All kinda rock

John Felice remains devoted to rock and roll

by Joe Longone

Boston should be ashamed of itself for snubbing one of its greatest songwriters, John Felice. Presently the leader of a band called the Devotions, he has been ignored by a local press too concerned with promoting the latest trends, rejected by the more popular ock clubs, and, overall, banished from a scene he helped create.

Those who usually follow pop music have short memories. Today's rock hero is destined to become tomorrow's undesirable has-been, and it's tough for any artist to have a career when dealing with a recording industry hell-bent on supplying a litany of cheap, disposable products meant to sucker money from teens and young adults. Yes, he is probably out of step with the current crop of recording artists. His pretty melodies are out of place in the clamor of noisy rhythms that are perpetrated on the FM dial. His inspired poetry is lost in an age riddled with riddles and pretentious angst. His romantic optimism probably looks foolish to a generation of kids that has been force-fed a diet of cynicism.

"It's just like 1976 again," says Felice. "Back then there was no place for an original rock-and-roll band to play music. We had to convince small bars like Cantones to let us play. Today's Boston rock-and-roll bands are starting out the same way -- playing in small places like the Kirkland Cafe, the Linwood Grille, and O'Briens."

He knows what he is talking about, back in the mid '70s when Boston was the home to arena acts such as Aerosmith and J. Geils, and supported a vital folk and jazz scene, there was no place for new rock bands to play. Felice with his band the Real Kids, along with DMZ and Willie "Loco" Alexander and his Boom Boom Band, forged their way into over a dozen new clubs and paved the way for the thousands of rock bands who would follow. By the early '80s, Boston was considered a mecca of independent music. How this recent history has escaped the thoughts of Beantown's current crop of scenesters amazes me.

It amazes Felice, too. "In the late '70s, and throughout most of the '80s, there was a sense of community with most of the bands from Boston. This town was known all around the world for a sound that represented the working-class hero. I'm sorry to say that nothing of those times remains today. Boston is presently lost in a loop of endless trend-seekers. If dog shit was the next big thing, I'd bet you anything that we could walk into any club and find some idiot with turds on his head."

Felice's talent has always transcended changing styles and fashions. From his first neighborhood garage band, who featured Jonathan Richman (Modern Lovers), Paul Murphy, and Rick Coraccio (DMZ/Lyres), to his legendary grouping of Howie Ferguson, Alpo, and Billy Borgioli who became the Real Kids, to his current supporting players Bruce Hamel (bass), Dave Hutton (guitar), and Rick Lemont (drums), Felice has always been a compelling and impassioned bandleader.

As a songwriter, he has very few equals. Many of his Real Kids classics, including "All Kinda Girls," "Better Be Good," and "My Baby's Book," are on a par with anything Chuck Berry or Brian Wilson have written. And as far as any comparison with other Boston rock songwriters, only Barry Tashian and Jeff Conolly can be compared in the same breath for emotional depth, clear narrative, and a spiritual sense of their surroundings.

Felice is partially responsible for the uphill battle that presently faces him. In the late '80s, and into the early '90s, he was hobbled by severe substance abuse. Shows with his band the Lowdowns, and a brief reunion of the Real Kids, were marred because Felice was unable to even play his own music. Those days are hopefully past him. "I think my work with the Devotions in the last few years has been my best stuff ever. I think the Devotions are better than the Real Kids. In about half of the Real Kids shows we were stoned out of our heads. I am at my best right now," he says.

You can catch John Felice and the Devotions with the Time Beings at Ralph's next Friday, May 9.

Fuzbrains

Worcester's most ambitious fanzine from the '80s, Fuzbrains, is back for another run. The times have changed since I edited the reader/writer magazine, which ceased publication in 1988. The 'zine, which once heralded all that is rock and roll, will now be headed by Deb Beaudry. The legendary Captain PJ and musician Rick Blaze are featured columnists for the summer 1997 issue now available at Al Bums. Those interested in joining the new staff, submitting material, or subscribing can write to Fuzbrains c/o Beaudry, 186 Russell St., Worcester 01609.