It's A Shame About Ray at 30

It's A Shame About Ray, one of my all-time favourite albums, is 30 years old!

And it's 30-minutes of joyous guitar pop! Always has been, always will be. Sometimes it's guitar pop with a punky edge, sometimes with real melancholy, others with a country tinge to it. Sun-kissed, but naturally warm anyway, this is a real gem of an album that has aged beautifully.

The combination of acoustic and electric guitars is one that still wows me all the years down the line. Evan's vocals tug on heart strings. The storytelling is exceptional and Juliana Hatfield (bass and backing vocals) and David Ryan (drums) gel with him superbly.  Nic Dalton played bass on Mrs Robinson (added on as a bonus on the initial reissue only months after the album had been released) and would go on to replace Hatfield. 

The friendship/romance with Juliana and the link to the Australian music scene where Dalton was central thanks to his Half A Cow label, band Sneeze and friend Tom Morgan of Smudge, brought out the very best in Dando. 

It was arguably the most stable and supportive period of his life and career. Everything came together, before it very publicly fell apart.

Pin-ups - Juliana Hatfield & Evan Dando

Now reissued with loads of bonus tracks (on vinyl for the first time; it's time to revisit It's A Shame About Ray and all the added extras in feature length blog taking in Evan and The Lemonheads celebratory show at Glasgow's QMU and then a look at the album track by track.

The QMU was sold out and absolutely rammed. Fortunately we (me, my sister Carla and friend Paul) got a great position standing upstairs with an excellent view. 

Evan ambled on stage to a huge roar and started with Being Around before going straight into The Outdoor Type, two of my favourite Lemonheads songs. Dando was in fine form throughout, joking with the crowd and enjoying an early heckle of play a fast yin. The crowd were in fine voice from the start, singing along tenderly. Hard Drive from his Baby I'm Bored album was gorgeous, leaving me all fuzzy inside, as did All My Life. And Evan's version of Into Your Arms could thaw the coldest heart.

Before long he was joined on stage by the latest incarnation of The Lemonheads for a romp through the classic album. 

The band barely paused between songs, sometimes they just went straight into the next. Evan's guitar screeched, soared, stunned and went straight into my heart. His latest rhythm section kept things tight and allowed him to play.

After the ... Ray album the band were off, on, Evan was off and on and behind drums and we were treated to 45-50 minutes of fun via Evan's back catalogue and some of his favourite songs. There was a setlist taped to the stage but I'm not sure how often it was referred to!

Hospital, Break Me, Tenderfoot, a euphoric romp through If I Could Talk I'd Tell You (joined by friend and co-writer Eugene Kelly on stage), Big Gay Heart oozed with humour and soul, Different Drum, Stove ... brilliant stuff.

Taking requests during his acoustic session, Evan played a beautiful Favourite T and hearts melted. Then Evan clambered behind the drums and sang along to his own beats; Al Stewart's Time Passages and the Jackson 5's I Want You Back. Great fun.

Closing with another request, the incredible Ride With Me, Evan unplugged his acoustic and stepped to the front of the stage for the final section, before jumping down to high five some of the crowd.

What a show. What a guy. What a band.

My friend Bobby Motherwell on Facebook was also at the show and posted this when he got home;

Magnificently shambolic, mistake strewn poignancy, emotionally stark, raw and funny. But those songs ... those songs.

Bobby captures the show perfectly. 

Photo by Nic McAllister

Now for the album; track by track. 

Opening with the 1 minute 45 second blast of Rockin' Stroll, you're immediately into the world of Dando's Lemonheads. A little riff and then a flowing, tumbling rhythm with Dando telling the tale of life through the eyes of a kid in a buggy people's knees and trunks of trees, smile at me.

Yet Dando could be singing about life through his own eyes as he sings;

I'm still aware of little but I'm gonna try

I'm gonna try

Rockin' Stroll oozes warmth, the riffs and the way the band hurtle through it is just joyful.

Rockin' Stroll video

Another flowing rhythm riff ushers in Confetti, words spilling out of Dando in a ridiculously hooky manner. The whole song is like a big chorus, there is a little guitar break at 56 seconds and then a guitar solo for 30-seconds at 1-minute 46. And I love the little scrape along the fretboard at 2 minutes 22.

He kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her if he could've

The story's getting closer to the end

He kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her if he could've

He'd rather be alone than pretend

Promo around the 30th anniversary highlights that Evan wrote the song about his parents divorce. Hiding dark and deep thoughts within bubblegum guitar pop. Dando looks super fresh and cool in the video. 

Confetti video

I remember an old school friend called Craig Richardson showing me the chords to It's A Shame About Ray. They were so simple that even I could play them. Although the little riff before the start remains beyond me! A co-write with Tom Morgan, Ray flows along in dreamy, sunshine-y kind of way. I used to drive about the back road of Carluke down to the Clyde Valley, or to Lanark with this on the car stereo. 

If I make it through today

I'll know tomorrow not to leave my feelings out on display

I love the feeling to Rudderless, it's really reflective, almost tinged with sadness. Even the chords Evan plays at the start sound a little sad, but beautifully so.

Hope in my past

Hope in my past

I love when Evan sings walked back home to my place and Juliana then sings tired of getting high. And the closing ship without a rudder section is one I always try and sing without needing to stop for breath. Just a super cool song. Check this great version from Tokyo in 1994 with Dando looking all kinds of grunge cool with his hair hanging all over his face.

Rudderless, Tokyo 1994

My Drug Buddy is, at least for me, one of the most beautiful songs in Evan Dando's locker. Telling the story of his friend/lover coming over to go a walk to  score drugs, My Drug Buddy is sung with real feeling, it sounds beautifully melancholy. The way Evan and Juliana harmonise on I'm too much with myself, I wanna be someone else is so dreamy it hurts.

She's in the phone booth

And I'm looking in 

There comes a smile on her face

There's still some of the same stuff they had yesterday

There's still some of the same stuff they had yesterday

Yeah

The organ adds to the lazy feel of the song, this is peak Dando and Hatfield together. 

My Drug Buddy video

The Turnpike Down is a short song, kind of country punk, repeated twice. I love the line between a want and a need to. 

The Turnpike Down, Evan Dando in Sydney

I'm a sucker for the Dando and Morgan co-writes. They are so simple yet so clever. Bit Part is only 1 minute and 51 seconds long. Acoustic and electric guitars collide, the lyrics are brilliant, the solo is fizzing, Juliana compliments Evan perfectly and it builds to a brilliant climax with Dando hollering the final verse/chorus - it's all one in this song.

I want a bit part in your life

A walk on would be fine

I just want a bit part in your life

(A bit part in your life)

I want a bit part in your life

Rehearsing all the time

Bit Part live at Glastonbury 1994

There is a line in Alison's Starting To Happen that is one of my all-time favourite lyrics. 

She's the puzzle piece behind the couch

Made the sky complete

2-minutes of perfection. A pop punk romp about Alison Galloway from Tom Morgan's band Smudge. Dando and Galloway were on ecstasy and he came up with the line Alison's Starting To Happen. 

All these years (decades!) later, this song still sounds like the band are having so much fun. The Lemonheads were really in the zone on this album.

Alison's Starting To Happen (live video)

Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter joins the band on slide guitar for the sublime Hannah & Gabi. It's a beautiful song, the guitar playing is so inventive and melodic. I would often think of this song when I was on the train to Glasgow as a teenager, watching a girl who got on from Lanark. I'd try to catch her eye in the reflections of the windows. This and Norman 3 by Teenage Fanclub were my songs for her. I had a major teenage crush. We eventually talked, but no more than that. Really up there with the most gorgeous Lemonheads songs. 

Hannah & Gabi (video)

Nic Dalton wrote Kitchen and it really emphasises how effortlessly he fitted in with Evan and the ethos of The Lemonheads around this time. Further cementing Evan's bond with Australia. The bassline practically bounds out of the speakers, the vocal melody is deliciously fast and again Dando & Hatfield harmonise with ease. I love the closing 42-seconds - the sound of a band having fun jamming along.

Ceiling Fan In My Spoon is 1 minutes 47 seconds of psychedelic melodic babble, it has a harder and punkier edge to it than anything else on the album. 

Evan's cover of Frank Mills is just perfect. It fits so well with Dando's move towards telling more stories through his own songs and also with the way he continued to highlight his taste in music through acoustic covers. And with the whole sunshine-y, stoned vibe to the album.

He was last seen with his friend, a drummer

He resembles George Harrison of The Beatles

But he wears his hair, tied in a small bow at the back

Of course, It's A Shame About Ray has been re-released several times, including once not long after the original release date to include The Lemonheads cover version of Mrs Robinson. A pop punk bubbledum performance that introduced the band to many. Would the album still have broken without that addition? Who knows, who cares, it's a f**king brilliant album and I'm sure it would have found its way.

In terms of 30th anniversary bonus tracks, we have songs from Evan's trip to Australia; covers of Divan by Smudge and Shaky Ground by Sneeze. The latter featured in my Trust Me series of blogs. 

Check my 10 songs by Smudge here.

We also have a KCRW radio session of My Drug Buddy, an acoustic cover of ABBA's Knowing Me, Knowing You and demo versions of songs on the album. It's interesting to hear Ceiling Fan In My Spoon in that form.

It's A Shame About Ray is sun kissed, warm, melodic, romantic, funny and the sound of a songwriter not only finding himself, but friends.

10 from The Lemonheads

The second in the new series where I look at 10 of my favourite songs from some of my favourite bands and artists.

Following on from 10 from The Vaselines we move on to The Lemonheads.

I am a HUGE Lemonheads fan and given the treasure trove of album, b-sides, bonus tracks, demos and cover versions that the band have released since forming back in 1986, it has been hard to leave out loads of songs I love to create a list of only 10. I might go back and do a blog on my 10 favourite cover versions by The Lemonheads.

I fell for the band in 1992 when they released their breakthrough It's A Shame About Ray album. Dando was super cool, super handsome and super talented. He seemed to make friends all over the world and write songs (or get them to write songs for him), play in bands, or party with them.

Evan lived the high life, in one NME/Melody Maker interview back in the day he literally couldn't talk due to partying so hard. Juliana Hatfield and Courtney Love were among his lovers, Ben Lee wrote a tribute song I Wish I Was Him, Dando won hearts and broke hearts.

The Lemonheads circa 1992 

David Ryan (drums), Juliana Hatfield (bass), Evan Dando (guitar)

After a burst of 3 albums It's A Shame About Ray (1992) , Come On Feel The Lemonheads (1993) and Car Button Cloth (1996) and constant touring, Dando burnt out and escaped from the very public eye he was living in, disbanding The Lemonheads until 2006, occasionally venturing out to tour acoustically, releasing his stunning Baby I'm Bored solo album in 2003.

The Lemonheads released an eponymous LP in 2006 followed by two albums of cover versions. Dando has talked on stage about having side projects with Willie Mason and others. I just hope Evan keeps releasing music and keeps touring. He has a huge back catalogue to delve into to keep his audiences happy and entertained.

Live, Evan Dano solo or with The Lemonheads is an absolute joy. I smile widely throughout and have enjoyed seeing Evan or the band in venues ranging from Sleazys, to the old Renfrew Ferry when it was across the river, the QMU Debating Chamber, the Garage, Oran Mor and Saint Lukes. And The Lemonheads playing Benicassim in 2005 was a drunken joy.

So with 10 LP's, numerous EP's, b-side and more to choose from. Here are 10 of my favourites by The Lemonheads.

The Outdoor Type
Dando became friends with Tom Morgan from Smudge while touring Australia. They would go on to co-write together and Dando would also cover many of Morgan's songs; The Outdoor Type being one of them. Whilst reluctant to include cover versions in any of the top 10 features I do, I had to include one of my real favourites.

This song suits Dando perfectly as it tells a story, it has humour, it is clever, melodic and pure. Dando's voice is perfect for the confessional lyrics;

I lied about being the outdoor type

I never owned a sleeping bag let alone a mountain bike

Stove
A gem from the 1990 Lovey album. The beauty of Dando and his Lemonheads is that many songs can be played acoustic or electric. Stove is one of these gems. Acoustic, it is a lullaby to an old stove that someone helped Dando move. With a full band, The Lemonheads romp through it at pace, the melody may be blurred by the speed, but the longing and love for the stove remains all too clear.

Shaky Ground
I first heard this on a Steve Lamaq Evening Session live broadcast where Dando, at the height of his pin-up days promoting It's A Shame About Ray, played an acoustic set. I think it was at Sheffield Leadmill/University. At one point he had to stop the show to ask people to stop screaming.

He introduced himself that night thus; 'Hi my names Evan Dando and I was born in the spring of the summer of love'. I think I swooned myself!

Around this time I kind of saw a girl who would walk by my house with her dog and I would make an excuse to go out and bump into her. So I particularly love the line;

When I wanna see you I take Jersey for a walk

What's with all this secrecy when all we ever do is talk

Being Around
A Dando and Morgan co-write. This gem was originally the b-side of Mrs Robinson, the cover version that broke The Lemonheads, before being rerecorded and released on Come On Feel ...

The song is equally deceptively simple and brilliantly clever; asking questions with answers full of humour. Dando is all kinds of dreamy gorgeous in the promo video! #mancrush

Alison's Starting To Happen
This delightful pop punk romp contains one of my all-time favourite lyrics;

She's the puzzle piece behind the couch who made the sky complete

This is 2-minutes of perfection, a pop punk romp about Alison Galloway from Tom Morgan's band Smudge. Dando and Galloway were on ecstasy and he came up with the line Alison's Starting To Happen. Here are Evan and The Lemonheads playing it at Glastonbury 1994.

If I Could Talk (I'd Tell You)
A co-write with Eugene Kelly from around the time Dando effectively lost his voice due to his crack addiction. This is chiming guitar pop heaven for me.

Rudderless
I love the feeling to this song, it's really reflective, almost tinged with sadness.

Hope in my past

Hope in my past

I love when Evan sings walked back home to my place and Juliana then sings tired of getting high. And the closing ship without a rudder section is one I always try and sing without needing to stop for breath. Just a super cool song. Check this great version from Tokyo in 1994 with Dando looking all kinds of grunge cool with his hair hanging all over his face.

It's About Time
There is a bit halfway through this song where Dando sings it's not about you, it's not about sunshine and then Juliana Hatfield chimes in with the most gorgeous SUNSHINE that warms my heart every time I hear it.

Mallo Cup
Early Lemonheads with the beautiful opening line Here I am outside your house at 3 AM, trying to think you outta bed

Mallo Cup beautifully captures why I love The Lemonheads so much. Underpinned acoustic, chiming guitar but with Dando's foot never far from the distortion pedal which he pushes for the chorus and it's all over in 2 minutes 11 seconds.

I forget to forget

I ain't remembered yet

Bit Part
I found it very difficult to choose my final song. My Drug Buddy and Hannah and Gabi are absolutely beautiful songs, and how heartaching and heartwarming is Into Your Arms (a cover version). But this is 10 of my favourites, not 10 of the best. And I LOVE Bit Part, another co-write with Tom Morgan and another with beautiful vocal by Juliana Hatfield to compliment Evan.

I'm a sucker for the Dando and Morgan co-writes. They are so simple yet so clever. This one is only 1 minute and 51 seconds long. Acoustic and electric guitars collide, the lyrics are brilliant, the solo is fizzing and it builds to a brilliant climax with Dando hollering the final verse/chorus - it's all one in this song. Check them flying through it at Glastonbury in 1994.

I want a bit part in your life

A walk on would be fine

I just want a bit part in your life

(A bit part in your life)

The Lemonheads at the ABC Glasgow

Shortly after 8.30pm Evan Dando and his latest incarnation of The Lemonheads strolled on to the ABC stage. There was no build up, entrance music or drama. This was a band here just to play music and that they did.

Guitarist Chris Brokaw said 'We're the f**king Lemonheads from Boston Massachusetts' and they were off. Roaring through guitar punk pop gems and moments of tender songwriting/storytelling genius from throughout their catalogue (must have been close to 30 songs), many at under 3-minutes long and with little pause for applause in between. 

Dando, despite decades of hard partying, still looks incredible. He has that stoned, slacker, surfer look to perfection. And he doesn't even try. Overgrown blonde/brown hair, stubble, a white shirt with don't jizz on satan scrawled on it and paint splattered jeans. He is just a good looking, funny, intelligent and talented guy and he had the audience in the palm of his hand.

The warm guitar sounds of Hospital opened proceedings and the set was kind of split into 5. The band - Evan (with Chris for some songs) - the band - Evan - the band.

Evan could have played all night and it was a shame the venue had a 10pm curfew as in his latter solo set he seemed to have really warmed up and loosened up - just wanting to play and sounding fantastic, dropping a Willy Mason song and announcing they have a band called Sandwich Police! 

The band sets included favourites from the It's A Shame About Ray and Come On Feel the Lemonheads albums; blasting through Bit Part and Confetti, Hannah and Gabi sounded glorious and despite struggling with a sore throat Evan hit the long note during It's A Shame About Ray. 

'This is a song about accccc aspirin' introduced Drug Buddy, Rudderless was a little raw with Evan calling on help from the band (and a sip of what looked like whiskey) to get his voice through it.

The Great Big No was one of the band highlights for me, as was the brilliant crazy stoned Style and a full band romp through Stove was a delight - an incredible song., the story of Evan being heartbroken about getting ride of his old stove.

It was great to see and hear a proper guitar band, the duelling guitars sounded glorious at times, but it was in Evan's solo sets that the real incredible moments took place for me.

There was the humour, emotion and exceptional songwriting of Being Around and Outdoor Type, the tender beauties of Into Your Arms, Frying Pan (just genius at work) and some gems from his incredible solo album Baby I'm Bored - Hard Drive is just incredible, as is the autobiographical (?) brilliance of Why Do You Do This To Yourself?. Ride With Me is another example of just exceptional songwriting.

I lied about being the outdoor type

I never owned a sleeping bag, let alone a mountain bike

At times during his solo sets you could have heard a pin drop, at others Evan held back to let the crowd sing-a-long, to either his parts or the backing vocals. He was also quick to thank the crowd and highlight how it was always a pleasure to play Glasgow - a city where he has often hung out.

Ending with a romp through Alison's Starting To Happen and a delicious If I Could Talk I'd Tell You dedicated to co-writer Eugene Kelly who was in the crowd, this was a great set.

I hope Evan comes back again soon - with or without his band. Never mind about a support band, give Evan a little longer.

The Lemonheads announce ABC show

One of my all-time favourite bands/artists is The Lemonheads and Evan Dando. They have just announced a UK tour and will be playing Glasgow's ABC on Tuesday 6th October. Tickets are on sale now.

Why are The Lemonheads one of my favourite bands? 

It's A Shame About Ray was a landmark album for me and many of my age/generation. I was 16-years old in 1992 when it came out; the warm guitar sounds (acoustic and electric combining), pop punk perfection and more delicate numbers like My Drug Buddy and Hannah and Gabi were all wrapped up in an album under 30-minutes in length.

Indeed - I have just double checked this! Yes, there is so much goodness, 13 songs, lyrical genius, hooks, choruses and lovely guitar sounds in under 30-minutes.

I remember hearing Evan playing an acoustic show live on the Evening Session back in 1992 (I think it was from Sheffield) and being deafened by the screams. He was, and is, a handsome guy! 

I dug deeper, the band had been going since 1986 and released a few albums. There were some cracking tracks like Ride With Me, the cover of Luka and Stove (all from Lovey, the album that proceeded ..Ray) but It's A Shame About Ray is when it all came together; Rudderless, Alison's Starting To Happen, Bit Part....just brilliant guitar songs.

The form continued into Come On Feel The Lemonheads, released swiftly the following year. Gems like Into Your Arms, It's About Time and a reworking of the beautiful and brilliant Being Around (originally a b-side of the Mrs Robinson single) gathered more fans for Evan and his band and propelled The Lemonheads into the top 5.

Evan always had an air of mischief about him and the success led to lots of attention....and drugs. Evan became a regular in the NME and Melody Maker, not just for his music, but for hanging out with Oasis, shagging Courtney Love, partying harder than most and generally being a rock star.

It took 3-years for a follow up and Car Button Cloth was a mixed bag but it still had incredible songs like If I Could Talk I'd Tell You (a co-write with Eugene Kelly), Hospital and the absolute class act that is Outdoor Type (written by Dando's friend Tom Morgan).

Since then there hasn't been a great deal of output; a cracking Dando solo album (also a rare live album), the eponymous album in 2006 and a covers album in 2013.

But Evan has always been relatively active; playing solo shows, touring with The Stooges, shows with Juliana Hatfield and occasionally getting a group together to tour as The Lemonheads.

I have caught the band and Evan live a number of times over the years and there have been some very memorable shows; two in particular spring to mind - Evan at Nice n Sleazys back at the end of 2003 was incredible. I literally got the last ticket in town so had to go on my own and I was right down the front - mesmerised, singing-a-long and very drunk. Then a long Lemonheads set at Benicassim in 2005 with Evan refusing to leave the stage was just sublime, perfect guitar pop.

It is great to have Evan and his friends back and here are the details.

The Lemonheads have announced details of a UK tour in October. The shows will be their first in over 3 years and follow a recent sold-out solo tour by Evan Dando. The line-up will feature Evan Dando (vocals/guitar), Chris Brokaw (guitar), Todd Philips (drums) and Jen Turner (bass). Tickets are on sale now.

October

Thurs 1st  - Birmingham -  Library

Fri 2nd - Cardiff - The Gate

Sun 4th - Belfast - Limelight 2

Mon 5th - Dublin - Academy

Tues 6th - Glasgow - O2 ABC

Weds 7th - Manchester - The Ritz

Thurs 8th - London - Indigo2

The Lemonheads at Oran Mor 05/12/11

Last night I got to see one of my all time favourite bands in an absolutely brilliant venue. 


I've only previously been to the upstairs venue at Oran Mor for a wedding. I had no idea it was used for live music. So it was a real pleasant surprise to hear that The Lemonheads were playing there, rather than the usual downstairs venue.


I met my mates Lorna and Colin at 7.30pm and we decided to go straight in. I was meant to be going with my wife and my sister, but the weather and illness prevented that, so thanks to Lorna and Colin for stepping in. I was suffering from a bit of the 'man flu' myself.


A couple of pints and a good catch up at the bar meant that the support act passed by without us noticing. The gig was a sell-out, but thankfully there was room to move and we skirted down the right hand side of the venue to get near the front.

Evan Dando strolled on to the stage at 9.15pm and launched straight into the glorious 'Being Around', a brilliant playful and humourous love song,


He was joined by a bassist and drummer and they literally tore through the 'It's A Shame About Ray' album with little between song chat, often going straight from one song into another, possibly as they were a little late on stage.


The songs have stood the test of time since the albums release in 1992. Dando's poster boy looks have also lasted, despite years of drug abuse.


'Rockin' Stroll' opened proceedings with Dando's guitar sounding fantastic through his twin Marshall Amps. It was straight into 'Confetti', the chiming, simple guitar riff underpinning the lyrics about love coming to an end.


The album was played in order, so after the title track we had my own personal favourite song off the album 'Rudderless'. The guitar sounded fantastic again, it is often hard to believe it is just Dando on stage, playing rythm and lead with ease.

All the way down to the lake

(Found the lake was wet)

How much more could I take?

(Better yet)

Walked back home to my place

(Tired of getting high)

Guess I don't wanna die

'My Drug Buddy' was another highlight, slowing things down with Dando telling the tale of scoring drugs and making friends, before 'The Turnpike Down' upped the pace, with the band then flying through the pure guitar pop of 'Bit Part' and 'Alison's Starting To Happen'.


'Hannah and Gabi' slowed it down again, a gorgeous dreamy song.

Got me watching your eyes, watching things go by outside

Out the window of a train

'Kitchen' and 'Ceiling Fan Hit My Spoon' prompted a bit of pogo-ing in places, before Dando ended with the crowd singing-a-long to 'Frank Mills'. He wisely opted not to play 'Mrs Robinson', despite it being the song/cover that broke the band.


The band left the stage to allow Dando to take some acclaim and play acoustic; 'Different Drum' was a particular highlight. The second part of the set was largely lifted from the equally good 'Come On Feel The Lemonheads' album; 'The Great Big No', 'It's About Time', 'Into Your Arms', 'Big Gay Heart' and 'Style' all got an airing. 'Hospital', 'If I Could Talk I'd Tell You' and 'Stove' were brilliant before Dando ended with the lovely 'Outdoor Type'.


This was a great show. I hope more bands use this fabulous venue.