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Not Fade Away - Reissue Review from Issue #75 May-June 2008

Ben Vaughn Combo

Beautiful Thing (Noble Rot)

By Author’s blog »

Before striking Hollywood gold penning music for TV shows such as “Third Rock From The Sun”, Ben Vaughn was part of the 1980s New York/Hoboken scene, along with fellow retro-minded music-geek rockers the Fleshtones and Marshall Crenshaw. The latter, in fact, covered Vaughn’s sublime “I’m Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)”. While that song isn’t on Beautiful Thing, his sophomore effort does boast his brilliant, Dylan-gone-Brill Building number “I Feel Like Jerry Lewis In France”. This marvelous ode to love delves beyond its clever pop-culture jokes to expose actual heartfelt romanticism. Vaughn and his combo (which included future alt-country standout Lonesome Bob on drums) shingaling through an always enjoyable, occasionally inspired set of ’60s pop, blue-eyed soul and Ray-Ban rock. While tunes such as “She’s A Real Scream” and “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” are fun, nostalgic workouts, the love-letter-from-prison track “Big House With A Yard” transcends its AM radio sources. Some may bemoan the lack of bonus material, but that totally fits Vaughn’s no-frills musical stylings.

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Originally Featured in Issue #75 May-June 2008

Cover of Issue #75 May-June 2008

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