Plaskett drummer Marsh Takes A Solo
Published Wednesday July 30th, 2008
Anxiously awaiting Joel Plaskett's follow up to the EMCA record-setting Ashtray Rocks? Don't forget it's a band, the Joel Plaskett Emergency, not just Joel. While the group wasn't conquering Canada, the U.S. and Australia last year, Joel took time to help timekeeper Dave Marsh produce his first solo disc The True Love Rules (Fontana North).
It's also the first release on Plaskett's own label, New Scotland Records. As evidenced by his work with P.E.I.'s Two Hours Traffic, Plaskett knows how to produce great-sounding pop. With Marsh, though, he's not guiding a youngster. Dave's been at this for two decades, through The Superfriendz and the Emergency, and his alternative rock roots are the same as Plaskett's. So Joel's role here is more co-conspirator than mentor.
You do get fully formed pop gems that would fit well on any Emergency disc, including Backstreets Thread and True Love Rules. But Marsh is also keen on experimenting, so there's the fascinating Move You Around, which features surf guitar and Eddie Cochran rockabilly, as it would have sounded on David Bowie's Low album. Nav Com Tav is a sailor chant-meets-Disney Halloween number. The whole middle section of the disc is made up of short, quirky song ideas, each as enjoyable as the next, little chocolate miniatures that give you full flavour but not too much sugar.
Marsh doesn't have the strongest voice, but he's in tune and stays within his range, letting all the fine melodies shine. While there are plenty of pal guests here, including Plaskett and other Emergency and Superfriendz colleagues, Marsh has handled almost everything himself, including guitar, piano and mandolin. This makes up for the money I blew 30 years ago on Who drummer Keith Moon's solo album Two Sides Of The Moon.
CSNY - DÉJÀ VU LIVE (Warner)
No, it's not a period concert recording from the quartet's hit days of 1970, but the soundtrack to a brand-new film from the notorious Bernard Shakey, a.k.a. Neil Young. Young's film work has been patchy and confusing, like his music career, and CSNY has been a spotty collaboration over the years, so this had all the markings of a disaster. Surprisingly, it's the best thing they've done together in decades. It turns out Young hijacked the proceedings from the beginning, agreeing to the tour only if the rest went along with his 2006 anti-Bush project Living With War as the theme. Out to make a big statement, Young baited crowds with such free-speech numbers as Let's Impeach The President. The CSN guys were up for it, since that's their political bent, too. It's the most relevant thing they've done since the Vietnam war, and gave a new life to old gems For What's It's Worth, Find The Cost Of Freedom, and Teach Your Children. Young's new songs work better live, sandwiched between the old hits, giving us a breath between the Bush-bashing that made the Living With War album tiresome. The old hippies, especially Stephen Stills, sound ragged, but darned if they weren't right with all those protest songs.
BILLY JOEL - THE STRANGER LEGACY EDITION (Sony-BMG)
Joel's 1977 breakthrough album was actually his fourth. But by that time, there were doubts he'd be able to repeat his earlier Piano Man single success. While it was the syrupy Just The Way You Are that became the first hit, Joel proved himself a better storyteller and decent rocker with further cuts Movin' Out, Only The Good Die Young and Scenes From An Italian Restaurant. While the Elton John comparisons were inevitable, he was lyrically closer to John Mellancamp and Bruce Springsteen, showing a fine ability to write New York stories. With the city's people as a running thread in the disc, Joel and producer Phil Ramone concocted something most artists today fail at, a cohesive album from start to finish. Disc two on this deluxe edition differs from most in that it's simply a live concert rather than bonus cuts of B-sides and outtakes. But that's a smart choice. Recorded at a sold-out Carnegie Hall show three months before The Stranger was in stores, it shows that Joel had already conquered NYC and was simply waiting for the rest of the world to catch up. It focuses on some of his best earlier work - Miami 2017, New York State Of Mind and Say Goodbye to Hollywood - and shows what a good rock band he led, on the verge of becoming a huge deal.
JOE JACKSON - GOLD (Universal)
A two-disc set from his first 10 years, this 37-track selection is much richer than Jackson's limited hit portfolio might suggest. His earliest, skinny-tie albums, Look Sharp and I'm The Man, hold up quite well despite the New Wave packaging, with cuts like Sunday Papers and Don't Wanna Be Like That retaining all their snap, crackle and pop. Jackson quickly threw a curve ball at his fans, offering the rhythm-addicted Beat Crazy, and the Big Band-inspired Jumpin' Jive, which succeeded in shredding his angry young man image, replacing that with the difficult artist tag. All was forgiven with 1982's Night And Day, and the hit Steppin' Out, which earned him the serious artist distinction. That's a lot of phases to go through in a short span and even though the rest of his '80s work was consistently good, Jackson and his fans came to an impasse, and he went off to be a composer for a while. His return to rock this decade with the original Joe Jackson Band has been welcome. And this collection helps sort out the highlights from the confusion.
Spirit of the West contest winners
Thanks to all those readers who entered the Spirit Of The West CD contest. Five lucky fans were chosen randomly and won a copy of the band's new Spirituality double disc courtesy of Warner Music. The winners were Chris Daigle, Carly Anderson, Michael McQuay, Kathleen Stephen-Burnside and Janice Letson.
Bob Mersereau is a music writer and the arts reporter for CBC in New Brunswick.
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