GINO VANNELLI — Brother to Brother (review)

GINO VANNELLI — Brother to Brother album cover

Album · 1978 · Pop/Art Song/Folk

3/5 · 2011-07-27
Chicapah

By 1978 Gino Vannelli and his brother Joe were the only ones left from the lineup that recorded the outstanding “Storm at Sunup” album three years earlier. Their ambitious but unbalanced follow up, “Gist of the Gemini,” was a step backwards so it wasn’t surprising that they hired a host of new faces for 1977’s “Pauper in Paradise.” Both of those discs featured adventurous forays into the world of progressive rock; “War Suite” on the former and the fifteen-minute long title cut that had the much respected jazz arranger Don Sebesky scoring and conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on the latter. I suspect that it was Gino’s Broadway-styled vocal delivery and his gaudy, flamboyant and very macho stage presence that prevented him from being accepted/welcomed into the prog nation and I think the brothers Vannelli finally accepted that as an unalterable fact as the 70s were entering the final stretch. With Gino (the “Canadian Elvis”) not getting any younger they realized that their most favorable chance for gaining wider recognition rested in their emphasizing the more accessible, jazz-influenced R&B side of their sound, even if it meant alienating young fans like myself who preferred their progressive rock angle. The result was the platinum-selling “Brother to Brother.”

I was a starving musician working part-time for peanuts at “Platterpuss Records” in Redondo Beach when this LP was released so I don’t know if I bought it out of curiosity or swiped it outright on principle but I do remember that I considered the music contained in it to be a blatant sellout to commercialism and rarely gave it a spin in the decades that followed. Recently I dusted it off, gave it a few unbiased listens and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t nearly as detestable as I originally deemed it to be. It’s actually quite good. It faithfully adhered to and met the high standards of aural fidelity that made his first 5 albums stand out from the herd, the musicianship is impeccable and Joe’s continued insistence on utilizing every state-of-the-art innovation in the field of synthesizers and keyboards in the process of creating their music hadn’t waned one iota. Fortunately they didn’t abandon their love and respect for jazz when they jettisoned most of their prog wardrobe so there’s a lot to be happy about while taking in what the Vannelli-led ensemble presents on “Brother to Brother.” I’m always pleased when I realize that I was wrong about a record and can enjoy it anew decades down the line.

The powerful, dynamic opening for “Appaloosa” leads to an energetic, funky R&B feel and I’m glad to report that, considering how impressive a drummer Graham Lear was on the earlier LPs, the acquisition of Mark Craney didn’t herald a degradation in that vital department. You can still tell it’s a Vannelli family production because the towering chorus is so over-the-top in a show tune kind of way but with Gino that just comes with the territory. He is who he is. Guitarist Carlos Rios is a major contributor throughout the record and his hot solo on this cut is an eye-opener. “The River Must Flow” has a rhythmic contemporary pop groove that’s brightly peppered with lively percussion outbursts courtesy of Manuel Badrena and Rios turns in another aggressive, jazzy guitar ride. “I Just Wanna Stop,” (written by the other Vannelli brother, Ross) tapped directly into the smooth, stress-relieving AOR universe that was really coming into its own at that time. It’s a decently composed and very catchy tune, though, and its notable success (it reached #4 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart) at last gave Gino the widespread attention/recognition that he’d sought for years. Guest artist Ernie Watts’ saxophone lead is fittingly soulful and effective. Brother Ross also penned the next song, “Love & Emotion,” a driving Bee Gees type of track with hard-hitting accents and a fiery guitar solo from Carlos. The drums are kept up front in the mix, keeping the tune from being too laid back, and Gino’s crooning is not as overwhelming, allowing the music to wrap around his voice more comfortably. These two noticeably improved aspects of the production made not only this particular number work better but the album as a whole.

The addition of Jimmy Haslip’s electric bass (they usually relied on Leon Gaer’s synth lines to provide that service) on “Feel Like Flying” introduces a different aura into the proceedings. Gino’s well-constructed chord progression, Victor Feldman’s subtle vibraphone and Watts’ classy sax ride all lock this song firmly in the jazz-related category. I only wish Gino and his eager-to-please female background chorale would’ve reined it in just a hair or two. They get a little too boisterous toward the end and become a distraction. “Brother to Brother” marks the apex of the album. The incredible tightness of the rhythm section of Craney and Haslip really stands out in this fast-paced, 7+ minute song and the intriguing middle segment is reminiscent of the adventure-filled extravaganzas Gino and his former gang were into years previously on epic tunes like “Storm at Sunup.” Rios’ extended guitar lead is exceptional, Joe’s layered synthesizers and keyboards nudge the track into prog and jazz/rock fusion territory for a while and Mark furiously plays his ass off on the drum kit from start to finish.

“Wheels of Life” follows. While it’s nothing more than a lush R&B ballad at its core I gotta hand it to the boys for not letting it get sappy. It seems they always had the theatrical aspect in the back of their minds because the chorus builds to huge dimensions twice, giving Gino the opportunity for posing dramatically when he took it to the concert stage. It doesn’t ruin the song but it’s obvious what they were up to. “The Evil Eye” is the album’s only true rocker and, in his defense, Gino relaxes just enough to have some fun with it and not take himself so seriously. It’s nothing out of the ordinary but Carlos’ fiery shredding on the fretboard is well worth tuning in for. The closer, “People I Belong To,” while it avoids being labeled as filler material, is the runt of the litter. It owns a flowing vibe similar to “I Just Wanna Stop” but the tune isn’t nearly as memorable because it lacks that all-important hook.

Due to the upturn in popularity and mass exposure that this record instigated, from here on out Gino Vannelli would stay with taking the safer approach and carve out a comfortable niche for himself in the middle of the adult-oriented road. His days of being a bold pioneer who boldly combined rock, jazz, prog and pop together were behind him but I will never disparage the man for accepting his appointed lot in the musical landscape and doing what he needed to survive. He and his brother Joe were instrumental in making synthesizers a normal fixture in the genre of jazz/pop and they should be commended for their spunk and forward-looking audacity. They, in their small way, made a difference.