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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Mar 10, 2011
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
As a member of the legendary gospel group The Staple Singers, Mavis Staples has been singing for many years. But it wasn’t until the early 1970s, when the group turned its attention to more R&B-oriented material, that it crossed over and achieved mass appeal. Hit singles such as “Respect Yourself,” “I’ll Take You There,” “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)” and “Touch A Hand (Make A Friend),” are The Staples’ pop legacy.
As a solo artist, Mavis had a somewhat less successful career, despite working with Prince during the 1980s. But all that changed in recent years when she signed to the hipster Anti- label. Now she’s being discovered by a whole new generation of listeners.
On “You Are Not Alone” (Anti-), Staples is joined by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy (as well as Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor) for a set of gospel and bluesy tunes, including the Tweedy-penned title track and “Only The Lord Knows.” Ther are covers of Randy Newman’s “Losing You,” Allen Toussaint’s “Last Train” and John Fogerty’s “Wrote A Song For Everyone,” among others.
Bruce Springsteen
By the time Bruce Springsteen released “Darkness On The Edge of Town” in 1978, he had already been rewarded with commercial and critical success with 1975’s “Born To Run.” The time between discs, which included legal troubles, produced not only the songs on “Darkness,” but several others he created during that time that are now available on the double-disc set “The Promise” (Columbia). Subtitled “The Lost Sessions from Darkness on the Edge of Town,” you can hear traces of what came before and what was to be on “Darkness,” such as in “Racing In The Street (’78).”
The studio recordings of “Because The Night” and “Fire” are hot, while “Someday (We’ll Be Together), “Wrong Side of the Street,” “Come On (Let’s Go Tonight),” “Talk To Me,” “Breakaway,” the title cut and the newly recorded “Save My Love” already sound like classics.
John Mellencamp
When all is said and done, John Mellencamp turns out to be the Bruce Springsteen of the Midwest. But the early years of his career in the mid-1970s almost threatened that.
Like Springsteen, others had hits with Mellencamp’s songs (see Pat Benatar and “I Need A Lover”) before he himself topped the charts. But his early chart-topping years, unlike Springsteen’s, were hard to take seriously due to the combination of the Cougar pseudonym and the macho fluff of the material. Mellencamp reached a turning point in the mid-1980s, reclaiming his surname and releasing the powerful and mature “Scarecrow” in 1985.
After that he released a series of vastly improved recordings and even worked with dance produce Junior Vasquez. In recent years, Mellencamp has been embracing his roots rocker identity and the stripped-down, raw, T Bone Burnett-produced “No Better Than This” (Rounder) is no exception.
Elvis Costello
Although Elvis Costello first burst on the scene in the significant punk rock year of 1977, and over the years he has proven to be one of the most versatile musicians in contemporary music. Costello’s new album “National Ransom” (Hear Music), produced by the ubiquitous Burnett, successfully wraps up many of Costello’s influences and genres in one tight and tasty package. From the roots punk of the title track through “Five Small Words,” “Church Underground,” “You Hung The Moon,” “Bullets For The New-Born King” and “A Voice In The Dark,” we will forever be in Costello’s debt when it comes to his musical genius.
Graham Parker
Although Graham Parker’s first two albums were released before Costello’s, there’s no question that he got stuck in Elvis’ shadow. But Parker has a number of essential recordings to his name – indeed, no music collection is complete without 1979’s “Squeezing Out Sparks.” “Imaginary Television” (Bloodshot) may not be this century’s “Sparks,” but it does contain enough good material, including “Broken Skin,” “Always Greener” and “1st Responder,” to make it worth tuning into “Imaginary Television.”
J.P., Chrissie & The Fairground Boys
Since The Pretenders’ celebrated 1979 debut album was released, founder and front-woman Chrissie Hynde has been eternally linked to that band. The 2008 Pretenders disc “Break Up The Concrete” was the group’s first genuinely strong album in several years a welcome addition to its catalog. But Hynde’s latest project is not one related to The Pretenders. “Fidelity” (La Mina) is credited to J.P., Chrissie & The Fairground Boys. We already know who Chrissie is. J.P. is J.P. Jones, a young musician (rumored to be Hynde’s paramour) with whom she collaborates over the course of 11 tracks. It’s a sweet and appealing record, possibly the most poppy recording of Hynde’s career. Just listen to “Australia,” “Your Fairground,” “Leave Me If You Must” and the title tune and see if you don’t agree.
Sting
A seriously flawed recording, 2010’s “Symphonicities” by Sting found the former Police-man revisiting songs from both his ‘70s and ‘80s Police and his later solo songbook in an orchestral setting (can you say “Travelogue” by Joni Mitchell?). Sting must have enjoyed the experience because he took it on the road with an orchestra and now we have the CD/DVD set “Live In Berlin” (Deutsche Gramophone) as proof. While it’s hard not to have a soft spot for Sting for his Quentin Crisp homage “Englishman In New York,” there’s a bit of self-indulgence at work here (Sting, self-indulgent? Say it isn’t so.). Still, for Sting’s legion of fans, this is a gift that keeps on giving.
