Badlees release remarkable album

'Up There Down Here' features some of the band's best work

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

August 20, 1999

This is the album I've been waiting to tell you about.

It's the album you almost never heard — the near victim of a corporate mess known best as the Polygram/Seagram's sale. It is by far the most impressive recording I've heard in years.

And on Tuesday, Aug. 24, it hit record stores across America.

"Up There Down Here" — the latest release from The Badlees — offers an in-depth journey into the creative purview of one of America's best bands. Within its 13 tracks, you will hear fine melodies, textured harmonies, an unwavering sense of conviction and lyrics that could best be described as profound.

You will hear great songs.

From the passionate plea of the "Don't Let Me Hide" to the picturesque images of "Luther's Windows," The Badlees' fifth full-length album and second national release provides 56 minutes of everything that can still be good about rock 'n' roll. Resurrected is the lost art of third-person narrative songwriting. Rediscovered is music with a sense of purpose.

Reborn are songs that can come alive in your heart and your imagination.

Embellished with soft instrumentation that only enhances its beauty and graced with a striking cinematic quality, "Thinking In Ways" is a moving tale of a father telling his son that he's preparing for death. "34 Winters" — though never gushy — looks at the heartache of a mid-life divorce and is sung with such feeling you can sense the sadness and, most notably, the anger of a family torn apart.

But what makes "Up There Down Here" so special — and may offer some insight into its title — is its diversity and its depth. For every moment of sheer poignancy and reflection, there are also moments of swagger and strut.

"Silly Little Man" — a sarcastic dig on the short-lived fruits of success — comes with driving guitars and a soaring chorus, while "Middle of The Busiest Road" offers a fast-paced visual collage of rural Americana. "The Second Coming of Chris" is a quirky number and again allows the band to flex its storytelling talents, while "A Little Faith" draws on the traditional folk sounds that have always influenced the band.

It's work such as "Running Up That Hill," however, that lifts The Badlees above most of the band members' modern-rock contemporaries and cements their place among America's most important young songwriters. Although cleverly crafted through sagacious lyrics, it is — quite simply — an offer from a one friend to another to help in a time of need. And its poetic invitation for a return to innocence lost and its gorgeous instrumental break, featuring mandolin and acoustic guitar, provide for the album's single most memorable moment.

The release of "Up There Down Here" marks more than just the arrival of a marvelous rock album. It shows that exceptional songwriting can still be found in record stores and, possibly, even on the radio. It is a testament that songs that are insightful and meaningful can also come with commercial appeal and an unassuming honesty.

It is, above all, music that matters.

   Journey comes down the road once again

For Neal Schon, the journey will always continue

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

TIMES LEADER

JUNE 25, 1999

Journey’s latest musical voyage is taking the band down yet another path.

 It’s not a completely new path, nor is it one the group has fully travelled before. It’s simply the latest venture for a band with a history dating back more than 25 years.

 

Longtime lead vocalist Steve Perry is gone, replaced by new sound-alike/look-alike Steve Augeri. And founding guitarist Neal Schon, who still steers Journey’s ship with the pride of a seasoned captain, says Augeri’s presence has brought several things to the group.

 

“Number one, good vibes,” says Schon. “He’s a really great guy. He’s from New York, and he just brings new life to the band …

 

“This is the beginning of a new beginning.”

 

 In addition to good tidings, Schon says Augeri can also nail the songs - many of which originally featured Perry’s high-ranged vocal talents.

 

“He can sing the old material,” says Schon. “It’s frightening how similar they sound on some songs … He’s singing the songs and giving the songs due respect because he knows the fans are going to want to hear them like that or as close as possible.”

 

With more than 50 million albums sold and more than a dozen Top-40 hits to its credit, fans are something Journey appears to still have plenty of. The group, formed in San Francisco in 1973, enjoyed its greatest chart success from 1978-86 with albums such as “Infinity,” “Escape” and “Frontiers.” Hit singles included “Wheel In The Sky.” “Who’s Cryin’ Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Faithfully.”

 

More recently, the group’s 1989 “Greatest Hits” album became one of the first to receive the newly created RIAA Diamond Award, which recognizes albums which have sold more than 10 million units. And although the group disbanded in 1987, a brief reunion in 1996 resulted in the platinum “Trial By Fire,” the hit “When You Love A Woman” and a Grammy nomination. Perry’s continuing health problems, however, prevented the band from touring to support the album.

 

Schon says he was extremely disappointed.

 

That was really the thing that irked me the most and made me want to put this band together with new members,” he says. “That really got me. We were all busy doing different things and we all stopped what we were doing for this so-called `Journey reunion.’ We went in the studio, started writing material, and it was a lot of fun. We recorded the record, had a number-one single, and then didn’t have a band to work with.”

 

Time has helped Schon to cool off considerably, but a degree of agitation still surfaces in his voice when asked if he knows how Perry’s doing.

 

“I haven’t spoken to him, so I can’t speak for him,” he says. “I know he had physical problems with his hips, and I’ve heard that he’s now had a hip replacement. Now that we’ve finally got a new singer- now he gets his hips fixed so he can put his band together and go tour. We waited around for close to two years for him to get better. When he wasn’t doing anything and none of the therapy he was doing was working, we said we had to move on.”

 

The current lineup - which consists of Schon, Augeri, longtime members Ross Valory and Jonathan Cain and new drummer Deen Castronovo - recorded a song for last year’s “Armageddon” soundtrack and has already done a series of live shows. The tour is continuing this summer as the band teams up with Foreigner for a series of performances at outdoor venues.

 

Schon says initial fan reaction to the post-Perry Journey has been positive.

 

“I was expecting the worst,” he admits. “Sometimes when you set out to do something like this, you have no idea what’s going to go on. You throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks. If it does, than you continue. …

 

“We go to our Web site, and we ask our fans to write in and tell us what they thought about the show,” he adds. “We’d read (the responses) on the bus as we were driving to gigs, and I’ve got to say 99.9 percent of them were all very, very favorable. Steve (Augeri) just blew their minds. They were just raving about the band and saying it never sounded this good.”

 

Schon, 45, has always been a highly regarded guitarist. He joined Santana when he was only 17 and has worked with several other musical projects, including the successful Bad English. Schon points out that Journey existed for several years and recorded several albums prior to Perry joining the band, so continuing on without him isn’t as radical as it may seem. He adds that the new lineup has already written an abundance of new material and plans to enter the studio this fall. A new album should be out in early 2000.

 

“The way I look at it, we’ve got the perfect name for a band to continue and evolve,” he says. “I started this band way back in the beginning, and I figure as long as I’m here, we can do whatever we want to do.”

 

Schon says strong word-of-mouth and brisk tickets sales have caused concert promoters to move this summer’s tour to larger venues. He says the show will be a mixture of the old and new, but fans can expect all of their radio favorites.

 

“I think we’re going to try out some new stuff, though not too much of it,” he says. “A lot of these people that are coming out have never seen us with the new band, so we’re still, in a sense, proving ourselves to them and that we can carry on and we can play the greatest hits.

 

“I’m looking forward to it. I love playing live.”

WHO: Journey and Foreigner

WHERE: Montage Mountain Ampithearter

WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m.

TICKETS: $35, $30, $20. Available at the Montage Mountain Box Office and Ticketmaster

INFO: (570) 969-7669 

 

 UNREAL TALENT 

Mere Mortals brash new album, ‘Mondegreen Dream,’ cements the group’s place as the area’s best unsigned band

BY ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU
JANUARY 8, 1999

Out of all the local bands featured each week in this column, the Mere Mortals are clearly the best.

 They write the best songs. Their albums sound the best. They are wonderful musicians and fine live performers. And when listening to “Unreal,” a wonderful track on the band’s new album, “Mondegreen Dream”- one can’t help but be reminded of the group itself. 

 Unreal, without question, is a word I’m quite comfortable in using when talking about this project.

 Recorded at Sound Investments recording studios in Scranton, “Mondegreen Dream” is now available at the group’s shows and at Gallery of Sound stores. Produced by the band, along with Jerry Hludzik of Dakota, the album is the follow-up to the group’s 1996 well-received “Grin” CD. 

Cohesiveness, high production value, big hooks and a sharp musical edge were all goals of the band when they first headed into the studio.

 With “Mondegreen Dream,” they seem to have gotten it all. 

 “It’s a natural progression,” said guitarist and vocalist Eddie Appnel during a recent interview. “If you want to get better at something, you’re going to find a way to do it … I think we’re forcing ourselves to learn more and to get better.”

 “Even from the beginning, when the songs were being written, I think we had a much clearer vision,” adds guitarist Pat Flynn. “We’ve worked extremely hard … Hopefully, we can take it further. Every record’s a learning experience.” 

 Mere Mortals have always been among the area’s elite groups. Their 1992 debut, “In Search of Simple Things” was followed by a Songwriter’s Achievement Award from Billboard Magazine. “Grin” was also met with a rush of critical acclaim. It also sold well and received regional airplay. And at that time, the group was voted one of the area’s favorite bands in the Times Leader’s “Sound Choice” readers’ poll. 

 With “Mondegreen Dreams,” the group has released its most ambitious work. Throughout the stirring 12-track collection, there are fine harmonies and melodies, smart lyrics, plus elements of rock, funk, jazz, reggae, country and even a little techno. 

 “We haven’t shied away from any style,” says Appnel. “Our plan was to make the best record that we could … 

 “This has much more of a cohesiveness to it from beginning to end,” offers drummer Marko Marcincko, a talented and schooled musician who joined the group two years ago. “The music is much more orchestrated and formed.” 

 Appnel, who pens all of the band’s lyrics, says the group is also pleased with what producer Hludzik brought to the project. 

 “He helped us with the structuring of the songs - making sure we got those choruses to keep people hooked,” he says. “For me, he spent a lot of time with the vocals and the backing vocals … making sure the delivery and the pitch were right.” 

 “He did what we hoped he was going to do,” adds Flynn. “If he felt differently about something, he would say he didn’t agree, but I think he left us to our own devices.” 

 Appnel has a John Lennon-like quality, not only in his writing, but also occasionally in his demeanor. 

 “A donut and a small coffee,” he quips, when asked what Marcinko has brought to the table since joining the band. 

 (A few minutes earlier, Marcinko joined us at the table in a Pittston restaurant with a donut and a small coffee). 

 “He more or less upped the ante for us as musicians,” says Appnel, turning serious. “He’s a human clock, timing wise. It sets him off immediately if something isn’t just right. He’s not just the drummer, he’s the ultimate musician. You name the instrument and he knows how it operates.” 

 “Marko - with his arrangements and work with the horn sections - he’s made the three of us work a lot harder and be better musicians,” offers bassist Mark Kiesinger, whose own work is prominent on the recording. 

 Interestingly, three tracks on the album which first appeared on “Grin” - “Killing Me,” “Funny Animals (The Blast)” and “Mountainslide” - have been re-recorded. Appnel says the band always liked the songs, but saw room for improvement. 

 “The structuring of the songs and the arrangements fit more in that pop vein now than they did before,” he says. “We may have been on the tail end of the grunge-thing the last time we did those songs. With so many new melodic bands coming out, it’s good to be hooky and poppy and have those things working for you.” 

Most of the other tracks, said Appnel, have been written over the past three years. A self-described “pack rat,” Appnel says he keeps little notes and lines for lyric ideas in notebooks, hoping they may later blossom into songs. 

 “We have a really good relationship when it comes to writing,” says Flynn. “Eddie’s better at starting, I’m better at finishing.” 

 Appnel agrees. 

 “Sometimes I’ll have two verses and a chorus,” he says. “I’ll sit down with Pat for an hour and the next thing you know, it turns into full song. “To go in to the room in the early stages and have these three guys go to work on something … it’s not something that I usually envision at first,” he adds. “To see it happen just gives me a huge lift.” 

 Particularly noteworthy throughout “Mondegreen Dream” is Flynn’s guitar work. On tracks such as “Fat White Dawg,” “Feeling You” and “Killing Me,” the guitars both bite and burn with energy and force, yet never overstep the songs. The leads are fiery yet compact and even the fills seem to carry a sense of purpose. With this record, Flynn has cemented his place as the area’s top rock guitarist. 

 “I’m always trying to push and keep learning as much as I can,” he says, embarrassed by the compliment. “For the most part, I’m happy. I think it’s the next step toward where I want to be. It was definitely a conscious effort to bring it up a notch.” 

 As for the future, the band hopes “Mondegreen Dream” will get some regional airplay and garner national attention. Even without a national recording contract, they already have plans for national distribution. They’ve also shot a top-notch video for “Unreal,” which they’ll include in any promo packages sent to record labels. And they’ll also attend a national music convention in Los Angeles next month which will feature up and coming bands. For now, however, the band should take comfort in knowing they’ve recorded the best regionally released indie rock record in years. 

 “It sounds like Mere Motals,” says Appnel, “and I think we’ve gotten even better at that.” 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

 

 The title of the Mere Mortals new album, “Mondegreen Dream,” is a play on the word Mondegreen. The term first originated in the 1950’s and is used to describe song lyrics that are misinterpreted. One of the most famous Mondegreens is associated with Jimi Hendix’s “Purple Haze,” when Hendrix sings the line “Excuse me while I kiss the sky.” The song is often heard being sung by unknowing admirers as “Excuse me while I kiss this guy.”

Columnist Sylvia Wright came up with the name after hearing the Scottish folk song, “The Bonny Earl of Morray.” She wrote that when she first heard the lyric, “Oh, they have slain Earl o’ Morray and laid him on the green” she heard it as “Oh, they have slain the Earl ‘o Morray and Lady Mondegreen.”

 Pete Palladino of the Badlees once joked that some people thought he was singing “Grease landing in Italy” on the band’s 1995 hit “Angeline is Coming Home.” The words were “resplendent in dignity.”

“In a way, it’s kind of the highest form of compliment you can get from someone - to have them misinterpret your lyrics,” jokes Mere Mortals vocalist Eddie Appnel, explaining the new album’s title. “To have them singing the most absolute wrong thing … it turns out funny sometimes. It’s kind of a personal innuendo.” - Alan K. Stout