The early 1970s were an especially prolific time for John Lennon in his solo phase.
Between 1970 and 1975 he released one studio album a year. These albums, which included “Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine,” are among the best of his former bandmates’ post-Beatles creations. “Mind Games” (Lenono/Universal Music Group), originally released in 1974, and newly reissued in a superb and expansive “Ultimate Collection” box set containing six CDs, two Blu-rays, a 136-page book, two postcards, and a “Citizen of Nutopia” ID card, is considered by many to be a return to form (following the misstep of 1972’s “Some Time In New York City”). In addition to the original “Mind Games” album, featuring the classic and lush title track, along with “One Day (At A Time),” “Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple),” and “Meat City,” there are a pair of hidden tracks (“I’m The Greatest” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll People”), all presented in different mixes (such as “Raw Studio,” “Elements,” “Elemental,” and “Out-Takes”), providing the listener with an entirely new and expanded listening experience. The book features many photos, song lyrics, stories about the songs, and interviews (including one with backing vocalist and later disco diva Jocelyn Brown).
Years before queer music artist Brandi Carlile took it upon herself to lead the charge for the Joni Mitchell revival, legions of LGBTQ folks fell in love with the woman many consider to be the all-time greatest female singer/songwriter/painter. Beginning in the late 1960s and continuing well into the 21st century, Mitchell captivated our attention, even going so far as to reference drag queens and other queer people. “The Asylum Albums (1976-1980)” (Rhino), the third installment in the box-set series of Mitchell’s studio albums, wraps up her first go-round with the Warner-related label (she would return to the Warner family from 1994-2002).
The four-disc box set, which reproduces the original gatefold albums and artwork in miniature, opens with 1976’s “Hejira,” the best of the bunch. From its breathtaking cover and inner artwork by Norman Seeff and Joel Bernstein to trademark numbers such as “Black Crow,” “Amelia,” “Coyote,” “Song For Sharon,” “Refuge of the Roads,” and the title cut, “Hejira” was a dazzling example of Mitchell’s experimental spirit. Following soon after, the double LP “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” (1977) may be the beginning of when Mitchell’s longtime fans felt a sense of estrangement. Beginning with the original controversial cover art (not duplicated here in the box set) to the 16-minute opus “Paprika Plains” (which took up an entire side of the original double LP), it seemed as if Mitchell was attempting to put some (unintentional?) distance between herself, her fans, and her fame. Nevertheless, “DJRD” did include several classics including “Jericho,” “Dreamland” (featuring Chaka Khan), “Otis and Marlena,” and the title number. Ultimately, it was 1979’s “Mingus” that did the most damage to Mitchell’s career up until that point. A loving tribute to jazz musician Charles Mingus which featured four Mitchell/Mingus collaborations (including the snappy “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines”) and two Mitchell originals, “Mingus” is as admirable as it is frustrating. The last of Mitchell’s Asylum releases, the 1980 double disc live recording “Shadows and Light” was recorded in 1979 at the Santa Barbara County Bowl and focused mainly on newer material, although it does feature a marvelous rendition of “Woodstock.” The liner notes by Meryl Streep are also required reading.
Power/jangle pop band The dB’s might not ever have been if it wasn’t for the Beatles (or The Beach Boys, for that matter). Listening to The dB’s debut album “Stands For Decibels” (Propellor Sound), newly reissued on CD and making its US vinyl debut, you can hear its musical influences. It’s also easy to understand how the North Carolina-based quartet’s sound was a good fit for the early days of college rock radio. On “Stands for Decibels” songs such as “Dynamite,” “Black and White,” “Tearjerkin’,” “I’m In Love,” “Espionage,” “Big Brown Eyes,” and The Beach Boys-esque “She’s Not Worried,” The dB’s (featuring Chris Stamey, who went on to produce albums by important queer acts including Le Tigre and The Butchies) took its place alongside college rock legends such as R.E.M., The Bongos, Pylon, The Feelies, and Replacements, to name a few.
Released six years after his death at 78, “Insurrection” (In The Red) by the late Alan Vega, isn’t a reissue but the latest in a series of resurrections of previously unreleased material. Recorded in 1997 and 1998, the 11 songs are as timeless as they are trauma-inducing. Vega was one half of the groundbreaking and influential electro-punk duo Suicide (along with Martin Rev), a pair whose bold electronic experimentation began in the early 1970s. Therefore, it’s not all that surprising that Vega would have continued in that vein. The throbbing and thrumming electro beats on “Cyanide Soul,” “Fireball Fever,” “Crash,” “Sewer,” “Invasion,” and “Mercy,” combined with Vega’s distinctive vocal delivery have the potential to become the soundtrack to some of your most outrageous dreams.
Jason Pierce, of Spiritualized, has cited Suicide as an influence on his other band, Spacemen 3. “Songs in A&E” (Fat Possum), the 2008 album by Pierce’s Spiritualized, has been recently reissued with new artwork in a double 180-gram vinyl LP special edition. The new artwork is significant in that the album was released after Pierce’s serious health crisis, involving hospitalization from pneumonia and cellulitis (the “A&E” of the album’s title refers to the hospital’s Accident & Emergency ward). A lush and powerful testament to survival, songs such as “Death Take Your Fiddle,” “Soul on Fire,” “Don’t Hold Me Close,” “Sweet Talk,” “Sitting On Fire,” “The Waves Crash In,” “Goodnight Goodnight,” and the near-epic “Baby I’m Just A Fool,” all take their respective places in Spiritualized idiosyncratic musical canon.
It’s been more than 25 years since we lost Michael Hutchence of Australian band INXS. But if you listen to SiriusXM’s 1st Wave channel (33), INXS is still in heavy rotation. Fans of Hutchence will no doubt be excited to hear about the posthumously released 10” vinyl picture disc featuring two “lost” singles: the hard rocking “One Way” and the darkly beautiful “Save My Life” (Boss Sonics/Deko Entertainment).
Photo: John Lennon being interviewed in Los Angeles 1974. Credit: Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times.
