JON BUTCHER on SPUN.COM

Stiff Little Breeze
http://www.spun.com/music/product-detail.jsp?id=2188866


Released:
September 17, 2002
Label:
Orchard
Genre:
Blues-Rock , Hard Rock
Reviews:
A Stiff Little Breeze is a superb album from the Jon Butcher Axis, getting straight As in pacing, performance, and material. Jon Butcher personally essays, the tales behind each tune found in the eight-page booklet brimming with photos and rich in band history. As the music crosses decades, Butcher cleverly splashes some of his favorite phrasings throughout the melodies and production, making it very, very appealing. The Tiger in the Tall Grass borrows heavily from early Rod Stewart/Faces, Beatles backing vocals, and, most notably, Paul McCartney's That Would Be Something from his first solo album. Wicked Woman (the title of a Janis Joplin bootleg, a fact that couldn't have escaped Butcher's notice) adds some culture shock from what precedes it -- the kind of polished '80s rock that Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer provided, only this Jon plays it so cool, slipping in a bit of Purple Haze into the mix. And speaking of such things, Red House is a standout. This artist has certainly come up with enough diverse sounds to separate him from his major influence -- but when he dives into Hendrix territory, it is with true understanding and wild abandon. Jimi's friend Buzzy Linhart heard this version of Red House and noted that the tune has become the Stormy Monday Blues of the new millennium, Linhart most impressed with what Butcher did with this often overworked cover. A Light Texas Rain, like the title track that begins the set, is short, sweet, and gloriously simple. Many Butcher albums have seeds of greatness, but A Stiff Little Breeze is no mere collection of B-sides and outtakes; it is an impressive blend of this important artist's thoughts, emotions, and performances. Money is like some catchy response to Cyndi Lauper's hit Money Changes Everything, with a clever aside from Butcher in the liner notes. Beal St. is Robert Johnson/Mick Taylor slide guitar blues, the final of 14 tracks that make up this favorite of all of Jon Butcher's releases. The excellent cover art features the state of Massachusetts on a map that looks like parchment an archaeologist would read from to find hidden treasure. Most appropriate.
~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide




Jon Butcher Axis:
Ocean In Motion: Live In Boston 1984

http://www.spun.com/music/product-detail.jsp?id=2384062

Reviews:
Jon Butcher cut a path through the Boston rock & roll scene when his Johanna Wilde band started making some noise as a terrific mainstream act like their contemporary, Charlie Farren, bucking the "new wave" trend and establishing a presence by staying true to the music's mission. Johanna Wilde evolved into Jon Butcher Axis, and that both of his 1980s major label releases on Polydor are out of print in the new millennium certainly leaves a void for fans, of which there were many. Ocean In Motion: Live In Boston 1984 helps fill that void, despite its flaws. An allegedly "live" CD of vintage Jon Butcher Axis -- said to be from Boston's The Channel Club in 1984 -- sounds too clean to be recorded in front of an audience. The same loop of applause with an annoying and lengthy whistle comes up in between tracks (most noticeably on an otherwise excellent Don't Say Goodnight.) The Dayton, Ohio label Atom Records must be commended for getting Butcher's music out there, but it's like that studio version of Fortune Teller that the Rolling Stones tagged on to Got Live If You Want It!: the fake applause just desecrates otherwise fine music. Seven tunes can be found on the first Polydor LP, Jon Butcher Axis released in 1983, three also appeared on the follow-up, Stare At The Sun: the songs Victims, Walk On The Moon, and Don't Say Goodnight, while the 11th title, Not Fade Away, is a cover of the Norman Petty/Charles Hardin song made famous by The Rolling Stones. Foreigner's Thom Gimbel, who performs with Aerosmith and is producing Adrian Perry, son of Joe Perry, appears on all tracks on keys, backing vocals, and saxophone, though he wasn't an official bandmember. Jon Butcher gives anecdotes and impressions about his material in the colorful six-page liner note booklet, and that is very substantial. It's an elegant package chock full of photos and insight. It's too bad there's not a Jon Butcher Axis live album from the time this group was busy opening for the J. Geils Band when that ensemble was at the height of their fame. Yes, it's great to have this music available on CD, and maybe Scott Kinnison and Atom Records will go through the vaults for a broadcast from radio station WCOZ and/or find other material from the day. Just hearing this material again makes one point very clear -- Jon Butcher put together some of the most concise and melodic hard rock/pop tunes from Boston's '70s/early '80s scene, and deserved much more success than he achieved. www.jonbutcher.com is the official web page. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide