What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

My last one of the evening...

The Dream of The Blue Turtles -- CD

Sting

1985 A&M Records

Amazon.com essential recording

From one spin of The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting's first solo release, it's obvious that for him there would be life beyond the Police. Teamed with a band of top jazz players, he presents his musical visions that had gone unrealized while he was still constrained by his former ensemble. In style and subject matter, it's a decidedly diverse collection of songs and the playing is excellent throughout. The love songs are mostly focused on endings or escapes, and it's quite possible to interpret much of the imagery in reference to the bitter breakup of the Police. Sting's concern with history and politics is in evidence: he makes a father's plea for sanity and restraint in the nuclear age, takes up for the U.K.'s much-abused coal miners, and relates the savage stupidity of World War I to the destructive effects of adolescent heroin addiction. Songs that seem elaborately constructed and recorded contrast with others that are presented as one-take jams. Seen as a whole, The Dream of the Blue Turtles is eclectic, ambitious--sometimes pretentious--but altogether worth owning. --Al Massa

Side one

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
"Love Is the Seventh Wave" – 3:30
"Russians" (Prokofiev, Sting) – 3:57
"Children's Crusade" – 5:00
"Shadows in the Rain" – 4:56

Side two

"We Work the Black Seam" – 5:40
"Consider Me Gone" – 4:21
"The Dream of the Blue Turtles" – 1:15
"Moon over Bourbon Street" – 3:59
"Fortress Around Your Heart" – 4:48

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

In Through The Out Door -- CD

Led Zeppelin

1979/1994 Atlantic Records

Amazon.com

Though the band likely didn't know it at the time, this would prove to be the last studio record by one of the most famous rock & roll bands in the world. Drummer John Bonham died shortly after its release. Although nothing compares to early Led Zeppelin--and they lost many longtime fans in the late 1970s--this LP is nothing to be embarrassed by. They were quick to embrace and experiment with synthesizers, and while it wears a little thin by record's end (the synth-bloated "Carouselambra" and the slick AOR hit "All My Love"), it adds a certain majestic tone to the heavy-hitting opener, "In the Evening," and gives a rollicking good-time feel to "South Bound Suarez." Plant's howl and Page's bluesy guitars are in fine form on "I'm Gonna Crawl" and the lilting "Fool in the Rain" recalls the pretty numbers from their early career. --Lorry Fleming

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "In the Evening" Jones, Page, Plant 6:49
2. "South Bound Saurez" Jones, Plant 4:12
3. "Fool in the Rain" Jones, Page, Plant 6:12
4. "Hot Dog" Page, Plant 3:17
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Carouselambra" Jones, Page, Plant 10:32
2. "All My Love" Jones, Plant 5:51
3. "I'm Gonna Crawl" Jones, Page, Plant 5:30

 

[topper]

 

[heeman]

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Track Listing

All songs written by Red Hot Chili Peppers, except where noted.

"The Power of Equality" – 4:03
"If You Have to Ask" – 3:37
"Breaking the Girl" – 4:55
"Funky Monks" – 5:23
"Suck My Kiss" – 3:37
"I Could Have Lied" – 4:04
"Mellowship Slinky in B Major" – 4:00
"The Righteous & the Wicked" – 4:08
"Give It Away" – 4:43
"Blood Sugar Sex Magik" – 4:31
"Under the Bridge" – 4:24
"Naked in the Rain" – 4:26
"Apache Rose Peacock" – 4:42
"The Greeting Song" – 3:13
"My Lovely Man" – 4:39
"Sir Psycho Sexy" – 8:17
"They're Red Hot" (Robert Johnson) – 1:12

 

[Dennie]

A Momentary Lapse of Reason -- Remastered CD

Pink Floyd

1987/1997 Columbia Records

Amazon.com

Though many predicted that Roger Waters's acrimonious split with the band after 1983's aptly named Final Cut would ultimately spell the end of Pink Floyd, the remaining band members confounded pundits by extending their status as classic rock's most ponderous dinosaurs into the 1990s and beyond. And if the title was a gentle jab at Waters after a years-long legal struggle over the Floyd moniker, the music was all too familiar; some would say even formulaic. And lest anyone doubted that the absence of Waters's dour soul would lighten things up a bit, guitarist and post facto leader Dave Gilmour gamely took on the Mantle of Conscience for topics ranging from the cold war ("The Dogs of War") to yuppie self-indulgence ("On the Turning Away"). And if this album sometimes evokes an uncomfortable feeling of a band on autopilot, it's one that can still turn out the likes of the anthemic "Learning to Fly" on cruise control. --Jerry McCulley

1. "Signs of Life" (instrumental, with spoken vocals by Nick Mason) Gilmour, Ezrin 4:24
2. "Learning to Fly" Gilmour, Moore, Ezrin, Carin 4:53
3. "The Dogs of War" Gilmour, Moore 6:05
4. "One Slip" Gilmour, Manzanera 5:10
5. "On the Turning Away" Gilmour, Moore 5:42
6. "Yet Another Movie" / "Round and Around" (instrumental) Gilmour, Leonard / Gilmour 7:28
7. "A New Machine (Part 1)" Gilmour 1:46
8. "Terminal Frost" (instrumental) Gilmour 6:17
9. "A New Machine (Part 2)" Gilmour 0:38
10. "Sorrow" Gilmour 8:46
Total length:
51:14

 

[Rope]

Pink Floyd will release "Wish You Were Here" SACD 5.1 on November 7, 2011. Acoustic Sounds will be the retailer.

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Pink Floyd will release "Wish You Were Here" SACD 5.1 on November 7, 2011. Acoustic Sounds will be the retailer.

Rope

:handgestures-thumbup:


:text-thankyoublue:


Dennie :confusion-waiting:

 

[Dennie]

Pick Yourself Up With Anita O'Day -- CD

Anita O'Day

1956/1992 Verve Records

Fellas she can't get...Are fella's she ain't met...., June 8, 2000
By "iheartcrass" - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pick Yourself Up (Audio CD)

This is my all time favorite Anita O'day Album. Anita O'day is five steps beyond amazing. Her vocal style can't be beat. Every song she sings gets the special O'day treatment and is forever more her own. The track listing of this album is just chocked full of winners! My favorite is Anita's rendition of 'Stars Fell On Alabama'. Its beautiful and moving. You can just feel the magic of the moment she is describing. Other super hits include the slinky 'Sweet Georgia Brown', the peppy 'Pick Yourself Up' and the bittersweet 'There's A Lull In My Life'. Also, this Cd gives you alternative takes on songs and the rockin bonus tracks 'Getaway and The Chase' and the classic 'Rock and Roll Waltz'.This is one of the records I play when I want to get into a good mood. It always makes me smile. Bottom line, Its a FANTASTIC album at a SUPER price. Don't miss it!

1. "Don't Be That Way" Benny Goodman, Mitchell Parish, Edgar Sampson 2:32
2. "Let's Face the Music and Dance" Irving Berlin 3:16
3. "I Never Had a Chance" Berlin 4:22
4. "Stompin' at the Savoy" Goodman, Andy Razaf, Sampson, Chick Webb 3:18
5. "Pick Yourself Up" Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern 3:05
6. "Stars Fell on Alabama" Parish, Frank Perkins 2:51
7. "Sweet Georgia Brown" Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, Maceo Pinkard 4:13
8. "I Won't Dance" Fields, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Kern, Jimmy McHugh 3:25
9. "Man with a Horn" Eddie DeLange, Jack Jenney, Bonnie Lake 3:55
10. "I Used to Be Color Blind" Berlin 3:09
11. "There's a Lull in My Life" Mack Gordon, Harry Revel 3:18
12. "Let's Begin" Harbach, Kern 2:21

CD Reissue Bonus Tracks
No. Title Writer(s) Length
13. "I'm with You" Johnny Mercer, Bobby Troup 2:04
14. "The Rock & Roll Waltz" Shorty Allen, Roy Alfred 2:44
15. "The Getaway and the Chase" Biff Jones, Charles Meyer 2:25
16. "Your Picture's Hanging Crooked on the Wall" George R. Brown, William Lava 2:29
17. "We Laughed at Love" Bourne, Gus Kahn, Messenheimer 3:09
18. "I'm Not Lonely" Keith, Spence 3:03
19. "Let's Face the Music and Dance" Berlin 3:17
20. "Ivy" Hoagy Carmichael 2:45
21. "Stars Fell on Alabama" Parish, Perkins 2:48

 

[Botch]

Pink Floyd will release "Wish You Were Here" SACD 5.1 on November 7, 2011. Acoustic Sounds will be the retailer.

Rope

:handgestures-thumbup:


:text-thankyoublue:


Dennie :confusion-waiting:

I saw that too, although HT Mag didn't have the release date. Added! :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

The Essential Dinah Washington - The Great Songs -- CD

Dinah Washington

1992 Verve Records

THE ESSENTIAL DINAH WASHINGTON features a variety of the renowned vocalist's sessions from the 1950s. "Christopher Columbus" and "I Get a Kick Out of You" are two prime examples of Washington's ability to interpret a song like a horn player. She bends and shapes these melodies into intriguing solo-like phrases by blending together legato lines with syncopated rhythms. However, there is no showboating in her renderings; she always maintains the integrity of each tune.
Washington's greatest talent may be her ability to sing the blues, as she does on several tracks here, including "Back Water Blues" and "Blues Down Home," both of which highlight her big, smoky voice. "Baby, You've Got What It Takes," recorded as a duet with singer Brook Benton, is an R&B number that has more in common with Ray Charles and Fats Domino than it does with the standard jazz repertoire. This pop tune, characterized by a strong backbeat and galloping guitar rhythm, foreshadows the direction Washington would take in the early 1960s, just before her untimely death in '63.

Track listing

1. I Get a Kick Out of You
2. Backwater Blues
3. My Devotion
4. Christopher Columbus
5. What a Diff'rence a Day Made
6. I've Got You Under My Skin
7. I Wanna Be Loved
8. Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
9. Goodbye
10. Lover, Come Back to Me
11. Fat Daddy
12. Blue Gardenia
13. Birth of the Blues/I Don't Hurt Any More: Birth Of The Blues / I Don't Hurt Any More
14. No More
15. Blues Down Home
16. This Bitter Earth
17. Cheat, The

 

[heeman]

I gave this one a break for the past week and now listening a gain in the truck going back and forth to work!!

Faithless, Cross-fire and An Ordinary Son are my favorites!!

All members in this band do a great job on this Heavy Rock/Progressive CD.

:text-bravo:

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Rust Never Sleeps -- CD

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

1971/1990 Reprise Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Young has recorded many live albums, but none capture his two dominant musical personalities with as much power as 1979's Rust Never Sleeps. The acoustic side opens with "My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue)," a devastating anthem about the state of rock & roll. Comparing the Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten to the late Elvis Presley, Young delivers perhaps his most famous line: "It's better to burn out than to fade away." Side 2 demonstrates the emotional power of Young's hard-rocking quartet, Crazy Horse, with the scathing political songs "Powderfinger," "Welfare Mothers," and the loud reprise of "My, My, Hey, Hey." --Steve Knopper

Side one (acoustic)

"My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) (Young, Jeff Blackburn)" – 3:45
"Thrasher" – 5:38
"Ride My Llama" – 2:29
"Pocahontas" – 3:22
"Sail Away" – 3:46

Side two (electric)

"Powderfinger" – 5:30
"Welfare Mothers" – 3:48
"Sedan Delivery" – 4:40
"Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" – 5:18

 

[Dennie]

Return of The Brecker Brothers -- CD

Michael & Randy Brecker

1992 GRP Records

When it comes to the origins of fusion (jazz with rock, funk, etc.), the Brecker Brothers--Randy and Michael--were right there in the very beginning, playing (separately and together) with Larry Coryell, Billy Cobham, and other early practioners of the burgeoning new genre. They also played together in their own funk-oriented fusion combo during the 1970s before going their separate ways. In 1992, the brothers reunited, and RETURN OF THE BRECKER BROTHERS is a neat summation of where they'd been in the past and where they'd soon be going in a new musical landscape. RETURN encompasses funky grooves, hard bop, cool jazz, and world music, and features sterling, sizzling solos from the Brothers and guests such as guitarist Mike Stern and saxophonist David Sanborn.

Track Listing

1. Song For Barry
2. King of the Lobby
3. Big Idea
4. Above & Below
5. That's All There is To It
6. Wakaria (What's Up?)
7. On the Backside
8. Sozinho (Alone)
9. Spherical
10. Good Gracious
11. Roppongi

 

[Dennie]

When I Fall In Love -- CD

Chris Botti

2004 Columbia Records

Slow Burn, October 13, 2004
By MovedbyMusic - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: When I Fall in Love (Audio CD)

The best way to describe what I hear when I listen to Chris Botti is a slow burn. The whole cd simmers with soft but intense sensuality. This is my favorite kind of music: exceptional melodies, respected and true to their origin but uniquely interpreted by extraordinary combinations of understated but undeniable arrangements. The traditional orchestral sounds are sophisticated and fresh creating a tapestry of genuine, gentle jazz sounds (try "My Romance" to understand what I mean). These standards he chose to include are truly some of my most favorite melodies of all time and he gives each song so much controlled passion it's delectable. The combinations of bass and trumpet for "What'll I Do?" could not be more perfect. "Let's Fall in Love," is swinging and true to Big Band reverence but Chris's interpretation is strikingly original. Sting's "La Belle Dame Sans Regrets" is the single to release with it's lush, latin mood. The unaffected vocals of Paula Cole are a well chosen compliment to Botti's exceptional talent as is the keyboard genius of pianist Billy Childs.

Listen for Chris's spectacular jazz trumpet in guest appearances on other cd's (for example on Renee Olstead's new cd) as well.

If you thought "Thousand Kisses Deep" was one of the best cd's last year (I did too) wait until you hear this one! Chris was just getting warmed up. This is the cd that maximizes all of his talent. The entire production is fabulous. One of my favorite top 5 releases of '04.

"When I Fall in Love" (4:23)
"What'll I Do?" (5:10)
"No Ordinary Love" (6:05)
"My Romance" (3:21)
"Let's Fall in Love" (3:40)
"Cinema Paradiso" (4:58)
"Someone to Watch Over Me" (4:36)
"La Belle Dame Sans Regrets" (5:32)
"The Nearness of You" (3:12)
"How Love Should Be" (4:04) (with Paula Cole)
"Make Someone Happy" (4:09)
"One for My Baby" (4:54)
"Time to Say Goodbye" ("Con te partirò") (4:45)

 

[heeman]

1."Highway Song" (7:31) (Medlocke/Spires)
2."Fly Away" (2:58) (Medlocke/Spires)
3."Wishing Well" (3:12) (Bundrick/Kirke/Kossoff/Rodgers/Yamauchi)
4."Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" (4:05) (Medlocke/Spires)
5."Fox Chase" (4:20) (Medlocke/Medlocke/Spires)
6."Too Hard To Handle" (4:04) (Medlocke/Spires)
7."Left Turn On A Red Light" (4:37) (Medlocke/Spires)
8."Rattlesnake Rock 'N' Roller" (4:03) (Medlocke/Medlocke/Spires)
9."Diary Of A Working Man" (5:36) (Medlocke/Spires)
10."Train, Train" (3:36) (S. Medlocke)


Best $4.99 I spent in a long time! :music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Eye To The Telescope -- CD

KT Tunstall

2006 Virgin Records

From Amazon.co.uk

If the art of the female singer-songwriter revolves around coffee-table soliloquies then Eye to the Telescope--the debut album from Edinburgh-born chanteuse/guitarist KT Tunstall--is a pleasing mediation between the traditional demands of brooding egocentricity (espresso) and frothy commerciality (cappuccino). KT Tunstall has star quality. "Suddenly I See" is an effortlessly liberating pop fillip while, conversely, "False Alarm" redresses ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" for losers who had nothing to lose to begin with. However, Tunstall isn't entirely convinced by the compromise ("I'm struggling to cater for the space I'm meant to fill" she sings) and "Miniature Disasters"--one of several strong numbers showcasing her aptitude for wrapping up pop tunes in either folky bluesiness or ponderous jazz--catalogues her desires for unfettered self-expression. The opening cut "Other Side Of The World" might sound like Dido without the giftwrapped grief (she's none too flattered with the comparisons) but Eye to the Telescope is spiritually closer to Carole King and Elvis Costello than Katie Melua. And that's no bad thing. --Kevin Maidment

1. "Other Side of the World" KT Tunstall, Martin Terefe 3:34
2. "Another Place to Fall" Tunstall 4:11
3. "Under the Weather" Tunstall, Tommy D 3:37
4. "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" Tunstall 2:51
5. "Miniature Disasters" Tunstall 3:32
6. "Silent Sea" Tunstall, Jimmy Hogarth 3:48
7. "Universe & U" Tunstall, Pleasure 4:01
8. "False Alarm" Tunstall, Terefe 3:50
9. "Suddenly I See" Tunstall 3:22
10. "Stoppin' the Love" Tunstall, Tommy D 4:02
11. "Heal Over" Tunstall 4:27
12. "Through the Dark" Tunstall, Terefe 3:48

 

[Dennie]

Picnic -- CD

Robert Earl Keen

1997 Arista Records

Picnic, April 23, 2001
By Matthew Parks (DURHAM, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)


This review is from: Picnic (Audio CD)
PICNIC was Robert Earl Keen's 1st new studio record after leaving his longtime label Sugar Hill, for the greener ($$$) pastures of a major label. Though some of the homey, folky intimacy of Keen's early records is lost, it is made up for with newfound confidence and fullness of sound that manifests itself as a multi-layered, multi-dimensional, somewhat more alt. rock-ish sound.

Although primarily noted as a songwriter, an often-overlooked aspect of Keen's talent is his gift for interpreting other writer's material. Terry Allen's "Amarillo Highway," for example, on BIGGER PIECE OF THE SKY, and his definitive rendition of the Steve Earle-penned "Tom Ames' Prayer" from GRINGO HONEYMOON. On PICNIC, Keen again shows his gift for making other folks' songs his own on James McMurtry's classic of Texas topography "Levelland," and a somber take on Dave Alvin's brilliant-but-neglected gem "Fourth of July."

Far be it from Keen to rely on other guys' material to get him through an album, though. Keen is at his story-telling best on "Undone," "Oh, Rosie," and "Shades and Gray," and Margo Timmins (the talented vocalist from the Cowboy Junkies) lends some additional vocal color to the equally impressive "Over the Waterfall" and "Then Came Lo Mein."

All tracks written by Robert Earl Keen, except where noted

"Undone" – 3:47
"Over the Waterfall" – 4:30
"Levelland" (James McMurtry) – 5:11
"I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight" – 4:08
"Oh Rosie" – 5:23
"Runnin' with the Night" – 4:15
"The Coming Home of the Son and Brother" (J. D. Hutchison) – 3:53
"Shades of Gray" – 5:07
"Fourth of July" (Dave Alvin)– 3:59
"Then Came Lo Mein" – 3:57

 

[Dennie]

God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise -- CD

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs

2010 RCA Records

Hypnotic, August 17, 2010
By Blue in CT "monroemusicfan" - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise [+Digital Booklet] (MP3 Download)

A genuinely haunting and hypnotic journey. The lyrics tell stories perfectly matched to the unique voice and subtle instruments. Don't be fooled by the peaceful appearance - these are genuine stories of loss, desire and heartbreak. The interplay of the steel guitar is the unifying thread throughout. Maybe not the genius of "Nashville Skyline", but reminiscent. A highly recommended interlude. Don't cheat yourself by trying to pick individual songs - buy the whole disc.

1. "Repo Man" 6:08
2. "New York City's Killing Me" 4:13
3. "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise" 3:10
4. "Beg Steal or Borrow" 4:32
5. "Are We Really Through" 4:59
6. "This Love Is Over" 3:30
7. "Old Before Your Time" 4:04
8. "For the Summer" 3:52
9. "Like Rock & Roll and Radio" 6:05
10. "Devil's in the Jukebox" 3:59

 

[Dennie]

Tears, Lies and Alibis -- CD

Shelby Lynne

2010 Everso Records

Shelby is unique..., November 18, 2010
By Bruce Warnke - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Tears Lies & Alibis (Vinyl)

She reminds me of nobody. Nobody reminds me of her. She stands alone. She sings to some of my deepest and most secret concerns and experiences. Shelby has the guts to be... Only the works of Edgar Allan Poe have moved me similarly. I should mention that her voice is as enthralling as it is in tune. I like the variety of her works. Shelby, I would like your next offering to be just you and your guitar...unvarnished and intimate.

1. "Rains Came" 2:25
2. "Why Didn't You Call Me" 1:39
3. "Like a Fool" 3:58
4. "Alibi" 4:25
5. "Something to Be Said" 3:53
6. "Family Tree" 3:45
7. "Loser Dreamer" 4:52
8. "Old #7" 3:32
9. "Old Dog" 5:27
10. "Home Sweet Home" 3:32

 

[PaulyT]

God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise -- CD

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs

Great album! I love Ray, I have all his stuff. He's a terrific songwriter.