L I S T I N G S
10 illinoisentertainer . com april 2023
Eyes ” was written by Stephen Stills for singer-songwriter Judy Collins as the pair ' s relationship was coming to an end . Collins once referred to the captured memories and emotions as flattering and heartbreaking . As he did for much of the album , Stephen Stills masterfully spins sparkling folk , country , and rock riffs on acoustic guitar , bass , and grinding organ while handling the majority of the instrumental duties . The song is a groover , even without the benefit of a drum set . Flowing through four movements , the song cemented the trio ' s vocal blend and notched a # 21 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 . The locomotive pop of high harmony singer Nash ' s " Marrakesh Express " was another pop hit , rising to # 28 on the Hot 100 . " All on board the train ," sings the trio , driven by Dallas Taylor ' s brushed snare shuffle . Ironically , the song had been rejected by the Hollies for lacking commercial potential . The song chronicles the sights and wonders Nash experienced while exploring the railroad cars and stops during an actual train journey in Morocco . Crosby ' s intoxicating " Guinnevere " fuses the singer ' s roots in jazz and folk . Crosby had revealed that the song was inspired by three women he loved , one of who was Joni Mitchell . Another was Nancy Ross , who " drew pentagrams on the wall " and eventually left Crosby for Gram Parsons . The song was reinterpreted in an expansive version by Miles Davis while recording Bitches Brew . The cautionary " Wooden Ships " is another of the album ' s enduring highlights , written by Crosby , Stills , and Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner . Jefferson Airplane recorded its own version on the Volunteers album . The song imagines a meeting between survivors of the two sides in a nuclear conflict between the USA and USSR . " Can you tell me , please , who won ?" The pair mourn those left to die on the radioactive shores as their wooden ship sails in search of uncontaminated territory . Nash ' s voice is highlighted on his gentle and personal " Lady of the Island ," another ode to muse Joni Mitchell . The trio returns to sing Still ' s alliterative and clever " Helplessly Hoping ," accompanied by the writer ' s tumbling acoustic folk guitar arpeggios .
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab pressed this LP using their Ultradisc One-Step Pressing technique , offering the highest fidelity available via the vinyl format . The 40-minute album is split into two platters and plays at 45 RPM . The edition is limited to 12,000 numbered copies worldwide . If you ' ve got an OG copy of this American treasure to compare , the sonic superiority is evident with improved detail and imaging . Stephen Still ' s acoustic guitar strings ring and shimmer , and the group ' s close harmony blend has never sounded more magical during its 54 years on vinyl .
– Jeff Elbel
10
SKULL PRACTITIONERS Negative Stars
( In the Red )
NYC-based Skull Practitioners have offered sonic cranial rearrangement services since 2013 , but Negative Stars is the trio ' s first full-length release following 2014 ' s sold-out debut cassette EP st1 and 2019 ' s Death Buy EP . The lengthy intervals in production have likely been due to the rampant pace of Jason Victor ’ s bread-and-butter gigs as guitarist for Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3 and more recently alongside Wynn in the revamped and revitalized lineup of The Dream Syndicate ( try 2019 ’ s These Times ). In those outlets , Victor has brought his deft musicality on the Fender Jazzmaster as well as unbridled chaos and psychedelic squall . Consider also that alt-pop maven Matthew Sweet chose Victor to stand in stylistically for Richard Lloyd and Rick Nielsen on 2019 ' s Wicked System of Things . As justly beloved as Television and Cheap Trick will always be , it was thrilling to hear Victor as a perfect fit on Sweet ' s album , with inventive and intuitive playing that left any fan hoping for future collaborations . Victor ' s imaginative companions and co-captains in Skull Practitioners are bassist Kenneth Levine and drummer Alex Baker . Although Victor ' s presence may draw outsiders to the band , these brutal but tuneful tracks present what is clearly an integrated and intuitive band of brothers who rely upon shared strengths . Together , the three create
bracing , psychedelic , ear-shattering postpunk careening along space-rock flights toward fiery cataclysm . NYC post-punk roots , gritty Detroit rock a la the MC5 , and rootsy punk like X bleed through the cracks of " Dedication ." Levine sings in a raspy sneer with a cadence similar to Gun Club ' s Jeffrey Lee Pierce while managing to simultaneously offer something Patti Smith or Exene Cervenka might sing if they were particularly pissed off . Levine also provides a treacherous foundation of grinding , fuzzed-out bass . Baker ' s drums hammer and crash with fury as well as krautrock precision . Victor ' s guitar slashes , burns , and twangs . " Exit Wounds " suggests what might have happened if the Cramps and Rush ( circa Hemispheres and Moving Pictures ) joined forces until Victor goes wholly off the rails with a lunatic Jimmy Page-styled excursion that resembles a swarm of bees . Levine adds a scooped wahwah sound to his lurching bass that hints at