What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Montrose -- 24k Gold HDCD

Montrose

1973/2005 Audio Fidelity
A classic made even better, January 12, 2008
By R. H. (Hampton, VA USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Montrose (Audio CD)

I have both versions of this cd, the gold and the original cd.
The sound on the gold cd is much clearer, especially the treble on the guitars, snare drums, cymbals and vocals.
It doesn't do much for the bass side of things, but the overall effect is a clearer sound with more clarity in the individual instruments. If you're a Montrose fan and you can get a decent price on this cd, get it! You won't be sorry.

"Rock the Nation" (Ronnie Montrose) - 3:03
"Bad Motor Scooter" (Sammy Hagar)- 3:41
"Space Station #5" (Hagar, Montrose) - 5:18
"I Don't Want It" (Hagar, Montrose)- 2:58
"Good Rockin' Tonight" (Roy Brown) - 2:59
"Rock Candy" (Denny Carmassi, Bill Church, Hagar, Montrose)- 5:05
"One Thing on My Mind" (Hagar, Montrose, Sanchez) - 3:41
"Make It Last" (Hagar) - 5:31

 

[Dennie]

East River Drive -- CD

Stanley Clarke

1993 Epic Records

Lord of the Low Frequencies, March 8, 2003
By Russell Diederich (Littleton, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)

Not many people can step out and make the bass the front instrument, but Stanley Clarke sure can. Clarke composes most of his songs with a smooth jazz feel that builds around the bass like many musicians build their music around a guitar, trumpet or sax. His unique style of snapping the strings against the fretboard gives him his signature sound. Although there is no "School Days" track on this album, it is a good listen, smooth.

"East River Drive" shows off Clarke's smooth jazz composing abilities. His bass leads us through the song with a good solo by George Howard on sax. The other extreme is "Funk Is Its Own Reward" where Clarke gets, well, funky. His long time collaborator, George Duke, sits in for this upbeat tune. This should get your feet taping with a cool groove, and some impressive string snapping, slapping and sliding. "I'm Home Africa" is another upbeat tune, with a great solo from saxophonist Doug Webb. Clarke can really romance it up with slow tunes as well like, "What If I Forget the Champagne". And the tunes "Illegal" and "Lords of the Low Frequencies" are a base workout.

Ever since I saw Clarke perform "School Days" with Larry Coryell on guitar, he has been one of my favorites. He has helped move me over into the Jazz world with his incredible musicianship. This album, like "Hideaway", is smoother than his stuff from the seventies. It's still a great album, with great playing, just a little different. It still doesn't top my favorite album by him, "Stanley Clarke and Friends, Live at the Greek" with Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Deron Johnson, and Najee.

1. Justice's Groove
2. Fantasy Love
3. Zabadoobeedé ? (Yabadoobeeda)
4. East River Drive
5. I'm Home Africa
6. Theme from Boyz N the Hood
7. Christmas in Rio
8. What If I Forget the Champagne
9. Never Lose Your Heart/There Lies the Passion
10. Illegal
11. "Lord of the Low Frequencies"
12. Funk Is Its Own Reward

 

[Dennie]

Aja -- CD

Steely Dan

1977/1990 MCA Records

Timeless masterpiece, a landmark album of sheer beauty, April 3, 2000
By Sharon A. (Israel) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Aja (Audio CD)

Not many albums have influenced me as much as Steely Dan's Aja. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have created a most unique flavour of Jazz meets Rock where beatiful melodies, genius production and perfect performance blend to produce a timeless masterpiece. This album should be on the A-List of everyone who appreciates the beauty of music. The album is full of complex musical concepts which immediately remind the progressive rock fan some of the common manoeuvres in classic progressive rock albums. Take the title song "Aja" for example. This piece takes you on a eight minutes ride to diverse musical patterns that vary between rock and jazz moods, amplified by rich orchestration. Other songs such as "Decon Blues" and "Home At Last" constantly prove to be intriguing while "Black Cow" is captivating. The presence of saxophonist Wayne Shorter on "Aja" is blessed - as a serious Shorter's fan I was delighted to see his inclusion on the album and I regard this decision as a wise one - the solo part he plays is terrific, bringing his genius and gifts to combine perfectly with the different environment he plays in. I would also like to add it is worthwhile for Steely Dan fans to get the remastered version of the album, just for the sound quality. Usually I cannot tell the difference, but since I had the original CD release and heard it so much, I could compare. The difference is amazing, the quality is much better - you can actually hear new sounds and appreciate the separation of the different instruments. The liner notes are quite disappointing, so I ordered the DVD to learn more about making of this unusual album. This album made me buy all of Steely Dan's albums, so if you like it I would recommend underrated "The Royal Scam" and "Countdown to Ecstasy" albums, although all are excellent. Get this album, it may be one of your best musical purchases ever. I know my getting to know it was a bless.

All songs written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.
Side one

"Black Cow" – 5:10
"Aja" – 7:57
"Deacon Blues" – 7:37

Side two

"Peg" – 3:57
"Home at Last" – 5:34
"I Got the News" – 5:06
"Josie" – 4:33

 

[Dennie]

In The Dark -- CD

Grateful Dead

1987 Arista Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Hardcore Deadheads always equate this 1987 comeback record with commercial acceptance and a watered-down fan base, but while those assertions are indeed accurate, step back and you'll hear an album full of strong material and equally solid, live-in-the-studio performances. It's more than coincidence that songs such as "Touch of Grey" (the band's only top 10 hit), "Hell in a Bucket," "West L.A. Fadeaway," and "Throwing Stones" all became staples of the Dead's last decade of touring. While longtime fans will probably have no use (or desire) for this release (especially since the CD version omits the brilliant "Brother Esau"), it remains one of the band's most successful studio forays and the quintessential icebreaker for newcomers. --Marc Greilsamer

Side one

"Touch of Grey" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:47
"Hell in a Bucket" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:35
"When Push Comes to Shove" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:05
"West L.A. Fadeaway" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:39

Side two

"Tons of Steel" (Mydland) – 5:15
"Throwing Stones" (Barlow, Weir) – 7:18
"Black Muddy River" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:58
"My Brother Esau" (Barlow, Weir) - 4:20

"My Brother Esau" was omitted from the LP and CD releases of In the Dark, but was included on the cassette and on international releases.

 

[Dennie]

Blue Hand Johnnie -- CD

Johnnie Johnson

1993 Evidence Records

Johnnie Be Gone, April 18, 2005
By Brother Jerry Lee (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Blue Hand Johnnie (Audio CD)


Johnnie was always the driving force behind Chuck Berry since the early fifties. This album is a magnificent example of Johnnie's unique style that has drawn rock musicians from all over the world to him for decades. Those greats include Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and many many others too numerous to name. Other albums to explore include Johnnie Be Bad, one of my personal favorites. If you like blues, rockin' piano, and unique style, check out Johnnie. He may be gone, but his music will endure. Rock musicians from all walks practically guarantee that. When blues men die and go to Heaven, Johnnie will be there caressing the ivories to welcome them.

Track listing

1. Johnnie's Boogie
2. See See Rider
3. O.J. Blues
4. Black Nights
5. Talkin' Woman
6. Honky Tonk Part 1
7. Slow Train
8. Baby What You Want Me To Do
9. Way South
10. Johnnie B. Goode
11. Back In The U.S.A. (previously unreleased)
12. Son's Dream (live, previously unreleased)

 

[Randy]

This Is Jazz 40: The Jaco Years -- CD

Weather Report

1998 Columbia Legacy

Jaco & Weather Report at their best!, November 30, 1999
By C. J. "CJ "cruizerman"" (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: This Is Jazz 40: Jaco Years (Audio CD)

For those who love Weather Report and Jaco Pastorious, this album is an absolute must. Although serious fans of Weather Report most likely have all the songs contained in their respective original albums, this compilation is worth having as indeed it represents the cream of Weather Report's work with Jaco at his best. The sleeve contains an autobiography of Jaco by James Isaacs. Though concise by necessity, it is surprisingly well written, and informative. Anyone new to Jaco or Weather Report is highly advised to get this album as it represents the best of both Jaco and the band.

Track listing

1. Punk Jazz
2. River People
3. Remark You Made, A
4. Havona
5. 3 Views of a Secret
6. Teen Town
7. Speechless
8. Port of Entry
9. Barbary Coast
10. Slang

My Bass teacher is a HUGE Jaco fan. I was unfamiliar with him until Chris stold me about him, so I have checked out a lot of his solo stuf and with Weather Report. Man, that guy was serioulsy talented, and what another sad story. It is a shame that so many incredibly talented musicians like Jaco pass too soon.

 

[Dennie]

Home Cookin' -- Remastered CD

Jimmy Smith

1960/2004 Blue Note Records

Soul Food, Chicken Grease, and Hammond B-3 soul, April 20, 2000
By Sean K Hur (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Home Cookin (Audio CD)

Wow, now here's a good work for you hammond b-3 fans. The small 3 personal group that basically epitomizes the Jimmy Smith sound in his blue-note years are here. With the added tenor saxophone work of Percy France, you got a great combination of soul food for you ears! Like the title of the album, there is a great deal of blues entwined inside every track. Highlights on the album were immediately the really driving "I Got a Woman," a great Ray Charles standard that Kenny Burrell, another fine jazz guitarist really shines. There are points when it seems that this is more a blues-jazz group, there isn't much in terms of be-bop flashiness, which may turn off some arrogant jazz types. It seems that Jimmy Smith's greatest work isn't in the spitty organ leads he pumps, its the subtle organ bass lines that sound incredible. THERE IS NO BASS PLAYER IN HIS GROUP! Every track reveals a good blues sensibility that the hammond b-3 organ seems to lend itself too. Jimmy Smith's album here helps to bridge a great gap between the intellectual and heady jazz of the era with the low-down chicken house organ sounds... Incredible, and this album is one of his best!

All compositions by Jimmy Smith except as indicated

"See See Rider" (Ma Rainey) - 6:35
"Sugar Hill" (Kenny Burrell) - 5:19
"I Got a Woman" (Ray Charles, Renald Richard) - 3:55
"Messin' Around" - 5:55
"Gracie" - 5:54
"Come on Baby" (Burrell) - 6:50
"Motorin' Along" (Jimmy McGriff) - 5:09

Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

"Since I Fell for You" (Buddy Johnson) - 4:19
"Apostrophe" (Percy France) - 6:35
"Groanin'" (Jack McDuff) - 8:10
"Motorin' Along" [alternate take] (McGriff) - 5:02
"Since I Fell for You" [alternate take] (Johnson) - 6:27

Recorded on July 15, 1958 (tracks 7, 8, 11, 12), May 24, 1959 (tracks 3, 10) and June 16, 1959 (tracks 1, 2, 4-6 & 9).

 

[Dennie]

This Is Jazz 40: The Jaco Years -- CD

Weather Report

1998 Columbia Legacy

Jaco & Weather Report at their best!, November 30, 1999
By C. J. "CJ "cruizerman"" (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: This Is Jazz 40: Jaco Years (Audio CD)

For those who love Weather Report and Jaco Pastorious, this album is an absolute must. Although serious fans of Weather Report most likely have all the songs contained in their respective original albums, this compilation is worth having as indeed it represents the cream of Weather Report's work with Jaco at his best. The sleeve contains an autobiography of Jaco by James Isaacs. Though concise by necessity, it is surprisingly well written, and informative. Anyone new to Jaco or Weather Report is highly advised to get this album as it represents the best of both Jaco and the band.

Track listing

1. Punk Jazz
2. River People
3. Remark You Made, A
4. Havona
5. 3 Views of a Secret
6. Teen Town
7. Speechless
8. Port of Entry
9. Barbary Coast
10. Slang

My Bass teacher is a HUGE Jaco fan. I was unfamiliar with him until Chris stold me about him, so I have checked out a lot of his solo stuf and with Weather Report. Man, that guy was serioulsy talented, and what another sad story. It is a shame that so many incredibly talented musicians like Jaco pass too soon.

Kudos for continuing the Bass Lessons. I've often wished I played an instrument, but I don't think I have the patience for it.

Jaco was Great. What a musician and composer. Also check out his work with Pat Metheny and also Joni Mitchell. There are a lot of musicians that I wish we still had around, but I guess we'll never know what they may have done.


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening.....

In A Sentimental Mood -- CD

Dr. John

1989 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

Mac Rebennack's long commercial drought finally ended in the late '80s with In a Sentimental Mood, an album of pop standards bearing almost no connection to New Orleans R&B roots. His album-opening duet with Rickie Lee Jones, "Making' Whoopee," was a big hit after it was included on the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack, and it's easy to understand why Harry Connick Jr. fans who'd bought When Harry Met Sally were seduced by this coy come-on. Still, it's odd to hear Rebennack's scruffy baritone in service to such lush, sweeping orchestration (and to hear him sing a line like "I've got a sweet tooth for your sweet heart"). The Doctor does lend a nice bluesy feel to a Satchmo favorite, "My Buddy," and to Charles Brown's classic, "Black Night," and his version of "More Than You Know" is a small miracle of understatement. --Keith Moerer

Track listing

1. Makin' Whoopee!
2. Candy
3. Accentuate the Positive
4. My Buddy
5. In a Sentimental Mood
6. Black Night
7. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'
8. Love For Sale
9. More Than You Know

 

[Dennie]

Welcome To VH1 Storytellers -- CD

Various Artists

2000 Interscope Records

Amazon.com

It's difficult to fathom the thinking behind this overview of VH1's popular Storytellers series. Begin with the fact that the actual stories are expunged from the recording. If you want the tales behind the songs, you'll have to read the booklet. So the music is left to stand on its own, but with each of the 15 artists allowed one selection to make their mark, even those that stand tall don't stand for long. David Bowie brings a tremendous focus to "China Girl"; Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks mix their voices in "Strong Enough" to striking effect; and the Eurythmics's "Here Comes the Rain Again" improves upon the hit original. On the downside, Jewel's caterwauling in "Who Will Save Your Soul" (the singer gets tangled up in a ball of yarn as she meows into the mic) makes one want to use "scat" in the feline rather than the Fitzgerald sense of the term. --Steven Stolder

1. China Girl - David Bowie
2. Edge Of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
3. Back On The Chain Gang - The Pretenders
4. Rain King - Counting Crows
5. Crash - Dave Matthews
6. Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel
7. Stay - Lisa Loeb
8. Regarding Steven - John Popper
9. Mexico - James Taylor
10. Strong Enough - Sheryl Crow
11. Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics
12. Carnival - Natalie Merchant
13. Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp
14. Just A Memory - Elvis Costello
15. How Deep Is Your Love - The Bee Gees

 

[Dennie]

Signature -- CD

Charlie Musselwhite

1991 Alligator Records

From Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD

Musslewbite's harp playing is always crisply purposeful while his singing is usually intense in a phlegmatic son-of-the-South manner. The three Silent Partners again speak eloquently, with a bit more blues direction than on Ace of Harps. The new wrinkles, nothing worth crowing over, are a horn section on two songs and longtime pal John Lee Hooker hanging loose in "Cheatin' on Me." -- © Frank John Hadley 1993

1. Make My Getaway 6. What's New Again
2. Blues Got Me Again 7. Hey Miss Bessie
3. Mama Long Legs 8. Me And My Baby And The Blues
4. 38 Special 9. Catwalk
5. It's Gettin' Warm In Here 10. Cheatin' On Me

 

[Dennie]

City To City -- CD

Gerry Rafferty

1978/1990 United Artists/Capitol Records

Amazon.com

It took Quentin Tarantino's using "Stuck in the Middle with You," the 1973 hit of Gerry Rafferty's former band Stealers Wheel, in Reservoir Dogs to make Rafferty hip again. But City to City, his 1978 solo breakthrough, has long been worth rediscovering--and not just because it contains "Baker Street," one of the biggest and best singles of the 1970s. Rafferty brilliantly modernizes his Scottish folk-rock background on such pop treasures as the churning title track, the minor follow-up hit "Right Down the Line," the bouncing ditty "Mattie's Rag," the enchantingly churchy "Whatever's Written in Your Heart," and others. It's as rewardingly refreshing a change of pace now as it was when it emerged in the midst of the disco era. --Peter Blackstock

 

[Dennie]

Bat Out Of Hell -- 24k Gold SBM CD

Meatloaf - Songs by Jim Steinman

1977 Cleveland/Epic Legacy

Indulgent, Overblown ... Just The Way I Like It!, May 19, 2000
By Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Bat Out of Hell (Audio CD)

This album falls somewhere between progressive rock, classical, and opera. Strange? Yes. Good? Definately. A classic? You bet. One reviewer said that Meat Loaf is a "pretty good singer". Man, is that a major understatement. Meat is one of the greatest singers of all-time. Although he is not my favorite singer, you'd be hardpressed to find another rock vocalist who could pull off these songs and not make them sound corny. Despite what some reviewers have said, that is exactly what he does here. Every single song is a masterpiece. The title track is a classic rock song, with the timeless "motorcycle guitar" from Todd Rundgren (who also does a masterly job producing this album). Paradise is the most well known song from here, and with good reason, it is great. Heaven Can Wait is a simple song (a rarity on this album) that features one of Meat's best ever vocal performances and some great piano work from Roy Bittan. Jim Steinman is a genius, plain and simple, anyone who could write such grandiose, sprawling music as this should be given credit, and no one else could've sung it except for Meat Loaf. For that reason alone, Bat Out of Hell is worth owning.

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

 

[Dennie]

Backroads -- CD

Ricky Van Shelton

1991 Columbia Records

When he's not trying to be Roy Orbison (as he did on 1990's RVS 3), it's easy to see that Van Shelton's a fine singer. And this is a fine record -- so fine it's tempting to hunt for signs of listener manipulation. But Van Shelton balances the self-pity of songs like "After the Lights Go Out" with the uptempo punch of stuff like "Call Me Up." So even though Van Shelton recycles "Rockin' Years," the duet from Dolly Parton's Eagle When She Flies, just call it good taste, sit back, and enjoy. ~ Brian Mansfield

Track Listing
1. I Am a Simple Man
2. Rockin' Years
3. Oh Heart of Mine
4. Some Things Are Better Left Alone
5. After the Lights Go Out
6. Call Me Up
7. If You're Ever in My Arms
8. Who'll Turn Out the Lights
9. Backroads
10. Keep It Between the Lines

 

[Dennie]

Gringo Honeymoon -- CD

Robert Earl Keen

1994 Sugar Hill Records

A piece of Texas, June 24, 2000
By Viktor V Pregel - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gringo Honeymoon (Audio CD)

Robert Earl Keen exemplifies the best aspects of country music- fantastic songwriting, great storytelling and musical talent. Gringo Honeymoon is perhaps his best album. Songs such as Tom Ames' Prayer and Raven and The Coyote transport the listener to a time when America was wild and untamed. Other efforts, such as Gringo Honeymoon and Merry Christmas From The Family , speak about the lives of Americans who live below the radar screens of the media and popular culture. It is surprising that Keen does not have more exposure outside of his native Texas. Still, Gringo Honeymoon is a rare gem- an album that is good from beginning to end. Considering the pre-fab nature of the majority of today's country music, it is refreshing to listen to an album that is as good and as honest as this one.

Track Listing
1. Think It over One Time
2. Tom Ames' Prayer
3. Gringo Honeymoon
4. Raven and the Coyote, The
5. Lonely Feelin'
6. Merry Christmas from the Family
7. Barbeque
8. Lynnville Train
9. I'm Comin' Home
10. Dreadful Selfish Crime

 

[Dennie]

Storms of Life -- CD

Randy Travis

1986 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com essential recording

When Storms of Life's singles were climbing the charts in 1986, they sounded like a miracle. After all, at the time, Randy Travis was just about the only young exemplar of traditional country you could hear on the radio. Travis's first hits ("1982," "On the Other Hand," "Diggin' Up Bones") helped put twang, briefly, back in the saddle, inspiring what was quickly dubbed the new traditionalist movement. So, yeah, this is an important album, but what's really important here is Travis's beautifully expressive and quivering baritone. On the bridge of "No Place Like Home," he gets down on his knees and begs his wife to take him back in--and, with that voice, it's no wonder he pulls it off. --David Cantwell

"On the Other Hand" (Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz) - 3:05
"The Storms of Life" (Max D. Barnes, Troy Seals) - 2:43
"My Heart Cracked (But It Did Not Break)" (Ronny Scaife, Don Singleton, Phil Thomas) - 2:18
"Diggin' Up Bones" (Al Gore, Overstreet, Nat Stuckey) - 2:58
"No Place Like Home" (Overstreet) - 4:06
"1982" (Buddy Blackmon, Vip Vipperman) - 2:58
"Send My Body" (Randy Travis) - 2:59
"Messin' with My Mind" (Joseph Allen, Charlie Williams) - 3:06
"Reasons I Cheat" (Travis) - 4:20
"There'll Always Be a Honky Tonk Somewhere" (Steve Clark, Johnny MacRae) - 3:15

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening......

The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt -- CD

Linda Ronstadt

2002 Elektra Records

Amazon.com

Linda Ronstadt, who emerged from SoCal's vaunted early-'70s country-folk scene, became the American female rock superstar of the Me Decade. After the initial success of the Stone Poneys' Michael Nesmith-penned "Different Drum," Ronstadt expanded her horizons through interpretations of a long string of successful pop and R&B covers. Along the way she championed emerging songwriters like Warren Zevon ("Poor Poor Pitiful Me") and contemporary favorites like Neil Young ("Love Is a Rose") in the bargain. As the formula waned with the changing tastes of the '80s, she briefly turned to new wave before stepping boldly back to the pop standards of the '30s, '40s, and '50s. Unfortunately, this collection inexplicably skips over that three-album collaboration with arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle, a body of work that presaged the 1990s' lounge-pop revival by a full decade--and outclassed it by miles. It also eschews a compelling contemporary Latin chapter of her career in favor of her winning collaborations with Aaron Neville ("Don't Know Much" and "All My Life") and less successful AC fodder like "Winter Light" and "Somewhere Out There" with James Ingram. A good primer to Ronstadt's immense vocal talents and recording history, but one that's flawed by some crucial missing chapters. --Jerry McCulley

1. "You're No Good" (1974) – 3:44
2. "It's So Easy" (1977) – 2:28
3. "Blue Bayou" (1977) – 3:56
4. "Don't Know Much" (duet with Aaron Neville) (1989) – 3:33
5. "Somewhere Out There" (duet with James Ingram) (1986) – 3:59
6. "When Will I Be Loved" (1974) – 2:09
7. "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" (1975, 2007) – 2:45
8. "Different Drum" (with The Stone Poneys) (1967) – 2:38
9. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (1977, 2007) – 3:42
10. "The Tracks of My Tears" (1975, 2007) – 3:14
11. "After the Gold Rush" (with Valerie Carter and Emmylou Harris) (2007) – 3:33
12. "Long Long Time" (1970) – 4:22
13. "Just One Look" (1995/96) – 3:17
14. "Heart Like a Wheel" (1974, 2007) – 3:09
15. "Back in the U.S.A." (1995/96) – 3:01
16. "That'll Be the Day" (1976) – 2:34
17. "Hurt So Bad" (1980, 2007) – 3:16
18. "All My Life" (duet with Aaron Neville) (1989) – 3:30
19. "Ooo Baby Baby" (1995/96) – 3:19
20. "The Blue Train" (1995) – 3:37
21. "How Do I Make You" (1980, 2007) – 3:37
22. "Desperado" (1973) – 3:37
23. "Winter Light" (1995) – 3:16

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music.....

Greatest Hits - Rock 'n Soul Part 1 -- CD

Daryl Hall & John Oates

1983/1990 RCA Records

Amazon.com

Raised on Philly soul, Daryl Hall and John Oates hit their stride in the mid-'70s, when they abandoned the misguided folkish direction of their early albums for a sound that accurately reflected their roots in mainstream pop and smooth R&B--"rock 'n' soul" as they accurately called it. A string of brilliant hits followed, from the gorgeous "Sara Smile" and "She's Gone" to the wicked, finger-pointing "Rich Girl" and "Maneater" to Top 40 manna such as "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)." At only 12 tracks, this best-of collection is a little skimpy, but it'll do until the inevitable Hall & Oates box set arrives. --Daniel Durchholz

"Say It Isn't So" - 4:17 (Daryl Hall)
"Sara Smile" - 3:07 (Hall, Oates)
"She's Gone" - 3:24 (Hall, Oates)
"Rich Girl" - 2:23 (Hall)
"Kiss on My List" - 3:48 (Hall, Janna Allen)
"You Make My Dreams" - 3:10 (Hall, Oates, Sara Allen)
"Private Eyes" - 3:29 (Hall, S. Allen, J. Allen, Warren Pash)
"Adult Education" - 5:39 (Hall, Oates, S. Allen)
"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" - 3:39 (Hall, Oates, S. Allen, J. Allen)
"Maneater" - 4:34 (Hall, Oates, S. Allen)
"One on One" - 3:53 (Hall)
"Wait for Me (Live Version)" - 6:09 (Hall)

 

[Dennie]

'Round Midnight -- CD

Alan Broadbent with Brian Bromberg and Joe LaBarbera

2004 Artistry Records

Long considered a very valuable pianist, arranger, and conductor behind the scenes, whether accompanying singers (including his classic recordings with Irene Kral) or as part of bands (most notably Charlie Haden's Quartet West), Alan Broadbent tends to be underrated as a pianist/leader. In the Los Angeles area he occasionally performs in clubs where his trio work is quite spontaneous. For 'Round Midnight, he simply gathered together two of his favorite players (bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Joe LaBarbera), decided on a list of tunes (including two of his originals), and played. Although the results are quite logical, nothing was arranged in advance. It just worked out this perfectly on a moment's notice. Whether swinging on bebop standards, digging into J.J. Johnson's "Lament," or transforming "Serenata" into jazz, everything works well on this easily recommended trio outing. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Groovin' High
2. Serenata
3. Lament
4. Die Vereinbarung
5. Journey Home
6. I'm Old Fashioned
7. 'Round Midnight
8. Man I Love, The

 

[Dennie]

Going Home -- CD

Bill Mays Trio

2003 Palmetto Records

Lovely stuff from a veteran pianist, April 10, 2003
By N. Dorward "obsessive reviewer" (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Going Home (Audio CD)

I'd be surprised if there were a more sheerly lovely piano trio disc released this year than Bill Mays' new disc. It's dedicated to the memories of Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell & Shelly Manne. That's a great pianist, a great bassist, & a great drummer, & so it's no surprise that the music here places just as much emphasis on the roles of bassist (Martin Wind) and drummer (the always-excellent Matt Wilson) as it does on Mays's own piano. The programming is loosely based around the theme of home & homecoming, which leads to a nice mix of originals, mostly very offbeat choices of covers (only "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a familiar standard; there's even a nicely judged version of Dvorak's "Going Home", which was a favourite vehicle of Art Tatum). Mays' piano has a pearly but very precise quality to it: he isn't a "look at me" player. He likes to insert quotations in his lines, & he's one of the few players who does this who doesn't irritate me, because one never feels that it's a form of exhibitionism or lazy space-filling: Mays simply has all these tunes stashed in the back of his head (much like Jimmy Rowles) & they come out naturally & as part of the flow. He's also an excellent composer, though the show is stolen by a Rowles tune, the wonderful "Nosey Neighbors", which really ought to be better known. -- The recording itself is almost eerily beautiful: not in-your-face closemiked, but instead with a kind of silkiness that pulls the listener in gently rather than jumps out at him or her. Recommended.

Judy (Mays)
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To (Porter)
Shohola Song (Sommer)
Home (Clarkson/Van Steeden)
On The Road (Mays)
Shoho Love Song (Mays) - Free M3 Download (Right click to save)
Nosey Neighbors (Rowles)
In Her Arms (Mays)
Comin’ Home Baby (Dorough/Tucker)
Going Home (Dvorak)
I’m A Homebody (Mitchell)

Bill Mays, piano, (vocal on I’m A Homebody)
Matt Wilson, drums
Martin Wind, bass