While mostly dismissed by the steelpan purists, its evocative liquid sound, stellar production and broad repertoire sets this 1966 album apart when it comes to steelband albums. It is also notable for being one of the first steelband albums on an American major label. It was produced by John Simon who at the time was a young upstart at Columbia Records and was making a name for himself by producing Top 40 pop hits and albums by the Cyrkle. The New York-based Trinidadian and Tobagonian American pannists involved are still somewhat of a mystery in the mostly murky world of mid-sixties steelpan music. According to iffy internet listings, the group derived by way of the Mellotones and West Indian Steelband. It can be confirmed that they were managed by Horace Morancie, a Trinidadian and Tobagonian American, who was a leading political figure and cultural ambassador in New York’s Caribbean-American diaspora communities.
Well-chosen song selection, sequencing, arrangements and production coincide to make for repeat listening, which is an exception in the world of steel pan recordings. The album features contemporary standards of the time such as “Summertime,” and “A Taste of Honey” which continue to stand out because of their endurance factor and major melodies. Even the West Side Story songs (“Tonight,” “Maria”) maintain their sway despite the recent release of a disappointing remake of the musical. While standards, movie themes and showtunes might have been their particular strong suite, they also ventured out to incorporate vibrant Latin sounds such as “Piel Canela” by Puerto Rican composer Bobby Capo and the Latin Jazz evergreen “Poinciana.” For the most part they are successful with renditions of classical pieces like Chopin’s “Polonaise” that takes a brief detour through a Cubop passage, however “Artist’s Life” by Strauss does come across slightly shallow and touristy.
Typically, steelpan recordings fail to capture the distinctive sonic ambience nature of each specific steelpan instrument resulting in either an overall mush or metallic pinging shrillness. Their mostly uptempo sound is marked by a propulsive percussion which could have been the influence of the ensemble frequently playing at numerous festivals and marching at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This polyrhythmic percussion also helps seal bottom-end sound leakage, while providing forward momentum. Belated credit should be given for John Simon putting the many pieces together. I would love for him to provide glass-bottom boat insight into this recording as he does not mention the record in his memoir Truth, Lies & Hearsay, nor is it listed in his website’s discography. He should be proud to be involved with this recording. Besides, he co-wrote one of the album’s original gems “Sun Dance” that radiates with melody and rhythmic energy along with flares of the slightly abstract variety. Not only should this recording be acknowledged for its distinction of being one of the first American major label steelpan recordings, but also recognized for being a brightly layered and extremely listenable album that is still floating around out there.
Yea-Ming and the Rumours continue to refine their distinctive guitar-driven jangly and twangy sound, while also branching out in new directions on “So, Bird…” Their sophomore album presents both a continuation of the melodic and sincere folk-pop-rock of 2016’s I Will Make You Mine and also an adventurous breakthrough to new musical realms for the Bay Area group.
“I Don’t Dare” unfolds as an invocation and a welcoming call to listen. With a click of the recorder, the intimate opening number allows them to subtly establish their presence and begin creating a better world of their own making. Despite the harsh realities, obligations and distractions, this koan expresses the need to be resolute and determined to hold on to life's vital aspects by paradoxically letting go. Accompanying the spare and unvarnished song is a güiro played by percussionist Sonia Hayden.
The Rumours further expand and refine their requisite twang and jangle sound on “Oh Sweet Mother.” They bring sunburst ‘60s pop into soft focus with an exquisite and hymnal melody supported by overlapping harmonies. This sublime lead single overflows with even more jangly guitars than we have ever heard before on a Rumours recording due to the contributions of Matt Bullimore of the Mantles. The gleaming guitars sparkle and will have you guessing if they were nicked from the mid-sixties top pop of the Turtles, the Seekers or We Five. Regardless, the lyrics could be heard to invoke a vast array of spiritual mother figures along with our own and the human need for protection, compassion and forgiveness. The remarkable single is perfectly complimented by a sweeping video, directed by Chris Anderson and Lily Chou of JetLagRocknRoll, where Yea-Ming comes across like a young Chrissie Hynde.
The strummy “Back To The Days of I Don’t Knows” conveys the drone of Velvet Underground to the point where the guitar tones sound like bagpipes in the distance. Not only does the song reflect the chugging brilliance of VU, but also the dissonance of We Five’s “You Let a Love Burn Out.” Chen’s matter-of-fact vocals command presence and convey yearning for a new phase in life and music. Meanwhile, the lyrics point out that the closer you get, the further away you are and that's what goes on.
Surprising turns into unexpected places has long been a forte of Chen’s songwriting. For instance, “Pour Some on You” goes on for a minute before changing direction like a Taiwanese Nine-turn bridge 九轉橋. The arrangement, counterpoint, and harmony interplay to become slightly evocative of “The Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell if played by Moe Tucker, Rose Melberg or Dear Nora. The lilting song encourages an elusive sense of wonder and beginners’ mind approach, not by retreating into cloying tweeness, but by trying to make good things happen and finding momentum. There is obviously far more to it than that, but it's a viable starting point.
Changing Directions
“Look Me in the Eyes” demonstrates Yea-Ming’s inherent ability in creating graceful music containing life’s messy emotions. The endearing vocal inflections and a perfect baroque solo played by Yea-Ming on a nylon string guitar reconcile the very human volatility expressed in the lyrics. Overall, this song is presented with an awareness that ornate details and subtle measures frequently make the difference and often leave the most lasting impressions.
Yea-Ming adeptly made the best of the covid lockdown situation and found her musical way forward by experimenting with a midi keyboard when she was unable to collaborate with her band. The midi-simulated group of cellos embellish “Look Me in the Eyes” and provide contrast and variety. She should be commended for daring something different with this song that bridges her characteristic form and style and signals the literal and figurative turning point on the record and in her artistic development. Additionally, it’s a glimpse into the process of change.
Striking the perfect twangy tone with abundant echo and taking the sound further into crossover territory, “Heartache Ain’t Nothing To Me” kicks up some dust. This mountain topper has hit-bound written all over it and could go on to become a timeless countrypolitan classic like "It's a Heartache” by Bonnie Tyler, Juice Newton and Ronnie Spector. Eoin Galvin’s jaunty lap steel playing sparks this boundless number and especially shines on the solo. On a related note, it sure would be interesting to know if the quartet would ever consider covering “Queen of Hearts" or even "Angel of the Morning."
From Sea to Tree
“Sleeping in California” made its debut at the 2020 virtual CAAMFest Film Festival. With an emphasis on capturing the ripples, along with some slight splashes, the elegiac and stately ballad signifies continual growth. With its retreat into nature, it’s a courageous step, while also acknowledging the unceasing threat of the continually escalating wildfires. The lyrics could also be interpreted as a declaration of looking for home in the disputed and contested golden state, while still being open to the possibilities of California Redemption Value (CRV). Lastly, it encapsulates that brief moment in 2020 when Covid-19 brought on the small blessing of cleaner skies and things were indeed quieter and nature itself started the healing process towards some sort of equilibrium.
Rolling Tides & Sea Breezes
The lovely and layered “I Still Dream of You” is tinged with Bossa Nova, while also encompassing folk, Hawaiian, and tourchsong. The “After Hours” track lands somewhere in the otherworldy realm between Ranny Sinclair and 河名伸江 Nobue Kawana with Yea-Ming providing the banjo-esque plunks on a nylon-string guitar. This understated beauty is a sonic display of her prodigious talents, while also a soundtrack of making her own path and seeing where the sound will take her. “Takeda Lullaby'' closes out the album and had my son in the back of the car humming along on first exposure, while it stirred memories for me of observing an August bon festival in Oxnard, CA.
What the Water Gave Me
“So Bird…” is the sound of moving forward into a new day of a new era along the western edge of the continent. It also provides a sense of natural stillness and rhythm in a moving and jagged human world still seemingly out of any semblance of balance. It’s no wonder that the oceanic is a recurrent motif and prevailing theme as the lyrics frequently contemplate the pull, power and vastness of the Pacific. Further, the album does not evoke the fragile and murky mood of the in-between and indefinite atmosphere of 2021 or the swirling turmoil and the sadness which permeated much of 2020, but maintains connection to a timeless past while also transitioning in the midst of recent challenges.
Best of Both Worlds
This fully-realized and varied album offers the Rumours’ immediately striking Pacific Coast Pop with departures into directions leading to expanses over swirling seas. Not only does the stellar album connect Yea-Ming's past and present along with individual and universal sentiments, but also captures and reflects the rhythms and routines of the everyday. By ending with a lullaby, it leaves things open-ended and yet to be completed. It’s hard to foretell what subsequent efforts and the future will bring. For now, these starlight sounds express the full hope of another sunrise.
