Bobby Bare, Jr.--A Storm, a Tree, My Mother's Head (Thirty Tigers): No reason to pity Bobby Bare, Jr. for having to dodge his famous father's shadow--he's extremely good at it as an artist in his own right. This is a record full of punch and surprise, with barely a trace of country music at all. In fact, the dark humor and superior dynamics throughout remind me of classic rock but without the hollow, crusty aftertaste of what you hear over and over on today's corporate radio. My early favorite on A Storm is "Swollen But Not the Same."
The Plimsouls--Live! Beg Borrow and Steal (Alive/Naturalsound): Recorded on Halloween night at the Whisky a Go Go in 1981, the band led by Peter Case is riveting, if not at the top of their game. It's a meaty balance of classic originals ("Shaky City," "A Milion Miles Away") and a rash of fab covers (Little Richard and Gary U.S. Bonds, where they're joined by the Fleshtones). Hooks, drive, melody--the band had it all. Worth the thirty year wait.
Bettye LaVette--Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook (Anti-): Is there a wiser,
tougher vocalist than Ms. LaVette? With the exception of a few dull choices (songs by Elton John and the Moody Blues), LaVette brings a new dimension and richness to every old warhorse she touches. "It Don't Come Easy" gets a swampy treatment while the covers of "All My Love" and "Salt of the Earth" are compelling indeed. Don't forget that LaVette recorded Free's "The Stealer" back in '72, so the triumph of Interpretations is hardly unexpected. This project may have been inspired by the live version of the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me," performed in December 2008 at the Kennedy Center Honors, which concludes Interpretations. If you were watching that telecast, you'll remember that three of the honorees, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and Barbra Streisand, were sitting in the same row while LaVette delivered her staggering performance of the song. According to Townshend, Streisand turned to him and asked, "Did you really write that?"