What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Peter Gabriel Plays Live 2 CD Set

Peter Gabriel

1983 David Geffen Records
The best live production ever: no more, no less., September 6, 2001
By
Manny Hernandez "@askmanny" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)


This review is from: Plays Live (Audio CD)

Yes, I am a die-hard Peter Gabriel fan, and yes, I own all his albums (just like many of the fans who have posted their comments here). But I also have over 900 CDs in my collection, and more than a few of those are live albums, and I find this one double album happens to combine things not too common in a live production:
-The track listing is flawless. It's more than fair to say that (if you happen to be a newcomer into Peter's work) you have got covered the first solo musical period of Peter Gabriel with it (1977 - 1982) except for the unfortunate absence of 'Here comes the flood' (not that I suggest at all, that you don't buy the rest of his albums -in fact, you'll be almost possessed once you listen to 'Plays Live' and find yourself going to get them all, in a way that's very hard to explain in words). If you want to listen to the best versions of the songs "Solsbury Hill," "Humdrum," "Family Snapshot" and "San Jacinto" this is the place to find them.

-The band... The band are a bunch of guys each of whom is awesome at his instrument! Tony Levin, at the bass (one of the world's best renowned bass and stick players, who happens to have played with King Crimson among others, as well); Jerry Marotta, in the drums; Larry Fast, in keyboards and synthesizers (I happened to be lucky enough to catch these first three performing together at a Tony Levin concert last year -they left me speechless); and David Rhodes doing true wonders with his guitar.

-The recording production (engineered by Neil Kernon; produced by PG and Peter Walsh). Out of all the live albums I've heard, this one stands out as the standard by which all will have to be measured: attention to detail, perfection and balance in the capture of sound (no instrument, not even PGs voice, drowns the others -notice the drums, and barely noticeable splash cymbals, as an example), and most important of all, all the emotion of the artist and of the audience are very easy to perceive and feel by listening to the album.

Disc one

1. "The Rhythm of the Heat" – 6:26
2. "I Have the Touch" – 5:18
3. "Not One of Us" – 5:29
4. "Family Snapshot" – 4:44
5. "D.I.Y." – 4:20
6. "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:22
7. "Intruder" – 5:03
8. "I Go Swimming" – 4:44

Disc two

1. "San Jacinto" – 8:28
2. "Solsbury Hill" – 4:40
3. "No Self Control" – 5:02
4. "I Don't Remember" – 4:20
5. "Shock The Monkey" – 7:40
6. "Humdrum" – 4:03
7. "On the Air" – 5:20
8. "Biko" – 6:50

LINKY ---> http://www.amazon.com/Plays-Live-Di...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298514540&sr=1-4

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Bebe Le Strange -- CD

Heart

1980/1990 Sony Music

Heart's best CD, July 9, 2000
By The Pete (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)


This review is from: Bebe Le Strange (Audio CD)
Although none of the songs here are instant classics like "Magic Man" or "Barracuda", I think this is Heart's best CD simply because it's the most consistent in terms of quality. "Dreamboat Annie" and "Little Queen" both had a lot of filler to balance out the brilliant songs.

Like "Dog & Butterfly", "Bebe le Strange" also has the strength that it shows off the considerable range of the Wilson sisters as writers and performers. There's the title rocker, an A-one hit in "Even it Up", the bluesy "Down on Me", and a trio of softer songs to close out the album: "Raised on You", "Pilot", and "Sweet Darlin" that have great lyrics and are pretty much performed by the Wilson sisters on all instruments. Despite the variety, there isn't one song that sounds out of place. They flow together seamlessly.

If you're new to Heart through the Greatest Hits, I think this is the album to start with because it represents Heart at the height of their power as wild rockers and mystical balladeers.

1. "Bebe le Strange" (Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Sue Ennis, Roger Fisher) – 3:40
2. "Down on Me" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, Ennis) – 4:45
3. "Silver Wheels" (N. Wilson) – 1:24
4. "Break" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, Ennis) – 2:32
5. "Rockin' Heaven Down" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, Ennis) – 5:54
6. "Even it Up" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, Ennis) – 5:10
7. "Strange Night" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, Ennis) – 4:18
8. "Raised on You" (N. Wilson) – 3:21
9. "Pilot" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, Ennis) – 3:18
10. "Sweet Darlin'" (A. Wilson) – 3:17

 

[heeman]

Big HEART Fan Here!!!!

However, didn't like Red Velvet Car nears as much as Jupiter's Darling!!

You have quite the collection there Dennie! :banana-rock:

 

[Dennie]

We've got some rain and I thought I would add the THUNDER...... :bow-blue:

Jaco Pastorius 24 Bit Remastered CD

Jaco Pastorius

2000 Epic Legacy ( <--- yeah, that means Sony, but I have to admit, these "Legacy" series are very nice reissues)

Amazon.com

In 1976, the first 10 minutes of this eponymous disc took the listener on a jazz world cruise directed by the instrumentalist-composer Jaco Pastorius, who thus gave notice that there was a new sheriff in town and that narrow definitions of jazz would simply not do. More so even than his groundbreaking work as a member of Weather Report, Jaco's music on this, his debut album as a leader (and in a trio setting with his soulmate Pat Metheny on the guitarist's maiden voyage, Bright Size Life), defines his greatness, his outreach, and his ambition. Boppish changes à la Miles Davis come through with Jaco's incredible touch, tone phrasing, and rhythmic locomotion--as does the musical leap of faith from bebop to funky-butt R&B delivered with lyrical majesty on Jaco's aptly titled "Continuum."

This reissue greatly enhances the fidelity of Jaco Pastorius, particularly in the bassist's famous, elusive tone, from lightly chorused, vocal-tenorlike glissandos on "Continuum" and the bell-like harmonics of "Portrait of Tracy" to his percussive, hand-drumlike rhythmic cycles underneath Peter Gordon's august French horn on "Oknokole Y Trompa." Even more stunning are the manner in which Jaco deploys a steel drum choir underneath Wayne Shorter on "Opus Pocus" and the ferocious Latin-inflected groove Jaco, Lenny White, and Don Alias conjure under Herbie Hancock on two takes--one unissued until now--of "(Used to Be a) Cha-Cha." Pat Metheny contributes an extraordinary set of liner notes to this set, putting Jaco's contributions to jazz and the bass in sharp perspective. Still, a spirit of innovation and discovery suffuses every note on Jaco Pastorius, and it is startling how modern and engaging this music remains. --Chip Stern

1. "Donna Lee" - Charlie Parker – 2:27
2. "Come On, Come Over" - (featuring Sam & Dave) Jaco Pastorius & Bob Herzog – 3:54
3. "Continuum" - Jaco Pastorius – 4:33
4. "Kuru/Speak Like A Child" - Jaco Pastorius & Herbie Hancock – 7:43
5. "Portrait Of Tracy" - Jaco Pastorius – 2:22
6. "Opus Pocus" - Jaco Pastorius – 5:30
7. "Okonkole Y Trompa" - Jaco Pastorius & Don Alias – 4:25
8. "(Used to Be A) Cha-Cha" - Jaco Pastorius – 8:57
9. "Forgotten Love" - Jaco Pastorius – 2:14
10. "(Used to Be a) Cha-Cha" (Alternate Take - Previously Unreleased) - Jaco Pastorius - 8:49
11. "6/4 Jam" (Previously Unreleased) - Jaco Pastorius - 7:45

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Jaco-Pastorius/dp/B00004VWA7/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298596865&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

Big HEART Fan Here!!!!

However, didn't like Red Velvet Car nears as much as Jupiter's Darling!!

You have quite the collection there Dennie! :banana-rock:

Heck, without a "Heart" we ain't Shi......what? The Band? Oh, well Hell, THEY ROCK!!!! :music-rockout:

I've worked hard to build a nice collection of music. The tough part though......Picking just ONE to listen too!

Thank Heeman!


Dennie

 

[Bob R]

I just want to say how happy I am to see Dennie posting with his heart.

We missed you, buddy.

 

[Dennie]

I just want to say how happy I am to see Dennie posting with his heart.

We missed you, buddy.

Thanks Bob! This is a very comfortable place that "they've" built here!

After all, it is one Big (Dysfunctional) Family, we've just got a new home and it is much more comfortable posting here! bscene-drinkingcheers:

It is really good to see you my friend!


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

I'm enjoying the heck out of this one......

Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul CD

Jeff Beck

2011 ATCO Records

Rock And Roll Party To Honor Les Paul, Jeff Beck's Concert Tribute To The Iconic Guitarist Recorded This Summer At The Iridium Jazz Club In New York City.

Jeff Beck paid fitting tribute to Les Paul last summer, celebrating what would have been the pioneering guitarist's 95th birthday by playing his friend and mentor's music, along with classic tunes from the era, in the same Times Square nightclub that Les Paul played every Monday for 14 years, before his death in August 2009.

Sponsored by Gibson Guitar and billed as 'A Celebration of Les Paul,' Jeff Beck was joined by The Imelda May Band at the Iridium Jazz Club on June 9th, 2010. The two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee mesmerized the star-studded audience with a tour de force performance of classics that Paul recorded with Mary Ford, 'How High The Moon,' 'Vaya Con Dios' and 'Mockin' Bird Hill,' along with such rock and roll standards as 'Twenty Flight Rock' and 'Walking In The Sand.'

Following this release, Beck will take the 'Rock And Roll Party' on the road for a short U.S. tour. Beck will once again be backed by The Imelda May Band and its enchanting singer, Imelda May, who joined Beck on stage at the 2010 Grammy® Awards for a spot-on rendition of Paul's 'How High The Moon.'

PBS will give fans a first look at a unique edition of this performance with the premiere of 'Jeff Beck Honors Les Paul,' a concert special that captures the first night of 'The Celebration to Honor Les Paul,' which was recorded on June 9, 2010, what would have been Les Paul's 95th birthday. Special guest performers included Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews, Gary U.S. Bonds and Brian Setzer, who traded riffs with Beck on Eddie Cochran's rockabilly classic 'Twenty Flight Rock.'

1. Double Talking Baby
2. Crusin'
3. Train It Kept a Rollin', The
4. Cry Me a River
5. How High the Moon
6. Sitting On Top of the World
7. Bye Bye Blues
8. World is Waiting For the Sunrise, The
9. Vaya Con Dios
10. Mocking Bird Hill
11. I'm a Fool To Care
12. Tiger Rag
13. Peter Gunn
14. Rockin' is Our Business
15. Apache
16. Sleep Walk
17. New Orleans
18. Walking In the Sand
19. Please Mr Jailor
20. Twenty Flight Rock

LINKY ---->http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-Par...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298601321&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

Make Someone Happy -- CD

Sophie Milman

2007 Koch Records

Review

With her sophomore recording, vocalist Milman trumps her triumphant self-titled debut disc that's already sold almost 100,000 copies. This time on 13 songs, her already confident delivery is even more assured, her new maturity underscored in a well-chosen, eclectic program that finds space for covers of Stevie Wonder's "Rocket Love," the Guess Who's "Undun" and "Matchmaker, Maker" from Fiddler On The Roof. Her delicate title tune work is a delight, as is her cool take on "Fever," and while they hint at youthful innocence there are new reserves of understanding in her fresh interpretations. Top track: It's the unlikely lament of Kermit the Frog, yes, "It's Not Easy Being Green," that's an ever-so-subtle commentary on her life so far. Her future's full of promise she'll prove it again when she guests with barefoot diva Cesaria Evora at Roy Thomson Hall June 28. The record's in stores June 19. --Geoff Chapman - The Toronto Star

1. "People Will Say We're in Love" Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II 3:08
2. "Something In The Air Between Us" Steve McKinnon 4:12
3. "Rocket Love" Stevie Wonder 4:33
4. "So Long, You Fool" Paul Shrofel 3:04
5. "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick 3:17
6. "Like Someone in Love" Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke 3:30
7. "Make Someone Happy" Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green 4:00
8. "(It's Not Easy) Bein' Green" Joe Raposo 4:41
9. "Reste (Stay)" Cameron Wallis 3:31
10. "Fever" Eddie Cooley and John Davenport 5:13
11. "Undun" Randy Bachman 3:38
12. "It Might as Well Be Spring" Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II 3:36
13. "Eli, Eli (A Walk To Caesarea)" Hannah Senesh 3:23
14. "Stay (English version)" (Bonus Track) Cameron Wallis 3:31
15. "Save Your Love For Me" {bonus track on iTunes) 4:49

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Make-Someone-...U6A8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298605217&sr=1-1

Bonus Picture......

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Skylark -- CD

Renee Olstead

2007 Reprise Records

Product Description

Nine days after her seventeenth birthday, singing sensation Renee Olstead and her stunning bluesy jazz voice take flight with her second major-label album, Skylark. Backed by esteemed producer/arranger David Foster (Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Celine Dion) on strings, piano, horns and often keyboards, Olstead stamps her mark on standards and modern classics and premieres four originals she co-wrote, including one with Foster. Following her 2004 #1 Jazz self-titled album, Olstead soars on Skylark.

1. "Midnight Man" – 3:02
2. "Lover Man" - 5:02
3. "Stars Fell On Alabama" - 3:15
4. "My Baby Just Cares For Me" - 3:03
5. "When I Fall In Love (ft. Chris Botti)" - 4:43
6. "Thanks For The Boogie Ride" - 3:01
7. "Hold Me Now" - 4:02
8. "Skylark" - 4:12
9. "Midnight In Austin Texas (ft. Robert Randolph)" - 3:25
10. "Hit The Road Jack" - 3:22
11. "You've Changed" - 3:27
12. "Ain't We Got Fun" - 2:45
13. "Nothing But The Blame" - 4:11

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Skylark-Renee-Olstead/dp/B000FS9MV0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298608816&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

Today's I don't have to go to work because it's raining music.... :happy-partydance:

Restless -- CD

Shelby Lynne

1995 Magnatone Records

Amazon.com

Producer Brent Maher had to do something with his time after his prize clients, the Judds, broke up, and in Shelby Lynne, he has found one of the few women in Nashville who can match Wynonna Judd in vocal firepower. In 1993, Maher produced and co-wrote Lynne's Temptation, a terrific album of big-band country swing which somehow got lost in the shuffle. Lynne's sequel,Restless, is a return to the country mainstream after her left-turn detour through swing. When Lynne opens all the stops in her throat and just wails, as she does on the album's first single "Slow Me Down," there's no mistaking the sheer strength of her voice. But there's a lot more to her talent than that; she can down shift into a conversational murmur, as she does on "Talkin' to Myself," and still make you hang on every word--just by the way she maintains a full, intense tone even at the lowest volumes. Most importantly, her command of tricky rhythmic phrasing reminds one of Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and few others in country-music history. All in all, this marks the full flowering of a major country talent and stands as one of the landmark events of 1995.--Geoffrey Himes

1. "Slow Me Down" (Stephanie Davis, Shelby Lynne, Brent Maher) – 3:14
2. "Another Chance at Love" (Maher, Allen Shamblin) – 2:25
3. "Talkin' to Myself Again" (Jamie O'Hara) – 3:18
4. "Restless" (Lynne, Maher, O'Hara) – 3:05
5. "Just for the Touch of Your Hand" (Lynne, Maher, O'Hara) – 3:56
6. "Hey Now Little Darling" (Lynne, Maher, O'Hara) – 3:02
7. "I'm Not the One" (Kent Blazy, Craig Wiseman) – 3:52
8. "Reach for the Rhythm" (Lynne, Maher, O'Hara) – 2:20
9. "Wish I Knew" (Rod McGaha) – 3:44
10. "Swingtown" (Lynne, Maher, O'Hara) – 2:34

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Restless-Shelby-Lynne/dp/B00000231B/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298649337&sr=1-2

 

[Dennie]

Imagine -- CD

John Lennon

1971/1990 Capitol Records

Amazon.com

Compared to the ferocious, liberating cry of John Lennon's first solo album, 1970's Plastic Ono Band, the following year's Imagine comes a lot closer in sound to what you'd expect from a former Beatle. Gorgeous love ballads like "Jealous Guy" and "Oh My Love" confound the notion that Paul had all the tender melodies (and "How Do You Sleep?" makes it clear what John thinks of his former partner's music). Elsewhere, Lennon ties together songs, from the folksy "Crippled Inside" to the edgy rock of "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die," with a humanism heard most notably on this album's title track. --Roni Sarig

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Imagine" 3:01
2. "Crippled Inside" 3:47
3. "Jealous Guy" 4:14
4. "It's So Hard" 2:25
5. "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" 6:05
Side two
No. Title Length
6. "Gimme Some Truth" 3:16
7. "Oh My Love" 2:44
8. "How Do You Sleep?" 5:36
9. "How?" 3:43
10. "Oh Yoko!" 4:20

LINKY -----> http://www.amazon.com/Imagine-John-...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298683864&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

Greatest Hits -- enhanced CD

The Doors

1996 Elektra Records

Amazon.com

A great singles band that often got a little unraveled on its album-only epics, the Doors are predictably remembered as Deeper Artists than some of their (especially Jim Morrison's) pretensions merit. But those 45s really were great. They dominate this disc, with "Light My Fire" (the album version) and "Hello I Love You" banging by to complement the moodier "Riders on the Storm" (also at LP length) and a live "Roadhouse Blues" rescued from An American Prayer. Predictably, the record closes with a few other non-AM tracks, including "The End." But most of the real meat is in the stuff that made it to the jukeboxes. --Rickey Wright

Side 1

1. "Hello I Love You"
2. "Light My Fire"
3. "People Are Strange"
4. "Love Me Two Times"
5. "Riders On The Storm"

Side 2

1. "Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
2. "Roadhouse Blues"
3. "Not to Touch the Earth"
4. "Touch Me"
5. "L.A. Woman"

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Doors-Greates...=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298685603&sr=1-2

 

[Rope]

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Rope

Nice! :bow-blue:


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

Bat Out Of Hell -- 24k Gold SBM CD

Meatloaf - Songs by Jim Steinman

1977 Cleveland/Epic Legacy

Interesting Info......

Dispute between Cleveland International and Sony Records

In 1995, Cleveland International sued Sony for unpaid royalties from sales of the album. Under the terms of the 1998 settlement agreement ending the suit, Sony agreed to include the Cleveland International logo on all future releases of the album. In 2002, Stephen Popovich, founder of Cleveland International and the owner of the rights to its name, sued Sony, alleging that Sony had failed to include the Cleveland International logo on some copies of the album and on some compilations Sony released that included songs from the album. On May 31, 2005, the federal district court in Cleveland, Ohio entered judgment against Sony pursuant to a jury verdict in favor of Popovich and awarded Popovich more than US$5,000,000 in damages for Sony's breach of the 1998 settlement agreement. On November 21, 2007, the federal appellate court in Cincinnati, Ohio affirmed the judgment of the trial court.

THIS REVIEW IS SPOT ON (IMHO).......


Indulgent, Overblown ... Just The Way I Like It!, May 19, 2000

By Bill R. Moore (New York, USA)
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bat Out of Hell (Audio CD)

This album falls somewhere between progressive rock, classical, and opera. Strange? Yes. Good? Definitely. A classic? You bet.

One reviewer said that Meat Loaf is a "pretty good singer". Man, is that a major understatement. Meat is one of the greatest singers of all-time. Although he is not my favorite singer, you'd be hardpressed to find another rock vocalist who could pull off these songs and not make them sound corny.

Despite what some reviewers have said, that is exactly what he does here. Every single song is a masterpiece. The title track is a classic rock song, with the timeless "motorcycle guitar" from Todd Rundgren (who also does a masterly job producing this album). Paradise is the most well known song from here, and with good reason, it is great. Heaven Can Wait is a simple song (a rarity on this album) that features one of Meat's best ever vocal performances and some great piano work from Roy Bittan.

Jim Steinman is a genius, plain and simple, anyone who could write such grandiose, sprawling music as this should be given credit, and no one else could've sung it except for Meat Loaf. For that reason alone, Bat Out of Hell is worth owning.

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Bat Out of Hell" 9:48
2. "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (intro spoken by Jim Steinman and Marcia McClain) 5:04
3. "Heaven Can Wait" 4:38
4. "All Revved Up with No Place to Go" 4:19
Side two
No. Title Length
5. "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" 5:23
6. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (duet with Ellen Foley) 8:28
7. "For Crying Out Loud" 8:45

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Bat-Out-Hell-...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298688299&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

Get Rhythm -- CD

Ry Cooder

1990 Warner Bros. Records

Ry Cooder at his unconventional best, October 14, 2000
By "allfiresthefire" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get Rhythm (Audio CD)

To listen to this is not to get a feel of what Ry is mainly about. He would probably vouch for that. If however, you regarded this a a delve into the uncharted, then the result is an aural feast. The title track sets the mood for the rest of the album. Johnny Cash would be proud that this cover was done very well and in a style which is simply Ry. The outstanding track however is the 13 Question Method. Again, Ry gives a new lease of life to a mediocre song, this time by Chuck Berry. The characteristics and jokey slide technique which Ry employs is amazing. To appreciate slide really well, you need to listen to this album and particularly track 4.

1. "Get Rhythm" (Johnny Cash)
2. "Low Commotion" (Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner)
3. "Going Back to Okinawa" (Ry Cooder)
4. "Thirteen Question Method" (Chuck Berry)
5. "Women Will Rule the World" (Raymond Quevedo)
6. "All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell)
7. "I Can Tell by the Way You Smell" (Walter Davis)
8. "Across the Borderline" (Ry Cooder, Jim Dickinson, John Hiatt)
9. "Let's Have a Ball" (Alden Bunn)

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Get-Rhythm-Ry...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298692135&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

A Collection - Greatest Hits...And More -- CD

Barbra Streisand

1989 Columbia Records

Amazon.com

The years 1975-1988 contained big successes for Barbra Streisand, though she ran through an unsteady gauntlet of disco-fied pop and pseudo-Broadway show stoppers. This collection, originally released in 1989, brings together the hits of those years--like the two Barry Gibb duets, "What Kind of Fool" and "Guilty"--in a range of production scenarios utilizing the talents of Rupert Holmes, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phil Ramone, Dave Gruisin, and others. The two new recordings added to begin and end the package, "We're Not Makin' Love Anymore" and "Somewhere," serve as bookends of the dance and ballad style Streisand revolved around throughout her later career. --Stephen M.H. Braitman

1. "We're Not Makin' Love Anymore"
2. "Woman In Love"
3. "All I Ask Of You"
4. "Comin' In And Out Of Your Life"
5. "What Kind Of Fool"
6. "The Main Event/Fight"
7. "Someone That I Used To Love"
8. "By The Way"
9. "Guilty"
10. "Memory"
11. "The Way He Makes Me Feel"
12. "Somewhere"

LINKY ---> http://www.amazon.com/Barbra-Streis...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298693404&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

It Looks Like Snow -- CD

Phoebe Snow

1976/1989 Columbia Records

David Rubinson's production of Phoebe Snow on the 1976 release It Looks Like Snow is an overpowering collection of pop-jazz-funk-folk that puts this amazing vocalist's talents in a beautiful light. Whether it's the Bowen/Bond/Hazel blues classic "Shakey Ground," which Elton John, Etta James, and so many others have explored, or her exquisite interpretation of the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down," there is no doubt the material here should have ruled on the airwaves the year after her Top Five smash, "Poetry Man." How could Columbia Records not have this material saturating radio across America is the question. There are string arrangements by Sonny Burke and horn arrangements by Kurt McGettrick; the guests galore -- from David Bromberg and Ray Parker, Jr. on guitars (along with Snow, Greg Poree, and Steve Burgh) to David Pomeranz on keys -- make the Snow/Pomeranz co-write "Mercy on Those" into a majestic and extra-special showstopper. The singer's solo composition "Drink Up the Melody (Bite the Dust, Blues)" has her dipping into Maria Muldaur territory, and a duet between the two divas here would've been sensational. "My Faith Is Blind," soaked in gospel introspection, takes the album to another level with its soul searching and sense of spiritual discovery. It Looks Like Snow is a major work from a fabulous performer traversing styles and genres with ease and elegance. The loving mom appears with her daughter on the back cover in a photo by collaborator Phil Kearns ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

1. Autobiography (Shine, Shine, Shine)
2. Teach Me Tonight
3. Stand Up On The Rock
4. In My Girlish Days
5. Have Mercy On Those
6. Don't Let Me Down
7. Drink Up The Melody (Bite The Dust, Blues)
8. Fat Chance
9. My Face Is Blind
10. Shakey Ground

Here is the back cover....

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Looks-Like-Snow-Phoebe/dp/B000002584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298695674&sr=1-1

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Blue -- CD

Diana Ross

2006 Motown Records

In late 1971, after Diana Ross completed filming the Billie Holiday bio-pic Lady Sings the Blues, Motown put her in the studio to record an album of jazz standards to coincide with the movie's release. The material was shelved after the producers decided to keep Ross on the pop-star track, which soon produced the #1 hit "Touch Me in the Morning."

This summer Motown is releasing that long-lost album, entitled Blue. A welcome attempt to cash in on the recent standards successes of Rod Stewart , Carly Simon, Queen Latifah and others, it's a tastefully recorded piece of jazz-lite. Produced by Gil Askey, the album burbles with orchestral swells, but never to the point of overwhelming the material. Ross' voice is sugary-sweet throughout, and she favors succinct phrasing over straining melisma—clarity of tone is her touchstone. Thankfully she makes no attempt to imitate Lady Day's delicate growl; she sticks to clear lines and rarely plays with the beat, letting the song do the work for her.

And these songs do plenty, with gems like "What A Difference A Day Makes," "But Beautiful," "Love Is Here To Stay" and "My Man." The formula is flawless, and while it never touches Holiday's emotional depths, it never descends into decorative kitsch, either. Risk-taking should be reserved for those who can pull it off—and the professionalism on display here plays it safe with style and sincerity.

"Let's Do It is a prime example. Anchored by an acoustic guitar strum, murmuring strings and a muted trumpet, Ross' voice lightly bounces as it talks of those "goldfish in the privacy of bowls falling in love. She modulates her voice within a limited range, but each tweak adds wry humor, allowing the graceful turns of phrase an ideal setting to make their impact. These renditions don't bear much of a personal stamp, but they shimmer with life regardless. That's what a beautiful voice can do for you.

1. "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" (Adams, Grever) - 3:28
2. "No More" (Camarata, Russell) - 3:09
3. "Let's Do It" (Cole Porter) - 3:00
4. "I Loves Ya Porgy" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) - 5:11
5. "Smile" (Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner) - 2:58
6. "But Beautiful" (Burke, VanHeusen) - 2:50
7. "Had You Been Around" (Richard Jacques, Ronald Miller, Avery Vandenburg, Bernard Yuffy) - 3:29
8. "Little Girl Blue" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) - 4:00
9. "Can't Get Started with You" (Duke, Gershwin) - 3:10
10. "Love Is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 2:13
11. "You've Changed" (Bill Carey, Carl Fischer) - 2:54
12. "My Man" (Charles, Pollack, Willemetz, Yvain) - 3:31
13. "Easy Living" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) - 2:54
14. "Solitude" (Eddie DeLange, Edward Ellington, Irving Mills) - 2:05
15. "He's Funny That Way" (Daniels, Richard Whiting) - 3:02
16. "T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" (Peter Grainger, Everett Robbins) - 2:22

Tracks 12-15 were originally recorded for Lady Sings the Blues but some were left out of the movie or, were included in the movie in a different version and in the soundtrack.[2]

"Blue" peaked at #2 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.

LINKY ---> http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Diana-Ross/dp/B000ERU1XA/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298678917&sr=1-1