Peter Wolf, "Sleepless"

Mitch is shakin' in his shoes

, and

Dec 08, 2021

Mitch’s Pitch:

Let me get this straight: a fast-talking, dynamic frontman quits his band at the height of their popularity because he didn’t like the musical direction the band was going in?

I thought we did Van Halen last week?

***

Long before (the original) Beverly Hills, 90210 hit our small screens, Peter Wolf & the J. Geils Band pioneered the creepy, over-sexualized high school in their now-classic video for “Centerfold". In the video, a thirty-something Peter Wolf dances around a classroom full of way-too-old-for-high-school “girls”, who look like they got hit with Homer Simpson’s make-up gun, and the action culminates in the infamous milky snare drum hit. The video is equal parts titillation and humiliation, hence it’s staying power.

“Centerfold" was the J. Geils Band’s first #1 hit, a breakthrough after 10+ years of busting ass on stage, bringing a high-energy mix of blues, R&B, harmonica, and jive talking to the fine people of Boston & Detroit. Sure, they had minor hits like “Must Of Got Lost”, “Give It To Me” and “Looking For a Love”, but nothing that changed their trajectory as a hard-working road band.

They finally broke through with “Centerfold” and “Freeze Frame”, but as a synth-driven pop act, leaving the rhythm & blues behind, so Peter Wolf decided to trade fame and fortune for a critically-acclaimed (but commercially irrelevant) solo career.

###

I could have pitched any of Wolf’s excellent solo albums, but I decided to go with 2002’s Sleepless because it has it all - a nice mix of originals and covers, excellent vocals by Wolf, fun special guests, and a wonderful blend of styles and instruments.

A nice place to start is right in the middle with “Homework” because Wolf is covering himself - the Otis Rush song was originally on the first J. Geils Band record. The new version is a little slower, a little dirtier, a little more Delta, and perhaps even a bit more mature.

Wolf’s confident vocals power so many of the songs, particularly the ballads, as he digs deep with the melancholic trio of “A Lot of Good Ones Gone”, “Five O’ Clock Angel”, and “Sleepless”, taking his time with these sensitive, languorous beauties. Wolf doesn’t get enough credit for his singing abilities, but his voice sounds great throughout this record.

There are country flourishes everywhere (shout out to Americana’s greatest sixth man, Larry Campbell) and “Nothin' But the Wheel” and “Some Things You Don’t Want To Know” are aided by the perfect amount of vocal help from Mick and Keith - just enough to make the songs special, but not too much to dominate.

Speaking of Keef, “Too Close Together” is delightful, and it’s great to hear the Woofa Goofa and Magic Dick back in sleazy action again. It’s a slight tune, but a highlight nonetheless, and adds a nice shot of fun to an album that spends a lot of time ruminating about the passage of time.

There’s not a bad or skippable track among the dozen tunes. They’re all so warm and inviting and ear-pleasing, and I haven’t even mentioned one of my favorite tunes on the album in “Hey Jordan”.

###

It’s some ways it’s hard to believe that this beautiful and mature album was made by the Wooderson character from the “Centerfold” music video, but like the man says, life’s a river and it bends. And you guys shouldn’t hesitate to cross the Charles and put the latest entry from Uncle Mitchy’s pile of obscure records right into the Newbury St. Collection.

Ken’s Response:

If you strip away the “hardest” rock tunes of The Rolling Stones’ Mick Taylor era, you’re left with something that closely resembles the Peter Wolf solo career. It doesn’t surprise the 51 year old version of me at all that Wolf left the pop-rock schlock (good schlock though) of The J. Geils Band to pursue something a little more deep. He had cashed in on some huge hits and was ready to play the music he loved. Self-reflective and more serious, Sleepless is so well-crafted, with my favorite songs being “Nothing But the Wheel”, “Hey Jordan”, “Too Close Together” and “Some Things You Don’t Want To Know”.

There’s a reason Mitch picked this album this week though, so I want to share with you some highlights of our EONS Night Out to see Peter Wolf.

Shockingly, CJ was a little late (and by “shockingly” I mean no one at all was even remotely surprised) getting to Mitch’s place, which left Mitch and me plenty of time for a quick MarioKart Cup.
I crushed Mitch 5-1 at said MarioKart Cup (Mitch will undoubtedly cry foul and say that he’s ahead in our overall head-to-head competition. It’s basically a lot of noise to cover up his abysmal showing.)
A lovely dinner was had by all at Ellis Square Social in Beverly, MA. It’s a great little spot with a fantastic drink menu and some interesting appetizers (appetizers are NOT sharing size...hindsight is everything).
We held the first annual EONS Air Hockey Tournament just before dinner and yours truly put on a show that would have made the ‘86 Celtics proud.
Peter Wolf is an absolute beast! His voice is still near the top of its game, his on-stage energy is infectious, and he could not have been more gracious to his band, to the fans, and to the people who work at the venue. He is a first-class guy who clearly hasn’t lost sight of where he came from.

It was a great night of fun, friends and fantastic music. What more could we ask for?

Pitch successful (until the next night out...I Just Can’t Wait)

CJ’s Response:

Separately or together, my friend Berk and I have seen Bruce Springsteen every time he’s come to Boston over the last twenty years. In that time, we’ve had a running game that asks one simple question: During which song in Bruce’s set will Peter Wolf jump up on stage, bogart Patti Scialfa’s microphone and drool all over her for ten straight minutes? (Patti was likely one of the few people who were pleased with the social distancing requirements brought on by COVID.)

As much as we enjoy tooling on Peter for those E Street cameos, it’s only because we actually love him. How can you not, really? Our earliest memories of music feature him and the jive talking, Jabberwocky-esque Woofa Goofa character he made up while he was a DJ on WBCN. And the J. Geils Band were certainly among my first heroes. But, as Mitch mentioned, Peter has spent his solo career as a critical darling and an industry non-entity. But that doesn’t mean his work, especially Sleepless, isn’t some of the best music you’ll ever hear.

It’s a coin flip between “Nothing but the Wheel” and “Run Silent, Run Deep” for my favorite song on the album. Mick’s surprise appearance on “Nothing” may tip the scales slightly, but the harmonies on “Run Silent” are gorgeous.

I think I may prefer the tricked up Geils version of “Homework”, although Peter’s rendition is still a blast. “Five O’Clock Angel” and “Hey Jordan” pair like filet mignon and a fine wine. And the title track is perhaps the greatest description of being creatively restless that I’ve ever heard.

Mitch really stacked the deck by pitching Sleepless the week we saw the Midnight Travelers in concert. But he didn’t have to. I’d already prepared a space on the Newbury St. shelves with Peter Wolf’s name on it.

That said, let me fill in a few details about this past Saturday night:

Ken and Mitch have played over 1,000 games of Mario Kart against each other. This makes me both happy and sad.
Ken did win the air-hockey tournament. What he didn’t tell you is that we had to stop because he had broken into a full sweat after two non-consecutive games and Mitch and I feared for his health.
We saw a 70-year-old guy do a bat hit in a darkened doorway on our way to the show. It restored my faith in humanity.
Speaking of 70-somethings, even though the three of us are in our early 50s, we were a good 10-15 years younger than the median age of the audience.
After the show, Peter started to jump down into the audience to greet a pair of women who were dressed like centerfolds. (Centerfolds from the 1950s, but centerfolds nonetheless.) As he took a step toward them, a large man stepped in and escorted/carried him off the stage. It was the perfect rock star end to the evening.
Pitch Successful (I wonder if Peter plays air-hockey.)

Mitch’s pitch was successful and Peter Wolf’s Sleepless has been added to the Newbury St. Collection!

Come as you are to the comments section because we just can’t wait to hear whether you think Peter Wolf’s Sleepless ain’t nothing but a house party or is just wasting time.

Exile on Newbury St.

Discussion about this post