Musical Guilty Pleasures-Part 1 by Peter Reum

Do you have songs or albums you like that are not well accepted by Music Intelligentsia? There is a musical world out there beyond various internet sites and music magazines' ideas of what is good or not so good. There are sites that cultivate a culture of musical orthodoxy and the musically unorthodox. Some of us work to appreciate albums we don't really like. Or.....we hide our love of albums that are uncool from friends and acquaintances that we really enjoy. The music we like or don't like might be part of a popular artist's work, or a single we loved, or perhaps an album or a song that was condemned when released by the musical arbiters of taste.

Well, time to come out of the closet with some of mine....I don't expect anyone to share my likes or dislikes, but perhaps this little article will get you thinking about of of your musical guilty pleasures...all of these are on youtube.....

1. Grand Funk Railroad-The Locomotion and We're An American Band... These singles are radio favorites of mine from 1974. Todd Rundgren produced two albums for these guys and rejuvenated their radio presence. Yes, I know they aren't critic's darlings, but these are fun tunes on the radio to this day.

2. John Denver-Rocky Mountain High...I caught him live in Aspen in 1974 doing a benefit concert for a Camp for the Deaf in Aspen and he had his touring band there. Incredible...14,000 foot peaks, not a cloud in the sky, and Hal Blaine ten feet away on drums, and the cream of Denver's best early songs. Incredible.....A concert of a lifetime.

3. The Nazz-Do the Loosen Up....One of those weird novelty tunes I love that is literally the sound of things falling apart....

4. Jimmy Cross-I Want My Baby Back....a standout on the old K-tel album compilation entitled "World's Worst Records"....pricelessly tasteless, a twisted, sick, fantastic record.... for you Brits...also cut by The Downliners Sect on their Sing Sick Songs album....

5.  The Beach Boys....The Battle Hymn of the Republic....A 1974 version of the tune that truly is so bad that it deserves to be on the World's Worst Records lp....truly yucchy!

6.  The Fat Boys and The Beach Boys-Wipe Out...Possibly the most desperate attempt to update their public image that The Beach Boys ever did. Two great groups who did not help each others' reputations. Brian is the only Beach Boy I hear....

7.  The Ventures-Hawaii Five O....As a rule, I am not a big fan of surf instrumentals, but this one rocks. Possibly the best TV theme I am aware of....

8.  The Temple City Kazoo Orchestra-Whole Lotta Love....My favorite version of this tune...a heavy metal kazoo classic...if you love it as much as I do...they destroyed a number of other tunes too....

9. Mrs. Miller-The Girl From Ipanema...An abortion of a record by a true mistress of the awful....the irreplaceable Mrs. Miller sings....... Jobim....

10. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy-Paralyzed.......His appearance on Laugh-In is a television  legend...David Bowie's love of "The Ledge" is documented in a youtube interview.....Ziggy Stardust as a character is derived from The Legendary Stardust Cowboy.....

11. Brian Wilson-Smart Girls....Evidence that on top of psychological therapy incompetence, Landy was musically incompetent as well...

12. Napolean the XIV-I Owe Alot To Iowa Pot.....nuff said....a patriotic appreciation of Iowa Ditchweed...buy homegrown.....

13. Jimmy Dean (yes the guy with the sausage)-Big Bad John-Macho Neo Something....what it is I'm not sure....

14. C.W. McCall-The Convoy-This here record contributed CB language to Seventies language....spawned a slew of bad movies too!

15. C.W. McCall-Wolf Creek Pass...this guy was a source for bad records that was bottomless...he brought temporary fame to the tiny community of Wiggins, Colorado.....right here....

16. Snoop Dogg and The Doors-Riders On the Storm....This is the Wipe Out of the 21st Century...dig it...nooooooooo.....bury it....let The Dogg bury it......

17. Pat Boone-Smoke On the Water-Big Band MOR meets Ritchie Blackmore....utter poo......!

18. Pat Boone-Speedy Gonzales....Aaiiiiiiiii Chihuahua, donde esta la biblioteca....que lastima, que le ha pasado........remember Harcourt Brace Spanish?????? It's worse that that!!!!!

19. Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen-Courageous Men...A true Republican cuts a hit that today's Republicans would not comprehend.......today's Republicans are draft dodgers...

20. Senator Bobby-Wild Thing......take 72...they were going for a hit there.....

21. Nervous Norvus-Ape Call....Jive talk from the master who brought us Transfusion......

22. The Who-Cobwebs and Strange-A slab of Keith Moon that is probably from the manic side of his bipolar personality.....

23. Darryl Rhoades and the HahaVishnu Orchestra-Surfin'  Shark....certainly THE surf music classic of the 70s...

24. Jan and Dean-The Universal Coward....The smelly white underbelly of the Surf Music crowd. Viva Vietnam War! The NeoCon national anthem.....

25. Lord Buckley-The Nazz....A most immaculately hip arisotcrat....Lord Buckley meets The Gospel According to Jive Talk....the red print from  The Good Book is the organ here.....yazzzzoooooo......

So, there you have them...25 guilty pleasures....hear them all....on youtube!

Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved 

Personal Favorites 2-Van Dyke Parks-Discover America by Peter Reum

Discover America was a welcome addition to my list of loved albums almost immediately. It is hard to overstate the newness of the album to uninformed ears regarding Calypso and West Indies music. That Van Dyke decided to record a number of songs written by Trinidadian composers and songwriters that were nearly lost in the USA is a tribute to him as a musicologist. It is also important to note that Van Dyke ensured that all Trinidadian composers received their earnings from his recording of their songs on this album. Van Dyke's second album has always been a major favorite of mine, and of most of the folks I know who like his music. The album was a departure from Song Cycle, and the number of artists who play and sing on this album who became well known later is remarkable.

Discover America by Van Dyke Parks

Having been familiarized with Van Dyke Parks through the various articles about The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, and Smile, I quickly bought Song Cycle. That album took me a long time to absorb. The Discover America album, in contrast, had a quirky jauntiness that was immediately accessible. The tunes had a humorous tone to them that reflected what might have been a golden era of Calypso, in the Thirties and Forties.  There was no period of absorption required. Rather, the tunes brought forth a smile on my face over and over again. Calypso as a music form is something that due to the beat and tempo is musically catchy and infectious. The irony about it is that within the jaunty tempos there is a biting type of socially humorous commentary that is unflinching and can be quite sardonic. This is true of the tunes that Van Dyke chose to record for this album, although their subject matter generally dates from the Thirties and Forties.  The reader is referred to any of the Mighty Sparrow's albums, including the one immediately below, for examples of this biting yet humorous social humor and commentary.

The Mighty Sparrow-Hot and Sweet 1974 

Produced by Van Dyke Parks

The Esso Trinidad Steelband 1971 

Produced by Van Dyke Parks

When I first heard Discover America in 1974, I was quite physically ill for a few weeks, and this album became my constant musical companion for the duration, a few weeks. The opening sequence of the album is as quirky as Song Cycle, but far more humorous. The opening piece, a song called Jack Palance, is sung by Van Dyke in the manner of a 78 rpm record, complete with the pops and crackles those venerable records often have. Samuel Alter introduces the album with a charming narrative that almost sounds like an Edison cylinder. The natives of  the community of Parnassus, Pennsylvania are deemed unaware of how the hill above it came to called Mount Olympus. Alter confides that "if there were ever any gods there I knew them not."

The transition into Bing Crosby, a Calypso tune from the late Thirties is immediate and quite humorous. Crosby is lauded by Van Dyke Parks, acting as the singer/chanter of the tune, who intimates that the "crooning prodigy is Bing Crosby." The background music is crowned with accordian, steelband, marimba, and strumming guitars. Horns parallel the melody line.  Steelband Music, the next track, is sung by Van Dyke with the Esso Trinidad Steel Band. The music is melodically percussive, and swings along, "keeping the pace with the bass."   The third tune, The Four Mills Brothers, is a tribute to the mellow American singing group of the Thirties and Forties. The music is a wild mix of Thirties movie music and Calypso. The strings are simply brilliant.

Be Careful is a tune that dates from the Forties, with the mix of strings and steelband so sweetly infectious that one almost forgets that the song is quite misogynistic lyrically. The tune presents the author's views of women through the pretext of a father lecturing his son, who has come of age, to "be careful." John Jones is another example of a tune that has a bubbling beat with a biting message. The tune's narrator is convinced that John Jones has it out for him, and is trying to "kill my hand." The horn lines here are unusual, and if you play cornet, I urge you to listen carefully. Again, there is steelband in the background. Lowell George, of Little Feat, produced and arranged FDR In Trinidad, and plays slide guitar in a cool manner that is unlike anything he does on Little Feat albums. Drums are by Ritchie Hayward of Little Feat. Kathy Dalton, and probably Clydie King do female backing vocals. This is a masterpiece.

Sweet Trinidad has the closest thing to a Song Cycle string chart on this record. It comes and is gone very quickly. It is a lovely tune. Occapella, the single from the album, is an unusually arranged tune, probably heard by Van Dyke in his ongoing interests in various forms of Southern US music. The bass guitar here is marvelous and functions as a lead guitar. There is a honking sax which imitates a bird. The whole tune is charming, if not single material. Lowell George's Sailin' Shoes follows. The tune is done in a sympathetic manner, with Van Dyke singing as if he is confiding in the listener. The marimba here is prominent, as are the female backing vocals. The slide is done by Lowell George, and it very tasteful.

Riverboat is an Allen Toussaint tune, with the  tone set immediately by what sounds like a crap game going on as the song begins. The horn lines here again are fascinating, along with what sounds like phased vocals. The percussion track is not really Calypso, but has that jaunty New Orleans flavor to it. The next tune, a paean to the small island of Tobago, offers beautiful woodwinds and quirky but charming guitar and marimba. Steelband is also present. The tune then transitions into a busy trombone and woodwind section. Van Dyke's vocal here is quite charming, if buried a bit in the mix. The tune's wheels come off about 30 seconds before the end, probably on purpose, and it fades to black with a floor tom keeping a beat.

Lowell George's facetious voice begins the next tune, Your Own Comes First, saying "these songs are really nifty..." Van Dyke then picks up the vocal, which is a Thirties Calypso tune advising Trinidadians to put "their own first," and to "buck up and follow suit." The narrative then tells the listener to not let Trinidadians "be the laughing stock of the world." G Man Hoover, the next tune, celebrates the legendary first FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, who "always gets his man." The chorus is a tommy gun firing. There is a nice use of strings in almost a percussive flavor. Van Dyke closes the album with the Esso Trinidad Steel Band playing Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever. Never doubt Van Dyke's love of things American.

The album is a small venture, probably needed after the financial debacle that was Song Cycle. Given a choice, I will most often listen to this album, a wonderfully rich pastry of Calypso. Thirties Film, and  Baroque Pop Music, all baked together with a rich infusion of humor added. Whereas Song Cycle emerged from a place of anger and frustration, as Van Dyke himself has indicated, this album sounds and shows a lightness and sense of humor that puts a smile on the listener's face, and it's very apparent that this album was a pleasure to record. That makes it unique among Van Dyke's albums, which range from serious to topical. If you haven't heard it, give it a spin, and see what you've missed.

Text Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved

Personal Favorites 1: Waiting For Columbus-Deluxe Version by Peter Reum

Courtesy of the Little Feat Website 

When people ask me what music that I would take to a deserted island, I have no problem identifying what it would be. While my love for a number of artists is huge, this is the album I would take. It chronicles the first edition of Feat, with founders Lowell George, Bill Payne, and Ritchie Hayward playing at the top of their game. The band evolved so quickly. Their first three albums are given 5 stars on the All Music site. Little Feat, Sailin' Shoes, and Dixie Chicken all contribute songs to the double cd set. I don't kid myself that this is the way they sounded each and every night. There was some extensive work that Lowell did after the raw tapes were heard and contents were outlined.

Neon Park's Starlet Tomato, Waiting to Be "Discovered" 

Lowell's biography, Rock and Roll Doctor, indicates that the work Lowell did was so long and grueling that he did not recover his health afterward. Despite his legendary stamina and use of mood altering substances, this album apparently became an albatross for Lowell. It is brilliantly produced and mixed, and the fidelity is impeccable. Feat has always been a group that did not have any showoffs, but always  has played as a tight ensemble. Their musicianship is legendary, and they became crack studio cats for hire when they were not touring, working with an unending number of other artists. Recently, I purchased the triple cd Tomato Anthology, and Feat rolled on after Lowell's tragic passing, first with Craig Fuller as lead vocalist until 1993, then with Shaun Murphy through 2009. The three cd set is divided by eras, Lowell and First/Second Feat, Fuller Feat, and Feat with Shaun Murphy.

Waiting For Columbus was distilled from 7 shows in 2007 that were played in Washington DC and London. Feat fans already know that the greater Washington area is a hotbed for Little Feat appreciators. London has always been good to them as well. In the case of this set of live performances, the band was accompanied by the Tower of Power Horns, who continue to make music in this new century.  The lineup for this set is Lowell George, slide guitar and vocals, Bill Payne, keyboards and vocals, Paul Barrere, guitar and vocals, Ken Gradney, bass guitar and vocals, Ritchie Hayward, drums and vocals, and Sam Clayton, percussion and vocals. Like many early Feat albums, the cover was designed and painted by the late Neon Park,  and features a starlet type tomato, reclining in a hammock, and waiting to be "discovered." Perhaps Columbus was the so-called discoverer, but the tomato was unknown in the Old World until Europeans came to the Americas. For its first 150 years afterward it was thought to be poisonous. The album took its title from Neon's surreal cover painting.

The album went gold quickly, garnering acclaim by the music press of the Seventies. It was issued as a double vinyl lp set, with a gorgeous gatefold cover. The MFSL edition of the cd and lps follows the 17 track lineup, which had been altered by Warner Records to fit the first cd time limit of 60 minutes. A few tracks were put as bonus tracks on other Feat compact discs. This was later made right when cd lengths were extended to eighty minutes. The double cd set released by Rhino is the one I am choosing to highlight on this blog, due to the inclusion of so many wonderful tunes left off the original set on vinyl.   

The deluxe version, which may be heard on both Spotify and Rdio, adds 10 extra selections to the previously issued 17 songs from the original double set. At least half of them are essential, if not all. Nearly all of the bonus tracks were mixed and produced by Lowell George and then mysteriously left on the shelf until Rhino accessed the Warner Vault and put them out in the early new century.  Some of the songs, namely Teenage Nervous Breakdown and Red Streamliner, are unenhanced in the studio, and perhaps it is noteworthy to remark that they still sound exceptional. The tunes left off are typically ones Lowell did not care for quite as much for as those in the original track lineup. Those that I am aware of Lowell not liking are Teenage Nervous Breakdown, Rock and Roll Doctor, and Day At the Dog Races.

This double set cd package with the 10 extra tunes rounds out what would be a typical Feat concert from 1977.  The band had a chemistry playing together that is still  there in the current band, though Ritchie Hayward and Lowell are not with us anymore. Their chemistry together made for the stuff of legend, and they always were at the top of their game when they played Washington DC, because they also recorded in Maryland with George Massenburg nearby in 1974 and 1975. The original album begins with Lowell telling the engineer to "roll the tape." The group breaks into Join the Band, which is an adaptation of a tune that first appeared on Harry Smith's Folk Music Anthology in the late Fifties. Fat Man In the Bathtub follows, introducing the first ensemble of characters in Lowell George's songwriting universe. Cowbell starts the track, probably pleasing Christopher Walken's hip producer character from Saturday Night Live. 

Slowly, rhythm guitar, drums, keyboards, and slide enter. The song oozes the influence of The Meters and the New Orleans music scene. It chronicles the story of a hapless hipster whose money runs out. He is staying in one of those cheap motels on the Sunset Strip, and the streetwalker who he has been paying to keep him satisfied leaves when he runs out of funds. Hence the fat man in the bathtub. The uptempo All That You Dream follows, with a killer Lowell lead vocal. He is at once soulful and his slide literally rings. The band contributes a great musical background. Bill Payne plays a cool  synthesizer bridge. Next is Oh, Atlanta, with Bill on lead vocal. This is a straight ahead 4/4 number designed to be accessible on record and live. Typically, time signatures on Feat tunes change without warning, but this one you can clap to all the way through. The timekeepers here are wonderful. The twin guitars have a dialogue, and the slide goes high. You can actually hear the band speed up and end the tune. Old Folks Boogie follows, with Paul Barrere on lead vocal. Sam Clayton chimes in one of his bass vocals, and Bill's keyboard solo is tasteful. Lowell's slide takes the next solo, and is unusually lengthy. Once again, Lowell goes way up the frets to make the slide sing.

The Last Record Album-Cover by Neon Park

The classic Dixie Chicken/Tripe Face Boogie medley is next. Feat stretch out here, with Dixie Chicken providing some time to improvise. This tune is a Lowell classic, what he used to call a "cracked mosaic." The tune lyrically and musically goes places you don't expect it to travel. One gets the feeling Lowell is telling this story in a dimly lit tavern, and Bill Payne's keyboards lend that feel to the tune. The Tower of Power Horns contribute a Dixieland Jazz horn riff, and Bill returns for another solo. Lowell gets back to his story, commiserating on how he got married in an alcohol blackout.  Paul Barrere takes a brief solo, the Lowell and Paul wind it down. Lowell then shares how he got abandoned by the woman, and shares the story with the other barflies, who know the tune and the woman in question. The song then shifts into high gear as the transition is made to Tripe Face Boogie. The tune bops along for a few minutes, then, suddenly goes into a full blown fusion jam. It could be Weather Report playing. It all drops out, leaving only Lowell's slide. He then goes into one of my favorite slide solos by anyone, then back to the verse. The tune ends with Lowell hitting very high notes  and then closes. 

Neon Park's Dixie Chicken Cover

Rocket In My Pocket, of course, is a play on the Dr. Seuss children's book title. The song is a great live number, offering Lowell a chance to solo, which he rarely does, and for the group to percolate. The whole tune is contrapuntal and once again there are terrific guitar conversations between Paul and Lowell.  The Horns add a flavor that is infectious. The title track from the Time Loves a Hero album is next. This is an ensemble vocal and is head and shoulders over the studio version.  The tune moves well and Paul's guitar  playing is wonderful. Paul's vocal is great, and the tune percolates. It segues into Day or Night, and the two tunes fit like hand and glove. The tune concludes with a nice Lowell trip up the frets again.

Neon Park's Times Loves a Hero Cover

Mercenary Territory follows, an incredible tune that shines on an album full of great performances. The tune is sung by Lowell George, who sings about a toxic relationship that he can't free his heart from. The tune goes into a searing solo from Lowell, followed by a tenor sax solo that burns. The slide and the tenor sax sound like a couple who love each other but cannot be together. They both fly loudly to the top of their range. Lowell comes back with a wistful sad vocal that makes the point.  Water and oil, they say. Spanish Moon is next, and this is by far my favorite version. The horns make the tune even more ominous than it usually is,  Bill's organ offers discordant color to the tune. One gets the feeling that Lowell's character didn't want to go there, but couldn't stay away. Lowell's vocal is simply fabulous. The tune ends without resolution, simply winding down, and we never find out what happened. Side 4 of the original album begins with Lowell's classic Willin'. It is acoustic, the only time he plays acoustic all night.  We are introduced to a pillpopping truck driver who has been from "Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonopah." Bill Payne contributes a tasteful piano bridge, then Lowell comes back and talks about smuggling "smokes and folks" from Mexico.

The Little Feat Album, their first

The old Fraternity of Man tune "Don't Bogart That Joint" follows. It is a fun interlude that pays tribute to the band's pre-Feat history. Apolitical Blues is next, and the tune is a monologue on the black moods that people who use have. The tune recalls Lowell's love of Howlin' Wolf, and earlier Feat. Sailin' Shoes is next, and extols the wonders of cocaine. The tune's oblique references to "the life" are probably lost on the new generations. Lowell invites the people in Washington DC to sail on with him. Predictably, the crowd goes nuts. The final tune of the original album is Feats Don't Fail Me Now, the title track of Feat's fourth album. The tune percolates along, using truck lingo to describe rollin' through the night. You can hear the Washington DC crowd singing along. There is some killer bass playing here from Ken Gradney.

Sailin' Shoes Album Cover by Neon Park

Neon Park's Cover for Feats Don't Fail Me Now

The bonus material begins with my favorite tune from the set, One Love Stand. The song is simple, soulful, and unusually straight forward. It is a Blues tune that doesn't sound like the Blues. Lowell's solo here literally cries. Slowly the tune winds down with a Lowell "worry" type vocal, which then segues into Rock and Roll Doctor. The tune is sung in the third person, which is another of Lowell's unusual methods to present this tune's character. The solo here is vintage Lowell,and the band percolates throughout magnificently. Ritchie Hayward's drumming is great here. Lowell does a call and response with Sam that kills.

Paul Barrere's Skin It Back  follows. The tune describes touring and getting laid. Perhaps the narrative describes the internal dialogue that a band member has with himself about what he will say to this evening's girl to get her in the sack.  Allen Toussaint met Lowell when he recorded Robert Palmer's first album at Sea-Saint Studios in New Orleans. The tune is a meditation on not forgetting who your friends are when you are a nobody in the music business. If you get too cocky, those people won't be there for you when your star bubble has burst. Don't lose your ethics to stardom's intoxication.

Walkin' All Night is a tale of a couple whose female will not settle down and be monogamous. Paul Barrere wrote the tune, and his character laments not being able to find someone he can rely on for sex. Lowell plays a ringing slide solo here. Cold, Cold, Cold is next, and is a tune about a guy who is out of money, and whose streetwalker ran away when there as no more nose candy. Lowell's loneliness is emphasized, and being jilted and led along the phony primrose path really hurts. For once, a woman used a man up, then cast him away. Day At the Dog Races is next, and it is essentially a fusion workout that Bill Payne worked out. It again is reminiscent of Weather Report. The band carry it off famously. It is nearly an album side's length at 12 plus minutes.

A second version of Skin It Back  follows. The song again addresses the touring life. Paul asks himself what he will say to that night's potential conquest. He begs to be able to relax and move at a slower pace. The Tower of Power Horns add a dimension that is not heard on other live versions. Red Sreamliner is next. Bill Payne sings lead. At times the tune almost sounds like the Michael McDonald era Doobie Brothers. The tune is gorgeous. Lowell's Fraternity of Man/Standells tune Teenage Nervous Breakdown is next. It is a tune Lowell disliked, but that the crowd always adored. There are lyrics that sound as frantic as the music underpinning them. The slide here is searing and magnificent.

This album is a document of its era. It is a recording of a time when bands still played as unified ensembles, and lyrics were erudite, and, at times, witty. These are six virtuosos on their own instruments who came together and made themselves into one instrument. This is a live album that ranks with the finest in the Rock Era. If you have not heard it, perhaps this article will whet your appetite. I hope so....thanks for reading about it!

Text Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved

Jaguars in the United States? Yes, If We Want Them.... by Peter Reum

In the deep reaches of the part of the Sonoran Desert that extends into Southern Arizona and New Mexico's Bootheel, there is an exotic and rare mixture of wildlife not found anywhere else in these United States. Among the animals that live in this region are the Coatimundi, Mexican Gray Wolf, Ocelot, Mexican Bobcat, and the Jaguar. But, you say, I thought jaguars only live in Central and South America. They do, indeed, and yet they are also denizens of the American Southwest. Legends of the big cat are told by Indigenous Peoples of the Mexican/US Border area along Arizona and New Mexico. They were considered sacred by Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas.

Jaguar-Adult Male

Jaguars (Panthera onca) are the third largest big cat, with only the tiger and lion being larger. They historically were found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California, with range into Colorado and the Southeastern US. They were systematically killed off by hunters from the US after it took over the Southwest from Mexico. They are considered on the brink of being endangered in the Americas, as their habitat is encroached upon in Central and South America. They are considered endangered in the United States, after reversal of a decision under the Bush Administration not to protect them as endangered. In 2010, The US Fish and Wildlife Service reversed this decision under President Obama.

Currently, the US Fish and Wildlife Service plans to set aside approximately 860,000 acres of land in Southeastern Arizona and Southern New Mexico as protected jaguar habitat. This is the approximate size of Rhode Island.  The frequency of jaguar sightings has increased in this new century, but there also have been jaguars shot and killed by unknown assailants. Jaguars are animals that reproduce all year round, and both female and males have at one time or another been seen in the American Borderlands.

Jaguars in the wild can grow to 350 pounds, although most Northern cats are between 100 and 150 pounds. They roar like lions and tigers, and are the only Western Hemisphere big cats that do this. They have very strong jaws, and can pierce bone with their bite. They enjoy water, similar to tigers. Jaguars' stature tends to be compact. They have large heads, paws, and fairly shorts tails. Their body, like most big cats, is quite muscular. Their pupils are the largest of the cats, taking into account their size in proportion to other big cats.

Jaguars kill their prey by piercing their prey's skull with their strong jaws as mentioned above. Jaguars are adept in plains, mountains, rainforests, and deserts. In the American Southwest they are known to prey upon Desert Bighorn Sheep, different kinds of birds, wild pigs (javelina), snakes, turtles, and even fish. Cattle and sheep are also killed, and the same problems wolves encounter are seen by so-called "problem jaguars." 

Jaguars live about 15 years in the wild. Females mate with males but raise their cubs alone. Usually between two and four cubs are born. Cubs stay with their mothers for roughly two years, but are hunting earlier than that. Like domestic cats, cubs are blind at birth, but open their eyes quite quickly after birth.

Jaguar Cubs at 4 months

Little Cubs-Eyes Not Yet Open

Jaguars are ideal for the Upper Sonoran Desert. They require large amounts of territory for hunting, and have been tracked over hundreds of miles with radio receivers. They mark their hunting area like other cats. There have been several sightings since the turn of this century, and two have been killed in Arizona.

The territory set aside for jaguar habitat in the Southwest is partly private land, partly Indigenous land, and the rest public land, and is mostly higher altitude high desert mountain and forest terrain. The issue of maintaining "corridors" for jaguar to leave and enter the Mexican portion of their range is both current and critical. Further reading may help the reader's understanding of this problem.

Range of the Jaguar In the Last 150 Years

As may be discerned from this graphic, courtesy of the Center For Biological Diversity in Tucson, Arizona, there is a clear interrelationship for the jaguar between Arizona, New Mexico, Chihuahua, and Sonora in terms of migration potential and established historical habitat. There is documentation of Jaguar in the late 18th Century in the Upper Rio Grande headwaters area of Colorado. This animal, once thought to have been driven from the Southwest, is now reclaiming its territory. The areas set aside by the US Fish and Wildlife Service are displayed below:

Areas Set Aside For Jaguar Habitat In Arizona and New Mexico (about 1350 square miles)

The areas in New Mexico exclude the Gila Wilderness and Forest Areas. The Center For Biological Diversity has made the point that the areas already set aside do not have readily available water like the Gila Wilderness Area has. Jaguars have often been sighted above the 6000 foot elevation level, most likely due to more readily available water and prey. There are a number of rivers and streams in the Gila, including the Gila, San Francisco, and Salt Rivers. The New Mexico Bootheel, as illustrated above, is more desert-like topographically, although several mountain ranges top 5000 feet in elevation. Just for illustration, here are some pictures of the Peloncillo Range in New Mexico's Bootheel, one of the areas reserved for jaguars:

Jaguar Photographed in Northern Mexico

View of Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico

View of a Moist Day in the Peloncillos, New Mexico

Diagram of Ranges in New Mexico's Bootheel, Including the Peloncillos

By now you are probably asking, why should any of this mean anything to me? Well, the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas have a saying that I will paraphrase.  "We work to preserve our ways for the next seven generations." In my lifetime, thousands of species have gone extinct. Animals I took for granted as a child as "they will always be there" are struggling for survival. Elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, whales, pandas, koalas, even the Great White Shark are on the verge of being gone forever.  These are animals we assume will be there, and the jaguar is yet another one. If we want our kids, grandkids, and their grandkids to be able to see these magnificent creatures, we have to act. The time is now.

Here are some resources for further reading:

The Center for Biological Diversity: 

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

The Northern Jaguar Project:

http://www.northernjaguarproject.org/

The US Fish and Wildlife Service Jaguar Habitat Proposed Regulations: 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R2-ES-2012-0042

jaguarhabitatusa:

http://jaguarhabitatusa.wordpress.com/

panthera.org

http://www.panthera.org/species/jaguar

Protect the Jaguar's Habitat: Care2 Petition:

http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3622178

Well I saved the best for last. The next picture is a photo of a rare black jaguar, a color which only appears in 6 of 100 births. Sometimes these are mistakenly called panthers, but they are indeed jaguars!

Rare Black Jaguar (Panthera onca)

Like the wolverine, Mexican Wolf, and other top American predators, the jaguar's very survival may depend on what humankind does in the next 20 to 40 years. It is up to us.

Text copyright by Peter Reum 2013-All Rights Reserved

Smiley Smile in Brief by Peter Reum

Smiley Smile Commentary by Peter  Reum

Smiley Smile was recorded in very primitive conditions and it tends to show. Nevertheless, it has some great moments. Coming on the heels of the Smile publicity horse opera, it was probably commercially doomed from the start. Smiley Smile is the antithesis of what Smile was intended to be. Whereas Smile was ornate, broad brushed Baroque Rock Opera bathed in Americana and Elemental Mythology....Smiley Smile was a Zen Koan, Minimalist in its approach, full of intuitive cues that were at once humorous, eerie, silly, and unexpected. Both albums were recorded using modular formatting, but whereas Smile was too complex to assemble, Smiley Smile was completed in a roughly three week period, and recorded "dry" without echo. Recorded in modular format and assembled in a final mix by Jim Lockert and Stephen Desper, it proved that the modular method of recording was not only feasible, but capable of being used for an entire album.

Track by track:

Heroes and Villains

Undoubtedly my favorite Beach Boy 45. Incredible in its power. An example of how amazing the human voice can be as an instrument. Had it been released at another time, when art rock was more accepted, e.g. after Hey Jude and MacArthur Park, it would have been a better seller. A perfect marriage of music and lyrics, it was rock critic Paul Williams's favorite single,  and mine as well. A wealth of ideas in roughly three and a half minutes, and based on the River Deep Mountain High  baseline, it is the aural equivalent of a three ring circus, with so much to hear that it reveals more upon each play.

Vegetables

This should have been the second single off Smiley Smile, but got shunted aside by group vote. A nice version, certainly commercial, with a catchy tag. The reverse laughs at the end are a marvel of singing. The humor here is more subtle than on the Smile version. The heartbeat bass, the sounds of juice being poured, the crunching and mmmms, and the break into  Stephen Foster bridge just before the end all add a more subtle approach than one might expect.

Fall Breaks and Back to Winter

Composed during the Smile period after a camping trip to Redwood Country, it of course contains the vocals intended for MOLC. I have always believed this piece was linked to Elements in some manner. It has a similar chord progression to MOLC. In the new stereo mix, it sounds quite spooky. The distorted bass vocal combined with the various harmonicas make the tune at once gently mocking and foreboding. The tone of the tune is reminiscent of death and decay, with the promise of new life in the coming spring signified by the call of the woodpecker. The tune has a way of reminding me of Randy Newman's classic song "Snow."

She's Going Bald

Credited to Van Dyke as co-author, he can't remember writing it. It is possible his credit was put on here as a practical joke. The dope influenced tape effect and sophmoric lyrics are typical of Beach Boy humor of the time. Probably as close to an obvious humor track on this album as exists. Obviously derived from He Gives Speeches. Perhaps this is why it is partially credited to Van Dyke. He Gives Speeches was targeted at Murry, and it is likely that this reframing of the tune was Brian's way of not pulling the trigger in a negative manner and making fun of his father like he did on Summer Days.

Little Pad

This tune is a model of modular recording. Using five recorded modules with two of them repeated, Brian schools the group in how to assemble a full length tune. Great track, great Hawaiian guitar effect, nice wordless singing section. Like many of Brian's songs from here on out, an idea left incomplete. This one is an obvious stoner tune. The song begins with a "Do it!", then proceeds to a section shared by Mike's lead vocal, laughs, and kazoos. The Hawaiian Guitar module kicks in at 16 seconds into the tune, then lasts for 23 seconds, followed by a finger snap, then roughly 20 seconds of ukelele, then into Carl's second verse  at 60 seconds, followed by a reprise of the Hawaiian Guitar module for another 23 seconds, the ukelele section with wordless vocals pops in for 20 more seconds, Brian comes back in for a brief third verse, followed by the third reprise of the Hawaiian Guitar segment to fade.  The Hawaiian Guitar module is repeated three times, and the ukelele section is repeated twice.

Good Vibrations

Probably the Sloop John B of Smiley Smile. It doesn't fit with the rest of the album, but probably was needed for sales of this album. In this Minimalist context, it became more of a reminder of what was lost when Smile was shelved, and in this sense, it became a cement overcoat when The Beach Boys were doing their best to tread water.

With Me Tonight

An undeveloped tune based off a riff written during Smile. The weird "good" that you hear about 30 seconds into the song is by Arny Geller. It is one of those little Brian surprise artifacts that  make the album a Zen type of experience.  Better developed by Sandy Salisbury than by Brian himself. The Salisbury version should have been a hit, but got buried on the Together records label and disappeared.

Wind Chimes

Incredible example of Brian's subtle use of humor in his music. Brilliantly recorded and executed, perhaps the most influential Smiley Smile track on other musicians. The whole tune is a prank, lulling the listener into a near trance, then shocking one back to reality with an unexpected fuzztone. If you were stoned listening to it, you'd be even more shocked. I love the Yogi  Bear sounding ting-a-ling by Mike twice toward the end...more humor.

Gettin' Hungry

The last track recorded for the album, and sonically closer to Wild Honey. A departure from the rest of the album soundwise, it has a computer sounding organ piece alternating with a breathy lead vocal from Mike. Chosen to be the album's second single with the provision that it come out as a Brian Wilson/Mike Love single. Gettin' Hungry was also a gesture on Brian's part to make peace with a bruised Mike Love, who had been told by Brian that there would only be one ornate "arty" album, only to be put on hold for Smile. This song was chosen by Brian over Vegetables, which was the intended second single. A political "family peace" move.

Wonderful

A dramatic departure from Brian's almost classical approach to this tune for Smile, the track is riddled with sounds that play against each other, such as a clarinet playing out of tune notes, the sounds of children playing, and on the incredible bridge to the song, Brian singing "cool it....just cool it" over against Carl saying "don't think your God Vibrations will make it off the record." The bridge has been cited by numerous choral composers as a  radical use of the spoken voice to make music. A minimalist tour de force, and certainly the most radical of the innovations on an already innovative album.

Whistle In

The coda to the album....a fitting conclusion to an album so Minimalist, so subtle that it is missed by most who listen to it. Can you imagine the sound of one hand clapping????

Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved

A Great Lost Pop Album-Ricci Martin's Beached (Produced by Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche) by Peter Reum

I honor the life of Ricci Martin who passed away. He was a talented man in several forms of artistry. May his family be comforted in these days of sorrow.

Ricci Martin is Dean Martin's son, and younger brother of Dino Martin of Dino, Desi, and Billy. Not coincidentally, Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche produced this album. Of course, Carl married Ricci and Dino's sister Gina later in the Eighties. The first indication that there might be an album was when Ricci's single Stop Look Around came out on Capitol. The single did not sell. The album was optioned by CBS/Epic, and was released in 1976  on the Epic label. The Stop Look Around/Moonbeams 45 was released.  The album was a beautiful oasis of sophisticated pop rock at a time when radio was a mishmash of proto disco, guitar rock, and silly slop.

Japanese CD Issue of Beached by Ricci Martin from 2006

What made the album special?  Well, for one thing, it was beautifully arranged. The songs are catchy, well performed, and need no "tricks" to make them listenable. The backing vocals, by Carl Wilson, Peter Cetera, Gerry Beckley, Bobby Figueroa, Billy Hinsche, and Ricci himself, are immaculate. The credits read like a who's who of the Beach Boys/Chicago crowd from 1975. What I loved about the album when I played it in-store back in the Seventies was that people would come in grumpy and out of sorts, and leave in a great mood, even if they didn't buy the album. The album got lots of play along the Front Range of Colorado, and I heard on Denver, Boulder, and Ft. Collins stations. 

The backing tracks here are so easy, so tasteful. Billy and Van Dyke Parks contribute synthesizer, and Carl plays mellotron. Dennis Wilson, Ricky Fataar, Ed Teduri, and Ricci himself drum. A marvelous highlight besides the aforementioned tracks is Spark of Me, which begins with some piano by Ricci, then goes into a gorgeous, understated piano/drum based track. Choruses add synthesizer, strings,  and mellotron. There is a beautiful change of tempo and modulation on the bridge. Truly a wonderful, moody, yet reassuring love song. Brass by Chicago's horn section add stunning beauty to Street of Love, another slow to mid tempo tune that is incredible. The drums here sound like Dennis. Strings add a flavor of hope, and clarinets add a dash of irony. This is love, Mid Seventies American Style.

A Carl Wilson/Ricci Martin co-written song, Everybody Knows My Name is a catchy tune that probably feels the most like a Beach Boys song on the record. The horns come in midway, and follow the lead vocal. Backing vocals are what one might imagine a Beach Boys song would sound like in 1975, had they recorded and finished songs during that time. Belle of the Ball is built around a riff that is begging for Chicago to record it. The tune is something that would be easy for that group to pull off. In the place of horns, Carl, Billy, and Ricci decided to add vocals and a tasty synthesizer line.

My Old Radio recalls the Fifties, and drips of nostalgia without sounding overly silly. Precious Love is a tune that asks "what happened" that caused a relationship to end. Sleigh bells and phased guitar make a cameo on the song's bridge, and backing vocals are heavenly. Perhaps there is a little too much synthesizer on that track. I Don't Like It is a tune that tends to bemoan being out of love, yet also allows the singer to rationalize by saying "it's ok to be alone." I Had a Dream has somewhat of a minor key feel to it, which is piano based, and which is a piece of classic pop. It seems to address a person who is in a state of either madness, or emotional disturbance.  It is a great song, and stands out as the best tune on what was the second side of the album. 

Here I Go Again is the album's final song, and is fairly understated. I can hear Van Dyke Parks here, using the synthesizer to sound like an accordian. It's a brief slice of pop that begs to be a minute longer. It is a terrific sketch of a tune. The album as issued in Japan on cd offers the single mixes of Stop Look Around and Moonbeams. This mix of Stop Look Around has Carl and Billy prominent on backing vocals. Moonbeams is more understated in the single mix. It is one of those songs you could swear you have heard before because it is so accessible and catchy.The fade from the single is bizarre, but that isn't Ricci's fault.

So there it is, an album that is classic pop rock, recorded at Brother Studio, probably in 1975 and early 1976. Lots of Beach Boys, lots of Chicago, several Beach Boys Band members on board, and the best of LA's sessions players of the time. I have waited many years to get the cd, and it doesn't dissapoint. If you are still into vinyl, the album is relatively easy to find, especially online.  Don't miss it, and thanks Ricci! I am glad to hear your work again....


Text copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved

Indigenous Voices Part 2-John Trudell-The Eighties by Peter Reum

Portrait of John Trudell from his websitejohntrudell.com

John Trudell is of Santee Lakota heritage, and is a visionary poet, musician, actor, and activist. He was the spokesperson for the occupation of Alcatraz Island by Indigenous people from 1969 to 1971. Trudell was Chairman of the American Indian Movement from post 1973 Wounded Knee until 1979.  A mysterious fire in 1979 killed his wife, 3 children, and mother-in-law. The quote above from his website is implicitly a reference to this event. In coping with such a massive personal tragedy, Trudell coped by writing poetry and composing music and lyrics. This article, covering the post fire years, summarizes his recorded work, much of which was done with the amazing guitarist Jesse Ed Davis. Trudell said he began composing and writing to "stay connected to this reality," in his words.

Trudell's first album, dating  from 1983, was released on his own label. Entitled Tribal Voice, the album explored themes related to the experience of being Indigenous.  The album is spoken word, and is recorded over traditional Lakota songs. The album rejects so-called "progressive" Indigenous views, advocating Traditional beliefs. John explores the relationships that he has or had in this album, such as his daughter, his sister, his female friend/lover, his tribe. He struggles with the picture of himself as stoic warrior. He instructs young tribal members to be in the USA, but not to accept it's values. He describes the predominant view of Traditional Indigenous peoples, that the Dominant Culture is insane. He walks into his grief and loss, directly facing it, expressing his feelings of grief regarding his deceased wife and children. As is says in the song "I Went So Willingly...."Laughter or crying, the tears taste the same." The album's closing song, Look At Us, is a meditation and a letter to the Dominant Culture. The tune evolves into a dialogue between Trudell and the Creator. He contrasts the differences between the Consumer Culture and Indigenous Culture. Here is this song...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h6-zEmKI7k&list=PL66F205ADFFC95284

1983-Tribal Voice Album

In 1986, Trudell collaborated with the brilliant Indigenous guitarist Jesse Ed Davis on an album that attacked the position of privileged society with respect to war, wealth distribution, and materialism, Original aka Graffiti Man. The lead off track, Rich Man's War sets a strong tone of protest, with a beat that is Indigenous, yet also has very contemporary slide guitar by Davis as well. This is a thick slice of blues, and Davis's guitar positively sizzles behind Trudell's narrative. Named by Bob Dylan as the best album of 1986, the whole album presents a powerful indictment of live in the "get yours while can" decade of the 80s. Lavender's Blues has a shuffle beat and a great melody. The song attacks materialism, the youth culture America worships, and offers a sarcastic and yet compassionate view of the lives Indigenous people have to live with an inner duality between the Dominant Culture and Indigenous traditions. New Old Man, the third track, is a  rocking blues number that has Trudell bemoaning the loss of his female friend to a new "old man." In this case, the song's rocking tempo perfectly matches the lyrics.  God Help You and Breed You All, the fourth track, has Jesse Ed Davis playing a George Harrison style guitar, and Trudell's words are mocking of the Caucasian Society trashing its heroes and moving on to the next 15 minutes of the next lionized temporary hero.

John Trudell and Jesse Ed Davis-Original aka Graffiti Man-1986

Star Dreamer Woman is a beautiful love song to a person that Trudell doesn't identify by name, but is obviously smitten with. The song is 4 minutes of lyrical, gorgeous guitar, and a softer John Trudell than usual. Simply, this is a great track. Graffiti Man is a tune about the seamy side of life. It laments the use of different chemicals that mess with the quality of Indigenous life. The analogy is extended to materialism, the disease of American Life....addiction to power, money, and things. The implication is that America has no soul, and if people are to survive, things have to change.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIM4COJaJ3k   He Said, She Said is a beautiful song about two people newly in love. The music is gorgeous, the lyrics chronicle the evolution of a relationship from beginning to it's ruptured end. Profound, simple, and absolutely on the mark. The next tune, Baby Boom Che celebrates the liberation of America from it's inhibited pop music by people like Elvis Presley. The song celebrates the newfound sensuality of rock and roll. Love Me Tender plays in the background, along with a beautiful Sleepwalk type guitar from Jesse Ed Davis.  Trudell celebrates the triumph of Elvvis and Chuck Berry over vanilla pap like Pat Boone. Elvis....America's baby Boom Che..... Silent Lightning is a track that begins with a chant, then moves into spoken word by Trudell with Jesse ed Davis playing behind him. Probably the weakest track on the album, it is the only artistic misfire here. The album concludes with Shaman (Make a Chant). It is an examination of the role of healing in Indigenous Culture, and the guitar is searing, with Trudell's vocal drenched in reverb.

Trudell's next album is But This Isn't El Salvador. This album combine traditional tribal drum songs with contemporary lyrics. The album is a series of vignettes  or pictures of Native life in a materialistic culture. Trudell makes sure that the listeners understands that the problems of Indigenous People in Central and South America, Australia, and Asia are the same as problems of American Indigenous Nations. There is no valid argument to the concept that somehow US Indigenous nations are unique and different. Butler's Honor opens the album. Trudell explains that he and other Indigenous people grow up quickly, and there is no such thing as childhood innocence. Written in the middle of Reagan's insane Contra affair, Trudell sees the irony of being in America, yet not being able to get decision -makers' attention. Performed to traditional drums and chant, in Born 18 the point Trudell appears to be hitting is the loss of innocence and dependence and the unwitting dependence upon and identification with Dominant Culture, even though such culture instantly devalues Indigenous Peoples. The Newspaper Stand is the next track, and Trudell reflects the problems that inner city Indigenous People face...addiction, homelessness, women having to sell their bodies to live. He points out that community servants treat such people as invisible. The following track is Elk Song (But This Isn't My Life). Trudell reflects on his days as an activist, feeling that it took too heavy a toll on his life and the lives of those he loved. He seems to feel that the price he paid was very high. Old Spring Owl Song (Instant Heat) describes the experience of new love, the discovery of a loving partner again. Thicker Than Blood (Chief's Song) explores the antics and exploits of young male friends, raising hell, defying convention, all done to a wonderful chant. Beauty In a Fade has some cool guitar behind it, along with a woman chanting similar notes. The song examines the role of male ego in destroying a loving relationship. The two people grow apart in the song. The woman had their dreams together as a priority, but the man's dreams were only for himself, not her. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxcqydoS8pQ  The next track, 1 Side of the Face (What Happens), examines the struggle of grief, the fear of letting go of loss, the wondering about what the next life chapter will bring. At Some Point (Umatilla Song) describes the price of vanity, not being real, not embracing life on ts own terms. Woman Treat (Wide Spot Own Song) looks hard at first love. This song examines the "chemistry" of initial attraction, asking the question, will you be mine....Co-Optation (49 Crazy Horse Song) addresses the plight of Indigenous Peoples in Central America, describing the illogical doublethink that Dominant Culture presents to justify meddling in other nations. The gist is that struggles against European (Dominant) Cultural Power are universal for Indigenous People. There is no time for the Dominant Culture to really HEAR the Indigenous Peoples' anger at the rape of the Earth. Song of the Trees (Warm Springs Honoring Song) is the final track of this very complex album, and calls attention to the values honored, cherished by Indigenous Peoples...loving freely, not attaching to possessions, loving the Earth, and listening to the world around you. This album is the product of an artist looking without any defenses raised toward himself or the world around him. The album's objective, unbridled honesty, is more than met.

John Trudell-This Isn't El Salvador-1987

Heart Jump Bouquet, John Trudell and Jesse Ed Davis's second collection of songs in 1986-7,  a song cycle about relationships, immediately puts chills down the listener's spine by starting with a wolfpack howling. Davis's guitar echoes the howling, perhaps signaling a man's resignation to a woman who is beautiful but distant and unconquerable. Davis and Trudell's Listen Closely is a beautiful appreciation of a man's love from a woman who feels that love from the depths of her soul. It is a declaration of a relationship that is a true partnership. Such a Fine Day has an interesting beat to it, with some cool female backing vocals. It almost has a bit of lightness in it's melody....the backing vocals remind me of the girl group records of the Sixties. In the end, it is a celebration of a woman who is sure of herself, no matter where she is, or how she is dressed. Never Never Blues is graced by thrilling slide guitar from Jesse Ed Davis, and it dominates the tune. There is a blues harp in the background that just wails. Trudell's vocal is a declaration of intention from a man who is feeling that he is drowning in the relationship. This is classic 12 Bar Blues, and is another example of these two mens' mutual chemistry as creative partners. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7nIBiIaFMk  Heart Chanting again spotlights some gorgeous slide guitar. The tune rocks in a cool manner, and Davis lets his guitar sing. The song almost hearkens back to some of the early Eighties synthesizer tunes, the heart chanting phrase refers to two peoples' hearts beating as one in lovemaking. Rockin' the Res opens with a woman chanting. Trudell's lyrics complement Davis's tasteful guitar in the background. The whole feel of the tune is a catchy and energetic declaration of love. 

John Trudell and Jesse Ed Davis-Heart Jump Bouquet 1987

Bringing Back the Time is a meditation on the good times that a couple had in their relationship. It jumps along, and is perhaps a little lighter in its subject matter than some of this album's other songs. The title track, Heart Jump Bouquet follows. The track is a love song about love at first sight. The slide here by Jesse Ed Davis is again beautiful. This is love poetry set to music. The track is engaging, drawing you in, inviting you to feel the same. Trudell's poetry here complements the simple but beautiful accompaniment.  Davis's guitar work is exceptional. Poetic Motion follows, a tune that addresses a worldly woman who has been around the block. It features a cool track, and Trudell's appreciation of a woman who has been through as much as he has. Sweet Things is a funky ass track, accompanied by Trudell, speaking almost as if he is confiding in the listener, who is carried away by the music. The harp and brass line is pure Chicago Blues. It is as if Little Walter dropped by and layed down the smack. Tina Smiled opens with a blistering guitar solo from Davis, followed by Trudell reminscing in a loving way about a woman who is gone. Davis's guitar literally wails, cries with anguish.   This album is truly a masterwork by any measure. It is a study in sound, the emotions of love, and poetry.

These four albums are exceptional in their scope, honesty, and musicianship. Jesse Ed Davis is no longer with us, but his guitar playing here is a wonderful sample of his capability and extraordinary guitar work. The next artcile in this series will examine Trudell's work from the Nineties. Thank you for reading this, as Indigenous Music is often ignored. Trudell's albums are available through most major online retailers and ITunes.

Text Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved