New Wax Wednesday

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I just wanna drop the needle on a good ol’ — or good new, for that matter — rock opera, and let the storyline unfold over as many LP sides as it takes to send me on a vinyl-centric journey to adventurous aural worlds both known and unknown.

Clearly, producer/guitarist/maestro-at-arms Daniel Cervantes must have gotten inside my head, for he and his SoCal classic/roots rock band, Mrs. Henry, have recently gone all-in on the concept with a truly sprawling 38-song, six side opus of epic proportions that’s been earnestly dubbed Keep On Rising. Initially released late last year on Blind Owl Records, the label Cervantes founded, Keep On Rising has recently become much more widely available in multiple formats — always a plus, in my book.

Even better, Keep On Rising is a full-on analog experience, from stem to stern. Cervantes — who played guitar for a spell in alt-psych rockers Howlin Rain, and also concurrently helms the Robbie Robertson-sanctioned, alter-ego-monikered Chest Fever: The Official Revival of The Band collective — told me directly that Keep On Rising was, quote, “recorded 100% analog to 2in tape in some of the most highly regarded studios in Southern California during the height of the pandemic from June 1, 2020, to June 1, 2021. The rock opera lived its entire life on multiple tape machines, including a 16-track Studer A-80, 24-track Ampex MM1200, and the MCI JH-24 with Autolocater III — the latter of which saved the day on our multi-track vocal overdubs and summing throughout the vocal sessions of this epic record.”

All of Cervantes and his fellow Henryites’ grit, glitter, and elbow grease are on full display all throughout the very much grandiloquent Keep On Rising 180g 3LP set. According to the press materials, Mrs. Henry calls the three-act album “a 21st Century rock opera” that draws on influences ranging the gamut from AC/DC, Alice Cooper, and Guns N’ Roses to Queen, Billy Joel, and Outkast. Furthermore, Mrs. Henry — with bonus points for those of you who detected a Dylan/Band Basement Tapes reference in their band name, btw! — point out that Keep On Rising is “steeped in the theatrical tradition” of The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia, Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Those LPs sure are some big influence-shoes for Rising to fill — and I’ll tell you just how well Mrs. Henry did on that count in just a bit.

At the time of recording Rising, Mrs. Henry was then comprised of guitarist/vocalist Daniel “Dude” Cervantes, keyboardist Jody Bagley, bassist Blake Dean, and drummer Chad Lee. Since that time, the Mrs. Henry lineup has been revised and expanded into a quintet retaining our man Cervantes on lead guitar and vocals, Bagley on keyboards and vocals, and Dean on bass and vocals, while adding multi-instrumentalist and organist Ben Pinnola and drummer Allan Ritter to collectively handle the honors in bringing Rising to life onstage.

First, some stats. The limited-edition, foil-printed version of the Keep On Rising 180g 3LP box set features truly expressive artwork by noted rock poster artist Alan Forbes, and it includes an exclusive illustrated 12x12in book replete with lyrics, iconography, and even a piano sheet (with the entire score of the Act III track “It’s Never Too Late . . . For An Overture!”), and it carries a reasonable multi-LP-set SRP of $99.95. You can purchase it directly from the official Blind Owl store here. If you want to go for the “standard,” non-foiled 3LP set, that edition goes for $59.95, and if you want to dive in Act-by-Act, the Act II and Act II LPs are currently available separately for $24.95 each. If you’re also a digital head-cum-completist, the 2CD option for the whole conceptual shebang is $19.95. I’d suggest getting all of Rising at once in the LP box set form of your budgetary choosing, all things considered. You can go here and scroll left and right to find the version(s) that strikes your fancy the most.

My copy of the foiled edition arrived in pristine, shiny condition. Each LP came in a plastic-lined inner sleeve — something that, frankly, should be S.O.P. for any/all indie releases from artists who truly understand the vinyl format and the desires of those of us who lay down our hard-earned coinloads of cash for all the wax we buy, play, and cherish. Each of the three Rising discs was flat, well-centered, and deep black. Cervantes and Co. clearly did their QC homework here, and the proof is both in the presentation and within all the grooves herein. My only nit would be that I wish the sidebreaks had been directly indicated somehow, somewhere in the packaging. That said, I completely understand Cervantes’ reasoning behind keeping a cohesive, roman-numeric running-order designation for all of the songs involved in each respective Act on all three of the LPs’ back covers and in the included booklet.

Sonically speaking, Keep On Rising delivers the goods, from end to end. The title track opens Act One (LP1, Side A, Track 1) somewhat trippily, like the Steve Miller Band did circa Children of the Future, along with great stacked vocals here, there, and everywhere. “We Are a Rock N Roll Band” (LP1, Side A, Track 3) marries Kiss N’ Queen harmonies, while “Doing It Right” (LP1, Side B, Track 1) turns up the funk n’ Zappa vibes.

The Exorcist-like framing of Act Two, Side C, lets “Delivery Room of the Morning Sun” commence the unfolding of seven/eight parts, all the way through the side-closing, believe-it-or-not insistence of “It’s Okay.” On the next disc, “Find a Circle (It’s a Wonderful Feeling)” (LP2, Side D, Track 3) is a nice, Little Feat-meets-Americana style tone break, and how could you go wrong with Mrs. Henry opening Act Three with the earlier-noted “It’s Never Too Late . . . For An Overture!” (LP3, Side E, Track 1), immediately followed by the Leonard Cohen-esque vocalized sentiments of the percussive declaration, “Everybody Wants Peace and Love” (LP3, Side E, Track 2)? Everywhere you turn, you’ll hear Gary Cherone-level of vocal flexibility and control — though you should also be able to detect “Fifty-Fifty”/Zappa-era Ricky Lancelotti-esque lead-vocalizing in there too, in spots.

To get a taste of what you’re in store for with the full breadth of Rising, dig the “Delivery” portion of LP2, Side C, via its official YouTube clip below.

Keep On Rising is worth the spinning-time and dollars investment, and it reinvigorates my faith in dedicated musicianship duly deployed and mastered to achieve an overarching, mutual sonics-and-storytelling goal. Here, you get six sides, no waiting — well, except for the expected pause when you get up to flip each LP over, that is. As for my ratings, the Music of Keep On Rising gets an 8.5 for ambition and execution, and the Sound also gets an 8.5. Keep on keeping on, Mrs. Henry. Y’all ain’t ready for the broom just yet.

I recently connected with Cervantes for an in-depth Q&A about the fine, fine origins of Keep On Rising. The past and present future / Representing a billion stars just like me. . .

Mike Mettler: Hey Daniel! Thanks for taking the time to do this. First, let’s get to some LP basics. Where was the vinyl for Keep On Rising pressed, and by whom?
Daniel Cervantes: Thanks, Mike! It was done at Precision Pressing. And, to our understanding, it was pressed in the good ol’ Czech Republic!

Mettler: Did you always know you were going to go with 180g vinyl? Why was that important to you?
Cervantes: I did that for this album because 1) we haven’t pressed 180g yet with Blind Owl Records, and 2) this seemed as appropriate of a record as we could get to give it a go.

Mettler: I totally agree! Who cut the vinyl lacquers for you?
Cervantes: Joe Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, California, cut them, and it was done in 2023. And the source material was — of course — analog tapes!

Mettler: Love that! When you listened to/QC’ed the test pressings, did you have any technical notes or adjustments?
Cervantes: Nope! They sounded amazing, right from the get-go! Some of the best we had ever heard, in fact. [MM adds: Cervantes was kind enough to send me my own copies of the test pressings ahead of the official release, and I can personally concur with his conclusions about them.]

Mettler: What kind of turntable and other gear are in your current playback system?
Cervantes: My own personal listening setup is humble, but it gets the job done! I’m running a Technics direct-drive SL-DD22 turntable with a Harman Kardon 430 twin-powered receiver.

I didn’t grow up in a house with a turntable, though. My first one was a simple, briefcase-style, all-in-one Crosley that I blasted through needle after needle on, but I’ve lusted after many hi-fi systems in the homes of friends and local dealers. One system in particular blew me away — Alma Music’s showroom setup, priced somewhere in the quarter- to half-a-million dollar range and featuring high-end gear like Airtight and Acoustic Arts amps, with that crazy counterweight system and open-air speakers. One day!

Mettler: One day for us all, hopefully! Why is vinyl important to you, both as an artist/musician and as a fan of music in general?
Cervantes: As an artist, there is nothing more definitive in representing your work than on vinyl. It is the timeless final form of creating an “album.” From The Beatles to Sabrina Carpenter to Mrs. Henry — you hold it in your hand, and it becomes the embodiment of that creative output. From a fidelity standpoint, it’s the closest you can get to our original intent with a mix or master. Vinyl is the next best thing to the original ½-inch reels.

Mettler: Agreed. Tell me about some of your favorite LPs.
Cervantes: I grew up in the ’90s when CDs ruled the racks, and album artwork continued to carry real impact. But the 12x12in vinyl canvas still takes the cake, in my opinion. Some of my favorite LPs include Rush’s [1981 live 2LP set] Exit. . . Stage Left, Led Zeppelin’s [1970 acoustic masterpiece] Led Zeppelin III, and Cream’s [1968 2LP opus] Wheels of Fire — classic grabs and total freak-show universes to dive into.

Mettler: Those are three of my own favorite albums to spin as well. What was the first record you bought with your own money, and why did it speak to you then — and perhaps even now ?
Cervantes: The first record I bought with my own money was Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s [1972 studio album] Trilogy — the first LP I ever owned. I remember the price tags in the shop were all written in this cool style by the shop owner, who was a total heady dude. Classic record store owner. I still have it, and it sounds amazing. Trilogy has always been one of my favorite albums. The sound of that record from the start still feels bizarre, with “The Endless Enigma” suite [in two parts, on Side 1].

Mettler: That’s ELP for you, in a suite nutshell. (laughs) Anything else you want to add about loving vinyl before we sign off?
Cervantes: As I mentioned before, I’m a kid of the ’90s, and every recording that shaped my love for music was an analog album. There was no other way to make a record!

At Blind Owl Records, we champion recording to tape in any format, as the sound, fidelity, color, process, and even the limitations all shape the final result. Keep On Rising was recorded entirely to tape over the course of a year, following four years of constant work in the studio crafting records with artists on Blind Owl Records and learning from the best in the business about the art of analog recording.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m incredibly thankful for the time I’ve had to cut my teeth on tape, and to continue doing so. Cheers to the next record, and to all the analog lovers out there!

MRS. HENRY
KEEP ON RISING
180g 3LP (Blind Owl)

LP1: Act One – The Sex Sells, Love Drugs, Rock N Roll Society

LP1, Side A
1. Keep On Rising
2. A Time Like This
3. We Are A Rock N Roll Band
4. Back In The Beginning . . . A Kid At Heart
5. Bye, Bye, Baby

LP1, Side B
1. Doing It Right
2. I Don’t Want To Let You Go
3. Back In The Grease
4. Crash & Burn
5. A Moment Of Silence
6. The Sex Sells, Love Drugs, Rock N Roll Society

LP2: Act Two – Faith, Fate, And Hope, In The Land Of Nothing Matters

LP2, Side C
1. Delivery Room Of The Morning Sun
2. Here I Am
3. The Words Of The Prophets On Wall 1
4. The Land Of Nothing Matters
5. The Words Of The Prophets On Wall 2
6. Fate Vs. Faith
7. Born Again (I Believe)
8. It’s Okay

LP2, Side D
1. It’s NOT Okay
2. Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch
3. Find A Circle (It’s A Wonderful Feeling)
4. Tell Me A Story . . . Action! Action!
5. The Tall Tell Tale Of The Three Little Pigs
6. What’s My Re-Action?! I Doh Wanna Le U Gogh
7. The Moment Of Truth
8. OM WAY OH (That’s The Way It Goes)
9. Here Comes Your 21st Century Rising Star

LP3: Act Three – Here Comes Your 21st Century Rising Star

LP3, Side E
1. It’s Never Too Late . . . For An Overture!
2. Everybody Wants Peace And Love
3. I Got Your Back
4. The Story Of The Lost & Found
5. Better Make It Count

LP3, Side F
1. Faith And Fate
2. We’re Gonna Win
3. Hope, Keep On Rising
4. Take A Moment To Appreciate
5. Peace, Love, Rock N Roll