S H O E S A R C H I V E S Review of Yellow Pills Refill (with Shoes mention) at Dagger website - http://www.indiepages.com/dagger/reviews.html - 04/04/05 reviews section. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- V/A- YELLOW PILLS: PREFILL- NUMERO- For the past several years I have been hearing about Jordan Oakes seminal (began in 1990) but now defunct power pop label and zine , both called Yellow Pills (he managed 12 issues of the zine and 4 power-pop compilations on the label ) . I was buying plenty of zines back then but the power-pop scene escaped me so I completely missed the boat. In the past several years I’ve discovered some of the current and classic power-pop via labels like Jam, Not Lame, Paisley Pop ,etc . This 2-cd compilation unearths some of the best, obscure power-pop that missed my ears (and many others as wel! l) . Most (or all ) of these bands pay tribute, in their own way, to those mop tops , the Fab Four from Liverpool and while admittedly the only band I’ve heard of on here is The Shoes (and I think I heard of LMNOP as well) I’m hearing great stuff from The Speedies (“You Need Pop”), Luxury (“Green Hearts”), The Treble Boys (“One Kiss”) and too many others. Like those great Hyped 2 Death comps, you gotta wonder where all of these bands came from (usually the Midwest, it seems) but they did, and they all entered studios (sometimes in their own garage) and spit out their hearts and souls for their own 15 seconds of fame and here are 33 ! of the best examples of it. Dig deep my friends. (www.numerogroup.com ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the September/October 2005, Issue 50 of Amplifier Magazine, page 65, part of Beverly Paterson's Classics Revisited Column: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoes Stolen Wishes Black Vinyl 1989 The influence of Shoes should not be underestimated. Formed in 1974, the Zion, Illinois band made no apologies about their pure pop songs, as they channeled the soul of an adolescent male experiencing the ups and downs of love and relationships. Shoes played tunes that were deceivingly simple; the delivery was smooth and easy, yet lots of care, thought and detail went into the proceedings. Along the way, Shoes inspired a host of similarly inclined musicians to emerge from the closet an create their own pop fantasies. By the time Stolen Wishes was released, the band was considered a veteran of the independent pop scene, producing a string of excellent discs (including a greatest hits package). Reliable as they come, Shoes remained totally committed to its original vision, so Stolen Wishes contains the same sort of wonderful fare. Featuring gripping breaks and gut-wrenching melodies, "Love Is Like A Bullet" is a particular highlight, along with the hummable "Feel The Way That I Do" and "I Knew You'd Be Mine." The guitars buzz, the hooks push and pull, and celestial harmonies whisper and purr. Mock horn and string arrangements also surface on Stolen Wishes, giving the album a touch of quaint charm. ---------------------------------------------- Excerpts from Parasol Newsletter Issue #42 ---------------------------------------------- IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... in a recent Declaration of Independents column Billboard's Chris Morris shared his enthusiasm for Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes, "The set includes 21 covers of such brilliant Shoes tunes as 'Tomorrow Night,' 'Too Late,' 'She Satisfies,' and 'Okay,' essayed by Matthew Sweet, the Spongetones, Bobby Sutliff, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, and the Tearaways with Scott McCarl. The material is so superlative that even the lesser-known groups on this collection positively shine. We suggest that you shoehorn Shoe Fetish into your bins, and your personal record collections, at the first opportunity or risk being called a heel. (Ouch!)." International Pop Overthrow impresario, David Bash, writing in Toast Magazine says, "Tribute albums that really work are rare, but Shoe Fetish: A Tribute To Shoes is one that succeeds on every level." Bash picked out Parasol artist Matt Bruno for special mention calling "When Push Comes to Love" "a remarkable version with its slightly bent melodies and galloping beat." SOME PARASOL RELATED ARTIST ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS Shoes' John Murphy 1. Mixing session you wish you could have attended- "Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane." 2. Songs you think you probably shouldn't like but just can't help yourself- "'Tubthumping' by Chumbawumba, 'Diary' by Bread, 'Gonna Get Along Without You Now' by Patience & Prudence, 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' by Paul McCartney, 'Say Goodbye to Love' by The Carpenters, 'Bad Time' by Grand Funk, 'White Horse' by Laid Back, and 'Daisy Jane' America." 3. Favorite record that you can't find on CD (or CD you can't find on vinyl)- "Ennismore by Colin Blunstone, T. Rex's first album on Reprise Records, and Can I Have My Money Back? by Gerry Rafferty." 4. First Concert- "Neil Young, acoustic one-man show at Chicago Auditorium, Chicago, 1971." 5. Favorite Bass Player- "Paul McCartney." John Murphy is the bass layer and co-songwriter in the Zion, Illinois, band he formed with his brother Jeff Murphy, and Gary Klebe in the mid-'70s. The band amassed critical acclaim for their independently issued Black Vinyl Shoes, before signing to Elektra Records. Pop music critic John Borack executive produced the recently released Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes for which John Murphy and his bandmates gave their blessing by writing the liner notes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Bennett Reviews: April, 2001, Part II Various Artists Shoe Fetish (a tribute to Shoes) (Parasol) www.parasol.com I remember the raves back in the late 70's. Ira Robbins in Trouser Press. Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide (reprinted in Creem, of course). A Zion, Illinois band that recorded an allegedly great LP in their living room! I had to get it. But being a carless high schooler, and with no Internet to easily bring indie music to me, it wasn't until 1981 that I snagged Black Vinyl Shoes. The fuzzed guitars, the haunting vocals and the great songs made me a fan for life. If any band is particularly well suited for a tribute, it's Shoes. Although they have a unique sound, it's not like Gary Klebe, John and Jeff Murphy can be cited for their incredible vocals or virtuoso playing. Each Shoes disc is a fine listen, but when you come down to it, Shoes are a singles band - the greatest singles band to never have a hit single. Heck, I probably play Shoes Best more than any of their proper albums. This tribute LP is definitive proof of Shoes' stature as one of the quintessential powerpop bands. 22 artists step up to the plate and every performance is a hit, with a number of massive home runs. At the top of my list is Matthew Sweet's "Karen" - I had never thought of Sweet as being inspired by Shoes, but this excellent cover illustrates that there is a definite melodic kinship. Likewise, Michael Carpenter's "Love Is Like A Bullet" sounds like one of his own tunes - a tribute to both Shoes and Carpenter, I'd say. Some may quibble that there aren't many radical rearrangements of the tunes; I say, why mess with perfection? The changes are subtle - like Doug Powell's use of dynamics in the last verse of "She Satisfies" (and Powell's drumming is incredible), or the gloss of new waveyness that Sparkle * Jets U.K. apply on their knock out turn at "Cruel You". The songs also sound just fine in the hands of unique stylists. Check out how well "I Don't Know Why" fits the soft folk-pop approach of the perennially underrated Shane Faubert. And roots rock royalty Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings conquer "If All I Had Was You" just fine. Like your Shoes hickory smoked and slathered with Cheap Trick sauce and drawl? Advance to The Shazam's "Hangin' Around With You". Meanwhile, Astropuppees ("The Tube") and Big Hello ("Tomorrow Night") show that Shoes tunes are like Irish Spring - made for a man, but the ladies like 'em too. I would not be surprised if I play this record more often than some of my Shoes records. One hallmark of Shoes albums was the incredible consistency of their sound. On this tribute you get the best of both worlds - one well-written song after the other and a variety of performance styles. This easily ranks up there with the excellent Bee Gees and Hollies tributes. Let's have a sequel! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review of Shoe Fetish: A Tribute To The Shoes - Various Artists There's no business like Shoes-business for these musicians by Don_Krider | Aug 10 '01 (Updated Aug 11 '01) Pros: A fine tribute to the legendary Chicago-area pop band. Cons: Hard to match the original performances, but there are great performances here as well. The Bottom Line: A chance to hear some classic Beatles-inspired pop and to discover a number of today's best power pop bands all on one album. Recommended: Yes Gary Klebe (guitar, vocals), Jeff Murphy (guitar, vocals) and John Murphy (bass, vocals) first formed The Shoes in Zion, Illinois, in the mid-'70s, even going DIY (do-it-yourself) with their early recordings in Jeff's living room. The Shoes were critics' darlings, receiving early praise for their first major album "Black Vinyl Shoes" from The Village Voice as one of their Albums Of The Year. Influenced by The Beatles, The Raspberries and other melodic pop bands, The Shoes music featured intelligent, thinking-man's lyrics, with clean, bright harmonies and jangly, ringing guitar sounds. They could write a delicious ballad or rock your socks off with a sizzling, guitar-and-drums-driven rock tune. They had one hit --- "Too Late," which reached # 75 in Billboard magazine in 1979. Like many of my favorite bands, they deserved a better fate. They've continued to record over the years and individual members have produced other acts. That they are an influential act is best evidenced by this release, that rarity in music: a tribute album that actually works. It works because of the talent of the acts involved, which include such chart veterans as Matthew Sweet, Scott McCarl of The Raspberries, Al Chan of The Rubinoos, and Rick Menck of Velvet Crush, among a host of talented artists, all brought together by rock journalist and executive producer John M. Borack. Jeffrey Foskett, the frequent Beach Boys sideman and a member of Brian Wilson's solo tour band, has always been impressive as a musician. As a lead vocalist, his cover of "Your Very Eyes" is gorgeous. It's the kind of harmonic, sweetly clean ballad vocal you don't hear enough of (think Karen Carpenter or Gilbert O'Sullivan for smooth voices here). It's also impressive that Foskett sings all the vocals, including background, plays all the instruments and co-produced the track with Walter Clevenger. Clevenger also appears as lead vocalist on the rocking "If All I Had Was You" backed by The Dairy Kings. This is a Beatles-inspired performance with some lovely harmonies. Scott McCarl, who used to write songs with Eric Carmen in The Raspberries, fronts The Tearaways (a very talented pop band from California) to cover "Never Had It Better." McCarl, one of my all-time favorite vocalists, has the uncanny knack to sound like both John Lennon and Paul McCartney. McCarl and The Tearaways rock out on this one --- power chording their guitars (McCarl, The Raspberries' bass player, plays only tambourine here) and doing the best Beatles' '65 vocals you'll ever hear: "If you feel the need for someone / but you're really not sure who / keep in mind when you hang your heart out / I'm the one you last gave it to / I never had it better than when I had you / ... / if you take a look around you / you'll see the damage that love does / let me be the one that shields you / let me be a soldier of love..." The lyrics to John Murphy's song are just an example of the thought the Shoes' writers all put into their tunes. McCarl and The Tearaways pay tribute to The Beatles at song end with the hook from "Eight Days A Week." McCarl then does an uncanny McCartney impersonation of a statement the ex-Beatle once made about his former band (a statement that inspired The Shoes to name themselves after): "Why the name Beatles you ask? Well, we just thought it was clever. We could have called it anything. We could have called the band Shoes." McCarl also lends his voice as backup on "I Miss You," which features the lead vocal talents of Al Chan of The Rubinoos (themselves known for the classic cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" that hit # 45 in 1977). Ken Cooper plays some great slide guitar here: "You're lonely / without me / don't hide it / you shouldn't pretend / you need me / I need you / together we'll try it again / I miss you / even though I say I don't / I miss you / everytime I sleep alone / I miss you / everytime I think or breathe / I miss you / more than ever look at me / because it's in my eyes..." DM3 (led by Dom Mariani) does a version of "Too Late" that's full of ringing guitars, guitar counter-point (as in guitars dueling each other for attention) and soaring harmonies. They may have succeeded in doing a better-than-original cover, which is pretty hard to do with a Shoes' tune. Matthew Sweet, with drumming from Rick Menck of Velvet Crush (one of the best drummers in power pop), shows his instrumental prowess by playing electric harpsichord, guitars and bass on "Karen," which he also produced. It's a tune about lost love ("even after all this time I can't forget about you") with the sweet harmonies Sweet is best known for (check out his Top 40 hit "Girlfriend"; in fact, check out his official website: http://www.matthewsweet.com ). Doug Powell offers a lead vocal that reminds one of Cheap Trick's Robin Zander on "She Satisfies." It's a tune where Powell, who recorded a wonderful CD as a member of Swag (a group that also features, on record but not on tours, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick), plays all the instruments. The man offers up some hot guitar picking mixed with some "Sgt. Pepper" lead vocal effects. Equally rocking is The Spongetones cover of "Curiosity", which reminds me vividly of Eric Carmen leading The Raspberries in its execution: "Curisoity / confuses me / curiosity / it generates the heat / the energy she meets..." Robbie Rist (who has played guitar with a host of power pop artists, including the excellent Cockeyed Ghost, following a six-week childhood stint playing a cousin on the original "Brady Bunch" TV series) brings his round glasses and drumsticks to the dinner table here as one of The Masticators (who have an album of their own out that's terrific). The Masticators are a band to watch, featuring guitarist Patrick McGrath and bassist Servo. The standout to the band is lead singer Lisa Mychols (who also plays guitar), who has an outstanding vocal range, with the ability to be a sweet-voiced innocent or a screaming vocal vixen on this tune. Performances don't get any better. Another stunning female lead singer is Chloe F. Orwell of Chicago's Big Hello (with two great albums out). One of those "you'd better listen to me" lead vocals mixed with the band's powerhouse instrumentation (drummer Brad Elvis, guitarist Johnny Million and bassist Melanie X) is what you get with their punkish rave-up version of "Tomorrow Night." As a side note: My first experience hearing The Shoes was on the 1978 "Best Of Bomp" album, a white vinyl LP from Greg Shaw's Bomp Records that showcased some great '60s/'70s power pop acts. The tune they did on that album was "Tomorrow Night," which they performed as a British Invasion-style pop tune: "I get restless inside in the night / yeah, what do you say? / wait 'til tomorrow night / how can I wait / until tomorrow night?" Shane Faubert, not a household word, but a name that should be, is another singer with a smooth, sweet voice (think Paul McCartney singing The Beatles' "I Will") which offers a gentle, tender performance of "I Don't Know Why": "Some lose what some will find / some laugh / some cry / you have to draw the line / oh, I don't know why..." Matt Bruno, as always (listen to snips of his terrific "Punch & Beauty" album at http://www.mattbruno.com ), delivers a solid effort on "When Push Comes To Shove," a galloping-guitar/keyboard/drums-driven performance. Bruno, who plays glockenspiel, organ, harpsichord and piano here, wonders aloud: "When push comes to shove / what happens to love..." Other tunes on "Shoe Fetish": "The Tube" by The AstroPuppees, "Turnaround" by Bobby Sutliff, "Cruel You" by Sparkle*Jets U. K., "Found A Girl" by Cloud Eleven,"I Can't Go Wrong" by The Lolas, "Hangin' Around With You" by The Shazam, "Love Is Like A Bullet" by Michael Carpenter, "Only In My Sleep" by Don Dixon & Marti Jones, and "Okay" by LMNOP. The CD: Total running time is 71:41 minutes for the 22 tracks. The CD booklet is only four pages (I wish some background info on the bands were included), but the loving commentary by the members of The Shoes which appears on the back cover of the booklet is a most welcome find. On the web: The Shoes label, named after one of their albums: http://www.blackvinyl.com . Their official website: http://www.blackvinyl.com/3shoes.htm . Great Music to Play While: Driving About The Author Epinions.com ID: Don_Krider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ m u s i c Various Artists Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes (Parasol) US release date: 23 January 2001 by David Fufkin PopMatters Music Critic Hailing from the great State of Illinois, Shoes are/were Jeff Murphy, John Murphy and Gary Klebe. Their excellent music was part of the power pop wave of the late '70s, early '80s. Bands of that era included most notably The Knack ("My Sharona"), 20/20, The Beat, The Pop, The Flashcubes, Pezband and so many great bands that I don't have space to list them. Influenced by The Beatles, Beach Boys, The Who and other masters of the three-minute pop format, Shoes are/were one of the best of the genre. It is justice that Parasol decided to do a tribute to this band, a band that should have had better commercial success than they did. You should buy this recording because the versions here in some cases are preferable to the originals, and the originals were very good. Why? The artists had no Big Record Company to make happy, allowing the greatness of these songs to shine. Hooks, melody, harmonies, and all you could ever ask for exist in these songs. Highlights include Matthew Sweet's version of "Karen". Sweet's voice is like honey, smooth and sweet, highlighting the strong melody of the chorus. Possibly the best track on the CD is delivered by Doug Powell (SWAG, solo artist, Todd Rundgren's band) in "She Satisfies". His vocals soar. Powell can only be compared to someone as gifted vocally as Meat Loaf. Another fine track is turned in by sparkle*jets U.K , revving it up on "Cruel You". Michael Carpenter's "Love Is Like a Bullet" shimmers. Big Hello's version of "Tomorrow Night" drops into a skin tight groove with a strong vocal. The Masticators "Your Imagination" is another standout track. Don Dixon (producer of REM, solo artist) and Marti Jones contribute a fantastic version of "Only in My Sleep". You really can't go wrong on this CD: this is an all-star lineup of pop bands paying tribute to one of the great power pop bands of the late '70s, early '80s. The director of this compilation, John M. Borack, and Parasol should take a bow here. The band deserved the tribute. The versions are dead true to the original versions in parts and redefining on others. The artwork is great. The humble liner notes by Shoes are refreshing: no salutations with "Peace" or "Rock On". Make an exception to the sometimes curse that is the tribute CD and check this out at parasol.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Power of Pop review: ----------------------- REVIEWED! 1.5.01 VARIOUS ARTISTS Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes [Parasol] www.parasol.com There's a confession I just HAVE to make - I HAVE NEVER HEARD THE SHOES! Whew! Glad I got THAT off my chest! So I suppose, this tribute album is the perfect introduction. So true. With songs like Too Late (DM3), Karen (Matthew Sweet), Turnaround (Bobby Sutliff), She Satisfies (Doug Powell), Found A Girl (Cloud Eleven) and so on, how could I possibly have ever resisted the myriad charms of the Shoes? 8 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shake It Up review: --------------------- Various Artists Shoe Fetish: A Tribute To Shoes - (Parasol) There's no doubt that Shoes are most certainly worthy of the "tribute treatment". A one-of-a-kind act that always delivered with an often remarkable consistency, Shoes' accomplishments throughout the years are often cited as American pop's highest watermarks. That said, it takes quite a lot to bring something new to the table in interpreting these songs. Okay, I'll admit that I often fall into the "tribute trap" - giving a listen to one such compilation and reacting by filing it away and pulling out the original recordings. Some may even argue that that's a worthy mission in itself (I think it is, for the record). That may slightly be the case here, but there's plenty to sink your teeth into. These include DM3's perfect take on Too Late (good enough to convince virgin ears that it's their song), Matthew Sweet's take on Karen, and The Masticators fantastic high-energy rendering of Your Imagination. The Shazam dive into Hangin' Around With You with the zeal you'd expect, and both The Lolas (I Can't Go Wrong) and Michael Carpenter (Love Is Like A Bullet) bring much of their own sound to the table to great effect. The Spongetones give a more freewheeling treatment to Curiosity (in contrast to Shoes more staccato rendering) while Doug Powell gets downright rowdy with his vocal on She Satisfies. If tribute CDs are your thing, then consider this one as one of the better ones out there. (* * * out of 5) Claudio Sossi April 2001 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sonicnet review: ----------------- Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes, Various Artists By Luke Torn The art of the chiming guitar-pop song, created by Buddy Holly and handed down to — and eventually perfected by — the Beatles, had become all but a quaint memory when the Chicago quartet Shoes first appeared in 1977. FM playlists at the time were catering to bloated arena-rockers, often at the expense of an emerging generation of true pop practitioners. In underground America, though, a new DIY ethic was born, coinciding with the punk explosion. Slews of bands filled with kids who hadn't forgotten the majesty of shimmering singles such as the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" or the Hollies' "Bus Stop" began to proliferate. The Rubinoos, the Pop, 20/20, the Plimsouls, the dB's and a cast of hundreds chased that timeless guitar pop feeling, no matter how elusive it proved. Perhaps the best of them all were the Shoes, who sported a trio of top-notch songwriters (brothers John and Jeff Murphy and Gary Klebe) and were adept at letter-perfect harmonies; inventive, multi-tracked guitar lines; infectious melodies; and sharply drawn vignettes of romantic longing. It's hard to believe, in acquainting (or reacquainting) yourself with their songs, that this band, which went from homemade recordings (as in their living rooms) to a stint on a major label (Elektra), never really made it. Songs like "Too Late," "Turnaround" and "Love Is Like a Bullet" — to name just three of their many small gems — are so sparkly, so tuneful, it's a crime that they weren't hits Though tribute records are almost by definition sketchy affairs, Shoe Fetish, recorded under the watchtful eye of critic-turned-producer John Borackis, is stronger than most. The participants represent the cream of the power-pop crop — from Matthew Sweet and Aussie Wunderkind Michael Carpenter to various alumni of the Windbreakers, Rubinoos, Cheapskates, and Wondermints — and they consistently display the right instincts as they search for those perfect pop moments. Highlights abound, including ex-Windbreaker Bobby Sutliff's wistful, jangly rendition of "Turnaround" (RealAudio excerpt), Carpenter's Rickenbacker-driven "Love Is Like a Bullet" (RealAudio excerpt), veteran North Carolina quartet the Spongetones' faithful "Curiosity," and Sweet's creamy reading of "Karen" (RealAudio excerpt). All tasty slices of power-pop heaven, these songs both stand on their own and send you scurrying back for those delightful old black vinyl Shoes LPs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See more reviews at amazon.com The May/June 2001 issue of Amplifier contains another review.