It's a cold and wet Sunday evening here in the Southland, but I'm keeping warm with some luscious music directly from the heart of the pop life: Mark Johnson... Orange Humble Band... Utopia....Tommy Hoehn...the Rubinoos... Those who say that the Rolling Stones are the world's greatest Rock 'n Roll band have obviously never spent any quality time with the Rubinoos. I've never been able to figure out why they weren't huge. It's an injustice. If Pop Life Unlimited were in charge, the Rubinoos would be living in a mansion at the top of Mulholland, Platinum Records lining every wall, and a view out over the expansive electricity of the greatest city in the world. It's weird that they're from Berkeley. Their sound has a light finesse I don't associate with the Bay Area at all. The harmonies are so tragically pretty and affect me in the same way as the Mamas and the Papas and the Beach Boys, except that the songs have the tiniest bit more of an edge. Maybe it's that edge that kept them out of the charts, but it's what draws me in and makes me wanna hear their songs over and over again... I can't recall whether I posted The Girl earlier, but it's from Party of Two, a five-song EP produced by Todd Rundgren and with the guys from Utopia serving as session players. I especially dig the bottom end of the harmony in the chorus and the House of Mirrors-esque synth, but the best part is the pleading in Jon Rubin's voice when he sings, 'but if you knew her you'd understand...' It's great stuff, and it's a great way to get back into the swing of things. Enjoy...
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