Listening Post /Brief reviews of select releases
Listening Post: New CD releases
Metal: Black Sabbath, “The Rules of Hell” four-CD box set (Warner Bros./Rhino). No one can take anything away from the original incarnation of Black Sabbath, the Birmingham, England, progenitor of heavy metal led by the nasal whine and relentless enthusiasm of John “Ozzy” Osbourne.
That band made more than a few classic albums before collapsing in a heaping pile of cocaine some 10 years into its existence, yet another victim of ’70s excess. But just as surely, it must be admitted that the Ronnie James Dio era of Sabbath eclipsed the original in terms of songwriting and record-making, over the course of three studio albums and attendant world tours. It’s the Dio tenure that is celebrated by “The Rules of Hell,” a package containing long overdue definitive remasters of the now classic albums “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules,” a serious (and badly needed) dusting down of the concert document “Live Evil,” and the overlooked mid-’90s “comeback” effort, “Dehumanizer.” The writing team of guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler found a surprisingly kindred spirit in upstate New Yorker Dio, a powerful singer with a dramatic, emotive voice, a keen melodic sense and a penchant for darkly poetic lyrics. Both “Heaven” and “Mob” are flawless; “Live Evil” in its original vinyl edition sounded absolutely dreadful, as if it had been recorded in a cave, but this remaster rescues its incendiary live performances from history’s dustbin; “Dehumanizer” pales a wee bit by comparison, but time and distance allow us to appreciate the record as a reaffirmation of the band’s sinister brand of heavy-but-melodic rock. ★★★★( Jeff Miers) This lineup of Black Sabbath — now operating beneath the moniker Heaven & Hell — appears at the Hamburg Fairgrounds on Aug. 12.
Rock
David Bowie, “Live Santa Monica ’72” (EMI). This gig is part of rock mythology by now, and has long been a collector’s item on the bootleg circuit. Now, with approval from Bowie himself, it’s been granted deluxe treatment, replete with postcards, a full-size reproduction of critic Robert Hillburn’s original review of the show, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times, and facsimiles of original advertisements for the concert itself. None of this makes “Santa Monica” a high-quality sound recording, mind you. The thing still sounds like a bootleg, albeit a pretty good one. Still, it’s magic, hearing Bowie — still only a cult-level success in the United States at the time — win over the Los Angeles audience with a set full of songs from “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.” That record hadn’t been released yet, meaning the audience was responding to songs it had never heard before. Bowie, flanked by the late, great guitarist Mick Ronson, brought his gender-bender glam-rock beauty into full-flower at this gig, legend has it, and that legend is supported by this burning, warts-and-all performance. For hardcore fans only. You know who you are. ★★★★ (J. M.)
Classical
Glass, Herrmann, Antheil and Evans, Four American Quartets performed by the Fine Arts Quartet (Naxos). Should anyone wonder why this disc leads off with Ralph Evans’ Quartet no. 1 instead of the wonderful 1948 Quartet no. 3 by George Antheil, the obvious answer is that Evans is the Fine Arts Quartet’s first violinist so he should jolly well be able to feature his own work. Meanwhile, though, it is neither his quartet or Philip Glass’ String Quartet no. 2 (inspired, somewhat incredibly, by Samuel Beckett’s “Company”) that distinguishes this disc but rather the Antheil and the concluding Bernard Herrmann “Echoes for String Quartet” from 1965. Both the Antheil Quartets and violin/ piano sonatas may be in masterpiece territory and ought to be American repertoire staples. Antheil composed some for films but Herrmann was one of the greatest of all American film composers. The “Echoes” was the first concert work he’d published in 25 years. ★★ 1/2 ( Jeff Simon)
Pop
Various artists, Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack, Featuring the Songs of ABBA
(Decca). ABBA mastermind Benny Andersson oversaw this soundtrack companion to the “Mamma Mia!” film, so it’s an, ahem, authentic ABBA project, never fear. ABBA was the very definition of tacky the first time around, its blend of gaudy showtunes with disco and radio pop disturbing to some (me!), but irresistible to millions of others. This soundtrack features the vocal performances of the film cast, and most of them are truly awful. Meryl Streep stands head and shoulders above her fellow castmembers — among them Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard — with her takes on “Money, Money, Money,” “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen.” Still, minus the onscreen interaction, this whole affair seems redundant at best. ABBA songs are so ingrained in the collective popular consciousness that one feels like a curmudgeon slamming them, as if one is dissing an established tradition, rather than a mere collection of songs that make Andrew Lloyd Webber sound positively soulful by comparison. Mamma Mia, indeed. ★( J. M.)
Jazz
Kenny Barron, “The Traveler” (Sunnyside); Hiromi’s Sonicbloom, “Beyond Standards” (Telarc). There’s an object lesson in musicianly poise on these two discs though only the most vehemently didactic would insist on it. The great veteran jazz pianist Barron was, among many other things, one of the greatest pianists Stan Getz ever had. Listen to him accompany singer Ann Hampton Callaway on “Clouds” and you’ll hear about as much lyrical composure as a modern jazz pianist is capable of. His old friend, drummer/singer Grady Tate, shows up for one tune and both soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson and guitarist (and Albright- Knox Art Gallery Art of Jazz star) Lionel Loueke guest on three tunes apiece. The demonic jazz pianist so ferocious on a disc called “Lucifer” three decades ago has long turned into one of the ablest, most genial and versatile and sensitive masters of post-bop piano. Hiromi Uehara, on the other hand, is the most maddening figure of her jazz piano generation — a wildly gifted and creative jazz pianist who almost always insists on hiding all of it by perpetrating fusion garbage by the megaton on the dubious grounds that her real gifts couldn’t possibly communicate to listeners of her generation. And then, after a lot of worthless pseudo-hip versions of standards on “Beyond Standards,” she ends the disc with an ear-popping and magnificent solo piano version of “I Got Rhythm” she dedicates to the late Oscar Peterson. Far more dissonant and splattering than anything Peterson ever played, it, nevertheless, erupts into stride piano so propulsive and riotous that the great thousand-finger master himself would no doubt have been ecstatic (remember that he and Ahmad Jamal were among those who immediately recognized her potential). If ever there was a disc to be cherished only for one cut to be downloaded, it’s “Beyond Standards.” Ratings: ★★★ for “The Traveler,” ★for “Beyond Standards” (except for llll for the track “I’ve Got Rhythm.”) (J. S.)
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Hot Club of Detroit, “Night Town” (Mack Avenue). Does every struggling Rust Belt city have its own mainstream jazz group in the style of Django Reinhardt and his Hot Club of France band? It’s beginning to seem that way. We’ve got Babik. Detroit has the Hot Club of Detroit. Don’t be too put off by Julien Labro’s accordion. Yes, the group might have been vastly improved if his ripping swing had come from a piano keyboard rather than an accordion’s but his spirit is pure jazz sans an ounce of cafe schmaltz. Founder and guitarist Evan Perri makes up a multitude of squeezebox sins. Think of this as the kind of roaring elegant swing that might have gotten a band fired its first night at the old Plaza Hotel’s Palm Court (who could possibly eat dessert with a band like that firing on all pistons?). ★★★( J.S.)
