Most people who have ripened to middle age will recognize Rickie Lee Jones' song "Chuck E's In Love," originally released on her classic eponymous debut album way back in 1979.
A few might recognize a song or two from the next couple of records, but only a small following are aware of the seventeen albums that make up her body of work (album number seventeen releases in June), one of which, 2009's Balm In Gilead, is in the Vault this week.
It seems like every time I turn around in Zia Records (Arizona and Nevada's ass-kickin' record store chain) there is a new release from Joe Bonamassa-either a new studio effort, a live CD or DVD. The man is nothing if not prolific, and in case ya didn't know, he can play guitar.
Beth Hart, while not a household name, has beaten some long odds overcoming drug addiction that nearly ended her career and her life, and only a few years later appearing alongside Jeff Beck on the Kennedy Center Honors Buddy Guy special. Beth is nowhere near as prolific as Joe, but has a catalog worth checking out (including her latest, released last week).
Together they have released two albums (three if you count the live album), and this week I wanted to draw your attention to their first.
Jess Roden is one of England's best kept secrets. But I'm gonna let regular readers in on the secret, and those with the combination to the vault can check out his debut solo album all week!
Virtually unknown in the US, he is mostly a potential trivia question, "who was replaced in The Alan Bown Set by a then-unknown Robert Palmer?" In fact, in the UK, the albums Roden sang lead on were re-released with Palmer vocals (although in the early 80's Roden sang backup for Palmer on a British television appearance). Although hailed by critics and musicians, Roden has never achieved the commercial success that seems his due.
A limited edition 6 disc anthology was released in 2013, limited to 950 hand numbered copies. Yours truly scored number 744 last summer. So there are not many left before they are gone forever! There was also a best-of compilation released by Lemon Records (UK) in 2009 that can still be found at a reasonable price. The other titles on CD are scarce and pricey, but some of the vinyl seems to be readily available at decent prices. I'm still looking for Jess Roden And The Humans and Seven Windows, just in case you come across them.
Few things can get me in a good mood as quickly as a perfect power-pop song, Turn on Badfinger's "No Matter What" or The Raspberries' "I Wanna BeWith You," and I'm good. Power-pop is a genre that never really goes away, but there are a few works that simply stand apart. Jellyfish's second release from 1993, Spilt Milk, is one such gem.
I don't recall what led me to buy this title, whether it was in-store play or a review. I do know I got it at Compact Disc World in south Jersey (route 70, forget the town, the store closed a decade or so ago, very sad). I still spin this one frequently, and sprung for the deluxe reissue a couple of months ago (needed all those bonus tracks even though most of them were on the box set I bought years ago). Here for your listening pleasure is a classic song from a classic record.
And here is Jellyfish covering Badfinger's classic...
Those of you with the key can check out more in The Vault...
