Springsteen is "The Boss" - Collectibles & Memorabilia Hit the Auction Block


This year’s Rock 'n Pop Auction at Backstage Auctions is filled with an enormity of unique and rare collectibles from an assortment of legendary artists. The usual suspects - Beatles, Stones, Floyd, Zeppelin - notwithstanding, we have an impressive collection of distinctive relics from other legitimate giants of the Rock and Pop that is guaranteed to surprise even the most seasoned collector. Our collection of Bruce Springsteen items is a prime example.

We have over 40 unique Springsteen lots comprised of well over 100 exceedingly rare pieces - from unusual promotional and tour apparel, rare promotional swag and display items to vintage signed press photos, concert photos, negatives and album art proof prints - we’ve just about got it all! Featured below are just a few highlights of this amazing collection that we hope you will enjoy shopping as much as we enjoyed assembling!

For starters we’ll go wayyyyyyy back to the early days - 1973 to be exact - for this exceptionally rare live ‘Song to Orphans’ acetate! This piece is legendary, as the song has never been officially released. Bruce wrote the song shortly after his private audition with John Hammond at the CBS building in New York City, NY. The acetate featured in the auction, is the recording that dates back to Bruce’s performance at Max’s Kansas City in New York on January 31st, 1973. Slightly shorter versions of this performance circulate the internet - but those pale in comparison to owning the original acetate!

1972 Bruce Springsteen "Song To Orphans" Acetate
1972 Bruce Springsteen "Song To Orphans" Acetate

Also from the early 70s is this original 11 x 14 inch photo, made by Peter Cunningham at the request of CBS Records. The photo was taken at the New York offices of CBS Records, right before the release of Bruce Springsteen's ' Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.' release. The photo has been signed by Cunningham in the bottom right corner.

1973 Bruce Springsteen Original "Asbury Park" photo
1973 Bruce Springsteen Original "Asbury Park" photo

Fast forward several years to 1978 and here we find this awesome lot featuring three exceptionally rare promotional posters for Springsteen’s fourth album Darkness on the Edge of Town. Though Darkness wasn’t as commercially successful as its predecessor Born to Run, the album nonetheless remains a ‘must have’ for Springsteen fans, and these promotional posters are no exception. All three are in various different sizes, but all are generally in Excellent overall condition!

1978 Bruce Springsteen  Darkness on the Edge of Town Promo Poster
1978 Bruce Springsteen
Darkness on the Edge of Town Promo Poster

Of course, no Springsteen collection would be complete or worthy of praise without a signed piece! This 1984 CBS press photo is boldly signed by Bruce and is in pristine condition!

1984 Bruce Springsteen Signed CBS Photo

Similarly - no ‘Boss’ collection would be justified without unique apparel! The 2012 Rock & Pop auction boasts a number of vintage Springsteen t-shirts, jackets and sweaters that one would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Take for example this 1984-1985 Born in the USA promotional silk tour jacket. These were produced by CBS Records and intended only for management and tour personnel! Good luck finding these elsewhere, let alone in flawless condition!

Born In The USA '84 - '85 Springsteen White Promo Tour Jacket
Born In The USA '84 - '85 Springsteen Promo Tour Jacket

This is just a very small sample of the 40+ overwhelming Bruce Springsteen lots assembled and featured in the Backstage Auctions 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction.  The preview is LIVE and bidding begins November 3!



Start Me Up: Incredible Rolling Stones Collectibles Up For Grabs

Few artists can boast the type of longevity that the Rolling Stones can. From their inception in the 1960s to today they’ve maintained a steady stream of peaks of relevance that is unrivaled, and with that comes, naturally, an insane assortment of rare relics and collectibles. Over the years at Backstage Auctions we’ve seen our fair share of Rolling Stones goodies come and go - but nothing quite like the 80+ lots assembled for the 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction!

Part of what makes the Rolling Stones selection in our upcoming auction so enticing is the fact that we’ve been able to partner with multiple consignors who had direct relationships with the Stones, which in turn has enabled us to offer an impressive variety of promotional items that quite simply are not your average run-of-the-mill commercial products. In addition to promotional goods, we have a wide variety of desirable collectibles - from record awards and signed items to rare bootleg CDs, photos, slides and negatives, vintage vinyl - and much more. Below is a small sample of the amazing Rolling Stones lots we’ve put together for all you Stones collectors!

Strictly limited to 150 signed and numbered copies, this is a most prestigious Francesco Scavullo original 'Mick Jagger, 1973' Gelatin silver print from 2004. The photo measures 18 x 22 inches, with the Francesco Scavullo 'A Photographic Retrospective' portfolio hand stamp and Sean M. Byrnes's signature and edition notation 148/150, in pencil on verso. The overall condition is excellent. The photo has been professionally matted.

1973 Mick Jagger Sean M. Byrnes Original S/N 148/150
1973 Mick Jagger
Sean M. Byrnes  Signed and Numbered 148/150

There is no shortage of vintage and rare posters in this auction! Take this vintage 1975 North American Tour poster, for example. Any collector will tell you this is a highly sought-after poster - especially one in excellent overall condition such as this one!

Rolling Stones - Vintage 1975 North American Tour Poster 
  
Also from the poster department is this exceptionally rare 1976 Knebworth Fair UK concert poster. This legendary festival took place on August 21, 1976 and features The Rolling Stones, 10cc, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Hot Tuna and the Don Harrison Band.

Rolling Stones 1976 "Knebworth Fair" original concert poster
Rolling Stones 1976 "Knebworth Fair" original concert poster
RIAA Record Awards are always nice pickups. Not only are they unique and rare, they typically look nicely framed and contain an allure that only something as prestigious as an official record award could have. This Mick Jagger Platinum Record Award is no exception! Awarded for his 1985 She’s the Boss LP, this awesome collectible is in excellent overall condition and is sure to ‘Wow!’ even the most veteran collectors.

Mick Jagger RIAA Award - "She's The Boss"
Mick Jagger RIAA Award - "She's The Boss"

One aspect of the Rolling Stones items available in this auction that should not be overlooked is the impressive collection of bootleg CDs. Comprised of rare live recordings, demos, outtakes and more, we’ve assembled some truly outstanding lots of CDs that are sure to get some special attention. For example, this lot of Ultra Rare Trax CDs features 10 Volumes of rare Stones material - and all of the discs were manufactured in Italy. Few examples: 

   

This is a small sample - the ‘tip of the iceberg’ so to speak - of the incredible Rolling Stones lots available in the Backstage Auctions 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction! The auction preview is currently LIVE and bidding begins November 3rd

Grateful Dead Very Much Alive in 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction


The Grateful Dead - BGP-176 Poster
The Grateful Dead - BG-176 Poster
Backstage Auctions' 2012 Rock & Pop Auction has over 25 unique Grateful Dead lots featuring original Bill Graham concert posters, vintage photos, slides and negatives, and a multitude of rare live recording CDs! Featured below are just a few that have peaked our interest!

Nothing beats an authentic Bill Graham concert poster - especially featuring the Grateful Dead!  This is an original Bill Graham 1969 Fillmore West poster (BG -176), in excellent overall condition!

Jerry Garcia - October 1974
Winterland in San Francisco


Here is an exclusive, limited edition concert photo of Jerry Garcia at the Winterland in San Francisco (October 1974), directly from collection of photographer Larry Hulst. This beautiful photo measures 11 x 14 inches and is printed on high grade photo paper. It is in pristine condition, already (professionally) matted and is ready to for framing and display. The matting measures 13 x 17 inches and the photo is signed by Larry Hulst on the matting.



Grateful Dead / Warlock Herb Green Print 1966
Signed Herb Greene Print 1966 





This is an original Herb Greene silver gelatin print of the Grateful Dead, taken in 1966 when they first known as 'Warlock'. This historic photo was printed 1987 and is signed, titled and dated in ink on the reverse. It measures 8 x 10 inches. The overall condition is excellent.








There is no shortage of Grateful Dead music in this auction either. There are nearly 20 unique lots containing multiple Grateful Dead bootleg CDs - filled with rare live performances, demos, outtakes and more. Take for example these CDs of live performances from the 1960s!



We’ve also got several lots containing more than a few of the Dick’s Picks series!

Dick's Picks Volume 1 - 6
The Grateful Dead catalog in the 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction is not to be overlooked! There are some amazing lots that will go quickly.  The preview is LIVE and bidding begins November 3rd! Good luck Dead Heads!


A Wall of Pink Floyd Collectibles


With nearly 30 impressive lots, Pink Floyd is taking center stage at the 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction event this month at Backstage Auctions. 

"It is always a good day when a former Columbia Records executive decides to part with a private collection, especially when so much of it is related to Pink Floyd" says Backstage Auctions owner Jacques van Gool. "With a band as collectible and popular as Pink Floyd, you're always looking for something unique and rare and we sure struck gold this time". 

Pink Floyd 1987 "Momentary Lapse of Reason" Proof Print
Pink Floyd 1987 "Momentary Lapse of Reason" Proof Print

Among the many highlights is an impressive number of album proofs, including original Storm Thorgerson prints from 'Momentary Lapse Of Reason'.


1979 Pink Floyd "The Wall"  Promotional Display
1979 Pink Floyd "The Wall"
Promotional Display




Fans and collectors will have ample choices between promotional items and swag related to historic albums such as 'Animals', 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' and the classic 'The Wall' such as this exceptionally brick molded display .



David Gilmour signed proofs for 'Shine On' book




Autographed items will sure demand a great deal of attention, specially a set of David Gilmour signed proofs from the 'Shine On' book. 

And if proofs aren't your cup of tea, you can make a run for a full signed copy of the 'Shine On' book, which also contains the autographs of Wright and Mason.



Pink Floyd Rare Inflatable "The Wall"  Promotional Item
Pink Floyd Rare Inflatable "The Wall"
Promotional couch / chair


Between foam pigs, unique promotional pins, rare records and press releases, collectors will have to think 'strategy' if they want to come out on top. If anything, there's always a Pink Floyd promotional couch to relax on and be a great conversation piece.




But whatever your poise, with this number of solid, top-shelf Pink Floyd collectibles, fans will have something to get truly excited about. And contrary to Steve Buscemi in 'Reservoir Dogs', it is good to be 'Mr. Pink'! 





Backstage Auctions' - 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction is open for bidding November 3 - 11th, but is available now for previewing the entire catalog. VIP All Access Registration is FREE and only takes a minute or two.





Rare Beatles 1962 Itinerary and Vintage Photos Highlight Auction

Backstage Auctions showcases an amazing collection of Beatles photos and historical documents.


A two-page authentic itinerary from September of 1962 by Brian Epstein to The Beatles is among the center pieces of the 40+ Beatles lots in the 'Rock & Pop Auction' at Backstage Auctions this week.  Rather than a simple 'time, date and location, this historic document actually reads more like the minutes of a meeting, whereby Epstein is firm about attitude, behavior and performance.....and the fact that you were overpaid by 23 Pounds which will be deducted from this week's paycheck!

1962 Beatles Itinerar
1962 Beatles Itinerary issued by
Brian Epstein

In addition to another fantastic itinerary from 1963, the auction also hosts an impressive number of 1960s press documents and releases, as well as two great - autographed - photos from Beatles alumni Allan Williams and Bob Wooler

1963 Beatles Itinerary
1963 Beatles Itinerary
Allan Williams - Signed Beatles Photo
Allan Williams - Signed Beatles Photo
  
Bob Wooler - Signed Beatles Photo
Bob Wooler - Signed Beatles Photo


Equally impressive is the assortment of photos, slides and negatives, which date back to the 1966 San Francisco Candlestick show. A lot of nearly 150 amazing color slides from a 1974 George Harrison concert in Houston, Texas however will take your breath away.

1974 George Harrison Concert Photos
George Harrison 1974 Houston, Texas Concert

There are several lots of highly collectible BBC 'London Wavelength' boxed sets, of which one even includes a rare promotional poster and t-shirt.

The Beatles 1983 "Live At The Beeb" Box Se
The Beatles 1983 "Live At The Beeb"

It is unimaginable to think that The Beatles will ever stop being collectible - but it will become harder and harder to find unique mementos. And forty lots of cool Beatles memorabilia is still something you want to take notice of!
The Beatles - Ron Campbell Animated Cel AP 9/25
The Beatles - Ron Campbell Animated Cel AP 9/25

Backstage Auctions' - 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction is open for bidding November 3 - 11th, but is available now for previewing the entire catalog. VIP All Access Registration is free and only takes a minute or two.

View Now:  Beatles Memorabilia

Punk Rock Revival at Backstage Auctions


Jaw dropping punk rarities hit the auction block.

1977 Punk girl Ebet Roberts -  CBGB's

With well over 100 Punk-Rock lots, Backstage Auctions is celebrating a ten-year spanning era of anti-establishment music (1975 - 1985) that ultimately evolved in a subculture of expressive youthful rebellion, a distinctive fashion and a variety of anti-authority ideologies.

The majority of the Punk collection comes from Europe, where it was part of a traveling exhibition for years. Aptly titled 'I Punk, You Punk, We Punk', the exhibition focused on the correlation between music, fashion, art and design, where musicians and fans were equally photogenic. "Absolutely stoked" as Backstage Auctions owner Jacques van Gool puts it, who lived in Europe through the birth of Punk and was fortunate to experience it firsthand.

1976 Ramones at CBGBs - Signed Photo


"Saving Punk mementos was the last thing on your mind in those days. It was all about the experience and we couldn't be bothered with preserving a shirt or a poster. Seeing this collection makes me realize how unique and historically significant those years were".




As can be expected, the Sex Pistols have their middle finger strongly wrapped around the punk torch with nearly 30 lots that include an impressive parade of concert and promotional posters, t-shirts, cards and, yes, the infamous 'God Save The Queen' flag (God Save The Queen - Sex Pistols).

Sex Pistols 1977 God Save The Queen Flag

The Clash 1970s fully signed photo


Also present are desirable collectibles by legendary artists and bands such as Blondie, Dead Boys, Ramones, Patti Smith, Buzzcocks, Iggy Pop and The Clash, many of whom have already been embraced by the Roll 'n Roll Hall of Fame.


Exceedingly rare Destroy shirt 


There are few genres where fashion makes an equally strong statement as the music itself and Punk arguably is at the forefront of it all. And within that, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood created the epicenter of the 'classic' Punk look through stores such as 'Sex' and 'Seditionaries'. One of the most prolific images is that of Johnny Rotten wearing a 'Destroy' shirt, which also is in the auction.


Debbie Harry - Blondie 1970s
rare collection of photo negatives


With a broad assortment of autographed items, posters, shirts, records, pins & buttons, photos, slides and negatives, the auction has something for everyone. Or simply put - 'Let's All Punk!"






Backstage Auctions' - 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction is open for bidding November 3 - 11th, but is available now for previewing the entire catalog. VIP All Access Registration is free and only takes a minute or two.



DVD Review: Freddie Mercury - Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender


DVD Review: Freddie Mercury - Freddy Mercury: The Great Pretender
Eagle Vision
All Access Review: A-
Freddie Mercury - The Great Pretender 2012
At death’s door, Freddie Mercury decided to reveal in a press release that he, indeed, had full-blown AIDs and that he wasn’t long for this world. The news wasn’t surprising. In public appearances around that time, Mercury appeared gaunt, as if he was simply wasting away to nothing. The rumor mill had been spinning out of control for a while, with many speculating that Mercury was in the throes of the deadly disease, and when the end came, the vultures descended to viciously pick his bones clean. Mercilessly, the British tabloids savaged Mercury and his personal life, taking him to task for his reckless promiscuity and his libertine lifestyle. Judgment day had arrived for this modern-day Oscar Wilde, only it was the armchair moralists and the gossipmongers rendering their verdicts, not Mercury’s maker.
Coming to his defense, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor went on TV to attempt to restore his good name and talk about the Freddie Mercury they knew, the quiet, more reserved aesthete who was completely at odds with the over-sexed madman in press portrayals. And there was more – much more, as it turned out – to Mercury than meets the eye, as the new documentary film “Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender” makes so abundantly clear. Mostly concerned with the extreme highs and lows – both professional and personal – that Mercury experienced between the recording of his first solo album, the disastrous Mr. Bad Guy, and his tragic ending, “Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender,” out via Eagle Entertainment, weaves together electrifying live footage – the Live Aid stuff, with Mercury exhorting the massive crowd to sing with him, is captivating – with candid, behind-the-scenes images of the singer and impactful interview snippets from the likes of May and Taylor, as well as friends and associates such as television personality Paul Gambaccini and Queen manager Jim Beach, to manufacture a colorful narrative fabric that Mercury would wear like a royal cape.
Edited and produced by Rhys Thomas, a diehard Queen fanatic, the documentary artfully explores how Mercury immersed himself in New York City’s wild gay club life and became fascinated with disco and Donna Summer, this along with his deep and abiding love and appreciation of opera and the ballet, which resulted in his sublime 1979 performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the Royal Ballet. Going further, through Mercury’s own truthful admission, Thomas reveals the extent to which Mercury felt disengaged and distanced from his Queen band mates, due to their different outside interests, and the bullheadedness Mercury exhibited in steering Hot Space into more dance-oriented territory, which heated the friction between Mercury and May to an almost unbearable temperature.
And while all this controversy and drama certainly makes for good viewing, Thomas is also careful to attend to the smaller, more mundane aspects of Mercury's life, laying bare the vulnerabilities that made him uncertain in interpersonal relationships. Loyal to a fault, as his divisive relationship with former manager Paul Prenter illustrates – in the film, Taylor dismissively says of Prenter, “The less said about him the better” – Mercury was a cat lover, who could be shy and retiring offstage and willingly lament the fact that he didn’t have many close friends, as he did in a poignant talk about his star-crossed relationship with girlfriend Mary Austin in the movie, Mercury wasn’t the arrogant superman his dazzling onstage persona would suggest. He did have his endearing qualities, though, as his giddy adoration of opera singer Montserrat Caballe – whose friendship with Mercury is treated with such tenderness and pure joy in the film – so aptly demonstrates. It was Mercury’s determination to work with her that brought the two vocalists together for one of the most spectacular collaborations in music history, as their clarion calls sent the massive international hit single “Barcelona” soaring to the heavens. Outside of Queen, it was Mercury’s greatest triumph; more than that, it washed away the bad taste left in his mouth from Mr. Bad Guy, the result of a bloated contract with Mercury as a solo artist that caused excruciating financial pain to his record label.
Driving right through that intersection where art and life collide, “Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender” pulls no punches, and yet it is a warm, wistful eulogy to an artist who never stopped creating, even as AIDS ravaged his body. Startlingly honest and forthright about Mercury’s failings and his grand ambitions, the film introduces the world to Mercury’s flawed humanity, and through Thomas’s multi-faceted portrait, the once-blurry and undefined picture of Mercury, the man, comes sharply into focus. Near the end, as is outlined in Thomas’s heartfelt liner notes to the DVD, Beach once asked Mercury what he wanted done with his legacy and all that he’d left behind. Mercury responded, in typical devil-may-care fashion, by saying, “You can do whatever you like with my image, my music, remix it, re-release it, whatever – just never make me boring.” Mission accomplished.

-            Peter Lindblad

Neal Schon explores new frontiers on 'The Calling'


Journey guitarist readies solo album
By Peter Lindblad
Neal Schon 2012
Neal Schon is a little fuzzy on the concept of “down time.” Three weeks of vacation mean nothing but rest and relaxation for most people, but when Journey takes a break from the rigors of touring, that’s when the guitarist really goes to work.
The guitarist’s latest solo album, The Calling, due out Oct. 23 on Frontiers Records, came together very quickly while on leave from the multi-platinum road warriors, with Schon playing all of the guitars and bass on the record, as well as producing it. Journey followers might find it interesting to see Schon collaborating again with master drummer Steve Smith, who manned the kit for the band between 1978 and 1985 – playing on such classic LPs as Evolution, Departure, Captured and Escape, among others – before returning to the fold for Journey’s 1996 LP Trial by Fire. Smith’s jazz credentials are impeccable, and his talents helped move the project along at a breakneck pace, as Schon pushed for a funky, edgy, experimental direction to The Calling that constantly keeps listeners guessing and should completely baffle those who only know the Neal Schon they’ve heard on Journey records.
For The Calling, an album comprised entirely of instrumentals, Schon took up residence at Fantasy Studios, the historic Berkeley facility where Journey’s Escape and Green Day’s Dookie were recorded. Working feverishly, Schon recorded the album in only four days. What makes that fact all the more amazing is Schon had nothing prepared before going into the studio. He did have help, however. In addition to Smith, there was Igor Len, the noted classical, jazz and film composer who played acoustic piano on The Calling. Also making an appearance is occasional Schon collaborator Jan Hammer, the Grammy-Award winning keyboardist and composer who has also worked with Jeff Beck and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, but is obviously best known for scoring the “Miami Vice Theme” and “Crockett’s Theme.” Hammer contributed Moog synthesizer solos to two tracks on The Calling, “Fifty Six (56)” and “Tumbleweeds.”
In a recent interview, Schon discussed the new solo album and his long, distinguished career as one of the most underrated guitarists in rock.
The new album certainly has a lot of stylistic diversity on it. It’s very heavy, funky and progressive in spots, with the title track, “Back Smash” and certainly “Carnival Jazz,” but it’s also very soulful and jazzy. In what ways did doing this record stretch you musically?
Neal Schon: You know, I went in with a completely blank canvas, all right? And a lot of colors, and the colors were all the guitars and amps I brought in, and obviously, the musicians that I played with. And Steve Smith, it’s been a while since him and I got together and played, and the creative juices were just flowing. Really, I came in there unprepared. I hadn’t written any material. I had a few riffs here and there, and we sort of went at it day by day, and went about it in a similar way to when I’m working by myself at home, and I’m sort of playing up the instruments on a demo, where I took a drum loop and instead of using a drum machine, which I would use at home, I had Steve Smith there, which was much better. I had him do a tempo for a certain riff that I would come up with, and I’d have him loop it for like eight bars, on the Pro Tools, and I’d say, “Give me a half an hour or 25 minutes to map this thing out.”
And so then I’d just take a rhythm guitar and have these definite drum loops going the whole time, and I’d arrange what I’d need till the end of the song and all the different sections – the solo section, the intro, the heavy section … you know, all the sections and so forth, just like you’d arrange any song. And then, at that point, Steve Smith would come back in, and he would write down on paper musically what I played on guitar, the arrangement. Then we’d talk about which was the heavier section, which was the solo section, and there’s the groove section, where the melody happens, you know, and then he’d play with a different velocity. So he’s essentially a musician like that where he can see the landscape far in advance as well as I can. It was a joy to work with him; he’s actually the perfect guy for me to work with on a project like this. And so he would then go in, replay the drum loop, we’d play the whole song together as if we were playing as a band, with all finished parts. And then, immediately after that, before we went on to another song, I’d slam down the lead guitar, like we’d always do and do a couple of things, all the way through what was in my head. We didn’t have anything written. We just kind of winged it, you know. And it came out. It just came out. To me, the beauty of this record is that it just kind of fell out of the sky, and there wasn’t a lot of thought put into it. So whatever did come out, it was completely from the heart and soul. It was very organic, and I love the organic way of recording where it’s not so thought out – the old blues thinking, from all the old cats … like if you’re thinking, you’re beaten, you know (laughs).    
The album was recorded in only four days. It doesn’t seem … well, improvised, and yet in some ways, it does seem that improvisation played a huge role.  
NS: It was very improvised, and you know, I happen to be really quick in the studio, and I think that’s a tribute to my having made so many records. So I know how to think when I’m in the studio. I’m pretty organized, even if I’m unorganized as in I’m walking in with nothing prepared (laughs). I’m organized the second we get started, as far as what order I want to do things. And then, Steve did the drum sound, I left the rhythm guitars for what we needed and then played lead guitar, and then we moved on to another track. And then, while these guys took off, I would work later and I put on bass, I started playing bass. And instead of having me following the bass – that would be the usual thing in the studio – I played the bass to the guitar with every solo I played, and I kind of moved around in a Hendrix-type way, like how he did for “All Along the Watchtower.” I wasn’t in the studio when he did it, but it was said he already had the guitar down and he just replaced the bass to move with the guitar.
How do you feel this record compares to your other solo work?
NS: Well, I’m proud of all the work I’ve done, but I think this is one of the best I’ve done to date, for it being an instrumental and the fact that it’s very diverse and has a lot of different elements that I’ve taken with me over the years from people I’ve listened to, people I enjoy. You know, I’m kind of like a sponge, like many other musicians, in that when you really love something, you really focus in and stay there. I really enjoyed listening to Igor Len stretch out on acoustic piano, and he played a bit of Moog on “Back Smash,” a blistering Moog solo, as well as Jan Hammer – and it’s cool to move it around and let other people stretch out and bring in all these different colors. He brought in this really cool jazz influence. And I’ve always loved jazz. I’m not really a jazz guitarist, but I definitely fused a bit. I’m more of an R&B, rock, blues guy that can fuse, you know. I’m not a jazz guy, but I do like jazz, and I have to say I can fake my way through it, you know, if I hear the chords at least.
You know, I understand the voices, and so everything I did like … Steve Smith co-wrote a couple songs with me that started out with marimbas and one was like an Indian drum that gave me the whole idea for the riff that I came up with, but the rest of it I wrote. So, it was a fun record to make, and when it’s moving that fast, it’s even more of a joy. You don’t have time to think about anything. I did spend a lot of time mixing, so it wasn’t mixed in four days. Like I said, all the tracks were cut with drums and with all of Igor’s keyboard parts in four days, and then I worked a little longer cleaning up things and mixing. I mixed, actually, for quite a while, and went back and forth between Nashville and mixed with my buddy there.
You mentioned all the styles on the new album. Santana was such a wonderful mélange of musical cultures. Was that what you enjoyed most about playing in Santana?
NS: Absolutely, it’s like really, Santana was like a big pot of Cajun stew … you know, in New Orleans. You stick that in and you stick that in, and you stick anything in it and it becomes very spicy and tasty. And I really did enjoy that about playing with the band and Carlos and Gregg and everybody. It was just a very mind-opening musical experience for me to go through that, because before playing in Santana, I was really just more of a blues and R&B guy. I really loved like R&B funk and blues, and that’s what I listened to. I did listen to some jazz, but really what I was playing at that time was kind of fiery rock and blues. And so, when I did get into the Santana band in 1970, that opened me to so much music. They turned me on to so many different kinds of music that was out there that I was really unaware of. So, it was a great experience for me, and a knowledgeable one.  
How did Carlos welcome you into the band?
NS: You know what, everybody was really great. And I hung out with Carlos a lot when I first got in the band, and you know, we were buddies. We hung out a lot during the day, we played a lot. We’re still good friends and we’re talking every other day, you know, texting each other: “What’s up? How are you doing?” And we keep talking about getting together, and when I get home, he has to take off. But when he gets home, I’m gone. So we’re trying to hook up just to play some new music and talk to each other.
What do you remember most about recording Santana III?
NS: Um, Santana III … wow, it was great. I was pretty much like … we were really quick in the studio, everybody played live, and there were a few solos that were overdubbed. And I usually got ‘em in one take, you know. And that’s all I remember about it. I remember we were in and out, and it was a great experience. Great record – I love it to this day. And actually, a bit of information I’ve been putting out there, “Everybody’s Everything” – the song that ended up being the No. 1 hit single off that record and had a Tower of Power horn section on it – I actually played lead guitar on it. And Carlos played rhythm guitar and bass on that.
I didn’t know that.
NS: A lot of people don’t, but it is what it is. 
Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the founding of Journey. When you and Greg Rolie formed the band, did you envision it being an extension of your work with Santana or something completely different?
NS: Well, Gregg and I did like the rock aspect of what we did on the first Santana record. We liked the rock place where that record went, and so we wanted to continue doing something that was rock, but obviously, we weren’t going to have all the percussion. It would be a different sound, and you know, I was always a fan of everything that came out of England in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, and so I wanted to do something that was a bit progressive like that. It was a bit more English sounding. 
Why was Infinity the big turning point for Journey?
NS: You know, it was funny. I didn’t know what it was going to be like because it was so different when Steve Perry came into the band, you know, from what we were doing and what we had built. We had built this cult audience in quite a few places, because we had toured extensively for three years, and very hard. I would say nine months out of every year we toured. And we had built quite a following being one of the original jam bands in San Francisco. You know, people really enjoyed seeing us live. We weren’t selling any records, but we were selling lots of tickets. And so, I remember the first night that Steve Perry came onstage with us, and we played a couple of the songs that we had written, the audience was like, “I don’t know about that.” It was so different that it really kind of threw them off course, you know. But, immediately when Steve and I got together, I knew that we had chemistry. We sat down, and I sat down with an acoustic guitar, and we were in one room in a hotel and I had these chords for “Patiently,” and he just started singing and writing lyrics, and you know, within, I’d say, 45 minutes we had that song. And then the next one we did together, it like in about 40 minutes again; it was “Lights.” And it was just pretty much listening to him sing and me humming a few things, and organizing the chords, the arrangement, and adding a few sections, that was that.
When Jonathan Cain joined the band, bringing in his synthesizers, it must have signaled a big change in the band. Was there a point during the recording of Escape when you felt that it was going to be something big?
NS: Well, you know what? Before Escape, we had just come out with Captured, and that was exploding. You know, and the band had already exploded on tour, and I think everybody … the Captured record was exploding and the energy on that record was something you couldn’t deny. And so, I felt that at any point that whatever we came with, as long as there were good songs, it was going to be big. We had done all the work, you know. And we paid [our dues] with all the live playing and continued to keep writing good material, I felt, and when Jon came in, he brought in a whole different thing. It was like, he’s an accomplished songwriter, and he brings in a “Faithfully,” you know, and then a lot of great elements. And Jon was an accomplished keyboardist, a classical keyboardist like on piano, and Gregg was more of a bluesy guy, someone from a B3/Jimmy Smith school of organ playing, which was a completely different thing. So we went more with Jon, obviously, because Gregg wasn’t there, and we came up with stuff like “Mother, Father” … you know, I wrote a lot of the music for that with my dad and then Jon and Perry would work on melody and lyrics, and there was always more of a classical vein to what we were doing, as opposed to what we were doing with Gregg. And yeah, it was kind of … I listen to it now and it’s a great record, but really, it’s all over the map. You’ve got a song like “Dead or Alive” on it, which is like really musical punk (laughs) – I don’t know what you’d call it. It had tight time changes and drum lines that Steve Smith had to sort out. And then you have “Open Arms” on the other side of the spectrum, and so it was like, you know, everything between A and Z and everything in the middle.
So, at that point, we felt that there was nothing really that we couldn’t play. I think it was a thing that really stumped a lot of journalists that wanted to niche us to something and say, “Aw, they’re just copying this,” or there was always a journalist that would say, “They sound just like Foreigner or Styx,” or anything else that was out there. Everything was coming out of the ‘80s, you know. I actually thought that we didn’t sound like any of the other bands and not that the other bands didn’t make great music either. I just thought that we sounded very different because of … you know, Steve Perry brought in an R&B flavor. He definitely had R&B roots in his singing, and anybody who has heard Sam Cooke would know that. And so I think it was a combination of the R&B with the rock, soaring guitar, the melody soaring guitar, and the songwriting that made us sound like we did. And I felt we sounded different from everyone.
A lot has been said of the thorny relationships between guitarists and singers, and you and Steve seemed to have a similar background, but I guess it’s always tough between singers and guitarists. Was there always creative tension between you two?
NS: You know what? There wasn’t always. We had many, many great times, and those are the ones that I prefer to remember. And usually, I think that everybody gets full of themselves, and I mean everybody, and so that’s what rips apart people. And in the end, when you look back, and you get away from it and you look back it and you remember everything, you know, really it’s silly. If you change one individual, everything changes radically. I don’t care if it’s the drummer, bass, and definitely the guitar player, it’s going to change radically. But, when we started regrouping at the point that Steve had gone out on a solo tour, I figured he had two solo records and he was going to play most of his solo material, but I heard that he was doing eight out of nine Journey songs in his tour, where on a VH1 special, “Behind the Music,” he said [to us], “Don’t play those songs, don’t go out and do this material.” He had already done it. And so at that point, Jon and I were the other two-thirds of the songwriting, and I said, “F**k this.” I go, “You know what? We deserve to be able to go out as much as anybody does.”
And it was a long, hard ride to get back to where we are now, 12 years of work again, from the beginning. And so, when I found Arnel (Pineda) a little over four years ago, things really started clicking for us again. And Arnel is an amazing vocalist. There’s nothing this boy can’t sing, I’m telling you right now. And I loved the aspect of that when I found him on YouTube and listen to … and, of course, he was just doing only covers, but it wasn’t just of Journey. Journey was just a tiny little niche of everything he was doing there. He was doing Zeppelin, he was doing Aerosmith, he was doing Sting, he was doing Heart … he was doing everyone under the sun. I’ve never heard a vocalist be able to do this in all my life. I mean, he is the chameleon of all chameleons, and if you ever come and I meet you backstage, when you come and check out a show, I’ll bring Arnel, and I’ll say, “Arnel, sing Nat King Cole,” and you will die. You will go, “No way!” He’s really amazing, and then ultimately, okay, these are songs that other people have done, but Steven Tyler is not easy to do, Robert Plant is not easy to do, Steve Perry is not easy to do, Sting is not easy to do … These are all top-notch singers. Nat King Cole is not easy to do. There’s nobody that he actually cannot do. He can do it, you know. And he has very good intuition about what to do, and I feel we’ve made two great records with him, and things are only going to get better there.
Let’s talk about side projects, starting with Hagar, Schon, Aaronson and Shrieve. Was it a rewarding experience for you, musically? How did the project come about?
NS: We’d been great friends in San Francisco, and I’d always wanted to jam with Sammy when he was doing solo gigs in San Francisco, whether it was Winterland or wherever it was, and we always seemed to jam on “Rock Candy,” the Montrose song, God bless Ronnie [Montrose, the famed guitarist who died in March]. And so, I always chose to work when I had my time periods where I had three weeks off or a month off – like before HSAS, I had three weeks off and I got together with Jan Hammer and I said, “Jan, would you like to do a record?” So I went to upstate New York and moved into his house for a second where he had the recording studio, and we knocked out a record in two weeks, and then did it with Jan again when I had another three-week break. And so I always chose to work when I had time off.
Well, it was the same thing with Sammy. I had a month off, and he had a month off from his tour schedule, so I said, “Why don’t we do something? We’re always playing; we dig working with each other. I think we could do something really cool and interesting, and a bit progressive and not so generic – just free up the reins a little bit and get creative.” And so I was always into experimenting a lot and not being so stuck in a niche or a box, and so, I suggested Kenny Aaronson. We had played some dates with Billy Squier – Kenny was playing with Billy Squier at the time – and I thought he was a really great rock bass player and really dictated time when I watched him onstage. He was really funky, and a cool guy from New York, had a really cool attitude. And then, I loved Michael Shrieve, which Sammy didn’t get. You know, I don’t know if he gets it to this day (laughs), but you go back and listen to the record, and I like Michael Shrieve, because he was more from the jazz side. And Sammy was used to really heavy rock drummers, and I wanted, from a jazz guy, kind of like what Jimi Hendrix had with Mitch Mitchell. You know, Mitch Mitchell was a jazz guy. And so, it gives it a different spin on the guitar and overall feel of the music, where it’s not so regimented. I love what Michael did on the record, and we only recorded four shows. We played three or four shows – I can’t remember. That was it. We did the best nights, everything was live, and then we went in and did minimal overdubs on the live recording – sometimes putting a rhythm guitar where there was no rhythm guitar, where I was playing lead. But, pretty much everything was live. Yeah, that was it. Sammy and I wrote the stuff, I believe, in two weeks, and then we rehearsed with everybody. We learned it, and the next week … there were like 20 songs, I believe, like in a week. And some of them were complex arrangements, so it was a lot to remember for everybody, because they weren’t there for the whole writing process. And then we just went and recorded – the fourth week, we went and played, and that was that. And then I went back on tour with Journey, and then he went back on tour.
Just that simple – moving in and out. What was different about Bad English? I know you had a really great singer to work with in John Waite. For Jonathan, that must have been interesting working with his former band mate
NS: Well, it’s funny. I had met Deen Castronovo in a rehearsal space, and I was rehearsing next store, doing something I think with Abraxas Pool at that time. And I heard this drummer … I went in to grab some gear one day, and I heard this drummer just going off in this room, and he sounded really heavy, but really, you know, like he had a lot of chops, but very powerful. And I dug the energy, so I poked my head in the room, and I introduced myself, and he was all excited to meet me.  And I said, “Give me your number, because I’m about to start a solo band.” And at that point, I was going to go solo. I was going to start putting things together for myself, because Journey had been on a long hiatus. We never really broke up, but at that point, Steven just said, “I need time off and I really don’t know when I’ll be back,” and it just seemed like it was never going to happen. And so, I just started saying, “I can’t sit around forever.” It’d been like three years or something, and I wanted to get busy and do something.
So I was going to do something with Deen and then, interestingly enough, Jonathan Cain calls me the next day and he says, “Hey, I’m down in L.A., with Ricky Phillips and John Waite [Cain’s former band mates in The Babys], and we’re putting a band together. We want to know if you want to come down and check it out.” And I said, “Well, that’s sounds really interesting.” And I said, “I just found a drummer that I really want to work with.” I said, “If you guys don’t have a drummer already, I’ll come down with Deen and we’ll both check it out and see what happens.” And so, we plugged in and we went into rehearsal and sparks kind of flew. And you know, before we knew it, we were in the studio recording the first record and did a lot of writing and went into the studio right away, with Richie Zito producing. It was a fun record to get through, and relatively painless, and it was a good time. By the time the second record came around, you know, John Waite and I were becoming really good friends and we were hanging out a lot. We were talking about direction, we were all talking about directions for the second record. And I preferred the stuff that was on the record that was a little heavier, bluesy, had a little R&B funkiness to it and “Rockin’ Horse” – stuff like that. To me, it was a little heavier than The Faces, but that kind of vein, a party kind of vibe, with a little more edge than The Faces, but that kind of vibe. And I said, “That’s where we belong,” because we had done the Diane Warren song [“When I See You Smile”], which I knew would be a hit, but I wasn’t crazy about it for the musical direction of the band. And of course, it had to be a No. 1 hit.
And so, when the second record came about and we were compiling the material, that’s where we had a fallout because we had talked about one thing and then, all of a sudden, John wanted to do nothing but Diane Warren songs. It was exactly the opposite of where we had talked about going, and you know, I’ve never been one to want to do other peoples’ songs, no matter how good they are. I just feel that if you don’t put your own stamp on it, it’s never going to sound like you. And at the time, she was writing hit songs for everyone. And is she a hit songwriter? Yes, she is. I mean, it was popular what I played on to as well, a song of hers, and I mean she wrote a lot of hit songs, but I really felt that that was not what the band was about. And so, actually, while we were in Vancouver, mixing the second Bad English record Backlash, we had a falling out, John and I. And I just quit, just moved on. I went to the back of the studio … it was funny, Mike Reno from Loverboy was back there doing a solo record, while they were mixing our record, after we had just broken up, in the front, and Mike goes, “Why don’t you play on my record?” And so I walked back there and started playing on his record.
Frontiers has an anniversary next year. Are you planning on doing anything special for it or the Journey anniversary? And just what are your memories of recording Frontiers?
NS: You know, Frontiers was very much like Escape. It was a bit more of an experimental record, which I really enjoyed. We were fighting a bit more at that time period I think. Like, I’d come in the studio and I’d turn up the faders on the guitar, I’d want the guitar to be louder. Perry would turn them down.  And so it was going both ways (laughs), and then we got into it a lot, and he’d get pissed and leave the studio, or I’d get pissed and leave the studio, but it was a great record. Otherwise, it was pretty much like Escape. Jonathan brought in “Faithfully,” I believe, at the last minute, you know, when Mike Stone and Kevin Ellefson said, “We need one ballad here. We’re missing a ballad,” and Jonathan … what I remember is, Jonathan brought that song in and he goes, “Well, I have one.” And none of us had heard it and so he brought it in, he played it for me on piano and I charted it out in my own chart language (laughs), in staff notes for musical notes, a road map that I could read. And I remember we kind of just played it through one time, just getting the chord changes and everything down, and then we recorded. And what you hear on the record is what came out, you know, after we recorded one time.
* Photo by Travis Shinn

CD Review: Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made


CD Review: Marillion - Sounds That Can’t Be Made
Eagle Rock Entertainment/earMusic (Edel)
All Access Review: A-
Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made 2012
Trapped in a war-torn land with little reason to expect a lasting peace anytime soon, the people of Gaza have endured unimaginable tragedy and hardship, and a song – no matter how idealistic – isn’t likely to change their horrible circumstances. Having seen up close what they’ve been through in visits to refugee camps in the region and talking to those hardest hit by the violence on both sides, Steve Hogarth has responded by writing a provocative and moving testimonial of their plight in “Gaza,” the widescreen, richly textured opener to Marillion’s lushly melodic and deeply soulful 17th album, Sounds That Can’t Be Made. He figures to get an earful from Israeli sympathizers, no matter how noble his intentions.
Attempting to head off a vitriolic sand storm of criticism that’s sure to come his way, Hogarth writes a disclaimer in the liner notes to the LP, stating, “It was not my/our intention to smear the Jewish faith or people,” and adding “ … nothing here is intended to show sympathy for acts of violence, whatever the motivation.” Motivated purely by a desire for a resolution that will halt the senseless cycles of destruction and devastation in the region, Hogarth doesn’t assign blame in “Gaza,” even if militaristic elements may find the “Gaza” lyric “ … peace won’t come from standing on our necks” a direct attack on their policies of aggression. Ultimately, though, “Gaza” is really a distress call, ending with the jarring plea, “someday someone must surely help us …” Nobody is sending the cavalry just yet.
Overshadowing all that comes after it, the 17:30 “Gaza” perfectly captures – in exquisitely descriptive language – the mystery, the desperate mood and the bruised spirit of a place Westerners know so little about. In an attempt to demystify this part of the world and its conflicts, “Gaza” speaks in relatable and personal terms of lost innocence and quiet resignation, while also talking of death and destruction on both a massive and intimate level. Reminiscent of Genesis, though more global in its thinking, “Gaza” is art rock spread across a massive canvas and painted in sumptuous colors. This labyrinthine citadel of angry dissonance and menacing danger, of exotic Middle Eastern sounds and luxurious production, and undying optimism is not only ambitious in scope, but it’s also purposeful and full of humanity, its myriad perspectives and tense scenes expressed in movements as different from one another as the fighting factions themselves.
Where outbursts of noisy, scratching guitar shatter any sense of calm, passages of breathtaking beauty are sure to follow, as marching, indignant declarations of crimes against humanity are transformed by sweeping strings and piano as lonely as a lost Bedouin tribe, as beautiful supplications are carried on hopeful synthesizers and flights of Steve Rothary’s finessed guitar soar into the cool desert night amid somber reflections. And it’s all interconnected in a puzzle-like arrangement that defies logic. Maybe it won’t affect policy, but “Gaza” does give voice – and an eloquent one at that – to the fearful and the scarred, who often suffer in silence as bombs drown out their pleas for an end to war. At the very least, Hogarth is sincerely affected by the situation and doing his part to rectify it.
If the stylish Sounds That Can’t Be Made, one of the warmest and most inviting records of their career, ended then and there, Marillion could walk away satisfied, but the band that spearheaded the neo-progressive movement in the U.K. in the early 1980s is only just beginning its journey. Next stop, the realm of British dream pop, inhabited by the likes of Elbow and Doves, who have clearly influenced the direction of the incandescent, life-affirming title track, the touching closer “The Sky Above the Rain” and the majestic “Power.” Intoxicatingly soulful and jazzy, “Pour My Love” is a sophisticated snifter of sonic brandy that should be savored, while the travelogue “Montreal,” a meditation on distance, and all its clever little melodic twists is 13:58 of nostalgic longing, exhaustion and ennui. All of it, however, pales in comparison to the truly affecting and uplifting “Invisible Ink,” with its radiant flash pot of a chorus and its twinkling melody – it’s as lovely a song as Marillion have ever constructed, even if it does fly a bit too closely to the sun of Doves' "Pounding."
So, as Fish does his thing, his former band slips ever so gently into a phase of life diagnosed as “adult contemporary,” and Sounds That Can’t Be Made is a remarkably quiet, subdued affair, with the exception of “Gaza” and its brief eruptions of King Crimson heaviness and harsh thrashing. Don’t make the mistake, though, of thinking that Marillion has lost the ability to keep things interesting. With their hearts in the right place and their collective intellect as curious and impassioned as ever, Marillion will keep hunting for those sounds that allegedly cannot be made, and someday they may just find them.

-            Peter Lindblad

* For more on how to help Palestinian children, visit www.hopingfoundation.org.
 

Book Review: "Peppermint Lounge: The Mob, the Music, and the Most Famous Dance Club of the '60s


Book Review: “Peppermint Lounge: The Mob, the Music, and the Most Famous Dance Club of the ‘60s”
Authors: John Johnson, Jr. and Joel Selvin
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
All Access Review: A-
Peppermint Lounge - 2012
The mob had its hooks into the Peppermint Lounge and Johnny Biello. A high-ranking Mafioso, Biello was a silent – deathly silent – part-owner of the hottest nightclub in New York City in the early 1960s, thanks to a dance craze called “The Twist.”  
At the height of the Peppermint Lounge’s popularity, there were nights when the police would cordon off the entire block in an attempt to manage the overflowing crowds that descended upon what was once a small unassuming little joint where shady, backroom dealings and criminal enterprises were conducted with the utmost secrecy. It was Biello’s son-in-law, Dick Cami, who suggested the place start playing rock and roll, and business took off. Biello and his cronies wanted none of the attention.
The parallel universes of the thuggish, brutal world of the mob and star-studded, “Twist”-mad club-goers collide in the engrossing “Peppermint Lounge,” a book written by John Johnson, Jr. and Joel Selvin in collaboration with Cami for Thomas Dunne Books. Laced with danger and full of mob intrigue, “Peppermint Lounge” provides an insider’s look at mafia life, with a cast of colorful, if violent, characters running devious racketeering operations and committing daring robberies, bloody hits and failed executions, bruising beatings and treacherous acts – all of which Biello unsuccessfully sought to leave behind in attempting to become a respected businessman.
Blissfully ignorant of the criminal underworld operating behind the scenes, the glamorous denizens of New York City’s Peppermint Lounge – another was established in Miami Beach – danced and partied into wee hours, as “The Twist” swept across the nation. The place was hopping, and Cami recounts how celebrities such as Greta Garbo and Shirley MacLaine mingled with sweaty youth and nubile, rail-dancing wait staff in writhing nightly orgies of twisting to house band Joey Dee and the Starlighters and Chubby Checker. Along with detailing historic Peppermint Lounge visits by the likes of Muhammed Ali, John Wayne, Tennessee Williams, and The Beatles – a whole chapter is devoted to the Fab Four and how Ringo Starr, unbeknownst to him, almost found himself in scalding hot water – Selvin and Johnson deftly chronicle the rise and fall of The Twist with heady writing, compellingly arguing for its importance as a force for cultural, sexual and societal change while gleefully delving into all the silly marketing schemes it birthed.
Well-paced, often funny and occasionally heartbreaking, “Peppermint Lounge” seamlessly shuffles between the disparate worlds of the mafia – with Frank Sinatra caught in its orbit – and the glitzy Peppermint Lounge in a confident, conversational manner, using a wealth of anecdotes and insight from the likeable Cami, and others, as a means of pulling back the curtain. Not just a dance club, the Peppermint Lounge holds a special place in rock and roll history, as it helped propel The Twist into the national consciousness, while also helping to launch the careers of such greats as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes, whose story gets special attention in the book. Selvin, Johnson and Cami have admirably preserved legacy of the place.
- Peter Lindblad

CD/DVD Review: Staind - Live From Mohegan Sun


CD/DVD Review: Staind - Live From Mohegan Sun
Armoury Records/Eagle Vision
All Access Review: B-
Staind - Live from Mohegan Sun 2012
Not to denigrate what is surely a fine facility, blessed with great acoustics and first-class accommodations, but the Mohegan Sun Arena doesn’t exactly have the cachet of a Fillmore East – or West for that matter – or a Marquee Club. That’s neither here nor there as it relates to the quality of Staind’s new concert CD and DVD releases. It’s just a sad commentary on the times that live albums are now coming out of tourist-trap casinos with very little character to speak of and named after faceless corporations. “Come for the loosest slots in the Nutmeg State, stay for the family-friendly rock” – that has a real ring to it, doesn’t it?
On Nov. 25, 2011, alt-metal kingpins Staind, closing in on 20 years of existence, brought their never-ending supply of glum, emotionally draining dirges to Connecticut, where the Mohegan Sun welcomes visitors with open arms and probably a free continental breakfast. Documented on both CD and a vividly filmed DVD, out now on Armoury Records and Eagle Vision, Staind’s Live From Mohegan Sun perfectly encapsulates what makes them so compelling and, at the same time, so maddening. Capable of unleashing impossibly heavy, crushing grooves that methodically twist and turn like monstrous, pre-historic snakes, Staind wreaks havoc with rhythmic earthquakes and blustery storm surges of power chords in writhing, punishing sonic apocalypses like “Spleen,” “Eyes Wide Open” and “Falling,” before bulldozing the ruins with earth-movers “Paper Wings” and “Mudshovel,” two immense sonic juggernauts. Then, right on cue, Staind – baring its dark, scarred soul in Aaron Lewis’s uncomfortably personal and anguished lyrics – will fall into old, familiar patterns like a married couple that doesn’t know its relationship died years ago.
And a collection like this, where so much of Staind’s catalog is laid out end to end for public consumption, brings their faults into the harsh light of day, when for the most, they’ve been hidden in atmospheres as dank and devoid of sun as the windowless basements of serial killers. Occasionally off-key on this particular night, Lewis, modulating ever so slightly up and down over the top of poorly mixed sound, can’t help but fall in love with trawling the same melodic passages over and over again, especially on the trudging, labored versions of “So Far Away” and “Right Here” performed here. And with Tool as their muse, Staind moves cautiously; their riffs almost seem like they’re stalking prey, before rising up and bringing the hammer down to complete the cycle of fairly predictable loud-soft dynamics.
Unfortunately, Staind isn’t nearly as adventurous as Tool, preferring to remain on those well-worn pathways those famously publicity-shy prog-metallers have tread and never daring to venture as far into the unknown as their spirit guides. Yet, Staind’s formula has certainly served them well considering their rather unassuming, but enviable, chart success, that tension and synergy between quiet meditation and staggering volume, along with seductive melodic undercurrents and Lewis’s wounded, self-flagellating poetry, making “It’s Been Awhile” such an affecting and moving song … and a massive hit. That piece is practically a religious experience for the Mohegan Sun congregation.
What Staind can’t overcome, however, is how heavy-lidded and narcoleptic they can be in concert, “Fade” and “For You” slumbering more deeply than the rest of Staind's live work. Certainly the DVD illustrates, in stark terms, how stationary and static – despite the constant head-banging – they are onstage, even if the high-definition images are lush and colorful, and the sweeping wide shots are absolutely epic. It’s almost as if somebody told Staind that if they moved from where they were standing, a sniper would pick them off one by one from the balcony. And their obstinately ponderous riffs and rhythms, often as black as molasses and just as thick and syrupy, can slow to the point where the temptation to nudge Staind a little to see if they can pick up the pace is almost irresistible.
Comparing the two deep set lists, both of them mixing generous portions of old and new Staind stuff, the DVD has an extra track in “Country Boy” the CD lacks, and among its bonus features are an engaging and honest interview with the band and a special look at guitarist Mike Mushok’s live rig that should please gearheads. But this is one occasion when the visual aspect of seeing the band play live doesn’t really set it all that far apart from only hearing the performance. Like Creed, Staind knows how to build big drama, and skeptics may say they do so only to cynically pander to their audiences. That criticism may not be fair, but anybody who sits down to a buffet of Staind as long as this one should wish for more consistency and attention to detail.
-            Peter Lindblad