Pavement

Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition

Matador

originally published January 17, 2007

Arriving on the heels of Crooked Rain's surprise success, the gloriously scattered Wowee Zowee should've meant something equivalent to indie rock pay dirt for prickly California rock act Pavement. Instead, the album became a familiar presence in used/ discount bins, while remaining a standout favorite amongst the band's brainy contingent of fans. As part of Matador's ongoing Pavement reissue campaign, Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition adds a disc-and-a-half's worth of bulk to the original model. At 18 songs in one hour, Wowee Zowee alone is, indeed, a lot to ingest in one sitting. Steel guitars mesh with Moog synths and Stephen Malkmus' vocal chords escalate from stoner slur to shredded scream, while analog amplification casualties pile up at the band's feet. By the time the ragged funk of "Half A Canyon" kicks in around the 50-minute mark, though, the album has long since fused its strongest peaks around each member's particular vice: Malkmus' half-sung dudespeak, Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg's jet-powered guitar riffs, Bob Nastanovich's ham-fisted organ noodling and the unflappably twisted rhythm section of drummer Steve West and bassist Marc Ibold. The lengthy bonus disc brings plenty of worthy extras to the dance, including radio appearances, album outtakes and B-sides. "Soul Food" appears to be inspired by the Memphis location of producer Doug Easley's studio; the live take of "Heaven Is a Truck" swerves, but never crashes; "Gangsters & Pranksters" ribs the mating habits of both hippies and OGs. Also included is a deluxe booklet with new notes by Easley and Malkmus, with many added photos from the recording sessions. With the mixture of both Crooked Rain's jaded melodic smarts and the distant psychedelia that would surface more prevalently on 1997's Brighten the Corners propelling Wowee Zowee forth, there's not another album in the Pavement catalog (the much discussed Slanted and Enchanted included) that revels in - and benefits from - its imperfections to such a degree as does this generous helping of cosmic slop. Michael Andrews

Fats Waller

If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It

Bluebird/ Legacy

originally published January 17, 2007

Though larger-than-life jazz pianist Thomas "Fats" Waller died at age 38, he nonetheless left a rather extensive amount of material behind. Much of Waller's best is pulled together for the three-disc If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It - a box set that does much to solidify the legend and reintroduce the bawdy show bid'ness persona of the influential entertainer.

And what an entertainer Waller was! From ballads to jigs to ragtime blues, he attacked each track with the stamina and charisma needed to produce a hit. Many of the set's most enjoyable sides, like "Darktown Strutter's Ball," veer toward the more risqué with Waller's sly, gravelly catcalls leading the charge. The set's second disc provides somewhat of a change of pace by presenting many of Waller and his Rhythm Orchestra's instrumental sides, while disc three sees Waller putting his distinctive stamp on the Tin Pan Alley songbook.

Anyone who's heard a record by The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Screamin' Jay Hawkins or Dr. John has heard some of the handed-down musical mischief that made Fats Waller shine. With informative notes by Dan Morgenstern and a buffet of genuine uptown soul presented within, If You Got To Ask makes a valiant attempt to answer any questions about the big man that might still be lingering.

Michael Andrews

Jamiroquai

High Times (The Singles: 1992–2006)

Epic

originally published January 17, 2007

London-based acid-jazz enigma Jamiroquai doesn't appear to hold a lot of middle ground among record buyers. Either you really dig the boots-knockin' sounds of the bearded buffalo man or you can't wait to eject his skinny ass from the CD deck. At any rate, grandmaster Jay Kay (AKA Jamiroquai numero uno) has bucked the odds of survival quite well for a pale white purveyor of funky disco grooves and Stevie Wonder ethos. High Times compiles singles from Kay's entire run thus far, from the Stevie-stemmed "Emergency on Planet Earth" to the recently recorded "Runaway" and "Radio."

Anthologizing the group works well, as it allows for a neatly summarized portrait of what exactly a "Jamiroquai" does for a living. High Times' liner notes may inflate the Jay Kay legend to suspiciously grand proportions, but the fact remains that Jamiroquai could've been quickly digested by the recording game were it not for his steadfast determination and deft pop culture pilfering. Kay hasn't released a new album since 2005's Dynamite, but this contract-fulfilling anthology fills in nicely by presenting an infectious brand of Disco 2000 that arrived almost a decade ahead of schedule.

Michael Andrews

The 4 Seasons

Working My Way Back To You/ The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette

Collector's Choice

originally published January 17, 2007

The extensive 4 Seasons reish schedule continues with a double dose of releases led by Frankie Valli's glass-shattering falsetto. Working My Way Back to You, from 1966, was one of the aging doo-woppers' most successful outings, with its title track becoming a pop radio and AM station staple. The rest of the record doesn't disappoint, as tracks like "Pity" and "Everybody Knows My Name" benefit from the group's layered harmonies and their knack for pop-friendly R&B arrangements and well-executed balladry.

1969's Imitation Life Gazette is the real find here, however. Recorded when artists from Valli's era were looking to garner new support among the peace'n'love crowd, the loose concept album centers around songs written from the perspective of everyday hims and hers. (There were several similarly plotted albums out at the time - The Monkees' Head and The Rascals' Freedom Suite among them.) With surprisingly above-par musicianship behind it and tracks like "Mrs. Stately's Garden" and "American Crucifixion Resurrection" adopting a darker view more in line with Village Green-era Kinks, Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, though hopelessly dated, still holds up. Another surprise: several of the album cover's spoof headlines are worthy of a quick chuckle or two.

Michael Andrews