The Vinyl Dialogues Blog

Stories behind memorable albums of the 1970s as told by the artists

Month: November 2014

Completing a musical experience with folk legend Peter Yarrow

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On November 11, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary was at the Doylestown Bookshop on Nov. 10, 2014, to promote his new book, "Peter Paul and Mary: Fifty Years in Music and Life." (Photo by Mike Morsch)

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary was at the Doylestown Bookshop on Nov. 10, 2014, to promote his new book, “Peter Paul and Mary: Fifty Years in Music and Life.”
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

As much as I like listening to my favorite artists on vinyl, I’ve got this thing about hearing and seeing them sing their signature songs live. It completes the musical experience for me and oftentimes touches me emotionally.

That’s part what music is about for me: to elicit that emotion.

I want to experience Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys singing “Surfer Girl” in person. And I have.

I want to experience Hall and Oates singing “She’s Gone.” And I have.

I want to experience Elton John singing “Rocket Man.” And I have.

I’d like to witness Bob Dylan singing “Blowin’ In The Wind.” The same goes for Bruce Springsteen singing “Born To Run.” I hope to experience both of those some day.

There’s a whole list of artists whose songs I enjoy. I’ve got the records. But I haven’t seen them all live.

Fortunately, I was able to cross another off the bucket list this week. I got to see and hear Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, sing “Puff the Magic Dragon” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

Yarrow was at the Doylestown Bookshop in Doylestown, PA, to promote his new book, “Peter Paul and Mary: Fifty Years in Music and Life.” He told stories, sang a handful of songs, signed books and spent time chatting with those in attendance.

Yarrow, along with Noel Paul Stookey and the late Mary Travers are folk music legends. They’ve always been about peace, love and social consciousness.

That hasn’t changed for Peter Yarrow. He’s still about all those things. And about community. That was evident in his Doylestown appearance. Those in attendance knew the words and sang along to “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “If I Had A Hammer.” We all shared in the Peter, Paul and Mary experience that has unfolded over the past 50 years.

Actually, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” – written by John Denver – is my favorite Peter, Paul and Mary song. That song resonates differently for people. For me, it reminds me that my baby girl is away at college in Iowa – 16 hours by car from Philadelphia – and that I only get to see her once a year. Mary Travers sang lead on that Peter, Paul and Mary song and she owned it. The song was the group’s biggest single and only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

I was too young to see a Peter, Paul and Mary concert in the 1960s. But to hear Peter sing “Leaving on a Jet Plane” solo now was just as powerful for me as I sat there and listened to it.

It’s part of the musical experience. It’s personal. And it means a lot.

So after I got home from Peter’s book store appearance, I picked up the phone and called Iowa. Just to hear my daughter’s voice. And to complete a musical experience with Peter Yarrow.

 

A musical journey from Springsteen to ‘Springhouse Revival’

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On November 4, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

The debut album from Springhouse Revival is called "Return to Nothing." (Photo by Mike Morsch)

The debut album from Springhouse Revival is called “Return to Nothing.”
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

One of the first guys I met when I started college in the fall of 1977 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, was an upperclassman by the name of Duane Morrison. A bespectacled  Iowa farm boy, he was at an agriculture school to study . . . agriculture. Go figure.

Duane and his roommate, another upperclassman named Al Steinbach, lived right next door to me and my roommate Billy, in the dorms. A native New Yorker, Al apparently had decided to go to college in the heartland to study – best I could tell as a young, impressionable freshman – hillbillies. Since I lived right next door and appeared early on to be one of the new subjects of his study, he was in the right place.

The thing about Duane was that he had an advanced appreciation of music in 1977, especially vinyl. Duane and Al had the best record collection on our dorm floor, and whenever I happened by their room and the door was open, they’d invite me in to listen to records.

And nearly every time I went in there, Duane had a particular  artist on the turntable that he was absolutely enamored with. I had never heard of the guy, some dude from the East Coast. I’d listen to the record, but it really didn’t do much for me. I’d shrug my shoulders and politely shuffle my hick behind toward the door as Duane would encourage me to listen more closely and appreciate the music.

“You wait, this guy is going to be a big deal,” Duane would say.

The artist was Bruce Springsteen. The album was “Born to Run” from 1975.

I didn’t pay any attention then to Duane, and for many years after, on the topic of Bruce Springsteen.

Moving east in 2000 and a renewed interest in music over the past 15 years brought me to the Springsteen party quite late. And with the encouragement of a few close friends who happen to be Springsteen diehards, I’m now all in for The Boss. In fact, Steven Van Zandt of Springsteen’s E Street Band was interviewed for The Vinyl Dialogues.

One of those Springsteen devotees is my friend Gordon Glantz. He and I have been colleagues in the media business for years. Gordon is a brilliant writer so I am not unbiased when it comes to his work.

And now Gordon is in the music business himself. He and his song-writing partner, Terri Camilari, call themselves SpringHouse Revival and have just released their first album “Return to Nothing.” Gordon penned the lyrics, as well as arranged and co-produced with Glenn Barratt of Morningstar Studios in East Norriton, PA. Meanwhile, Terri composed the music and handled the vocals on this record.

If you’re in the suburban Philadelphia area, there is a “listening party” to debut the album on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Greco Roman Restaurant on West Main Street in West Norriton, PA. The public is invited.

I’ve come to appreciate the Philadelphia music scene over the years. There are a lot of great local artists putting out some pretty good stuff. They don’t get the recognition of the big-name artists, but they’re inspired people who are working hard, living their dreams and putting their creative efforts out there for people to see and hear. And I try to support their efforts by buying their CDs and attending their concerts.

I’m not a record reviewer, but I know what I like. And I like “Return to Nothing.” The release, which is available on iTunes and numerous other sites (CD Baby, Amazon.com. Google Play, Spotify, etc.), features 14 original songs. Gordon’s lyrics are mature and sophisticated and Terri’s compositions and vocals perfectly complement the material. And they’ve hired some ridiculously talented musicians – such as guitarist Tom Hampton (another friend of mine), drummer Grant MacAvoy, cellist Michael G. Ronstadt, viola player Larry Zelson and Barratt on keyboards and bass – to help them make their dream come alive.

Gordon helped me see the light when it came to Springsteen, and that gives him musical credibility with me. So I’m happy to be in on the ground floor of support for his project.

Check it out when you get a chance. The SpringHouse Revival  website is www.springhousesongs.com. There is a Facebook page was well that you can “like” for updates.

Hall & Oates frighteningly good at opening of new ‘Daryl’s House’

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On November 1, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Daryl Hall opened his new "Daryl's House" - a music venue and restaurant in Pawling, N.Y. - on Halloween night. He was joined by longtime bandmate John Oates for a concert that was streamed online. (Photo by Mike Morsch)

Daryl Hall opened his new “Daryl’s House” – a music venue and restaurant in Pawling, N.Y. – on Halloween night. He was joined by longtime bandmate John Oates for a concert that was streamed online.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

It was billed as “Hall-oween and Oates,” but thankfully, there was no soul version of “Monster Mash.”

That was never going to happen anyway. Daryl Hall and John Oates would never have a conversation about covering that song in one of their shows, even on Halloween. To do so would severely compromise the integrity of their H&OHQ – Hall & Oates Hipness Quotient.

No, this fright night performance on Oct. 31, 2014, was about something completely different. It christened the new “Daryl’s House” – a renovated music venue and restaurant – that used to be known as the Town Crier in Pawling, N.Y.

It’s the next step in the evolution of “Live From Daryl’s House,” an internet and cable show that Hall has hosted since 2007. Episodes for the show, which airs on the cable channel Palladia, will be filmed there without an audience, but at all other times, the venue’s bar, restaurant and stage will be open for business.

And true to innovative form, this show had something for everyone, even for those of us who couldn’t be there. Because actually, we could be there, right from the comfort of our own family rooms. Yahoo streamed the concert live – and free – online. It was a “Daryl’s House” show that came right to one’s house.

It was the first and only time that I’ve listened and watched an entire live concert from my recliner. Of course, I had the headphones on, and of course, I had the volume cranked.

Hall & Oates shows are tight and relatively predictable. There’s not as much between-song banter or storytelling like we get at a John Oates solo show. At a Hall & Oates show, we know we’re going to get the hits: “She’s Gone,” “Sara Smile,” “Rich Girl, “Maneater,” “Private Eyes,” “Kiss on My List.” We all love those songs. We all listen to those songs every time they’re on the radio. We all have those songs in our collections.

But we did get a few deeper album cuts in this 16-song set, most notably “Adult Education,” from the 1983 album “Rock ’n Soul Part I”; and “Back Together Again,” an Oates song, and “Do What You Want, Be What You Are,” both from the 1977 album “Bigger Than Both of Us.”

And even though we usually hear “She’s Gone” and “Las Vegas Turnaround” in an H&O show, I always want more from the 1973 album “Abandoned Luncheonette,” particularly Hall’s “When The Morning Comes” and Oates’ “Had I Known You Better Then.” I’m partial to that album because the making of it and the songs on it were discussed in length by both Daryl and John for “The Vinyl Dialogues.”

Everybody seemed happy – I know I was – with the show, but nobody more than Daryl.

“This is the way I hoped it would be,” he said toward the end of the performance. “This is a fantastic beginning to a real cool club. We got ourselves a clubhouse. That wouldn’t have happened without fan support, and that’s no joke.
If you haven’t watched it, check Yahoo for the replay. Put the headphones on, turn it up and enjoy the unique Halloween night gig at Daryl’s new house.

There’s no “Monster Mash,” which is a good thing, but this Hall & Oates show is guaranteed to be a “thriller” for you. (Insert appropriate groans here.)

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