Various Artists

Bob Dylan: The 30^th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Deluxe Edition)

Legacy Recordings/Columbia

On October 16^th, 1992 many of music’s biggest stars gathered to honor Bob Dylan on the 30^th anniversary of his first Columbia Records album. This was during a very quiet time in Dylan’s storied career. He had decided not to record any new material and had returned to his roots by recording old folk songs. It was this “quiet time” that led to his massive career resurgence in the late nineties, but at this show it was his history that resurged.

This re-release is a two CD/two DVD set that features remastered audio and a new High Definition  video master. Included as well are over 40 minutes of rehearsal and interview footage that has never been seen before. It also includes an excellent set of liner notes from pop music historian Bill Flanagan.

It’s odd looking back on the video footage of this historic night. Amidst so many high-profile, multi-million dollar tributes/ceremonies/award shows, this is a very low key affair. A very simple stage and a few lights adorn Madison Square Garden and many of the artists performed acoustically as solo artists or without the backing of a full band. Also, many of the artists themselves introduce the next artist. It’s just an odd look all the way around. In that respect, it’s very, very Bob Dylan.

The highlight of the video performances is certainly John Mellencamp, who kicks the show off with a blazing set of “Like a Rolling Stone” and the bonus track “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat.” Mellencamp was at the top of his game and he played these songs like he owned them that night. Then newcomers Mike McCready and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) delivered a powerful acoustic rendition of “Masters of War” that stood in stark contrast to the music of the time period and proved them to be legit contenders in rock and roll. Of course, seeing The Clancy Brothers perform with Robbie O’Connell and Tommy Makem was a once in a lifetime treat as well, proving how much respect Dylan commanded from a variety of legends. And who can forget Sinead O’Connor getting booed off the stage hot on the heels of her Saturday Night Live stand against the Catholic Church?

For me, it’s the audio that transports me back to that place though. While it’s not much to look at, hearing Chrissie Hynde deliver a powerhouse version of “I Shall Be Released” is overwhelming when you are all alone and really crank it up. The same goes for Ron Wood offering the Dylan penned/Wood recorded “Seven Days” and Johnny Winter’s blistering blues rendition of “Highway 61 Revisited.” Another newcomer at the time, Tracy Chapman, delivers the fiery folk of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” with ease, showing how it still spoke volumes decades later.

Dylan himself eventually takes the stage, surrounded by legendary friends like Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and George Harrison (among others) to play “My Back Pages” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and, honestly, it’s just a big jam and doesn’t do much for me. When Dylan performs “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”  and “Girl From the North Country” though, he moves mountains with just his nasally whine and an acoustic guitar. I wish there was much more of this to be found, but considering that no one even knew whether or not he would be there, we are fortunate to have it. All in all, this is a piece of music history that is well worth your time to visit or revisit.

It's funny to think how many amazing albums have been released to no avail. Albums that should have been trendsetters and life-changers but, for various reasons, weren't. I entertained the idea of just changing the blog format and keeping on like this forever. There are so many more great albums from artists like Chagall Guevara, Aunt Bettys, Jen Chapin, Marly Hornik, Dust, King's X, the list goes on and on. They all deserve to be heard and deserve space here, there, and everywhere.

Unfortunately, our time has come to a close for now and we will be returning to our focus on re-issues, live albums, and deluxe/special editions of classics. The Great Nothing blog has received a massive increase in hits through this series and we thank you for reading! Please continue to check back as we return to our "regularly scheduled programming" next week.

Mark

Glass Hammer

Lex Rex

Arion Records

Reviewed by Jeff Holton

In the 20 plus years that I have been reviewing music rarely did I ever receive an independent CD that caught my attention like Glass Hammer’s LEX REX.  Glass Hammer is a Nashville, TN based power/prog band.  This CD completely ble me away!  This is the 7^th release from “the band that helped revive concept albums”.  Glass Hammer’s LEX REX was, in my opinion, the best independent CD release of 2002! 

This concept album according to the band is the story of a “Roman soldier, beset by ancient gods and goddesses, lured on a quest for something unattainable… He calls it glory.”   The story behind the music talks about his quests as he searches for this source.  He looks for “glory” in war, in ancient gods and into the arms of the goddess Aphrodite, all to find that glory cannot be found in these carnal things.  After much “soul- searching” the soldier finally finds “glory” in the one called “Prince of Peace”, “Counselor”, “Holy Savior”, “God clothed in flesh”.  It is truly an inspiring story that is filled with faith and hope.

Musically Glass Hammer is a retro progressive rock band easily compared to the likes of early Yes and Genesis.  The songs contain punchy bass lines (by Steve Babb), “complex vocal harmonies” and the CD is highlighted with killer Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer solos (Fred Schendel) that would make Rick Wakemen from Yes a proud man!

LEX REX is a must have CD for any progressive music enthusiast.  Nearly 12 years later Glass Hammer is still alive and kicking making some of the best and most innovative progressive rock today. 

The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

Levi Kreis- Imagine Paradise

Reviewed by Todd Carlson

 Imagine Paradise is the fifth album from Levi Kreis, and it's his most consistent to date. This album is filled with enough catchy hooks and infectious beats that's guaranteed to get you dancing in your chair, or at least, tapping your toes. 

   

    Levi has touched on a few different styles over the years, From the soulful, piano ballads of his first album in 2005, to the pop elements of later releases, to the 70's dance vibe that complements his sound now, he always delivers a strong performance. This is easily the most comfortable he has sounded yet. Taking a break from recording and touring for a couple of years to play Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, on Broadway, definitely re-energized him. I'm sure winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical didn't hurt either.

     Even though tracks like "Any Way You Wanna" and "Taking Back My Boogie" have a classic 70's flavor, they still sound completely modern and are perfect for cranking on the car stereo on a sunny, summer day. Along side the high energy tracks are  gorgeous love songs such as "All Over Again" and "Timeless (We Are)". Start to finish, this album will just make you feel good.

The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

Ilsabe O’Connell

Little Lost Cause

Independent

Little Lost Cause came to my attention back in 2005 when a lot of indie music was crossing my desk. With its run down carnival cover it quickly caught my attention, but it was the raw, soft-spoken blend of traditional country, blues, and folk that has kept me coming back time after time. In fact, this is an album that has never been far from my ears for much of the last decade.

Most of this album is musically sparse in a folk way. It hones in on the gentle touch of Ilsabe’s acoustic guitar and keeps her voice front and center, always nudging the album forward. In that way, it certainly reminds of Christine Kane and early Jen Chapin. There are a number of highlights here (or, duh, it wouldn’t be included on this list, right?), but I’ll just mention a few.

The haunting “Old Konstanz,” with it’s perfectly mixed background vocals and Ilsabe’s slightly bluesy vocal delivery. It’s a little to soft-spoken to be truly bluesy but her cadence certainly gives it that feel. Meanwhile, “Carnival” ties into to the art layout and has more of a traditional country flare. At its heart it’s a wonderful love song and reminds me of the fond teenage memories I have of puppy love at the county fair where I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. The title track is another obvious highlight and moves at a slightly faster clip than much of the album. The instruments are more pronounced and the guitars are exceptional on this song in particular.

To date, this is the only album Ilsabe O’Connell has made. Like many of us (and many of the artists featured on this blog series), life has apparently taken her in other directions. I truly hope that one day she’ll release something new, but for now, Little Lost Cause is still a breath of fresh air in an overcrowded world of music. This is the sound of regular people pouring their heart into a dream and that ALWAYS makes for a memorable album. 

The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

The Mustard Seeds

The Mustard Seeds

Entourage Records

Reviewed by Jeff Holton

The Mustard Seeds may be one band you have never heard before but you probably recognize some of the members of the band.  Matt and Gregg Bissonette are the ultimate brother rhythm section who founded the band back 1993.  Having played with greats like David Lee Roth and Joe Satriani the brothers put together a band and a CD that I believe is one of the most underrated CDs of all time.  I first heard about these guys from Jerry Gaskill from King’s X.  I figured if they are good enough for him then certainly they are worth checking out. 

The self titled CD was released in 1996 on Entourage Records.  The CD caught the attention of Doc McGhee (manager for Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Guns N Roses and a bunch of others) and he signed on to be the bands manager as well.  Unfortunately the band and the CD never really took off.  This CD barely made a dent in the music industry and it virtually went unheard of except by a very small minority of music enthusiasts who appreciate great music. The CD is a dark, poppy and melodic hard rock record with catchy riffs, amazing vocal harmonies and hooks galore. Starting off the CD is “Mr. Green” and it is one of those songs it gets stuck in your head and you’ll be singing it all day.  “Bulldozer” is another highlight and is reminiscent of early King’s X.  “Quicksand” is one of the darker songs but in my opinion one of the strongest songs on the CD.  Honestly there isn’t a bad song on this CD.

Shortly after the release of this CD Drummer Gregg Bissonette left the band but the band found a replacement and went on to record a second album entitled RED (I would consider it the second most underrated CD).  I believe anyone who truly appreciates good hard rock and appreciates the music of  King’s X, The Beatles, and the Galactic Cowboys would totally dig this band.  You can still pick up this CD on Amazon for under $5 used or you can listen to samples at this link http://www.themustardseeds.com/index-2.html.    

The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

Jerome Wincek & the Old Hats

The Revelator – EP 1

Independent

Jerome Wincek is one of my favorite artists. Created from acoustic guitars, primitive electronics, banjos, and gut buckets, his music is as raw as it is powerful. For me, it’s his voice that brings everything together though. It’s a voice that has truly lived life, a wise observer and a masterful storyteller that isn’t afraid to let his voice crack or go off key to convey his message. It’s the voice of the working class, the people struggling to get by and find happiness. While my favorite songs are on his album So Low (“Love is a Martyr” may be my favorite song ever in fact), it’s The Revelator EP’s that I feel are his most overwhelming works. Particularly EP 1, which sets the stage for the last man and woman on Earth and their journey together.

The Revelator is a series of three individual EP’s that tell the story of a man and a woman who meet after the “apocalypse/second coming/Jesus’ return/end of the world” or whatever other title you may choose to bestow upon it. This EP, the first in the series, tells the story of the man and woman meeting, their struggle to determine why they were left behind, whether or not they can trust each other, and what might be next.

To call this EP musically and lyrically intense would be a big understatement. For example, I might cite the haunting piano and kind of traditional Western meets Surf Rock style guitar work of “When Trouble Comes” or the mesmerizing drum loops and melodies in songs like “Another Sun” (my personal favorite track) and the absolutely brilliant “So The Lady” as ample evidence of what I’m talking about but it’s best if you just hear it for yourself and bask in its intensity. The EP’s final moment is the only arguable misstep. Entitled  “The Evil Hootenanny” it tries its damndest to blend Western Swing, Electronica, and Bluegrass but falls just shy of the mark as it never really comes together as a complete sounding piece. Despite that slight detour (and the fact that it was a valiant effort), the rest of this EP is flawless. Everything sounds new, fresh, and different yet strikingly traditional and familiar at the same time.

Jerome Wincek is probably one of the most honest sounding musicians you will ever hear. The rawness of his music and his keen ear for melodies are unlike any other artist I have ever heard (and as a music journalist for the last 18 years, I have literally heard thousands of artists). Don’t take my word for it though; go download it for free!

The Revelator EP 1 at: http://jeromewincek.bandcamp.com/album/the-revelator-part-1

Also check out his album So Low for free at: http://jeromewincek.bandcamp.com/album/so-low

Reviewed by Mark Fisher