Massive Attack's "Heligoland" (2010)
(February 8, 2010)
Review:
Somebody pass me the Rosetta Stone of rock — it turns out that I’m not quite ready for trip hop, although even I can admit there are a couple of bright spots on “Heligoland” that transcend background music.
Top Two Tracks:
“Pray for Rain” & “Saturday Come Slow”
By Jim Fusco:
Oh…My…GOD!! I am so angry right now!! THREE TIMES- that’s right, three perfect takes of “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot it took before I could render tonight’s video and publish to YouTube. Why?!?! Because, for whatever reason, my computer corrupted my video TWICE! It’s so much later than I want it to be. And, if you know anything about me, you’ll know that I like to (and most times ONLY will) do things once and that’s it. Tonight, I brought home Noreen’s 1967 Gibson 12-string acoustic and needed to get this song done. Grrrrrr…..
And, of course, this happens on GROUNDHOG’S DAY!! Wait, am I Bill Murray?
Anyway, onto the shorter (due to the late post) description of tonight’s video.
The legend of the guitar I’m playing in this video is that it was actually OWNED by Gordon Lightfoot at some point!! I don’t know if that’s really true, but wouldn’t it be crazy? I just had to ask Noreen to borrow it tonight. Someday, I may inherit this beautiful guitar…but, seriously, I’m not hoping that day comes anytime soon at all.
I’ve always known this song, and always kind of knew Gordon Lightfoot did it, but I never knew the name (thank you Shazaam App on my iPhone!) and when I heard it again on the radio last week, I knew I had to do it. Listening back, I noticed that it was recorded using a 12-string guitar. Imagine if it was the same one on the recording…
This song is so easy- just slap a capo on the second fret and play E and B for the verse. Then, do E, A, and D for the chorus and you’ve got it! But, even in its simplicity, I find “Sundown” to be a very powerful song. It’s got such a great tune. And the original has really cool harmonies on the chorus. I was hoping to round-up a posse to sing with me, but remembered that I live in Connecticut and would be nowhere near any semblance of a “posse” for at least 500 miles…
So, you get the standard one-man Laptop Session version of “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot here on the best blog ever created!
I have some new plans (that’ll cost me some money) to promote both the blog and my original music. I save emails that interest me (advertisements, etc.) and then I let them stew in my mind for about four months. After that, I have a pretty good idea of what I want to spend my money on. And I think I’ve come up with two great ways of promotion that will help get me fans of my original music and help give the Laptop Sessions music blog some better search engine traffic. If I play my cards right, I can do it all for under $100, which in terms of internet promotion is a STEAL.
On a final note, my brother Mike suggested today that he and I record the brand-new Barenaked Ladies single, “You Run Away” from their upcoming album in March. I cannot wait for this album to come out. It’s so exciting to get a new album from BNL and I’m excited to hear them as a four-piece band with more contributions from the “secondary” (if you can even say that with them) band members. I hear there’s THREE Jim Creegan songs on the album! He’s like the George Harrison of the group now. 🙂 Anyway, “You Run Away” came out on iTunes today and it’s AWESOME. You really have to buy it. They sound great. They didn’t try to change their sound too much. It’s just great rock’n’roll with great vocals. And that’s the way to please me musically, folks.
I’ve been listening to some new stuff lately and can’t wait to share it with you- hopefully I’ll get some time soon. Until next post, have a great week!
NOTE: This video was remastered in 2020 for improved video and sound.
By Jim Fusco:
Hello everyone- it’s a Tuesday, so that mean’s it’s another edition of The Laptop Sessions and another acoustic cover song from me, Jim Fusco! Tonight, I bring you an oldie, but a goodie in Buddy Holly’s classic tune, “Maybe Baby”. You know, it’s funny- I can almost picture how Buddy wrote this song. He started playing an A chord, followed by an F#m chord, which is a nice change. I can tell that he really liked it and kept playing it over and over until the tune of, “Maybe baby, I’ll have you…” came into his head. The rest of the song is pretty formulaic after that.
But, that’s what I love so much about these very early rock’n’roll songs- it must’ve been great to have a wide-open slate because no one had done it before! So, even the simplest chord changes (like the one I just mentioned) became opportunities for new rock songs. I’m sure someone used that progression in jazz or another form of earlier music, but since Buddy was such a pioneer, he was the first to utilize such chord progressions in rock music.
Now, of course, Buddy Holly had the advantage of being one of the first to write modern rock’n’roll songs in this style, but it wasn’t easy. Having a blank slate seems great- “Oh, okay, I have every chord and no one has taken any of the potential melodies yet- this will be easy to write a song!” But, you have to remember that Buddy, unlike the rest of us, didn’t have a lot to draw from. He didn’t grow up listening to similar music like I did. He had to do it first, which is infinitely more difficult to do than when you have some prior knowledge to draw on.
So, even though “Maybe Baby” may not be the hardest or most complicated song, I still give the man all the credit in the world because he paved the way for so many others. I plan on starting a little Buddy Holly collection- I saw a really great CD retrospective once with all of his original, earliest recordings. That blows me away- there’s some songs in there from the early 50’s!
For this video, I tried to sing the song true to the original, but it’s tough to do that on a Buddy Holly song without having it sound like an imitation. Of course, I never want that. So, I tried singing just like myself, but threw in a few “hiccups” of Buddy Holly’s style in there. It was a lot of fun to record!
The busiest month of the year so far…and it’s only the first one! I keep telling myself, “Well, as soon as (insert major event here) is over, then things will go back to normal.” But, as soon as home life returns to normal, work life goes crazy, and vice-versa.
I hope you have a great week and stop back, if for nothing else than my next post next Tuesday!
By Chris Moore:
RATING: 3.5 / 5 stars
Earning a spot on the 2007 edition of the Alternative Press’ “100 Bands You Need to Know” list didn’t bring Locksley any closer to recognition even from an independent music store regular such as myself. In fact, for such an under-the-radar band, Locksley has accumulated quite the resume in their six years together. Aside from being featured in magazines like SPIN and Elle, their music has appeared in conjunction with multiple retailers, they have played live for both Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, they have opened for bands such as Hanson and Rooney, and they have the distinction of being the first unsigned band ever to have their music played on MtV.
I truly had no inkling of any of these accomplishments when I noticed a somewhat beat up copy of Don’t Make Me Wait in the used CD rack of my local Newbury Comics store. Their very simple packaging and retro look caught my eye, and despite the fact that I could have produced this cover on a Windows 95 computer, I had a good feeling about the look of the band.
And, for $3.99, I figured, how could I go wrong?
Well, the answer is, you couldn’t with Locksley.
Theirs is a derivative sound, to be certain, and it rings strongly of early sixties Beatles. Perhaps most prominently, there’s a “Twist and Shout” John Lennon-esque crackling lead vocal on “Let Me Know,” and the dual leads throughout many of the songs will lead any fan of Please Please Me-era Beatles to draw comparisons.
And yet, Locksley is not simply a Beatles rip-off, a band begging to be sent back to stagnation in cheap bars only interested in cover songs. There’s an uncanny blending of garage rock with their roots-based sound. In fact, for all the blunt distortion guitars and their practically punk rock mentality, there is no confusing this band for a sixties group.
Locksley's "Don't Make Me Wait" (2006, 2008)
Don’t Make Me Wait is probably best described as the best of both worlds, and it is clear that Locksley is playing around, experimenting with harmonies (which are subtle in some places, beautiful in others), lead guitar parts, and overall composition. The title track leads off the album, and sets the tone for what is to be an upbeat, energetic collection of tracks. The dual lead vocals are as interesting and excellent as ever on “All Over Again,” just as their vocals on “My Kind of Lover” hint at the potential for truly great vocal work on future releases. Still, my favorite aspect of this album — and the reason I have listened repeatedly — is the tremendous lineup of catchy, quick tunes like “Into the Sun,” “Up the Stairs,” and “She Does,” to name only a few. As soon as one ends, the next kicks in with just as much energy as the one preceding it.
In this sense, their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. Locksley’s Don’t Make Me Wait suffers from the shortfalls of a sophomore release. It is energetic, fun, and brimming with potential, and yet there is nothing about this record that is so unique as to be outstanding in and of itself. Even a track like “All of the Time,” simple as it may be, suffers from the “one-gear” mentality they generally embrace on this record. I feel certain that they are poised to flex a considerable range, particularly from songs like the “For You” suite that closes the record, the bonus track “Safely From the City,” and even the alternate performance of “All of the Time” I’ve heard on YouTube.
Don’t Make Me Wait is an album that expresses considerable potential, and ironically, fans have had to wait since 2006 for a true follow-up to this record. As recently as last week, the follow-up album Be in Love — originally scheduled for release this week — was pushed ahead to late February for digital and mid-March for physical.
Waiting appears to be the name of the game.
While we wait, Don’t Make Me Wait is a youthful, vibrant album that captures all the drive of an unsigned band, living from one gig to the next. That somehow translates on this record, and it is that energy and sincerity that compels me to look past the derivative nature of their sound. How their next album plays out will suggest a great deal about this band’s ability to evolve and make progress without losing all the rock and roll ground they’ve gained here.
The fact that we have to wait until March to reach a verdict only adds more anthemic meaning to this opening track, “Don’t Make Me Wait”!
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The Laptop Sessions music video blog is a great combination of acoustic cover songs and original music. This website features cover songs from many of rock music's greatest bands, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan. The blog archives hundreds of acoustic cover videos, how-to videos, and articles about music.We only play the best cover songs from the best rock bands of all time. Here at the Laptop Sessions, we don't just sit down and do a bunch of cover songs- we make them our own. Yes, each cover will sound like the original, but it will also have a new, fresh sound to it. One of our specialties is taking a song from say the eighties and stripping-away the production. Then, we're left with just the song- simple (and most times, much better). We then record an acoustic version of that song and put it on this music video blog for all music fans to watch. But, Laptop Sessions Music Blog is much more than just videos. There are informative blog posts, including the chords and lyrics to your favorite songs, recording tips, and much more. Plus, you can buy Jim Fusco's original songs right here on the music blog! Right from the start, the Laptop Sessions Acoustic Cover Songs & Music Video Blog set out to be different. We wanted to give the best music blog for the world to enjoy. We wanted to put an end to bad YouTube cover videos forever. We wanted to bring great rock music back to the forefront with our great cover songs and original music. And, we guarantee we'll keep it this way- free videos in the archive for your musical enjoyment. If you're looking for the best cover songs, the most exciting new music, and the most informative music articles, look no further than right here: home of the world-famous Laptop Sessions. |