What Are You Listening To?
- Thread starter Rope
- Start date
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening...
Take To The Skies -- CD
Richard Elliot
1989 Capitol Records
The name of this collection is as applicable to Elliot's real life piloting skills as it is to his flourishing solo career. As with his three prior releases, his tenor and alto saxes give you everything -- soul, passion, heat -- Elliot established himself with releases like these as the James Brown of contemporary jazz. Elliot is not as rambunctious as he was on the previous year's The Power of Suggestion, but he made strides toward finding that unique "Elliot sound." He succeeds most of the time here, most noticeably with a soaring, heart-searing rendition of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," which became a trademark concert tune and one of his legacies on smooth jazz radio. He starts to let loose on the perky "The Grip," then turns on the smooth for "4:00 a.m.," "In Your Arms," and the tropical flavored "Down to the Keys." In place of rockers, Elliot goes for that midtempo groove, but you can't argue with success. What can be argued is the necessity of the two vocals he includes. Neither "In the Name of Love" (sung by Bobby Caldwell) nor "Moonlight in Your Eyes" do any justice to Elliot's formidable talent. In all honesty, he's often given a greater and more pleasurable role as a sideman. Fortunately, eight out of ten isn't bad, and this collection is otherwise a solid, streamlined package of chops. ~ Jonathan Widran
Track listing
1. I'm Loving You
2. Boardwalk Walk
3. Take to the Skies
4. In the Name of Love
5. When a Man Loves a Woman
6. Grip, The
7. In Your Arms
8. Moonlight in Your Eyes
9. Down to the Keys
10. 4:00 A. M.
Take To The Skies -- CD
Richard Elliot
1989 Capitol Records
The name of this collection is as applicable to Elliot's real life piloting skills as it is to his flourishing solo career. As with his three prior releases, his tenor and alto saxes give you everything -- soul, passion, heat -- Elliot established himself with releases like these as the James Brown of contemporary jazz. Elliot is not as rambunctious as he was on the previous year's The Power of Suggestion, but he made strides toward finding that unique "Elliot sound." He succeeds most of the time here, most noticeably with a soaring, heart-searing rendition of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," which became a trademark concert tune and one of his legacies on smooth jazz radio. He starts to let loose on the perky "The Grip," then turns on the smooth for "4:00 a.m.," "In Your Arms," and the tropical flavored "Down to the Keys." In place of rockers, Elliot goes for that midtempo groove, but you can't argue with success. What can be argued is the necessity of the two vocals he includes. Neither "In the Name of Love" (sung by Bobby Caldwell) nor "Moonlight in Your Eyes" do any justice to Elliot's formidable talent. In all honesty, he's often given a greater and more pleasurable role as a sideman. Fortunately, eight out of ten isn't bad, and this collection is otherwise a solid, streamlined package of chops. ~ Jonathan Widran
Track listing
1. I'm Loving You
2. Boardwalk Walk
3. Take to the Skies
4. In the Name of Love
5. When a Man Loves a Woman
6. Grip, The
7. In Your Arms
8. Moonlight in Your Eyes
9. Down to the Keys
10. 4:00 A. M.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Today's work truck music....
The Real Deal - Greatest Hits Vol. 2 --CD
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
1999 Sony Music
Amazon.com
The real deal is that this is not so much a hits package as a hyped collection of songs that made the charts, album tracks, and rarities like Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Pipeline" duet with surf-rock king Dick Dale. (At least SRV completists no longer have to buy the God-awful Back to the Beach soundtrack.) Blending blues classics, rockers, and instrumentals was a signature of Vaughan's sets, but it doesn't work for these 16 tunes. Lesser numbers like "Empty Arms," "Shake for Me," and "Wall of Denial" seem filler between thrillers like "Telephone Song," "Scuttle Buttin'," and a version of "Leave My Girl Alone" that had been available only on a promotional CD. Remember, Vaughan's recording career lasted seven years--too short a time to merit two hits discs. Yet his guitar acrobatics and gut-deep vocal testimonials are never less than satisfying. --Ted Drozdowski
"Love Struck Baby" (Vaughan) – 2:22
from Texas Flood
"Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up on Love" (Vaughan) – 6:06
from Soul to Soul
"Scuttle Buttin'" (Vaughan) – 1:51
from Couldn't Stand the Weather
"Wall of Denial" (Bramhall/Vaughan) – 5:36
from In Step
"Lenny" (Vaughan) – 4:57
from Texas Flood
"Superstition" (live) (Stevie Wonder) – 4:41
from Live Alive
"Empty Arms" (Vaughan) – 3:29
from The Sky Is Crying
"Riveria Paradise" (Vaughan) – 8:50
from In Step
"Look At Little Sister" (Hank Ballard) – 3:08
from Soul to Soul
"Willie the Wimp" (live) (Cater/Ellsworth) – 4:35
from Live Alive
"Pipeline" (Carman/Spickard) – 3:01
with Dick Dale, from Back to the Beach Soundtrack
"Shake for Me" (live) (Dixon) – 3:51
from In the Beginning
"Leave My Girl Alone" (Live at Austin City Limits, 10/10/89) (Buddy Guy) – 4:47
first commercial release; studio version from In Step
"Telephone Song" (Bramhall/Vaughan) – 3:28
with Jimmie Vaughan, from Family Style
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (Jimi Hendrix) – 8:00
from Couldn't Stand the Weather
"Life By the Drop" (Bramhall/Vaughan) – 2:27
from The Sky Is Crying
The Real Deal - Greatest Hits Vol. 2 --CD
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
1999 Sony Music
Amazon.com
The real deal is that this is not so much a hits package as a hyped collection of songs that made the charts, album tracks, and rarities like Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Pipeline" duet with surf-rock king Dick Dale. (At least SRV completists no longer have to buy the God-awful Back to the Beach soundtrack.) Blending blues classics, rockers, and instrumentals was a signature of Vaughan's sets, but it doesn't work for these 16 tunes. Lesser numbers like "Empty Arms," "Shake for Me," and "Wall of Denial" seem filler between thrillers like "Telephone Song," "Scuttle Buttin'," and a version of "Leave My Girl Alone" that had been available only on a promotional CD. Remember, Vaughan's recording career lasted seven years--too short a time to merit two hits discs. Yet his guitar acrobatics and gut-deep vocal testimonials are never less than satisfying. --Ted Drozdowski
"Love Struck Baby" (Vaughan) – 2:22
from Texas Flood
"Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up on Love" (Vaughan) – 6:06
from Soul to Soul
"Scuttle Buttin'" (Vaughan) – 1:51
from Couldn't Stand the Weather
"Wall of Denial" (Bramhall/Vaughan) – 5:36
from In Step
"Lenny" (Vaughan) – 4:57
from Texas Flood
"Superstition" (live) (Stevie Wonder) – 4:41
from Live Alive
"Empty Arms" (Vaughan) – 3:29
from The Sky Is Crying
"Riveria Paradise" (Vaughan) – 8:50
from In Step
"Look At Little Sister" (Hank Ballard) – 3:08
from Soul to Soul
"Willie the Wimp" (live) (Cater/Ellsworth) – 4:35
from Live Alive
"Pipeline" (Carman/Spickard) – 3:01
with Dick Dale, from Back to the Beach Soundtrack
"Shake for Me" (live) (Dixon) – 3:51
from In the Beginning
"Leave My Girl Alone" (Live at Austin City Limits, 10/10/89) (Buddy Guy) – 4:47
first commercial release; studio version from In Step
"Telephone Song" (Bramhall/Vaughan) – 3:28
with Jimmie Vaughan, from Family Style
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (Jimi Hendrix) – 8:00
from Couldn't Stand the Weather
"Life By the Drop" (Bramhall/Vaughan) – 2:27
from The Sky Is Crying
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Hell Freezes Over -- CD
Eagles
1994 Geffen Records
Amazon.com
Indeed, there were many who thought that it would take an event as cataclysmic as the one described in the album title to get these seminal '70s soft-rockers back together. But here they are, revisiting some of their most beloved tunes as well as four new ones, on this mostly live, largely acoustic disc. Frey, Henley, Walsh, Schmit, and Felder tackle iconic Eagles standards like "Hotel California," "Tequila Sunrise," "Take It Easy," "Desperado," and "Life in the Fast Lane" and new tunes like "Get Over It" and "Love Will Keep Us Alive" with the smoothly cocky assurance that originally made them icons. --Scott Schinder
"Get Over It"* (Don Henley, Glenn Frey) – 3:31
"Love Will Keep Us Alive"* (Pete Vale, Jim Capaldi, Paul Carrack) – 4:03
"The Girl from Yesterday"* (Frey, Jack Tempchin) – 3:23
"Learn to Be Still"* (Henley, Stan Lynch) – 4:28
"Tequila Sunrise" (Henley, Frey) – 3:28
"Hotel California" (Don Felder, Henley, Frey) – 7:12
"Wasted Time" (Henley, Frey) – 5:19
"Pretty Maids All in a Row" (Joe Walsh, Joe Vitale) – 4:26
"I Can't Tell You Why" (Henley, Frey, Schmit) – 5:11
"New York Minute" (Henley, Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, Jai Winding) – 6:37
"The Last Resort" (Henley, Frey) – 7:24
"Take It Easy" (Jackson Browne, Frey) – 4:36
"In the City" (Walsh, Barry De Vorzon) – 4:07
"Life in the Fast Lane" (Henley, Frey, Walsh) – 6:01
"Desperado" (Henley, Frey) – 4:17
*All new songs were released as studio recordings on the album, but can be seen live on the VHS and DVD versions.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Some Girls -- Mini LP - CD
The Rolling Stones
1978/1994 Virgin Benelux B.Y.
Amazon.com essential recording
A fresh, uncompromising attempt to incorporate 1978 pop techniques into the band's familiar sound, Some Girls opens with the disco sass of "Miss You" and closes with the self-destructive punk of "Shattered." (Both songs, especially "Miss You," with its distinctive Mel Collins sax solo, remain live showstoppers.) So the Stones declared credibility in the dance circuit without sacrificing their hard-rock reputation. Though the anti-love "Beast of Burden" and the stylishly slow "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" continue to rack up the most airplay, the obscurities stand up surprisingly well. Worth replaying: Keith Richards's rickety rocker "Before They Make Me Run." --Steve Knopper
1. "Miss You" 4:48
2. "When the Whip Comes Down" 4:20
3. "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong) 4:38
4. "Some Girls" 4:36
5. "Lies" 3:11
6. "Far Away Eyes" 4:24
7. "Respectable" 3:06
8. "Before They Make Me Run" 3:25
9. "Beast of Burden" 4:25
10. "Shattered" 3:48
Dennie
Well-Known Member
If you like Boz and you don't have this one...... :angry-tappingfoot: I'm just say'in! :dance:
"Come On Home" -- CD
Boz Scaggs
1997 Virgin US
Bobby Bland, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker . . . Boz Scaggs!, November 4, 2001
By stranger2himself (Down Here)
This review is from: Come on Home (Audio CD)
I grew up on Ray Charles, James Brown, soul, blues, country & gospel. I've been listening to and collecting music for 40 years, and have approx. 3,000 recordings. Simply put, this is one of the best, most soulful, powerful, bodaciously BAD records I've ever heard! There is not a weak cut here. Boz sounds like he's been holding this in for 30 years! The production & playing are flawless, but not too slick. The "live-in-the-studio" sound is preserved. There are no "highlights", every cut is astounding. With that in mind, "Love Letters" brings tears to my eyes, and, like the previous reviewer, I fall to my knees when Boz testifies "I've Got Your Love". His vocal chords should be enshrined; his heart and soul could provide electrical power to most of North America. If you like ANY kind of blues or R&B, you will surely dig this!
"It All Went Down the Drain"
"Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' (But the Blues)"
"Don't Cry No More"
"Found Love"
"Come On Home"
"Picture of a Broken Heart"
"Love Letters"
"I've Got Your Love"
"Early in the Morning"
"Your Good Thing (Is About to End)"
"T-Bone Shuffle"
"Sick and Tired"
"After Hours"
"Goodnight Louise"
8224
"Come On Home" -- CD
Boz Scaggs
1997 Virgin US
Bobby Bland, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker . . . Boz Scaggs!, November 4, 2001
By stranger2himself (Down Here)
This review is from: Come on Home (Audio CD)
I grew up on Ray Charles, James Brown, soul, blues, country & gospel. I've been listening to and collecting music for 40 years, and have approx. 3,000 recordings. Simply put, this is one of the best, most soulful, powerful, bodaciously BAD records I've ever heard! There is not a weak cut here. Boz sounds like he's been holding this in for 30 years! The production & playing are flawless, but not too slick. The "live-in-the-studio" sound is preserved. There are no "highlights", every cut is astounding. With that in mind, "Love Letters" brings tears to my eyes, and, like the previous reviewer, I fall to my knees when Boz testifies "I've Got Your Love". His vocal chords should be enshrined; his heart and soul could provide electrical power to most of North America. If you like ANY kind of blues or R&B, you will surely dig this!
"It All Went Down the Drain"
"Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' (But the Blues)"
"Don't Cry No More"
"Found Love"
"Come On Home"
"Picture of a Broken Heart"
"Love Letters"
"I've Got Your Love"
"Early in the Morning"
"Your Good Thing (Is About to End)"
"T-Bone Shuffle"
"Sick and Tired"
"After Hours"
"Goodnight Louise"
8224
Dennie
Well-Known Member
One of my favorites..... :music-rockout:
Shangri-La -- CD
Mark Knopfler
2004 Mercury Records
Amazon.com
Mark Knopfler isn't afraid to drop names. The heavyweight Cassius Clay laid low, the man who made burgers and fries into big business, the kings of rock & roll and skiffle are among the motley assortment who pass through Knopfler's fourth solo album. Recorded in Malibu with a tight crew of steadfast Knopfler sidemen, Shangri-La (the title comes from the studio where the entire set was recorded) chronicles the foibles of the acclaimed and the adrift, all delivered with the nonchalant grace that has marked Knopfler's music since Dire Straits emerged in the late '70s. Seven of album's 14 originals clock in at between five and seven minutes. That's Knopfler in a nutshell--don't rush things, but don't loose the thread, either. As a songwriter, Knopfler has a storyteller's eye for minutiae, which he delivers with practiced nuance. He overreaches here and there ("Song for Sonny Liston" fails to capture the pathos of the menacing fighter), but also pulls off a few career highlights (the understated crime-drama opener "5.15 a.m."). --Steve Stolder
All songs written by Mark Knopfler.
"5.15 A.M." – 5:54
"Boom, Like That" – 5:49
"Sucker Row" – 4:56
"The Trawlerman's Song" – 5:02
"Back to Tupelo" – 4:31
"Our Shangri-La" – 5:41
"Everybody Pays" – 5:24
"Song for Sonny Liston" – 5:06
"Whoop De Doo" – 3:53
"Postcards from Paraguay" – 4:07
"All That Matters" – 3:08
"Stand Up Guy" – 4:32
"Donegan's Gone" – 3:05
"Don't Crash the Ambulance" – 5:06
Shangri-La -- CD
Mark Knopfler
2004 Mercury Records
Amazon.com
Mark Knopfler isn't afraid to drop names. The heavyweight Cassius Clay laid low, the man who made burgers and fries into big business, the kings of rock & roll and skiffle are among the motley assortment who pass through Knopfler's fourth solo album. Recorded in Malibu with a tight crew of steadfast Knopfler sidemen, Shangri-La (the title comes from the studio where the entire set was recorded) chronicles the foibles of the acclaimed and the adrift, all delivered with the nonchalant grace that has marked Knopfler's music since Dire Straits emerged in the late '70s. Seven of album's 14 originals clock in at between five and seven minutes. That's Knopfler in a nutshell--don't rush things, but don't loose the thread, either. As a songwriter, Knopfler has a storyteller's eye for minutiae, which he delivers with practiced nuance. He overreaches here and there ("Song for Sonny Liston" fails to capture the pathos of the menacing fighter), but also pulls off a few career highlights (the understated crime-drama opener "5.15 a.m."). --Steve Stolder
All songs written by Mark Knopfler.
"5.15 A.M." – 5:54
"Boom, Like That" – 5:49
"Sucker Row" – 4:56
"The Trawlerman's Song" – 5:02
"Back to Tupelo" – 4:31
"Our Shangri-La" – 5:41
"Everybody Pays" – 5:24
"Song for Sonny Liston" – 5:06
"Whoop De Doo" – 3:53
"Postcards from Paraguay" – 4:07
"All That Matters" – 3:08
"Stand Up Guy" – 4:32
"Donegan's Gone" – 3:05
"Don't Crash the Ambulance" – 5:06
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening....
Love Scenes -- CD
Diana Krall
1997 GRP Records
Amazon.com essential recording
Like a mink draped over mahogany, Diana Krall's luxuriously supple alto adorns the vintage songs of romance and longing found on Love Scenes with a palpable aura of glamour and late-night cool. Her ostensibly effortless command of phrasing and intonation, whether the mood is seduction or a sweet sassiness, further fortifies the opinion that the Canadian vocalist-pianist possesses one of the great female jazz voices to surface in the late 1990s. Augmented by spare but skillful instrumentation from bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone, Krall sustains a largely quiet (though hardly sleepy) ambience throughout the CD's 12 selections, from Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)," which she also uses as a showcase for her touch at the keyboard, to Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Her swing is artfully subdued ("All or Nothing at All"), and her wry, expressive approach to "Peel Me a Grape" is pure charm. Yet Krall shines most luminously on languid gems such as "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" and "Garden in the Rain." Anyone in search of an album ideal for watching city lights at 2 a.m. should keep Love Scenes in mind. --Terry Wood
"All or Nothing at All" (Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence) – 4:35
"Peel Me a Grape" (Dave Frishberg) – 5:52
"I Don't Know Enough About You" (Dave Barbour, Peggy Lee) – 4:01
"I Miss You So" (Jimmy Henderson, Sydney Robin, Bertha Scott) – 4:42
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 5:39
"Lost Mind" (Percy Mayfield) – 3:48
"I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 6:14
"You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me" (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) – 2:14
"Gentle Rain" (Luiz Bonfá, Matt Dubey) – 4:55
"How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)" (Irving Berlin) – 4:45
"My Love Is" (Billy Myles) – 3:26
"Garden in the Rain" (James Dyrenforth, Carroll Gibbons) – 4:56
Love Scenes -- CD
Diana Krall
1997 GRP Records
Amazon.com essential recording
Like a mink draped over mahogany, Diana Krall's luxuriously supple alto adorns the vintage songs of romance and longing found on Love Scenes with a palpable aura of glamour and late-night cool. Her ostensibly effortless command of phrasing and intonation, whether the mood is seduction or a sweet sassiness, further fortifies the opinion that the Canadian vocalist-pianist possesses one of the great female jazz voices to surface in the late 1990s. Augmented by spare but skillful instrumentation from bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone, Krall sustains a largely quiet (though hardly sleepy) ambience throughout the CD's 12 selections, from Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)," which she also uses as a showcase for her touch at the keyboard, to Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Her swing is artfully subdued ("All or Nothing at All"), and her wry, expressive approach to "Peel Me a Grape" is pure charm. Yet Krall shines most luminously on languid gems such as "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" and "Garden in the Rain." Anyone in search of an album ideal for watching city lights at 2 a.m. should keep Love Scenes in mind. --Terry Wood
"All or Nothing at All" (Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence) – 4:35
"Peel Me a Grape" (Dave Frishberg) – 5:52
"I Don't Know Enough About You" (Dave Barbour, Peggy Lee) – 4:01
"I Miss You So" (Jimmy Henderson, Sydney Robin, Bertha Scott) – 4:42
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 5:39
"Lost Mind" (Percy Mayfield) – 3:48
"I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 6:14
"You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me" (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) – 2:14
"Gentle Rain" (Luiz Bonfá, Matt Dubey) – 4:55
"How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)" (Irving Berlin) – 4:45
"My Love Is" (Billy Myles) – 3:26
"Garden in the Rain" (James Dyrenforth, Carroll Gibbons) – 4:56
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Medusa -- CD
Annie Lennox
1995 Arista Records
Amazon.com essential recording
Post-Beatles, the virtues of deft song interpretation have been consistently devalued in favor of self-contained composer-performers, seldom more so than in the initial response to this sequel to Annie Lennox's triumphant solo debut, Diva. That album's gripping originals deserve acclaim, but the lush Scottish alto remains one of the most riveting pop singers of the past two decades, and this smartly chosen, meticulously arranged collection of cover versions boasts its own abundant charms in her selection of obscure gems and bona fide classics from Al Green, Procol Harum, Neil Young, the Clash, the Temptations, Paul Simon, Bob Marley, and the Blue Nile. The songs are the rightful stars here, and Lennox brings passion and nuance to a set that plays beautifully. From the cinematic heartbreak of "No More I Love Yous" to the faithful recreation of the Blue Nile's "Downtown Lights," this is ravishing pop. --Sam Sutherland
1. "No More I Love You's" Joseph Hughes, David Freeman 4:51
2. "Take Me to the River" Al Green 3:31
3. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Keith Reid, Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher 5:17
4. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" Neil Young 3:36
5. "Train in Vain" Mick Jones, Joe Strummer 4:38
6. "I Can't Get Next to You" Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong 3:09
7. "Downtown Lights" Paul Buchanan 6:42
8. "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" Richard Poindexter, Robert Poindexter, Jackie Members 5:53
9. "Waiting in Vain" Bob Marley 5:40
10. "Something So Right" Paul Simon 3:54
11. "Heaven" (Japanese bonus track) Richard Butler, Tim Butler 4:58
"Eric Bibb, already enjoying success in Europe, is becoming a familiar face – and voice – in the U.S. acoustic folk-blues scene. His unique talent continues to draw critical acclaim around the world. Twice nominated for the W.C. Handy Awards and winner of the “Best Newcomer” title in the British Blues Awards, Bibb has been appropriately described as “discreetly ........... "
:handgestures-thumbup:
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Harbor Lights -- CD
Bruce Hornsby
1993 RCA Records
Leaving behind the Range, Bruce Hornsby trades heartland rock for a cooler, jazzier sound with Harbor Lights, an album that nonetheless retains his affinity for sincere portraits of American life, love, and heartache. The title track is a humid, celebratory song that evokes a romantic summer evening in the South, setting the stage for a collection of humanistic songs. If the album has an underlying theme, it's the necessity of seeing yourself and the ones you love through the hard times as well as the good. The purely upbeat songs, like "Rainbow's Cadillac" and "What a Night," are counterbalanced by the sober "Fields of Gray" and "Tide Will Rise," and the cultural commentary of "Talk of the Town." The music is uniformly excellent, with Hornsby's piano work blending seamlessly into the rich arrangements. Each song usually ends with an extended instrumental section, but these flow naturally instead of feeling like tacked-on jam sessions. And Hornsby isn't just showing off here, as he lets other voices, like Branford Marsalis' sax and Pat Metheny's guitar, get their say. In later albums, Hornsby's focus on music would tend to overtake his lyrical content, but Harbor Lights marks the point at which he found the right balance between virtuosic playing and personal storytelling. ~ Skyler Miller, All Music Guide
All songs written by Bruce Hornsby
"Harbor Lights"
"Talk of the Town"
"Long Tall Cool One"
"China Doll"
"Fields of Gray"
"Rainbow's Cadillac"
"Passing Through"
"The Tide Will Rise" (Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby)
"What a Time" (Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby)
"Pastures of Plenty"
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Belly of the Sun -- CD
Cassandra Wilson
2002 Blue Note Records
Amazon.com
By now, it's a moot point whether Cassandra Wilson is singing jazz or not. By unifying what were once considered disparate styles and song forms with her languorously rich vocals and offbeat instrumental textures, she has become the queen of her own genre. Largely recorded at a one-time train station in her native Mississippi, Belly of the Sun ranges from country-blues great Fred McDowell's gritty "You Gotta Move" (popularized by the Rolling Stones and here featuring acoustic-guitar wiz Richard Johnston) to Brazilian immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim's winsome "Waters of March" (featuring a children's choir) to a hauntingly feminized version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Revealing her command of narrative material, Wilson draws seductive meaning from Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" and the Band's "The Weight." Featuring Kevin Breit and Marvin Sewell on all manner of guitars and related string instruments, Belly of the Sun also boasts three strong Wilson originals, including "Just Another Parade," a jazzy-soulful duet with India Arie, and "Show Me a Love." As her own producer, Wilson comes up with less compelling backgrounds than Craig Street, who produced her darker-tinged breakthrough albums. Still, this is her most seamless, smoothest-flowing, and most effortlessly expansive recording. "I need to feel some rich black soil that's moist between my toes," she sings. You can feel her Southern roots in the grooves as well. --Lloyd Sachs
"The Weight" (Robbie Robertson) – 6:05
"Justice" (Cassandra Wilson) – 5:27
"Darkness on the Delta" (Jay Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes) – 3:47
"Waters of March" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) – 4:26
"You Gotta Move" (Mississippi Fred McDowell) – 2:44
"Only a Dream in Rio" (James Taylor) – 4:32
"Just Another Parade" (Wilson) – 6:05 featuring India.Arie
"Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb) – 5:48
"Shelter From the Storm" (Bob Dylan) – 5:17
"Drunk as Cooter Brown" (Wilson) – 4:58
"Show Me a Love" (Robinson, Wilson) – 3:49
"Road So Clear" (Richmond) – 5:22
"Hot Tamales" (Robert Johnson) – 1:43
8248
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Rain Dogs -- CD
Tom Waits
1990 Island Records
Amazon.com essential recording
The middle album of the trilogy that includes Swordfishtrombones and Franks Wild Years, Rain Dogs is Waits's best overall effort. The songs are first-rate, and there are a lot of them--19 in all, ranging from grim nightlife memoirs ("9th and Hennepin," "Singapore") to portraits of small-time hustlers ("Gun Street Girl," "Union Square") to bursts of street-corner philosophy ("Blind Love," "Time"). The album also contains the original version of "Downtown Train," which Rod Stewart turned into a smash hit. The image of "rain dogs"--animals who've lost their way home because the rain has washed away their scent--is an appropriate symbol for the entire cast of characters Waits has brought to life over the years, and this album has thus far proved to be his most enduring effort. --Daniel Durchholz
Side One
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Singapore" 2:46
2. "Clap Hands" 3:47
3. "Cemetery Polka" 1:51
4. "Jockey Full of Bourbon" 2:45
5. "Tango Till They're Sore" 2:49
6. "Big Black Mariah" 2:44
7. "Diamonds & Gold" 2:31
8. "Hang Down Your Head" Kathleen Brennan, Waits 2:32
9. "Time" 3:55
Side Two
No. Title Length
1. "Rain Dogs" 2:56
2. "Midtown" (Instrumental) 1:00
3. "9th & Hennepin" 1:58
4. "Gun Street Girl" 4:37
5. "Union Square" 2:24
6. "Blind Love" 4:18
7. "Walking Spanish" 3:05
8. "Downtown Train" 3:53
9. "Bride of Rain Dog" (Instrumental) 1:07
10. "Anywhere I Lay My Head" 2:48
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Now and Zen -- CD
Robert Plant
1988 Atlantic Records
Something alittle different, February 24, 2009
By Mike T (United States)
Everyone knows Robert Plant from the classic rock group Led Zepplin, but if you want to hear something alittle different listen to Now and Zen.
I originally owned this CD when it was first released and then someone took it from me using a five finger discount so now years later I picked it up on Amazon. Some of the songs seem dated with the 1980's electric keyboard sound but there are two songs that make it all worth it: "Heaven Knows" and "Ship of Fools" possibly some of Robert Plants best solo work.
"Heaven Knows" (Barratt, Johnstone) – 4:06
"Dance on My Own" (Crash, Johnstone, Plant) – 4:30
"Tall Cool One" (Johnstone, Plant) – 4:40
"The Way I Feel" (Boyle, Johnstone, Plant) – 5:40
"Helen of Troy" (Johnstone, Plant) – 5:06
"Billy's Revenge" (Johnstone, Plant) – 3:34
"Ship of Fools" (Johnstone, Plant) – 5:01
"Why" (Crash, Plant) – 4:14
"White, Clean and Neat" (Johnstone, Plant) – 5:28
"Walking Towards Paradise" (Williams) – 4:40