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Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

music-news-from-breakups-to-the-lastest-buzz

  • The 200-Word Review: Charlie Wilson’s “Uncle Charlie”

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    Former Gap Band lead singer Charlie Wilson scored big with his 2005 comeback album Charlie, Last Name Wilson, and after four years (and a bout with prostate cancer), he returns with a more club-oriented, contemporary sound on Uncle Charlie. Fans of the last album may be a little disappointed with the club beats and contemporary flourishes from a classic R&B artist, but Wilson’s signature voice is good enough to overcome the occasional sonic misstep.

    Among the uptempo jams, the almost Euro-dance Let it Out sticks out, with its’ galloping bassline lifted from Charlie’s 1982 Gap Band hit “Burn Rubber”, but the album really picks up steam with songs like the swaying ballad “There Goes My Baby”, the summery midtempo track “What You Do to Me” and the dramatic “Homeless”. The guest artists (Snoop, as well as an Auto-Tuned Jamie Foxx and T-Pain) are unobtrusive but also unnecessary.

    Uncle Charlie is proof positive that mediocre production and songwriting can be saved by superior vocals. While I would have liked content that was a little more mature, organic and age-appropriate, this album stands out as solid enough (in a ridiculously craptastic year for R&B so far) that I’m willing to give Wilson a pass.

  • The Drummer vs. The Piano Man

    Drummer Liberty DeVitto has sued Billy Joel in a Manhattan court according to the New York Post.  The drummer also named Sony Music, but a quick tour of entertainmnent lawyers posting online under their names suggest that Sony will quickly be dropped from the matter.

    Did this man stiff his drummer? Liberty DeVitto is suing former pop star Billy Joel for royalties.
    Did this man stiff his drummer? Liberty DeVitto is suing former pop star Billy Joel for royalties.

    Meanwhile, the contentiousness between Joel’s drummer of 30 years and the artist’s fans is reaching a hyperbolic state.  DeVitto says that he was fired from Joel’s band in 2005 without even a telephone call.  Fans on both sides are defending DeVitto’s drumming or Joel’s music and seemingly drawing sides based on their affinity for either..

    DeVitto was part of the band that played on what is essentially the soundtrack of a 10 year period from the mid 1970s to the mid 19880s.   You may also know DeVitto’s daughter, Torrey, who recently appeared in a 16 episode arc on One Tree Place.  [She also went to the same small elementary school I attended in a secluded part of Suffolk County, but maybe she attended a little later…]

    Cases like this often flare up and are settled years later.   You won’t see Paula Abdul talking about the suit she went through when a backup singer claimed she also sang leads. Nor will you hear much about songwriter claims very often unless it’s the delicious Joe Satriani and Coldplay allegations.   

    Watchers are asking why DeVitto, who claims no contact with Billy Joel, waited years before filing.    There may indeed have been unaswered letters or unreturned calls, and answers won’t be forthcoming until this case has its day in court.

  • Chart Chat 5/27/09: Eminem, The Real American Idol?

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    In the biggest chart no-brainer of the year, Eminem debuts at #1 with “Relapse”, which scans 608,000 units in it’s first week. It’s by far the biggest debut week of the year, although it’s the slowest start for an Eminem studio album since “The Slim Shady LP” debuted in spring 1999. Granted, the music industry was in a much different place then. To put things into perspective, if the year was to end today, “Relapse” would be 2009’s #9 album with only 6 days of sales. Em should easily enjoy a second frame at #1 with no major releases out this week (although his partner in controversy Marilyn Manson should enjoy a Top 5 debut), although his reign will come to an end when the new Dave Matthews Band album comes out 6/2.

    Elsewhere on the albums charts, it’s a sea of debuts and “American Idol”-led jumps. The top 10 hosts 7 new albums. In addition to Eminem, there’s the latest hits collection from Kenny Chesney at #3, Method Man & Redman’s “Blackout 2” at #4, Dane Cook at #5, Busta Rhymes at #6, Tori Amos at #9 and newcomer Kate Voegele at #10.

    A little further down on the charts, a couple of collections by this year’s American Idol champ and runner-up debut, and to no one’s surprise, Adam Lambert’s collection (#33, 16K) outduels Kris Allen’s (#50, 10K), although it looks like Kris has the edge when it comes to individual tracks.

    The chart’s biggest gainers this week also relate back to the “Idol” finale. Rod Stewart’s “Definitive” collection is up nearly 400% to 10,000 units, landing at #52 on the chart after being off of it the previous week. You might remember that Rod the Bod performed a generally atrocious version of “Maggie May” on the show. David Cook also finds himself the beneficiary of some “Idol” goodwill. His self-titled debut is up 111% to land at #29 with 17K in sales.

    On the other side of the coin, it’s bad news for Cam’ron and Paul Wall, as both rappers slide over 60% in sales in their albums’ respective second weeks. Killa Cam drops from 3-35, while Paul Wall plummets from 15-64. Yikes, folks. Might hip-hop be the genre suffering the most from illegal downloading? Or are people just reacting quicker to bad music?