CD Reviews

by Ted S. McGregor Jr. and Darcy Caputo & r &





FLICKY


The Orphan, The Bastard, and The Thief


3 Stars





Local boy Sean Flikke, or "Flicky" as he is known, has been living in the Inland Northwest since he was a child. Now in his early 30s, this part-time baseball coach, full-time supporter of the arts, and original co-chair of the infamous Whammy Wednesday has finally come into his own and committed nine tracks to tape.





Flicky's voice is reminiscent of Huey Lewis, had Huey Lewis shared Frank Sinatra's propensity for Jack Daniels and filter-less Camels. The music fuses classic elements of rock, blues, funk and reggae, with an inclination towards jam-band noodling that is accomplished with ease by Flicky's backing band, the Groove Patrol (comprising members from local outfits Localized Tenderness and Jupiter Effect, among others).





Standout tracks include the reggae-tinged "Evel Knievel" and "Let It Ride," which reeks of drop-top Caddy adventures through the desert a la Hunter S. Thompson.





-- DARCY CAPUTO





DOWNLOAD: "Let It Ride"








THE WHO


Endless Wire


2 Stars





You read that right: the Who has a new record out. That is, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, the only surviving members, have a new record out -- their first in 24 years. Unlike the Rolling Stones' ongoing output of dubious quality, this one actually intrigued me. While the Beatles were pure pop, and the Stones were pure pomposity, the Who were always something different -- an art band that could rock. Cool.





Unfortunately, Endless Wire is a pretentious mess. Despite some Who's Next sounds, they lost me in the second half of the record -- a mini-rock opera with two-minute songs. It's Tommy for the ADD generation, and none of it makes a lick of sense. Coming from the band that made Quadrophenia, one of the greatest records ever, this is a travesty.





-- TED S. McGREGOR JR.





DOWNLOAD: "God Speaks of Marty Robbins"