The Rolling Stones' Black and Blue (1976)

Uh oh, it's a Rolling Stones album and it falls outside their 1968-1972 can-do-no-wrong phase. It's not even from their "comeback" year of 1978. Many would say the Stones were mired in decadent irrelevance by the time Black and Blue was released in April, 1976 and that I should simply dismiss this album. Fortunately for the sake of the album, one of the ongoing themes of here at the Mongrel Piano is to buck conventional wisdom ever so slightly. In that spirit, I offer up to you Black and Blue.

Black and Blue was conceived during a transitional period for the Stones. Mick Taylor, the guitarist who powered the band through two of their four most celebrated studio albums and pushed them to new heights on stage abruptly left the group at the end of 1974, citing writing credit disputes and frustration over the band's decision to eschew touring that year. Changes in the music world at large (such as the emergence of disco music) were also affecting the band, particularly the forward-looking Mick Jagger. To address the first concern, the group auditioned several guitarists, including notables such as Jeff Beck. While ultimately the group of course decided on Jeff Beck Group/Faces alumnus Ronnie Wood, Black and Blue also features the talents of session ace Wayne Perkins and former Canned Heat axe-slinger Harvey Mandel. How the Stones dealt with the changes in music is evident right from the start of the album. "Hot Stuff" slinks and grooves like no other prior Stones' track. It is unapologetically a dance song, lyrically inconsequential but difficult to resist. Charlie Watt's rhythms are naturally a focal point but guest musician Billy Preston's piano is also impeccable. "Hey Negrita" is another funky, danceable track devoid of deep lyrics. The group continues to show its contemporary colors in a cover of reggae singer Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby" and two electric piano-based ballads, Top-10 hit "Fool to Cry" and "Memory Motel." "Memory Motel" in particular is an affecting number, its lost love and travelogue themes (inspired by the 1975 Tour of the Americas) finally bringing some lyrical gravity to the album. "Melody" is an overtly jazzy track that again features Billy Preston, this time on both piano and vocals. Reassurance that the Stones can still do straightfoward rock and roll is found in "Hand of Fate," which is arguably as good any of the more celebrated Stones rockers.

Black and Blue is, above all else, a fun and stylistically diverse album. It lacks the grit and grandeur of the go-to classic Stones albums, but it works remarkably well on its own terms. Shake it, hot stuff.

Links: Hot Stuff, Memory Motel, Hand of Fate

Beck's Midnite Vultures (1999)

Take a look at the cover of Beck's Midnite Vultures. Is it at all surprising when I declare this album to be something of a joke, an album-long spoof of all things Prince? Unlikely. The real surprise is that over the course of the album, the joke simply doesn't grow old. Listen to it repeatedly for years and it will still be your go-to party album. Concentrate on the lyrics and, as nonsensical as they are, they will continue to bring a smile to your face. It revels in frivolity, but Midnite Vultures is built on a terrifically solid musical base.

By the time Midnite Vultures appeared in November of 1999, Beck had already fashioned himself as a lo-fi troubadour, a deadpanning rapper and had even dabbled in country music. Now was the time for Beck the Lounge Lizard. Fortunately for the listener, this sleazeball has an excellent sense of humor. He might have only one thing on his mind, but he's just as adept at firing off hilarious non-sequiturs as he is with goofy pick-up lines. The party starts with horns a-blaring on "Sexx Laws," which can be seen as a manifesto setting the tone for the light-hearted debauchery on rest of the album:

I want to defy

The logic of all sex laws

Let the handcuff slip off your wrists

I'll let you be my chaperon

At the halfway home

I'm a full-grown man

But I'm not afraid to cry

The lyrical tone rarely changes, with Beck fixing to "feed you fruit that don't exist" and "leave graffiti where you've never been kissed" in "Nicotine and Gravy" or being brought "to his knees...in a garden of sleaze" in "Milk and Honey." It is as ridiculous as it is lecherous and unfailingly funny. This faux-Prince persona, however, is only half of the story. The music itself is as irreverant and attention-grabbing as the lyrics. Lounge Lizard Beck wants to enjoy himself, and therefore he's composed a slew of bouncy, supremely catchy songs, only slowing things down towards the end when the party winds down. While you can certainly dance to the music, you can also listen closely through headphones and be delighted by the constant appearances of whimsical blips, beeps and buzzes, strains of fuzzed-out guitar and ever-funky keyboards. Even banjos and xylophones are welcome at this party.

The only time Beck gets serious is on "Beautiful Way," the one instance where the listener gets an inkling that there might be a dark side to all this partying. It is such a stately piece that one cannot help but be drawn in. It is a fleeting reminder that Beck can do much more than create party anthems. The listener absorbs this knowledge, only to be thrown right back out onto the dancefloor for the percussive "Pressure Zone." Heavy drumming placed right in the forefront of the mix powers this penultimate track right through into the slow dance of "Debra." Musically, it's a jazzy, grooving piece replete with upright bass and subtle brass accents. Lyrically, it is the most obvious and over-the-top of them all:

I met you

At JCPenney

I think your nametag

Said "Jenny"

I coldstep to you

With a fresh pack of gum

Somehow I knew

You were lookin' for some

Ahh, romantic, isn't it? It is a perfect end to a party where yes, sketchy characters are constantly coming on to you but they're so damn funny you can't help but enjoy yourself. Besides, the DJ is spinning all the right tunes. Ever let a cowboy sit in your lap?

Links: Hollywood Freaks, Beautiful Way

Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow and Wired (1975, 1976)

With this post, I feel as though I'm violating an unwritten rule concerning Jeff Beck album reviews. This rule dictates that any review must pay special attention to each nuance of his guitar playing, explaining in detail how his skills put him in a class of his own. The truth is, I'm simply not well-versed enough in the way of the guitar to offer genuine, insightful critique of anyone's playing, let alone Jeff Beck's. However, the instrumental albums Blow by Blow and Wired are far more than simply displays of expert guitar playing. They are prime examples of what can happen when superior composition, instrumentation and production values converge and create albums that are enjoyable on multiple levels. So while yes, guitar aficionados should find plenty to enjoy here, there is also much that will appeal to anyone with an appreciation for good 70's music. As far as I am concerned, it is the way Blow by Blow and Wired meld of all of the best aspects of
70s music that makes them the grade-A albums that they are.

There are far more style changes, genre hops and confounding left turns in the long career of Jeff Beck than any one blog post can contain, so I will simply state that the two albums in question comprise what is known as Beck's "fusion phase." In October of 1974, Beck entered Montserrat's AIR studios under the auspices of famed producer George Martin. Although usually labeled as jazz-rock, the album Blow by Blow that appeared five months later actually combines a wide variety of styles. It kicks off with the funky "You Know What I Mean" that features layers of keyboard and guitar. A characteristic of these albums is synth sounds that mimic guitars and vice-versa, often blending with one another to the point that it is difficult to tell if a particular melody is played by guitar, synth, or a combination thereof. Before anyone can get too comfortable with the funk , a cover of the Beatles' "She's a Woman" introduces both a reggae strain and the talk-box, which is as close as the album comes to having lyrics. Other noteworthy tracks include a haunting reading of Stevie Wonder's "'Cause We've Ended as Lovers," where jazz finally comes to the forefront, and the breathtakingly fast "Scatterbrain." More funk can be found on numbers such as the amusingly titled "Constipated Duck," in which a clavinet does in fact suggest a gastrointestinally-challenged mallard.

While Blow by Blow and Wired are cut from basically the same cloth, one should not get the impression that Wired is a simple copy of its predecessor. Yes, its cover of Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" can be seen as a (wonderful) counterpart to Blow by Blow's "'Cause We've Ended a Lovers," but on other tracks Wired distinguishes itself with harder rock and even more funk. True to form, opener "Led Boots" is a whirlwind of wailing guitars, synths and explosive drumming. "Come Dancing's" invitiation is entirely justified by a thick, bouncy rhythm and horn charts while "Blue Wind" sets the synthesizers aside for the most part, placing extra focus on Beck's guitar.

Combine rock, reggae, funk and jazz and you'll have a diverse album. Add excellent musicianship and you'll have an enjoyable album. But top it off with superlative production values and you'll have an album that simply delights the ear. In Blow by Blow and Wired, Jeff Beck and Co. managed to produce two such albums here, and whether you are a guitar fanatic lingering on Beck's every note or simply a fan of good 70's music, these albums deliver.

Links: You Know What I Mean, 'Cause We've Ended as Lovers, Led Boots, Blue Wind

Traffic's Traffic (1968)

The most likely associations an American will make with the classic rock group Traffic are with its latter-day mega-sellers John Barleycorn Must Die and The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys. While both of these albums are worthy of recognition, I maintain that Traffic's best work occurred a few years earlier on the self-titled album released just prior to the group's first break-up.

After having released three successful UK singles and the album Mr. Fantasy in 1967, the quartet version of Traffic underwent the first of several personnel changes in December. Dave Mason, who by all accounts was the most socially and artistically aloof member of the group, left the band to concentrate on studio work. The three remaining members, Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi and of course Steve Winwood soldiered on as a trio, but while in New York City in May of the following year, they happened upon Dave and found that not only had he mellowed out, but that he was in possession of five new songs. The other three having also amassed five songs, the only logical conclusion was to re-incorporate Mason into the fold. Thus was born Traffic, released in October of 1968.

There are several contrasts between Traffic and its predecessor Mr. Fantasy, all of which point to newfound maturity. The most striking is the lack of overt psychedelia, with even Mason (whose brand of child-like whimsy had previously put him at odds with his bandmates) embracing a (relatively) down-to-Earth tone. Another development is how seamlessly the songs fit together. It doesn't matter whether the song is a Mason composition or a Winwood/Capaldi one, both camps share an esthetic. The album gets off to a lively, bouncy start with Mason's "You Can All Join In," which proudly waves the flag for the emerging folk-rock genre. Of note are Wood's electric tenor sax punctuations and the soaring vocal harmonies during the verses. Jim Capaldi's drumming is the highlight of the following track, "Pearly Queen." I have a soft spot for his careening fills and generally cymbal-heavy style of propulsion, and they suit the rocking feel of "Pearly Queen" perfectly. Steve Winwood's roots lie in R&B music and he lets these ties shine through on "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring", although his invitation to "float across the ceiling" is a giddy reminder that we are still in 1968. Those only familiar with "Feelin' Alright" from Joe Cocker's hit cover version may be surprised by the laid-back, almost sloppy feel of the original. Indeed, the whole band was in fact tripping during the recording session. In this instance the sadness of the lyric ("not feelin' to good myself") is masked by the trippy musical setting, but later in the album, melancholy all but washes over you in the one-two punch of Mason's "Cryin' to Be Heard" and Capaldi/Winwood's "No Time to Live." Nowhere else on the album do any two songs flow together as seamlessly as these two do. Fortunately the piano-heavy "Means to and End" wraps things up in a properly jovial fashion.

One would hope that the successful melding of the Mason and Capaldi/Winwood/Wood teams on this album would translate into a long, happy marriage but even before Traffic's release, Mason found himself unceremoniously booted from the group. As far as I can tell the others, Winwood in particular, were miffed that once again a Mason composition ("You Can All Join In') had been chosen as the lead-off single.

Links: Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Pearly Queen, Feelin' Alright,

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