What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Flight of the Cosmic Hippo CD

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

1999 Warner Bros. Records
Don't miss out on this CD!, July 9, 2000
By Belafan "Belafan1" (Sunrise, Fl United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (Audio CD)

This is an early example of one of the most innovative bands in existence. If you only like to listen to bands that you can categorize, skip this CD. These four amazing musicians combine the best from all genres to make the best music possible. This CD is all instrumental. Bela Fleck plays the banjo and electric banjo in ways you have only heard if you're familiar with this artist. He is amazing! Victor Wooten, in turn, plays bass in new and amazing ways. He will astound you. Howard Levy plays piano and harmonica (often at the same time) and gets an outrageous range of notes from a simple diatonic harmonica. You have to hear it to believe it. Finally. Roy Wooten (aka Future Man) provides percussion in a completely different way. He has built a synth-axe drumitar which he plays flawlessly. You'll believe you are listening to real drums, but it creates other effects as well. If you don't have this one yet, by all means don't hesitate! Buy it now!

listen 1. Blu-Bop (LP Version) 4:22 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 2. Flying Saucer Dudes (LP Version) 4:50 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 3. Turtle Rock (LP Version) 4:13 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 4. Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo (LP Version) 4:28 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 5. The Star Spangled Banner (LP Version) 2:35 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 6. Star Of The County Down (LP Version) 4:22 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 7. Jekyll And Hyde (And Ted And Alice) (LP Version) 7:05 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 8. Michelle (LP Version) 5:09 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 9. Hole In The Wall (LP Version) 4:39 $0.99 Buy Track
listen 10. Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo (Reprise) (LP Version) 2:15 $0.99 Buy Track

 

[Dennie]

Hey Zing, I tried, is the software set to limit the number of Links? Or maybe I'm not doing it right, as that is always a possibility! :text-imnewhere:

Dennie

 

[Zing]

Hey Zing, I tried, is the software set to limit the number of Links? Or maybe I'm not doing it right, as that is always a possibility!

Now that you mention it, I think I did see that the limit was 5 or something. I can change that. But in fairness, hyperlinks don't work quite the same way on this forum software as they do on vB.

 

[CMonster]

I just had a bizarre listening session that started with my Opera Favs playlist featuring tracks from Carmen and Barber of Seville, then a little Outkast, Dusty Springfield, Drivin' 'N' Cryin', and finished up with a couple of tracks from probably Radiohead's strangest album, Amnesiac.

 

[Dennie]

Hey Zing, I tried, is the software set to limit the number of Links? Or maybe I'm not doing it right, as that is always a possibility!

Now that you mention it, I think I did see that the limit was 5 or something. I can change that. But in fairness, hyperlinks don't work quite the same way on this forum software as they do on vB.

Alrighty, I will try again with the next disc.

Thanks and we'll see,


Dennie :text-thankyoublue:

 

[Dennie]

I just had a bizarre listening session that started with my Opera Favs playlist featuring tracks from Carmen and Barber of Seville, then a little Outkast, Dusty Springfield, Drivin' 'N' Cryin', and finished up with a couple of tracks from probably Radiohead's strangest album, Amnesiac.

:scared-yipes:

Some days I will stick with similar music and some days I am all over the map.

I like it either way! :handgestures-thumbup:


Dennie :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

If you don't have this one yet, by all means don't hesitate! Buy it now!

This is a fantastic "Show Off" album. So those inclined......BUY IT NOW!!!!

The WOW Factor is pretty high and I've yet to play it for someone and their jaw didn't DROP OPEN!!!

I'm just sayin'.... :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

Shake It Up - CD

Boney James - Rick Braun

2000 Warner Bros. Records
Amazon.com

From Bob James and David Sanborn's Grammy-winning Double Vision to George Benson and Earl Klugh's Collaboration, Warner Bros. Records has released some of the greatest duo projects in smooth jazz. With Rick Braun and Boney James's Shake It Up, the label's tandem projects have hit a new plateau, pairing Braun's jazzy trumpet sensibilities with James's ultra-funk saxophone dynamics. The album title reflects the way the two bounce off and drive each other to artistic heights beyond either's typical solo work. The two horns dance over a shuffle beat and simmering blues keyboard textures on the opening track, "RSVP," first soaring in perfect unison, then breaking for back-and-forth conversation between James's lower smoky tone and Braun's higher-pitched crackling. Their musical chatter builds slowly, culminating in a powerful end chorus. Similarly celebratory are two versions (one vocal) of the jubilant horn hit "Grazin' in the Grass," which features the two swaying as one over jumpy retro guitar and keyboard parts, then blasting off into percussive improvisations. The disc's gentler moments are equally remarkable, notably the silky "More Than You Know" (in which Braun introduces a tender thought and waits for James to complete it) and a smoky, gently grooving cover of Horace Silver's "Song for My Father." --Jonathan Widran

Track Listing:
1. R.S.V.P.
2. Grazing in the Grass
3. More Than You Know
4. Shake It Up
5. Central Ave.
6. Love's Like That - (featuring Fourplay)
7. Song for My Father
8. Chain Reaction
9. Stars Above, The
10. Grazing in the Grass - (Can You Dig It? Vocal)

Samples? Click the LINKY------> http://www.hbdirect.com/album_detail.php?pid=370996

 

[nats]

 

[PaulyT]

Try this, nats:

[img]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FU65ewZ9L._SL160_AA115_.jpg[/img]

 

[PaulyT]

Or even make the image itself a link:

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Exp-Jeff-Beck/dp/B000I0QKDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1282921515&sr=8-1][img]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FU65ewZ9L._SL500_AA300_.jpg[/img][/url]

 

[Aaron German]

If you don't have this one yet, by all means don't hesitate! Buy it now!

This is a fantastic "Show Off" album. So those inclined......BUY IT NOW!!!!

The WOW Factor is pretty high and I've yet to play it for someone and their jaw didn't DROP OPEN!!!

I'm just sayin'.... :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:


Dennie

Listening as I type. Sounds good. Kinda makes me think of some of Zappa's stuff.

 

[Dennie]

American Beauty - CD

Grateful Dead

1970/1990 Warner Bros. Records
Amazon.com essential recording

Who says discipline is a bad thing? No one who's heard American Beauty, the Dead's greatest studio achievement. Showcasing 10 concise, country-rooted gems that sound equally good whether you're hanging on the front porch in the afternoon or nursing a bottle after hours, this one could win over many an anti-Jerry. Bewildered by loss both personal and social--the hippie dream was quickly crashing by Beauty's 1970 release date--the band put its querulousness ("Box of Rain") and wry humor ("Truckin'") into the service of a masterwork. The most impressive cut of all may be "Ripple," Garcia's spiritual credo. --Rickey Wright

1. "Box of Rain" (Robert Hunter, Phil Lesh) – 5:18
2. "Friend of the Devil" (Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Hunter) – 3:24
3. "Sugar Magnolia" (Bob Weir, Hunter) – 3:19
4. "Operator" (Ron McKernan) – 2:25
5. "Candyman" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:14
6. "Ripple" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:09
7. "Brokedown Palace" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:09
8. "Till the Morning Comes" (Garcia, Hunter) – 3:08
9. "Attics of My Life" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:12
10. "Truckin'" (Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Hunter) – 5:03

 

[Dennie]

Time for some Funky Soul music...

The Collection - CD

Undisputed Truth

2002 Spectrum Music

This compilation presents the greatest hits of the Norman ... Full DescriptionWhitfield-produced 1970s Motown band Undisputed Truth, including their most well-known song "Smiling Faces Sometimes."

As is usually the case, Motown's European division and its licensors have been more active than their American counterparts, which is why this 19-song, 78-minute compilation surfaced in 2002, a year before the U.S.-issued 12-song Smiling Faces: The Best of the Undisputed Truth. All 14 of the singles that were issued in America are represented, along with selected B-sides and album tracks, for a slightly more comprehensive overview of the group's output -- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" and "Poontang" are missing, but in their place are some equally worthy cuts, mostly notably the group's poignant nine-minute rendition of "What's Going On." Obviously, along with being a cross-section of the group's sound, this compilation gives us a good look at Norman Whitfield's altering sensibilities, and the changes that American soul underwent during the four years represented. By 1972, the Undisputed Truth had moved into louder, bolder, more funk-oriented sounds (with the exceptions of "Smiling Faces Sometimes," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," and their version of "What's Going On"); away from socially significant songs, and into more of a pure dance mode -- not that these aren't extraordinary dance productions; they are. Most notable is "Law of the Land," with its pounding, larger-than-life rhythm section and swooping, soaring orchestral accompaniment. The sound is excellent throughout, especially on the later cuts. The solo electric guitar on "What's Going On," with its mix of trills and rhythm fills, is virtually isolated on its own separate channel, and is almost worth the price of the disc by itself. Its presence here is also a subtle tribute to Whitfield's influence on Motown: he was, after all, responsible for convincing Berry Gordy that there was room for two different hit versions of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," when Gordy thought there wasn't room for one, and the original "What's Going On" was another case of Gordy almost missing the boat on something new, daring, important, and wonderful, and here was a sincere attempt to reshape that song from the bottom up. Only on the later tracks, such as "UFO's," "Higher Than High," and "Boogie Bump Boogie," do inspiration and subtlety seem to desert the band's sound, but they get it back for "Let's Go Back to Day One." ~ Bruce Eder

Track listing

1. Save My Love For a Rainy Day
2. Smiling Faces Sometimes
3. You Got the Love I Need
4. You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell
5. What It Is
6. Papa Was a Rolling Stone
7. Girl Youre Alright
8. Mama I Got a Brand New Thing
9. Law of the Land
10. Help Yourself
11. Whats Going On
12. Im a Fool For You
13. Lil Red Riding Hood
14. Spaced Out
15. UFOs
16. Got to Get My Hands on Some Lovin
17. Higher Than High
18. Boogie Bump Boogie
19. Lets Go Back to Day One

 

[Dennie]

An Evening Of Acoustic Music - CD

Taj Mahal

1996 Ruf Records (Import Germany)

Acoustic magic, December 27, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Evening of Acoustic Music (Audio CD)

This one's not BRAND new, but very recent & apparently only being discovered by a wide audience. LIVE Taj is a phenomena to be witnessed - ask anybody that's been on one of the Blues Cruises with him. Its tough to gauge his disks at first glance, because some contain different versions of the same songs. In his case, they're all good. This one's an acoustic gem. He does his interpretation of a Langston Hughes poem & teaches a German audience how to keep blues time. I won't waste your time with anything but something I can RAVE about. An original that exudes BLUES. One of my favorites & I have a LOT of blues disks.

Track listing

1. Stagger Lee
2. Dust My Broom
3. Take This Hammer
4. Blues With a Feeling
5. Big Legged Mamas Are Back in Style Again
6. Crossing
7. Come on in My Kitchen
8. Candy Man
9. Satisfied 'N' Tickled Too
10. Sittin' on Top of the World
11. Cake Walk Into Town
12. Ain't Gwine to Whistle Dixie Anymo'
13. Big Kneed Gal
14. Texas Woman Blues
15. Tom & Sally Drake

 

[Dennie]

Ella & Louis - CD

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

1956/2000 Verve/Polygram Records
Amazon.com

What we have here is the mating of honey and molasses. Or is it the sound of melted butter over gravel? Never mind--sweeter, more joyous music has never been recorded (although the follow-up, Ella and Louis Again, may be even better). You can't listen to these two without smiling. It's such an inevitable pairing that you wonder what titanic forces of nature could have kept Ella and Satchmo apart until they made this record together in 1957, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson trio and Buddy Rich on drums. The songs are standards--extraordinary standards, of course, like "Moonlight in Vermont" and "A Foggy Day"--but nirvana is reached on "Cheek to Cheek." Heaven. --Jim Emerson

 

[Dennie]

Ella And Louis Again - CD

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

1957/1987 Verve/Polygram Records


Recorded in 1957, ELLA & LOUIS AGAIN re-teams Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong after the success of their first album and a popular series of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl the previous year. This is not a mere retread, however, and if anything, ELLA & LOUIS AGAIN is the stronger of the two records. Fitzgerald shines particularly brightly, singing with sassy confidence throughout, as if goosed by Pops' infectious good humor. A warmly teasing "Don't Be That Way" opens the record, and the warmhearted joy of that song continues throughout the other 11 tracks. The backing quartet, led by the great Oscar Peterson on piano and featuring guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Louis Bellson, is up to the challenge of playing with these two magnificent singers.
1. Don't Be That Way
2. They All Laughed
3. Autumn In New York
4. Stompin' At The Savoy
5. I Won't Dance
6. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You
7. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
8. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
9. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
10. A Fine Romance
11. Love Is Here To Stay
12. Learnin' The Blues

 

[Dennie]

Get Rhythm - CD

Ry Cooder

1990 Warner Bros. Records

"The Musician's Musician." "The Master of the Eclectic." There are probably a dozen more titles by which this "guitar player" is known. To even refer to him as a guitar player is probably a gross mislabeling of this musician. He defies any sort of categorization; this is his greatest strength and for some his weakness. The theme for these nine cuts is rhythm of all different ilk. I won't even give the parameters because he seems to have none. I wondered how many different instruments he played on this album (I thought I counted five different types of guitar); it only says guitar and vocal for his credits. Listen to his version of "All Shook Up," more bop and rhythm than Elvis could put into four of his songs. It seems musicians line up to play with him, and they feel he did them a favor by letting them play on his albums. He always gives them plenty of space to do what they do. This CD will make the dead start tapping their toes. ~ Bob Gottlieb

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)

 

[Flint]

I am sitting in my car listening to the excellent powerpop album, Bubblugun, by The Merrymakers. I truly love this stuff!

I can type this post since I am in a carwash.

 

[Rope]

Stuck in the Seventies.

Rope