BLOODY RED BARON
DECEMBER REVIEWS
by Mike Baron
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KURT BAKER: Play It Cool (Rum Bar)
Kurt Baker, the hardest-working man in power-pop, channels Graham Parker, the Plimsouls and the Buzzcocks on this rapid-fire record. Baker has a unique voice, not unlike Parker’s, but with a controlled quaver that weighs in beginning with “Enough’s Enough.” You may hear a little D.L. Byron in “Monday Night” and in the way Kurt structures his tunes. Like Buzzcocks’ Singles Going Steady, Play It Cool begins with a nuclear explosion and works its way up to a climax.
Four stars.
THE REIGN: The Long Wait (Frog)
This new Reign album (it’s purple) is redolent of so many great bands including the Jefferson Airplane, the Dead, and in particular Gordon Weiss’ most recent. Reign’s king, Joe Caravella, sings much like Weiss, with plateaued vocals always stepping down, and a lot of flatted notes. “The Prize” shares not only Weiss’ vocal style, but his song structures as well. The Reign knows its way around a hook. “Let Me Be the One” sounds like a lost Records song without sacrificing the Reign’s guitar-heavy vibe.”Not So Lonely” has the classic sound of the Turtles, the Hollies, and the Knickerbockers. Most of these songs start with acoustic guitar over electric, and they all favor minor key. The last song is a cover of The Cure’s “Killing An Arab.” If you like guitar-heavy, lyrical rock, this one’s for you.
Four stars.
THE COOL WHIPS: Goodies
It’s no mistake that the cover shows a dude blowing a pink gum bubble, but if this is bubble gum, it’s bubble gum of a very high order, more derivative of the Monkees, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Elvis Brothers and The Onders (That Thing You Do) than the 1910 Fruitgum Company. Songs like “Pink Lemonade,” “A Complicated Man,” and “Lost in the Summertime,” with their rocking and rolling roller rink organ, instantly transport you back to the sixties, for those who were there. If you weren’t there, this as fresh and delightful as this kind of pop gets, with plenty of harmonies and primordial riffs.
Four stars.
NEZROK: Bumper Crop (Jahal)
Chris Korzen makes lyrical rock in the manner of Firefall or Peter Frampton, beginning with the Quicksilverish “Grow Young With Me,” with its surprising and satisfying hook. Jimmy Stingray, one of several lead guitars on this record, provides the galvanizing lead. “The Well” is a driving, minor-key charmer leading into the pensive “Lost Weekend.” Aziz Sapaev’s cello gives depth to the George Harrison-like “Living Life,” followed by the Croce-like “Alive,” with Kenny Minori’s incandescent guitar. “Cheese Factor” is the first rock instrumental I’ve liked in thirty years. Krozen employs a variety of sounds, from the muted trumpet of “Restore,” to the dueling, Almanesque guitars of “No Pain No Gain.” But rather than presenting a diffuse sampler, he provides something for everyone.
Four stars.
RAQUEL’S BOYS: Music For the Girl You Love (Jam)
Sean Hutton and Reg Carter absolutely nail the jangle-heavy Brit invasion sound of the Hollies, Turtles and all the bands they inspired, and guitarist Jeremy Morris blazes the way like a flaming river. Some of these songs are mere fragments, like “Please Thrill Me” and “Forget It.” You wish they were longer. You can hear Beach Boys and Hollies in “Knockout,” and Turtles in “Wholesome Girl.” “The Green Lawn,” with its tom-tom beat, even evokes a little of Tim Carl Rose’s Fresh Mowed Lawn.
Four and a half stars.
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Mike Baron is the creator of comic books Badger and (along with Steve Rude) Nexus. His latest book is “A Brief History of Jazz Rock” – more on Amazon CLICK HERE.
He has written five novels in the last few years, all available on Amazon here:
Visit his website here: http://bloodyredbaron.net and on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Baron
NOT a dude on the cover of The Cool Whips–check the ear rings…