine photo booklet about the band (as all boxsets must naturally contain) -- with words from the four lads themselves. Kinda like a super-condensed mini-earlyyears Beatles Anthology. It's pleasing to peruse, informative and fun -- but for such an important boxset I couldn't help wishing it was a little longer, a little larger, a little more chock full of rare/unseen pix, info and liner notes. Of course, I'll take what I can get; it's just that for the best band ever, I expect the very best -- and the box could have held a bigger booklet. (Chris Carter, host of L.A.'s great radio show "Breakfast with the Beatles", has mentioned the existence of another booklet that can fit into the box, and serves as a nice companion to the official booklet; according to WhatGoesOn.com , this item "is available exclusively through [Beatle author] Bruce Spizer's website www.beatle.net at a cost of $3, which includes shipping and handling". Sounds good.)

Another interesting touch: each disc says "Recorded In England". Wow. I guess that narrows it down. (I assume this is a relic from the original vinyl days, when American audiences had never experienced an English rock/pop band that was so, well, beatific!).

So, to sum up:
Are all the songs here from the first four Fab Four albums, with dual mixes?
Yep.
Is there a booklet included, with cool pix and quips?
Yep.
Is there an extra little guitar-sliding-lick I never heard before, at the very very end of "Tell Me Why"?
Yep!
Were all the songs recorded in England?
Bloody well right.
Do you have to play the entire disc all the way through before taking it out of your player?
Nope.
(Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.)
But you WILL want to play all the songs over and over, over the years, and you won't get over it!

Yes, this Beatle box is a marvelous must-have, a fine compilation by Capitol that should help keep the boys in the public consciousness well into this new century and beyond. And well they should be -- because this "pop combo" was simply the most versatile, talented, talked-about, prolific, popular and influential musical group of the sixties, of the last century, and perhaps of all time.

And now, to end my review of the Fab Four's First Four, four more words:
Bring on Volume Two!

---------------------------------------
THE BOXSET SONGS
(this list shows when each original U.S. LP was released,
and the songs that appeared on its original A and B sides;
each tune appears twice in the boxset -- one stereo, one mono):

1964-01-20 - Meet The Beatles!
A: "I Want To Hold Your Hand"; "I Saw Her Standing There"; "This Boy"; "It Won't Be Long"; "All I've Got To Do"; "All My Loving";
B: "Don't Bother Me"; "Little Child"; "Till There Was You"; "Hold Me Tight"; "I Wanna Be Your Man"; "Not A Second Time"

1964-04-10 - The Beatles' Second Album
A: "Roll Over Beethoven"; "Thank You Girl"; "You Really Got A Hold On Me"; "Devil In Her Heart"; "Money (That's What I Want)"; "You Can't Do That";
B: "Long Tall Sally"; "I Call Your Name"; "Please Mister Postman"; "I'll Get You"; "She Loves You"

1964-07-20 - Something New
A: "I'll Cry Instead"; "Things We Said Today"; "Anytime At All"; "When I Get Home"; "Slow Down"; "Matchbox";
B: "Tell Me Why"; "And I Love Her"; "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"; "If I Fell"; "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand"

1964-12-15 - Beatles '65
A: "No Reply"; "I'm A Loser"; "Baby's In Black"; "Rock And Roll Music"; "I'll Follow The Sun"; "Mr Moonlight";
B: "Honey Don't"; "I'll Be Back"; "She's A Woman"; "I Feel Fine"; "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby"

COMMENTARY: A CAPITOL SUGGESTION (BEST BEATLE BOXSET BET)

2005-02-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

FOUR MORE FOURS IN STORE FOR FUN GALORE?

by Don Rose

So the excellent Volume 1 of "The Beatles - The Capitol Albums" is now out (see my review elsewhere in this TRR:MUSIC section). This could've been called "The Beatles 1964 Boxset"; all 4 discs originally came out in '64:

VOL1: Meet The Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, Beatles '65.

But what of the next volumes, what will they contain? If it was up to me, here is how I'd continue the series: put out 4 more boxsets of 4, for a grand total of 5 sets of 4 discs:

VOL2: The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, Rubber Soul. (a.k.a. the '65 box).

VOL3: Yesterday... And Today, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour. ('66-'67).

VOL4: The White Album Boxset. ('68).

VOL5: Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road, Hey Jude, Let It Be. ('69-'70).

The White Album was the biggest selling album of the 60's decade, and deserves its own special box -- which could contain outtakes and demos galore, an art/photo booklet, perhaps interviews from that time, and so on. Two discs for the original album, plus two bonus discs.

These hypothetical five boxes -- 20 discs in all -- would give any music buff a comprehensive collection covering the Beatles career. However, there is one minor problem: there is one major smash hit that is not accounted for in the above five boxsets, as far as I can tell. Can you guess what it is? Write in your answers here, and we will post the answer in the coming weeks. To "Help!" you out, here is what the track listings of the above sets (IF my suggestion was actually used) would look like; each album is listed with the date it was originally released as well as what was on its A/B sides (A/B/C/D for the White Album):

VOL2:

1965-03-22 - The Early Beatles (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "Love Me Do"; "Twist And Shout"; "Anna (Go To Him)"; "Chains"; "Boys"; "Ask Me Why";
B: "Please Please Me"; "PS I Love You"; "Baby It's You"; "A Taste Of Honey"; "Do You Want To Know A Secret"

1965-06-14 - Beatles VI (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "Kansas City — Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!"; "Eight Days A Week"; "You Like Me Too Much"; "Bad Boy"; "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party"; "Words Of Love";
B: "What You're Doing"; "Yes It Is"; "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"; "Tell Me What You See"; "Every Little Thing"

1965-08-13 - Help! (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "James Bond Theme" (Soundtrack Instrumental); "Help!"; "The Night Before"; "From Me To You Fantasy" (Soundtrack Instrumental); "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"; "I Need You"; "In The Tyrol" (Soundtrack Instrumental);
B: "The Bitter End" / "You Can't Do That" (Soundtrack Instrumental); "You're Going To Lose That Girl"; "The Chase" (Soundtrack Instrumental); "Another Girl"; "Another Hard Day's Night" (Soundtrack Instrumental); "Ticket To Ride"

1965-12-06 - Rubber Soul (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "I've Just Seen A Face"; "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"; "You Won't See Me"; "Think For Yourself"; "The Word"; "Michelle";
B: "It's Only Love"; "Girl"; "I'm Looking Through You"; "In My Life"; "Wait"; "Run For Your Life"

VOL 3:

1966-06-20 - "Yesterday" ... And Today (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "Drive My Car"; "I'm Only Sleeping"; "Nowhere Man"; "Doctor Robert"; "Yesterday"; "Act Naturally";
B:"And Your Bird Can Sing"; "If I Needed Someone"; "We Can Work It Out"; "What Goes On"; "Day Tripper"

1966-08-08 - Revolver (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "Taxman"; "Eleanor Rigby"; "Love You To"; "Here, There And Everywhere"; "Yellow Submarine"; "She Said She Said";
B: "Good Day Sunshine"; "For No One"; "I Want To Tell You"; "Got To Get You Into My Life"; "Tomorrow Never Knows"

1967-06-02 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"; "With A Little Help From My Friends"; "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"; "Getting Better"; "Fixing A Hole"; "She's Leaving Home"; "Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!";
B: "Within You Without You"; "When I'm Sixty-Four"; "Lovely Rita"; "Good Morning Good Morning"; "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"; "A Day In The Life"

1967-11-27 - Magical Mystery Tour (US LP Release, Capitol)
A: "Magical Mystery Tour"; "The Fool On The Hill"; "Flying"; "Blue Jay Way"; "Your Mother Should Know"; "I Am The Walrus";
B: "Hello Goodbye"; "Strawberry Fields Forever"; "Penny Lane"; "Baby, You're A Rich Man"; "All You Need Is Love"

VOL 4:

1968-11-25 - The Beatles ("White Album") (US LP Release, Apple [Capitol])
A: "Back In The USSR"; "Dear Prudence"; "Glass Onion"; "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"; "Wild Honey Pie"; "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill"; "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"; "Happiness Is A Warm Gun";
B: "Martha My Dear"; "I'm So Tired"; "Blackbird"; "Piggies"; "Rocky Raccoon"; "Don't Pass Me By"; "Why Don't We Do It In The Road"; "I Will"; "Julia";
C: "Birthday"; "Yer Blues"; "Mother Nature's Son"; "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey"; "Sexy Sadie"; "Helter Skelter"; "Long Long Long";
D: "Revolution 1"; "Honey Pie"; "Savoy Truffle"; "Cry Baby Cry"; "Can You Take Me Back" (Untitled Song Fragment); "Revolution 9"; "Good Night"

...plus two bonus discs

VOL 5:

1969-01-13 - Yellow Submarine (US LP Release, Apple [Capitol])
A: "Yellow Submarine"; "Only A Northern Song"; "All Together Now"; "Hey Bulldog"; "It's All Too Much"; "All You Need Is Love";
B: Soundtrack Instrumentals: "Pepperland"; "Sea Of Time" / "Sea Of Holes"; "Sea Of Monsters"; "March Of The Meanies"; "Pepperland Laid Waste"; "Yellow Submarine In Pepperland"

1969-10-01 - Abbey Road (Apple [Capitol])
A: "Come Together"; "Something"; "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"; "Oh! Darling"; "Octopus's Garden"; "I Want You (She's So Heavy)";
B: "Here Comes The Sun"; "Because"; "You Never Give Me Your Money"; "Sun King" / "Mean Mr Mustard"; "Polythene Pam" / "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"; "Golden Slumbers" / "Carry That Weight"; "The End"; "Her Majesty"

1970-02-26 - Hey Jude (US LP Release, Apple [Capitol])
A: "Can't Buy Me Love"; "I Should Have Known Better"; "Paperback Writer"; "Rain"; "Lady Madonna"; "Revolution";
B: "Hey Jude"; "Old Brown Shoe"; "Don't Let Me Down"; "The Ballad Of John And Yoko"

1970-05-18 - Let It Be (US LP Release, Apple [Capitol])
A: "Two Of Us"; "Dig A Pony"; "Across The Universe"; "I Me Mine"; "Dig It"; "Let It Be"; "Maggie Mae";
B: "I've Got A Feeling"; "The One After 909"; "The Long And Winding Road"; "For You Blue"; "Get Back"

Note: the above track listings were compiled by Yrjö Heinonen, based on data in Mark Lewisohn's book on the Beatles' recording sessions. To see Heinonen's complete Beatles discography, listing all singles and albums officially released by the Fabs in the US and UK between 1962 and 1970, go to: http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/VOLUME03/Songwriting_recording_Appendix1.html .

COMMENTARY: THE FIRST (ROCK) WALTZ? BABY'S IN BLACK 'N BEATLES

2005-01-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

AHEAD OF THEIR 3/4 TIME

by Don Rose

Hard to think of many rock songs that use 3/4 time; the vast majority, to my ears, use the more common 4/4. But leave it to the Beatles to experiment, even back in their 1964 breakout year, with the waltz meter on the catchy, tight-harmony toetapper "Baby's In Black" (Lennon apparently described the delectable ditty as a waltz, in a lead-in comment to the song while on tour).

"B.I.B." is one of very few Beatles songs that ever used 3/4 time. Certainly the early Beatles numbers stuck pretty religiously to the 4/4 meter, as most rockers of that era did. However, when experimentation became the order of the day, circa '66, time signatures were no exception. By '67, "Henry the horse dances the waltz" in the middle break of Lennon's "...Mr. Kite"; '68 brings George Harrison's "Long Long Long" in 3/4 time (too slow to really be a waltz, right?), and '70 brings another Harrison 3/4 number in "I Me Mine" (although its middle section rocks out in 4/4, giving double the contrast to the more subdued 3/4 beginning and end sections).

But back to "Baby's In Black". It was not just ahead of its time due to its time signature; the structure feels unique as well. For one thing, there appears to be no repeat of an "A" section at the beginning of an "A-B-A" structure. This was unusual for that era, since most pop numbers repeat an "A" part twice at the start, then go to a "B" section for variation, then return to "A", with solos and/or choruses sprinkled in. The "B.I.B." formula does not feel like this at all, it's more like:

A-B--A-B--C-A-solo-C--A-B--A.

But wait. Some of you may be saying, "Don, I think there IS an A-B-A structure hidden in there". What, something hidden in a Beatles song? Doesn't that come later in the sixties?

Well perhaps you are right. If we redefine the "A-B" above as a larger kind of A section -- call it A' -- and redefine "C-A-solo-C" as a larger kind of B section -- call it B' -- then we have:

A'--A'--B'--A'--A.

Okay, so maybe the Beatles were (subconsciously, perhaps) using A-B-A after all, but if so, it is a clever and unique variation thereof. Waltz time + tweaked structure = very innovative!

Even "B.I.B."'s guitar solo by George seems a bit more rough-edged than usual, but somehow that enhances its charm. (My friend and bandmate Ray Mahoney -- we were in an O.C. band together called The Blend way back when -- used to say that all of George's solos seemed a bit rough, sometimes a bit simple, yet always just perfect for the song it was in).

For a lengthy commentary on "Baby's In Black" -- perhaps everything you'd ever want to know about the song's structure and theory -- see the fine song analysis by Alan W. Pollack.

To HEAR "Baby's In Black", in stereo and mono, well... go get the boss Beatles boxset "The Capitol Albums - Vol. 1" (reviewed in TRR:MUSIC).

MEET THE FAQ-ERS: SITES FOR MUSIC FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

2005-01-17T03:35:00.000-08:00

A great BEATLES FAQ: http://www.triskelion-ltd.com/beatfaq.html

Best Selling Albums FAQ: http://www.neosoul.com/riaa/faq.html

Early Music FAQ - "The web's largest reference for European Medieval and Renaissance music since 1994": http://www.medieval.org/emfaq

Sample CD Sampling and Making Music FAQs by sounduser.com

Idolatry? No... I--Daltrey

2005-01-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

So I go to this teeny place with a cool art space -- Froden Gallery, on Pico in West L.A. -- and Who do I bump into? Roger Daltrey! I'm stoked to meet the bloke, who couldn't be more friendly, so I couldn't resist asking one of the greatest singers ever about the state of his band. He tells me Who-mate Pete has written 14 new songs, he's really really excited about them, and Rog estimates they may be out by May.

Wow, new Who. Who knew?

Which got me daydreaming: 2 ex-quartets (Beatles, Who) are down to 2 rockers each, each band missing what the other can offer. Why not merge, in order to form a more perfect union? Imagine! A beatific Brady Bunch with Townsend on vocal and lead axe, Daltrey on vocal and rhythm guitar, Sir Paul on vocal/bass, Ringo on skins. The name? Who knows -- but wouldn't The Beatwhos or Whootles do? Woo hoo!

Now back to reality and flushed with excitement -- and being ever the blogger -- I ask for Rog's email instead of an autograph; he cleverly offers his manager's info instead.

Dang. I guess I haven't made the Who's Who yet.

JOHNNY RAMONE, ALONE IN STONE

2005-01-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

January 14 at 3 p.m., there will be an unnerving unveiling: a new statue in honor of famous (or is it infamous?) punk guitar legend Johnny Ramone, near the grave of bandmate Dee Dee Ramone (Johnny's widow owns the ashes of the cremated rockstar) . Location: the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd.

Punk Forever!

But wait. Wasn't punk all about being alive... and loud... and free.... about breaking down stiff establishment conventions, and rejecting old idols? And yet now, a low-decibel ceremony, for a statue, to memorialize an American Punk Idol, my friends.

I guess all movements eventually solidify.
I almost can't believe it.

Then again, maybe Ashton Kutcher will show up, and tell us we've all been Punk'd.

COMMENTARY: Immortal In Music ("Mas Xmas!")

2004-12-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

by Don Rose

It was coming for weeks.
Now it's here.
Hear it? Here, there and everywhere?

It's in malls. Halls. Decked with boughs of holly (hint, hint).

Yes, it's CHRISTMAS SONGS.
(Or, if you are one of the politically correct masses: HOLIDAY CLASSICS.)

If you want to be immortal, simple. Sing one of these babies.
Or write one.
Your creation will be played constantly.
Every year, forever and ever, evermore, everlasting.
In stores, on shores, you'll be adored -- even in ads -- ad infinitum.

Have a Christmas hit.
Just sell a little bit.
And they will bring you back.
You can be sure of that.

Want proof?
Well... know who Burl Ives is?
He's not had a hit in decades, been forgotten by many --
but one song keeps him comin' back every year.
Like clockwork, his "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" returns.
Trotted out, dusted off, and played over and over.
Why?
Sure, it's a sweet catchy ditty.
About Christmas.
If it wasn't, would he ever get airplay today?
Compete with Coldplay? Completely cray-zay.

Same thing with Como 'n Crosby.
Coupla cool cooing crooners, cometh back big but once a year.

Of course, "musimmortality" works for other holidays too.
Anything annual will do.

Take Bobby Pickett.
Who, you say?
Let me rephrase. Bobby "BORIS" Pickett.
That's right -- the man behind the "Monster Mash".
Trotted out, dusted off, played over and over -- each Halloween.

But nothing matches the aural resurrectorial power of Christmas.
So if you want everlasting fame,
musical royalties up the wazoo,
for you and your kin,
write a catchy -- and, hopefully, moderate-to-high-selling -- holiday ditty.
They, we, will play you forever and ever, for eternity.

You don't even need a catchy title.
Of course, "Christmas Wrapping" (Rapping?) by the Waitresses IS a catchy dual-meaning title.
(By WHO, you say? I think we covered this.
And guess who covered it: yes, the Spice Girls.)
A fun great tune, NPR just did a piece on it,
20+ years of annual replaying, well deserved.

But Torme-titled "The Christmas Song"? Sounds boring and generic. No matter; Mel knew what he was doing: TCS became one of the most loved Xmas tunes of all time. (Yes, Mel Torme penned it, but ironically his version is hardly played; one of the most covered songs of all time, the most popular pop version is Nat King Cole's.)

"Don", you ask, "does the tune have to be catchy?"
Nope. Just write the dang thing already.
It can be even be odd.
Wacky instead of catchy.
Chipmunks caroling helium-voiced? No problemo -- big hit.
Then there's that duet between David Bowie and Bing Crosby --
you can see it at the Museum of TV and Radio in LA right now, and on the occasional special.
Now, I ask you, would such a pair appear at any other time of year?
Okay, maybe at a benefit for Africa or something involving Bono --
but otherwise, no.

Why the need for all these Christmas songs?
Well, there are all these Christmas radio marathons to fill up
(which used to start maybe a week before Dec 25,
but now seem to start around Labor Day).

Want me to recommend more holiday hits? Okay:
The Peanuts "Lucy and Linus" piano instrumental by Vince Guaraldi.
(Excellent tune, and the middle rhythmic change is a bouncy delight.)
Grandma got runover by a Reindeer
(Used to hate it, but it grew on me. Like mold).
Christmas at Ground Zero
(Weird Al jumps on the Xmas gravy train).
Blue Christmas
(Leave it to Elvis to rockify Xmas in a folksy bluesy way).

Trivia: do you know the highest selling album of the entire fifties decade?
Right: THE ELVIS CHRISTMAS ALBUM.

So, the only real question left is:
Why didn't the greatest band of all time, Los BEATLES, ever do an official Christmas album?

Sure, they did very amusing and fun Xmas messages each year, for fans only (perhaps Apple 'n Capitol will one day remaster and repackage those for mass consumption). But I believe that maybe, just maybe, the Fab Four didn't want to do what everyone else did. Sinatra, Elvis, every huge act always did the Xmas thing. By not doing, this was yet another thing to set the Beatles apart.

Of course, the solo Beatles DID release several Xmas songs. Some were even hits. But then, everyone knows temptation is harder to resist without a group around you. (So go ahead, eat that last piece of turkey, no one is looking!)

And you never know, Beatlemaniacs -- a briefcase full of tossed Xmas treasures might still be sitting in a garage somewhere, a day away from eBay.

Then again, it might just be "Freddie and the Dreamers" doing "Silent Night and other Holiday Classics".

Buyer beware.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////
What are your favorite holiday songs?
Write to us.
Just post to this message.
And have a great holiday.

REVIEW: "BEE GEES: NUMBER ONES" CD

2004-12-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

by Don Rose

Forgive me for being rather glib, but I love the Brothers Gibb. I am not alone; The Bee Gees have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, over an astounding FIVE decades (they are the only band I can think of that has had number ones in multiple countries AND during three different decades). If you are like me, you must go out and pick up "Bee Gees: Number Ones". Or go buy one as a holiday present for the Gibbfan in your life. They will not be disappointed.

The songs, of course, are classics and should be part of any pop fan's collection. Also, the sound quality of the CD is fantastic; it felt like the band was giving a private concert in my room. Then there is the convenience: this disc gathers in one place all of the band's number one US singles, some songs that were number ones in other nations, and classics from number one albums. In this sense, the CD is similar in structure to previous all-Number-Ones from other pop giants (The Beatles "1", Elv1s, Michael Jackson's hit collection). However, unlike those other CDs, the limited edition BeeGees NumberOnes CD also comes with a DVD containing five unreleased live tracks -- a nice bonus.

I also admire a band that can still surprise me. On this CD, the pleasant surprise is a pair of early songs I've never heard before: "WORLD" and "DONT FORGET TO REMEMBER". I immediately took to them (the latter feels like a Beegeeified country song).

Of course, the group's Rebirth Period of the 70s is included, represented by "Jive Talkin", "You Should Be Dancing", and..... well, do I really need to mention the megahits from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack? All those smashes are included (from a soundtrack that not only catapulted the band out of their early-70s rock-bottom phase into superstardom, but sold over 30 million copies worldwide to become the best selling soundtrack album of all time). The closer on the "Beegees Numbers Ones" CD is a Gibb Trib -- a song ("Man In The Middle") chosen by the two surviving brothers to pay tribute to the late Maurice Gibb.

Sure, there are many great BeeGee songs the disc does not contain ("Nights On Broadway", "To Love Somebody"), but that is just a testament to how good this band was. You can explore those on other discs, but this is the one disc you really must have if you want the cream of the best UK-Australian band of brothers ever born.

For those new to the music of the Brothers Gibb, this is an excellent introduction. For all Beegees fans who have never had a chance to get all their biggest smashes on one piece of plastic, this CD is a must-have. Sure, the BeeGees' reign atop the pops eventually ended, and punk/new-wave (then hip-hop) took over from disco -- but this disc captures that long-gone golden era of long hair and polyester with loving clarity. (Is it a coincidence that right in the middle of "CBGB's" is "BG"? Perhaps.... but what a ying-yang thang...).

To read more info on the band, see this cool webpage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bee_Gees

"BEE GEES: NUMBER ONES": the greatest hits of The Brothers Gibb, on one disc; limited edition CD has bonus DVD. The CD track listing:

"Massachusetts"
"World"
"Words"
"I've Gotta Get A Message To You"
"I Started A Joke"
"Don't Forget To Remember"
"Lonely Days"
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"
"Jive Talkin'"
"You Should Be Dancing"
"Love So Right"
"How Deep Is Your Love"
"Stayin' Alive"
"Night Fever"
"Too Much Heaven"
"Tragedy"
"Love You Inside Out"
"You Win Again"

Bonus track:

"Man In The Middle"

NEW TUNE: "Beatles, The Band That Reigned Here"

2004-12-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing you the Happiest of Holidays...
plus Best Wishes for the new '05!
And now, a little Beatle poem/song for you
about how the Fabs rose to reign here...
modelled on that red-nosed reindeer.

"Beatles, The Band That Reigned Here"

sung to the tune of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

by Don Rose

John Paul and George and Ringo

Had a very shiny sound

And if you ever saw them

You would say they were fame-bound.

All of the record labels

Used to laugh and call them names

They wouldn't let poor Beatles

Join in any contract games.

Then one friendly man appeared

George Martin came to say:

"Beatles, with your wit so bright,

won't you write a hit tonight?"

Then all the fans here loved them,

And they shouted out with glee:

Beatles, the band that reigned here,

You'll go down in history!

/////////////////////////
Happy Holidays !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
////////////////////////