John Fogerty, LPT and Alan Parsons Project are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately:
THE THIRD ARRANGEMENT – SCARECROWS (POP/ROCK): The Third Arrangement’s new EP was a long time coming, but well worth the wait. Mastermind keyboardist and composer Nathan MacAdams runs his core band of merry men through six finely crafted and equally finely played songs. The lead off single “Party Blues” is a perfect example of ’70s-era songcraft rarely seen today. “Lester’s Year,” with its Steely Dan-type vibe, allows the Third Arrangement to stretch. The only thing Scarecrows is missing is maybe four more songs. This EP keeps me wanting to hear more.
LPT – SIN PARAR (R&B/JAZZ): A 10-piece Jacksonville, Fla.-based Latino funk band, LPT comes out swinging on their recording debut. “Afinao,” the opening track on Sin Parar, is a fine example of how LPT ties together infectious timbales and conga grooves, with soulful horns and stirring piano passages by keyboardist Angel D. Garcia, to weave an intriguing core. Obviously the grooves will make you dance, but the lyrics – sung by powerhouse vocalist Josue A. Cruz en espanol, as the song “Don Manual” demonstrates – are equally captivating. The touches of energetic salsa and Cuban music make this is a powerful debut.
DAVID CROSS AND PETER BANKS – CROSSOVER (PROG ROCK): Former King Crimson violinist David Cross unearthed recordings made with the late co-founding Yes guitarist Peter Banks to create Crossover. It’s more a collection of ambient noodlings rather than melodic songs, but nevertheless a worthy listen. Still active as a solo artist and occasional collaborator with the prog-rock band Stick Men, Cross knows his way around improvisational music. While Banks’ solo work tended to be more melodic and rock focused, songs like “Crossover” and “The Smile Frequency” show another side of Peter Banks. Yes men Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Geoff Downes also make worthy contributions. If you are a fan of either artist’s work, Crossover is a worthy addition to your collection.
THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – AMMONIA AVENUE (PROG POP): How do you improve on one of the Alan Parsons Project’s most accessible and best-selling studio projects? Well, you can’t, but the brand-new deluxe edition of Ammonia Avenue gives fans a fascinating look behind the curtain of the album. This expansive, 53-song boxed set takes you from demo stage to finished product. Of course, the finished product is a remixed and remastered version of the original songs. Equally fascinating are unreleased versions of Eric Woolfson’s demo of “Primetime” and instrumental backing tracks such as “Ammonia Avenue.” No, it’s not for the casual fan, but it’s a intriguing look back for us Alan Parsons-ophiles.
JOHN FOGERTY – 50 YEARS TRIP: LIVE AT RED ROCKS (ROCK): Judging from the performance on this album, recorded in 2019 at Red Rocks in Colorado, John Fogerty has sold his soul to the devil. It’s hard to believe a man in his 70s, with more than half a century of performing under his belt, can be so engaged and energetic. Surrounded by a crack band which includes ace drummer Kenny Aronoff and three of his sons, John Fogerty reached back deep into his Creedence Clearwater Revival days, as you would expect. Perhaps what you wouldn’t expect: Songs like “Fortunate Son” and “Run Through the Jungle” sound as vital today as they did decades ago. The colored-vinyl edition is gorgeous, with deep clear sound, but do yourself a favor and grab the deluxe DVD set, too. Seeing is believing.
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