Music Before the Money

Music Issues, Musicians, Bands, Gear and Venues

May 20th, 2010

Dave Goyetche Feels the Great Blues Players


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Playing the blues is a lot like learning the piano. It’s easy to get a few chords to play a song but it takes years of playing to get good. And in the case of the blues it is getting into the soul of Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King and the rest of the Delta men who took the Illinois Central up the Mississippi to Chicago so long ago.

Dave Goyetche’s self-titled album hits the mark in being a really good blues album. The slide guitar work, played by Goyetche on a metal-top Dobro, is great and mixes well with the acoustic guitar and drums. Gratefully, he and his co-producer, Charlie McNamara, never fall into the trap of drowning the music in the depths of effects.

Most music reviewers usually judge an album from what has gone on before mixed with personal preferences. This is to give the print readers a taste of the songs before they actually hear them. That said, “Ain’t No Need of Crying” could be included in a Van Morrison compilation. Goyetche even gets Morrison’s whine right and may not even know he’s doing it.

The octave voicing in “Dreamin’ About the Blues” reminds me of the Rolling Stones’ “It’s only Rock and Rock.” The Stones were probably copying Howlin’ Wolf but Goyetche gets the connection between Robert Johnson and the modern blues players in his great lyrics. The walking bass in the chorus changes up the feeling and moves it back in an easy motion.

With “Rolling On” the lonely guitars and sad voicing are front and center. In fact for a moment I think he’s going to break into the chorus of “Oh Black Water” by the Doobie Brothers. Since this is a train song convention would dictate that a harmonica mimic the whistle or, like Johnny Cash, the guitar beat copying the train wheels. The simple slide notes fill in those areas quite nicely.

“Fools’ Gospel” could be sung by an actual small church choir. The resolution of the opening chords is quite vivid. He changes the feel with a groove mixed with repentant lyrical content, a man begging for forgiveness.

“Robot Butcher” is Goyetche letting out his “Inner Stevie Ray Vaughn.” It is a southern-rocker instrumental where he harmonizes slide solos. The tone is also different, like Leadbelly overdriving his old Sears Silvertone amp.

“Shine On (Life’s Too Short)” seems like a reprise of the first song with its overtones of Van Morrison. This does not mean it’s not a good song but it makes me think that Goyetche is preparing us for the end of the CD.

“Dartmouth Cove Breakdown” finishes off the album but is really short. In fact I didn’t know the CD was finished until I heard Sam Cooke singing “You Send Me” (The next CD in my jukebox).

I hope Dave Goyetche keeps writing and recording because his style does stand apart from the recent blues offerings on the radio and in the clubs. He’s got the voice that sounds like he has sung his songs in southern roadhouses and bowling alleys and, with his size, fought off unruly juke joint buffoons. However, unlike the great blues players of the 1930′s and 1940′s, I don’t think Dave packs a piece.

For more information go to his webpage: http://www.myspace.com/davegoyetche

December 1st, 2009

Susan Elizabeth’s “Wine and Cigarettes”


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W_n_E_Cover_1__phixrThis review is by Dave Downs

If you and your angelic sweetie are in the throws of planning that pivotal “Walk Down The Aisle” you’ll want to avoid Track 5 of Susan Elizabeth’s new album,  Wine and Cigarettes. In it, as our hero is “silently walking to my doom,” she recalls: “I thought of your name in calligraphy etched on the invitation/ Leaving a hole in my heart in the middle of my celebration… We got married.”

But if you do avoid that little tune, you’ll also miss out on a wonderful album.

With Wine and Cigarettes Susan Elizabeth joins the ranks of the classical troubadours of the broken heart; strong but wounded, battered but still standing. There’s lovely piano work here, in this occasionally jazzy/fast-folky/poppy collection of tales of woe. The acoustic guitar work is catchy and fun. The vocal arrangements and over-dubbing are at times breathtaking.

Susan Elizabeth, though young, does not strain too hard trying to sound like someone else. Her voice, like her words, is honest and hits the mark.

Susan Elizabeth has been around the block. Her previous band, Paige 23, found their songs placed in TV shows like “Ed” and “Medium.” Her bio likens Susan Elizabeth to the acerbic Alanis Morissette>

“One day you woke up wanting more/And I wanted less….”

“The Excitement Before,” a sparse and captivating tune featuring little more than Susan Elizabeth’s voice and a driving acoustic guitar, shows the maturity of a young writer, adroitly describing that all-too-familiar realization that anticipating a life-altering event is sometimes far more memorable than the event itself.

Susan Elizabeth has the most fun in this album with a catchy little thing called, “Jones For This.” Still a tale of woe but with tongue in cheek, it features a wonderful piano, a hip-hop/jazz-hybrid rhythm, a fantastic, if all-too-brief bridge, and very sexy vocals.

Sure, I’d love it if Susan Elizabeth lightened up a bit more. Maybe sing a little ditty about how great everything is. But even if she doesn’t, I’ll still listen. In fact, I can’t wait for more.

April 9th, 2009

Davey Johnstone: Elton John’s Guitar Hero


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daveyI saw Davey Johnstone with Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour in September 1973. He was hard to miss.  With long blonde hair he had an aura of invincibility as he walked his part of the stage, his guitar complementing everything Elton John sang or played until he was called on to pound out a solo of his own.

After playing most of his hits a young Elton John said, “We’re going to play some songs from our new album.” The first part of Funeral for a Friend was recorded, with Elton coming in on the piano after the orchestral parts ended. Johnstone played eerie notes over top of the piano and then took over the song with blistering lead lines, bringing the song into Love Lies Bleeding.

To follow a man like Elton John takes an incredible musician. Dee Murray on bass and the great Nigel Olsen on drums were basically the only sidemen in Elton’s band at the time.  Johnstone had to fill a lot of empty space with rich background, a talent that is lost as synthesizers fill almost every void now.

Although the Scottish-born Johnstone joined Elton John in 1972 he was a founding member of Magna Carta and had contributed to two albums before meeting EJ.  During his 1973  tour with the great piano man Johnstone recorded a solo album, Smiling Face, and another in 1977.  He still records and produces, having composed over 60 songs with his writing partner Steve Trudell. He evn joins up with Sir Elton and plays short tours.

(Photo by Gloria Ubardelli)

February 4th, 2009

Who Was the “Big Bopper?”


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j_p_richardsonEveryone who has danced to 1950′s music has heard the rollicking Chantilly Lace with it’s singer belting out the tune as an auctioneer would sell his wares. Disk jockey and songwriter, J.P. Richardson, “The Big Bopper,” rose to national prominence with this anthem and earned him a place on the Winter Dance Party of January-February 1959. This tour also featured Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Dion and the Belmonts. Because he was sick Richardson agreed to pay $36 to fly with Holly rather than suffer through another night on the cold bus.  It is now rock-and-roll legend that Richardson died in a crash in an Iowa cornfield with Buddy Holly and Valens.

However, little is mentioned of Richardson and he is mainly treated as a novelty act by the music mainstream; the “one-hit-wonder” who got killed with Buddy Holly. In fact, if he hadn’t died with such auspicious company his name would be bandied around as much as, say, Cannibal and the Head Hunters, the act that did Land of a Thousand Dances, or other barely-known acts of the past.

Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. was hardly a spring-chicken when he died, he was 29.  A competent radio announcer with KTRM in Houston, Texas, Richardson called himself the “Big Bopper” after a dance that the college kids were doing called “The Bop.” Later that year, 1957, he became the program director for the station and launched public relations stunt for continuous on-air announcing. Richardson was on the mike for 5 days, 2 hours and 8 minutes where he played 1,827 records. His bathroom breaks and short showers were done during the commercial breaks.

His recording career was short but included Chantilly Lace and a sequel called The Big Bopper’s Wedding. Not only that Richardson wrote the #1 hit for George Jones called White Lightning and Running Bear for Johnny Preston. Both songs are country standards today just like the hits are in the 1950′s genre. At the time of his death he had built a recording studio at his house and had 20 songs ready to go. So, based on that evidence J.P. would have been a major force in the recording business just like his plane-mates were at the time of the crash.

His son, Jay Perry Richard had heard rumors that his dad never died right away, and that a gun was fired in the airplane. In January 2007 he had an autopsy performed on his father’s exhumed body and it was shown that his father had died on impact.

The Big Bopper’s corpse was well-preserved and dressed in a black suit with a blue-and-gray striped tie.  He wore  socks but no shoes and his distinctive brown hair was still in a 1950′s flat-top. The body was placed in a new casket and, since the old casket was in good shape, JP jr. gave it to the Texas Musician’s Museum for their display along with a replica of the guitar-shaped wreath sent by Elvis Presley.

This viewing was the first time JP jr. ever saw his dad as he was born two months after the crash.

This year the casket will go up for sale on Ebay to raise money for the Museum. Rock critics agree this is the most macabre piece of rock history to ever go on the auction block.

January 25th, 2009

Rock and Roll Cruise 2009


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paul revere, music concerts The 2009 Concerts at Sea aboard the MSC Orchestra was an amazing way to see some of the greatest entertainers in rock history take the stage and, as well, come down and mingle with the audience. A cruise ship adds this dimension because, in reality, the groups have meals, party and lie out in the sun with the guests. This year 750 fans got to meet the rockers, discuss rock and roll history and get autographs, all in a relaxed atmosphere.

This year the lineup was Paul Revere and the Raiders, Jan and Dean, Bobby Vee, The Guess Who and the Original Bill Haley Comets. As well, there were radio personalities, an Elvis impersonator (Stacey Wayne) and a house band, the Chancellors. Now how cool is that? Anyway, here is what we did every day:

Saturday:  Ft. Lauderdale & At Sea

  • 9:00 pm – Welcome and orientation
  • 9:30pm  – Chancellors/Stacey Wayne

Sunday:  At Sea

  • 9:00am – Jack and Wayne’s morning show.
  • 10:00am – Questions to the stars (2 hours:
  • 1:30pm – Concert -  Paul Revere and the Raiders
  • 9:00pm – Chancellors/Stacey Wayne/Hit Maker’s Dance Party with Jim and Steve

Monday:  Dominican Republic

  • 9:00  – Dominican Republic Tours
  • 7:30pm  – Bobby Vee and the Vees
  • 9:00pm – Dance Lessons
  • 10:00pm – Radio  KEYN, KOMA Radio get-together/Hit Maker’s Dance Party with Jim and Steve

Tuesday:  St. Maartens

  • 8:00 – Jack and Wayne’s morning show.
  • 10:00am – Dance Lessons
  • 11:00am – Trivia Contest
  • 1:45pm – St. Maareten Tours
  • 9:00pm – Hosted cocktail partysin two lounges featuring Mike and Harvey’s Super Gold Sock Hep

Wednesday:  Antigua

  • 8:00 – Antigua Tours
  • 4:00 – Jimmy Jay’s (RewindShow.com) Game Show
  • 7:30 – Jan and Dean
  • 10:00pm – Chancellors/Stacey Wayne
  • 10:00pm – Hitmaker’s Dance Party

Thursday:  At Sea

  • 8:00am – Jack and Wayne’s morning show.
  • 10:00 – Dance Lessons
  • 11:00 – Trivia with Jack and Wayne
  • 2:30pm – The Guess Who
  • 8:00pm – Autograph Sessions – All bands and personalities
  • 9:00pm – Chancellors Jam Session
  • 9:00pm – Hit Maker’s Dance Party with Jim and Steve

Friday:  Nassau

  • 10:00 – Bill Haley’s Comets
  • 2:30 – Tours of Nassau
  • 9:00pm – Chancellors/Stacey Wayne
  • 10:00pm – Hit Maker’s Dance Party with Jim and Steve

Saturday:  Ft. Lauderdale

I know I’m ready t go again next year with th Association, The Drifters, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Bill Medley’s Righteous Brothers.