Keep on playing that rock'n'roll (Quincy Conserve)

Quincy Conserve - The Very Best Of Quincy Conserve (1971) ***

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Aire Of Good Feeling

There are only a few bands/songs that my mum, Dulcie, reacted against with fire and brimstone. They featured - in no particular order, Joe Cocker's Cocker Happy album (it was the title); Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath single (grab him by the beeeep); T Rex's B side song Raw Ramp (the mention of breasts did it); and finally and really emphatically was Quincy Conserve's Slut. I had no defense against any of them really but Slut left absolutely nothing to the imagination. I couldn't even say that it was a good song or that it was a really unusual, out of character, song in their oeuvre.

That said, I've had a deep respect and love for the Malcolm Hayman led Quincy Conserve since they appeared on the Loxene Golden Disc 1970 edition with their song Ride The Rain (written by Bruno Lawrence). For the next couple of Loxenes they were suppliers of standout tracks.

There's something about the jazz rock melding of rock group with jazzy horns that I find really appealing. I'm thinking about John Mayall, Blood Sweat and Tears, and early Chicago.

Bands that Quincy Conserve clearly loved too.

Malcolm Hayman is very much in the tradition of jazz/rock vocalists like David Clayton-Thomas - a big presence is needed above all that racket!

Listening to this selection is a great way to experience all the highs of this iconic and unique kiwi band and a couple of lows (because it's a career wide compilation) such as earlier late sixties tracks like I've Been Loving You Baby (and some of the Hayman-less songs). This one shows a slightly alarming lurch towards a John Rowles direction that thankfully they quickly abandoned in favour of jazz rock.

The highlights come thick and fast: Alright In The City (huge plus on Loxene Disc 1971); Aire Of Good Feeling (a classic); Ride The Rain; Somebody Somewhere Help Me; and Lulu Belle.

With Hayman missing they lost their dynamic focal point to large extent. His distinctive pipes are the Quincy Conserve sound to a large degree. You can change other musicians without too many problems but a vocalist like a Jim Morrison, Stuart Adamson, David Clayton-Thomas, and a Hayman are crucial to the sound.

On the whole though, and at their peak, they were a great Nu Zild band who were under-rated I feel, and neglected over time, although they included some incredible musicians during their lifetime. 

This is a good place to start if you need to catch up.

Today's music ain't got the same soul

Bob Seger - Stranger In Town (1978) ****

Nominated by: Biggie Gee

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Feel Like A Number

Greg introduced his latest choice by reminding us of the context: 1978.

Our second year at Auckland University was notable for a few reasons. As he accurately summarises, 1978 was largely 'when we were at Uni, drinking cokes in the rec centre, getting poleaxed by Anthony Harris’s sister, and generally acting like the diligent students we were'.

That was the second year of a BA for me and BSc for him and BCom for Kevy. It was a tough year. Universities use Level 2 courses to sort out the wheat from the chaff. So we were nerdy noses to the grindstone for the most part. That means we went to lectures and tutorials and set up in the various parts of the University library to study. During those times we'd often connect with each other for distractions like cokes in the Rec Centre or sport.

Self indulgent? You betcha. Glorious glory days.  

A few records instantly transport me back to those years - Patti Smith's first three albums, Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge Of Town certainly, and Bob Seger's Stranger In Town (Bob's came out first and Springsteen's a month later so call it a draw in the race to use Town in the title).

Every track is an instant memory jolt and those first five tracks are peerless with Bob and the Silver Bullet Boys locked in the groove. Bob is in peak form vocally.

So why 4 stars? For five stars every track needs to be a masterpiece and with the best will in the world, I couldn't call Ain't Got No Money a masterpiece (double negative for a start). Somehow that and the power ballad megahit We've Got Tonight dial back the intensity late on side 2.

Great final song though in The Famous Final Scene.

Has it dated since 1978? No - not really. The rockers rock, the ballads provide some variety. This is now classed as classic rock - and Bob's truism is even more relevant - today's music does NOT have the same soul. We could use a Bob Seger or two in these pop hero deprived times.

Go Bob! Let It Shine!

A monkey on a silver string

Linda Hoover - I Mean To Shine (1970) **

Nominated by: Tom

Music club: MNAC

Playlist addition:  Jones ('a monkey on a silver string' anyone?)

I could have sworn this was a put on in the tradition of National Lampoon, Austen Powers or Sir Peter Jackson's Forgotten Silver. 

The back story is so elaborate (recorded with nascent Steely Dan members but shelved by Morris Levy's Roulette Records for 50ish years) it seemed far fetched, and then when Linda starts singing I was gobsmacked. It's so cringingly 1970 earnest I thought it couldn't be for real. All that, plus the weirdly smutty Jones! Surely all this must be a mockumentary/spoof a la A Mighty Wind.

Nope. It all seems legit.

This wouldn't have been current even if it had been released in 1970. Her singing style is so dated now, but it was also dated by 1970.

1970. Not the greatest year for music (1971 takes that crown), but still - this is the year of Led Zeppelin III, In The Wake Of Poseidon, Morrison Hotel and Let It Be, among others.

I Mean To Shine would have sunk without trace in 1970. I'll be really keen to see what Tom, Lew and Alex made of this album. If they love it, I'll have to eat my hat.

For my part, I struggled to listen to it the requisite three times, and finding a highlight wasn't easy at all. I've gone for Jones for its hilarious lyrics and kinky subtext (I think), over the also hilarious cover version of Stephen Stills' 4+20 (from that same year's CSN and Y album - Deja Vu ). She seems to have completely misread the suicidal angst in the song, and instead earnestly presents a jaunty sing-along. Golly!

As to the much hyped Steely Dan appearance - I'm hard pressed to hear any green shoots leading to their stellar career. 

Apart from the entertaining back story, I don't think Tom knew much about this record before he selected it. At least, I'm hoping that!

Sing 'Bravo Bravo'

DD Smash - The Optimist (1984) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Whaling  

First off - what a great cover! New Zealand bands/musicians aren't really noted for their flair with cover design but this one bucks that idea fully with its homage to Harold Lloyd's silent movie pose (on the right).

In NZ, Dave Dobbyn has made it to National Treasure level, but, interestingly, when I used him as a entry in MNAC my northern hemisphere family were largely unimpressed - likening him to a NZ journeyman musician, kind of Bruce Springsteen in terms of his output. Not a bad comparison in my world, but they aren't really Bruce Springsteen types. I could see what they were getting at though as DD does use similar tropes in his solo years.

But anyway - back in the eighties...

DD Smash had a three album career and that band was his vehicle between Th'Dudes and going solo. He broke up the band after The Optimist.

I should add that I am no where near the fan that GK and KS are of DD. While I own some solo stuff, and a compilation of Th'Dudes, I don't own any DD Smashs.

The album's well named - it could also be called 'The Perky Album', as most are upbeat positive songs, with optimism galore coming from what must have been a successful relationship (She Loves Me Back).

The songs themselves fall into three categories for me - the sublime (Magic and Whaling), the okay (such as Actor which sounds like DD was using Ghostbusters for inspiration) and the embarrassing last three songs (the crooning/scatting attempted Sinatra impression on Headstart is odd, the oh dear me casual racism of Tobacco Indian, and the failure of Guilty Thru Neglect to be deep and meaningful). 

So, for me, this isn't a great NZ album. It has a few things going against it - the eighties production with synths and Linn drums instantly pin it to that era; plus those last three songs which contrast starkly with Magic and Whaling.

But, it is a good NZ album - those vocals, Paul Weller's Style Council like horns, that chirpy upbeatness throughout, and the backing singers giving the Nu Zild pop sheen (must be the usual crew on this) all give it a unique place in his canon.

What really sustains me throughout is DD's vocal ability - he certainly carries the weaker material with a passionate, all in delivery. Gotta love that.

So, a three star award, but I know that Greg and Kevy will rate it a lot higher.