Terry Holley - Acoustic Covers

Terry Holley - Acoustic Covers

2010, The Standard Electrical Record Company

Terry Holley is a man living his dream.  Over the course of three months Holley recorded eleven covers of classic tunes in his home.  Mixed in a Florida studio with limited compression, the album Acoustic Covers gives life to Holley’s straightforward style of acoustic guitar play, mixing in organic and synthesized instruments.  Holley will be giving away one hundred copies of the album as Christmas gifts to family and friends this holiday season, and will also be offering Acoustic Covers for sale online in the near future.  Holley expects to lose money on Acoustic Covers, but is proceeding purely on his love for music.

Acoustic Covers is literally titled.  There isn’t much original or surprising in the eleven tracks offered here, but Holley offers consistent and loving renditions of classic rock songs one might assume were among his personal favorites.  Holley keeps the arrangements simply drawn, offering up just enough instrumental support to build a sufficient canvas to backlight his guitar-based melodies.  The results are generally very solid; while Holley never quite sets the night on fire with his guitar style, he manages to move from song to song with a bit of spirit and panache in spite of the middle-of-the-road arrangements.

Holley opens with The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream”, a straight-up instrumental read with a playful feel.  You can almost hear Holley’s smirk throughout the song.  “Splish Splash” is similarly arranged, adding light percussion this time around.  Musically solid, there’s a somewhat canned feel to this one – like slightly upbeat Muzak.  Holley shows some real bounce on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, working some jazzy life into the transitions.  Holley keeps upping the ante here, getting some real bounce into the act as the song progresses.  Holley takes The Beatles to the music box on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” with a faithful instrumental that keeps things simple.

Holley has some fun with Pure Prairie League’s “Amie”, a sweet cover that captures the melodic heart of the song in a tight and well-played cover.  Holley then steps out on a bit of a limb with The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee”, incorporating flute and strings in a solid rendition that seems a bit more ambitious than what has come before.  The Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water” is up next in a sufficiently intricate rendition that is aurally appealing.    Holley captures the snarky feel of Eric Idle’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”, offering up a light and airy reading that will leave a smile on your face.  “Obladi, Oblada” gets back to the music box Beatles feel noted earlier in a straight-up, enjoyable rendition.  Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade Of Pale” is eminently reverent to the original arrangement even if it seems a bit dissociated from the emotional heart of the song.  Holley closes with Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” in a technically splendid performance.

Terry Holley certainly chases the dream on Acoustic Covers.  In this regard the album is a huge success, as Holley manages to perfect a dream long held.  Acoustic Covers is a pleasant listen that is certain to please the ears and provide for hours of solid background music.  Holley is proficient with the guitar; technically consistent and able to display the occasional spark that turns a mediocre album into an above-average one.  Acoustic Covers does tend to be a bit too straightforward at times.  It would be nice to hear Holley actually interpret the songs offered up here rather than just playing straight melody lines.  But for what it is, Acoustic Covers is worth spending a bit of time on.  And as a dream come true, you could do worse.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

 Acoustic Covers is available as a digital download from Amazon.com, CDBaby and iTunes.

Judge Jackson - Drive

Judge Jackson - Drive
2010, Curtis-Joe Records

Judge Jackson holds the distinction of being one of two bands to ever be invited to play at the Hells Angel’s LA Chapter House. Touring with bands like Gov’t Mule, The Doobie Brothers and Cheap Trick over the past several years, Judge Jackson has caught the ear of many classic rock fans, but it’s the freshness of their sound that has gained Judge Jackson placements on such shows as NFL on FOX, MLB on FOX, NHL on FOX Playoffs and My Name Is Earl. With their fifth album, Drive, due on August 3, 2010, Judge Jackson have come fully into their own, mixing a classic sound and a fresh approach that is certain to dance across generations.

Drive opens with "Head Over Heels", driven with the energy of 1980's glam rock without all of the volume. Lead vocalist Todd McTavish can flat out sing, and the hooks and harmonies make this one of the better pop/rock hybrids of the early summer. "Radio" is a tribute that may have been more apropos in the 1980's than it is today. Guitarist Lee Jackson snaps off riffs in the style of Nuno Bettencourt and makes this song a winner. Things get a bit bland for a bit as Judge Jackson runs through tunes like "Pickin' Me Up" and the power ballad "Me Then You", but salvation comes in the form of "Just Because". With a hook so big you can't stay out of its way, "Just Because" is the sort of virulently catchy rock tune that you might be hearing all summer long.

"The End" is a blues rocker that opens and closes with riffs that could have been culled directly from a Jimi Hendrix songbook. The tune is a bit on the hokey side but full of fun and a likely fan favorite at live shows. Judge Jackson shows off their hooky side again on "River", a highly danceable bit of classic rock n roll that will have your toes tapping. Drive comes to a close with "Meant To Be", with Judge Jackson taking on a vague country feel and featuring Julia Henry in a duet with McTavish. This is by far the best track on the disc, and considering tunes like "Head Over Heels" and "Just Because" that's actually saying quite a lot.

You'll pass through some slow moments on Drive, but Judge Jackson show they know how to rock and they know how to write great songs. The slow moments are made worthwhile by the better tunes on Drive, and you're certain to find yourself checking Judge Jackson's itinerary to see if they're coming through your town. This is the sort of band that can make a night memorable.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Judge Jackson at http://www.judgejackson.net/ or www.myspace.com/judgejackson. Drive drops on August 3, 2010. Expect wide availability.

Review: Jackdawg - Jackdawg

Jackdawg - Jackdawg
2009, Sonic Past Music

The long awaited and much discussed CD Jackdawg is due for release on March 17, 2009. This near-legendary album was recorded in 1990 and features John McFee and Keith Knudsen of the Doobie Brothers along with Creedence Clearwater Revival's Stu Cook. The band was an outgrowth of Southern Pacific and was recorded at McFee's Lizard Rock Studio in Solvage, Ca. The Jackdawg recordings stayed hidden in a vault until after Knudsen's death in 2005. The eponymous album includes thirteen original tracks plus covers of Roky Erickson's Cold Night For Alligators and Van Morrison's Wild Night.

Jackdawg opens with Bayou Rebel, an ode of sorts to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Bayou Rebel sounds like something that might have come out of CCR in their heyday but updated for the early 1990's when it was originally recorded. When The Sun Don't Shine is a tasty bit of modern rock with southern rock ancestors. The guitar work here is excellent, and the melody is quite memorable. The Men Who Would Be King was inspired by The Beatles, hinted at the by the harmonies at the end of each refrain and the occasional musical reference.

Hunger is a big stadium rocker that sounds like top-40 gold circa 1985. Ghost Dance has no pretensions about it, sounding more like something you'd expect to hear out of Lou Gramm than a conjunction of ex-Doobie and CCR guys. It's quite good, just a bit of a sonic surprise you might not have expected. Jackdawg returns to familiar territory with the old school R&B rocker Take It Off. Kisses In The Rain is another one of those songs that would have been a huge hit in a different era. This one sounds like a cross between Don Henley, The Beach Boys and Huey Lewis' backup band, The News.

Other highlights here include I Couldn't Help Myself, the big guitar rocker Quicksand, the Hagar-era Van Halen sounding Lookin' For Trouble, Young Ones, and The Girl From Oz. The Girl From Oz was inspired by the lead singer from The Divinyls, and sounds like someone took a variance on the bass line from Styx' Too Much Time On My Hands; added some Alex Liefson (Rush) style guitar work and a big 1980's rock chorus to create the perfect pop/rock song. The covers of Cold Night For Alligators and Wild Night are quite well done. They fit with the character of the rest of the album, but don't quite blend in the way the rest of the tracks do.
Jackdawg is a brilliant album. It's too bad this has been hidden away for almost two decades. If released back in 1990 it might have been a major hit for Cook, McFee and Knudsen. Today it will be appreciated by those in the know, but probably doesn't have the commercial reach it might once have had. Expect to hear a handful of tracks from this one show up on soundtracks, commercials or wherever else the marketing folks can find a spot. The music is excellent, and worthy of the resumes Jackdawg brought into the project.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jackdawg at http://www.jackdawg.net/. You can order a copy of Jackdawg at Amazon.com.