Boston: Amanda

Once again I'm back after a long delay. Life gets busy and blogging can be hard to keep up with. But speaking of long delays, tonight's subject is the song "Amanda", the #1 hit single from Boston's 1986 album, Third Stage.

I had become acquainted with Boston through that album. For me, it was a well-worn tape borrowed from my older brother, with its amazing fold-out cassette cover art of a giant organ-powered spaceship in orbit, and the liner notes detailing how Tom Scholz created fantastic soundscapes with homemade equipment over a 6-year period while dealing with all sorts of problems in his basement studio.

Third Stage (and to a lesser extent the equally fantastic 1994 follow-up Walk On) really defines the sound of Boston for me, much more than their first two albums, and reflects a generation gap in Boston fans-- the first two albums had appealed to the youngest of the Baby Boomers, while most late Gen-Xers like me were either in diapers or too busy watching Sesame Street to pay attention to rock-and-roll during Boston's initial 70s heyday. So Third Stage was the Boston album for my generation.

"Amanda", along with many other songs, has a lot of meaning for me. In the summer of 2004, I started spending time with a beautiful young woman who had sat next to me in a religion course in college the year before. She had a sparkling, spunky personality, and was one of the sweetest, kindest people I had ever met. After I had called her a couple of times, she came up to me and flat-out asked me on a date, (I was rather shy and still am) and over the course of the next several dates I fell head-over heels for her. Suddenly, it was like someone had turned on a switch and I understood the meaning behind the words of this song. It perfectly detailed what I was feeling, the introspection, the worry and anticipation, and the overwhelming desire to tell her I was in love with her.

So I sat down with my guitar and my 4-track, and I recorded a terribly amateur rendition of this song, faking the chords as best I could in my own key, and replacing the name "Amanda" with the girl's name (which also started with an A). I packaged it up on a CD-R along with a few of my other recordings, and, after walking her home from watching the fireworks on the 4th of July, I gave it to her.

And, right then, she broke up with me.


The next day, we both got called to co-chair an important church committee for our student congregation. Talk about God micro-managing your life! To call it divine intervention is almost an understatement!

Several months later, after much soul-searching, with each of us dating other people and breaking each others' hearts, we got together for another date. And this time, I brought my guitar and sang it to her live. And this time, it worked.

That was over 4 years ago. This week, our daugher Amanda was born, weighing 5 lb 15 ounces.

Babe, feelin' the way I do
I don't wanna wait my whole life through
To say...
I'm in love with you.

Kerry Livgren- When Things Get Electric

I apologize it's been awhile since I've posted. Tonight I'm reviewing Kerry Livgren's 1995 album, When Things Get Electric. I made passing mention of this one in my previous post, since Darren Rogers sang lead with both Sundogs and Kerry Livgren. I didn't intend to review two closely-related albums in a row like this, but then the news broke on the web that Kerry had suffered a stroke last week. The word is out to all the fans that Kerry needs our prayers. But in addition to prayer, I decided the best way I could show some support for Kerry would be to also purchase more of his music, and buy a NEW copy, not used, so that he and his family actually get some of the revenue.

So I finally got off my butt, logged on to Amazon, and got this album. Here I am kicking myself for waiting 13 years to finally buy it after I first heard about it. I've got excuses up to the wazoo for buying one thing and not another, but I really should've got this one earlier.

I've got two other KL albums-- Seeds of Change (1979) and Prime Mover (1988). Both of those are very closely Kansas-related, since Kansas is of course my favorite band, and both contain a lot of material that was written during Kerry's tenure with that band.

This one, on the other hand, came out in the mid-90s, and being further removed in time from both Kansas and AD, is a pretty good example of a "pure Kerry" solo project. Of course, since Kerry was a principal songwriter in both those bands, similarities are inevitable in the music. I also found the occasional past/future echo of Kerry's old lineup of Kansas from the early '70s, which reformed as Proto-Kaw in the early 2000's .

When Things Get Electric begins with a slow introductory prelude that segues into the title track, which is a slow to mid-tempo rocker with a powerful rhythm section underscoring the equally powerful vocal track. For the longest time I thought that the signature line was "When things get electric, we're all gonna fry" (as quoted by someone on the Kansasfans.com forum) and assumed it was referring to the destruction of the wicked at the Second Coming. But apparently the line actually reads, "we're all gonna fly"-- so it's actually talking about the Rapture. I guess either one could happen on that day, depending on what side you find yourself on. I won't delve into the tricky subject of the exact timing of the Rapture vs. the Lord's appearing, since theological opinions vary pretty widely.

The next track, "Turn on the Lights", has the common CCM message of accepting Jesus and seeing the world in a new way. A very energetic song, with a good guitar riff that I wouldn't mind hearing a bit louder, but overall very fitting for the message.

"Two Thousand Down", a song contemplating the future and end times here at the dawn of the new millennium, has a sound reminiscent of "I'll Follow You" from Prime Mover, with a good, steady beat, and some eclectic instrumental breaks. The vocalist here does a great job, but I could also imagine Warren Ham or John Elefante sounding really good on this song.

"Smoke Is Rising" continues the lyrical end-times theme of the album, with an overall sound that reminds me of a couple of tracks that Kerry would later write for Proto-Kaw in '04, but here with a simpler, straightforward rock beat.

"Throw Me Down" deals introspectively with the subject of the internal battle between the natural and spiritual side. Here toward the end of the song there are a lot of good intricate keyboard riffs and fills in Kerry's usual style.

"One Dark world" is one of my favorite tracks on this album. I'm very familiar with this song already since it's featured on Kerry's soundtrack for the computer-animation video Odyssey into the Mind's Eye-- the best one of the series, by the way. My wife and son love to watch that DVD. So of course the images of planets and spaceships immediately pop into my head when this song comes on, but on this album it sounds much better than on the video. The words here deal with the vastness of the universe, and our separation from our heavenly home. Through the void we roam, and drift astray....

"No Holds Barred" pulls the listener straight back down to earth with an almost-heavy-metal sounding tune about the ongoing culture war, and the declining morals of our society. And we thought society was bad off in 1995, but I'm sure nobody could have imagined the kind of polarization and social turmoil in today's world of 2009.

"Sweet Child" has a message that hits home pretty hard for anyone like me who has children, of a father who wants the best for his children and, hopes the best for their future and the path they take. The beat, guitars, and layered vocals are a plus, and give an almost Journey-like vibe to the track.

"A Hero's Canticle" has a fantastic rock-anthem melody, at first listen bringing to mind the Canadian band Triumph, but without as heavy a dose of electric guitars. This is another one of my favorites, and I initially thought it was the opening track because I accidentally had the shuffle button on when I first played the album. But it's a great song no matter what its place on the tracklist.

Guitars are very heavily featured on the next track, however, as "Racing Away" opens with a riff that at times invokes Heart's "Barracuda", and a melody that occasionally reminds me of mid-80s Toto for some reason.

"Like A Whisper" features clever lyrics as always, and a groove carved out by an a bass line that sounds a bit like a fretless bass that may or may not be synth, and an unexpected violin solo that instantly brings to mind the sound of mid-90s Kansas.

The final track, "Xylon (the tree)" has a majestic sound that invokes some of Kerry's other work-- "Hopelessly Human" from Kansas' Point of Know Return and "Theophany" from Proto-Kaw's Before Became After-- both of which were fantastic closing tracks on their own respective albums. I could easily imagine either Steve Walsh or Lynn Meredith singing this track. The closing keyboard instrumentals on this song also seem to connect with some of the background music at the beginning of the Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye video.

This album is of course, filled with Kerry's signature songwriting, with intricate compositions, cool guitar riffs, thoughtful lyrics, and of course a Christian message. While Kerry has always had the image of one of those controversial CCM artists that shares his message through hard rock music, there are plenty like Stryper and Whitecross who rock harder and sound more controversial. In my opinion, Kerry strikes a good balance with a middle-of-the-road rock sound that doesn't overpower the message of the lyrics.

A blend of well-crafted lyrics, a positive Christian message, and excellent composition make this one of Kerry's best solo albums, and as I said, it's one I should have purchased a long time ago.
Let's all hope for Kerry's continued recovery so that he may "carry on" as a musician and an inspiration for all of us.

Sundogs: Wild Season

For those of you who weren't listening to rock radio in early 1997, Sundogs was a fantastic band fronted by Darren Rogers, who is probably best known as a vocalist on Kerry Livgren's When Things Get Electric.

Sundogs' debut album recieved a lot of airplay and attention, and the band seemed poised to break into success, but the tiny independent label they were signed to was ill-equipped to support the band's momentum. The label went under at the worst possible time, taking Sundogs with it and leaving a lot of brand-new fans scratching their heads and wondering where they went.

On top of that, the band was billed as "Alternative" at the time, but as everyone knows, in the mid-'90s no band could so much as get their foot in the door without calling themselves that. And the first 3 songs on this disc-- "Dyin'", "Veteran's Song", and "Bound to be Forgiven" pretty much fit the post-grunge mold of the time, with the typical syncopated beat and grungy distortion, though not quite as heavy and tuned-down as a lot of the contemporary stuff of the time. Track 4, "Kill the Pain", continues this pattern but with a funkier groove.

But then something strange happens: Starting with track 5, "Carries Me Away'", Sundogs ditches the "Alternative" disguise and shows its true colors as a genuine, real honest-to-goodness melodic rock band with some amazing vocal and guitar melodies to go with the lyrics. The transformation continues with the next track, "Like A River", a mid-tempo, more laid back tune that was probably the first cut off the album to get airplay, at least to my memory. This is followed up by "No Easy Way", an energetic rocker with a well-balanced blend of acoustic and electric guitars, thoughtful lyrics and powerful vocal delivery.

After that comes the absolute best song of the album, "Save My Soul". This is the one song that kept me searching for this album for a decade after it went out of print. All I had was a partial low-fi cassette recording of this song that I'd managed to get off the air, but that was enough and I knew I had to get the rest of it. The song is that good. It's one of those slow build-up songs that starts out simple and just keeps getting better as each instrument comes in.

"Save My Soul", along with "Like A River", brings back a lot of memories of my senior year in high school, particularly how I used to hear it in the car on the way to work.

The album is closed out with two more songs-- "Cold Love", a simple, short ballad, and "1000 Ships", a heavy-hitting mid-tempo meat-and-potatoes blues rocker that completes the set in a concert encore fashion that would have been gone down really well live.

Darren Rogers' vocals really shine on this disc, in the vein of Rik Emmett or Kevin Chalfant but a little more gritty.

The production is also very good, particularly the way acoustic and clean guitars were used liberally throughout. An internet search reveals that the album producer, Leif Mases, was also responsible for some other great albums such as Europe's Wings of Tomorrow.

The first 4 songs aside, this album was well worth the 10 years it took me to find it, and it was a terrible shame that Sundogs didn't get the chance they deserved. So here's yet another one for the "hidden gems" file.

Gordon Lightfoot: Summertime Dream

I'll say it up front, I'm a big fan of Gordon Lightfoot. I consider him to be one of the best folk singers of the '70s, and I wish I had more of his records. My Dad was a big Lightfoot fan as well, and I have assorted childhood memories of hearing the Gord's Gold compilation playing around the house and in the car.

But personally, I didn't get into Lightfoot's music until ca. 2004, when I heard The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the radio and I remembered how Dad told me the story behind this song when I was little. The mysterious, sad lyrics and haunting guitar riff of the song stuck with me, and some time later I came across this album in the used section of the now-defunct Starbound Records in West Valley City, UT, and snatched it up when I saw that it contained the song.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was, of course, Lightfoot's biggest hit ever, and most people I know either love or hate this song. It's a modern interpretation of the old sailor's epic sea ballad; the kind of song that would be passed down through the generations containing the wisdom and warnings of the distant past. People foget that the Great Lakes really are vast inland seas, despite being freshwater, and their waters deserve the same kind of seafaring legends as the Mediterranean with its Iliad and Odyssey.

But of course this album isn't all Gitche-Gumee and the gales of November. In fact, most of it is consists of upbeat, catchy tunes, with infectious rhythms, memorable lyrics, and choruses with some fantastic vocal harmonies. The opening track, Race Among the Ruins, had all of these qualities and became an instant favorite the minute I put the needle to the record. Other similar, upbeat tracks on the album include I'd Do it Again and the title track Summertime Dream, These are nicely balanced out by slower tracks such as I'm Not Supposed to Care, the easy listening of Spanish Moss, and the rolling, road-music like sound of Never Too Close. The House You Live In continues the wisdom-and-warnings theme of Edmund Fitzgerald, with an almost identical rhythm and meter but a more positive underlying mood, while songs such as Protocol and the closing track Too Many Clues In This Room convey a sense of thoughtful, lyrical contemplation.

The cover art of the album features a simple black-and-white photo of Lightfoot printed in a sepia tone with a grainy, airbrushed look to it. On the back is a long, meandering train-of-thought poem full of rich imagery, perhaps composed of discarded lyrical fragments related to the album title.

Overall this is a very well-balanced album, composed of thoughtfully crafted songs. The production is also well-balanced and very clean, with no sign of sounding dated despite having been recorded over 30 years ago.

The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog, and a Chicken

In 1990, REO Speedwagon had just gone through a major lineup change, with the departure of founding guitarist Gary Richrath and drummer Alan Gratzer, who were replaced with Dave Amato and Brian Hitt, respectively. Also joining the band was songwriter/producer/keyboardist Jesse Harms. With these changes, REO Speedwagon set out to make what would become their last major-label album: The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog, and A Chicken.

The first thing you notice about the album is the unusual title and cover art. This goes under the "what the heck were they thinking" file. Perhaps it was supposed to be a clever attention-grabber, similar to 1978's You Can Tune a Piano but you can't Tuna Fish. But this one just leaves you scratching your head.

Once you actually put the tape in though, there's a collection of surprisingly good songs inside. All the basic elements of the '80s REO sound are there-- the strong melodies, Kevin Cronin's signature vocal style, well-written lyrics, prominent backup vocals, etc. There's a good balance between energetic rock songs such as "Go For Broke" and (somewhat standardized) power ballads like "Can't Lie To My Heart", mid-tempo rockers such as the opening "Love is a Rock", and interesting tracks such as the almost-rap inspired "L.I.A.R." And in my opinion, Dave Amato is a perfectly good replacement for Gary Richrath, delivering some great guitar work on this album as well as the two more recent albums.

But the one thing that really stands out on this album is the production. There's just something about the production techniques of the early '90s that made for some fantastic recordings-- with just the right mixture of analog and digital technology, studios were able to create a fine-tuned rock sound that took advantage of everything that had been learned over the course of the '80s, without overdoing things. It was a pity that all of it was subsequently forgotten during the ultra-stripped-down grunge era, and the tuned-down pitch-corrected too-much-pro-tools era of today.

It's a shame this album failed to chart and didn't get the attention it deserved. For people who like catchy, well-produced rock songs, this album is definitely a hidden gem, if you can get past the album title. Best tracks on the album include: Love is A Rock, All Heaven Broke Loose, L.I.A.R. and Go For Broke. While the CD is out of print, you can get mp3s from Amazon.com. and probably Itunes as well.

Hi folks

Hi folks--

Welcome to mike's retro record reviews blog, where I review stuff from my extensive collection of used records, tapes, CDs, and 8-tracks. As an amateur musician and music-o-philiac, I hope to share my insights on the music that is important to me and has made up such a large part of my life.

Also, since I'm no longer allowed to use my mp3 player while working, according to page such-and-such of the employee manual at my job, I figure that writing this blog from home will give me an excuse to listen to some music after I get home.

So, let's start with one of my 45 RPM singles. (Since it's almost 4AM and I just spent a half hour creating my profile, I don't have time tonight to listen to a full album anyway)


Survivor: Caught in the Game (1983, Scotti Bros. Records)

The cover art for the single--identical to the album-- seems to show the earth on the screen of a primitive console videogame (it was 1983 after all.)

This is the title track to the album of the same name, Caught In the Game, and the song immediately kicks off with a catchy guitar riff, and a steady, fairly upper mid-tempo beat.

They say Dave Bickler had voice problems around this time, which is why they had to replace him with Jimi Jamison on the subsequent tour, but to me the lead vocal sounds fine and every bit as good as on the previous album, Eye of the Tiger. It does seem a bit low in the mix, but maybe that's because of the reverb, (it was 1983 afer all) and I have had a bit of trouble picking up the lyrics, but overall it's a good song with decent energy.

I used to own the whole album on LP about 10 years ago, but for some reason it didn't grow on me and I got rid of it. I regretted that later since it got hard to find on vinyl, but at least I kept the single.