A Vivoscene Featured Review by Brian Miller

Vivoscene rating 10.0

A Vivoscene Must Have Publication

The University of Minnesota press has recently published a new edition of Alan Greenberg’s Love In Vain: A Vision of Robert Johnson. It’s probably one of the best unproduced screenplays ever written. The first edition of this work came out in 1983, and the film rights to it were eagerly snapped up by a young man named Jagger who claimed to have some connection with the blues. Seems the long-dead subject of the screenplay was some kind of musical icon to him, and this fellow Jagger, an erstwhile rock singer and sometime actor, was not without resources, or so he claimed.

The odds, therefore, seemed to be in favour of getting the movie made, particularly since everyone who even glanced at the screenplay thought it was a work of genius. And it is, it bloody well is. The esteemed rock critic Greil Marcus said so. Robert Palmer said so in the New York Times. Even the famed director Werner Herzog claimed that “Love in Vain has accomplished what I have tried to do for a long time.”

But here it is thirty years later, and what we have is another edition of the book, not the film itself, which still hasn’t been made. Entertainment Weekly came out and stated that “it may be the best movie you’ll see all year – even if it’s just inside your head.”

Mind you, I am immeasurably glad to have the book. Greenberg is an enchanting writer, and for those who love the blues, well, put your records aside and pick up this book and see if you can lay it down before finishing it. I couldn’t. And yes, there was a movie going on in my head at every turn of the page, for Greenberg indeed creates a vision that is so compelling you keep reading, and you keep hearing Johnson’s music all around you. The ending, of course, is so unbearably sad, with Johnson’s poisoning by a jealous husband, that you find yourself getting up from your bed or your reading chair and finding a glass of Scotch to stiffen yourself against the devastating loss of one of the most important bluesmen ever.

And then the next day you put on a Robert Johnson record and you realize that while the movie concept is fascinating, Greenberg’s screenplay makes Johnson himself come alive in a way that no movie could. What Greenberg has done with his incandescent writing is insert you into the milieu, shove you into the Delta migrant worker camps, feed you a bottle of hootch while all around you the likes of Charlie Patton, Skip James, and Robert Johnson create some of the most soulful blues ever made.

That big Gibson guitar, those slender, handsome features, the long beautiful fingers and that hellhound-driven voice of Johnson’s – it’s the very soul of American music and it will get into your own soul way down deep. If there had ever been any doubt about that, Greenberg takes you right there and puts you on Highway 61, on that haunted crossroads at midnight that has inspired Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Dion, Lucinda Williams, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton and just about any authentic bluesmaker you care to name. Johnson’s music is the kind that doesn’t merely last decades. A hundred years from now, even two hundred years from now, music lovers will be discovering his forty-one recordings and saying to each other, “These are sublime.”

So Love In Vain is no screenplay in the ordinary sense: Greenberg reflects the Johnson myth back to us so vividly that we begin to understand the source, the pain and the exhilaration of the blues. His book is an incredible achievement, and looms so large in the imagination after reading it that the prospect of making any kind of film from it seems almost to diminish Greenberg’s brilliant work.

Included in the book are several photographs of Delta scenes (there is only one known photo of Johnson himself) and 45 pages of invaluable chapter notes provided by the author: the notes are so highly readable and informative that they’re worthy of independent publication.

Published by The University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis and London
http://www.upress.umn.edu

Watch: “Love In Vain”

A Vivoscene Featured Review by Randall Parrish

Vivoscene rating 8.7

A Vivoscene MustHave Recording

http://rodneycrowell.com/
http://www.emmylouharris.com/

Purchase from iTunes USA Old Yellow Moon – Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Purchase from iTunes Canada Old Yellow Moon – Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

The collaborative pairing resulting in a complete album by fabled country/alternative country superstars Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell has finally come to fruition. The realization of this nearly 40 year old concept has resulted in Old Yellow Moon on Nonesuch Records, a high quality recording that’s worth the lengthy wait and matches the lofty expectations. The release features the duo’s superlative vocals with a “throw-back feel” to the days when the country-rock hybrid that is now called Americana sprang to life.

The two met in 1974 after Emmylou had signed her record deal with Warner Brothers and was appraising, with producer Brian Ahern, possible song selections for her first solo album Pieces of the Sky. Following her playing a cassette of budding songwriter Rodney Crowell compositions, Harris decided to record “Bluebird Wine” as the opening track in 1975 on what would become one of the most auspicious entrances in the history of country music. Later that same year Emmylou chose two of Crowell’s songs for inclusion on Elite Motel; “Amarillo” picked as album opener with Emmylou credited as co-writer. The second was tear-jerker “Till I Gain Control Again,” one of my all time favorite Emmylou recordings. Crowell’s colorful compositions have been regular selections into her subsequent distinguished catalog to this day.

Rodney Crowell would join Emmylou’s exceptional back-up band, The Hot Band, along with various significant artists such as guitar legend James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, John Ware, Hank DeVito, Emory Gordy, and on occasion Albert Lee, and Vince Gill. It is alleged that Warner Brothers signed Emmylou on the condition that Brian Ahern produce her album, and then later they requested that she “get a hot band,” which she indeed did. Burton, Gordy, Gill, and Hardin make guest appearances on Old Yellow Moon, along with many other great musicians of note, with three of Hank DeVito’s compositions residing among the twelve songs on Old Yellow Moon.

DeVito’s “Hanging Up My Heart” robustly opens Old Yellow Moon with a chuggin’ mid-tempo hard country rhythm dynamically spurred on by Emory Gordy’s bass, Ware’s drums, Burton’s guitar, and potent Hammond B-3 organ courtesy of Bill Payne (Little Feat). Emmylou sassily handles the lead vocals with a slight assist from Vince Gill on back-up vocals. A tasty steel guitar break mid-song by Tommy (Waco) Spurlock is coupled with James Burton’s fine interaction. Back in 1983 this song was the title track of Sissy Spacek’s lone foray into country music, skillfully produced by Crowell, coming after her Oscar-winning success in the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter.

The duet by Harris and Crowell on Roger Miller’s “Invitation to the Blues” is splendidly enhanced by the swinging fiddle of Larry Franklin and the beautifully effortless steel guitar by Paul Franklin. A strong Crowell lead vocal with superb vocal harmony from Harris goes hand in hand with the brilliant instrumentation to make this one of the best songs on the album. I never thought I would hear a better version than Chris Hillman & Herb Pederson’s remake; but … here it is.

Emmylou lends a radiant lead vocal on the remake of the 1993 Patti Scialfa song “Spanish Dancer,” a song romantically written from the point of view of a young woman with a yearning heart. Vince Gill captures a shimmering traditional tone on his gut-string guitar to frame the song, which also features lovely piano from Bill Payne.

The first Rodney Crowell penned song (co-authored with James T. Slater) on Old Yellow Moon offers a tender duet opportunity for himself and Emmylou. It’s titled “Open Season on My Heart,” and the title pretty much sums up the wounded heart sentiment contained therein. In the vein of most Crowell compositions, the oft-profound lyrics tell a story very well. The song had originally appeared, with Crowell singing backup, on Tim McGraw’s 2004 Live Like You Were Dying release. The talented Crowell giftedly imparts an earnest vulnerability in his vocal that is fully convincing.

Master poet/songwriter Kris Kristofferson’s outlaw country song “Chase the Feeling” has the sensation of an Everly Brothers classic due to the perfection of the duet harmony. The terse reverberating guitar-driven melody puts to mind the defiant Lee Greenwood/Nancy Sinatra chestnut “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.” Notable bass supplied by Michael Rhodes, kickin’ drums by Chad Cromwell, and piano by Reese Wynans (three former members of Fortunate Son) provide country-rock substance aplenty to the tune.

Another Hank DeVito composition, “Black Caffeine,” accepts a country/blues treatment that sets it apart from the other songs on this collection. It’s lively somewhat confrontational “in your face” approach is slightly reminiscent of a June Carter and Johnny Cash duet (maybe “Jackson”); which of course is a good thing. It’s strategic placement midway on the playlist of Old Yellow Moon, following the rocking “Chase the Feeling” keeps the album from acquiring a too ballad-heavy feel.

The Allen Reynolds romantic/rueful song “Dreaming My Dreams,” which was the title track of one of Waylon Jennings’ number one albums is made over as a gorgeous duet. The harmonizing by Harris and Crowell is immaculately exquisite, plus the musical accompaniment is handsomely elegant in its understated simplicity.

Crowell’s above-mentioned “Bluebird Wine” has a slight lyrical rewrite and the lead vocal is commendably handled by Rodney. The backing musicians all contribute mightily to the feel-good vibe achieved on the arrangement. A vibe perhaps similar to the high gained after drinking a bit too much bluebird wine?

Matraca Berg’s “Back When We Were Beautiful” is given a starkly poignant treatment resembling a funeral dirge with Emmylou singing lead with Rodney harmonizing in the background. The plaintive piano played by John Hobbs is forefront in the instrumentation. Barely audible in the background are Steuart Smith (Don Henley, Vince Gill) credited with Mandocello and David Hungate (Toto) on Arco acoustic bass. Emmylou sings somberly with a world weariness that gives credence to the lyrical content concerning an aging person forlornly reminiscing about days gone by.

Two Rodney Crowell penned songs come next, “Here We Are” and “Bull Rider.” “Here We Are” was originally recorded as a duet in 1979 by George Jones and Emmylou Harris on Jones’s My Very Special Guests album. It resurfaces as the perfect song to revisit on Old Yellow Moon for all the obvious reasons. “Bull Rider,” Crowell’s song made famous by his former father-in-law Johnny Cash, includes the fantastic image to illustrate bull riding: “like a hurricane dancing with a kite.” Compositions such as this are the reason Crowell has earned the well-deserved reputation as master lyricist. The commentary he provides regarding the dark, sad nature of the bull rider’s existence could well be an allegory for the hardships endured in life. Stuart Duncan’s fiddle and banjo again catch the ear along with the collective group of acoustic guitars.

The title track, a Hank DeVito and Lynn Langham composition, is a country waltz style ballad that possesses a poised splendor and ends the album with a polished allure. Langham plays softly gentle piano with heartfelt sensitivity proving that in addition to writing excellent songs she is also a talented player.

Many of the vocals for Old Yellow Moon were cut live, with few overdubs. This gives the album rare warmth and intimacy approximating sitting by the fireplace or on the back-porch listening to longtime friends harmonize. The production by Brian Ahern is flawless, focusing on the vocals and how to better surround them with the precise instrumentation. These amazing world-class musicians assembled never detract from the quality and importance of the melody and the supported vocals. The perceptible amity between Brian Ahern, Emmylou Harris, and Rodney Crowell is plain as the nose on your face. It is the overriding reason that this record comes off as so relaxed and as enjoyably comfortable as your favorite recliner or beloved t-shirt.

Watch: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell discuss the making of Old Yellow Moon

A Vivoscene Feature Review by Brian Miller

Vivoscene rating 9.5 A Vivoscene MustHave Recording

Purchase from iTunes USA Memphis (Bonus Track Version) – Boz Scaggs

Purchase from iTunes Canada Memphis (Bonus Track Version) – Boz Scaggs

The most underrated singer, songwriter and guitarist of his generation surely must be Boz Scaggs, though with his latest album Memphis he has produced such a prodigiously talented performance that he may finally receive his due. Not that the man has ever gone unnoticed: from Boz’s beginnings with the likes of Steve Miller and Ben Sidran (two others who, like Boz, have received far more critical than public acclaim) he has displayed a range of talents that time after time have defied genre, and produced an enviable string of hits and top-selling albums.

Boz can sing as soulfully as Ray Charles; he can pick guitar like almost no one else on the scene; he could always sing the blues like no other young white guy around (listen to his “Loan Me A Dime” with Duane Allman and tell me if you can who else ever came close); he can rock it and he can write it. He can croon like no other rocker around. His 2003 album of standards entitled but beautiful puts Rod Stewart to shame. And don’t forget this is the guy who had the likes of TOTO backing him in his Silk Degrees days, one of his many perfect albums. Another? – check out Boz Scaggs and Band from the early 1970s and hear a young master at work. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he never succumbed to the vagaries of touring, fame, and the related excesses. He kept on churning one great album after another, including Some Change in 1994 and Dig in 2001. On every one of his albums you will hear more than one heart-stopping track, something that hits you, gets under your skin, and stays with you for years. It might be “Harbour Lights” from Silk Degrees, it might be “Running Blue” from Boz Scaggs and Band, or it might be “King of El Paso” from Dig. This much is certain: if this guy doesn’t get to you, you might as well give up listening to music altogether and take up something less, shall we say, rewarding.

Boz hasn’t lost anything of his vocal prowess. With a delicious lower register and a simply sensationally pure high end, he never hits a false note. Never. Not to mention he can emote as well or better than any popular singer alive today, and accomplish that in pop, standards, jazz, blues, and funk.

He’s as good, if not better, live than he is in the studio. His 2004 DVD of concerts entitled Greatest Hits Live at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco is one every music fan should own, and every musician/vocalist (I’m talking to you, Michael Bublé, and you, Rod Stewart) should study. And yet, and yet, nine times out of ten you’ll find music fans (even serious ones) relegating Boz to the classics heap. Well, Mr. Scaggs, it’s my pleasant self-assigned task to change a few minds, for your latest album is nothing short of a masterpiece. Featured players are Boz on acoustic and electric guitars, Steve Jordan on drums and percussion, Ray Parker Jr. on guitars, and Willie Weeks on upright and electric bass. The album was recorded at Royal Recording Studios in Memphis, hence the title.

A few words about these notable sidemen and the record production. Steve Jordan is arguably the most soulful drummer around, having got his start with Stevie Wonder and gone on to play with Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos, as well as The John Mayer Trio. He has produced the likes of Robert Cray and Buddy Guy. Ray Parker Jr. is a funk guitarist supreme, having had his own fame as leader of Raydio, and also as backup for Barry White. And: he wrote and performed the theme to Ghostbusters. As for Willie Weeks, he backed up Eric Clapton in the Crossroads Festival House band, and has played on hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of great tracks, among them the finest works of Donny Hathaway, George Harrison, Isaac Hayes, Buddy Guy, Aretha and countless others. It’s been a long time since Boz had a band this good behind him, perhaps not since the days of TOTO.

Then there’s the production and mastering: even on a modest sound system the sonic qualities of this recording will satisfy the listener beyond description. Of particular note are the guitar and the drum tracks: natural, powerful, and evocative. Several of these songs left me breathless in admiration for their purity of sound and impact. This is perhaps the first rock/r & b recording made in years released in 180 gram vinyl that doesn’t require a half-speed mastered $40 edition and a $2000 Concept turntable to reveal its audiophile quality (though that would be some spectacular ear-bending) .

The track getting the most early attention is “Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl”, and it’s a stunner, though it bears no relation to the relatively unknown and equally stunning song of the same name co-written by Leon Huff and recorded by Patty and The Emblems back in 1964. A great song title, and a great song written by Willy DeVille, perhaps the most memorable performance of this track was by Willy himself live back in 1994 at Montreux. Much of that, though, was due to the tour de force Spanish guitar solo, Willie’s grandiose appearance (a sophisticated seediness), and his John Lee Hooker/ Van Morrison -inspired vocal mannerisms. Boz plays it straight with this new version, and while revealing the true nuances of Willie’s splendid lyric, rocks it harder, and ultimately comes close to Willie’s matchless incantations. Boz’s take more than stands on its own, and if as well, his recording serves to illuminate and revive DeVille’s artistry, all the better. We’ve decided to include both for your viewing pleasure.

And here is the original with Willie DeVille in a live, extended version:

Boz follows up “Shook Up Girl” with a song that has been recorded, played, and overplayed for decades: “Rainy Night in Georgia”. The original was by Brook Benton back in the 60s and is still a tear-jerker when heard on oldies stations. Whatever possessed Boz to attempt this hoary chestnut only he knows, but what this reviewer can tell you is that it has to be heard to be believed. There’s no song on the album as telling of his vocal talents as this rendition of “Georgia”, for he brings a dark and sombre soulfulness to the recording that redefines the lyrical depth of the composition.

Other standout tracks on the Memphis album include the early American folk/country standard “Corrina, Corrinna”, which dates back to 1928 and has been recorded hundreds of times by artists as diverse as Ray Peterson (an early Phil Spector-produced hit and a minor pop miracle) as well as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Doc Watson, the last of whom adapted it as “Alberta, Let Your Hair Hang Low”. This song has never received a better reading than the present one by Boz. The acoustic guitar work is nothing less than magnificent, and Boz’s tenderness with the lyric is a revelation. The recording ranks at the very top of his catalogue. Of special merit is the keyboard work of Spooner Oldham, who also plays on several other tracks.

“Dry Spell” is a bluesy spellbinder, featuring Keb Mo’ on slide dobro, Oldham on Wurlitzer piano, and the irrepressible Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica. Musselwhite’s recent outing with Ben Harper on the album Get Up! showed him at the top of his form, and he remains so with his juicy, charged-up interludes and asides on this number. Worth the price of admission, this one is, and to be played as long and as loud as your neighbours can stand it.

I also loved the new approach Boz took with “Can I Change My Mind”, which was the first big hit for 60s r & b artist Tyrone Davis. When Tyrone performed the original he took an upbeat approach to the song, which completely contradicts (imho) the lyrical content. Boz slows it down, explores all the shades of meaning behind the words, and delivers, ultimately, the better performance of this soul classic.

The closing song, “Sunny Gone”, an original ballad written by Boz, expresses the grief of lost love, and it is beautifully sung. The depth of feeling behind his performance made me wonder if perhaps there were not another, less obvious, interpretation than that of romantic love gone wrong. More than fourteen years ago Boz lost his beloved son Oscar to a heroin overdose. In the Newsweek magazine of February 22, 1999, Boz made an eloquent statement (read it here) about his son’s life and addiction. Maybe I’m reading too much into this new song, which speaks so well of losing those we can’t bear to be parted from. Boz, though, is a sensitive and talented man with musical depth and breadth that evokes experience at every level and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if “Sunny” was also meant to evoke “Sonny”.

In summary, Memphis is Boz Scagg’s most fully realized work, and it’s an album you should own. If you buy only one album this year, make it Memphis.

And one more thing: Boz, if you ever care to arrange a concert evening with your old musical pals Steve Miller and Ben Sidran, it would be ubercool for all concerned. I’d travel any distance to attend…

A Vivoscene Featured Review by Brian Miller

Vivoscene rating 10.0
A MustHave Recording

More than 50 years ago in the fall of 1961Nina Simone performed at The Village Gate in New York City and delivered a show that arguably ranks as one of the best live recordings in all of history. Throughout the course of At The Village Gate the listener can hear the clink of bar glasses, the enthused applause, the superb piano playing of Nina herself, and a tightly focused rhythm section. And of course, you will bear witness to her heart-stopping vocals, the like of which has been the model for jazz, soul and pop singers of every stripe since that time. Ask any credible singer whom they care to emulate – I dare say they won’t name Streisand or Fitzgerald or any of the current crop. Some might say Billie Holiday, while another might cite Dusty Springfield, but there’s nary a one who would say she wouldn’t like to sing with as much soul and artistry as Ms. Simone. And damn, she was one smokin’, bluesy pianist – for proof, listen to her swinging takes on the opener “Just In Time” and “Bye Bye Blackbird”. Diana Krall, take note – here is the standard, to which no one before or since has been compared without shortfall.

Think back to the state of American life in 1961, in real or imagined terms, if you will. Black performers suffered discrimination to no end. The black populace at large had no civil rights to speak of, and the protests in Mississippi were yet to come. Clubs such as The Village Gate were host to such music luminaries as Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane, and yes, Nina Simone, but hardly anyone but Nina dared to speak the truth about black life in such songs as “Brown Baby”, or “House Of The Rising Sun”. It was Nina’s version of the latter song, btw, which inspired The Animals, who in turn inspired Bob Dylan. Nina had a way, you see, of awakening the heart of the listener, of delivering a carefully-controlled piercing of the mind and emotions. Not even Aretha Franklin could do that. Certainly Paul Robeson could, but Nina triumphed above all other black female singers for her ability to create drama, characterization and believability. Some people call it “soul” and indeed, Nina was deemed to be “The High Priestess of Soul”, a term that Nina disliked for she felt it misrepresented her achievements and her approach. She was classically trained and knew all about dynamics, tempo changes; in fact she called what she did “black classical music”.

Here’s the important thing about Nina Simone – her music doesn’t sound dated, old, or formulaic, and it won’t fifty years from now. Were she appear today for the first time, she would quickly be pronounced a superstar. There’s simply no one like her, not Roberta Flack, not Whitney Houston, not Alicia Keyes. What they are attempting to do sounds histrionic, overdone, and strained compared to the artistry shown in almost every song performed on At The Village Gate. Witness “If He Changed My Name”, a soulful, near-acapella rendering of such superlative delivery that it becomes hypnotic. As for “Vaynikehu”, an Israeli number in 5/4 rhythm, Nina’s willingness to explore the music of other cultures may be one of the first such explorations of true world music. In this respect she is an unacknowledged pioneer, transforming this piece into a jazzy uptempo potboiler. And what she does with “Sinner Man” is a minor miracle, for her reworking of standard hymns is, for the listener, a voyage of discovery back to the essence. Not a small achievement, and one for which Nina deserves great credit as an arranger, an improviser, and a musical explorer.

The closing tune, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is one you probably know well, but until you’ve heard Nina play it, you haven’t fully experienced its power, delicacy and heart-rendering shimmering, radiant splendour.

Someone once said that there are only a dozen or so artistic experiences that truly speak to one’s soul during the course of a lifetime, and that the task of each of us so inclined is to find those dozen experiences. Nina Simone’s At The Village Gate is one such recording, almost beyond measure. You may audition the entire album below.

A Vivoscene Featured Review by Brian Miller

Vivoscene rating 9.0

One of the most significant and underrated musical figures of the 20th century is finally getting the recognition he deserves. We’re talking Gil Scott-Heron, and with the remastered 3-CD compilation The Revolution Begins -The Flying Dutchman Masters music fans who have come to him lately via the 2010 album I’m New Here can immerse themselves in some of the most meaningful soul/jazz music ever recorded. Gil was a notable up-and-coming black poet in 1970 when he was introduced to Bob Thiele, who ran Flying Dutchman records, and the first take on recording any of these works was in spoken-word format. The killer track on that seminal album Small Talk at 125th & Lenox, of course, was “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, and suddenly Gil found his true calling: the marriage of revolutionary poetic lyrics with jazz. Three recordings for Flying Dutchman were issued in all, and every one of those 49 tracks is included in this compilation.

Key tracks: the two versions of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, “Lady Day and John Coltrane”, “Whitey On The Moon”, “Home Is Where The Hatred Is” (an absolutely superb track!) and “Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues” (oh man, this guy could set a mood just as deep and soulful as any top r & b crooner), and a dozen or more others that will by turns inspire, exalt, and persuade you that this man’s work will continue to be current and vital for decades to come.

To call this collection “essential” is understating the case. In fact, Scott-Heron’s work was the embodiment of everything that black politics and black music stood for in the last half of the 20th century. What Sam Cooke began with “A Change Is Gonna Come”, and what Marvin Gaye continued with “What’s Going On?” provided a firm foundation for the message and the inherent musicality behind the achievements of Gil Scott-Heron. These songs portray the sordid truths behind the struggle for equality, life in the ghetto, the temptations of drugs and crime, gender equality and, overwhelmingly, the sadness behind the lives of black men in ways that no other artist has ever equalled. Gil was a modest man, but fully aware of his own achievements, and brutally honest about the current state of music when he said, regarding hip-hop artists generally,

They need to study music. I played in several bands before I began my career as a poet. There’s a big difference between putting words over some music, and blending those same words into the music. There’s not a lot of humor. They use a lot of slang and colloquialisms, and you don’t really see inside the person. Instead, you just get a lot of posturing.”

Take a listen to the new album’s tracks below, and we’ll talk further.

Scott-Heron was a brilliant writer, a competent singer, and a persuasive spokesman for his generation. He was also a multi-genre master, performing jazz, rap and funk with equal visceral impact. And he was writing his own lyrics from the inside, having experienced both drug addiction and incarceration. Moreover, his talents attracted some of the most exciting musicians around – the brilliant drummer Bernard Purdie, bassist Ron Carter, sax genius Hubert Laws, and Brian Jackson on piano, the last of whom he credited for lifting his poetry to musical heights not seen since Marvin Gaye. Scott-Heron had an expansive, driven and political mind fused with great musical intelligence. He was as familiar with the writings of Malcolm X as he was with the music of John Coltrane. His special gift was to bring focus and fusion to all of these disparate elements. From beginning to end, he stayed true to his mission, so well stated in his first major achievement, the lyrics of which are quoted in their entirety below:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.

There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.

Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o’clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.”

Highly recommended for anyone who cares about music, politics, culture, racial relations, poetry, art, hip-hop and blues. By the way, Scott-Heron’s own term for himself was “bluesologist”,which he defined as “a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues”. And it must be said that every current hip-hop artist should be listening to this material: The Revolution Begins sets the bar far higher than any current performer dares to reach.

A Vivoscene Feature by Cindy Li

For part one of our holiday music list, click here.

7. Joni Mitchell – “River”
Some of you might remember this little list I did back in the summer in which I made the outrageous claim that Joni Mitchell’s Blue, despite its melancholia, is much more of a summer LP than a winter one. While I still believe that the record’s tranquil acoustic style, lighter-than-air vocals, and recurring motifs of the beach, road trips, and hippie parties all point to Blue as a subdued but unmistakably summery album; I can’t deny that “River” is a Christmas song, and an exceptionally heartfelt one at that (even if the song itself takes place in tropical, snow-less California). For proof of this, one needs to look no further than the backbone of the melody: a familiar set of piano chords lifted from the traditional Christmas carol, “Jingle Bells”. Over these chords, Mitchell reflects upon her recent heartbreak, her desire to escape her oppressively warm surroundings, and the loneliness she feels being away from home so close to the holidays. These themes, although depressing, are familiar for many during the Christmas season. And the gradual adoption of “River” as a modern Christmas standard demonstrates that good Christmas music is oftentimes much more complex than just some ditty about drinking eggnog and smooching under the mistletoe.

8. The Ronettes – “Sleigh Ride”
Sure, out of all the songs on this list, “Sleigh Ride” is by far the most covered and overplayed during the holiday season. You might even say that it’s exactly the kind of music you’d like to escape from during the annual onslaught of sugary holiday jingles. But that would be misguided. After all, anyone can competently sing a song written by someone else. There are very few musicians, however, that can take a beloved standard (composed by Leroy Anderson in 1948), adapt it to their own individual style, and somehow convince legions of fans-of-the-original that this is the definitive version. Phil Spector and The Ronettes did exactly that with their cover of “Sleigh Ride”, taken from the perennial Christmas classic, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. The album featured a simple but effective formula: have Spector’s girl groups sing a series of traditional holiday songs, then give each rendition Spector’s signature “Wall of Sound” treatment. While this method produced an album full of charming and jubilant holiday interpretations, it is The Ronette’s whimsical take on “Sleigh Ride”, with its horse clops and “ring-a-ling-a-ling ding-dong-ding”‘s, that is the most original and iconic of the bunch.

9. Chocolate Snow – “Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy”
So you’ve never heard of this 1970s mixed race—hence the unfortunate name—soul-funk group from Wichita, Kansas? I don’t blame you. I would have had no idea myself if it hadn’t been for Numero Records’ remarkable compilation series, Eccentric Soul. The premise is simple, albeit extremely painstaking: dig some serious crates for unknown records released by small, regional labels that never came close to reaching a wider audience, despite flourishing within their local community at one point or another. Based on those facts, you’ll forgive me for not knowing much about Chocolate Snow, other than their interracial status being the direct cause for their unpopularity. All that really needs to be said is this: “Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy”, although bordering on kitschy, might be one of the most endearing and memorable Christmas slow jams within the past thirty-odd years. Everything from the opening “Ho ho ho”, to the first wah-wah-wah of the horn melody, to the cheeky but nevertheless charming backing harmonies make it impossible to understand why this band fell through the cracks of music history. And it’s not just CC Neal’s smooth-as-chocolate vocals (pun intended) or the song’s blend of holiday romance and self-reflective cheese that make “Christmas Toy” so darn good. It’s that despite its somewhat maudlin subject matter, there is an infectious sense of joy and good humour on this 7”, and who wouldn’t want to be subjected to that during the holidays?

10. Louis Armstrong – “Christmas Night in Harlem”
One of the interesting facts about Louis Armstrong is that throughout much of his career, Armstrong tried to remain as politically neutral in the public eye as he could in order to preserve his acceptance and fame within the white community. He maintained his neutrality throughout the turbulent Civil Rights Era, alienating numerous black fans along the way. Whether or not you agree with his decision to disregard issues of rights and equality for the sake of getting a bigger table in the whites-only section, “Christmas Night in Harlem” is proof that although Armstrong’s loyalties and political views weren’t being expressed explicitly to the public, he had other ways of communicating them. “Christmas Night in Harlem”, much like James Brown’s “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto”, is all about celebrating the delights of a uniquely black experience during the holidays. Armstrong’s trademark gravelly voice ruminates for a few bars about “blacks and tans feelin’ good/in that old coloured neighbourhood”, before the sunniest trumpet waltzes in and takes over. It all manages to make that particular time period in black history seem somehow rosy, which is no easy feat.

11. The Kinks – “Father Christmas”
If this isn’t the first Christmas music list you’ve ever skimmed through, then you probably know that The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” is one of the most popular Christmas songs among music nerds and holiday misanthropes. It appeals to those who can’t stomach even one verse from “Jingle Bells’, precisely because “Father Christmas” couldn’t be more different from the typically sugary and forget-your-troubles jingles that populate the airwaves during the Christmas season. While most yuletide carols prefer to ignore the bleaker but nevertheless irrefutable aspects of life, The Kinks instead chooses to highlight them, presenting them in the most in-your-face rock & roll Christmas jam. Lead singer Ray Davies tells the story of a mall Santa who gets beaten up and mugged by a gang of teenage boys. Over a backing of holiday xylophones and pounding drums, the boys scream at the mall Santa to give them money and jobs for their dads, and to leave the toys for the “little rich boys”. Not only is “Father Christmas” fearlessly honest about a topic that most people would prefer not to think about during the holidays, it does so without being preachy. In the end, what you get is an instantly memorable punk Christmas ditty that also packs the most fun-to-sing-along-to chorus on this list.

12. Otis Redding – “Merry Christmas Baby”
It’s hard to imagine Christmas without Otis Redding’s memorable rendition of this 1947 R&B holiday standard. Written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore (of the doo wop group The Drifters), ‘Merry Christmas Baby” has been covered by everyone from B. B. King to Chuck Berry to Bruce Springsteen to Elvis Presley. It’s even been covered by 90s teeny boppers Hanson and pop princesses Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera. The original version by Johnny Moore, featuring Charles Brown on vocals often gets cited as the definitive version. While Brown’s voice is deliciously smooth and their treatment packs quite a big dose of soul, the mellowness of the tempo and Charles’s subdued croon pale in comparison to Otis’s exuberant, open-throat bellows. The song itself is pretty simple; it’s primarily made up of verses on the joys of spending Christmas with someone you love. But Redding is no karaoke singer and he injects it with all of his vocal peculiarities and stylistic quirks. As a result, I can’t hear “I’ve got music on my radio” without subconsciously exaggerating the last YO in “radio”. Nor can most people sing along to “Santa came down the chimney/Half past three/Left all them good ol’ presents/For my baby and for me” without joining in for a chorus of “ha ha ha”’s at the end of the verse. Redding made “Merry Christmas Baby” so inextricably Otis that all other versions sound somehow off. And if that doesn’t make this one of the finest vocal performances in holiday music, I don’t know what will.

A Vivoscene Feature by Cindy Li

Believe it or not, some people actually hate the holidays. The warmth and fuzziness of the season can seem forced and manufactured to many wagers of the war on Christmas. The same could be said about the musical companion to this divisive holiday. Each year between the months of November and January, we are assaulted by a constant barrage of cheesy, gaudy, and purely-for-profit Christmas covers that every department store, every radio station, every restaurant—pretty much any public space with a sound system—absolutely insist on playing. What makes this ram-it-down-our-throats approach even harder to stomach is that year after year, the selection changes very little. And when we are occasionally blessed with a new take on a holiday standard, the “interpretations”, for the most part, are created with very little imagination, rushed through and mangled by major-label recording “artists” hoping for some year-end exposure and revenue. No wonder so many of us are sick of these sugary sweet tunes before it’s even Christmas Eve.

That’s where I come in. In order to provide an antidote to the repetitive and heavy-handed music selections that seem to follow me and other music-lovers like a dark cloud over the holidays, I have put together this handy list of twelve holiday-themed tunes that never fail to warm a cold and bitter heart, no matter how many different versions of “Santa Baby” that hearts had to endure in one day. Some of these are treatments of standards, while some are original. Some might get you a little choked up, others are joyful as hell. Most importantly, a playlist with these twelve songs and some heavy duty headphones are the perfect armour the next time you decide to brave a trip to the mall. You might even remember what was fun and festive about this holiday.

1. Low – “Blue Christmas”
Low is composed of Alan Sparkhawk and Mimi Parker, husband and wife musicians from Minnesota who also happen to be members of the Mormon church. This means that unlike the offbeat holiday offerings from other indie rock bands, there’s nothing ironic or kitschy about Low’s heartbreaking rendition of the classic Elvis Presley track, “Blue Christmas”, or the album that it’s taken from, the appropriately-named Christmas. Recorded as a gift to their fans, Christmas is a 30-minute long ode to what is obviously Sparhawk and Parker’s favourite holiday. While this earnestness can seem overwhelming on some of the more overtly religious songs, Parker’s heartfelt croon along with the band’s trademark sparse and dirge-like arrangements carry the more secular “Blue Christmas” beautifully. Low’s refreshingly sublime take on a song that has had plenty of time to get old proves that when one sings with conviction, even the most overplayed Christmas music can move its listeners.

2. James Brown – “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto”
Never has a Christmas song about being poor and living in the ghetto sounded this joyful. Written and recorded during the late 1960s, “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto” is one of the few songs on this list that wholly embodies the true meaning of Christmas: altruism. Over exuberant horns and a wicked groovy bassline, Brown pleads with the jolly symbol of yuletide gift-giving to “hitch up your reindeer / and go straight to the ghetto”. The original figure of St. Nick only gave to the needy, which is also what makes “Santa Claus…” one of the more clever songs on this list. Brown took this well-known tidbit about Santa’s origins and applied it to contemporary problems of economic disparity that he could personally identify with — it wasn’t long ago when Brown was one of those kids. Not many Christmas songs are this honest and socially conscious, while still being a joy to listen to. James Brown, in true “Godfather of Soul” style, manages to do this with complete effortlessness and cool.

3. The Raveonettes – “The Christmas Song”
Perhaps inspired by one of the band’s biggest musical influences, Phil Spector (who could forget his girl-group classic A Christmas Gift For You from Philles Records ?) , Danish duo The Raveonettes released an original holiday single in 2003, entitled “The Christmas Song”. Not much is known about this 60s surf rock-infused jam or what led to its quiet release as a B-side on the duo’s 2003 single, “Heartbreak Stroll”. It never even made it on to the band’s later Christmas EP, 2008′s Wishing You a Raving Christmas. All of this is surprising because of just how good of an original holiday tune “The Christmas Song” is. It manages to evoke all of the classic components of a traditional Christmas song — sleigh bells, warm vocals, lyrics about Santa and snow — while still carrying on in a style that is unmistakeably The Raveonettes.

4. Vince Guaraldi – “Christmas Time is Here”
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Vince Guaraldi and the Peanuts gang. Released in1965 as the soundtrack to the CBS Christmas special of the same name, A Charlie Brown Christmas has endured as a classic during the holiday season and “Christmas Time is Here” is unquestionably the musical and emotional epicenter of this original jazz soundtrack. What sets this song apart from the rest of the album is an endearing thoughtfulness in the hushed vocals of the children’s choir and the slight melancholia in Guaraldi’s minor-key melody. It is this peaceful reflectiveness that so perfectly embodies what lies at the heart of Charles M. Schultz’s classic: Charlie Brown and his search for the true meaning of Christmas. Such earnestness is virtually unheard of in the Christmas music of the present, which is likely part of the reason why A Charlie Brown Christmas remains a staple of holiday programming, nearly 50 years later.

5. Billie Holiday – “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”
Not many things evoke the feeling of being wrapped up all warm and cozy in front of a fireplace on a cold winter’s night quite as vividly as the sounds of tinkling ivories, an upright bass, and Billie Holiday’s warm vibrato. Written by American composer Irving Berlin for the 1939 musical, On the Avenue, this inviting winter-themed love song was covered by Lady Day in 1956. During the 50+ years since then, Berlin’s composition has gradually become adopted as a holiday standard. And why not? Love and Christmas are no doubt harmonious ideas. This particular version of “I’ve Got My Love…” is definitive. The hint of slyness in Holiday’s distinctive vocals and and the triumphant way in which she sings out the song’s final “I’ve got my love to keep me warm” can fill any holiday party with just the right amount of comforting nostalgia and charm.

6. The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York”
Call it churlish and off-key all you want. Thirty years after its release, “Fairytale of New York” is still one of the most beloved original Christmas songs of our time, despite featuring more obscenities in one verse than all the songs on this list combined. The Pogues‘s bleak tale of crushed hopes and dreams, along with Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl’s biting exchanges capture the darker side of the holidays, which might explain the song’s popularity. It has managed to break the UK Top 40 every year since its re-release in 2005. Over some fairly standard Irish folk chords, McGowan half-sings, half-croaks the bittersweet memories of a dysfunctional Irish couple on Christmas Eve, whose dreams of starting over in New York City were destroyed by alcoholism and addiction. Themes of death, regret, and addiction might seem too serious for the cheery optimism of holiday music, but these are precisely the things that make “Fairytale of New York” so relatable and enduring.

Be sure to watch the entire documentary on the making of this great song here.

Click here for the final part of our list of holiday music that doesn’t suck.

Songs of Anarchy: Volume 2 A Vivoscene Album Review by Hal Carlson

Vivoscene rating 9.0

The little biker drama known as Sons of Anarchy is not only one of TV’s highest rated shows, it has proven to be a source of powerful music that goes far beyond your typical soundtrack. Songs are interwoven into the script in such an organic fashion that they appear written for the characters. The fact that Katey Sagal, one of the brightest acting lights on the screen today, is also an accomplished singer/songwriter who has sung with the likes of Bette Midler, Bob Dylan, and Etta James adds further credibility to the execution. The second volume of music from the series, entitled Songs Of Anarchy: Volume 2 is soon to be released. The advance copy reveals the house band, known as The Forest Rangers, to be at the top of their game. This is a MustHave collection for many reasons, among them being song selection, performance, and album atmospherics.

You can stream the entire album here:

Kicking off Volume 2 is a new recording by Jane’s Addiction of the Rolling Stones classic “Sympathy For The Devil”, covers of which have been attempted many times, never successfully. That is, until now. Bob Thiele, the Sons of Anarchy music composer, said it best recently:

When Jane’s Addiction said they were into the idea of doing “Sympathy For The Devil” for the show, we were completely blown away. This was made all the more sweet because theirs was the first and only door we knocked on. Jane’s Addiction is one of the post post 60s/70s, iconic bands that resonates with our show’s mythology. They have typified rebellion from their very beginnings. It seemed a natural fit between a band and a song with so many layers of meaning to the Sons of Anarchy narrative. I can proudly say that the end product speaks for itself. Working with them, as a band and as individuals, was an incredibly satisfying experience.”

Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro will also guest star in the last two episodes of the season, as a member of the Byz Lats gang with close ties to Nero (Jimmy Smits).

Further standout tracks on the album include a new rendition of the mid 60s Lulu classic “To Sir With Love”, movingly performed by Katey Sagal. It’s her finest performance since she reinterpreted Dusty Springfield’s “Son Of A Preacher Man”, featuring some smouldering, introspective guitar work and Katey’s soulful, understated vocals. In addition, there’s a new rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”, a song that others have attempted, notably Ray Charles, but Franky Perez really brings it home with his fierce and determined approach. Special mention must be made, though, of Alison Mosshart’s “The Passenger”, a rocked-out wonder from a woman whose spirit could most likely inflame an audience should she choose to read from the newspaper. For our money, she’s the best female vocalist on the rock scene today.

We mentioned the album’s atmospherics. From the opening track of Jane’s Addiction low-key take on “Sympathy For The Devil”, continuing through to the shimmering acoustic beauty of Noah Gunderson’s delivery of “Gone Away”, then to the passionate delicacy of Katey Segal, this album is a marvel. It’s anything but soft, though. The Forest Rangers are capable of Americana in all its shadings, without resorting to arena rock trickery. They are simply the best “house band” in music today and as such, deserve accolades far beyond what they’ve received to date. Members include Bob Thiele (an industry stalwart), Greg Leisz (guitar/banjo), John Philip Shenale (keyboards), Lyle Workman (guitar), Dave Way (recording engineer and Sergeant At Arms), Davey Faragher (bass), Brian Macleod (drums) and Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kusher.

Here is the complete track listing for Songs of Anarchy: Volume 2

1. Sympathy For The Devil – Jane’s Addiction
2. The Lost Boy – Greg Holden
3. The Passenger – Alison Mosshart & The Forest Rangers
4. He Got Away – Noah Gundersen & The Forest Rangers
5. To Sir With Love – Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers
6. Higher Ground – Frank Perez & The Forest Rangers
7. Lights – Battleme & The Forest Rangers
8. The Unclouded Day – Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers
9. Coal War – Joshua James
10. Time – Battleme & The Forest Rangers
11. Travelin’ Band – Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
12. Family – Noah Gunderson
12. No Milk Today – Joshua James & The Forest Rangers

Our verdict: one of the best albums of the year. Highly recommended.

Watch: Jane’s Addiction “Sympathy For The Devil”

The Poppy Family ‘A Good Thing Lost’ Album Review by Brian Miller

Vivoscene rating 9.0

Thirty seconds into “Beyond The Clouds” the leadoff track from The Poppy Family‘s 1996 remastered compilation A Good Thing Lost, I have one thought only. The music world has seriously underrated the talents of Susan and Terry Jacks. The track is a softrock pyschedelic masterpiece, with Susan’s ethereally perfect vocals soulfully projecting heartbreak and despair over love gone wrong. I had always admired her vocals but thought her material was far too MOR for my own supposedly eclectic tastes. I could not have been more wrong; the Poppy Family’s hits “Which Way You Goin’ Billy”, and “That’s Where I Went Wrong” were well-produced, melodic and even inventive, but at the time I was into The Stones, The Doors and The Beatles. Well, just goes to show you that sometimes it takes decades for the truth to finally settle upon a self-declared muso. Evidence the second cut on the album that yes, could well have come from Lennon-McCartney. Entitled “Free From The City”, it contains both masterful lyrics and some very tasty psychedelic guitar. Like the rest of the group’s material in their short-lived two album existence, the song was written and produced by none other than Terry Jacks, who is primarily known, and unfairly so, for “Seasons In The Sun”, a tune that shackled his reputation to the most sentimental of the softrock cliches.

You can stream the entire album A Good Thing Lost below:

The facts are that Terry Jacks is probably the most talented pop producer ever to come out of Canada, and Susan Jacks is a vocal talent equal to, if not better than, the likes of Karen Carpenter and Linda Ronstadt. She is infinitely more soulful than either, with qualities of diction, expression and inherent emotional range that outdo Karen and Linda in spades. And get this, folks, The Poppy Family has been near forgotten in Canada for decades! Even this compilation, beautifully remastered by Terry Jacks, failed to spark the attention it deserved some sixteen years ago.

For some reason, The Poppy Family never commanded the accolades or the marketing budgets that their superb recordings called for. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Terry didn’t much like live performances, or that Susan did, and their marriage fell apart and they went their separate ways via solo recordings that yes, sold well enough, but for the wrong reasons. Terry was a master of psychedelia and innovation; Susan excelled at delivering acute melancholy in an upbeat tempo. The two were further supported by Craig McCaw on guitar and Satwan Singh on drums. Terry dismissed Craig and Satwan when he decided he didn’t like touring or performing and the group dissolved in 1973.

Their best material is actually fairly dark: “You Took My Moonlight Away” and “No Blood in Bone” and “Shadows On My Wall” are prime examples of brilliant production and terrific vocals wedded to thoughtful and even disturbing images. And as for “Where Evil Grows” – how could this ever have been treated as your average pop song? In fact the lyrics and delivery belie the beautiful melody and infectious tempo so well that the true genius behind the song was overlooked. Maybe only The Doors or The Left Banke were as innovative as The Poppy Family, but the sweet voices and understated, subtle productions of Susan and Terry Jacks disguised the intent and significance of the lyrics.

Susan also had a deep feeling for the plainest lyric, in the same deep dark way that Patsy Cline did. Witness “I Was Wondering” – a major treasure of country-inflected pop that is devastating in its purity and revelatory emotion. It was probably this predilection that later led Susan to a songwriting career in Nashville, and while she scored a few minor writing successes there, various wranglings over ownership of her solo recordings accounted for the lack of any major recording recognition.

Not that she lost her talent; far from it. Until very recently she retained the vocal chops that distinguish her as one of the best female pop singers ever. After being diagnosed in 2005 with potential renal failure in 2005, a couple of years ago she underwent a kidney transplant (via a donation from her brother Bill) , and thankfully is now back performing in her native Vancouver in great vocal form.

As for Terry, he has long been dedicated to environmental causes, having given up the music biz. Jacks has worked in documentary film and video, producing several shorts on environmental themes including The Tragedy of Clearcutting, The Southern Chilcotin Mountains and The Warmth of Love (The Four Seasons of Sophie Thomas). The video production The Faceless Ones earned an Environmental Gold Award from the New York International Film Festival.

In the late 1970s, Jacks married his manager Margaret (Maggi) Zittier and gradually withdrew from the music world. The couple had a daughter, Holly Michelle Jacks in 1985. Jacks became involved in the environmental movement, focusing on pulp mill pollution issues in Canada. His environmental work has earned him several awards including one from the United Nations Association of Canada and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. He lives near Vancouver today.

The videos below show a young Susan and Terry on their TV show, with a surprise appearance by The Everly Brothers in an unscripted interview. Susan and Terry’s version of The Everlys’ “The Price Of Love”, about eight minutes in, is a rocked-out marvel of one of the Everlys’ most covered songs. But don’t rush ahead to that: the opening track, featuring Terry and Susan with a cover of The Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody To Love” that should dispel any thoughts you might have of The Poppy Family’s being an MOR act. Also, Terry’s delivery of the famous Bob Lind track “Elusive Butterfly” is a terrific demonstration of Terry’s superb musicianship. The man could sing!

And the second vid, which shows a live appearance on the Kenny Rogers Show, is a superlative performance of “Where Evil Grows”.

And I will not sign off until I mention how radiantly beautiful Susan Jacks was, and is.

Canada, it’s past time to celebrate, and elevate, two of your greatest musical talents of the 20th century: The Poppy Family!

Watch: The Poppy Family with The Everly Brothers

Watch: “Where Evil Grows” live on the Kenny Rogers show here

Vivoscene rating 10.0

“It’s never too early and it’s never too late”, says seputagenarian Sixto Rodriguez when asked about advice to younger musicians. Rodriguez is living proof of the cliché that “talent will out”. Forty years after recording his two seminal albums in the folk-rock vein, this man’s career is finally getting the attention it deserves with the release of the ultimate music documentary in Searching For Sugar Man, a tale of such fantastical proportions that if it were not grounded firmly in the absolute truth, would be viewed as absurd. This work will be up for an Oscar in the coming months, and if you’re a betting type, this is the one. And if you’re a music lover. the soundtrack is an absolute MustHave. Recalling the finest compositions of such stellar musico/politicos as Dylan and Donovan, the music of Rodriguez makes for a compelling and satisfying listening experience. Yes, comparisons to Dylan are in order, with one nota bene: Sixto Rodriguez had and still has an amazing voice, whereas Dylan, for all of his genius, had at his command a vocal instrument that frequently drove listeners away. Why the meaningful lyrics and beautiful production exhibited in Sixto’s first two albums failed to sell records and why he was released from his recording contract in the mid 70s are tantalizing mysteries. Thankfully, these are the questions that documentary filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul has solved in this compelling and artfully staged true-life drama.

You can stream the entire soundtrack Searching For Sugar Man here:

Raised in Detroit, schooled in philosophy, Rodriguez brought a keen intelligence to songwriting, with production values that incorporate The Byrds, Burt Bacharach, pyschedelia and protest lyrics that echoed Vietnam, economic injustice, and a healthy adult perspective toward relationships. No one else was doing anything quite like this. although a few attempted such a synthesis. Phil Ochs bombed with his underrated 1968 masterpiece Pleasures Of The Harbour; Peter Sarstedt enjoyed a minor success with “Where Do You Go To, My Lovely?”, and Bob Lind issued one great single “Elusive Butterfly”, while Dylan of course moved from folk to country to rock with great authority. Further, Donovan did some truly lovely and innovative work on his great album Mellow Yellow, so yes, there were ample precedents for what Rodriguez brought to music, but again each of these artists found success with rather simplistic stuff (Dylan excepted). I believe Rodriguez was far ahead of his time.

His records stiffed in the States, but did remarkably well in South Africa and later, in Australia. In South Africa he became a legend through illegal bootleg sales, amidst rumours that he had committed suicide, died in prison, or had met some other gruesome end. In the mid-90s the truth came out that Rodriguez was alive, living in Detroit, and earning a living as a construction/demolition man. A musico, peace-loving philosopher and would-be politician (he once ran for mayor of Detroit), earning a living blowing up stuff? What bittersweet irony!

Our unreserved recommendation is this: see the documentary, buy the music and get to know this remarkable man with his fascinating songs. It’s the feel-good story of 2012.

Watch: “Inner City Blues” live

Watch: The 60 Minutes clip on Searching For Sugar Man October 7, 2012

Watch: Rodriguez play “I Wonder” live for the 60 Minutes crew