Cole Porter Tribute – Red Hot + Blue

   When eighties were about to end with total collapse of Soviet bloc and with huge disgrace and infamy of republican establishment in US, there was one sure thing for any citizen – no politics, government or business was interested in relief to people struggling with AIDS epidemic but the people. Red Hot Organization established in 1989 in New York is one of first international institutions dedicated to raise donations for fighting with AIDS. The motto of the organization is to fight against AIDS through pop culture, especially by publishing compilation albums for AIDS relief and awareness. In next two decades they released more than dozen of compilation albums.
   The first compilation of Red Hot Organization became their greatest success. Along with Amnesty International, Greenpeace and few others, it was one of most famous compilations of these years. The secret can be the one source of all songs. Double LP album published by Chrysalis was compilation of songs written by one and only American author of songs who was author of lyrics and music. He can also be the patron of the modern LGBT movement. Many of his songs are versatile in gender attitude. And this compilation makes such promotion is an accomplished fact. It’s interesting most of the songs (18 out of 20) were promoted as music videos in television and opening song I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Neneh Cherry directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino became hit video in MTV and the SP was noted as 25 number in UK Singles Chart.

Cole Porter Tribute – Red Hot + Blue (1990)

   There are few performances aiming the historic style of old Cole Porter’s songs. Glamorous interpretation of Down in the Depths by Lisa Stansfield, cool and distant Annie Lennox singing Everytime We Say Goodbye or Sinead O’Connor interpreting You Are Something To Me. Also great rendition of So in Love by K. D. Lang is an old fashionable and sensitive performance of Cole Porter’s classic tune. In this group probably most stylish is After You Who performed by Jody Watley, but some are arranged in new style while still faithful to original intention. This is what one can say about Tom Waits’ rendition of It’s All Right With Me or about In the Still of the Night performed by The Neville Brothers.
   The different direction is affirmative and joyous, rocking and energizing like David Byrne’s performance of Don’t Fence Me In, or I Love Paris performed by Les Negresses Vertes. Some disco-like versions of Too Darn Hot made by Erasure, or even more disco version of From This Moment On executed by Jimmy Somerville, pop rock version of Night and Day by U2, rap version of I Got a Kick by The Jungle Brothers are just popular and easy to dance or listening. This variety gave the album position of meaningful and significant contribution in AIDS relief. With many videos in television, and good idea success was guaranteed. Some videos were made by famous directors, for example Tom Waits video was directed by Jim Jarmush, U2 by Wim Wenders, and David Byrne who directed his song himself. All were broadcasted by ABC as special feature. In effect album was sold in over a million copies giving the best possible start for Red Hot Organization. Three and a half star for good music and performance.

Tom Waits – Big Time

   When in 1988 Island Records released Big Time, the 12th official album of Tom Waits, many have guessed it was about the end of the entire era. It had been issued in parallel with the film of the same title, and in the matter of fact as a kind of soundtrack for the movie. Tom Waits who was hardened in mid 70’s while being both late beatnik and avant-garde bard, a decade later became famous as author of songs, composer, singer, actor and creator of project that made him the guru of an alternative music. Some were convinced that after Tom Waits married Kathleen Brennan, his direction has changed. Maybe she was the one, who opened him for Captain Beefheart’s music and ideas, but in this decade Waits’ creative activity was equally high as before and development was even more rapid. He was heading almost the same direction as Beefheart few years before, but even if he has changed, this was more like following the changing times. And the times were really changing.
   The general tendency was visible yet in some of Tom Waits’ songs from last Asylum years. The title song of his last Asylum album Heartattack and Wine (1980) shows he was moving towards folk and blues aiming the same ideas Captain Beefheart did before. But Waits did it on his own way – where Beefheart was rough and individualized, Waits was nostalgic and socialized. This was the main difference between Beefheart and Waits – folk blues expression versus moving folk lyricism and catchy country tunes. In early 80’s he started his association with Island Records, beginning the period of his great albums – by many recognized as his best works – Swordfishtrombones (1983), Rain Dogs (1985) and Frank’s Wild Years (1987). The last accord of this series was Big Time, live album with songs mostly known from earlier studio recordings, but in live versions performed during 1987 tour.

Tom Waits – Big Time (1988)

   The album Big Time is much more than just an alternative version of the movie, it is rather complementary vision of these songs in better audio quality and with audience interaction. Both are perfect closings for the narrative continuity of prior records and kind of climax ending the chapter of artist biography – this chapter included also acting in best movie productions and participation in recording sessions with different artists. In 70’s he was underground individual, in 80’s he became alternative celebrity and one of most recognized artists. Recorded in November 1987 and released in September next year, Big Time was great artistic success. Recordings came from gigs in Warfield Theatre in San Francisco and Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Both, film and record gave the most accurate picture of Waits’ live performances, including acting and talking to the public in the movie and all songs in perfectly fitting edition. The song Falling Down is unpublished studio recording. It’s a kind of bridge between Way Down in the Hole and written for Marianne Faithful Strange Weather – a magic moment in the movie and the end of A Side.

Tom Waits – Big Time – Strange Weather (1988)

   But what was the real value of these productions, these are kind of recapitulations of Waits’ creative achievements. One can find here biting wit and pure nonsensical skits as well as rational insights and touching ballads. Different instrumental settings bringing sound stylized on a cheap cabaret band with great power of expression. The band saxophonist Ralph Carney is playing various horns including tenor and alto saxophones played simultaneously on stage. Jazz musicians guitarist Marc Ribot and bassist Greg Cohen playing also alto sax are well known for their rich artistic activities. The group includes Willy Schwarz playing accordion, organ, sitar and conga and the drummer Michael Blair who was also a parto of staff recording Rain Dogs album. Including so powerful personalities instrumental lineup of Waits’ band is sometimes neglected. Many critics just don’t remember how strong the impact of this band was in times of plastic electronic instruments. This presentation really showed there are no different Waitses and different periods are only mind constructions for better understanding the process of artistic development. Strong and bright four stars.

Lost in the Stars – The Music of Kurt Weill

   Born in Berlin in 1900, Kurt Weill was especially famous for his avant-garde works in 1920’s. He was well trained and versatile composer, writing concert music and theatrical stage music. As many avant-garde composers of this years, Weill was socialist and believed all kinds of art should serve the social development. His compositions for orchestra and for choir, songs and cameral music were well received but his great success came with his cooperation with Bertold Brecht. The greatest achievement of Weill and Brecht were The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) composed in 1928 and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) from 1930. In March 1933 he has left Germany.
   The series of tribute albums produced in 1980’s by Hal Willner was quite a succesive story of establishing some new promotional mechanisms ahead of the times. The main idea was to join different stylistic idioms and one composers output and to generate wide monographic vision of contemporary creative music. After great commercial success of first two tribute albums with music of Nino Rota and That's the Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk, Willner continued the idea with subsequent albums. Both have enthusiastic reviews and such warm critical response gave producer some more heart for selection of artists. Third album was Lost in the Stars with music of Kurt Weill which was likewise previously issued records, a nicely done introduction of Weill’s music and a wide exposure of artists breaking schematic modes and creating new sound in mid-eighties. The main title is also the title of his last musical composed in 1949 for Broadway with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It was last  Kurt Weil’s creative achievement before he died April 3rd, 1950.

Lost in the Stars – The Music of Kurt Weill (1985)

   As another Hal Willner’s productions, Lost in the Stars is perfectly balanced assortment of most understandable avant-garde jazz musicians and most creative pop music artists. Well known voices of Tom Waits, Marianne Faithfull, Lou Reed, Todd Rundgren and Sting, saxophones by Phil Woods and Gary Windo, beautiful bass solo by Charlie Haden, Armadillo String Quartet and unconventional musical narration by Johan Zorn with Boby Previte, Guy Klucevsek and Fred Frith. Arrangements by Carla Bley, Steve Weinberg, Sharon Freeman, Bruce Fowler and Van Dyke Parks – every part of this set is perfect and opens new perspective, while all together make complete vision. The quality of these performances shows real temperature of artistic life in 1980’s. In Reagan’s America there were still great open spaces for human creativity. And the history was not even close to an end.

Der kleine Leutnant des lieben Gottes – John Zorn

   Few dozens of musicians in 16 songs give a chance for everyday disclosure of another great interpreting idea. It can be any of songs, and everywhere one can find the best musicians and perfect performances. Like in The Ballad of Mac the Knife sung by Sting, where in Dominic Muldowney arrangement took part Mike Zwerin (bass trumpet, trombone), Branford Marsalis (soprano sax), John Marle (tenor sax), David Roach (alto and baritone saxophones) and Kenny Kirkland (piano). It can be as well The Cannon Song from The Threepenny Opera perfectly played by The Fowler Brothers with Stanard Ridgway – a rare occasion to hear the five Fowlers brothers – Walt Fowler (trumpet), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Steve Fowler (alto sax, flute), Ed Fowler (piano) and Tom Fowler (bass). It comes with a great sound and clear idea of how radical music should be.

Tom Waits – Rain Dogs

   Tom Waits was always a star in the niche reserved for personalities in conflict with official structures. Of course every creative artist is against the world he found not sufficient, this discord is basic mechanism of creation in general. But sometimes it comes to be the way of life. It can be called bohemian or hipster, the terms are varying, but in the core it is always the same. One of conditions of creative attitude is not to subordinate and to have enough courage to say it loud. And Tom Waits was artist who did this in seventies, when retired heroes of seventies revolts enjoyed fame and fortune. This is the reason why his early club concerts and recordings were popular only among small group of fervent followers. In eighties he became famous and even if he made some changes, he was still in opposition to mainstream of pop, post disco, post punk music played in TV. In Waits creative biography this was the time of trilogy – Swordfishtrombones (1984), Rain Dogs (1985) and Frank’s Wild Years (1987).
   The ninth album by Tom Waits – or better, his presence – makes culture of the eighties more human and open than it really was. There’s no coincidence in times of Reagganite antisocial politics and empty gesture of anticommunist propaganda, a bunch of avant-garde musicians recorded series of albums steeped in nostalgia for the difficult times of great crisis, dark after war poetry, revolting outsiders, beatniks, crude folk and dirty but so sincere delta blues sound. It was just another answer for the same question, which set themselves counterculture artists. And in eighties it was even more troubled than any time before, because this time it was against prosperous society dreaming the republican dream in beginnings of postindustrial era. Mainstream media were focused on easy and mild version of American music that was quite different to what could be heard in Detroit, Chicago, Seattle or New Orleans. 

Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)

   Recording of Rain Dogs was crucial moment in the creative process. During sessions in RCA studios Waits was supported by 23 musicians. It is some more than personnel of average star of pop or jazz music. And this is not the orchestra but a bunch of great personalities. Ralph Carney, saxophonist with rich sound so well respondent to Waits’ timbre, working with singer for years and guest stars John Lurie on alto saxophone and Arno Hecht on tenor, long term double bass player Greg Cohen, Larry Taylor and guest Tony Levine on bass, G. E. Smith and Marc Ribot on guitars, Stephen Hodges on drums and percussionist Bobby Previte, Bob Funk on trombone and William Schimmel on accordion – many of them were regular members of Waits’ band, but in group of incidental stars it is hard to omit Keith Richards playing guitar and backing vocals. Listing could be long, even if list is only two dozen names; every musician has his own contribution to the sound of this album.
   It is a mystery of his talent how he melted all the elements together. The irony outweighs the depressive vision of loneliness in the deep night, when rain washed out streets and dogs have lost the way home. Projected title of this album had to be Evening Train Wrecks. Everything here shows the world is wretched place and everything is convincing our sensitivity can do it better – maybe even not much, but better place. Two songs from the Rain Dogs were used in movie Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch. Tom Waits played Zack one of main characters of this movie – other two actors were John Lurie as Jack and Roberto Begnini as Roberto. Opening sequence capturing New Orleans and its outskirts is clear reference to Jockey Full of Bourbon song and in a way to the whole Rain Dogs album.