What Are You Listening To?
- Thread starter Rope
- Start date
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Moondance -- CD
Van Morrison
1970/1990 Warner Bros. Records
Consistent Excellence, September 8, 2000
By Larry Glickman - See all my reviews
This review is from: Moondance (Audio CD)
In the history of popular music, there are works which, no matter how old they are, no matter how many times you have heard them, they remain consistently fresh, innovative, inviting and entertaining. Moondance, by Van Morrison, deserves an honored place on that list.
I was listening to the WXRT here in Chicago the other day, and Lin Brehmer, the morning DJ, had just played the first cut on Moondance, "And It Stoned Me". The song ended, and Lin read the titles of the first five songs on the disc, then he said, "If that is not musical genius, I don't know what is". I think Lin hit the nail on the head.
Moondance is an excellent album. The songwriting and the arrangements combine to form a mood and a feeling that is so distinct, so ephereal and relaxing, you feel like you are in another time and place. Listen to the song Moondance on the radio, and you may tire of it soon. Listen to it in the context of this album, and you will understand that it was written by a young man who was writing about his time, his life, his relationships.
This album has been written about many times, by writers whose skills far outweigh mine. Let me just finish by saying that Moondance is a special album, filled with special music. Buy it, and it will be special for you, too.
Side one
"And It Stoned Me" – 4:30
"Moondance" – 4:35
"Crazy Love" – 2:34
"Caravan" – 4:57
"Into the Mystic" – 3:25
Side two
"Come Running" – 2:30
"These Dreams of You" – 3:50
"Brand New Day" – 5:09
"Everyone" – 3:31
"Glad Tidings" – 3:13
There is a DVD of the show... :text-bravo:Dennie said:Huey said:
Picked this up yesterday, I think it is the best live album I have ever heard. Recorded well with just the right amount of crowd noise. If you like Eric Clapton, well worth the price of admission.
Great Choice Rob! :handgestures-thumbup:
Dennie
Dennie
Well-Known Member
16 Greatest Hits -- CD
Steppenwolf
1973/1985 MCA Records
Amazon.com
The ultimate rock anthem ("Born to Be Wild", in case you're wondering) opens this spectacular greatest-hits collection from one of the original hard rock bands. All of the best is here; the psychedelic "Magic Carpet Ride", the bluesy "The Pusher", heavy rockers such as "Hey Lawdy Mama" and "Screaming Night Hog", the regretful "Snowblind Friend" and the sadistic ballad "Tenderness". Steppenwolf's glory days are long past, but this album is a definite classic, featuring songs that helped establish the then-emerging hard rock genre. --Genevieve Williams
1. Born To Be Wild
2. Its Never Too Late
3. Rock Me
4. Hey Lawdy Mama
5. Move Over
6. Who Needs Ya
7. Snowblind Friend
8. Ride With Me
9. Magic Carpet Ride
10. The Pusher
11. Sookie Sookie
12. Jupiters Child
13. Screaming Night Hog
14. For Ladies Only
15. Tenderness
16. Monster
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Make Someone Happy -- CD
Sophie Milman
2007 Linus/Koch Records
From Amazon.ca
Toronto's Sophie Milman has that rare ability to appeal to two often deeply separated worlds: those who like their jazz light and those purists who want their jazz heavy and nothing short of it. By having a more-than-capable traditional jazz band and challenging herself vocally to bring the swing, she has commanded respect from both camps. Milman's delivery is silky smooth, a gorgeous voice with a low register reminiscent of Fiona Apple and an upper register that brings Ella Fitzgerald's bounce and playfulness to mind. Like many jazz vocal discs, her sophomore release Make Someone Happy contains an abundance of covers, but some rather surprising in style. The often-done "Fever"’s arrangement is nothing like the original, containing more of an unnerving musical undercurrent than the traditional sultry one. Milman--who recorded this disc in her early 20s--covers a number of underdone melodies, from Stevie Wonder's "Rocket Love" to the Guess Who's "Undun" with composer/original band guitarist Randy Bachman offering his sonic inflections to the song. Disc high points include the smokin' jam "It Might As Well Be Spring," the sexy bossa nova of original track "Something in the Air Between Us" and the beautiful cover of "Eli, Eli" by Second World War Holocaust hero and poet Hannah Senesh. It is a brave and haunting number that Milman does great justice to. --Denise Sheppard
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
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening...
Worrisome Heart -- CD
Melody Gardot
2008 Verve Records
About the Artist
The finest musicians don't always make the most noise. At 22, singer-songwriter Melody Gardot understands the value of subtlety and understatement. It's what helps to make her debut album, `Worrisome Heart', sound simultaneously familiar, yet utterly surprising. For Melody, music is something that helps her relax, meditate, and look inwards. "I gravitate towards soothing music, often genres that are soft and somewhat unassuming. Music can do wonders for your spirit especially when it's the kind that calms you."
Gardot's presence both lyrically and musically lend themselves to someone far beyond her years, yet she had her first introduction to the world of music only a short while ago when she earned some spare cash by playing in piano bars. She was just 16.
"Music wasn't something I thought I'd wind up doing," she admits. "I played on Fridays and Saturdays, for four hours a night. I wasn't your typical player though because I only played music that I liked. A mix of things old and new, I played everything from the Mamas & The Papas to Duke Ellington to Radiohead."
It was only after an automobile accident while riding her bicycle home that the path Gardot has set out on began to change. Struck suddenly by a vehicle, she suffered multiple pelvic fractures, spinal, nerve and head injuries. Several of the effects have left their marks in various ways such as requiring Gardot to carry a cane and sport shaded glasses to combat residual photosensitivity.
Since Gardot had dabbled in music the past, during a follow up visit one day, her doctor suggested she try music therapy as a means for recovery. Specifically, he believed it would help her with her cognitive problems as music has been known to help repair neuropathways in the brain after severe trauma. However, her doctor can't have imagined the far-reaching consequences. While still unable to walk, Melody began writing and recording songs on a portable multitrack recorder at her bedside.
"I started recording the songs as a way to remember what I'd done; I had really bad short-term memory problems," she explains. "At the end of the day I couldn't remember the beginning".
These songs she wrote during her recuperation were released as a six-song EP called Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions. After hearing it, one critic commented that it was "a trick of alchemy that awful pain and uncertainty can give rise to such bold and striking music."
Although Melody claims she was never a fanatical music buff with a vast and esoteric record collection, she knows how to get the results she wants with her own songs.
"I had ideas about how I wanted things to go. In the studio cutting `Worrisome Heart', I remember standing in the recording booth and saying to the horn guys `can you make it sleazier?' They said `yeah! Sleazy man, that's cool!' It may not have been the most musical way to put it but they knew exactly what I meant!" she laughs.
Product Description
". . . in a place where Billie Holiday meets Tom Waits . . . has moments that recall pieces of Nina Simone, early Rickie Lee Jones, and even the sophistication of Cole Porter. " - Business Week
Although there are elements of jazz, blues and folk in her music, it is simultaneously all of those things and none of them. Her engaging songs and sultry controlled vocals possess a timeless quality that places them in the tradition of the great female vocalists on Verve, whose work have also not been confined to any one genre or style
All songs written and composed by Melody Gardot.
"Worrisome Heart" – 4:21
"All That I Need Is Love" – 2:36
"Gone" – 2:50
"Sweet Memory" – 3:21
"Some Lessons" – 5:23
"Quiet Fire" – 4:13
"One Day" – 2:02
"Love Me Like a River Does" – 4:06
"Goodnite" – 3:04
"Twilight" – 1:01
Bonus Info:
Speaking of how the album first came to be made, in November 2008 Gardot told noted United Kingdom jazz/soul writer Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' that: "It was created independently of a record company. It was made privately. So my only intention, or my only GOAL, was to make a record that at the end of the day I was happy with. And the way that the instrumentation was decided on was based on what I heard in my head, and what I thought would FEEL the best. So I guess having it released is kinda like having somebody publish your diary in a way!"
Worrisome Heart -- CD
Melody Gardot
2008 Verve Records
About the Artist
The finest musicians don't always make the most noise. At 22, singer-songwriter Melody Gardot understands the value of subtlety and understatement. It's what helps to make her debut album, `Worrisome Heart', sound simultaneously familiar, yet utterly surprising. For Melody, music is something that helps her relax, meditate, and look inwards. "I gravitate towards soothing music, often genres that are soft and somewhat unassuming. Music can do wonders for your spirit especially when it's the kind that calms you."
Gardot's presence both lyrically and musically lend themselves to someone far beyond her years, yet she had her first introduction to the world of music only a short while ago when she earned some spare cash by playing in piano bars. She was just 16.
"Music wasn't something I thought I'd wind up doing," she admits. "I played on Fridays and Saturdays, for four hours a night. I wasn't your typical player though because I only played music that I liked. A mix of things old and new, I played everything from the Mamas & The Papas to Duke Ellington to Radiohead."
It was only after an automobile accident while riding her bicycle home that the path Gardot has set out on began to change. Struck suddenly by a vehicle, she suffered multiple pelvic fractures, spinal, nerve and head injuries. Several of the effects have left their marks in various ways such as requiring Gardot to carry a cane and sport shaded glasses to combat residual photosensitivity.
Since Gardot had dabbled in music the past, during a follow up visit one day, her doctor suggested she try music therapy as a means for recovery. Specifically, he believed it would help her with her cognitive problems as music has been known to help repair neuropathways in the brain after severe trauma. However, her doctor can't have imagined the far-reaching consequences. While still unable to walk, Melody began writing and recording songs on a portable multitrack recorder at her bedside.
"I started recording the songs as a way to remember what I'd done; I had really bad short-term memory problems," she explains. "At the end of the day I couldn't remember the beginning".
These songs she wrote during her recuperation were released as a six-song EP called Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions. After hearing it, one critic commented that it was "a trick of alchemy that awful pain and uncertainty can give rise to such bold and striking music."
Although Melody claims she was never a fanatical music buff with a vast and esoteric record collection, she knows how to get the results she wants with her own songs.
"I had ideas about how I wanted things to go. In the studio cutting `Worrisome Heart', I remember standing in the recording booth and saying to the horn guys `can you make it sleazier?' They said `yeah! Sleazy man, that's cool!' It may not have been the most musical way to put it but they knew exactly what I meant!" she laughs.
Product Description
". . . in a place where Billie Holiday meets Tom Waits . . . has moments that recall pieces of Nina Simone, early Rickie Lee Jones, and even the sophistication of Cole Porter. " - Business Week
Although there are elements of jazz, blues and folk in her music, it is simultaneously all of those things and none of them. Her engaging songs and sultry controlled vocals possess a timeless quality that places them in the tradition of the great female vocalists on Verve, whose work have also not been confined to any one genre or style
All songs written and composed by Melody Gardot.
"Worrisome Heart" – 4:21
"All That I Need Is Love" – 2:36
"Gone" – 2:50
"Sweet Memory" – 3:21
"Some Lessons" – 5:23
"Quiet Fire" – 4:13
"One Day" – 2:02
"Love Me Like a River Does" – 4:06
"Goodnite" – 3:04
"Twilight" – 1:01
Bonus Info:
Speaking of how the album first came to be made, in November 2008 Gardot told noted United Kingdom jazz/soul writer Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' that: "It was created independently of a record company. It was made privately. So my only intention, or my only GOAL, was to make a record that at the end of the day I was happy with. And the way that the instrumentation was decided on was based on what I heard in my head, and what I thought would FEEL the best. So I guess having it released is kinda like having somebody publish your diary in a way!"
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Today's work truck music....
Greatest Hits -- CD
ELO
1979/1990 JET/Columbia Records
Amazon.com
You can't make a meal of bubblegum, but it sure can be a delicious distraction. ELO's Greatest Hits is filled with gooey, chewy delights--sonic kitsch like "I Can't Get It Out of My Head" (Lennon on Lithium), "Telephone Line" (Kool & The Gang with violins), and the irresistible "Turn to Stone" (Wagner in spandex)--cultural guideposts, whether you want to admit it or not. ELO combined classical elements with electronic rock and their influence can still be heard in new Turk bands playing with Moogs--for all their Beatles-in-space trappings, the group was also pretty *** catchy. Early ELO was spotty, with flavorful items like "Strange Magic" popping out of the lab nevertheless. By the late '70s, producer-songwriter-singer Jeff Lynne had his electronic pop chamber-group machine oiled to perfection, and this package contains a heavy dose of those longer-lasting-flavor years, with well-chosen dabs of essential chewing pleasure. --Don Harrison
All tracks written by Jeff Lynne.
"Evil Woman" – 4:10
"Livin' Thing"– 3:31
"Can't Get It Out of My Head"– 4:22
"Showdown" – 3:51
"Turn to Stone"– 3:48
"Rockaria!" – 3:12
"Sweet Talkin' Woman"– 3:47
"Telephone Line" – 4:37
"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" – 3:35
"Strange Magic" – 4:07
"Mr. Blue Sky"– 5:05
Greatest Hits -- CD
ELO
1979/1990 JET/Columbia Records
Amazon.com
You can't make a meal of bubblegum, but it sure can be a delicious distraction. ELO's Greatest Hits is filled with gooey, chewy delights--sonic kitsch like "I Can't Get It Out of My Head" (Lennon on Lithium), "Telephone Line" (Kool & The Gang with violins), and the irresistible "Turn to Stone" (Wagner in spandex)--cultural guideposts, whether you want to admit it or not. ELO combined classical elements with electronic rock and their influence can still be heard in new Turk bands playing with Moogs--for all their Beatles-in-space trappings, the group was also pretty *** catchy. Early ELO was spotty, with flavorful items like "Strange Magic" popping out of the lab nevertheless. By the late '70s, producer-songwriter-singer Jeff Lynne had his electronic pop chamber-group machine oiled to perfection, and this package contains a heavy dose of those longer-lasting-flavor years, with well-chosen dabs of essential chewing pleasure. --Don Harrison
All tracks written by Jeff Lynne.
"Evil Woman" – 4:10
"Livin' Thing"– 3:31
"Can't Get It Out of My Head"– 4:22
"Showdown" – 3:51
"Turn to Stone"– 3:48
"Rockaria!" – 3:12
"Sweet Talkin' Woman"– 3:47
"Telephone Line" – 4:37
"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" – 3:35
"Strange Magic" – 4:07
"Mr. Blue Sky"– 5:05
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Today's work truck music....
The Best Of Kansas -- CD
Kansas
1999 Columbia Records
Good Place To Start, July 1, 2000
By Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)
This is that rare best of album that actually features the band's best of. Not sacrificing longer tracks for shorter pieces (well, Magnum Opus maybe, but...) this collection truly gives a good overview of Kansas. The radio hits are here: Carry On, The Wall, Hold On, Point of No Return, and of course, Dust In The Wind, but even they feature prog overtones. But it's the longer pieces that show the band's excellent musicianship, like Song For America, No One Together, The Pinnacle, and Closet Chronicles. All in all, a good place to start if you're just getting into Kansas.
"Carry on Wayward Son" – 5:22
"Point of Know Return" – 3:11
"Fight Fire with Fire" – 3:40
"Dust in the Wind" – 3:27
"Song for America" – 9:07
"Hold On" – 3:51
"No One Together" – 6:57
"Play the Game Tonight" – 3:26
"The Wall" – 4:47
"The Pinnacle" (Livgren) – 9:36
"The Devil Game" (Dave Hope, Walsh) – 5:04
"Closet Chronicles (Live)" (Livgren, Walsh) – 6:54
The Best Of Kansas -- CD
Kansas
1999 Columbia Records
Good Place To Start, July 1, 2000
By Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)
This is that rare best of album that actually features the band's best of. Not sacrificing longer tracks for shorter pieces (well, Magnum Opus maybe, but...) this collection truly gives a good overview of Kansas. The radio hits are here: Carry On, The Wall, Hold On, Point of No Return, and of course, Dust In The Wind, but even they feature prog overtones. But it's the longer pieces that show the band's excellent musicianship, like Song For America, No One Together, The Pinnacle, and Closet Chronicles. All in all, a good place to start if you're just getting into Kansas.
"Carry on Wayward Son" – 5:22
"Point of Know Return" – 3:11
"Fight Fire with Fire" – 3:40
"Dust in the Wind" – 3:27
"Song for America" – 9:07
"Hold On" – 3:51
"No One Together" – 6:57
"Play the Game Tonight" – 3:26
"The Wall" – 4:47
"The Pinnacle" (Livgren) – 9:36
"The Devil Game" (Dave Hope, Walsh) – 5:04
"Closet Chronicles (Live)" (Livgren, Walsh) – 6:54
Gone Woman Blues: The Country Blues Collection
by - Rory Block
(a 1997 Rounder Records release)
an editorial review . . . .
This collection of 24 songs from premier Delta blues guitarist Rory Block is a tasty treat, serving up some of her best material from the past decade. Though there are only two original songs ("Gone Woman Blues" and "Take My Heart Again"), the covers are excellent, accentuating the original material without altering it beyond recognition. The liner notes read like a who's who of country blues: songs by Tommy Johnson, Son House, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Buddy Boy Hawkins, and more, all performed with verve and style. Performing mostly unaccompanied except for her guitar, Block allows her gutsy voice and considerable guitar skills to shine through. A fine, fine collection for any country blues fan.
~ Genevieve Williams
. . . . which I strongly agree with.
.` ` . :handgestures-thumbup:
Have a great weekend, everybody. //
bscene-drinkingcheers:
by - Rory Block
(a 1997 Rounder Records release)
an editorial review . . . .
This collection of 24 songs from premier Delta blues guitarist Rory Block is a tasty treat, serving up some of her best material from the past decade. Though there are only two original songs ("Gone Woman Blues" and "Take My Heart Again"), the covers are excellent, accentuating the original material without altering it beyond recognition. The liner notes read like a who's who of country blues: songs by Tommy Johnson, Son House, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Buddy Boy Hawkins, and more, all performed with verve and style. Performing mostly unaccompanied except for her guitar, Block allows her gutsy voice and considerable guitar skills to shine through. A fine, fine collection for any country blues fan.
~ Genevieve Williams
. . . . which I strongly agree with.
.` ` . :handgestures-thumbup:
Have a great weekend, everybody. //
bscene-drinkingcheers:
Dennie
Well-Known Member
These Dreams - Heart Greatest Hits -- CD
Heart
1997 Capitol Records
Amazon.com
Heart is another hard rocking band whose career falls into two categories, Before The Fall and After The Fall. The rock-as-act-of-seduction "Crazy on You," was a powerhouse with its acoustic intro that eventually led to an orgiastic vocal crescendo, thanks to Ann Wilson's throaty pipes. "Magic Man" was their entry into the 1970s-rock-opus category, with its epic guitar and synth solos. The ballsy "Barricuda" and the lilting "Dog and Butterfly" and "Dreamboat Annie" showed the band could deliver the goods, regardless of tempo or volume. Then came The Fall, a several-year long period when the Wilson sisters couldn't get a hit if they had targets painted on their backs. Heart eventually pulled it back together with power rock ballads, including "What About Love" and "These Dreams." The band continued in this vein through the rest of the 1980s, turning in the occasional rocker like "Never." Overall, These Dreams--Heart's Greatest Hits is a fine sampling of the band's career. Particularly interesting is the acoustic version of "Straight On," which--in its original form--had the band convincingly flexing some funk muscle. --Steve Gdula
"Crazy On You"
"All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You"
"If Looks Could Kill"
"Never"
"Alone"
"Who Will You Run To"
"Straight On" (Live Acoustic)
"Magic Man"
"What About Love"
"Dreamboat Annie"
"Dog & Butterfly" (Live Acoustic)
"Nothin' At All"
"Heartless"
"Stranded"
"Will You Be There (In the Morning)"
"These Dreams"
"Barracuda" (Live)
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Rockferry -- CD
Duffy
2008 Mercury Records
Amazon.co.uk
Rockferry, the Welsh singer's lovingly constructed debut album, has already succeeded beyond expectations, and although Duffy may not quite be the ingénue portrayed by a clever press campaign (she nearly won a local television talent show a few years back while a single credited to Aimee Duffy is still available on iTunes) she is surely the most appealing of the current flood of young soul sirens. The astonishing title track, co-written by Bernard Butler, sounded like a lost transmission that had taken decades to get through as soon as it hit radio last year. But the gently rolling soul ballad "Stepping Stone", that strapping, inescapable monster hit "Mercy", the ice cool "Serious" (the one time she really does channel the spirit of Dusty Springfield) and the wistful, elegant "Warwick Avenue" are similarly effective. Suggestions by some that Rockferry is little more than sixties pastiche are churlish. Butler's previous work with David McAlmont (featured here as a backing singer) showed his skill at writing and arranging the dramatic, while her other collaborators such as Steve Booker and the team of Jimmy Hogarth and Eg White are hardly lightweights. But despite some wonderful orchestral settings, it's Duffy's terrific voice that makes this so satisfying, even overpowering Butler's exquisitely underplayed guitar work on "Rockferry" itself. Growling the blues on "Syrup & Honey" or belting it out over his lovingly arranged wall of sound on "Distant Dreamer", she sets the tone throughout, several of her songs dealing with escape, both physical and romantic. The sound of someone singing herself to stardom, Rockferry is at times genuinely amazing. --Steve Jelbert
1. "Rockferry" Duffy, Bernard Butler 4:14
2. "Warwick Avenue" Duffy, Jimmy Hogarth, Eg White 3:46
3. "Serious" Duffy, Butler 4:10
4. "Stepping Stone" Duffy, Steve Booker 3:28
5. "Syrup & Honey" Duffy, Butler 3:18
6. "Hanging on Too Long" Duffy, Hogarth, White 3:56
7. "Mercy" Duffy, Booker 3:41
8. "Delayed Devotion" Duffy, Hogarth, White 2:57
9. "I'm Scared" Duffy, Hogarth 3:08
10. "Distant Dreamer" Duffy, Butler 5:05
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Restless On The Farm -- CD
Jerry Douglas
1998 Sugar Hill Records
Amazon.com
Dobro wizard Jerry Douglas is well aware that less is more, that lyrical lines and harmonies can take a tune to the farthest shores. As a collaborator, he has brought out the best in fellow "newgrass" innovators from Sam Bush to Bela Fleck to Russ Barenberg, and, luckily, Douglas also knows when to let his slide take center stage. On his first solo album in six years, the Resophonic monster--rightly nicknamed "Flux"--ranges from breakdowns to bouncing blues to the exquisite longing of his own "For Those Who've Gone Clear." As always, he brings his instrument's vocal ability to the fore--take the great stoner song "Turkish Taffee" or the wide-open "TV Doctor," on which John Cowan contributes a surprisingly bombast-free vocal. And his interplay with Maura O'Connell on Paul Brady's "Follow On" is a classic bit of shivery Celtic eloquence. --Kerry Fried
"Things in Life" (Don Stover) – 3:04
"Turkish Taffee" (Jerry Douglas) – 3:53
"Passing the Bar" (Douglas) – 3:45
"Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Johnny Cash) – 5:29
"A Tribute to Peader O'Donnell" (Dónal Lunny) – 3:13
"Takarasaka" (Douglas) – 3:49
"Follow On" (Paul Brady) – 5:19
"Like It Is" (Erroll Garner) – 3:40
"The Ride" (Douglas, Fleck) – 2:46
"TV Doctor" (Johnny Winter) – 5:04
"For Those Who've Gone Clear" (Douglas) – 4:35
Jerry Douglas – dobro
Sam Bush – mandolin
Béla Fleck – banjo
John Cowan – vocals
John Gardner – drums
Maura O'Connell – vocals
Viktor Krauss – vocals
Sonny Landreth – dobro, slide guitar
Edgar Meyer – bass
Russ Barenberg – guitar
Bryan Sutton – guitar
Tim O'Brien – vocals
14119
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Laps In Seven -- CD
Sam Bush
2006 Sugar Hill Records
Amazon.com
As one of the founding fathers of the bluegrass/jazz hybrid dominating the new acoustic scene, Sam Bush has always kept a close eye on songcraft and tradition, even as he looks toward expanding the expressive and commercial potential of traditional styles. If his previous album, King of the World, was maddeningly eclectic, this, his seventh solo album, sounds more focused and in touch with what made his pioneering work with New Grass Revival so exciting. With the exception of the nimble, dainty instrumental "The Dolphin Dance" and the frenetic, somewhat overwrought electrified jam of the title track, the material preserves the tight punch of a great bluegrass single--even when spilling over the seven-minute mark on Darrell Scott's "River Take Me" or layering organ and female backing vocals for an R&B groove on "I Wanna Do Right" (an homage to Hurricane Katrina victims, cowritten with Jeff Black). His band (featuring Byron House on bass, Keith Sewell on guitar, and Scott Vestal on banjo) blazes straight through the tricky 5/4 time of John Hartford's "On the Road" and finds a melodic sweetness to It's a Beautiful Day's classic-rock standard "White Bird." On Julie Miller's "The River's Gonna Run" he gets his first chance to duet with his old friend Emmylou Harris, and also gets a hard Americana drive courtesy of Buddy Miller's chunky guitars. Certainly Bush has made more experimental records, but this one is among his most tuneful and slyly rocking. --Roy Kasten
"The River's Gonna Run" (Julie Miller) - 4:01
"Bringing In The Georgia Mail" (Fred Rose) - 3:57
"The Dolphin Dance" (Sam Bush) - 3:14
"On The Road" (John Hartford) - 5:00
"Ridin' That Bluegrass Train" (John Pennell, Sam Bush) - 3:46
"I Wanna Do Right" (Jeff Black, Sam Bush) - 4:34
"Where There's A Road" (Robbie Fulks) - 3:53
"New Country" (Jean-Luc Ponty) - 4:09
"Ballad For A Soldier" (Leon Russell) - 4:35
"River Take Me" (Darrell Scott) - 7:11
"White Bird" (David LaFlamme, Linda LaFlamme) - 6:00
"Laps In Seven" (Scott Vestal, Sam Bush, Byron House) - 5:00
Sam Bush - mandolin, fiddle, guitar, vocals
Keith Sewell - guitar
Scott Vestal - banjo, banjo synthesizer
Byron House - bass, vocals
Chris Brown - drums
Jean-Luc Ponty - electric violin
Emmylou Harris - vocals
Shaun Murphy - vocals
Tim O'Brien - vocals
Andrea Zonn - vocals
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Follow Me Down -- CD
Sarah Jarosz
2011 Sugar Hill Records
A triumphant follow-up to her 2009 debut, May 17, 2011
By Rufus T. "Firefly" (Finger Lakes, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Follow Me Down (MP3 Download)
Funny that Amazon has this in their "Alternative Rock/General, Alternative Rock/Singer-Songwriters" category. But that's what happens when an acoustic artist who started in bluegrass & folk expands her musical palette to encompass a wide range of genres and styles.
After two years at the prestigious New England Conservatory honing her already formidable skills, Ms. Jarosz has created a collection of 11 songs (9 original & two covers) that defy labeling or definition. Moving with ease from guitar to clawhammer banjo to mandolin and octave-mandolin, together with her velvety-smooth singing (the sonic equivalent of warm honey), she exhibits songwriting maturity that doesn't seem possible for somebody not yet 20 years old. Her songs are poetry set to carefully-crafted music, and in fact that's exactly the case with "Annabelle Lee" - based on Edgar Alan Poe's final poem of doomed love.
"Floating in the Balance" shows her channeling Dylan, or perhaps Paul Simon. "Come Around" is a rhythmically complex and introspective number that expresses both doubts and optimism about a person's place in the world. "My Muse" is a gorgeous love ballad, even if this version has an ill-conceived orchestral string overdub that all but buries Sarah's octave mandolin (the earlier version on the "New 45" single is superior without the added strings). Dylan's quasi-gospel "Ring them Bells" is rendered beautifully here, full of reverence and hope. And Sarah shows her indie rock chops by covering Radiohead as well.
I have only one 'complaint' - at under 40 minutes with just 11 tracks (2 fewer than her previous album) it's over far too soon. Producer Gary Paczosa should have made it an even dozen by adding the B-side of the New 45 single, a fantastically 'groovy' version of the Bill Withers R&B tune "Grandma's Hands." It would have filled-in the spot occupied on her first album by Tom Waits' "Come On Up to the House." But that's a minor quibble. This is a spectacular sophomore effort by a musician with amazing depth and sophistication.
One can only imagine what Sarah Jarosz will produce in 5 years, at the ripe old age of 25.
1. (03:21) Run Away
2. (03:33) Come Around
3. (03:10) Annabelle Lee
4. (03:30) Ring Them Bells
5. (04:36) My Muse
6. (02:53) Floating In The Balance
7. (03:14) Old Smitty
8. (04:52) The Tourist
9. (03:47) Here Nor There
10. (03:07) Gypsy
11. (03:15) Peace
Dennie
Well-Known Member
The List -- CD
Rosanne Cash
2009 Manhattan Records
Heart of Americana, October 6, 2009
By prisrob "pris," (New England USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The List (Audio CD)
Rosanne Cash has always been in the back of my mind a country singer, but I have also seen her as a writer of songs that she also sings. In this CD, she is unleashed from the binds of her own work. and is singing tunes from a list her father gave her 36 years ago when she was a teenager. It is a list of the 100 folk/americana songs that she needed to know about. Somehow she picked twelve of the very best, and these suit her to a 'T'. She has made a CD that is pure love and music.
Roseanne has not had the life of luxury and fun that one might imagine from a child of a celebrity. Her father was a drug addict and on the road and missing from her life most of the time. Her mother was someone whose personality was closed. You did not divulge anything about the family. She found her own way and through a couple of marriages she is happy. In the past few years she has suffered much tragedy. Her father died, her mother died, her step-mother died. She could not sing for three years because of polyps on her vocal chords. She had a malformation of her brain that gave her such horrible headaches she had to have brain surgery which sidelined her for a year. But she seems to have conquered all of that and she attributes her positive attitude to her husband, love, music, and her children.
I listened to this CD several times and was taken by each song. I had heard each of these songs sung many times and by different artists. Rosanne Cash gives a new voice and meaning to each tune. Her husband, John Leventhal produced and played on most tracks. Rosanne's voice comes through clear with the melodies backed up with simple arrangements to showcase her voice. This is an album that that will grow and stay with us.
The 12 tunes on this CD were part of one hundred voices from Americana. The best writers, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Gary Davis and Bob Dylan. We mark my wr hear the sound of Patsy Cline in 'She's Got You'. 'Motherless Child' is a beautiful rendition with Rosanne's husband playing the guitar in a mournful manner. 'Sea of Heartbreak' sung with Bruce Springsteen is truly wonderful. This tune will be the number one pick, mark my words! The Boss does not roar but gently sings the rhythm. 'Take These Chains From My Heart', is longlingly lovely. 'I'm Movin' On' from Hank Snow takes on a new dimension. 'Heartaches By The Number' with Elvis Costello is more of a rocking rhythm than the rest. '500 Miles' is a tune that has been sung so many times, but never like this- it brings a funeral atmosphere. 'Long Black Veil' a tune we all know sung with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, gives us an image of the words- 'Nobody knows, nobody sees, nobody knows but me'. Dylan's 'Girl From The North Country' brings back the image of her father, Johnny, singing this tune with Dylan. Rufus Wainwright, a favorite of mine, sings 'Silver Wings' with background harmony. 'Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow' is a fitting ending for this marvelous CD-we can feel the America that these tunes represent.
This is a low cut list of tunes that best represent the America we love. The story of how this list came to be, is an entry to the legend of Johnny Cash. Rosanne Cash has made these songs her own and has sung them in the straight forward manner that best represents her voice. Kudos to Rosanne Cash, this is just the Best!
Highly Recommended. prisrob 10-06-09
"Miss the Mississippi and You" (William Heagney) – 3:12
"Motherless Children" (Public Domain, arr. by Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal) – 3:06
"Sea of Heartbreak" (Hal David, Paul Hampton) – 3:06
featuring Bruce Springsteen
"Take These Chains from My Heart" (Hy Heath, Fred Rose) – 3:32
"I'm Movin' On" (Hank Snow) – 3:45
"Heartaches by the Number" (Harlan Howard) – 3:21
featuring Elvis Costello
"500 Miles" (Hedy West) – 3:04
"Long Black Veil" (Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin) – 3:10
featuring Jeff Tweedy
"She's Got You" (Hank Cochran) – 3:07
"Girl from the North Country" (Bob Dylan) – 3:32
"Silver Wings" (Merle Haggard) – 3:45
featuring Rufus Wainwright
"Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow" (A. P. Carter) – 3:33
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Joan Baez -- Remastered CD
Joan Baez
1960/2001 Vanguard Records
Amazon.com essential recording
History's ear hasn't been kind to Joan Baez: in retrospect, set against the traditional voices whose material she interpreted, her own versions seem painfully pretty, her soprano icy and removed. But it's hard to gauge now the force of her first record, a folk-revival landmark. Released in 1960 after a triumphant Newport Festival appearance, the record had deep material and emotion that few of her urban folk contemporaries possessed. Her version of "John Riley" is compelling, "East Virginia" glowing, and "Silver Dagger" concentrated, while "Preso Numero Nueve" showed her future political turn. (This 2001 reissue offers two previously unreleased tracks plus an expanded version of "John Riley.") --Roy Kasten
Original release
No. Title Length
1. "Silver Dagger" 2:32
2. "East Virginia" 3:44
3. "Fare Thee Well (10,000 Miles)" 3:22
4. "House of the Rising Sun" 2:56
5. "All My Trials" 4:41
6. "Wildwood Flower" 2:37
7. "Donna Donna" (Music: Sholom Secunda; original Yiddish lyric: Aaron Zeitlin; English translation: Arthur Kevess & Teddi Schwartz) 3:15
8. "John Riley" 3:54
9. "Rake and Rambling Boy" 1:59
10. "Little Moses" 3:31
11. "Mary Hamilton" 5:58
12. "Henry Martin" 4:15
13. "El Preso Número Nueve" 2:48
Total length:
45:35
2001 Remastered Edition
No. Title Length
14. "Girl of Constant Sorrow" 1:46
15. "I Know You Rider" 3:46
16. "John Riley" (previously unreleased version) 4:23
Total length:
55:29