Johnathan Pushkar “Compositions”
Johnathan is back! Starting with “Any Second Now” it’s another snappy Beatles-inspired pop gem that will hook you quickly, very much like his debut last year. He approaches the songs with wide-eyed innocence and light vocal that can be either sweetly endearing or very irritating (depending on the listener). Jonathan keeps the party going with “Does What She Does,” a Beach Boys-inspired track. Pushkar then delivers the mellow reassurances of “Gonna Be Alright” and country-lite “Just Friends” about a crush gone wrong, recalling Ringo’s “Act Naturally.” “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” is a song of obsession with a girl, and taking the opposite end of that theme “Alexandra” is a cautious tale about that clinging girlfriend.
All well and good, but some songs here feel too generic, “Making Plans,” “Red Eye” and “Love Will Save The Day,” simply disappear from memory almost immediately. Note how these songs contrast with the great cover of Paul McCartney’s “Junior’s Farm.” In this case, drummer Geoff Britton and Dan Ealey appear on the song, as part of the Ram On Tribute. Fans of the debut will enjoy this for continuity, but others may be looking for Pushkar to push the envelope a little bit more.
The Palace Guard “All Night Long: an Anthology 1965–1966”
One of the few select American bands that tried to imitate The Beatles’ “overnight” success in real-time, was The Palace Guard with its jangling single “All Night Long.” Another notable imitation from this time was The Knickerbockers “Lies.” Both singles captured the zeitgeist of early Beatlemania, but to maintain a music career after that was a challenge for both bands.
The Palace Guard only released 6 singles during their tenure and was the starting point for power-pop legend drummer Emitt Rhodes, who left the Guard to join The Merry Go Round. They even backed Don Grady (“Robbie” from My Three Sons) on his songs “Little People” and “Summertime Game.” Thanks to Omnivore Recordings, this collection has all 12 sides of The Palace Guard’s output, remastered and restored. Notable hits include “Falling Sugar” and “Calliope.” Fans of mid-60’s nuggets will love it.