the vinyl kings. a little trip. review by alan haber. buhdge

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A Little Trip The Vinyl Kings Vinyl Kings Records (2002) So there you go; the trip back is in motion. You close your eyes, and you are there, just as if it were 1964. You are dressed so conservatively, barely blending in amongst the bored or indifferent adults sprinkled throughout the theater, when the man who looks too old and square to be hobnobbing with the quartet of guitar-toting, long-haired, immaculately-dressed, lifestyle-changing musicians plugs in to the excitement and introduces those four lads from Liverpool. You open your eyes, subconsciously, perhaps even spiritually, connected to the images and sounds coming from your black and white TV, your brother and sister and maybe even your cousin and that goofy, freckle-faced underachiever from next door all huddled together, your parents behind you on the couch, their attention diverted, their misunderstanding of the whole thing a given, dreaming awakened dreams of Tony Bennett or perhaps the cast of South Pacific wiping the whole rock 'n' roll earthquake off the stage and getting on with the real entertainment. Stiller and Meara, anyone? The whole thing must have seemed like a dream, and I was there, so I know. I was in front of the TV in our den that Sunday night 41 years ago. If I close my eyes now, I can remember what it felt like, what it meant to me, what it meant to all of us who made our decisions then and there to have something to do with rock 'n' roll. For legions of aspiring musicians with one foot in the Music Minus One crowd, and the other in the sea of rock 'n' roll hopefuls, that day, centered around the inaugural performance by the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show coincided with their decision, made right then and there, to live, breathe, eat and digest the music of their youth. Which brings me to this wonderful album, a you-are-back-there kind of experience that manages to be just as contemporary as it is an homage to that fateful year, 1964, and, for that matter, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. The first sound you hear, that of an audience expressing complete and utter joy, leads into the glorious title track, which tells the story of a 10 year old boy who experiences the Fab Four that incredible night and signs up to be a part of the excitement. "And that was it/The night I saw it all/The Beatles on TV," the boy sings, now all grown up, and doesn't that say it all. The music is all gooey and spine-tingling and redolent of the Fabs' sound throughout their years, as are most of the songs on offer here. Created with care and smarts by a top-notch, incredibly talented group of studio musicians, A Little Trip takes the cake, a deeply satisfying, melodic trip, if you will. You will want to go along for the ride. "I Took a Chance" is pure early-to-mid period, Rickenbacker-styled Beatles, as is the harder-edged "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" and "I Think I Know." "Mind Over Matter" takes off on a nod to "I Am the Walrus," while also tagging George Harrison song structures and, yes, Moody Blues-like orchestration. In other words, A Little Trip is primarily a love letter to the Fabs, but it's also got plenty of additional homage moxie. For more proof of this, consult "Chocolate Cake," another Walrus-like romp with allusions to a more contemporary, sometimes-Beatlesque group. "Dreams" is like an ice cream sundae created by the Alan Parsons Project with McCartneyisms firmly planted in cheek. "Here We Go Again" is a dead ringer for McCartney's softer side, a la"I Will" and "Mother Nature's Son," but it also sounds like a tip o' the hat to the Spongetones. The Spanish guitar sound at the beginning of "Mother Dear" takes some inspiration from the opening to "The Continuing Adventures of Bungalow Bill" and then settles into another stab at McCartney balladry. Great stuff, all. And there you have it, one of the best Beatlesque albums ever released by a group that isn't the Beatles. The big picture says these guys aren't just in love with the Beatles, they're in love with the sounds of the sixties, which is just fine with me. The damn thing is great, but if it wasn't, somebody would have to create it. Just your luck: they already have. Hurry up and hit the play button. Alan Haber February 14, 2005
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A Little Trip
The Vinyl Kings
Vinyl Kings Records (2002)

the vinyl kings' a little trip So there you go; the trip back is in motion. You close your eyes, and you are there, just as if it were 1964. You are dressed so conservatively, barely blending in amongst the bored or indifferent adults sprinkled throughout the theater, when the man who looks too old and square to be hobnobbing with the quartet of guitar-toting, long-haired, immaculately-dressed, lifestyle-changing musicians plugs in to the excitement and introduces those four lads from Liverpool. You open your eyes, subconsciously, perhaps even spiritually, connected to the images and sounds coming from your black and white TV, your brother and sister and maybe even your cousin and that goofy, freckle-faced underachiever from next door all huddled together, your parents behind you on the couch, their attention diverted, their misunderstanding of the whole thing a given, dreaming awakened dreams of Tony Bennett or perhaps the cast of South Pacific wiping the whole rock 'n' roll earthquake off the stage and getting on with the real entertainment. Stiller and Meara, anyone?

The whole thing must have seemed like a dream, and I was there, so I know. I was in front of the TV in our den that Sunday night 41 years ago. If I close my eyes now, I can remember what it felt like, what it meant to me, what it meant to all of us who made our decisions then and there to have something to do with rock 'n' roll. For legions of aspiring musicians with one foot in the Music Minus One crowd, and the other in the sea of rock 'n' roll hopefuls, that day, centered around the inaugural performance by the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show coincided with their decision, made right then and there, to live, breathe, eat and digest the music of their youth.

Which brings me to this wonderful album, a you-are-back-there kind of experience that manages to be just as contemporary as it is an homage to that fateful year, 1964, and, for that matter, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. The first sound you hear, that of an audience expressing complete and utter joy, leads into the glorious title track, which tells the story of a 10 year old boy who experiences the Fab Four that incredible night and signs up to be a part of the excitement. "And that was it/The night I saw it all/The Beatles on TV," the boy sings, now all grown up, and doesn't that say it all. The music is all gooey and spine-tingling and redolent of the Fabs' sound throughout their years, as are most of the songs on offer here. Created with care and smarts by a top-notch, incredibly talented group of studio musicians, A Little Trip takes the cake, a deeply satisfying, melodic trip, if you will. You will want to go along for the ride.

"I Took a Chance" is pure early-to-mid period, Rickenbacker-styled Beatles, as is the harder-edged "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" and "I Think I Know." "Mind Over Matter" takes off on a nod to "I Am the Walrus," while also tagging George Harrison song structures and, yes, Moody Blues-like orchestration. In other words, A Little Trip is primarily a love letter to the Fabs, but it's also got plenty of additional homage moxie. For more proof of this, consult "Chocolate Cake," another Walrus-like romp with allusions to a more contemporary, sometimes-Beatlesque group. "Dreams" is like an ice cream sundae created by the Alan Parsons Project with McCartneyisms firmly planted in cheek.

"Here We Go Again" is a dead ringer for McCartney's softer side, a la"I Will" and "Mother Nature's Son," but it also sounds like a tip o' the hat to the Spongetones. The Spanish guitar sound at the beginning of "Mother Dear" takes some inspiration from the opening to "The Continuing Adventures of Bungalow Bill" and then settles into another stab at McCartney balladry. Great stuff, all.

And there you have it, one of the best Beatlesque albums ever released by a group that isn't the Beatles. The big picture says these guys aren't just in love with the Beatles, they're in love with the sounds of the sixties, which is just fine with me. The damn thing is great, but if it wasn't, somebody would have to create it. Just your luck: they already have. Hurry up and hit the play button.

Alan Haber
February 14, 2005