Thursday, June 20, 2013
Black, blue or orange, that is the question...please let me know whatcha think!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN & KITCHEN
I had just turned 8 when the
Monkees' TV show debuted in September of 1966. I was already a Beatles fanatic
(Beatles '65 remains on the very
short list of things guaranteed to make me happy, and seeing A Hard Day's Night in first grade was
probably the second-most formative event in my life), but I was not a purist,
and I embraced the pre-fab 4 along with the rest of my third grade class. It
helped that the music was generally good - "Last Train to Clarksville"
had a killer guitar riff, and the two-finger Vox organ hook of "I'm a
Believer" still jumps out of the speakers - and the goofy vibe of
the show picked up where A Hard Day's
Night and Help left off. I won't
argue that the Monkees made high art, but they made some great pop records that
still sound just as good today.
So, it gives me great pleasure to
say that I am included on A Lowbudget
Barrel of Monkees, a new tribute CD assembled by Tim Casey of Boston-based
Lowbudget Records. The album includes 18 Monkees songs interpreted by Boston
artists, including both their hits and some deep cuts. I'm actually on the
album twice, once with my band Loose Ties' ska version of "For Pete's
Sake" (the closing credits music of the later shows), and with my own
version of "I'm a Believer" (written by Neil Diamond, it remains the height of
bubblegum). Other highlights include some great Mike Nesmith tunes (the band's
most consistent songwriter), Bird Mancini's
"Clarksville" and Tim'sWalrus-influenced "Porpoise Song."
You can hear a preview of the album,
and order both digital and physical copies at http://lowbudgetrecords.com/pages/A%20Lowbudget%20Barrel%20of%20Monkees.html
or get a copy right from me. There's
even a bonus disc of Surround Sound mixes.
Enjoy
being 8 years old again!
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