Fox Pass: Press/Reviews
FOX PASS
Actuality Records
Fox Pass
13 songs
The CD opens with the droning, psychedelic guitar laden “Child’s Play.” This is an invitation to a journey of love marked by lush, multilayered harmonies. It evokes the romanticism of The Zombies’ “Time Of The Season.” On “Hit Or Miss,” Jon Macey laments something that haunts him as he channels Dylan perfectly on the line “You would agree that freedom could be stripped right away from me!” “The Wonder of Tomorrow” continues the Beatlesque, Revolver reminiscent, free-floating sensation of “Child’s Play.” ”Saving Grace,” sung by Mike Roy, burns with palpable heat-a “Sexual Healing” for the millennium. “Love For Love” is power pop that never goes soft due to the rock-solid rhythm section of Steve Gilligan (bass, vocals) and John Jules (drums). “Dream Inside Your Heart” speaks poetically about the power of the unseen-”shadows in the dark/diamonds in the water.” “Sometime Saturday Girl” is Americana rock ’n’ roll personified---a 12-string Rickenbacker and a 12-string Danelectro blasting through Vox AC 30 speakers. There’s not a musical misstep among these roots rock gems which are given just the right sheen by Fox Pass kindred spirit, producer, Barry Marshall.(Nancy Foster)
FOX PASS CD
30 years into this game of Boston Punk Survivor and Fox Pass Outlasts, Outplays, and Outwrites the competition. 2006 and we finally get the first Fox Pass album and it is a sweet success. They have released a generous heaping of pop tunes; ringing 12 strings throughout.
Punk you can power-house through and come off just fine, pop music however, requires a few tricks. Macey and crew have the chest of chords, lyrics and musical twists that good pop needs. At alternate times during a song. I'm captured by a melody, a guitar riff, a lyric or the sound of the instruments: it's an embarrassment of riches
Child's Play is so good I keep playing it over and over and never getting to the rest of the CD. The song signals the CD's strengths: group vocals, clean ringing guitar tones, strong melody, and solidly written material.
Hit or Miss has this over the top lyric treat.:
The twist
Is like this,
The cold kiss
From your lips
Always is,
Hit or miss.
Michael Roy tops of Hit or Miss with an ending solo with a gritty tone that almost steals the song.
If you can resist the 12 sting intro to Saturday Girl you're a better person than I. I get pulled in and pine for that Saturday girl myself. The song is a real highlight both here and played live.
Other favorites are Here Comes the Karma and You Don't' Know Me.
It is gratifying to see the CD getting attention from places like Kool Kat Musik an outlet for current pop. It proves that Fox Pass fit in just fine in 2006. How amazing is that? Full of talent and a real work ethic it's going to be fun to see where they are going.
FOX PASS
Fox Pass
Actuality Records (MAT 123)
Anyone who appreciates the sound of ringing guitars, vocal harmonies and smart pop songs must listen to the debut album by Fox Pass. The idea of a Fox Pass "debut" will seem curious to fans in Boston; after all, the group helped found the original music/punk rock scene in the Beantown during the mid-1970s. The quartet never released an album during that period, and members scattered to other bands and solo projects during the intervening years. The re-grouped foursome, centered on the gifted songwriting team of Jon Macey and Michael Roy, does not disappoint longtime fans, while calibrating its rock 'n' roll for the 21st Century.
From the light-as-air a cappella opening to the disc on "Child's Play," Fox Pass creates a swirling concoction of melodic hooks, jangly guitars and clever lyrics. Macey and Roy write and sing such irresistible upbeat songs as the folk rocking "Love For Love," the high-spirited "Wanda" and the neo-Mod "You Don't Know Me," an anthem to alienation powered by a galvanizing guitar riff. All their power pop sentiments converge on the radiant "Sometime Saturday Girl," a surefire smash in a perfect radio world.
Fox Pass benefits from the empathetic production of pop maestro Barry Marshall, who also toiled in Boston's New Wave scene, before concentrating on film soundtracks and producing for LaVern Baker and many others. Seemingly inspired by Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, the Byrds and the Beau Brummels, Fox Pass shows a lyrical, at times rootsy, side on "In A Dream," "Here Comes The Karma," the six-minute guitar-dueling "Hit Or Miss" and "Heavy As A Heartache," a mournful expression of country rock connecting to urban soul. With its hook-filled guitar/vocal interplay, "The Wonder" boasts an imaginative arrangement anchored to the inventive rhythm section of drummer John Jules and bassist Steve Gilligan. Having left a distinctive imprint on 1970s music, Fox Pass bounds into the present with an album that's worth the wait.
FOX PASS
The Middle East, Cambridge MA
7/7/07
Fox Pass sounds rejuvenated with their new drummer, Tom Landers, who hits as hard as John Jules but has a more nuanced style. The band opens in high gear with the long time fave “Wanda.” It’s not hard to see that their original inspiration was The Modern Lovers. “Child’s Play” and “Love For Love” have a more Brit-pop feel. “One More Song,” a brand new number written and sung by lead guitarist Mike Roy, is about imploring one’s muse for inspiration. The lyrics pique my interest. “Amtrak” rocks like fuck, and proves these guys don’t belong on the nostalgia circuit. “Front Page Girl” is revamped with a sexy sounding spy theme intro. Fox Pass has shimmering vocal arrangements and they play off each other with camaraderie like you don’t often see today. “Downtown Talk” calls up Macey’s and Roy’s NYC days with Tom Dickie & the Desires. The closer, “Hit or Miss” metaphorically covers the subject of addiction.
Fox Pass - the self-titled disc by Fox Pass. Although this was a late 2005 release, this disc will land in my Top Ten for the year, and the song "Sometime Saturday Girl" is a contender for Song of the Month honors. Fox Pass is a Boston band led by the talented Jon Macey. This time around, Macey and his bandmates have embellished their repertoire with plenty of ringing Rickenbacker riffs. "Here Comes The Karma" sounds eerily like Sid Griffin (Long Ryders, Coal Porters, Western Electric); several tunes sound like classic Tommy Keene songs; and "Sometime Saturday Girl" reminds me of Blue Rodeo with 12-string accompaniment. This is top-notch pop! Long may you run, Sir Jon and Fox Pass!
CD Review
The mark of craftsmanship on songs like "Hit Or Miss", "Saving Grace" and "Dream Inside Your Heart" would be hard to find on many "debut" albums, and 32 years after their 1972 formation in Arlington, Massachusetts, Fox Pass bring insightful lyrics and strong melodies to the world on their first full album. Of course having released a classic indy single with "I Believed" in 1976 - a year that saw them opening for Roxy Music in Boston - with the duo of Mike Roy and Jon Macey heading off to Mercury Records to record two albums with Tom Dickie & The Desires in the early 1980s, well, this debut is actually more like a diamond hewn from decades in a business rife with uncertainty. Barry Marshall's production crystallizes the performances - taking a "Sometime Saturday Girl" to bring that Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart vibe into the new millennium. Marshall has known the group almost since its inception and truly understands the work of Jon Macey and Mike Roy better than Ed Sprigg and Martin Rushent did for the Tom Dickie albums - all due respect to the highly competent Sprigg and Rushent. The chemistry between the artist and the producers on those Desires albums just wasn't there. And with no label pressures the band is free to come up with fine pop tunes like "The Easy Way", material that effortlessly flows from their repertoire. Roy sounds like Ben Orr of The Cars singing the exquisite "Heavy As A Heartache" with neo doo-wop vocals from Macey and bassist Steve Gilligan, he from The Stompers debut album also from the 1980s. While the group's influences are very well disguised on this set - you'll hear pieces of sounds you just can't place - the key is that the music seems more original because the band is plagiarizing their own riffs from years past. Some of the ambiance of the Jon Macey/Barry Marshall tune "Comical" from 1993's Too Much Perspective disc is reinvented on "Dream Inside Your Heart" - a terrific hook over a gliding and airy bed of pop riffs and chord changes. Its complexities are vast compared to "Wanda", the closing song that the band has performed since it was written back in 1973. "Hit Or Miss" might come in at close to six minutes, but it has the groove and guitars suspended in space to be radio friendly, playing perfectly on an album where songs like "In A Dream" come in from out of nowhere, sparkling pop created by a band that was doing it years before R.E.M. formed and brought this style into vogue.
Fox Pass - "Fox Pass"
In 1973, Fox Pass was one of the first generation of bands that were bringing a new vitality to Boston rock, centering their activities in Kenmore Square and away from the beach clubs and more local night spots. Along with Reddy Teddy, Willie Loco Alexander, Richard Nolan's Third Rail, the Real Kids, and a handful of other pioneering acts, Fox Pass helped to break an entirely new type of scene, one centered squarely in the small clubs, which flourished outside the rarified atmosphere of the major labels. Well, the legendary rockers are back! Fronted by original members Jon Macey, John Jules, and Michael Roy (along with ex-Stompers bassist Steve Gilligan) - the music is heavily influenced, directly or indirectly, by 60's pop-rock. "They put their individual stamp on this tuneful material. The arrangements feature enough twists to keep the music interesting and the songwriting, which is solid from the start, gets better as the album plays on!" - New England Music Scrapbook Vocally, there are just so many cool reference points - Dreams So Real, The Byrds, Tommy Keene, The Byrds - all very good things! Has a real roots pop charm to it! Plenty of 6 + 12-string guitars throughout too! Very, very catchy! EXCELLENT
Fox Pass
Now on Compact Disc
A new album by a somewhat new version of a not-so-new band has been playing here at the New England Music Scrapbook international headquarters. The CD is called Fox Pass; and through an amazing coincidence, so is the band. Many of our readers already know about Fox Pass or related groups such as The Score, Macey's Parade, and Jon Macey and the Score. What they may not know is that the present lineup of Fox Pass includes an ex-Stomper, bassist Stephen L. Gilligan.
The Fox Pass album is not expecially close to what I would have expected. If you have an idea of what this disc will sound like, our suggestion is to forget it if you can.
I couldn't do a capsule Fox Pass history from memory; but as I recall, this was an increasingly pop-rock-like band at just the time that Boston's punk club scene was getting strong. Fox Pass, nonetheless, in some ways was part of that punk community, as were groups such as The Marshalls, The Atlantics, and, yes, The Stompers. All of those bands could be very energetic, and it made a difference.
The music is heavily influenced, directly or indirectly, by 1960s pop-rock. Such a sound has been done countless times with varying degrees of success. Fox Pass goes down the same road but manages to put its individual stamp on this tuneful material. The arrangements feature just enough twists to keep the music interesting. Whenever it seems as though this stuff may get a little too soft, the guitarist, rhythm section, or both give it an extra kick. And the songwriting, which is solid from the start, gets better as the album plays on. Several of the best cuts are near the end, and I am a real sucker, in particular, for "You Don't Know Me." It's the one I would pick for a radio single. I haven't listened enough to be at all sure of the lyrics just yet, but one line that ought to interest many of our readers starts with
"They don't know me in Boston
And they won't take my calls . . ."
I tried to get the volume just so on my CD player and thought I had it right, but I realized a few tracks in that the volume was set too low. If you can get away with it, my suggestion would be to err on the side of playing it a little too loud. If they can crank the volume a bit, I think a lot of our readers are going to like this disc.
First off, fans of Tommy Keene check this one out. Not only does lead singer/guitarist Jon Macey(check out his solo album!) sound like the perfect combination of Tommy Keene and Robyn Hitchcock, much of the material on this 13 songs sound uncannily like Keene and even Hitchock`s Egyptians. A very difficult feat to pull off. While this is a 2005 release and recently recorded, Fox Pass was, originally, a semi-legendary band on the Boston music scene from 1972-1978, always on verge, cusp of big things. Now, years later they get together and this eponymously titled debut bring us a healthy, happy dose of pure pop jangle, warm, familiar melodies and excellent beat and performances throughout! This version of Fox Pass has Stephen Gilligan, who those familiar with Boston Music Lore of yesterday will recognize him as original bassist in The Stompers.
It`s a complete success with only a few tracks falling short of pop glory. A very high batting average in the area of .900. Bottom Line: The songs here are full of haunting, catchy chord changes, flowing harmonies and great melodies. There are wonderful layered vocals, solid melodic, inventive arrangements and sincere passion for classic pop sounds. Extremely Highly Recommended!!
Fox Pass
Through the years Jon Macey has evolved, releasing two
albums on Mercury with Tom Dickie & The Desires in
1981 and 1982, putting a push behind Macey's Parade in
the 1990s, returning thirty years later with the album
debut of a band who had released a single in 1976 - "I
Believed" and "Prized Possession". Unlike Willie
Loco, the band opted to go with all new material
(saving the old classics for an upcoming live album),
but like The Boom Boom Band, this group is superb
onstage. Produced by Barry Marshall (with LaVern
Baker and the Dick Tracy and Shag soundtracks to his
credit), Mike Roy, John Jules and Jon Macey's power
pop has never sounded better on record. Veteran Steve
Gilligan (who appeared on Stompers' Boardwalk album)
replaces David Godbey on bass. 13 tracks of their
Byrds meets R.E.M. style - just keep in mind - this
band was opening for Roxy Music at The Orpheum years
before R.E.M. released their first single.
Excellent. Grade A
FOX PASS
Abbey Lounge, Somerville, MA
6/24/05
Fox Pass is Jon Macey (vocals/ guitar), Michael Roy (guitar/ vocals), John Jules (drums), and Steve Gilligan (bass/ vocals). It’s interesting that the band bookends their newer material with classic Fox Pass faves like “Wanda” and “Amtrak.” “Wanda” now sounds like a Modern Lovers rave up. On “Kaleigh,” Macey waves to Hank Williams, an important but not as discernible influence overall as Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Lou Reed with a good measure of Byrdsian jangle. The band combines expert musicianship, perfectly blended harmonies, and intelligent songwriting with a versatility that allows them to shift smoothly from the country tinged “Kaleigh” to the sexy funk of “Saving Grace” to the immediately appealing power pop of “Love To Love.” “Where You Been” and the unreleased “Dream Inside Your Heart” are stunning and dig deep emotionally. The closer “Amtrak,” like “Wanda,” is trademark Fox Pass in the way it engages the mind while it rocks the body. (Nancy Neon)
New York Times mention of Fox Pass in national 9/11 memorial shows.