Cheevyjames’ Musical Roundhouse

Recorded: 1973, Released: 1997
Tracks: Easy Money; Lament; Book of Saturday; Fracture; The Night Watch; Improv: Starless and Bible Black; Improv: Trio; Exiles; Improv: The Fright Watch; The Talking Drum; Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part II); 21st Century Schizoid Man
Best track: The Fright Watch > Talking Drum
Track to skip: none at all

All four of the band members actually sound good on here. Violinist David Cross says in the liner notes how they were at a really low point on this night, but it doesn’t sound like it to me. True, they get better in the next 7 months, but I think the band sounds very tight and alive on these recordings. For those of you paying attention, Jamie Muir was no longer in the bad at this point as he left the group back in February of ’73.

As for my favorites of this 2 CD set, it’s hard as always to choose. The guys do a beautiful version of Book of Saturday and the knockout punch of Talking Drum > Lark’s II > Schizoid Man is excellent. I think the highlight of this show is probably the 3 improvs though. Starless is dark and creepy, while Trio is the exact opposite: one of the most beautiful things Crimson ever recorded. I wish we were able to hear the transition between these two improvs, unfortunately that’s where the disc-switch occurs. For me, as a bassist and musician, nothing is more exciting and just plain evil than the last improv of the night, The Fright Watch and its lead-in to The Talking Drum. It had been teased a bit on 1991’s Frame By Frame box set, but here we get the full thing and it’s huge. It gives me chills and I so wish I could make music like this. This album isn’t the best live stuff available from the ‘73-’74 Crim, but considering it’s as good as it is, that should give you an indication of how excellent The Great Deceiver and USA are.

Rating: 90

Released: 1972
Tracks: Billy the Mountain; Call Any Vegetable; Eddie, Are You Kidding?; Magdalena; Dog Breath
Best track: Billy the Mountain
Track to skip: Magdalena can be skipped on occasion

As for the other 4 tracks (side 2 of the vinyl), it’s mostly more good stuff. The version of Call Any Vegetable rocks and is possibly better than the original (from Absolutely Free). Of course, as this was Zappa’s “vaudeville” band, you’ll pretty much laugh all the way through this whole thing. The only thing that isn’t quite right is Magdalena. The music itself is funny (and good) and there are some amusing lines in it, but the subject matter is still way too creepy. I’m willing to bet most people would skip it; I frequently do. Not because it’s a bad song, but the subject matter is one of the very few cases where I feel that Zappa went too far (technically Mark Volman wrote the words).

Besides the minor weirdness of Magdalena, this is a very good album. Like most stuff the ‘71/’72 band did, this album is hilarious. This edition of the Mothers was just overflowing with Conceptual Continuity and I love it. JABFLA makes a great companion to Fillmore East and (besides Magdalena) the humor here is much less ‘offensive’ than the Fillmore album. Give it a try.

Rating: 93

Released: 1996
Tracks: Kazango; No lo Visto; It’s All Right With Me; Minor Swing; Le Poinçonneur des Lilas; Black Trombone; Place de Brouckere; After You’ve Gone; Come Di; Blues en Mineur; Botch-A-Me; Brazil; Happy Feet; Y La Chalupa Va
Best track: Hard to choose, either It’s All Right, Brouckere, or Brazil
Track to skip: none

The second of the three versions of this album. These guys are lucky that not only is the album good enough, but the band is good enough as well that they can release this album THREE times. They decided to re-release this after Juliana Sheffield joined as vocalist. I’m sure they thought Juliana would stick around for a while and they wouldn’t ever need to put it out a third time. Oh well!

You know, I’m not complaining. This is the only album I own that features Juliana on the whole thing in such a prominent role. And I also prefer the music on this one to the previous version. Instead of recording it live at the Continental Club, this one is a studio production and it greatly benefits from perfect sound they got. All the nuances in the instruments come out better and the singing is amazing. As I’ve said a billion times before in all these reviews, Juliana Sheffield is a goddess and I could listen to her sing all day, every day. I’d just be in a perpetual state of bliss and I’d love it.

You can own this album for Juliana’s vocal performance or you can own it for the excellent instrumental abilities of the guys, but it’s something I totally recommend. This is a fantastic jazz album with excellent playing, singing, composing, and attitude. Also, this version has songs not on the first issue (some of the best ones). This is the version you should seek out when getting this album. Excellent.

Rating: 96

Released: 1972
Tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man; Peoria; The Sailor’s Tale; Earthbound; Groon
Best track: of course, Schizoid Man
Track to skip: the drum solo on Groon

As with the previous two CDs, the stars of this are Mel Collins and Robert Fripp. The solos of both on Schizoid Man (and the rest of the album) are phenomenal and worth the purchase. I also really like hearing the jams Peoria and Earthbound. Both present a side of Crimson that was unique to this lineup, and also unique to this CD: Crimson as a funk band. Boz’s scat singing on Peoria gets old, but overall both songs are actually fun.

Besides the imperfect sound, the only things that really annoy me about this are the seriously edited Sailor’s Tale and the damn drum solo on Groon. Even with the edit, Sailor’s Tale is still excellent. Most of Groon is very cool, and the first half of the drum solo is even good, but once they turn on the VCS3 to add *that* effect to the drums, it really sounds bad. Why did bands do that in the 70’s? I’ll never understand it. Regardless of those imperfections, Earthbound is still enjoyable and essential if you’re into Crimson. I’m very thankful it’s finally (legitimately) on CD.

Rating: 86

Released: 1965
Tracks: Drive My Car; Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown); You Won’t See Me; Nowhere Man; Think For Yourself; The Word; Michelle; What Goes On; Girl; I’m Looking Through You; In My Life; Wait; If I Needed Someone; Run For Your Life
Best track: In My Life
Tracks to skip: Run For Your Life, What Goes On

I do always feel torn when thinking about this album because for all the not-so-hot songs, there are some absolute masterpieces. The first four songs are perfect and In My Life is one of the greatest songs ever written. On the one hand, you have those 5 great songs, and then you have the 2 awful ones. I just can’t give this a good grade for 5 songs.

OK, let me clarify. There aren’t only 5 good songs on here, there are only 5 excellent songs. Most of this album absolutely qualifies as ‘good’. It’s just that the bad stuff lessens it a bit. OK, the good stuff about Rubber Soul: besides the 5 songs I mentioned, I just love the vocals on this album. They really all sound great and the background vocals are exceptional. John, Paul and George sound fantastic on the whole thing (well, not really on Girl or What Goes On). Paul plays some great bass lines and the lyrics on here are a lot more mature (not just the typical love songs). And of course, In My Life gives me chills. I can at least be happy that this is the last Beatles album to have a clunker as the last track, as all the albums after this have incredible songs at the ends. Run For Your Life is terrible and it fries my brain to think how they could put it on the same album as In My Life and Nowhere Man. Yes, of course this album is essential, just don’t think it’s perfect.

Rating: 80