New album: Flyover
Artist: Dereck Von Higgins
Label: DV Recordings
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Dereck Von Higgins is known to many around the world as the patron saint of record collectors. Thousands of vinyl junkies flock to his YouTube channel daily for entertainment and enlightenment.
Along with being an obsessive collector of records, Higgins is also a gifted composer and musician. A veteran of the midwest music scene since the 1970s, Higgins has built up a loyal fanbase over the last decade with his instrumental progressive/psychedelic solo albums.
Fans of Higgins’ music know of his penchant for sprawling, cinematic aural canvases, and “Flyover” goes one step further: It’s the original score for the film “Flyover Country.” Although “Flyover” is available as a digital download, the 180-gram purple vinyl edition is the stuff of stereo legend. Higgins plays all the instruments on “Flyover,” although it sounds as if it was recorded by a well-versed ensemble.
Opening with the menacing “Mad Man Walking,” the album ebbs and flows like a river that is at times peaceful and turbulent. The ultra-catchy “Drebump” is a pure ear-worm, with its hypnotic keyboard figures floating along on a breezy beat. Fans of the seemingly dormant Kraftwerk will love the bouncy drive of “Car.”
Much like the soundtracks Jan Hammer created for “Miami Vice” and Angelo Badalamenti for “Twin Peaks,” Higgins’ music for “Flyover” is another character in the film. The melodies and tones that permeate “Flyover” heighten the film that spawned it, and to those who’ve yet to see the film this brilliant music should wet your appetite.
Classic album: Rocket To Russia
Artist: The Ramones
Label: Sire
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
The Ramones had a simple but winning formula: Loud guitars, leather jackets and great songs played with aggression and an oversensitive penchant for succinctness.
What a refuge The Ramones must have been to the few who dared denounce the demon disco during the latter half of the 1970s. Even what passed as mainstream rock music at the time was starting to get a little bloated, but to anyone who took a chance on a reviewers suggestion, “Rockets To Russia” was an oasis for the ears.
“Rocket To Russia” was the band’s third LP and arguably their best. Since this is The Ramones we’re talking about let’s keep it simple: “Rockaway Beach,” “Teenage Lobotomy,” “We’re A Happy Family.” These songs rung the gamut from sentimental to absurd, but they are incredibly fun.
Oh, and that tender ballad “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” is included as well.
For whatever reason The Ramones never received very much radio exposure, although those that heard them latched on for life. Sometimes critics latch onto bands for the wrong reasons, but the praise heaped upon “Rocket To Russia” was well deserved. To anyone who’s shied away from punk, the well-written and perfectly executed “Rocket To Russia” is a great place to start.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com.