Town and Country by Humble Pie

Town And Country by Humble Pie

If you love acoustic driven classic rock a la Rod Stewart, Pete Townshend and Paul McCartney, I'm not sure it gets much better than Town And Country the second album by England's Humble Pie.  Featuring Steve Marriott of The Small Faces (a precursor to Faces featuring the aformentioned Rod Stewart), Humble Pie would later achieve greater success with albums like Smokin'  that featured a boogie rock sound and the accomplished guitar playing of Dave "Clem" Clempson.  On Town And Country, however, Clem Clempson is nowhere to be found.  Rather, the album features Pie's original guitar player, the now legendary Peter Frampton.  

The album's opener "Take Me Back" is spellbinding.  Opening with an acoustic guitar progression not quite unlike Paul McCartney's "Blackbird," Frampton gives one of his most best vocal performances.  One could only imagine hearing this song live.  I'm sure it silenced a room in seconds.  Despite Town And Country's golden acoustics, the album isn't entirely absent of electricity.  The cover of Buddy Holly's "Heartbeat" is a worthy, rocking reinterpretation, which contains a winning classic rock guitar riff that might have inspired The Raspberries' number one hit "Go All The Way."

On the other hand, "Down Home Again" could have seamlessly slipped into the Rolling Stone's masterpiece Exile On Mainstreet.  Years later, Humble Pie would nearly have a top five record, but they never made an album like Town And Country again.  I'm sure there were many devoted fans thinking "Take Me Back" to themselves for years to come.  

Town And Country by Humble Pie

Movie Night: Let It Be

Essential viewing.  The fifth and last Beatles movie Let It Be stands apart from the others because it doesn't satirize the personalities and lifestyles of the fab four.  Rather, it documents the band's final recording sessions for the albums "Let It Be" and "Abbey Road," which would be released in the opposite order they were recorded in.  The performances are obviously brilliant, but the behind-the-scenes moments are both enlightening and heartbreaking.  While there isn't a sort of MTV Road Rules/Real World tension, there isn't any friendliness either.  There's civility and an obvious respect for each others' talents.  But, there isn't an illusion of anything other than a "working friendship."  The final minutes of Let It Be are the most rewarding and are "worth the price of admission."   What was famously dubbed as "The Rooftop Concert" was The Beatles first and last public performance since 1966.  The performances are terrific and feature "Fifth Beatle" Billy Preston on keyboards.   As you will see, no announcement of a concert was made to the public.  The magnificent faces of onlookers adds so much to The Beatles legend.  The subsequent soundtrack album Let It Be was one of the only Beatles albums to not receive universal acclaim from critics.  What overthinkers.  The album is great.  

NOTE: You might have to turn your laptop sideways.  I know...I suck.  But, it's doable.  

TEENAGE HOUSE PARTY BY SANDY NELSON

Teenage House Party by Sandy Nelson...I love this album cover. Look at that spread on the table!

Sandy Nelson is a famous drummer and bandleader of the early 60s whose name would be found prominently in the fictional "Encyclopedia of Surf Rock."  His drums can be heard on many hits including "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by The Teddy Bears, which is probably played on Sirius XM Radio at least twice per day.  As All Music Guide critic Richie Unterburger puts it, Nelson's recordings "might have helped inspire aspiring musicians as things to play along and learn with, if nothing else." Unterburger argues that legendary drummer Keith Moon was "no-doubt influenced" by Sandy Nelson's "reckless style." 

Released in 1963, Teenage House Party wasn't one of Sandy Nelson's most famous records, but it's a whole lot of fun.  Like many albums of the early 60s, House Party  is a short one, clocking it at around 27 minutes.  But in those 27 minutes are 12 very danceable rock 'n roll numbers.  Part of the kitsch of this record is the addition of overdubs of teens partying—quite conservatively, I might add—which definitely makes the record live up to it's title.  It's funny and kind of cute.  I like to picture the Peanuts characters in their early teens dancing to this record.  

Since this will be the only Sandy Nelson article I intend to write, I'm going to include a "best of" album with all his early hits, including the Top 10 hits "Teen Beat" and "Let There Be Drums."  

Teenage House Party by Sandy Nelson

The Very Best of Sandy Nelson