Stylus over Substance (Volume 12) - Howard Jones, Martha and The Muffins, Terry Jacks, Barney Bigard & "The Pelican Trio", The Alpha Band

Oh boy here we are with the twelfth instalment of Stylus Over Substance. What was supposed to be the short bite sized impressions of stuff I didn't feel like waxing all nonsensical over and wasting too many words. 

I've not always been successful, or coherent. Does it really matter? Probably not, you're either in, or you're out. It's all good. Sometimes it's better.

I'm still working my through the piles of records I got for Christmas, and the additional pile I just got for Father's Day will eventually get my attention. Sit back, put your feet up, let's celebrate the fifty five other entries that came before, and get to the next five.

• Howard Jones - Action Replay (1986)
• Martha and The Muffins - Trance and Dance (1980)
• Terry Jacks - Y'Don't Fight the Sea (1975)
• Barney Bigard & "The Pelican Trio" - Barney Bigard & "The Pelican Trio" (1978)
• The Alpha Band - Spark in the Dark (1977)
  

Howard Jones - Action Replay (1986) Striking while the iron was hot, Mister Jones pulled together an EP to pad out "No One Is To Blame" the re-recorded version that featured Phil Collins on drums and backing vocals. It was a perfect '80s song, and with Phil being red hot at the time it just put the song over the top. The album version was a nice simple piano ballad, but here it was a completely different animal. Howard Jones is often dismissed as the definition of soulless technology run amok. Those people completely missed the point. There was something special about Howard's song and his voice was perfectly matched as a counterpoint to the precision of the programmed drums and synths. Often a tad off key there was something about the delivery that was earnest and organic. The songs on the EP from the extended "Look Mama" to some of the cuts that were previously only available in the UK are fitted together and the whole thing works as a piece, and not merely some cobbled together collection of songs to pad out his latest single. Okay, let's be honest "Bounce Right Back" was always an irritating song, no one wants to hear Howard rap ... but after all this time, it's starting to wear on me. Having listened to this I'm going to have to pull out Dream into Action.

Martha and The Muffins - Trance and Dance (1980) Trance and Dance was Martha and The Muffins follow up to their debut album Metro Music, you know the album with "Echo Beach" and the last to feature the other Martha. Yeah, there were two of them back then. Although both albums were released in 1980, the debut album apparently sat in the can for several months after being recorded in the summer of '79. I wonder if this was deliberate so the album would be an '80s album. Whatever the case, the first album did okay here in Canada, and the single would become an '80s classic. It always strikes me as odd that when a band strikes while the iron is literally still hot that audiences don't seem to give a collective shit. When I saw this in the bin, I was actually kind of stoked to hear what this one sounded like. After all they had one good song, maybe they had others.

Admittedly the skinny tie new wave leanings were already starting to feel old to me by 1980 and while the songs here are full of energy and the band gives it a good go, there really wasn't anything here that stood out and screamed LISTEN TO ME. I will say that "Am I On?" is the musical kissing cousin to "Echo Beach" - structurally it's eerily similar, and frankly is really enjoyable. I'm actually surprised it wasn't pulled as a single ... considering none of the songs pulled charted, it wouldn't have hurt. Now I'll also be the first to admit that while I enjoyed a lot of new wave, and power pop that leaned into artsy fartsy territory, this wasn't really the stuff that made me pay attention. I know there are people who absolutely love Martha and The Muffins, I'm just not one of those people. I'll forever be a casual. I thought it was fun while it lasted, and that was good enough for me.

Terry Jacks - Y'Don't Fight the Sea (1975) So many people sleep on Terry Jacks. It's a shame he's been relegated to the remainder bin as that guy who did "Seasons in the Sun" back in the early '70s. I'll admit I was aware of his other work with The Poppy Family, but it was from a distance ... that was the '60s. However there were other songs that I didn't know I knew until I played this record. "If You Go Away" was another J. Brel and R. McKuen translation, that was very much cut from the same cloth as "Seasons in the Sun" and it's a wonderful song. The other song I'd forgotten was "Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" that obviously got some am radio play when I was a kid. Terry wrote more than half the songs on the album, and they're very good. I'm partial to the song "Christina" it's one of the best on the album. The album still sounds really good, and I'm guessing that's as much to do with engineer Mike Flicker, as it  was the musicians who helped craft the songs. There aren't any credits, but the thank you section may give a hint at who showed up. David Foster and Robbie King are listed among many others. Terry played with the best of the best.

I'm not sure why Terry decided to include "Seasons in the Sun" on the album, it's not unwelcome, it just seemed unnecessary. By doing so it almost makes this feel like a compilation album, and who knows it may well be. It's hard to find information about Terry's albums, and his solo career seemed to end after this release. By all accounts Terry just walked away leaving behind an impressive legacy that should be celebrated and not forgotten. After all, he may not have given away the best years, but he invested quite a few. 

Barney Bigard & "The Pelican Trio" - Barney Bigard & "The Pelican Trio" (1978) What I know about jazz I can fit into a thimble and still have room for an overnight bag. That said, I do like a lot of jazz. Particularly the New Orleans smokey jazz. There's something about this that puts me in a great mood, and the swing and swagger is tangible through the speakers. I'd never heard of Barney Bigard, but that could be said of so many great jazz artists that it really doesn't mean anything. Apparently Barney was a pretty deal, and along with Duke Burrell on piano and Barry Martyn on drum they augment and enhance Barney's impeccable clarinet playing. There are a couple of vocal tracks that are handled by Duke Burrell and Barry takes a turn as singing drummer. Barney had been a member of Louis Armstrong's All Stars which would have been pretty awesome. This particular album doesn't have a lot of details, but there is a small note on the bottom right that simply states "RECORDED 1976" and that's the extent of the production details.

The selections on the album were written by the likes of George and Ira Gershwin, "The Man I Love", Duke Ellington and Bob Russell, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", Michael Parish and Hoagy Carmichael, "Stardust" and originals by Barney and Duke. They're all so good.

The record was still in the original shrink wrap, and the record itself was excellent, although there were a couple of pops that were unfortunate. As a bonus on the inside of the jacket was a small paper insert advertising "A Night in New Orleans" that featured many of the original Louis Armstrong All Stars. This would have been in 1979, and I wonder if the album was purchased at the concert. Sadly Mister Bigard would pass away a year later, June 27, 1980 at the age of 74.

I was delighted to see this available to stream, and I had it on when the wife came home from work and she immediately asked, "Who is this?" It played most of the evening. It really is a great album. 

The Alpha Band - Spark in the Dark (1977) A number of years ago, I picked up The Alpha Band's double CD The Arista Albums. This was a heck of a find, and as a long time fan of T-Bone Burnett this was something I'd been looking for since the early '80s. I'd listened to it a couple of times, and then filed it away. Turns out the want was greater than the need, but it as still a pretty solid collection.

The Alpha Band had been sighed to Arista by the legendary Clive Davis who had a pretty decent track record when it came to spotting talent. Clive was pretty sure these guys were the next big thing. Over three short years between 1976 and 1978 they'd drop three albums. Spark in the Dark sitting in the middle. Sitting and really listening to this, it is an odd duck. The album is remarkably crisp, and the songs hold up remarkably well. I never really did give the CDs a proper listen when I got them. I don't know why. When I found the record it was like getting a second chance to make a first impression. If you like Americana and roots rock, there's a lot here to unpack. To some this can come across as a whole lot of pretentious self indulgent posturing ... but to me, this was just good. Really good. I have loved T-Bone since I first stumbled upon his Trap Door (EP) back in '82. While in some respects Steven Soles, David Mansfield and T-Bone Burnett were more than the sum of their parts, there is an awful lot to like here, and I've been playing it for a couple of days. As for Clive's prediction, the band never amounted to anything more than an obscure footnote now, those who know know, and those who don't have no idea what they missed.