When 5 was 3 now just 1

hey look...it's another lost CD. Yes about bloody time and for more Lost Treasures head to NEXT music.

This time I pick Ben Fold's "Rockin' the Suburbs"

Before I begin with my mini rant about radio missing out yet again let me tell you that you must see the man live. Solo? With a Band? It just doesn't matter just do what needs to be done to see him anytime he is close to where you live. He makes stadiums feel like your living room.

Ben, Live. Army.


Ben with just the piano. Army.


Too much fun. Honestly you come out of the concert on a high. The man is truly talented.

So what about "Rockin' the Suburbs" The CD?

Really besides the occasional "Brick" this man gets almost no radio love. Why? I don't know and how strange is it that when he does get radio play its about an abortion. I guess he doesn't test well. That is a good thing. He is man that must be experience in full not some 30 sec clip over the phone. Bloody silly but that is how music on the radio is picked.

So about the cd is it...

Catchy? Check
Intelligent? Check
Fun and funny (yes those are two different things)? Check and Check.

Now this cd really isn't too different from his Ben Folds Five work but the main change was the fact that Ben played almost all of the instruments including guitar and dropped two band members. Guitar is important to note as the trio was piano, drums, bass. Still really no big surprises just classic sounding Ben making mid tempo masterpieces.

Wonderful start to the cd with "Annie Waits".
This song just gets to me. Beautifully written. You can just picture Annie seeing the "headlights cresting the hill" and being disappointed when the car continues past her house...it's not her "friend". Here are two quite good fan vids.





Zak and Sara
Funny. Weird. Not normal. Brilliant. Yes. Plus hidden swearing.


Rockin' the Suburbs
Great video.

the next two songs will be played at my funeral.

If this next song doesn't choke you up you have no feelings. This is why we love music.
The Luckiest


and a song he wrote for his son.
Still Fightin It
Link to "embedding disabled video"

So yes go get this cd. Period. Thats it. Oh and radio get smart before you become an afterthought...opps too late. Well almost too late.

More later
Bro

Black Crowes

This "lost treasure" cd came to me in a dream. No, actually it was thanks to a conversation I had a bit ago with Helper Monkey. So I guess this post is partly his too.

We were talking about music (shocking I know) and some how The Black Crowes came up. About how they are almost a "jam band" now or at least semi-carrying the Dead crown. Maybe. I don't remember the whole chit chat thing but I do remember us talking about why the Black Crowes don't get mentioned with some of the other biggies from the 90s.

It got me thinking about radio and the BC and how it is strange that looking over their catalog that really only 2 LPs get any love. "Shake" and "Southern Harmony". Now "Shake" is or was a wonderful intro to a band and still to this day is one of my favorite debut cds. "Southern Harmony" is just their best. Period. If you don't think so -- really go back and listen again. It's just...classic.

So I was looking over the rest of the cds on my shelf and I noticed that they have at least 3 "lost treasure" cds and that they themselves are a "lost treasure". Almost but not quite like The Replacements. At least the Black Crowes get some airplay. Any time you hear them on the radio it's from "Shake" with a "Thorn" or "Remedy" thrown in sometimes.

Now "Lions" has it's moments but really it isn't that strong but the other 3 are full of great rock and/or roll songs. I don't know which one would be more under-rated. "Amorica", "Three Snakes" or "By Your Side". I guess if I had to throw them in order let us just say "Three Snakes" gets a lot less love with "Amorica" very close. That would leave "By Your Side" as third.

Now I did kinda mention the live band thing and they do have two wonderful live cds. "Freak and Roll" is glorious and also look for a Japan Import called "Souled Out Live". And talk about a greatest hits package...this one truly is. It's not a One Hit Wonder and few others to fill out 80 minutes. If all you own is "Shake Your Moneymaker" please at least buy the Greatest Hits. Although "Southern Harmony" is also a must own.

More later
Bro

please send me your "lost treasure" there is no wrong answer just better ones.

del Amitri - Waking Hours

When people talk about the best albums of the 90s this CD rarely rears it's head on the lists but really you should not dimiss it so easily. I am not claiming that it should be on anyone's top ten list of 90s cds but it should be in your cd collection.

This is truly a "lost treasure" just waiting for you to listen and fall in love with.

In fact, in the past month or so I have turned several people on to the magic that was del Amitri. This introduction even prompted the response of "Thanks for telling about this band they might now be one of my all time favorites."

Bob Mould - Workbook

So you are in one of the most influential and bombastic bands in the 80s...that happens to break up. What is a lead singer to do? Release an acoustic CD of course. So in 1989 Bob Mould, not only does that but it's also a LOST TREASURE of a CD.



In between Husker Du (yes named after the children's game) and Sugar, Bob Mould went solo and acoustic. The CD is called Workbook. It's his first solo CD and it is a must have. It's not your typical acoustic Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds kinda cd - no this one rocks. He assaults the guitar and if you've ever seen him live solo and acoustic you know just how bloody intense it is. Not really a "Sunday morning relax and have some coffee" acoustic cd no this is more like a "it's Thursday night and I'm thinking of starting the weekend off instead of waiting for Friday" acoustic CD. There are quiet and absolutely beautiful moments but still underneath it all is Bob fuming at something or someone.

If you'd like to read Bob Mould's Blog. It's Boblog. and he has a new DVD concert coming out called Circle of Friends. Should be a good one.

More later
Bro

The Replacements - All Shook Down

Another Lost Treasure...in fact some might argue a Lost Band.

Let’s start this thing off by saying if for some reason you don’t have all three of the holy trinity of ‘Mats CDs then you need to remedy that right now. It’s a perfect trifecta. “Let it Be”, “Tim”, and “Pleased to Meet Me” should be in each and every CD collection. Murmur by REM was released in ’83 and the ‘Mats perfection was recorded during that same time(’84 to ’87). Green came out in "88. How did REM get sooo huge while The Replacements watched the world pass them by? You might know the stories and if not search them out. There are some truly wonderful Rock N Roll stories. The Replacements really have no one but themselves to blame but that doesn’t change the fact that we have the chance to “do it right” now. If your favorite radio station plays more REM songs then Replacement songs something is terribly wrong. Call them. Email them and ask them why they don’t love music.

Ok enough of that little rant. So this is a lost Treasures CD review and obviously I can’t pick one of the big three so I picked “All Shook Down”. It is basically the first solo Paul Westerberg CD. The CD sounds like an almost defeated Paul. I think by this time he knows that The Replacements should have and/or could have but didn’t. This CD is not classic sounding Replacements it’s the perfect ending that knows that it is an ending. It is full of med tempo rockers and low key acoustic numbers. It’s a good CD to listen to when the party has ended but you are not ready to call it a day. You want to hang on to the buzz and kick back with one last beer -- or maybe two so that you can slowly pull on the beers and hear the entire CD. All I am saying is give Paul a chance.

More later

Bro

PJ Harvey - Stories From the City Stories From the Sea

PJ Harvey hails from a beautiful farming town in Dorset, England. She moved to NYC for about 6 months to aid her in recording the album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. What might be her best effort yet, was released in October of 2000. Rekindling with this Cd, seven years down the road, I still find a treasure trove of rare gems.

She has collaborated with the likes of many talented musicians such as Nick Cave, Marianne Faithfull, Josh Homme, Mark Lanegan, Thom Yorke to name a few. On this album she wrote and produced it with longtime fellow friends Rob Ellis and Mick Harvey (no relation).

Begins with 'Big Exit' which sounds off with a Big Bang! She proclaims, "this world's crazy, give me the gun." Pretty is she with a pistol in her hand.

Next up is 'Good Fortune' which was released as a single in the UK. Here she throws her "bad fortune off of a tall building"- and towards the end of the song she ends up "like some modern-day Gypsy Landslide, like some modern-day Bonnie & Clyde, on the run again."

A trilogy follows with the eloquent and darkish ' A Place Called Home' then segues into 'One Line' with Thom Yorke on backing vocals and keyboards, then arrives the acoustic ' Beautiful Feeling' with Thom Yorke on vocals, very sweet indeed.

'The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore' slams down with a harder edge and PJ's depiction of NYC is right on the mark.

The stellar duet with Thom Yorke is ' This Mess We're In' - their vocal harmonies just ebb and flow on a slow wave of pure sin. Delightful to say the least. 'You Said Something' trails on after and she never elucidates what that something is, very befitting for PJH.
Her air of mystery hangs overhead like a dark cloud bank. Racing in is 'Kamikaze' with her maniacal vocal delivery and a crazy and twisted backdrop, probably my least favorite song on the Cd.

'This is Love' seems to pay homage to her "dirty little secret". ' Horses In My Dreams' is one of her more enigmatic and melodic tunes. I float on a calm blue sea of dreams when I hear this song. An acoustic beauty hands down! Last up is ' We Float' and by the end of this voyage she has learned to just "take Life as it comes" and why not? Her voice just radiates here.

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is a remarkable body of work encompassing a rollercoaster ride of raw and intense emotions reminding you to hold on tight as you take this ride in Life.

Jodie-Next Listener