What Are You Listening To?

[heeman]

Listening now and bringing to the GTG....................can't wait to hear this on other systems.

 

[PaulyT]

Cool, I look forward to hearing it! Been thinking about getting some of here solo stuff.

 

[topper]

*

 

[Dennie]

A little bit of Mambo -- CD

Lou Bega

1999 RCA Records

Lou Bega should be cleared of all charges as a 1-hit wonder! February 4, 2000
By "thelightmemyselfandi"
Format:Audio CD

This CD doesn't deserve the rep it has gotten! The success (and ultimate downfall) of Mambo #5 shouldn't be used to judge Lou's talent. I love how he really doesn't have a great voice, but it's a great compliment to the mambo music. His voice is fun, no other word for it. You'll probably not even listen to Mambo #5 after you buy the CD, which is a good thing, because there are a couple of great songs. Let's get one thing outta the way first: yes, every song sounds alike, but hey, this is the year of teen pop, so who's to complain? The best songs on the album are: I Got a Girl (whih is like Mambo #5 in terms of lyrics, but it's way funner), Tricky Tricky (great video, by the way), Ice Cream (a little slower track, which works well in the middle of the CD), The Most Expensive Girl in the World, 1+1=2, and Beauty on the TV Screen. You can feel the vibe of the CD, and you start to think that "Lou doesn't care if he's being buttered by critics, he just wants to make us smile.....and tap our toes."

Track Listing
1. Mambo #5 (A Little Bit of...)
2. Baby Keep Smiling
3. Lou's Cafe
4. Can I Tico Tico You
5. I Got a Girl
6. Tricky, Tricky
7. Icecream
8. Beauty on the TV-Screen
9. 1+1=2
10. Most Expensive Girl in the World, The
11. Trumpet Part II, The
12. Behind Stage
13. Mambo Mambo

 

[Dennie]

Straight Shooter -- CD

Bad Company

1975/1990 Swan Song/Atlantic Records

Supergroup hits its stride, November 7, 2001
By Mons "Mons" (Norrpan) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Straight Shooter (Audio CD)

Released in 1974, Straightshooter is regarded by many as being Bad Company's strongest album. It has the bluesy feel of its predecessor (Bad Co) but has the band turning their amps up 11 and rocking out the strongest set of songs of the band's career. Do not forget that Bad Co was a supergroup with 2 guys out of Free (Rodgers and Kirke), the bass player from King Crimson (Boz Burrell) and Mott the Hoople's guitarist (Mick Ralphs). They should have been huge, of course, but suffered from having to play second fiddle to Swan Song stablemates Led Zeppelin. The songs were great, their sound: a sort of supercharged, sexy blues-rock without the pretention of Led Zep. What let them down perhaps was their lyrics, some of which make Spinal Tap look like Leonard Cohen, but if you can take that - and I can - this album is a great listen from beginning to end. Bad Company were also one of the few hard rock bands that wrote great ballads (Anna), though it was Straightshooter's high-octane rockers like Good Lovin' Gone Bad, Feel Like Making Love and Shooting Star that helped secure them a place in rock history. Bad Company were a good, tight band, but I would recommend anyone to listen to them purely to hear Paul Rodgers' masterful rock vocals. New to Bad Company? Get this one first, and then Bad Co.

Side one

"Good Lovin' Gone Bad" (Mick Ralphs) – 3:35
"Feel Like Makin' Love" (Paul Rodgers, Ralphs) – 5:12
"Weep No More" (Simon Kirke) – 3:59
"Shooting Star" (Rodgers) – 6:16

Side two

"Deal With the Preacher" (Rodgers, Ralphs) – 5:01
"Wild Fire Woman" (Rodgers, Ralphs) – 4:32
"Anna" (Kirke) – 3:41
"Call on Me" (Rodgers) – 6:03

 

[Dennie]

Motherland -- CD

Natalie Merchant

2001 Elektra Records

In the post-Lilith Fair solo career of former 10,000 Maniacs frontwoman Natalie Merchant, MOTHERLAND stands as something of an achievement. It melds the lyrical craft she began developing all those years ago with the Maniacs, the contemporary pop sensibilities she's been crafting since the beginning of her solo work, and a variety of new influences that seem to have seeped in somewhere along the way. Things kick off distinctively with the creepy, violin-colored reggae slow-burner "This House is on Fire." From there it's off to an eclectic mix-and-match of styles, including the folk-ballad feel of the title track, the sultry blues of "Put the Law on You," and the gospel-soul tinge of "Build a Levee" (where Merchant is aided by considerable pipes of Mavis Staples. Even as MOTHERLAND traverses a variety of genres, the distinctive approach Merchant applies to the songwriting, performance, and arrangements makes this both one of her most memorable and most consistent solo albums.

All songs written by Natalie Merchant.

"This House Is on Fire" – 4:42
"Motherland" – 4:44
"Saint Judas" – 5:44
"Put the Law on You" – 5:01
"Build a Levee" – 4:46
"Golden Boy" – 4:10
"Henry Darger" – 4:24
"The Worst Thing" – 5:46
"Tell Yourself" – 5:14
"Just Can't Last" – 4:31
"Not in This Life" – 5:22
"I'm Not Gonna Beg" – 3:40

 

[Dennie]

From My Soul -- CD

Ava Lemert

2009 Ava Lemert

From My Soul; Ava Lemert is a Sacramento siren of soul. She is both a powerful singer, songwriter and electrifying saxophonist. Her original songs range from the acclaimed Kiss You which feature her singing lead, harmonies and layers of her alto and tenor saxophones to the amped up I Wanna Funk It Up, which is her own house-quaking nod to Zapp and Roger and the Isley Brothers. It has electrifying vocal and saxophone effects sure to get you moving to the sound! If seductive, passionate soul music move you, the CD has much more to offer you, from the lilting, softly sexy Rhodelea to the big tenor sound on the contemporary urban instrumental Soft and Silky, there won't be anything to feel by the end of the CD but pure satisfaction. You can't listen just once! From My Soul is not just one genre of music nor is Ms. Lemert just a 'vocalist' or a 'saxophonist' she is all that and much, much more. Catch a star on her rise and enjoy a unique multifaceted, talented lady.


01. You Know You Got It 5:06

02. I Wanna Funk It Up 3:31

03. Rhodelea 4:41

04. Won’t Be Your Plaything 4:16

05. That 70’s Girl 4:24

06. Nothing Looks the Same in the Light * 4:30

07. Soft and Silky 4:05

08. You Got Somethin Coming to You 3:46

09. Kiss You 2:56

 

[Dennie]

After Hours Swing Session -- CD

Duke Robillard

2009 Rounder Records

Amazon.com

Recorded in a single overnight session, this delightful 1992 CD spotlights bluesman Duke Robillard's other forte: authentic '40s and '50s small-group swing. Duke's vocal style is closer to that of his idol T-Bone Walker than to the elán of Billie Holiday or Nat Cole, whose tunes he covers. But Duke's playing and off-the-cuff arrangements get to the heart of classic swing's simmering emotionalism. "Albi Ain't Here" is especially rich in the music's signifiers: a sloe-eyed muted cornet solo, Rich Latille's graceful clarinet, and of course, Duke's pure-toned guitar. Robillard's solos unwind with casual elegance, darting between blues and jazz as the best swingers always have. Guitarists will note the authenticity of his rhythm tracks--played on an acoustic 1939 Epiphone Deluxe archtop. For more, dig up Swing, a rewarding prequel Duke cut with saxist Scott Hamilton's combo in 1986. --Ted Drozdowski

Track Listing
1. Trouble with Me Is You, The
2. Shivers
3. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me
4. Sweet Georgia Brown
5. Twist Top
6. I'll Never Be the Same
7. Tiny's Tempo
8. Albi Ain't Here

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Mr. Fantasy -- CD

Traffic

1968/1990 Island Records

Amazon.com

In 1967, when still teenaged keyboardist Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group (for whom he'd sung lead on hits like "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man") to start a new band with guitarist Dave Mason, few observers thought their idea of blending pop, rock, and jazz would work. Immediately, though, Traffic scored giant UK hits with Winwood's east-meets-west "Paper Sun" and Mason's acid-jazzy "Hole in My Shoe." Between those songs, the smoking-guitar driven title track, the swinging instrumental "Giving to You" and the haunting ballad, "No Face, No Name, No Number," Traffic's debut established both players as elite members of the new guard of late 60s British rock. --Billy Altman

"Heaven Is in Your Mind" (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood) – 4:16
"Berkshire Poppies" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 2:55
"House for Everyone" (Dave Mason) – 2:05
"No Face, No Name, No Number" (Capaldi, Winwood) – 3:35
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 5:44
"Dealer" (Capaldi, Winwood) – 3:34
"Utterly Simple" (Mason) – 3:16
"Coloured Rain" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 2:43
"Hope I Never Find Me There" (Mason) – 2:12
"Giving to You" (Capaldi, Mason, Winwood, Wood) – 4:20 (album version)

 

[topper]

"Carry Me Back"
by

(2012 release)

. . . their fourth album , , first since 2008

 

[putty34]

"Carry Me Back"
by

(2012 release)

. . . their fourth album , , first since 2008

How is it topper? I downloaded this from Amazon the other day for $3.99, but haven't listened to it yet.

 

[topper]

"Carry Me Back"
by

(2012 release)

. . . their fourth album , , first since 2008

"How is it topper? I downloaded this from Amazon the other day for $3.99, but haven't listened to it yet."

My first music by this string (bluegrass) band.
Vocal & musical harmony is good, and the songs enjoyable.

But, with 12 songs on the disc there is only 37 minutes of music. (left me feeling a bit short-changed)
This album needs another 20 + minutes of music.

The music is good and clean . . . .
For $4 I'd say you'll probably enjoy it.

 

[Dennie]

This is good...... :handgestures-thumbup:

Homage To Duke -- CD

Dave Grusin

1993 GRP Records

Dave Grusin's best album to date by far!!!! July 17, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD

I have in excess of 1000 CD's in my collection and would place this particular "GEM" in my top 10.The reasons are as follows . First the selection of music tracks composed by the master "Duke" needs no comment from me.... all superb ! Second , the ability of the players on board to do justice to the Duke's compositions have got to heard to be believed...every arrangement has had some SERIOUS thought input prior to recording.And listen out for the bassist "Brian Bromberg" he's up there with NHOP , Brown, and company ..Brilliant!!! And finally,if you're in the market for a new sound system in your home ,take this CD down to your dealer as I did to test run YOUR possible new purchase ,simply it's the BEST recorded CD I have in my collection.Put on "Satin Doll"..Turn it up and see if the system survives! Congratulation Mr Grusin & Company!!!

Track Listing
1. Cotton Tail
2. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
3. Satin Doll
4. Mood Indigo
5. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
6. Caravan
7. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
8. C Jam Blues
9. Sophisticated Lady
10. Take the "A" Train

-----------

Personnel: Dave Grusin (piano); Clark Terry (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Tom Scott, Pete Christlieb (tenor saxophone); Rick Todd, David Duke, Brian O'Connor (French horn); George Bohanon (trombone); Tommy Johnson (tuba); Steve Kujala (flute, alto flute); Ronnie Lang (flute); Eddie Daniels (clarinet); John Lowe (bass clarinet); John Clark (oboe, English horn); John Patitucci, Brian Bromberg (bass); Harvey Mason (drums)

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Moondance -- CD

Van Morrison

1970/1990 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Van Morrison went a long way towards defining his wild Irish heart with his first two classic albums: the brooding, introspective Astral Weeks (1968), and the expansive, swinging Moondance. If the first was the work of a poet, its sequel was the statement of a musician and bandleader. Moondance is that rare rock album where the band has buffed the arrangements to perfection, and where the sax solos instead of the guitar. The band puts out a jazzy shuffle on "Moondance" and plays it soulful on "These Dreams of You." The album includes both Morrison's most romantic ballad ("Crazy Love") and his most haunting ("Into the Mystic"). "And It Stoned Me" rolled off Morrison's tongue like a favorite fable, while "Caravan" told a tale full of emotional intrigue. Moondance stood out in the rock world of 1970 like a grownup in a kiddie matinee. --John Milward

Side one

1. "And It Stoned Me" – 4:30
2. "Moondance" – 4:35
3. "Crazy Love" – 2:34
4. "Caravan" – 4:57
5. "Into the Mystic" – 3:25

Side two

1. "Come Running" – 2:30
2. "These Dreams of You" – 3:50
3. "Brand New Day" – 5:09
4. "Everyone" – 3:31
5. "Glad Tidings" – 3:13

 

[Dennie]

True Love -- CD

Jessy J

2009 Peak Records

Product Description

True Love. With these two perfectly chosen words, Jessy J has, in unveiling the title of her second Peak Records release, captured the blazing emotions of her legions of fans across the U.S. and Latin America who made her the breakout genre star of 2008.

Produced by mega contemporary and urban jazz hit maker, musician/guitarist and label mate Paul Brown, (who also produced Tequila Moon), one of the most remarkable aspects of True Love is Jessy's ongoing commitment to her development as an artist and composer on her own terms. Backed on most tracks by Brown, keyboardist Gregg Karukas, bassist Roberto Vally, drummer Sergio Gonzalez and percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia, she puts her unique, multi-cultural stamp on a 10 track mix of vocals and instrumentals that draws from her rich Latin heritage and love for both traditional and contemporary jazz.

"After the success of Tequila Moon, it was inevitable that many fans would ask me, ok, so what's next? Where do you go from #1?" says Jessy. "But I never really worried about that pressure because I knew my approach would be to simply dig deeper into my essence as a person, songwriter and musician. My goal was to convey my True Love by putting 100 percent of my heart and soul into every note, every session and every song. As the journey of this new album unfolded, I discovered something amazing, a little secret I will now share: after all this romantic searching, I realize now that my True Love is actually my lifelong passion for music. It's a joy and an honor to have the opportunity to share more and more of this with the world as the years unfold."

The music was beautiful under the Tequila Moon. Stay there a while and like Jessy, you may just discover your True Love!

"Tropical Rain" (Gregg Karukas, Paul Brown, Jessy J) - 4:15
"Forever" (Paul Brown, Jessy J, Thomas Klemperer) - 4:08
"True Love" (Jessy J) - 3:48
"Mr. Prince" (Jessy J, Paul Brown) - 3:58
"Morning of the Carnival" from Black Orpheus (Manha Dee Carnaval) (Louiz Bonfa, Antonio Maria) - 3:58
"Somewhere In A Dream" (Jessy J, Paul Brown) - 4:15
"Jessy's Blues" (Jessy J, Paul Brown" - 3:39
"Llegaste Tu" (Pablo Aguirre, Paulina Aguirre, Jessy J) - 3:40
"Brazilian Dance" (Sergio Aranda) - 3:51
"Baila!" (Jessy J, Paul Brown) - 3:47

 

[Dennie]

Feels So Good -- CD

Chuck Mangione

1977/1990 A&M Records

The man with the flugel horn sure can play!!, December 15, 2000
By Glenn "Glenn98" (Bergenfield, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Feels So Good (Audio CD)

The Grammy winning title cut "Feels so Good" is what turned me on to Chuck Mangione's music. But this CD goes much further than that. ALL of the recordings here are excellent. And they are arranged alternating the fast and slow pieces in a pleasing way. "Maui Waui" and "Last Dance" are nice and relaxing. "Theme from Side Street" is short but meaningful. "Hide and Seek" is a catchy piece that will have you tapping to it. And "The XIth Commandment" is a brilliant end to this great CD.

This is by far Chuck's best recording. If you're in a qundary about which Chuck Mangione CD to buy, THIS IS THE ONE!

Feels So Good - 9:42 (edit: #4 pop, #1 AC)
Maui-Waui - 10:13
Theme From 'Side Street' - 2:05
Hide & Seek (Ready Or Not Here I Come) - 6:25
Last Dance - 10:54
The XIth Commandment - 6:36

 

[Dennie]

Pictures At An Exhibition -- CD

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

1972 Victory Music

Lead Me from Tortured Dreams, August 25, 2007
By Thomas K. Emanuel "Music Fan & a Half" (Deadwood, SD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Pictures At An Exhibition (Audio CD)

Whether you like them or not, you've got to at least give Emerson Lake & Palmer credit for having the balls to pull off something like PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION. The original "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky is one of music's most highly-regarded piano showpieces; likewise, the arrangement by Maurice Ravel is hailed as one of the premier orchestral works of all time. And ELP, a band both renowned and reviled for their savagely bombastic jazz-inflected improvisations and self-conscious pomposity, decided to give it a whirl. You can almost hear the critics screaming. But I've learned to tune out the screaming and just listen to the music - when you're a Paul McCartney fan, as I am, that's par for the course. And also par for the course is finding that, while sometimes the critics have a point, more often than not they have no clue what they're talking about.

Strangely enough, I'd say in this case the critics got more right than they usually do in such situations. They called ELP's adaptation loud, noisy, pompous, pretentious, self-important, self-indulgent, and sacrilegious. And it's all of those things, with a heaping helping of grandiloquence on the side and silliness to taste. But that's precisely the point. Moments such as Keith Emerson's Hammond playing Mussorgsky's instantly recognizable "Promenade" backed by Carl Palmer's doomsday drumming; diverging from "The Old Castle" into some angular "Blues Variations"; and Greg Lake shouting lines like "There's no ending to my life/No beginning to my death/Death is life!" over "The Great Gates of Kiev", exist pretty much just for the sake of hearing something so absurd. And yet somehow ELP make their twisted rearrangements work as ELP and not just ELP playing Mussorgsky, sounding very much like themselves while still allowing you to hear the originals underneath. The playing is stellar throughout, of course, though as usual Emerson steals the show with his mind-bending keyboard soloing.

And just to make sure we realize that they realize how ridiculous this all is, PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION concludes with the awfully-titled "Nutrocker", a supremely silly cover of a supremely silly arrangement of the "March" from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker". Now there's an example of the prog spirit if I ever heard one.

1. "Promenade" Mussorgsky 1:58
2. "The Gnome" Mussorgsky/Palmer 4:18
3. "Promenade" Mussorgsky/Lake 1:23
4. "The Sage" Lake 4:42
5. "The Old Castle" Mussorgsky/Emerson 2:33
6. "Blues Variation" Emerson/Lake/Palmer 4:22
7. "Promenade" Mussorgsky 1:29
8. "The Hut of Baba Yaga" Mussorgsky 1:12
9. "The Curse of Baba Yaga" Emerson/Lake/Palmer 4:10
10. "The Hut of Baba Yaga (Part 2)" Mussorgsky 1:06
11. "The Great Gates of Kiev/The End" Mussorgsky/Lake 6:37
12. "Nut Rocker" Tchaikovsky/Fowley 4:26

 

[Dennie]

Greatest Hits -- CD

Eurythmics

1991 Arista Records

Amazon.com essential recording

One of the earliest things that we learned about Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart was that the duo had style. In their first few MTV videos, including "Sweet Dreams" and "Love Is a Stranger," they were just as notable for their androgynous suits and rubber utility coverall, as they were for their ice box synthetic dance beats. But as Eurythmics continued to churn out one hit after another, something else became refreshingly apparent: In the midst of all of the impersonal drum machines and frozen electronics, Lennox displayed both rhythm and soul. With a voice powerful enough to hold its own against genre queen Aretha Franklin ("Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves"), Lennox added another dimension to the haunting moodiness of "Who's That Girl" and "Here Comes the Rain Again." Changing personas and musical stylings with every release, Eurythmics blasted out horn-infused rockers ("Would I Lie to You"), country-fied twangers ("Thorn in My Side"), and melodic brilliance ("When Tomorrow Comes"). Greatest Hits captures the band's most inspired moments and justifies all of the original fuss. --Steve Gdula

1. "Love Is a Stranger" 3:40
2. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" 4:50
3. "Who's That Girl?" 3:44
4. "Right by Your Side" 3:49
5. "Here Comes the Rain Again" 4:54
6. "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" 4:41
7. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (with Aretha Franklin) 4:53
8. "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" 3:43
9. "When Tomorrow Comes" Lennox, Stewart, Patrick Seymour 4:15
10. "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" 3:46
11. "The Miracle of Love" 4:35
12. "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" 3:52
13. "Thorn in My Side" 4:11
14. "Don't Ask Me Why" 4:13
15. "Angel" 4:47
16. "Would I Lie to You?" 4:22
17. "Missionary Man" 3:45
18. "I Need a Man" 4:21

 

[Rope]

Good to have you back in your area, Dennie! :angry-tappingfoot:
:laughing-rolling:

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Good to have you back in your area, Dennie! :angry-tappingfoot:
:laughing-rolling:

Rope

Hey Hey!! :angry-tappingfoot: Don't you have some "moderating" or something to do??!!!!! bscene-birdiedoublegreen:

If not, try to stay on topic. The idiot wants to know what we're listening to!!! bscene-buttred:



....... :laughing-rolling:



Dennie bscene-drinkingcheers: