After coming out of the L.A. post-punk scene of the early 1980s, the members of Concrete Blonde found their niche in modern rock nearly 10 years later. The band was not a part of the pop-rock or hair rock genres of the ’80s and preceded the popular grunge movement of the early ’90s. Nonetheless, they enjoyed considerable commericial success once they were established on I.R.S., the label REM made famous.
What they did bring was a punk attitude over a competent hard rock base, augmented by brilliant melodic structure, dark edgy lyrics and the distinctive and powerful voice of Johnette Napolitano. Let’s not forget Jim Mankey, who wrote much of the material with Napolitano, and displayed a highly proficient and inventive approach in his guitar playing.
Almost always a trio, except for an imaginative collaboration with Los Illegals in 1997, the band featured various drummers, including mainstay Harry Rushakoff. Since their successes of the early-to-mid ’90s, the group had regrouped on occasion before breaking up for good in 2007, with valid, creative efforts that had been largely ignored by the general public.
So what has become of bassist/singer Napolitano in recent years? Well, she has retreated a bit to Joshua Tree, Calif., but is still creating as an artist and as a musician with a solo release in 2007, Scarred, and occasional independent releases in her Sketchbook series. The Sketchbooks are not demos per se, but rather song fragments, ideas, flashes of brilliance caught in the moment, sometimes solo, sometimes in collaboration, often using GarageBand software.
I almost accidentally came upon Sketchbook #3 over at CD Baby when I was looking for a couple of other titles and I couldn’t be more pleased with the find.
Admittedly some tracks, although interesting and creative, can become a little tedious such as Bass Idea or Drum Practice. Perhaps she’s offering those to other musicians to expand upon. But in many of the other tracks, the old magic surfaces. That familiar proficient and explosive voice and that wonderful engaging of melody is still there. Continue reading Johnette’s sketchbook
Don’t forget the guitar players who passed through Mayall’s Bluesbreakers: Eric Clapton, on the original Bluesbreakers album often dubbed Beano; Peter Green, founding member of Fleetwood Mac; and Mick Taylor, later a Rolling Stone, all played with The Bluesbreakers, learning and trendsetting with Mayall as the father figure.
Featuring three hard rock virtuosos in Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, from Foo Fighters, who switches from guitar back to drums, his spot in Nirvana, and Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age on guitar and lead vocals, the group exhibits a competency and energy rarely found in the genre today.