Customer Reviews

Men Without Women

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Steve Van Zandt finally left his sideman and producer role and stepped out as a frontman to release this superb album in 1982. Of course he was and is a member of the E Street Band and one of Springsteen's oldest friends, but after the break up of an early Springsteen band, Steel Mill, and before rejoining Bruce at the end of the Born To Run sessions, Mr. Van Zandt went on the road as part of an oldies package tour backing up a variety of sixties soul group. The combination of early to mid 60's soul music and rock has always been a big element in Bruce's music and the Jersey Music scene that produced him, Steven, Southside Johnny and others. The training Steven received on those package tours serves him well on Men Without Women. The album has a wall of sound production feel to it and songs like "Forever", "Save Me" and "Angel Eyes" would not seem out of place in Phil Spector's catalog. There are soaring horns, stinging guitar riffs and tortured vocals all over the album. Mr. Van Zandt does not stray too far from the E Street family as members of the band appear to lend support as does the Boss himself. Bruce is uncredited on the album, but you can plainly hear him singing back up on "Until the Good Is Gone." With it's lyrics about the relationships between men & woman and the trials and tribulations between adults, the album is like a more rhythm & bluesier older brother of Born To Run. These songs may be about what happens to the Magic Rat, Barefoot Girl, Terry & Wendy and the others when they grow up and get into mature relationships. After this record, Mr. Van Zandt used his subsequent albums as a voice for his political stances. But on this record, he just lays it it on line, singing about the things men and women do.

With the help of a few E-Streeters, a handful of Jukes, even a Plasmatic and a Rascal, Miami Steve knocks the ball out of the park on his first solo album. I was lucky enough to catch Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul play most of this album live at The Bayou (R.I.P.) on December 19, 1982 right after picking it up on vinyl. It's a shame that it isn't properly represented on the Greatest Hits CD. For some tasty Jersey tunes, look no further. By the way, was someone listening to Tears Of A Clown when they wrote Forever? Hmmm......

Simply one of the greatest overlooked rock and roll records ever. No, that's not right. Simply one of the greatest rock and roll records ever. Buy this record. You will not be sorry. Steve Van Zandt is the arranging genius and the soul of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. He put into this record everything gleaned from all those late nights listening to scratchy old R&B records - and somehow made an album unlike anything he or anyone else has made before or since. None of it sounds dated, even 20 years down the road. All of it sings with a passion that we rarely see in pop music any more. Buy this record. If you love rock and soul and R&B and songs about men and women that reflect reality, buy this record.

I was fortunate enough to see Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul at the Kabuki Lounge in San Francisco about 1983. Steven Van Zandt's raunchy guitar work has few equals (maybe Keith Richard, Richard Thompson, Pete Townshend). The touring band included Dino Danelli (Rascals) on drums and Jean Beauvoir on bass guitar. Beauvoir is black, about 6 foot tall, 200-pounds and sports a blond mohawk. An intimidating stage presence, and a more menacing bass player. Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul were as intensive as Rolling Thunder. The concrete floor at the Kabuki shook. I thought that someone was pounding me in the chest with a baseball bat. Men Without Women is just as extreme. `Lyin' In A Bad Of Fire' and `Under The Gun' are as `heavy' as anything from Iggy Pop's Raw Power. Give Men Without Women a spin. Then, if your friends mention the latest Hair Sissies (Heavy Metal), just smile quietly to yourself. You've heard `heavy.'

Men Without Women borrows freely from classic soul styles, throwing in loads of piano, horns in unison, guitar riffs on loan from the Stones and Dobie Gray's "Drift Away", and Motown-style drumming. Understand you're not getting Otis Redding or Solomon Burke here - Little Steven is somewhere beneath Springsteen as a singer. Think Keith Richards. But for these songs, the scrappier the singing the better. With a garage-rocker's passion, Little Steven's a true believer. You will be too.

As a fan of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, it was not hard for me to enjoy this album. As a former Juke and E-Streeter, Miami Steve sets the rock world ablaze with this solo venture. This is as soulful and rockin' as anything Daryl Hall could try to sing. Piercing guitars, and dead-pan Stax-like horns, this album has plenty of hidden gems. Under the Gun and Angel Eyes are my favorites. Listen closely for Bruce's background vocals. Released in 1982, this album got lost in the shuffle of the New Wave craze. A few cuts are heard in the Sopranos as background music....in Bada Bing no less! Without being overly derivitive, Miami Steve makes his own interpretation of Sam Cooke, the Drifters, and black soul music. For a more world beat sound, try the out of print album Freedom-No Compromise.

This record came out at a time when both the content (ideas) and its musical style (kickass blue eyed soul) were not commercially popular; and historically at that point (during Reaganomics and the "Me" decade), the ideas in it were downright frightening to many people. This record rocked my world. Little Steven just sang "Inside of Me," on Conan on Jan. 26, 2000 and blew away the room -- almost 20 years later! Are you ready? These songs are fresher and greater -- or are we all just more AWAKE now -- than when the album was released. Referring to the idealism of earlier times, Little Steven sings, hey, "It never died inside of me." Then he asks, "Is it too much for you to see the truth, every time you look in my face?" "Ain't it a little late in the game to throw your hand in . . . forget everything we've been?" Every time I play or listen to this song it gives me hope, and more importantly it gives me STRENGTH in the fight against ignorance, meanness and despair including within myself. Beyond music -- this record will change your life if you're ready. Rock on.

I was fortunate enough to see Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul at the Kabuki Lounge in San Francisco about 1983. Steven Van Zandt's raunchy guitar work has few equals (maybe Keith Richard, Richard Thompson, Pete Townshend). The touring band included Dino Danelli (Rascals) on drums and Jean Beauvoir on bass guitar. Beauvoir is black, about 6 foot tall, 200-pounds and sports a blond mohawk. An intimidating stage presence, and a more menacing bass player. Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul were as intensive as Rolling Thunder. The concrete floor at the Kabuki shook. I thought that someone was pounding me in the chest with a baseball bat. Men Without Women is just as extreme. `Lyin' In A Bad Of Fire' and `Under The Gun' are as `heavy' as anything from Iggy Pop's Raw Power. Give Men Without Women a spin. Then, if your friends mention the latest Hair Sissies (Heavy Metal), just smile quietly to yourself. You've heard `heavy.'

With the popularity he has been receiving on the Sopranos and the recent segmment on his Sun City boycott on VH1's history in rock, now is a great time to go find this cd by Little Steven & give it a whirl! It is actually my second favorite by ex-Springsteen frontman (the 1st being Voice of America)and features cool tunes such as the title track, the blistering Lying in a Bed of Fire,Angel Eyes, Good is Gone and Inside of Me. Princess of Little Italy could fit neatly into his new roll as mob boss on the Sopranos! But what is stunning is the vast array of talent that he rounded up to be his disciples of soul! Included are Gary Talent & Danny Federicci, Max Weinberg & Clarence Clemons fom the E Street band, and vocals by the legendary Gary (US) Bonds.This is more than a novelty. Steven pulls off what very few ex-bandmates of superstars seldom do; he's established himself as a terrific artist!

I purchased the album right after it came out (and of course now own the CD)---even though it has been 15+ years, it never gets old. Some great rockin' songs mixed with a couple of great ballads, all supported by some of the best instrumental you'll ever hear. Some raw, some polished...all excellent.