Michael Franks – Objects of Desire

★★★✰

   The jazz culture from the very beginning was a phenomenon rising on popular dance and song models, functioning and developing as a popular music in particular social environment, then established as an artistic quality in specific circumstances of modern change of the western civilization. Popular song melodies were among most active elements of early jazz. Melodic shape, textual references and some pure musical meanings associated with rhythmic patterns and harmonic changes were usual base for improvisation. Even modern jazz drew its energy of popular songs and melodies. For many of the post jazz generation it was real sensation some standard themes, before used in improvised music, were popular songs and hits of earlier decades.
   When in late seventies era of fusion was about to end and the period of neo classical jazz was not clearly visible, many musicians were trying to find some new inspiration in popular and artistic song. One of singers of this period was Michael Franks, musician from southern California (born in La Jolla, Sept. 18th, 1944). He became famous as one of most active songwriters in pop and jazz crossover, recorded by dozens and esteemed for his own albums with leading musicians of jazz and smooth jazz, Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, Michael and Randy Brecker, Wilton Felder, David Sanborn and many more. His songs were recorded by jazz and popular artists, The Manhattan Transfer, The Carpenters, Diana Krall, Shirley Basey and Ringo Star. Over a dozen albums (recorded mostly for Warner Bros. Records) is coherent series documenting the development of Michael Franks songwriting and performance as a very individual jazz style.

Michael Franks – Objects of Desire (1982)

   Michael Franks’ discography can be seen as a kind of timeline for the progress of his songwriting and performing possibilities, but first of all these consecutively created albums are a beautiful collection of great songs, well written and performed, ready to give satisfaction even to a demanding listener. In this consequently build collection seventh album is somehow unique. Michael Franks’ Objects of Desire was written and recorded in 1981. Warner Bros. Records published it in 1982 simultaneously in US, Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain and RPA and on various carriers LP, CD and Compact Cassette. It looks like this one was intended to be a blockbuster. The number of musicians was bigger than ever and album was built in series of sessions in different studios. And the results were encouraging.
   This Objects of Desire is somehow a concept album. It shows nine songs about values and desire, but as these desired objects may be different. It’s like the picture from the cover, Two Tahitian Women by Paul Gauguin, which shows man’s objects of desire and can be considered as the object of desire itself. Emotional relations from love to jealousy show the space for Franks’ songs. They have outstanding musical setting. Natural melodic lines economically correspond with lyrics, and its soft jazz arrangements open wide space for great solos. Many perfect saxophone solos played by Michael Brecker (Laughing Gas), David Sanborn (Tahitian Moon, Love Duet), Lawrence Feldman (Flirtation), and few dozens of great session musicians gave this album lot of space. The same with singing performances: Bonnie Raitt’s voice in Ladies’ Nite is electrifying and finds its reflection in Franks’ vocal. One another example of great voice communication is Love Duet where Franks sings with Renee Diggs. Such culture of sound was always domain of professional artists only. Here it starts to be art for itself. Four and half of stars for perfect creative work.

Donald Fagen – The Nightfly

   The musical scene in seventies was complicated with rise of fresh waves and plenty of old concepts. As rock in its progressive subgenres was still aroused, pop-rock and jazz-rock were keeping their positions, and new ideas were emerging with speed of angry punk riffs and with power of new electronic sounds. Full spectrum of styles between musical experiments and easy listening was the scene for many bands playing all kinds of sound, forms and attitudes. One of them was Steely Dan, the band founded by two friends Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The ideas were continued by Donald Fagen after Steely Dan was disbanded in 1981 and his first solo album was The Nightfly, a clear display of new frontiers in popular music. The New Frontier was one of hit songs.
   Relations between words and harmonics, culture of sound and bold arrangements made this music revolutionary. First reason was entire new technology of digital process is studio recording. Giving new possibilities in composing and mixing tracks, it was a challenge for artists recording at the moment, and Fagen was not only one musician testing himself in new technology, but the results even 32 years later are still impressive. From the other hand, the year after breaking the band was good moment for recapitulation of artist achievements. And last but not least, after decade of creating sound of Steely Dan, came the time for shifting Fagen’s artistic development into new level. All of his albums had such character, and were issued at intervals of about 10 years.

Donald Fagen – The Nightfly (1982)

   Also the personnel changes during recording songs for The Nightfly album could be seen as a sign of summarizing attitude of the artist. There were some about two and a half dozens of musicians engaged. Many of them were known as sidemen from Steely Dan’s records, like guitarists Larry Carlton (The Royal Scam, Gaucho), Rick Derringer (Countdown to Ecstasy, Katy Lied, Gaucho), bass guitarists Chuck Rainey (Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, Aja, The Royal Scam, Gaucho), Anthony Jackson (Gaucho),  drummers Ed Greene (Aja) and Jeff Porcaro (Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied). Even famous jazzmen brothers Randy Brecker playing here trumpet and flugelhorn and Michael Brecker were recording on Gaucho, the last Steely Dan’s album preceding The Nightfly. Probably the greatest new arrival was Marcus Miller playing with strong jazz feeling. His bass guitar driving in Maxine, The Nightfly, and The Goodbye Look is just unmistakable.
   In Maxine close harmony voices are accompanied with perfect jazzy-style arrangement and Michael Brecker’s tenor solo, which is the great example of new pop-rock-jazz crossover. Everything here is organic and transparent, even if elements were taken from distant genres. In 1982 it was the turning point, not only in technical context, but first of all in social and cultural perspective. The debut record of Donald Fagen was recorded in years 1981 and 1982 in New York Soundworks Digital Audio/Video Recording Studios, then in Masonic temple of Village Recorders in Los Angeles and later back in New York Automated Sound Studio. It was produced by long time Steely Dan producer Gary Katz and released October 29, 1982. Certified platinum in US and UK, this album influences many trends in next decades. After thirty two years this music sounds still as fresh as new. I’m giving four and half star to express my strong belief this album is still a blockbuster.

Zappa in New York

★★★★★

   Live record from New York was moot point in the crisis between Frank Zappa and his manager. The imbroglio became Zappa’s victory, leading to full artistic and business independence and forming phenomenon of mature Zappa’s live performances. In December 1976, between Christmas and New Year Frank Zappa and his band had played in Palladium four shows for 14 000 listeners. In 1977 he edited some material for double LP which was released the same year in UK by DiscReet Records label. Album has been immediately withdrawn and reedited by DiscReet distributor Warner Bros. This was the moment small Zappa’s company has been losing its independence. The original idea became the part of 3CD album Läther, the project realized in 1996. Censored and shortened version of the album has been published in March 1978. Despite these manipulations album has won commercial success and in Billboard 200 albums chart Zappa in New York it took 57th position.
   Even in such form Zappa in New York was the album setting new trends. Totally renewed band was not the straight continuation of the idea of consecutive Mothers of Invention lineups. New faces were singer and guitarist Ray White, bass guitarist and singer Patrick O’Hearn and both were active in next years. From Saturday Night Live band came strong wind and brass section with Brecker brothers Randy (tp) and Mike (ts), Lou Marini (as), Ronnie Cuber (bs, cl) and Tom Malone (tb). It was like new incarnation of Hot Rats band. And musicians known from Mothers of Invention, Ruth Underwood and Terry Bozzio who was also singing, were the core of the band. Interesting member of this lineup was Eddie Jobson, singer, keyboardist and violinist, a legend of British progressive rock playing with Frank Zappa for short period only.

Zappa in New York (1978)

   Due to corporation censorship, album was shorter than usual. Side one was 11 minutes only, side two 15 minutes and side three and side four were 17 minutes each. It was easy to figure out that something was missing. Opening Titties and Beer has been shortened to 5:31 omitting long fragments of improvising dialogue with the devil played by Terry Bozzio. Another intended for this album narrative with Terry Bozzio acting one of Warner Bros. stars Punky’s Whips was excluded and published five years later, when Zappa has regained full rights to his own material. Other great narrative songs were two songs filling the entire side three – sung by Zappa satirical ballad defined as “just another love song”, Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me? and blues ballad The Illinois Enema Bandit, based on a true story on criminal activity of Michael H. Kenyon a great performance of Ray White opening his long stage with Frank Zappa’s bands.
   Narrative, satirical songs and even improvised sketches were always extremely popular part of Zappa’s public performances. But Zappa in New York was composed as contrasting juxtaposition of quite easy popular songs and pieces of highest complexity level. In such compositions as Manx Needs Women and Black Page Zappa was using techniques and ideas taken from serialism and other conceptions of composition. Thanks to some citations and references to masters of contemporary music like Igor Stravinsky, Edgar Varese and many others, he made outstanding chance of intellectual adventure, bridging the gap between listeners with different experiences and levels of musical knowledge. As I can say observing my friends listening to Frank Zappa’s records, this idea was quite effective way to promote language of new music.