Continued from page 18 for a Change," which unfold with guitar solos that intertwine with deft piano and warm mellotron passages. Crowther ' s martial drumming alternates with Chunn ' s melodic basslines and Rayner ' s funky clavinet throughout the schizophrenic " So Long for Now." Chunn ' s bass and Rayner ' s piano give the rocker " Maybe " a Beatle-esque " Penny Lane " bounce as the song unfolds with a portrait of a character who longs for both hotblooded romance and a lifetime soulmate. Don’ t we all? Still, " hoping is not enough to live upon," sings Finn wistfully before the song descends into loopy madness. Judd leads " Titus " with shades of " Maggie May " on mandolin, but the colors shift toward baroque pop with mellotron strings. Finn ' s melodic voice spars with Judd ' s tremulous vocalizations, which lend a disquieting texture to the otherwise soothing " Spellbound." The vinyl album plays into infinity with a locked groove as Judd repeats the line " make a mental note." Second Thoughts reimagines " Walking Down a Road," " Titus," " Stranger than Fiction," and " Time for a Change " with more sophisticated production overseen by champion Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music. The set adds Judds ' single " Late Last Night," which admits to weakness for women and wine. Also present are the vaudevillian prog-pop of " Lovey Dovey " and the catchy " Sweet Dreams." The latter features Judd ' s nimble acoustic guitar and layered saxophones by new member Robert Gillies. These elements give some movements of the song a Latin pop flair, contrasting with a beaming pop chorus carried by Rayner ' s sparkling piano and gospel organ. Gillies ' reeds bring new textures to the reworked " Stranger than Fiction." Despite Wilkinson ' s departure from the lineup, Judd ' s muscular guitar riff, Rayner ' s piano, and Finn ' s expressive vocal give " Time for a Change " Queenstyled pomp. With a lush string arrangement, " Matinee Idyll( 129)" moves from challenging prog flexes toward catchy pop-rock a la the Move. The musical smorgasbord " The Woman Who Loves You " even includes a spoons solo. Among the nine tracks on The Beginning of the Enz are the early formations of " Spellbound," " Matinee Idyll( 129)," and " Lovey Dovey." Also present are 1973 debut single A-side " For You " and the caffeinated acoustic pop of B-side " Split Ends." A fresh remaster gives Mental Notes more body than the original pressing. Second Thoughts and The Beginning of the Enz feature entirely new mixes by Rayner, with positive results, though some reservations remain. " Remixing something that didn ' t need fixing was daunting," says Rayner in his liner notes. He allows that it was nice to bring forward Crombie ' s reliable percussion in spots where it had been buried. The three albums are housed in a sturdy slipcase featuring Judd ' s painted and fractured Mental Notes artwork. A 40-page book reveals concert photos, publicity stills with the band at the shore dressed in two-tone Klaus Nomi-styled attire, lyrics, concert posters, memorabilia, and essays. Band members Finn, Rayner, Wilkinson, Chunn, and producer Manzanera provide testimonials about Split Enz ' s early days. Finn notes the limitations of disinterested studio support, a minimal budget, and inexperience that left Mental Notes somewhat undercooked in his estimation. He says the real intention for the young band ' s ambitious dreams rests somewhere between Mental Notes and Second Thoughts, " never to be fully realized." " However, nowadays I can hear beauty in the flaws," he says. A 5xCD set and Blu-ray offer even more early Enz to love, with concert recordings, videos, high-definition audio, and surround and Atmos mixes.
– Jeff Elbel
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GREYSTONE
A Million Grains of Sand( Archer)
Southwest Side rockers Greystone are essentially a family affair, which makes them somewhat unique on multiple levels, particularly in their songwriting and strong musicianship. This isn’ t a nepobaby Sunday-only scenario. The band’ s drummer, Mark Hernandez, is joined here by daughter Alana Hernandez( vocals) and son Mark Hernandez II( guitar). Alana has powerful instincts as a vocalist, having performed live for just over a year. Equally impressive is sibling Mark Jr. on guitar, who’ s at home shredding or fingerpicking. Evanescence and a touch of Arch Enemy are reference points here, with heavy rocking single“ Sin” and“ Gridlocked” as high points. The band brought in longtime acclaimed Chicago engineer / producer Chris Steinmetz( Enuff Z ' Nuff, Marty Casey, cupcakKe) to produce, who captured the band with impressive sonic results on their 12-song debut.
– David Gedge Appearing January 10 at J. J. Kelley’ s, Lansing.
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SIMPLE MINDS Once Upon a Time 40th Anniversary LP( A & M / UMe)
1985 was the year everything turned to gold for Simple Minds. In the early months, the band scored a Billboard Hot 100 # 1 single with the Keith Forseypenned " Don ' t You( Forget About Me)" on the Breakfast Club soundtrack. The song has retained massive popularity as a calling card of its era. In the summertime, the band performed a brief but explosive set before a global audience at Live Aid, raising awareness for people suffering from famine in Ethiopia while playing the sparkling and previously unperformed " Ghost Dancing " alongside the 1982 single " Promised You a Miracle " from New Gold Dream( 81 / 82 / 83 / 84) and the chart-topping single. In the fall, the band released their
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