Your Wednesday Moment of Shameless Name Dropping

Well, isn't this just the coolest thing.

Specifically -- a star-studded new (musically fab) tribute to power pop gods The Raspberries that's due out momentarily. And two of the acts participating are personal friends who I've actually played music with. 😎

The above video, of course, features current Greatest Rock Band in the World The Lemon Twigs covering the 'Berries "Play On" and (drop dead gorgeously) "Let's Pretend," plus an utterly infectious update of "Cruisin' Music" by the Twigs' proud dad (and occasional bandmate of mine) Ronnie D'Addario.

To which I can only add that God's in his heaven and all's right with the world.

Seriously, the two CD set -- unsurprisingly titled Play On: A Raspberries Tribute -- is one of the most entertaining things of its kind I've heard in ages. I should also add that it features Rick Springfield(!) doing a killer version of "Go All the Way," plus equally smashing tracks by Robin Zander, Marshall Crenshaw, Lou Gramm (absolutely nailing "Tonight") and Shoes (with a particularly jaw-dropping revisit to "Overnight Sensation").

Plus scads more great stuff; you can check out the complete track listing and pre-order the thing (official release date is October 10th) for purchase or streaming over at Amazon HERE.

So what are you waiting for? Get over there and snag a copy right this minute!

And tell 'em PowerPop sent you!!!

P.S.: Oh -- and I've been meaning to say this for a while now, but if the Lemon Twigs aren't musical guests on Saturday Night Live this season, I swear to god I'm gonna take a hostage. 😎😎

Coronary Not Included

Okay, I was gonna post about the new and fab Raspberries tribute album today, but then I chanced across the clip below and had a physical reaction so intense that if I hadn't taken my blood pressure pill earlier in the morning I would have been in serious medical trouble.

I've always loved that song, and I'm sure I must have seen that video before. But still -- just now when Ronnie shimmied onto the set in time for that first "Be my little baby" chorus...I mean, no fooling, I got chills merely typing the preceding bit of this sentence. 😎

I'll post on that Raspberries tribute tomorrow -- word of honor. If I live, of course. 😎 😎

This Blog Goes to Eleven!!!

So me and a certain Shady Dame of my acquaintance went to see Spinal Tap II: The End Continues yesterday.

Here's the trailer, which gives you a pretty good idea of the feel of the thing...

...and here's a song from the soundtrack album, featuring Paul McCartney. I particularly enjoyed his reaction to the ersatz "Penny Lane" trumpet part. 😎

So how did I like it? The short version...it's wonderful. And as for Valerie Franco, the heavily tattoed blonde punkette cutie who plays Didi Crockett, their new drummer (and she's really playing the drums)...

Let's just say that a star is born. 😎 😎

Seriously, if you enjoyed the original film you're gonna be delighted with this one. Trust me.

And I'd tell you more, but there's no way I can really do that without verging on spoiler territory.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Classical Has No Vocal" Edition

I should stipulate up front that today's titular quote has been attributed to Marilyn Monroe; apparently she said it in real life, not in a movie, although a Google search has not disgorged a citation for it.

Anyway, if you were here yesterday, when I posted that kinda goofy rocked up version of J.S. Bach's "Air" by Dutch band Ekseption, you probably saw the subject of today's esssay question coming down Broadway, as they say.

So without any further ado, let's get right to it. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/r&b record by a group or solo artist demonstrating either an overt or implied influence of European classical music in the writing or performing or both, is...?

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules, but just to be a little more specific, what we're talking about doesn't have to be some kind of obvious borrowing from a particular classical composition; some of my favorites aren't, as you will see shortly. And when I say post-Elvis, that's to make sure none of you bastid kids nominates one of those godawful 1940s hits like "Full Moon and Empty Arms," which actually appended sappy lyrics to a melody from Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto. And yes, you're allowed to put up prog shit if applicable, as distasteful as I might find that personally. 😎

And my nominees? It's a tie. Between this...

...and this.

That's the late Alan Civil playing French horn on the Beatles track, BTW; in case you're unfamiliar with him, he was considered to be perhaps the greatest exponent of his instrument in the second half of the 20th Century. You should hear him do the Mozart horn concertos with Otto Klemperer, is what I'm saying. 😎😎

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a fabulous weekend, everybody!!!

Eine Kleine Rockmuzik

An ad in Billboard, March 28, 1970. Boy, those were the days.

And here's the band and song in question, performing fake live on Dutch TV a few months earlier.

That's kind of appealingly Procol Harum-ish, no? And that keyboard player is really a lot of fun.

Anyway, I either never heard of those guys previously or I'd simply forgotten them, both of which possibilities strike me as odd, because as long time readers are aware I'm a fan of Dutch rock in general. In any event, when I stumbed across the above the other day, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Not to fear, however. Regular, less self-indulgent posting -- i.e., the traditional weekend essay question -- will resume on the morrow.

P.S.: It just dawned on me that the above is actually a clue to the subject of the aforementioned essay question. A coveted PowerPop No-Prize© will of course be awarded to the first reader who guesses it correctly.

Actually, To Paraphrase Mike Meyers on Coffee Talk -- This IS a Big Woof!!!

More to the point, it's a superb new (2025) fan remix of the Fabs' inexplicably undervalued "Hey Bulldog." I always thought this song was one of their coolest ever rockers, but now here it is as nature intended.

Wow. I mean -- that's a bit of a revelation, 'innit. 😎

Or as the guy who put it together points out in his YouTube notes, one of the clearest examples of how exciting The Beatles could sound as a live band.

And you're welcome very much, of course. 😎 😎

[h/t Jai Guru Dave]

Your Tuesday Moment of Why Didn't I Get the Memo

Okay, this is breathtaking. Seriously.

Mike Viola, as you all doubtless know, was the front guy/chief songwriter of the fab gear Candy Butchers, and voiced the lead singer of fictional band The Wonders in Tom Hanks' perpetually amazing That Thing You Do.

I was unaware of the above clip, however, until the other day when a musician friend turned me on to it, and it totally blew my miniscule mind. I mean -- wow.

I should add, and just for the record, that I am beginning to think it might not be an exagerration to suggest that Viola is, conceivably, the world's greatest living male rock vocalist. In the meantime, you can find out where's he playing live in the future -- and see some more utterly amazing video clips -- over at his official website HERE.

And je répète-- wow. 😎

[h/t Frank Burrows]

Real, Not Photo-Shopped (An Occcasional Series): Special "Rock Me Amadeus" Edition

Courtesy of Pulitzer winning critic/friend of PowerPop Tim Page -- from the New York Times, here's the greatest mismatch of photo and caption in newspaper history,

Click on it to enlarge, if you can't read it. You'll thank me, honest.

I mean, I'm not much of an opera fan, but man -- what I wouldn't have given to see THAT production. 😎

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Like a Fine Wine, But It Actually Rocks!" Edition

From his brand new (and superb) album The Great Yellow Light, please enjoy the incomparable Willie Nile (and band) and the video for the lead-off single "We Are We Are."

Long time readers are aware of my enthusiasm for Willie's work over the years, but at this point it's just getting ridiculous. I mean, The Great Yellow Light (the title is a reference to Vincent Van Gogh's letters to his brother, Theo, and the light that inspired him in Arles, France) is by my count his 15th(!) studio effort since making one of the greatest debut records of all time back in 1980. And the fact that this new one one is of comparable quality -- and in fact sounds, in its brash high-energy and passionate intensity, like the work of some young artist who wasn't even born when that first one came out -- is nothing short of amazing.

I should add that, if you order a physical copy of the album (which you can do over at Amazon HERE or at Bandcamp) you get a little bonus sticker featuring a cameo appearance by your humble scribe.

And I stand by the judgement thereupon. 😎

Oh, I should also add that if you're in the NYC area, Willie and band are going to be doing two (Nov. 26 and 28) early and late career retrospective shows at the Loft at City Winery; the first one, which will feature songs from that aforementioned debut album, will very likely be in the spirit of his legendary gigs at the old Kenny's Castaways. Be there or be square -- a certain Shady Dame and I will definitely be in attendance, and we look forward to seeing you. 😎😎

Okay -- and, for reasons that will be obvious in a moment, that leads us inexorably to the weekend's business at hand. To wit:

...and the post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/soul artist -- solo or band -- who's done the most consistently excellent work over the space of a multi-decade career is...?

Discuss.

I don't really have a dog in this hunt; obviously, Willie would be one of my candidates, but other than him, top of my head I'm not sure who I'd nominate.

In any event -- alrighty then, who would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Your Thursday Moment of Words Fail Me

Heh.

Sorry to have been slacking two days in a row. Have no fear, however -- you'll find that tomorrow's Weekend Essay Question is particularly substantive, if I do say so myself, and I'm offering it in penance. 😎