“It’s been a blast going through the archives and finding all these hidden gems,” says Van Zandt. “In addition to demos in various stages of completion, there are entire songs I’d completely forgotten about, and we found some really early things pre-Jukes like Southside Johnny and the Kid (the kid being me!). I’m excited to have my stuff back on vinyl for the first time in decades!”
Little Steven has opened the doors on his personal archive of recordings to present an in-depth look at his solo career.
Includes remastered editions of five long-out-of-print classic albums – Men Without Women (1982), Voice Of America (1983), Sun City (1985), Freedom – No Compromise (1987), Revolution (1989) and Born Again Savage (1999).
Men Without Women (1982)
Anyone who has ever saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band between 1975 and 1981 knows one of the reasons they were among the best live bands in America is they had three members with the power and charisma to make great frontmen — Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, and “Miami Steve” Van Zandt. In 1982, while Springsteen was laboring over Born in the U.S.A., Van Zandt — who’d already proved his considerable chops as a producer, songwriter, and arranger working with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and Gary U.S. Bonds — stepped away from the E Street Band to launch a solo project, Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul, and in many ways the first Little Steven album, Men Without Women, is the finest album the Asbury Jukes never made. Like the Jukes best work, Men Without Women blends the muscle and swagger of Jersey shore rock & roll with the horn-fueled heart and soul of classic R&B, and here Van Zandt was willing to push himself further in both directions at once. With a five-piece horn section blazing throughout (featuring Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg leading a crew of former Jukes brass players) and former Rascals Dino Danelli and Felix Cavaliere on hand, this album’s blue-eyed soul credentials are unimpeachable, but Van Zandt’s guitar (and Jean Beauvior’s bass) speak with the sound and fury of a true roots rock rebel. While Van Zandt’s songwriting was always impressive, Men Without Women’s best moments expressed a degree of passion, vulnerability, and determined fervor he hadn’t quite permitted himself in the past (he also began to express the political concerns that would dominate his later work on “Under the Gun”), and if Van Zandt was a less precise vocalist than “Southside” Johnny Lyon, the gritty sincerity and emotional force of his performances more than made up for it. On Men Without Women, Little Steven & the Disciples merged the brassy swing of a classic Motown side with the sweaty blare of a amped-up garage band, and if that sounds like an odd combination, in both soul and garage rock, commitment is what counts, and Little Steven had that to spare — along with a set of really great songs.
1. Lyin’ In A Bed Of Fire (4:23)
2. Inside Of Me (5:03)
3. Until The Good Is Gone (4:00)
4. Men Without Women (2:48)
5. Under The Gun (3:59)
6. Save Me (4:51)
7. Princess Of Little Italy (5:13)
8. Angel Eyes (4:31)
9. Forever (3:55)
10. I’ve Been Waiting (3:54)
11. Men Without Women (1982 Radio Spot) (1:14)
12. Angel Eyes (Britt Row Version / 1982) (4:29)
13. Forever (Britt Row Version / 1982) (3:38)
14. Until The Good Is Gone (Britt Row Version / 1982) (4:52)
15. I’ve Been Waiting (Early Version / 1982) (3:57)
16. Caravan (Britt Row Version / 1982) (3:56)
17. Save Me (Live At Peppermint Lounge, New York, NY, July 18, 1982) (5:06)
18. Time (Studio Track / 1982) (4:59)
19. Princess Of Little Italy (Vin Scelsa Hungerthon / 1989) (6:05)
20. This Time It’s For Real (Live At Marquee Club, London, UK, October 18, 1982 / Live At Peppermint Lounge, New York, NY, July 18, 1982) (5:24)
Voice Of America (1983)
E-Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt left the band following the recording of Born In The U.S.A. and released his own album, Voice Of America. It was Van Zandt’s second album, after his prior release Men Without Women, and he was again backed by the Disciples Of Soul, including bassist Jean Beauvoir, and drummer Dino Danelli. Van Zandt himself handled vocals and guitars, as well as writing and producing the record’s ten songs (the 1991 reissue included two bonus cuts). Voice Of America is a straight-ahead rock record with punk underpinnings and strong percussive rhythms. Van Zandt is a bit thin and reedy as a singer, but manages to carry through on passion and bravado. The lyrics have political overtones and occasionally come off as preachy. There’s still some riveting stuff here including the rave-up rocking wake-up call of the title track, the propulsive, synth-driven anthem “Out Of The Darkness,” and “Los Desaparecidos,” a compelling, percussive-laden cut detailing the casualties of South American politics.
01. Voice Of America (3:31)
02. Justice (3:19)
03. Checkpoint Charlie (4:38)
04. Solidarity (3:26)
05. Out Of The Darkness (4:35)
06. Los Desaparecidos (The Disappeared Ones) (5:16)
07. Fear (4:44)
08. I Am A Patriot (And The River Opens For The Righteous) (3:27)
09. Among The Believers (3:54)
10. Undefeated (Everybody Goes Home) (3:41)
11. Voice Of America Radio Spot (1984) (1:08)
12. RockNRoll Rebel (5:02)
13. Caravan (Live At Marquee Club, London, UK, October 18, 1982) (4:18)
14. I Don’t Want To Go Home (Live At Marquee Club, London, UK, October 18, 1982) (4:36)
15. Alive For The First Time (Writing Session, The Birth Of A Song / 1983) (9:10)
16. Out Of The Darkness (12” Single Version) (5:33)
17. Inside Of Me (French TV/1983) (5:13)
18. US Festival Radio Spot (1983) (0:21)
19. It’s Possible (4:24)
20. Vote! (That Mutha Out) (12” Single Version) (4:36)
Sun City (1985)
Sun City was a 1985 album that contained several versions of the Steven Van Zandt-led Artists United Against Apartheid’s “Sun City” protest song against apartheid in South Africa as well as other selections in the same vein from that project. Featuring Afrika Bambaataa, Big Youth, Ruben Blades, Kurtis Blow, Bono, Duke Bootee, Jackson Browne, Ron Carter, Clarence Clemons, Jimmy Cliff, George Clinton, Miles Davis, Will Downing, Bob Dylan, The Fat Boys, Bob Geldof, Herbie Hankock, Nona Hendryx, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Eddie Kendrick, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Joey Ramone, Lou Reed, David Ruffin, RUN-DMC, Scorpio, Gil Scott Heron, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Star, Tina B, Pete Townshend, Bobby Womack.
In addition to the title track, other songs were recorded at the time completed an album’s worth of material. Drummer-musician Keith LeBlanc and journalist Danny Schechter came up with “Revolutionary Situation”, an audio-collage set to music that took its title from the words of South Africa’s then-interior minister Louis Nel condemning the state of the country. Amid a background of yapping police dogs, sounds of mayhem and revolt in the township, LeBlanc and Schechter mixed in angry declarations by activists like Alan Boesak, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela’s daughter Zindzi, looped with what was at that time the most recent interview with her father, recorded in 1961.
Inspired by meetings with other artists who volunteered, Bono of U2 went back to his hotel room and wrote “Silver and Gold” the same evening. The song was quickly recorded, with Keith Richards and Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones, and Peter Wolf of The J. Geils Band. Wood’s guitar work is notable for using Keith’s switchblade as a slide. “Silver and Gold” was also distributed separately as a promotional single. A last-minute inclusion, the song was left off the track listings of the original 1985 album and cassette pressings and considered to be a hidden track. Bono later explained, in an appearance on the US syndicated radio show “Rockline” with Bob Coburn, that he submitted the tape of the song after the album’s artwork had been printed by EMI Manhattan Records.[1] When Razor and Tie reissued the album in 1993, the song was included on the track listings. U2 also recorded two versions of the song: a live version in the Rattle and Hum film and album and a studio version on the B-side of “Where the Streets Have No Name”.
1. Sun City (7:12)
2. No More Apartheid (7:10)
3. Revolutionary Situation (6:07)
4. Sun City (Version II) (5:44)
5. Let Me See Your I.D. (7:30)
6. The Struggle Continues (7:06)
7. Silver And Gold (4:43)
8. Soweto Nights (4:58)
9. The Struggle Continues (Extra Miles Davis Version) (9:51)
10. Not So Far Away (Dub Mix / UK 12” Single Version) (5:56)
11. Sun City (Last Remix / UK 12” Single Version) (9:37)
Freedom No Compromise (1987)
Surrounding himself with a sensational cast of studio pros including drummer Steve Jordan, bass players TM Stevens/Doug Wimbish (who would later join the ranks of Living Colour), and keyboard guru Bernie Worrell, in 1987, Little Steven would release Freedom No Compromise — the E-Street-er’s third solo record to date. Synth-ladden textures, samples, and programming aside, Freedom No Compromise is an ambitious if somewhat over-produced effort. Although, certainly not as accomplished as Steven’s sensational debut Men Without Women, the album features some fair to very good material. With a heavy political agenda in toe, “Freedom” opens the record. “Freedom” is quickly followed by the riveting “Trail of Broken Tears” — the latter hindered only by some ill-advised drum programming. Little Steven’s weathered voice is in full-on Bob Dylan-meets-Keith Richards mode as he pronounces that “there ain’t no love here, love’s been sacrificed, promises buried beneath, the trail of broken tears.” The Latin-flavored “Pretoria” runs side by side with the album’s best track, the monstrous-sounding “Bitter Fruit” (a duet with Ruben Blades. And although the track sounds like one big party, upon closer inspection, it’s clear that the song is a solemn condemnation on the state of intrusive U.S. anti-communism Reaganomics in Latin America. Surprisingly, in Europe, the track proved to be a massive hit for Little Steven. Coupled with the success of another one of Freedom No Compromise’s tracks, “No More Partys,” the E-Street sideman would return to the old continent as an arena sensation in his own right. Another track worth noting is “Native American,” a lackluster collaboration with Bruce Springsteen which yet again gets lost in some weak programming and over-produced synth action that results in the song sounding like a bad UB40 outtake. Freedom No Compromise comes to an end with “Sanctuary” (a not so distant cousin of “Bitter Fruit”). Overall, a good effort, but not a great one. For a better taste of the artist, spend some quality time with Men Without Women.
1. Freedom (5:13)
2. Trail Of Broken Treaties (6:05)
3. Pretoria (5:15)
4. Bitter Fruit (6:18)
5. No More Party’s (5:40)
6. Can’t You Feel The Fire (4:38)
7. Native American (5:37)
8. Sanctuary (6:03)
9. Bitter Fruit (Cana No Mas Dub Mix / UK 12” Single Version) (6:47)
10. Fruta Amarga (12” Single Version) (5:52)
11. No More Party’s (For Those About To Party…) (Rock Mix / 12” Single Version) (5:37)
12. No More Party’s (Funky Party Edit / R&B Mix / UK 7” Single Version) (4:18)
13. Vote Jesse In (Jesse Jackson Campaign Song) (4:45)
Revolution (1989)
01. Where Do We Go from Here? (5:53)
02. Revolution (5:25)
03. Education (4:40)
04. Balance (5:16)
05. Love and Forgiveness (4:48)
06. Newspeak (5:22)
07. Sexy (4:04)
08. Leonard Peltier (3:46)
09. Liberation Theology (4:50)
10. Discipline (6:16)
Born Again Savage (1999)
“This is the record I would have made in 1969 had I been capable,” writes Little Steven of Born Again Savage, his first album in ten years and fifth album overall. In case that statement doesn’t tell you enough about the sound of the record, he goes into detail: “It is a tribute to the hard rock pioneers that kept me alive growing up, the Kinks, the Who, the Yardbirds, and the three groups the Yardbirds spawned — Cream, the Jeff Beck Group, and Led Zeppelin.” Actually, he cites even more influences, but that should be enough to give you the idea. With a rhythm section consisting of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s son Jason Bonham and U2 bassist Adam Clayton, Little Steven layers on the guitars in emulation of everyone from Dave Davies to Jimi Hendrix, and at times it’s hard to realize that you’re not listening to a song from You Really Got Me or Axis: Bold As Love. The primary difference, in fact, comes with the lyrics, which Little Steven spits out in a Bob Dylan-like nasal howl that has improved from the whine of his earlier albums primarily by deepening. The man who wrote the anti-apartheid anthem “Sun City” retains his extensive political interests, though here they are often expressed in the form of rhetoric rather than spoken plainly. This may be because Born Again Savage is deliberately intended as “the fifth and last of the political albums I outlined when I decided to make my own records,” as Little Steven puts it, and therefore, it is the one on which he is drawing broader philosophical conclusions. No wonder that the “suggested reading” list he provides this time around consists entirely of religious texts. Still, the basic conclusion remains that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and, if anything, Little Steven’s world view is even more depressing than it was in the 1980s for being less specific. Still, it is made more palatable by being married to guitar tracks that sound like they were recorded in 1968, and if you don’t read the lyric sheet, you won’t get too bummed out.
01. Born Again Savage (4:38)
02. Camouflage Of Righteousness (5:01)
03. Guns, Drugs, And Gasoline (4:59)
04. Face Of God (7:38)
05. Saint Francis (8:17)
06. Salvation (5:09)
07. Organize (2:13)
08. Flesheater (6:07)
09. Lust For Enlightenment (8:38)
10. Tongues Of Angels (8:19)
11. It’s Been A Long Time (Solo Acoustic) (4:16)