Continued from page 20 ntinued from page 24 the time you did three or four videos , you
ntinued could from have page made 24 a movie . So that was the initial idea , but then I never quite found a
script , and it never got financed . But we shot some scenes that we ’ ll eventually release someday , and a lot of the music from that ended up on Rock N Roll Rebel .
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Steve Van Zandt
IE : I remember that your label had the coolest promo items for the second Southside Johnny album — where you were his lead guitarist — and they were silk-jacket replicas of the ones everybody was wearing on the cover . LS : Yeah ! For This Time It ’ s For Real ! But on my first ( Disciples ) solo tour , we only had that one album (“ Men Without Women ”), and that wasn ’ t quite enough for a whole show , so that was why I was doing some of those old Jukes songs , like “ This Time It ’ s For Real ,” which is on this package live from the Marquee Club in London , where The Who and The Rolling Stones had first played back when they were starting out . So that was fun to capture that live at the Marquee Club .
IE : And then the Disciples started wearing matching embroidered leather dusters , like a gang . LS : Yeah . And that was the whole idea — to bring back that whole ( gang ) thing , showing the whole identity of the band .
IE : Did that look ever get you into trouble ? LS : Well , the only time was when we got turned away at Disneyland . In those days , I had a lot of bracelets , necklaces , and earrings , and they actually would not let me into Disneyland . And in my “ Rock N Roll Rebel ” song — which is the title track of this whole box , and it was gonna be the title of my second album before it became ** Voice of America , because by that time I ’ d gotten into politics — I talk about getting turned away from Disneyland .
IE : But it ’ s amazing what you ’ ve done with your Underground Garage radio station . You can listen to it for two , three hours straight and not hear a single song you ’ ve ever heard before . LS : Well , we try to mix in the familiar with the less familiar . We ’ re not trying to be obscure . But it depends on how old you are , I guess , and how much music you ’ ve heard . But the radio station is actually my proudest achievement , and I even enjoy it myself . And I ’ m not a record collector , so there ’ s nothing that rare that we play . And I ’ m proud to say that we ’ ve introduced over 1,000 new bands over the last 18 years , and we have over 5,000 songs on our playlist , and every single song is hand-picked by me . But if any of my DJs have a song that they ’ re really passionate about — and I like it — then , of course , we ’ ll add it .
IE : The weirdest thing is , if you look closely at your resume , there are two unaccounted-for years in the early ‘ 70s , where you actually gave up on show business to work construction . LS : Well , I just felt like it was kind of over , and we missed it . I think it was just a feeling . Bruce got signed at that point , and he got in just in time , just under the wire . And the rest of us ? We just kind of missed the boat — it was too late . The ( New Jersey ) Renaissance was over , and the greatest music ever done had been made . I mean , I ’ d been playing
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eight straight years by then , and that ’ s a long time , really . It really felt like I ’ d missed the boat , so I just worked construction for two years .
IE : Which must have been a strange new schedule , after you were used to staying out late every night . LS : Oh yeah . You were on the job by 6:00 a . m . And I was working the highways , 287 , and the turnpikes , using jackhammers , which I couldn ’ t even pick up right now . I just quit the business for a while , and then I broke my finger when I was playing football on the weekend , flag football . I broke my finger on the field , so I joined a band again just to exercise the finger , playing piano . I could play a few chords on the piano , so I joined a band as the keyboardist , and destiny was at work because the drummer for the band I was happened to be the cousin of one of the Dovells , and the Dovells needed a band to go on the road with . And I heard that they were going to Las Vegas , which was an exciting thing to me because I was a gambler when I was a kid . So we became the backing band for the Dovells , which plugged me into what was then called the Oldies Circuit , which was ironic and sad and tragic . The British Invasion had put all of our heroes out of work , and suddenly these guys in their late 30 ’ s and early 40 ’ s were put out to pasture and called Oldies , which 6 they just hated . So I got the chance to meet all my heroes , all the pioneers , and that got me back in the business . Because from there , I played with the Dovells , I played with Dion , and then I came back home , and we started Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes . So it was a broken finger that got me back into the business .
IE : Was it tough to bid farewell to your construction buddies ? LS : No , it wasn ’ t . There were some friendships , but I was really a freak , so I didn ’ t get close to anybody . It was mostly Portuguese people that didn ’ t speak any English , and then a couple of Americans that really didn ’ t like me — they knew I was different , like a hippie freak .
IE : What other idols did you meet ? LS : Literally everybody ! That was the height of the Oldies scene , so I met Little Richard , Fats Domino , Chuck Berry , The Drifters , The Four Seasons , The Coasters , The Shirelles , Gary U . S . Bonds .
IE : Did you ever meet Phil Spector ? LS : Yeah . Dion invited me to one of the sessions he did with Phil Spector , and I was so happy to have caught one of those famous Spector sessions . It was one of his last , with the full Wrecking Crew , so I caught one for the song “ Born to Be With You ,” but Dion did a whole album with him .
IE : But what was your all-time high point ? Meeting Paul McCartney ? LS : That was one of the biggest moments in my life when Paul came on my stage . He came on to join us with the E Street Band , and then he invited Bruce and me to sit in with him at Madison Square Garden , which was nice . But on the ** Soulfiretour , we played the Roundhouse in London , and Paul actually came onstage with me . And that was one of the most thrilling moments in my life , to get that kind of endorsement for my music .
ELBOW Asleep In The Back
20th Anniversary Album Reissue
Cast of Thousands
Album Reissue ( Polydor )
Over the span of seven albums released between 2001 and 2019 , Manchester , England ’ s Elbow have cemented their reputation as master craftsmen of swooning melody and romantic songs . The group evolved from favorable comparisons to classic art-pop artists like Peter Gabriel to having even traded songs as the band became recognized peers among its heroes . Elbow ’ s ascent was slow and steady , building firm toeholds at each rung up the ladder . That gradual process means that some of the band ’ s nonetheless devoted audience missed out on the early days .
At the 20th anniversary of the band ’ s debut album , Polydor is returning Elbow ’ s earliest albums to print in the vinyl format . Old fans and latecomers alike can now enjoy meticulously remastered editions of 2001 ’ s Asleep in the Back and 2003 ’ s Cast of Thousands on their turntables .
The band ’ s auspicious debut arrives in a richly textured gatefold sleeve , with the music split across two LPs . Standout tracks and enduring concert favorites include “ Any Day Now .” The song ’ s muted restraint earned comparisons at the time to Radiohead circa OK Computer and earlier ( although latter-era Talk Talk might have been more on-point ), even while layered harmonies and frontman Guy Garvey ’ s inviting tone revealed what would eventually distinguish the band as an influential presence itself .
The for-better-or-for-worse imagery described in the swaying “ Newborn ” may have balanced light and dark , but it set the bar for Garvey ’ s catalog brimming with devoted odes and longing for a beloved partner . The song is underpinned by Mark Potter ’ s acoustic guitar and lit by liquid electric guitar figures . The lush waltz of “ Red ” expresses concern for a lover who is fraying at the edges while slipping into addiction . Richard Jupp ’ s feather-light but tense percussion drives “ Scattered Black and Whites ,” colored by Craig Potter ’ s restrained and elegant piano . Garvey ’ s half-whispered vocal adds gravity alongside Pete Turner ’ s deep bass . Garvey ’ s enveloping melody and wistful lyric recall the sheltering memories of childhood and safety at home among loved ones .
Asleep in the Back saw several versions of release in the band ’ s early days . This reissue includes all twelve songs including the title cut as well as “ Can ’ t Stop .” The single version of “ Asleep in the Back ” was originally released as a standalone track that became a Top 20 hit at radio in the UK .
The reissue of Cast of Thousands features the original UK track listing , without the bonus tracks “ Whisper Grass ” and “ Lay Down Your Cross ” that were included on the subsequent US release . “ Ribcage ” begins in restraint with the wish to “ pull my ribs apart and let the sun inside ,” before reaching for communal nirvana with the glorious voices of the London Gospel Community Choir .
Turner ’ s buzzy bass and Jupp ’ s steady pulse fuel the brash Britpop of “ Fallen Angel ,” making room for Mark Potter ’ s clanging krautrock guitar solo . Garvey ’ s lilting melody skips gracefully atop Craig Potter ’ s understated piano during “ Fugitive Motel ,” while giving credence to those references to Peter Gabriel and theatrical Steve Hogarth-era Marillion . Graceful strings add to the song ’ s cinematic scope . “ Snooks ( Progress Report )” is a confessional diary entry that bobs along a spirited samba rhythm . The song erupts into cathartic skronk followed by a nimble duet between the Potter brothers . The drowsy “ Switching Off ” marks the singer ’ s choice as his final scene in the movie of his life , expressing contentment and gratitude for “ you , the only sense the world has ever made .”
The audience at Glastonbury 2002 gives the album its name and appears on “ Grace Under Pressure ,” singing a rousing chorus of “ we still believe in love , so f--- you .” Every participant who registered their attendance and participation at the band ’ s website is included by name in the gatefold sleeve .
It would be 2008 when the band refined its essence into its masterpiece The Seldom Seen Kid . Brimming with memorable songs and meticulous care , however , these first two efforts show that the band was already well on its way following years of work in the clubs and measured studio work by the time it began selling records . This vinyl reissue campaign treats the material with the loving touch its legacy deserves .
– Jeff Elbel
9 Asleep in the Back
Cast of Thousands 7