Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Series

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 25 October 2009 09:33

The first of 20 compilations of Boston Music - the most consistent and clearest documentation of the Boston Music Scene between the years 1983-1997. Featuring The Count, Joe Viglione's "Dreams In Reverse", co-written with guitar wizard Eric Brown. "I'm Your Motorcycle" by Ava Electris with Hirsh Gardner from the arena rock band "New England" on drums. Hirsh produces "The Spores" wonderful "Don't You Worry", Alex Space's "Future City", Joe Mazzari of THE DAUGHTERS pre-Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones / Blind Faith producer) work - an incredible song "Better Daze"; Relentless Cookout, Lord Manuel's pre-Elektraflesh band "IC4", Disarray's "Blind Spot", the excellent "New Race", and punk legends "Psycho" with "How Much Longer." Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller was at the Varulven Office when these albums were being unloaded off of the truck. He was one of the first to see the finished product and loved the concept. Years later many of his post-Rolling Stones productions would show up on this series. 1 Don't You Worry About the Spores Spores 3:28 2 I'm Your Motorcycle Ave Electra 2:38 3 Dreams in Reverse Count Viglione Band 3:48 4 Contact Future City 4:12 5 Better Daze Joe Mazzari 2:28 6 Poverty Relentless Cookout 2:00 7 Thought Police IC 4 featuring Lord Manuel 1:55 8 Up and Down IC 4 featuring Lord Manuel 1:15 9 Sun Worship New Race 4:32 10 Blind Spot Disarray 4:10 11 How Much Longer Psycho 2:13 A Collector's Item. Contains two tracks from Lord Manuel of Elektraflesh, Black Sheep Of The Family, Juvenile Amphibians in Formaldehyde and Auguste Phenomenon bands -the songs "Up and Down" and "Thought Police". Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #2 Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #3 Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #4 Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #6 Michaels Messina Band,Allies,The Unafraid,Dmension Ten,Blind Owl,Any Vehicle,Willie Alexander,X-Dreams,Formula Expose,C-Street and The Keep Available from Mantis Music http://www.gemm.com/item/BOSTON--ROCK--AND--ROLL/ANTHOLOGY--VOLUME--6/GML438339227/ Vol.9 Miscellaneous Writings http://varulvenrecords.blogspot.com/ Serious Fun http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=765312 Track #4 on the US Anthology #2 is Howard Miller from New Jersey. Brought to our attention by the law firm of Jacobson & Colfin (who represent former Stone Mick Taylor), this is a brilliant Stones-ish cynical view of the daily/nightly newscasts...the video Howard`s working on for this should be quite appealing as it changes with different news items...it`s always growing...the band is called Apocalypse and they can be seen in the 1997 and 1998 January issues of The Music Paper/Musician`s Exchange out of New York KENNE HIGHLAND Kenne Highland Clan recorded two versions of this song, "Wasn`t Mental Enough" or "Not Mental Enough". This features Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry's ex-sister-in-law Nikki Jerret on drums. Mike Quirk is on bass. Classic Boston punk - this is the original version not found on Kenne's album. Macey`s Parade formed from the ashes of Polygram`s Tom Dickey & The Desires (managed by Sony chief Tommy Mottola). After The Desires, Jon Macey did staff production for Elektra, then returned to Boston for his first album without Dickie. Tracks were released on Boston Rock & Roll Anthologies 14 (The Clinic and There`s Nothing Like A Hit), 15 (Springtime Lovers Craze), 16 (Cold Dark Icy Stare), 17 (Comical, from his album "Too Much Perspective"), 18 (She`s Got Me Souled), and 19 (Love Might Come). Macey was also on Boston Bootleg 1 with "When i Say Good-bye", and the U.S. Anthology 1 with "Sail Away." Co-written by Varulven president Joe Viglione, Sail Away was written during the sessions for Viglione`s "There`s Nothing Like A Hit." That version appeared on US 1 with Sal Baglio of The Stompers and Third Rail`s Mr. Curt. This new version on US Anthology 2 is Macey`s Parade. Coincidentally, Macey is now performing with Baglio of The Stompers...bringing things full circle. This version of Sail Away is magical, and the birds from John Hanekamp`s "Magic" which follows is appropriate sound to Macey`s chorus of "two birds on the waves... Tracks 10 and 11 belong to the man who really created Boston Rock & Roll - Moulty. Famous for his "hook" hand (like Peter Pan`s Captain Hook), his hit record "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" was covered by Flo & Eddie live when they opened for Alice Cooper`s Billion Dollar Babies tour (see what you learn in this site) and as a rare flip of Peter Wolf`s 99 Worlds single on MCA in 1991. Find it. The Hallucinations with Peter Wolf, and the J GEILS band were just starting when Moulty, pre-Aerosmith, appeared in a movie with The Supremes and The Rolling Stones. His first album is listed by Goldmine to go for $150.00. His follow up hit, "Moulty", a biographical song, was included on the Nuggets compilation produced by Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye. Doc Rock (Lenny kaye) spread the rumor that Moulty was backed up by Bob Dylan`s The Band (known then as Levon & The Hawks.) That remained a rumor till Viglione asked Moulty if it was true on the Visual Radio television program in Boston. When Moulty replied in the affirmative, it went up on the web! Discoveries Magazine has an in-depth interview with Moulty (written by Joe Tortelli and Joe Viglione) which will be available Spring, 1998. Moulty and his two sons (the new Barbarians) will be in the Musician`s Exchange/The Music Paper, January, 1998. But here`s the big news. There were two "lost" sessions by The Barbarians. The Mercury Records sessions which followed the recording of "Moulty" (originally for Laurie Records), and the 1974 Intermedia sessions. (Intermedia is where Moulty`s fans Aerosmith recorded their first album...they mention Moulty in their book "livin on the Edge"), the studio was purchased by The Cars. Well, Moulty found the tapes, and he and Joe Viglione re-mastered them at A Wave in June of 1997 with Joe Miraglilo engineering, while this Anthology was being mastered. There were five tunes in all. "Only In My World" was written by Moulty as a follow-up to the hit "Moulty". The Phil Spectorish production is all Moulty...he and his wife (who the song was written for) played the piano with "tacks" on the hammers, making the lovely sound. They then brought those tapes to Intermedia and recorded all five songs. Two appear here. "Rock & Roll Man" being the other song on Boston RR #20 Track #3 on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #20, John Hanekamp and Gary Babine have come up with a song to go along with the magical theme of the CD, and it`s called "Magic." Their group, "Friends", has played Martha`s Vineyard for the past few years every summer, with airplay on the commercial WMVY. John`s picture is inside the album, and appears in the January, 1998 edition of The Music Paper/Musician`s Exchange, out of New York. John first appeared on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #13 with The Back Porch, produced by Varulven president Joe Viglione; a different version of that same song was released on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #19; "The Other Side" was released on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #14. Varmints rock with their amazing post-Real Kids post-Classic Ruins sound. Meanwhile Willie Alexander`s 1973 demo of the song "`Cause I`m Taking You To Bed" is important as an historical piece, and a delight to listen to. Re-recorded by producer Craig Leon in 1979 as "For Old Time`s Sake" and released on MCA (both Willie`s MCA albums are now available on Demon`s "Pass The Tabasco" out of the UK), this version has a certain magic that the major label version doesn`t possess. Recorded at least two years before Willie`s `Kerouac" on Garage Records, it features Matthew McKenzie on guitar, Ted Dunford on drums, and Walter Powers III on bass. Walter and Willie toured Europe twice in Doug Yule/Moe Tucker`s post Lou Reed Velvet Underground. Had Moe, Willie and Walter recorded for the Polydor "Squeeze" Velvet album, this would undoubtably have been included. Willie has two versions of this demo, this mix has his "Ronnettes" backing vocals louder...it`s great. "Caught In The Dark" is Track #6 on the new Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #20. Written over a period of eighteen months...Joe was inspired by jogging the Winchester Reservoir...as dusk settled in earlier and earlier, he found himself "caught in the dark." Recording this tune on October 3, 1994 New vocals and a mix were tracked on December 26, 1994. This is the first "rough" version of the tune, an edit from the new Count album "Love Songs Just For You", the original theme of being enveloped by darkness. TENNIE KOMAR Tennie Komar was one of the pioneering women of the Boston rock & roll scene in the mid 70`s. In the 1980`s she teamed up with Yves Frulla (keyboard player with Celine Dion). They wrote and recorded a number of songs which have been licensed to Varulven. "Summer Of Love" was released on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #15. "Dance With Me" is included on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #20 and features Bob Gay on Sax (he was in New Man, and played with Tina Turner), Stu Kimball (formerly with Epic Recording artist FACE TO FACE), produced by Ron Eschenbrenner at Euphoria Studios in Revere, Massachusetts. Watch for a full album from Tennie soon. Track #15 on the Boston Rock & Roll Anthology is the edit of "Hip" (Nude) from the CD debut by Wounded Animal "Break A Tooth" (also available). The original title is "She Must Really Look Hip" (Nude); the song was originally 3:54, this has two edits for radio, bringing it down to 3:39. Rich Cashin on Vocals, Paul Vaillancourt on bass, Mark Chisholm on drums, Bob Agnone on guitar, and Matt Arms on harmonica...one of Boston`s best new rock groups...this tune is a big reason why GEORGE COX Track #18 on US Anthology 2/Boston RR #20 is New Hampshire`s George Cox. He garnered airplay in the band Third Sight on WGIR, WHOB, WCGY, WBIV, WMFO, and many other college and commercial stations. When he joined forces with the band RACE they cut a number of tracks at Metropolis and Prophet Sound. Unfortunately, the band released George`s songs on their album "The Population Conference" including a shorter version of "December" with a different vocalist. George was adamant about crediting the band Race for playing on the track...not only is he the bigger person, in my opinion, clearly, he sings with more power, emotion (and on key!)... anyway, recording a new vocal on George`s song is the sincerist form of flattery...that band is reorganizing, we hear, and this magical tune about George`s brother is here in its original form. "Keep it in a locked box..." TONY ROCKS Tracks 20 and 21 on this disc belong to session man extraordinaire, Tony Rocks. Best known for his work in Boston`s premier Funk/R & B band The Jonzun Crew, Tony has also appeared on recordings by Peter Wolf, The New Kids on The Block, Appollonia, Clarence Clemmons (The Big Man), and many more. He led off Boston Anthology #19 with a song called THE BANG BANG. It is an urban pop classic that should be in a movie soundtrack. These two songs, "Crank It Up" and "Wicked Excellent" are produced exquisitely at Michael Jonzun`s home/studio Mission Control, and the final track - a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, has the Purple Haze riff. Mr. Jonzun dubbed it the Wicked Excellent/Purple Haze medley. For fans of Hendrix, The Jonzun Crew or The New Kids, the guitar sound that`s in millions of homes is here in all it`s glory. In 1987 Tony released a 45 RPM "A Girl Has Gotta Know" b/w "Do It For Love" on TSMB Records. BILLBOARD reviewed the disc on April 25, 1987: "Tony Rocks, "A Girl Has Gotta Know" on TSMB Records, produced by Michael Baker/ Michael Jonzun, the Boston area session man and band leader fronts a playful up-tempo bop". Tony is a featured session musician on these discs: LOST IN SPACE THE JONZUN CREW TOMMY BOY DOWN TO EARTH THE JONZUN CREW A & M COSMIC LOVE THE JONZUN CREW CRITIQUE/BMG LIGHTS OUT PETER WOLF EMI HERO CLARENCE CLEMONS COLUMBIA STEP BY STEP HEW KIDS ON THE... COLUMBIA SA FIRE POLYDOR APPOLLONIA WARNER BROTHERS THE BANG BANG, Tony`s opening track on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #19, was produced by Tony, with Michael Jonzun as Executive Producer, engineered by Jaimie Locke, guest vocalist is Teesha Sawyer, who also appears on that album. 1.OK, You Win, I Give Up Harriet Schock 4:07 2.Sail Away Macey's Parade 3:40 3.Magic John Hanekamp 3:21 4.The News Howard Miller-Apocalypse 4:03 5.'Cause I'm Taking You to Bed Willie Alexander 4:20 6.Caught in the Dark Count Viglione 3:30 7 Ain't No Good Varmints 2:44 8 Not Mental Enough Kenne Highland Klan 2:28 9 Rock It [Take 1, Take 2] Unnatural Axe 2:06 10 Rock and Roll Man Moulty & The Barbarians 1:58 11 Only in My World 2:41 12 Blue Light Perry, Steven Paul 5:37 13 Down High Third Rail 4:29 14 Song for D Nancy Foster ... 2:44 Performed by: Nancy Foster, B.G. Knocc Out & Dresta 15 Hip Nude Wounded Animal 3:39 16 Dance With Me Tennie Komar 3:47 17 Never Tell Me Greenwood Station 3:41 18.December George Cox, Race 5:19 19. Monkey T 4 3 3:09 20 Crank It Up Tony Rocks 2:51 21.Wicked Excellent/Purple Haze Tony Rocks

Last Updated on Sunday, 25 October 2009 10:16