[This digest is the copyright of the Move "Useless Information" Mailing List. Re-publication or re-distribution of "Useless Information" content, in any form whatsoever, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent.] USELESS INFORMATION The Move Mailing List Digest Issue #348 May 2, 2002 In this issue: * Album Of The Week: "Super Active Wizzo" * Woody's guitar chops! * Maybe we fell in love with his guitar * Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP * Carl w/the Hollies (cont.) * In search of The Idle Race - "Back To The Story" (cont.) * Tell us the news about yourself... (cont.) ============================================================== To POST TO THE LIST: Send an e-mail to: move-list@eskimo.com Useful Web addresses: TheMoveOnline: http://www.themoveonline.com Official Roy Wood site: http://www.roywood.co.uk Face The Music Online: http://www.ftmusic.com Join the ELO List: http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/showdown.html Move List Info & Archives: http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/movelist.html TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail to move-digest-request@eskimo.com with the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) in the subject line ============================================================== Subject: Album Of The Week: "Super Active Wizzo" Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 23:34:14 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Roy Wood's Wizzo Band "Super Active Wizzo" 1977 Track listing: 1 - Life Is Wonderful / Waitin' At This Door / Another Wrong Night 2 - Sneakin' / Giant Footsteps (Jubilee) / Earthrise Personnel: Roy Wood - vocals, guitars, tenor baritone soprano & alto saxes, electric sitar, clavinet, bass & string bass, vocal backing Rick Price - pedal steel guitar & electric guitar Dave Donovan - drums Billy Paul - alto & baritone saxes Graham Gallery - bass Bob Wilson - trombone Paul Robbins - backing vocals (now playing keyboards with Wizzo Band) Dick Plant - engineer Mike Pela - engineer Barry (Baz) Kidd - assistant engineer Billy Wizzo and his amazing dog Fred ----- Alright, I have a confession to make. I've tried and I've tried, but I just can't get into "Super Active Wizzo." (Sorry, Roy, you'll just have to forgive me on this one. ;) Over the years, I've read comments on this list about how fantastic it is. Just last week Tyler Sherman called it Roy's "most criminally ignored, under-rated album." It had been a while since I'd listened to it so I decided give it another try. Nope. The big breakthrough didn't happen. So what I thought I'd do is open up the whole album for discussion, and ask those who "get it" to explain to those of us who don't "get it" what it is we're supposed to "get." It's not as if I don't have enough Move/Roy Wood music to enjoy without adding "Super Active Wizzo" to my listening repertoire. It's not essential that I like it. But, I would at least like to understand why so many Roy Wood fans consider it one of his best. I'm including a Sounds review that came out when the album was released in '77. Agree? Disagree? (Thanks to Joe Doyle for typing it up.) ----- Sounds 1977 by Phil Sutcliffe Gruntiness, that's what it comes down to. Remember how Roy Wood was the first guy to make the cello, sombre undertone in string quartets and classical orchestras into a genuine pop instrument full of guts and aggression? It happened because he couldn't play it. So he picked it up and started to make sound like Ted Nugent's original punk - the savage who finds a guitar washed up on a beach and starts to thrash away at it. The result was gruntiness and it was very pleasing. But Roy Wood's latest instrument is a whole jazz big band line-up. The problem he posed himself, though he may not have recognized it, was how to keep that fresh and primitive attack in a setting which seems to demand a high level of sophistication to avert complete chaos. And at last he has failed to find an answer that keeps him in touch with the pop climate as he has contrived to do through all his previous experiments. More important, the faults of 'Super Active Wizzo' are not just a matter of coming adrift from fashion - musically it really doesn't make it. Roy Wood's approach is to set Dave Donovan to playing the heaviest of four-square drums which he does with will and skill, occasionally support him with his old earthquaking bass and guitar sound from 'Brontosaurus', and lay fairly orthodox horn and jazz-tinged guitar scorings over the top. Snatches of his multi-tracked Beach Boys harmonies, a hoe-down and Waikiki aloha guitar add a little spice but essentially his usual catchy three-minute tunes can't stand the strain of being stretched out. Roy Wood's music has never expressed much emotion but it has been exciting, clever and funny. 'Super Active Wizzo' is staid, predictable and dull. ********** Subject: Re: Album Of The Week: "Super Active Wizzo" Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 11:19:53 -0700 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" I remember when hearing "Super Active Wizzo" the first few times back in '77 feeling the same way as Lynn has described. "What the heck is Roy trying to do here?" was the predominant thought. And to be honest it did take quite a while and repeated listenings for certain nuances to emerge. An acquired taste, to be sure. But, hey, let's face it, so was "Wizzard Brew". When it first came out I remember having similar thoughts. It took a long time before I could listen to "Meet Me At The Jailhouse" all the way through. To me both albums take a similar approach but from opposite ends of the musical spectrum. Both are highly experimental, "Brew" with Roy raucously stretching the limits of recorded sound, "SAW" a more polished, homogenized tone while Roy stretches out jazz-tinged guitar to it's limits but still within the context that trademark heavy bass/drum sound that he has always used. Let's put it into perspective. Most improvisational jazz takes a trained ear and a bit of imagination to appreciate, something most people who are used to listening to 3 or 4 minute pop songs are usually are not likely to take the time to do. Not that I listen to that stuff much but I'm bringing it up to create a context. Henceforth and thusly, in order to appreciate "SAW" one must put aside that conventional song mindset and listen with an ear that is willing to go where the music is going. And it's easy to say that musically "SAW" goes nowhere, which is what I, too,thought for a long time, but really it goes places few other musicians would dare to go, except perhaps Frank Zappa. Roy really put his career on the line with this album. He must have known it was not likely to succeed on a commercial level. So he must have been looking at a much different goal when he created it. Therefore, to understand what Roy was trying to achieve with this album the listener must shift his/her perspective to begin to appreciate it. Admittedly, this album is not one I play often but whenever I do it challenges me. For those who have not heard it or haven't listened to it in years, trying listening with "new ears". Begin with side 2, "Sneakin", and play it loud, and just maybe it will "sneak" up on you. Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 22:08:15 -0700 From: John DeSilva Movers: I don't recall if we've had a thread regarding Roy's guitar playing, but I've been listening to a lot of Woody since the VU shows, and I'm still blown away by his guitar playing. A few of my favorite Woody guitar moments: I Can Hear The Grass Grow - maybe Roy's best complete performance on guitar of all the Move tracks. Wasn't this the highlight of the VU shows? (I thought so) Fire Brigade - some of my favorite chord progressions, as well as the trademark Woody descending riff. Thanks to Tim Emerich, I can almost play this sucker myself! Sunshine Help Me - my favorite Roy extended solo. His guitar and Ace's bass are absolutely killer on this track!! Also check out the wah-wah - Roy shows why he's Jimi and Eric's equal on the wah-wah pedal. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited - from the heavy rock guitar in the beginning to the Bach figures in the second half, an absolute masterwork from the fretboard of "Woodsie". Turkish Tram Conductor Blues - the blues turned sideways. Clever half step progressions, and brutal riffs make this one of the heaviest songs the Move ever recorded. Looking On - great jazzy sitar-sounding riffing after the heavy metal crunch of the opening theme. Meet Me At The Jailhouse - Woody and Wizzard at their demented best! A great touch throwing in "Jerusalem" in there toward the end. Fire In His Guitar - Roy doing Jimi, Robin Trower, Django Reinhardt, all while being his inimitable self! There's a bunch more, but I've gone on too long already ... JD San Jose, CA ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 01:56:53 -0700 From: "Joel Lehair" Here are some of my fave Guitar parts from Roy: 1: I Can Hear the Grass Grow - brilliant 2: Morning Dew - (from the BBC Sessions) check out the wah-wah pedal! 3: Hey Grandma - wicked soloing, superior to the Moby Grape version 4: The Entire "Something Else" EP and CD extras - Proves that they were one of Britain's best live bands at this time 5: Wild Tiger Woman - under-rated guitaring! 6: When Alice Comes Back to the Farm - wicked riffing and soloing all round (very unique slide guitar too!) ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 09:26:18 -0700 From: "Rich Lamphear" Just about every Woody record has some kind of amazing guitar on it. Depends what you're listening to on any particular day. Yesterday I had "Mustard" on and the solo at the end of "You Sure Got it Now" is totally mind blowing. "Wild Tiger Woman"!! I often like Roy's parts in the "arrangement" as much as his solos -- often very inventive. The nylon string parts in "Until Your Mama's Gone" (wierd idea, but works!) and "Dear Elaine" "First Movement" (obviously) "Look at me Now" "Chinatown's" Harrisonesque slide parts "Beautiful Daughter" Great acoustic part impeccably recorded. Anything where he gets wild with the wah wah pedal..... And many many more.... ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 01:26:27 -0700 From: LenB Some of my favorite Woody guitar parts include: 1/ Don't make my baby blue 2/ Brontosaurus especially the slide at the end 3/ Ballpark Incident guitar lead 4/ Omnibus 5/ ICHTGG 6/ Turkish Tram COnductor Blues ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 10:45:51 -0700 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Roy's guitar work on "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited" still gives me chills. "Last Thing On My Mind" too. Incredible wha wha technique. Not to mention the jazzy leanings of "Super Active Wizzo", his most criminally ignored, under-rated album. When, oh, when will we have this on CD? Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 17:55:20 -0700 From: Shawn Rush We can't forget 'Life Is Wonderful' from Super Active Wizzo, can we? ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 09:37:57 -0700 From: "stephen mulcahy" meet me at the jailhouse the last thing on my mind looking on tie: do ya/the minister don't make my baby blue-has anyone mentioned this yet? some of the best wah wah pedal you'll ever hear. wood is truly one of the masters of the wah wah ********** Subject: Re: Woody's guitar chops! Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 01:26:33 -0700To: move-list@eskimo.com From: Greg Weatherby I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "Omnibus", which shows Roy on top of his game...it was right around this time that he did an interview in one of the weeklies saying that he was going off guitar because guitar players were a dime a dozen, and he wasn't that good...wasn't as many cello players around apparently. ********** Subject: Maybe we fell in love with his guitar Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 10:45:29 -0700To: move-list@eskimo.com From: "Doyle, Joe" I would agree with all of the comments up to now, but what about the guitar solo in French Perfume? It's pure magic. Also, the sawdust plaiting riff in that other masterpiece, I Should Have Known. Rounding off my top 3 (for today, at least) would be the guitar work in Crazy Jeans: absolutely spot on. Whilst I'm on E&F theme, I Dun Lottsa Cryin' over you has some great multi-layered guitar work on it. It can really be appreciated via headphones. ********** Subject: Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 17:59:57 -0700 From: "Bob Coulter" Yes, the subject line is true! The LP version is completely different: much mellower, nicer in my opinion. It also has lyrics exactly as printed in the CD booklet, unlike the version that appears on the CD. And it is 15 seconds longer. I noticed that the time of the 7" for this song on Helen's site is close to the time on the CD, so is the version on the CD the 7" version? Or is it a previously unreleased take? And why is it on the CD instead of the LP version? Bob Coulter, Mississauga, Ont. ********** Subject: Re: Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 18:45:24 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Bob Coulter wrote: > ...is the version on the CD the 7" version? Or is it a previously > unreleased take? And why is it on the CD instead of the LP version? I remember some discussion about this CD when it was first discovered in Japan. What I recall is that the original master tapes were not used, and there were complaints about the opportunity to include bonus tracks being missed. I can't imagine that they would have used the single version of just one song. The CD is supposed to sound different... warmer and clearer than the LP due to 24bit K2 remastering. (I don't have the LP so I can't make the comparison.) Bob, maybe you just prefer the sound of vinyl? A lot of people do. If no one else knows what the remastering source of "Take My Hand For A While" was, I would be happy to inquire with the label. ********** Subject: Re: Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 01:57:20 -0700 From: Rob Caiger Purely a lack of knowledge on the record company's part. Carl still doesn't know why two different versions of the track were released originally. There's also extra material that could have been used as bonus tracks but sadly, we got involved too late to be able to influence what went on the album or the sleeve notes. Everyone, including the original producer, is very impressed with the remastering. It improves on the vinyl LP 100% What I am going to be looking at today is the unreleased second album. There's a version of Roy Wood's Dear Elaine on there, with orchestrations by Andrew Loog Oldham. Bizarre. More soon - Rob ********** Subject: Re: Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 13:33:15 -0700 From: "Bob Coulter" Lynn wrote: >I can't imagine that they would have used the single version of just >one song. The CD is supposed to sound different... warmer and clearer >than the LP due to 24bit K2 remastering. (I don't have the LP so I >can't make the comparison.) > >Bob, maybe you just prefer the sound of vinyl? A lot of people do. It is indeed a different version, and I assume from Rob's response that it is the 7" version. It's not just a sound quality issue (with this song); it's totally different. As for sound quality, I concur with Rob that the CD does sound very much better than the LP. The other 11 songs on the CD are the LP versions, but some of the fadeouts are longer on the CD by a second or two. That might suggest that the record company used source tapes for the CD that pre-dated the assembly of the album, which would explain how the single version of "Take My Hand For A While" got on the CD. I think a CD can sound better than vinyl if the remastering is properly done, and (thanks in large part to Rob) most of the recent re-releases sound superior. Bob Coulter, Mississauga, Ont. ********** Subject: Re: Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 22:23:48 -0700 From: Bruce Markow Rob writes: >What I am going to be looking at today is the unreleased second album. >There's a version of Roy Wood's Dear Elaine on there, with >orchestrations by Andrew Loog Oldham. Bizarre. Um...Rob...er...WHAT unreleased second album????? The one that was thought to be a creative rumor spread about The Move for publicity purposes? What else can you tell us about whatever you've got there? And will we be seeing it anytime soon? ********** Subject: Re: Carl Wayne CD's "Take My Hand For A While" different than LP Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 09:37:52 -0700 From: Rob Caiger > Um...Rob...er...WHAT unreleased second album????? Carl's unreleased second album, not The move. Best - Rob ********** Subject: Re: Carl w/the Hollies Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 09:38:10 -0700 From: marmil It's a drag that the only NYC area gig is in Westbury. Crap venue, and a pain to get to. I'm sure they'd do well at a small NYC hall or club. Oh well... Marc > Hollies On Tour: http://www.hollies.co.uk/html/tourmain.html > > July > Sat 27th Long Beach, California Green On The Hill > Sun 28th Stillwater, Minnesota Lumberjack Days > Tue 30th Kearney, Nebraska Tri-City Arena > > August > Thu 1st Hyannis, Massachusetts Cape Cod Melody Tent > Fri 2nd Westbury, New York Westbury Music Fair > Sat 3rd Cohasset, Massachusetts South Shore Music Circus > Sun 4th Connecticut Mohegan Sun Casino ********** Subject: Re: In search of The Idle Race - "Back To The Story" Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 01:50:24 -0700 From: Andrew Codd Re: the Back to the Story box set. I would definitely advise waiting for the box set but if you do shop around the web and see "Back To The Story" listed be careful and double check that it is a genuine copy before you buy it. I found it listed at a place called Vintage Vinyl Mail order and what they sent was a poor quality fake. So steer well clear of them and wait for the box set! ********** Subject: Re: In search of The Idle Race - "Back To The Story" Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 17:59:19 -0700 From: "Stephen M.H. Braitman" Someone commented that they found the 3rd Idle Race album "unlistenable." Well, they must be listening to something other than the "Time Is" album. It's a respectable psych pop album that holds up well on its own merits. The members of Idle Race who carried on without Jeff Lynne had actually started out together, as the Nightriders, prior to Lynne joining, and did pretty well. Their two post-Lynne 45s were actually hits all over Europe, South America, and Australia (versions of "In The Summertime" and "Neanderthal Man). Someone must think the album has merit; Record Collector lists its value at 100 UK pounds! ********** Subject: Re: Tell us the news about yourself... Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 02:45:58 -0700 From: Hugo Von Affenschwanz Ugis Vismanis, 25, Riga, Latvia, finance specialist. Also playing guitar in a local band. >How long have you been a Move and/or Roy Wood fan? Since late 2000 when i bought Looking on. >What was your first Move related experience? I think it was a Glamrock VHS, what included Ball Park Incident and I wish there could be christmas everyday. I was an ELO fan, but i didn't know anything about Roy's further activities, so it was interesting for me to see Woody in action. >Tell us about your top 5 favorite Move related tracks. What? - one of best songs Jeff ever wrote. Simple but excellent hard guitar riff in the end of verses, great wah guitar solo and brilliant backing vocals on the "...and so it seems..." part. Something - I like it for excellent string and flute arrangements and of course for psichedelic melody and Carl's vocals. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited - great flirting with ancient music in combination with rock'n'roll. Fields of people - no comments, just great:) Yellow Rainbow or The Girl Outside - hard to decide among these two. >What's your favorite Move related album, and why? It could be 'Shazam' becouse of so many musical influences what makes this album very colourful. These humorous between songs interwies are also great >If you've seen the Move or any member of the Move in concert, tell us >about that show. Never have seen any of Move members on the stage. One and only possibility for me was to see Bev, when he had a gig in Riga nine years ago with "ELO part II", but i've missed it. >Who are some of your other favorite artists/bands? Queen, The Nice, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, David Bowie, early King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes, McDonald&Giles, Genesis (Peter Gabriel years only), Focus, Curved Air, Pink Floyd, Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, T'Rex, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, The Smashing Pumpkins, Babylon Zoo, Crowded House, Suede, Radiohead, Placebo, Air, of course, Move, ELO and Idle Race and a lot of more. >Which Move related song do you wish one of your favorite bands >would cover? Sadly, it's impossible but i'd like to hear Queen singing Fields of People. Also could be interesting to Billy Corgan singing I can hear the grass grow. >What is the one burning question that you have never had answered >in relation to Move/Roy Wood history or music? Is there available to see the legendary Harold Wilson postcard somewhere in internet? Has anyone in the list seen this postcard? >Are you having trouble finding any Move related music on CD? I'm having all the time, because nobody knows here about Move and i've never seen their records in the stores, so i have to buy them through eBay or CDnow or somewhere abroad. I'm still not owner of Messages from the Country - waiting for First Light series reissue. I don't know anything about Move's live records - only one i know, is Something else plus which was taken as bonus tracks in Shazam. Does there exist some live records else? Cheers- Ugis ********** Subject: Re: Tell us the news about yourself... Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 10:23:02 -0700 From: "Joel Lehair" Name: Joel Lehair Age: 17 (18 this year!!) Location: England Got into Roy Wood/Move etc: Jan./Feb. 2000 Fave "Woody" Era: The Move of course!!! especially 1966-69 Fave "Woody" Album: First Move album, great stuff! Collection: Most available re-mastered CDs, some LPs (Move/Wizzard/ELO), most Move and Wizzard singles and "Something Else" EP but without its cover! :o( Other Bands/Artists I'm into: The Rolling Stones (1962-1972 only), The Beatles, The Kinks (1964-1970 only) The Small Faces, The Who, Humble Pie, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Creation, The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Bob Dylan, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Allman Brothers Band (with Duane Allman only), Johnny Winter, Janis Joplin + tons of 60s Mod/R&B/freakbeat stuff + 50s/60s Blues, including: John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin Wolf. 17 yr old wizzo signing off... End of Useless Information #348 ******************************* [This digest is the copyright of the Move "Useless Information" Mailing List. 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