The Second Baptist Church Of Evanston Presents Dr. Hycel B. Taylor and the Combined Choirs - Too Far Gone To Turn Around

 

I just went to my first Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago - well at least one day of it - Friday's lineup featuring Phoebe Bridgers, Animal Collective, and Big Thief: all great performers who did a stellar job providing the soundtrack for what was a surprisingly relaxing evening. A free ticket fell into my lap and I thought what the hey. There's a huge tent-like dome located at the far end of Union Park where artists and creators can sell their wares; everything from clothing to water bottles. The most engaging tables set up (to me at least) were the record labels and vinyl sellers. It was at one of these tables that I found the aforementioned album above - a remarkably rare gospel record from the 70s. The Second Baptist Church of Evanston is located very close to Northwestern University's campus - Evanston is a town known for its religion, being that it is home to countless churches and houses of worship. This album features some incredible artistry and soul, a fascinating combination of rhythm and blues, gospel, funk, classical, and opera. The voices are a driving factor - the choirs obtain some breath-taking range that I frankly have never heard in a non-theatrical setting. The musicians are no slouches either, laying down some seriously funky beats that provide the backbone for several tracks on the album. The album was released on Dee Dee Records, the label of producer/guitarist Bobby Robinson in an unknown year. I adore this record and would love to find more Chicago gospel records of a similar caliber. Gospel music, especially from Chicago, hits differently, it's on another level of music existence that few secular albums can touch.    

Benny Goodman Trio - Tiger Rag (1936)

 

One of the best things about jazz is without a doubt how varied the sound is. The deeper I dive into jazz the more assorted the music I find. I found a 10" of the Benny Goodman Trio at a local record store that specializes in jazz and blues. It's was released in 1951 but the music was recorded in the mid 30's. Fantastic swing. Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, and Teddy Wilson on piano. What a trio. Three of the best of the era, and it shows. This music is timeless and I hope it will continue to find an audience. Swing music is classy and always in style.  

Sun Ra - Lanquidity (1978)

 

The music of Sun Ra is magical. He and his Arkestra take major risks, both musically and culturally. Although most associated with outer space and the mystery of the cosmos, Sun Ra is still remarkably humanistic in the emotion he crafts from his outer-world sounds. Lanquidity is one of his later albums, recorded during his 1970's Philadelphia period - a musical mecca that no doubt played an influence on this album's unique instrumentation. The horns and raw funk of Philly soul creeps its way onto this slab of wax, molding beautifully with the surreal jangles of the bells and gentle hum of the organ. Sun Ra has been noted for his large discography and varying degrees of experimentation, but Lanquidity is not a difficult album to love, in fact it is pretty easy. Through soulful space-age magic, Sun Ra connects the ideas of the past with the spirit of the future. There are other world they have not told you of.       

Nektar - Remember the Future (1973)

 

Remember the Future is the fourth album of British/German rock band Nektar, a stellar group with a garden variety of experimental sounds and studio prowess. This album sounds like a mix between the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and the classical jazzery of Yes. The guitar playing is immaculate, the drumming never misses a beat, and the keys are pure 70's perfection. And that bass. Lyrics are esoteric and introspective poetry -  a perfect fit. This bad lad rocks all the socks. Nektar never gets the love it deserves, although this album charted well in the States upon release. Each side flows as one beautiful song, so maybe not the most radio friendly album, but it's still a masterpiece. 

Masayoshi Takanaka - T Wave (1980)

 

Masayoshi Takanaka's music is the sun on a beautiful day. It's the wet sand between your toes. If the beach had a soundtrack, this would be it. Takanaka is one of the slickest guitarists to ever wield an axe, the man can ride scales like no other. To call him a guitar god would be underwhelming, this dude is a guitar professor with a PHD in jazz alchemy. The rest of his band is swinging too, these cats can jam. T-Wave is a fun drive down the highway after a day at the beach. Every song is a romp amongst the palm trees - some are funky fusion while others are gentle hammock swinging melodies. Bring on the summer!

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969)

 

Ummagumma is the fourth Pink Floyd album and it's one strange cookie. The first half is comprised of live tracks with lots of spacey improvisation. The second half features suites created by each member of the band, which are more on the experimental side as opposed to the riff heavy radio friendly tracks the band is known for. A vibrantly fun Pink Floyd album that never gets its day in the sun.   

Maulawi - Maulawi (1974)

 

A superb gem from the Chicago/Detroit 70's jazz communities. This record feels like a meeting of the minds between two urban jazz hubs. Soulful, spiritual, catchy, extravagant, poignant, and relevant - a few words that capture the essence and energy of this recording. It feels special on several different levels, a culmination of artistic visions in one recording studio. I was lucky to pick up the recent vinyl reissue of this legendary album just yesterday. Originally released on the diverse Detroit DIY jazz label, Strata Records, this album has been brought to new audiences thanks to 180 Proof Records.  

Leadbelly - The Bourgeois Blues (sometime in the late 1930's?)

Got a Leadbelly compilation from the 1960's on vinyl. This is the first song off it. Nice way to end up on the FBI's shit list back in the day. Worth sharing. 

 

Palatka - The End of Irony (1999)

Palatka is an uncompromising band. Call them emo, call them punk, call them thrash or grindcore or whatever it is your heart desires, but any arbitrary genre tag placed on them will simply fall off. In thirteen minutes they get their point across, you just have to listen. I enjoy this album for its intensity and guest appearances - every song latches onto your face and captures your breath.   

 

Unwound - Caterpillar (1991)

 

An amazing 7" EP from Washington noise heroes, Unwound. Equal parts grunge and indie pop, Unwound's first release captures a stimulating basement rock vibrancy that is eerily catchy down to its core. Sweet sweet 90's wall rattling rock.  

Rick Wakeman - The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (1973)

Rick Wakeman is the notorious keyboardist/magician for the classic prog rock band, Yes. Like some of the other members of Yes, Wakeman was interested in doing a few solo projects, with his albums typically following a certain theme or story. Six Wives of Henry VIII is just his second album, but the distance he actively travels away from Yes's music is crucial - which is really saying something seeing as how many of the tracks feature his band mates as guests. Still, this is a much jazzier album than the name or cover imply and listeners might find themselves questioning the prog rock tag vs a jazz fusion one. Any fans of fast paced organs and Moogs need look no further than this funked up foray into old school royal drama. 

 

Usurp Synapse/Neil Perry - The Chilling Tale Of Usurp Synapse As Told By Neil Perry (2000)

 

Prepare your earholes, this ain't your grandma's screamo. No, this isn't black makeup, fishnets, and skinny jeans screamo. This is Usurp Synapse and Neil Perry vying for the Apeshit Rock Band Heavy Weight Title of the World. First up on this beautiful 7" is Usurp Synapse - one of the most intimidating bands of all time. The sounds of a werewolf breaking into an unsuspecting cabin for a midnight snack. Yes, Usurp Synapse has it all, a John C Reilly sample, illegal filthy riffing, a drummer who can't stop playing, and lots and lots of guttural violent screaming that would make a black metal band blush. The lyrics are something else too.

"The fumes whisper in as the pin is set in place. scroll back zoom out echoes of strummer. tangled in the process circuitry revealed by the grinding default and error eyes water joints go weak"

Damn

How do you follow up something like that? The answer is Neil Perry, the bastard cousin of Usurp Synapse, complete with muffled audio samples, diabolical guitars, and a singer on the verge of shitting his pants. Neil Perry does longer songs than Usurp, but the mood is quite similar: angry. But there is still a tongue and cheek sense of humor that makes this record special - it isn't just a Debbie Downer sadboi kind of a deal, in fact the whole thing could be a joke if I didn't know any better. Neil Perry's last song is titled "Josh's Dream Party; Beer, Girls, And A Computer." Bands like these are decisive and not everyone will enjoy blasting raw rage into their ears. Nonetheless, those of us who enjoy the occasional outburst can do no better than these two entities.       

Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado (1974)

 

A beautiful album by any other name. So beautiful that director Kenneth Anger used it as a soundtrack for his re-release of Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome. This is perhaps the most monumental masterpiece the oft-overlooked ELO brought into this world. A concept album of sorts, Eldorado merges the harmonies of the Beatles with the song structures of prog rock and classical music instrumentation. The resulting music is an insightful and imaginative journey into a fantasy world of magic and tranquility. Jeff Lynne, the front man, found a fantastic sound that would eventually catapult ELO into radio standards, but unfortunately, like so many other bands of the era, they would be most remembered for their hit songs. Through the magic of the internet and the sheer ability to listen to almost anything recorded in the 20th century - this album and many of their others can find a place amongst the stars where they can shine.    

Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (1979)

 

Rumors this! "Dreams" that! Fleetwood Mac rides again thanks to the help of Tik Tok's latest video craze of skateboarders and roller-bladers singing along to "Dreams." And you know what, good for Fleetwood Mac! They've been working their asses off since the 60's to remain relevant in the world of pop and rock, and sometimes the blues. They deserve the love. Rumors is perhaps the pinnacle of Fleetwood Mac, the album everyone's parents had in their vinyl collection. But, follow-up album, Tusk, is the black sheep of the Fleetwood Mac family (excluding the Bob Welch years). Tusk seems to go against everything the band achieved with Rumors. It's a double album, hardly known for a single hit song, and actually kind of avant-garde as far as Fleetwood Mac goes. John McVie said it best in that it sounds like the work of individual solo artists, something quite useful in a band like Fleetwood Mac. Lindsey Buckingham brings more of the radical post-punk sound in songs like the suspiciously funky "The Ledge" and the USC marching band laden "Tusk." Stevie Nicks is on her song-writing A-game with "Sisters of the Moon" and "Angel," lesser known tracks from her that prove she was by no means a one album wonder. Christine McVie is a force to be reckoned with on "Brown Eyes" and "Never Forget," truly the glue that makes this a Fleetwood Mac album. And of course, original members John McVie and Mick Fleetwood keep things in rhythm with remarkable studio professionalism on bass and drums. Hey, even original guitarist Peter Green makes an appearance on "Brown Eyes." All in all this album is a lively romp in the hay with Fleetwood Mac. It's fun, imaginative, and pretty damned catchy.       

Renaissance - Turn of the Cards (1974)

 

Renaissance is one of the more symphonic prog rock bands from U.K. in the 70's. A little folky, a little classical, a little jazzy, and surprisingly a little poppy actually. I found a copy scratched to shit for a buck at my local record shop in the clearance bin and decided why not, the cover looks cool. The cover was done by Hipgnosis who created some of the most iconic covers of the 70's (Pink Floyd, ELO, Led Zeppelin). It sounds great despite the blemishes. The songs tend to be long, as most prog bands preferred, but Renaissance does an ace job of not falling into boring repetition or soggy soloing. Pretty relaxing stuff, like a mellow mix of Yes and the Dead with female vocals.  

EL-P - Truancy (2002 single)

 

A heavy hitting track from the revolutionary rapper, EL-P. I picked up the single for a few bucks at a record store, it's a little scratched up, but still goes hard. EL-P is a wizard at production and kills it on this track. The instrumental B side is a lot of fun to listen to for that very reason. The soundtrack to a futuristic robot disco war  

Igor Stravinsky - Petrushka (1911)

 

Igor Stravinsky was a monumental composer who brought an essential liveliness to classical music in the 20th century. Petrushka is his second ballet composition for the famed Ballets Russes in Paris, performed in 1911. A friend recently gave me this album, as performed by Bernard Haitinik and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and I cannot begin to explain how exciting this music is. Despite not having the visual elements of a ballet, the music itself tells an amazing story. Tragic chaos, light hearted flickers of energetic dances, and colorful euphoria adorn this album with life. At times, the spacing in the music feels just as loud as the actual notes being played, which sounds wildly stupid I know, but as I was working and listening along, that became a consistent thought. There is a Miles Davis quote about how the notes you don't play are just as important as the ones you do -  a little corny, but still. Stravinsky's music is a master of emotional roller coasters, up, down, up, down. In a single song, instruments bounce across vivid spectrums of thematic human storytelling. While Petrushka is often referred to as a tragedy, the comedic moments of typically folky homages cannot be overlooked either.    

   

Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, Tatsuro Yamashita - Pacific (1978)

 WOOOOOOOOOO! Citypop is a style of music from Japan in the 70's and 80's characterized by its bright subject matter, masterful pop production, and strange resurgence in popularity starting just this decade. Featuring an array of new Japanese instrumental technology from Casio and Yamaha as well as many skilled composers, the genre encapsulated 1980's neon Japan and now the world in the 2020's thanks to platforms like YouTube. A new peg on the wall of Japanese pop culture phenomena - perhaps the resurgence can be linked to the rise of Japanese lo-fi hip hop beats videos, as well as the prominence of Japanese music in memes, anime, and video games such as the Yakuza series. Regardless, Pacific is a rooting-tooting good time. One of the finest examples of pop music from this era, the album is actually a collaboration of sorts between three amazing musicians: Haruomi Hosono, who was in Happy End (an early psych rock band) and Yellow Magic Orchestra (one of the pioneers of electronic music). Shigeru Suzuki, also in Happy End and an accomplished guitarist on many solo albums. Tatsuro Yamashita, a popular figure in citypop with a flair for Beach Boys style harmonies and dense arrangements of sunny music with hooks that would make Quincy Jones blush. Each figurehead takes two to three songs on the album and runs with the theme of the "Pacific Ocean."  many citypop albums have a single theme, such as a specific location or a night on the town, etc. The result is a combination of early electronic beats, vibrant funk, relaxed surf rock, and even some folk and jazz. It's so much fun. Citypop puts me in a great mood - it sends me to another time and place filled with palm trees and white clouds scattered through a blue sky. I have few additional words to say regarding this album and citypop as a whole. It is a joy to explore the amazing music from this era, to jam out to something from halfway across the world that still sounds so lively. Not to get corny, but this music has soul that will just not stop being funky. This is a summer day's sunshine condensed into a single album.       

David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World (1970)

 

An early Bowie album that is criminally overlooked, say for the title track that caught a massive second wind thanks to the MTV Unplugged performance by Nirvana. An awesome combination of glam rock, blues, folk, and psychedelic production, this is Bowie at one of his finest hours. His lyrics are a cutting satire of the era it was released in, mocking the Vietnam War and lampooning the politicians who placed soldier's lives in the swing of the pendulum for a few votes. In many ways this is Bowie and his band coming head on into the cartoonish imagery they would be forever remembered for. Bowie is relentless in proving how much of an oddity he was, especially through his space cadet lyrical content. Mick Ronson also shines with his guitar wizardry and Tony Visconti's musicianship and production cannot be understated either. A great album for anyone interested in Bowie's deeper cuts. This is classic.     

Various Artists - How The Midwest Was Won (1993)

 

How The Midwest Was Won isn't so much a compilation of early 90's punk tracks as much as it is a joint art project for a school assignment. That is certainly not true, but the booklet, inner art, and certainly the music radiates with an innocent zeal only describable as juvenile. It was released in 1993 by two labels, Subfusc (run by one of the original guitarists for popular Illinois emo band, Braid) and Kiss Of Winter (a mystery label with few other releases). The format is 2x7," meaning two small records as opposed to the regular sized 12" LP's. Each record has one song by four different bands, two songs on each side and with song order changing around on each record for a total of eight songs. The four bands are 8-Bark, Cap'n Jazz, Friction, and Sunspring. All are from the Chicagoland area, say for Sunspring who hail from Louisville. The music is fleety lo-fi rock with an emphasis on the chaotic wall of sound these young bands were known for. Two songs are classic hardcore covers (one by the Big Boys, the other by Jawbreaker). This is a strange record, filled with odd lyrics like "tippy toed noses nippy touch." Kurt Vonnegut gets a nice shout-out in the credits too. A rather rare record, only 1000 were made, and still an important document for the Midwest rock music scene. These four ragtag bands were never known for triumphant splendor and huge hit songs or albums. I'd be surprised if they ever broke even. Yet, their passion shines through every moment of unfiltered bedlam. They may not sound clean or even coherent, but they have dignity and creativity. And maybe that is actually saying something. Just maybe.