What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Double Play - Two-fer (No Bass Hit & Major League) -- 2 CD Set

Dave McKenna - Scott Hamilton - Jake Hanna

1979 & 1986/2002 Concord Records

Concord greatly enriched the revival of more traditional forms of jazz in the 1970s and 1980s when they bought together established players like pianist Dave McKenna and drummer Jake Hanna with new kids on the block like tenor Scott Hamilton. This bassless trio recorded No Bass Hit in 1979, then returned for an encore with Major League in 1986. The two-disc set Double Play re-introduces both titles while keeping the baseball metaphor intact. Quiet standards by the Gershwins and Cole Porter trade places with up-tempo delights like Gene Krupa and Roy Eldridge's "Drum Boogie." One might imagine missing the steady beat of the bass, but a cursory listen to "Easy to Love" verifies that this isn't the case. McKenna plays chords with one hand while keeping a steady bass rhythm with the other, assuring a solid beat even when he's playing lead. The band swings with vim and vigor on "Swinging at the Copper Rail" and "It All Depends on You," while offering relaxed versions of "I'm Through With Love" and "This Is All I Ask." Part of the joy of this band is their versatility, with Hamilton and McKenna exchanging lead lines or with Hanna kicking off a song with a snazzy drum roll. Double Play offers an hour and a half of excellent mainstream jazz and serves as a fine addition to the works of all the players involved. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Track Listing

DISC 1: NO BASS HIT:
1. But Not for Me
2. If Dreams Come True
3. Long Ago (And Far Away)
4. Drum Boogie
5. I Love You, Samantha
6. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
7. Easy to Love
8. Get Happy

DISC 2: MAJOR LEAGUE:
1. Swinging at the Copper Rail
2. Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody, A
3. Cocktails for Two
4. I'm Through With Love
5. Linger Awhile
6. September in the Rain
7. This Is All I Ask
8. It All Depends on You
9. April in Paris

DOUBLE PLAY contains 2 LPs on 2 CDs: NO BASS HIT (1979)/MAJOR LEAGUE (1986).Personnel: Dave McKenna (piano, bass); Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Jake Hanna (drums).Recorded at Normandy Studios, Warren, Rhode Island and Continental Recording, Boston, Massachusetts in March 1979 & May 1986. Originally released on Concord (4097) & Concord (4305). Includes liner notes by Charlie Drago and Ken Franckling.Personnel: Dave McKenna (piano); Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Jake Hanna (drums).Audio Remixers: Wil Morton; Phil Edwards .Recording information: Contintental Recording, Boston, MA (03/1979-05/1986); Normandy Studios, Warren, RI (03/1979-05/1986).

 

[Dennie]

Warm Tenor -- Remastered CD

Zoot Sims

1979/1989 Pablo Records

The Pablo label was a perfect home for Zoot Sims during the second half of the '70s; the cool-toned tenor always sounded at his best in informal settings with small groups where he had the opportunity to stretch out. This quartet set with pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist George Mraz and drummer Mousie Alexander (which has been reissued on CD) gives Sims a chance to interpret a variety of mostly underplayed standards along with a duet with Mraz on an ad-lib "Blues for Louise." Highlights include "Old Devil Moon," "You Go to My Head," "Blue Prelude" and "You're My Thrill." ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Dream Dancing
2. Old Devil Moon
3. Blues For Louise
4. Jitterbug Waltz
5. You Go to My Head
6. Blue Prelude
7. Comes Love
8. You're My Thrill

Personnel: Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone), Jimmy Rowles (piano), George Mraz (acoustic bass), Mousey Alexander (drums).

 

[Dennie]

I Wish I Were Twins -- Remastered CD

Zoot Sims

1981/1998 Pablo/OJC Records

Zoot Sims (doubling on tenor and soprano) teams up once again with pianist Jimmy Rowles; this time bassist Frank Tate and drummer Akira Tana are the supporting cast. Rowles is a master not only at accompanying soloists (he always seems to come up with the perfect chord) but in picking up superior obscurities to perform. In addition to "Georgia on My Mind" and "The Touch of Your Lips," this album contains such tunes as "I Wish I Were Twins," "Changes" and Johnny Mercer's "You Go Your Way"; Sims contributed "The Fish Horn" to feature his soprano. A fine swinging date filled with thoughtful improvisations. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. I Wish I Were Twins
2. Georgia on My Mind
3. Changes - (live)
4. The Touch of Your Lips
5. The Fish Horn
6. Come Closer to Me
7. You Go Your Way

Personnel: Zoot Sims, Jimmy Rowles, Frank Tate, Akira Tana.Recorded in July 1981.Personnel: Zoot Sims (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jimmy Rowles (piano); Akira Tana (drums).Audio Remasterer: Kirk Felton.Liner Note Author: Eliot Tiegel.Recording information: RCA Recording Studio, New York, NY (07/06/1981)

 

[Dennie]

Zaz -- CD

Zaz

2010 Play On Music (Import France)

The self-titled album debut of Zaz is one of the more exciting French revelations of 2010, boasting a refreshingly unique gypsy jazz style as well as plenty of contemporary pop appeal. Thirty years old at the time of her solo album debut, Zaz is a seasoned vocalist with years of experience as a performer, and her vocals are indeed a wonder to behold. She's a talented jazz vocalist, for sure, and her resemblance to Edith Piaf is striking. In addition to her singing, Zaz is a gifted songwriter credited with either writing or co-writing six of the 11 songs on her debut album. French pop star Rapha‰l is credited with writing three of the remaining songs, "La F‚e," "Port Coton," and "blouie par la Nuit," and Kerredine Soltani is credited with writing the standout lead single, "Je Veux." Moreover, Rapha‰l is credited with producing four songs on the album: the three that he wrote, plus "Trop Sensible." Alban Sautour, Germain Guyot, and Soltani are also credited with production, and their work is commendable. The gypsy jazz style of the album is tastefully produced, never sounding retro or clich‚d and, more importantly, never taking anything away from Zaz herself. Moreover, the contributions of four different producers makes for a diverse sound, with the Rapha‰l songs in particular standing out from the others. Clocking in at 11 songs in 39 minutes, Zaz doesn't overstay its welcome and leaves you craving more after the awe-inspiring closing track by Rapha‰l, "blouie par la Nuit." Impressive from all standpoints, Zaz is a strong contender for French pop revelation of the year. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Track Listing
1. Les Passants
2. Je Veux
3. Le Long De La Route
4. La Fee
5. Trop Sensible
6. Prends Garde A Ta Langue
7. Ni Oui Ni Non
8. Port Coton
9. J'aime A Nouveau
10. Dans Ma Rue
11. blouie Par La Nuit

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Gaucho -- CD

Steely Dan

1980/2000 MCA Records

Amazon.com

The multiplatinum success of Aja made Steely Dan, the musical conceit of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, a household name. But that prosperity came bundled with a fateful triple-whammy for rock's dyspeptic duo: unrealistic commercial expectations, a critical backlash spawned by punk's nascent mewling, and the long-simmering meltdown of their artistic partnership. But the cool, perfect sheen of 1980's Gaucho tipped its hand to none of it. Ironically, those fashion victims who sniffed up their sleeves at Don and Walt's decadence-tinged Me Decade manifesto couldn't have had a clue that just maybe Gaucho's typically oblique protagonists had uncomfortably blurred from the third-person to the first this time 'round. At least that's what Becker and Fagen hint at in their smart-assed notes to this digitally remastered, definitive edition (all original artwork and printed lyrics restored) of the final album before their 20-year hiatus. Pristine and sonically polished (three years and seven studios worth), time has served Gaucho well. Even its sense of laconic detachment now seems but a logical bridge to the two-decade removed Dan of Two Against Nature. To their credit, Becker and Fagen didn't trash the first half of Steely Dan's legacy on Gaucho, they simply burnished it to oblivion. -Jerry McCulley

Side one

"Babylon Sisters" – 5:49
"Hey Nineteen" – 5:06
"Glamour Profession" – 7:28

Side two

"Gaucho" (Becker, Fagen, Keith Jarrett) – 5:30
"Time Out of Mind" – 4:11
"My Rival" – 4:30
"Third World Man" – 5:18

 

[Dennie]

'Round About Midnight -- Remastered Mono CD

Miles Davis

1957/2013 Columbia Legacy

Amazon.com

In 1955, Miles Davis signed on with jazz powerhouse Columbia Records. With alto and tenor saxophonists Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, drummer Philly Joe Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, and pianist Red Garland, Davis released 'Round About Midnight, which evinces even more clearly what a phenomenal unit Davis was nurturing. Stylistically, Midnight encompasses standards (or soon-to-be standards) such as "Dear Old Stockholm," "Bye-Bye Blackbird," Tadd Dameron's "Tadd's Delight," and Jackie McLean's forward-thinking composition "Little Melonae." Miles and company reprise "Budo" from the historic Birth of the Cool sessions. The standout track is Davis's Harmon-muted reading of Thelonious Monk's ballad, "'Round Midnight, which is still a Miles standard bearer. Three alternate takes round out the session: "Two Bass Hit" and "Sweet Sue" feature adventuresome solos by Coltrane that preview his masterpiece "Giant Steps." And Garland moves away from his Ahmad Jamal pianisms with his introspective ivory ticklings. If you want to hear the origins of post-bop modern jazz, this is it. --Eugene Holley Jr.

1. 'Round Midnight
2. Ah-Leu-Cha
3. All Of You
4. Bye Bye Blackbird
5. Tadd's Delight
6. Dear Old Stockholm


Miles Davis – trumpet
John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
Red Garland – piano
Paul Chambers – bass
Philly Joe Jones – drums

 

[Dennie]

#1's -- 24K Gold CD (#378)

Mariah

1998/2013 Sony Hong Kong (import Japan)

Editorial Reviews
Mariah Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and eighteen Billboard #1 singles (seventeen self-penned), more than any solo artist in history. With her distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific song writing, and producing talent, Carey has defined the modern pop performance. In 1998, eight years after her debut, Carey released #1's, a compilation of her chart-topping hits. The album also included a new song, When You Believe (from the Dreamworks film, The Prince of Egypt), a duet with Whitney Houston that paired two of the most successful female recording artists in pop history. The song went on to win the 1999 Academy Award for Best Original Song. Now available on 24 Karat Gold CD. This CD is compatible with all CD players.

Track Listings

1. Sweetheart (Mariah featuring JD)
2. When You Believe (from The Prince of Egypt)
3. Whenever You Call (Mariah Carey & Brian McKnight)
4. My All
5. Honey
6. Always Be My Baby
7. One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men)
8. Fantasy (featuring O.D.B.)
9. Hero
10. Dreamlover
11. I'll Be There (featuring Trey Lorenz)
12. Emotions
13. Someday
14. Love Takes Time
15. Vision Of Love
16. I Still Believe
17. Without You
18. Do You Know Where You're Going To (Theme from Mahogany)

 

[Dennie]

Super Jazz 1 -- CD

Al Hirt - Pete Fountain

1975/1990 Columbia Records

Party All Night Long, March 17, 2010
By Mr. Richard D. Coreno "Mr. C" (Berea, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Super Jazz (Audio CD)

The icons of Bourbon Street - Al Hirt and Pete Fountain - teamed up for a series of gigs in conjunction with the 1975 Super Bowl being played in Tulane Stadium, with the performances pulled from a number of the evenings.

The album mirrors the shows; opening with Hirt and his band, then Fountain and his group performing a set and the night culminating with a jam session featuring Hirt, Fountain and all the band members. The three numbers from Hirt are from the first evening and are worth the price of admission solely on his monolgues explaining the variety of parades in New Orleans, the history of traditional Creole music and his special friendship with Louis Armstrong. Fountain paves a pop path with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and delivers a hot rendition of the classic "When the Saints Go Marching In."

The editing gets choppy for the jam session, as the hijinks from a later gig finds Fountain explaining to the audience the challenge of performing after having a few cocktails and Hirt amping things up to the point where certain words are "bleeped" out. But the dynamic duo delivers on "Basin Street Blues" and "Super Bowl Blues."

Though they owned clubs in the French Quarter and performed extensively in the city, the pair rarely played on the same stage once they became international stars. Hirt called the gigs "Super Jazz 1" and this is truly a legendary team on their home turf.

Track listing

1. South Rampart Street Parade
2. Jazz Funeral (Oh, Didn't He Ramble)
3. Salute to Satchmo: S-H-I-N-E / Coquette / C'est Si Bon / Mack The Knife / Beale Street Blues / Hello Dolly
4. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
5. Mood Indigo / It's Been A Long, Long Time
6. When the Saints Go Marching In
7. Closer Walk, A
8. Lazy River
9. Perdido
10. Basin Street Blues
11. Super Bowl Blues

 

[Dennie]

New Orleans Piano -- CD

Professor Longhair

1972/1989 Atlantic Jazz

Professor Longhair is the fountainhead of New Orleans R&B, and NEW ORLEANS PIANO is one of the style's essential documents. It contains recordings 'Fess made for Atlantic in the late 1940s/early '50s, some of his finest sessions. This collection wasn't released until 1972, but it surely had a profound effect on every young pianist who heard it; on Longhair's signature song, "Tipitina," and others, the piano king's loose-limbed, rolling piano lines, organically polyrhythmic second-line grooves, and rough, quirky vocals add up to a jubilant, seamless style that's simultaneously vibrant and unhurried. 'Fess's trademark whistling atop the insistent piano figure of "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" remains one of the most vivid sonic evocations of party time in the Crescent City.

Track Listing
1. In the Night
2. Tipitina
3. Tipitina - (bonus track)
4. Ball the Wall
5. Who's Been Fooling You
6. Hey Now Baby
7. Mardi Gras in New Orleans - (previously unreleased)
8. bonus track) She Walks Right In - (previously unreleased
9. Hey Little Girl
10. Willie Mae
11. Walk Your Blues Away
12. Professor Longhair Blues
13. Boogie Woogie
14. Longhair's Blues-Rhumba
15. Mardi Gras in New Orleans - (bonus track)
16. She Walks Right In

Personnel: Professor Longhair (vocals, piano); Roy Byrd (vocals, piano); Charles Burbeck (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Alvin "Red" Tyler, Robert Palmer (saxophone); Robert Parker (alto saxophone); Lee Allen (tenor saxophone); Earl Palmer , John Woodrow, Al Miller (drums).Liner Note Author: Mike Leadbitter.Recording information: New Orleans, LA.

 

[Dennie]

Michael Doucet & Cajun Brew -- CD

Michael Doucet & Cajun Brew

1987 Rounder Records

Great musicians and great fun., March 11, 2003
By Stephen R. Parrish (Milledgeville, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Michael Doucet & Cajun Brew (Audio CD)

I can't stop listening to this disk though I've had it for a decade but haven't payed much attention. Started out to make a Mardi Gras disk for a party this year and this knocked me off my feet now that I finally really listened. Sonny Landreth produces and plays. Richard Thompson was dragged from Jazz Fest. Just a bunch of musicians that love cajun music getting together and having fun, mostly with non-traditional stuff but the playing is tight and the whole thing really smokes. Was She a Woman or a Man is surreal.

1. Wooly Bully
2. Bayou Pom Pom
3. Un Autre Soir Ennuyant (Another Lonely Night)
4. Hey, Good Lookin' (Hé 'Tite Fille)
5. Last Wednesday Night (Mercredi Soir Passé)
6. Louie, Louie
7. Woman or a Man?
8. Pauline
9. Zydeco Boogaloo
10. Like a Real Cajun (Comme un Vrai Cajun)
11. J'Ai Passé Devant Ta Porte (I Passed by Your Door)
12. Do You Want to Dance? (Veux-Tu Danser)

 

[Botch]

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: Grand Opening and Closing

Only a couple tracks into this; kind've a cross between Jellyfish, Ozrik Tentacles, and Gwar. :shock:

 

[Botch]

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: Grand Opening and Closing

Only a couple tracks into this; kind've a cross between Jellyfish, Ozrik Tentacles, and Gwar. :shock:

Okay, now this album is just getting wierd!!! :scared-yipes: :scared-yipes: :scared-yipes:

 

[Botch]

Further in. There were about three beautiful Japanese-style instrumental pieces, lots of chimes and odd intonation string instruments. And now its sounding surprisingly like King Crimson.

I wrote this album off too soon; there's some stuff going on here...

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Two Rooms - Celebrating The Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin -- CD

Various Artists

1991 Polydor Records

Not you usual tribute album, January 17, 2012
By Tom Old Lyme - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (Audio CD)

Elton John has so many big hits it was interesting to hear them sung by the wide range of artists. George Micheal's version of Tonight and Sinead O'Connors song are gut wrenchingly beautiful.

1. Border Song - Eric Clapton
2. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time) - Kate Bush
3. Come Down In Time - Sting
4. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) - The Who
5. Crocodile Rock - Beach Boys
6. Daniel - Wilson Phillips
7. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Joe Cocker
8. Levon - Jon Bon Jovi
9. The *** Is Back - Tina Turner
10. Philadelphia Freedom - Daryl Hall And John Oates
11. Your Song - Rod Stewart
12. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Oleta Adams
13. Madman Across The Water - Bruce Hornsby
14. Sacrifice - Sinead O'Connor < ------------------- :bow-blue:
15. Burn Down The Mission - Phil Collins
16. Tonight - George Michael

 

[Dennie]

Further in. There were about three beautiful Japanese-style instrumental pieces, lots of chimes and odd intonation string instruments. And now its sounding surprisingly like King Crimson.

I wrote this album off too soon; there's some stuff going on here...

It's always good to give it second spin. I can't tell you how many albums I didn't like so much upon first listen, but later enjoyed very much.

I'm glad you didn't throw it out the window after a few tracks! :handgestures-thumbup:




Dennie

 

[Dennie]

As Time Goes By: The Best Of.... -- Remastered CD

Jimmy Durante

1993 Warner Archives

Album Notes
It is said that a truly great comedian can draw not only laughter, but also tears from their audience. This is certainly true of Charlie Chaplin, and is no less true of Jimmy Durante, a man whose face, voice, and demeanor were at once comic and tragic. AS TIME GOES BY: THE BEST OF JIMMY DURANTE bears witness to the magical combination of these qualities in the man they called the Schnozz.Collected here are 12 recordings mostly from the 1950s, all classic renditions of the standards that made Durante famous. "September Song" and Chaplin's "Smile" are superb vehicles for Durante's heart-rending yet simple intonations. Also present are the sad sack love songs "Hello, Young Lovers" and "If I Had You," each as perfect for Durante as if they had been written specifically for him. "I'll See You in My Dreams" rounds out the collection, ending, naturally, with a sweet goodnight to Mrs. Callabash.

Track Listing
1. As Time Goes By
2. If I Had You
3. Smile
4. Hi-Lo Hi-Lili
5. Make Someone Happy
6. Young at Heart
7. Young Lovers Hello
8. Try a Little Tenderness
9. The Glory of Love
10. I'll Be Seeing You
11. September Song
12. I'll See You in My Dreams

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Classics Volume 8 -- CD

Joan Baez

1990 A&M Records

Album notes

This 1987 best-of compiles the work from A&M efforts that marked a stylistic change from her Vanguard years, yet a pretty consistent level of success. Relying on the work of other artists seemed to be more hit and miss during the A&M era. In Baez's interpretations of songs like Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate" and "Forever Young" and John Lennon's "Imagine," her pitch-perfect tone might strike some as unemotional, but her singing is engrossing nonetheless. Not surprisingly, Baez sounds the best here with the tracks that deviate from weighty issues. "Gracias a la Vida" (sung in Spanish) and the haunting "Di Da" (with Joni Mitchell) have her giving off more charm and emotion than usual. "Children and All That Jazz," from her best-selling 1975 album Diamonds & Rust, has a gorgeous, heavily produced '70s L.A. pop/rock style that suited her voice. Unlike many greatest-hit sets, Classics, Vol. 8 also offers strong live performances, including "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and the CD closing "Amazing Grace." Classics, Vol. 8 has the strength of a regular release effort and more than captures the time frame and the artist it's spotlighting. ~ Jason Elias

Track listing

1. Diamonds and Rust
2. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
3. Simple Twist of Fate
4. Imagine
5. In the Quiet Morning
6. Best of Friends
7. Forever Young
8. Prison Trilogy
9. Jesse
10. Children and All That Jazz
11. Please Come to Boston
12. Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer
13. Gracias a la Vida
14. Sweeter For Me
15. Love Song to a Stranger
16. Amazing Grace

 

[Xgm3]

 

[Dennie]

Ballads -- CD

Ben Webster

2011 Phoenix Records (Import)

In the 1950s, tenor-saxophonist Ben Webster was at the peak of his powers. His musical personality really featured two separate emotions: harsh and tough on the faster pieces and surprisingly warm and tender on the ballads. Webster uses the latter voice throughout this two-LP set. On all but four of 20 selections, Ben is backed by a string section arranged by Ralph Burns (except for "Chelsea Bridge" which was arranged by Billy Strayhorn) and, although clarinetists Tony Scott and Jimmy Hamilton and pianists Teddy Wilson and Hank Jones are heard from, the focus is otherwise entirely on the great tenor. The final four numbers, which matches Webster with Wilson in a stringless quartet, also stick to ballads. Music that is both beautiful and creative. ~ Scott Yanow

1. Chelsea Bridge
2. Love Is Here to Stay
3. It Happens to Be Me
4. All Too Soon
5. Willow Weep for Me
6. Come Rain or Come Shine
7. Prelude to a Kiss
8. Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me
9. My Greatest Mistake
10. There Is No Greater Love
11. Blue Moon
12. What Am I Here For?
13. We'll Be Together Again
14. Early Autumn
15. Until Tonight
16. Teach Me Tonight
17. My Funny Valentine
18. Sophisticated Lady
19. Almost Like Being in Love

Ben Webster - Tenor sax, with:

Tracks 1-4
Tony Scott - Clarinet
Mac Ceppos, David Novales, Mischa Russell - Violins
Richard Dickler - Viola
Rudy Sims - Cello
Billy Strayhorn - Piano, arranger, conductor
George Duvivier - Bass
Louie Bellson- Drums

Tracks 5-8
Jimmy Hamilton - Clarinet
Danny Bank - Clarinet, flute, bass clarinet
Sol Deutsch, Leo Kruczek, Julius Schachter, Jack Zayde - Violins
Burt Fisch - Viola
Bernard Greenhouse - Cello
Teddy Wilson - Piano
Wendell Marshall - Bass
Louie Bellson - Drums
Ralph Burns - Conductor, arranger

Tracks 9-16
Danny Bank - Flute, clarinet
Al Epstein - Clarinet, English horn, bass clarinet
Harold Coletta, Martin Donegan, Leo Kruczek, Harry Lookofsky, Gene Orloff, Tosha Samaroff, Paul Winter - Violins
Burt Fisch - Viola
Abe Borodkin, George Ricci, Lucien Schmit - Cellos
Hank Jones - Piano
Chet Amsterdam, Wendell Marshall - Bass
Osie Johnson - Drums
Ralph Burns - Arranger, conductor

Tracks 17-18
Teddy Wilson - Piano
Ray Brown - Bass
Jo Jones - Drums

Track 19
Billy Strayhorn - Piano, arranger, conductor
George Duvivier - Bass
Louie Bellson- Drums

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Straight Shooter -- CD

Bad Company

1974/1990 Swan Song 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