Stand-Ins For Decibels: A Tribute To The DB'S CD

The dB's were one of the acts in the early '80s that would be a cornerstone for several pop/rock bands of the '90s and beyond. But they never truly got the acclaim or recognition they deserved. Nonetheless, the Paisley Pop Label has assembled a wide array of artists to pay tribute to the band and, more importantly, their lovely pop gems, with Stand-Ins for Decibels: A Tribute to the Db's. The set begins with Bill Lloyd doing justice to the feel-good, summery Beatlesque pop of "Neverland" that recalls early Tom Petty. Meanwhile, some of these songs are revamped quite nicely, including the funky, island feeling of "Cycles Per Second" performed by Lisa Mychols. This tune, which could be compared to one by the Bangles, sometimes includes a Wall of Sound but despite being rather busy, it works very well. The strengths and contemporary sound of these tracks only reinforce how seminal the band was, particularly with the infectious pop/rock rumble of "If and When" by Spike Priggen. The tightness of each track is very apparent judging by a well-crafted and horn-tinted "Dynamite" performed by Don Dixon. And later on, this feel is revisited on the sugary sweet "Lonely Is (As Lonely Does)" by Jill Olson, despite having the fadeout slightly snipped. A few cover versions are somewhat hokey, including the rather tedious, polished pop of "Working for Somebody Else" that sounds like a duet of Billy Joel and Lee Ann Womack. In truth, it is Cockeyed Ghost and Evie S

Live Recording

Personnel: Bill Lloyd (vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar, background vocals); Don Dixon (vocals, guitar, bamboo flute, ocarina, saxophone, trombone, percussion, background vocals); Spike Priggen (vocals, guitar, toy piano); Chris Bolger (vocals, guitar, percussion); Clayton Scoble, Aaron Spade, Larry O. Dean, Bert Gualtieri, Jamie Hoover, Adam Marsland, Ray Mason (vocals, guitar); Jeff Hart and the Ruins (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica); Eric Brace, John Milroy, Matt Keating (vocals, acoustic guitar); Mark Iannace (vocals, accordion); Dennis Diken (vocals, drums, percussion); Steve Scully, Lisa Mychols (vocals, drums); Sean "Jackie" Connelly, C.J. Milroy, Evie Sands, Melanie Degiovanni, Ali Smith, Tony Goddess, Bobby Sutliff (vocals); Chris Butler (guitar, autoharp); Steve Almaas (guitar, piano, organ); Tom Richards (guitar, keyboards); Mitch Easter, Jon Graboff (guitar); Nelson Bragg (acoustic guitar, classical guitar, drums, percussion, background vocals); Greg Bower, Pat Shanley, Jared Bartlett (electric guitar); Bill "Stu" Williams (slide guitar); Probyn Gregory (classical guitar, trumpet); Scott McKnight (banjo); John Teer (fiddle); Chris Watling (saxophone); Kevin Cordt, Jim Adams (trumpet); Bob Remstein (piano, organ); John Frederick Perry (piano); Dave Amels (Clavinet, bass synthesizer); Jim Weeks (keyboards, drums, background vocals); Don Coffey, Jr., Martin Lynds, Andy Action (drums, percussion); Bennet Bowman, Jim Brock, John Lynch, Kurt Medlin (drums); John T. Baker (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Gregg Leonard; Jim Weeks; Mike Nicholson; Jamie Hoover; Jared Bartlett; Mitch Easter; Nelson Bragg; Steve Refling; Bill Lloyd; Dominic Campanella.

Liner Note Author: Kenny King.

Recording information: Bennett's Backyard Studio, El Cerrito, CA; Big Dog Studios, Warren, MI; Castle Pirones Studios, Brooklyn, NY; Cloud Cuckooland, Northampton, MA; Dungeon Studio, Roseland, NJ; Fidelitorium Recordings, Kennersville, NC; Fireproff Studios, Brooklyn, NY; Fireproof Recording, Brooklyn, NY; Independent Recorders, Knoxville, TN; Kingswood; Lincoln Lounge, Venice, CA; Paradise Room, Nashville, TN; Q Division, Boston, MA; SPA; Sperry Sound, New York, NY; UberStudio, Chicago, IL; Wild Feed Studios, Queens, NY; Yalehurst-Figment Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

Director: Ali Smith.

Editor: Ali Smith.

Photographer: Ali Smith.

Unknown Contributor Role: Lane Steinberg.

Arranger: Nelson Bragg.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia