What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Nostalgia -- Deluxe Edition CD/DVD

Annie Lennox

2014 Blue Note Records

On Nostalgia, Annie Lennox pays tribute to some of the greatest artists of the 20th century – including Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Billie Holiday and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – and interprets compositions that have moved her, stripping them down to their emotional and musical core and making them her own. This beautiful deluxe package (created by Lennox herself) includes a 36-page bound book with photos and detailed notes on the songs created and lyrics as well as a DVD that features Annie discussing the album and a video of Lennox performing “I Put A Spell On You” live. "To have been given the opportunity to record these classic, timeless songs on such a significant label as Blue Note, representing 75 years of legendary jazz history, is truly a privilege for me," said Annie Lennox.

CD TRACK LISTING:
1 Memphis In June 2:47
2 Georgia On My Mind 3:55
3 I Put a Spell On You 3:32
4 Summertime 5:12
5 I Cover the Waterfront 2:59
6 Strange Fruit 3:46
7 God Bless the Child 3:03
8 You Belong To Me 3:22
9 September In the Rain 2:53
10 I Can Dream, Can’t I? 2:56
11 The Nearness of You 2:32
12 Mood Indigo 5:34

BONUS DVD:
RUN TIME: 22:18
NTSC Region 0
AUDIO: 2.0 PSM Stereo
SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian, Spanish

1 Annie Lennox Discusses Nostalgia 18:35
2 I Put A Spell On You (Live Performance) 3:43

 

[Botch]

5.1 DVD-A

 

[Botch]

:music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Brilliant Corners -- SACD

Thelonious Monk

1957/2004 Riverside Records

By the fall of 1956, Riverside was finally primed to unleash Thelonious Monk upon the jazz world--straight, no chaser. Two superb piano trio albums of covers had set the stage for Monk the composer to re-emerge with horns, and the pianist responded with BRILLIANT CORNERS, one of his greatest recordings, featuring three classic new tunes and two formidable studio bands.The Sonny Rollins featured on BRILLIANT CORNERS is a far more imposing presence than the young acolyte of previous Monk sessions--just witness the title tune. With its multiple themes, quirky intervallic leaps, idiomatic rhythmic changes and tricky transitions in tempo, it is one of Monk's masterpieces--a miniature symphony. So daunting were its technical challenges, that the final ending was edited on from another take. Rollins begins his solo with swaggering composure, boldly paraphrasing Monk's vinegary intervals and trademark trills, before navigating the swift rapids of the double-time chorus with deft syncopations. Monk plies dissonance upon dissonance in his first chorus, playing rhythmic tag with Max Roach on the out chorus. Ernie Henry's slip-sliding bluesiness is followed by a brilliant rhythmic edifice from Roach, who maintains melodic coherence at a drowsy tempo, then explodes into the final chorus.Elsewhere, "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" is a soulful, easygoing blues, and Monk's solo is a compendium of pithy rhythmic devices, bent notes and calculated melodic abstractions, played with enormous relaxation and swing. He concludes with heckling big-band figures that form the basis for Rollins' expressive rhythmic testimonies. Monk employs the bell-like timbre of a celeste to stunning effect on "Pannonica," one of his loveliest melodies and improvisations. And in closing, "Bemsha Swing" is a hard-swinging, conversational performance, with fine contributions from trumpeter Clark Terry, bassist Paul Chambers and Roach on drums and timpani.

Track Listing
1. Brilliant Corners
2. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
3. Pannonica
4. Dear I Surrender
5. Bemsha Swing


Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano, celeste); Ernie Henry (alto saxophone); Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone); Clark Terry (trumpet); Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers (bass); Max Roach (drums, tympani).Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York, New York in December 1956. Originally released on Riverside (226). Includes liner notes by Orrin Keepnews.Digitally remastered by Kirk Felton (1987, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California) Digitally remastered using 20-bit K2 Super Coding System technology.This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular & Super Audio CD players.

 

[Dennie]

Happy Sunday everyone....

In His hands -- CD

Gene Harris

1997 Concord Records

The Devil's Music and the Lord's, September 28, 2000
By Tim Smith "Tim Smith" (Bonney Lake, WA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: In His Hands (Audio CD)

Is this a jazz or gospel CD? The answer is: yes. Nothing challenging here, just some praiseworthy good times. If you have been fortunate enough to attend church meetings with keyboardists like the late (and greatly-missed) Gene Harris or Jack McDuff, then you know what much of the shouting is about at those big revival meetings. I'm a big Gene Harris fan and he was in fine form here, swinging particularly hard on "Battle Hymn of the Republic", "This Little Light of Mine" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." It's obvious that Gene loved and was comfortable with this music and these songs. The two biggest surprises for me (both pleasant) were "Amazing Grace" and "(Jesus Keeps Me) Near the Cross". When I first heard "Amazing Grace", I was sure it was Ray Charles. Vocalist Curtis Stigers does a beautifully soulful job on this timeless classic while Gene plays some very bluesy piano. "(Jesus Keeps Me) Near the Cross" is a duet between McDuff and Harris that brought back memories of my childhood. I was taken back to the days when I would be home from school and my mother would listen to Gospel radio all morning while she did her chores. How I would have liked to have heard Gene play "The Old Rugged Cross"!

When I first listened to this CD, I was slightly disappointed and nearly gave it only three stars. After a few more listens I realized, however, that the disappointment was due to my preconceived notions of what I thought the CD would be like. Once I accepted it for what Gene wanted it to be and not what I thought it would be, I grew to like it. Now, I listen to it quite often.

If you are under the impression that Gospel music is boring or that jazz can't be done reverently, give this a listen and see if maybe your opinion doesn't change.

Track listing

1. Lean On Me
2. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
3. Will The Circle Be Unbroken
4. Everyhting Must Change
5. Amazing Grace
6. Lord I've Tried
7. Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross
8. This Little Light Of Mine
9. Operator
10. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
11. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
12. Granpa's Hands

 

[Dennie]

The Wall -- Experience Edition - Remastered 3 CD Set

Pink Floyd

1979/2011 Pink Floyd/EMI-Capitol Records

Pink Floyd The Wall: Experience Version on 3CD

Experience Editions are expanded versions of classic albums in a Digipak bonus disc format. Included are the original remastered album, a disc of additional material and an expanded CD booklet.

This new Experience version of The Wall presents the original studio album (2CDs), digitally remastered by James Guthrie with a bonus CD featuring a selection of original album demo recordings from different stages of the album. Also featuring a newly designed Digipak and a new 32 page booklet designed by Storm Thorgerson.

One of the most acclaimed concept albums of all time, The Wall from 1979 is renowned as Roger Waters’ Rock Opera dealing with abandonment and personal isolation. Adapted for cinema by Alan Parker featuring Bob Geldof in the lead role, and featuring the unique artwork of Gerald Scarfe, the album also yielded the hit single "Another Brick In The Wall Pt2."

Pink Floyd The Wall: Experience Version Track Listing:

CD1: The Wall (Digitally Remastered by James Guthrie)
1. In The Flesh?
2. The Thin Ice
3. Another Brick In The Wall Part 1
4. The Happiest Days of Our Lives
5. Another Brick In The Wall Part 2
6. Mother
7. Goodbye Blue Sky
8. Empty Spaces
9. Young Lust
10. One of My Turns
11. Don’t Leave Me Now
12. Another Brick In The Wall Part 3
13. Goodbye Cruel World

CD2: The Wall (Digitally Remastered by James Guthrie)
1. Hey You
2. Is There Anybody Out There
3. Nobody Home
4. Vera
5. Bring The Boys Back Home
6. Comfortable Numb
7. The Show Must Go On
8. In The Flesh
9. Run Like Hell
10. Waiting For The Worms
11. Stop
12. The Trial
13. Outside The Wall

CD3: The Wall Selected Album Demos (previously unreleased)
PROGRAMME 1 (BAND DEMOS):

PRELUDE (VERA LYNN) - ROGER WATERS ORIGINAL DEMO
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PART 1)
THE THIN ICE
GOODBYE BLUE SKY
TEACHER, TEACHER
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 2
EMPTY SPACES
YOUNG LUST
MOTHER
DON T LEAVE ME NOW
SEXUAL REVOLUTION
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 3
GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD
PROGRAMME 2 (BAND DEMOS)
IN THE FLESH
THE THIN ICE
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 1
THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 2
MOTHER
PROGRAMME 3 (BAND DEMOS)
ONE OF MY TURNS
DON T LEAVE ME NOW
EMPTY SPACES
BACKS TO THE WALL
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 3
GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD
THE DOCTOR (COMFORTABLY NUMB)

 

[Dennie]

Julie Is her Name/Julie Is here Name Vol. 2 -- CD

Julie London

1955/58-1992 Liberty/EMI Records

The actress Julie London more than held her own amidst all the other jazz and pop singers of the mid-'50s. In fact, she was probably more successful in her recording career than as a movie star. "Cry Me A River" is a classic '50s track, right up there with June Christy's "Something Cool" and Chet Baker's "My Funny Valentine." The singer is aided immeasurably by the spare, sympathetic accompaniment of Barney Kessel on guitar. (In some ways, it's just as much his session as hers, which is why it sounds so much like real jazz.) One can imagine her performing this set in a small Hollywood club or even her own living room. She is relaxed and confident, and doesn't try to do too much vocally, which was a smart choice all around. One can only imagine what Marilyn Monroe would have sounded like in similar circumstances.

Julie Is Her Name (Mono):

1 "Cry Me a River" Arthur Hamilton 2:36
2 "I Should Care" Paul Weston/Axel Stordahl/Sammy Cahn 2:35
3 "I'm in the Mood for Love" Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields 2:28
4 "I'm Glad There Is You" Paul Madeira/Jimmy Dorsey 2:34
5 "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II 3:08
6 "I Love You" Cole Porter 1:58
7 "Say It Isn't So" Irving Berlin 2:00
8 "It Never Entered My Mind" Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 2:25
9 "Easy Street" Alan Rankin Jones/Carlton 3:12
10 "'S Wonderful" George and Ira Gershwin 1:33
11 "No Moon at All" Redd Evans/Dave Mann 1:53
12 "Laura" Johnny Mercer/David Raksin 1:37
13 "Gone with the Wind" Allie Wrubel/Herbert Magidson 2:05

Julie Is Her Name Vol. 2 (Stereo):

1 "Blue Moon" Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 2:20
2 "What Is This Thing Called Love?" Cole Porter 1:47
3 "How Long Has This Been Going On?" George and Ira Gershwin 2:46
4 "Too Good to Be True" Clay Boland 2:40
5 "Spring Is Here" Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 2:05
6 "Goody Goody" Johnny Mercer/Matt Malneck 1:55
7 "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else" Isham Jones/Gus Kahn 2:00
8 "If I'm Lucky" Josef Myrow/Edgar DeLange 2:16
9 "Hot Toddy" Ralph Flanagan/Herb Hendler 1:45
10 "Little White Lies" Walter Donaldson 2:00
11 "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz 1:50
12 "I Got Lost in His Arms" Irving Berlin 2:05

Personnel: Julie London (vocals); Howard Roberts , Barney Kessel (guitar). Ray Leatherwood (bass). Audio Remasterer: Bob Norberg.Audio Remixers: Ron Furmanek; Bob Norberg.Liner Note Authors: Dawn Eden; Bill Ballance.Recording information: 1955.Photographer: Phil Howard.

 

[Dennie]

Indigos -- 24/192khz DVD-A

Duke Ellington

2014 HD Tape Transfers

Title: Duke Ellington Indigos
Artist(s): Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
Recording Info: Transferred from a 15ips 2-track tape
Recorded by Columbia 1957 in NYC
Please Note: Tracks 1 & 8 had to be converted to DXD during
the mastering process for editing reasons

01. Prelude To A Kiss
02. Willow Weep For Me
03. Tenderly
04. Dancing In The Dark
05. Solitude
06. Where or When
07. Mood Indigo
08. Autumn Leaves

 

[Dennie]

Natalie Merchant -- CD

Natalie Merchant

2014 Nonesuch Records

New Music From Natalie = Bliss May 6, 2014
By Rooster
Format:Audio CD|Verified Purchase

I've loved the music of Natalie Merchant since my first 10,000 Maniacs cassette back in the 80's, remember cassettes? There's always been an undefinable quality in her voice that I've been drawn to. No one else sounds like Natalie. Each of her albums are favorites of mine for different reasons. I treasure them all. With this new album Natalie has only cemented her status as one of America's very finest singer-songwriters. I guess the thing I love most about Natalie's music is the sincerity that is present in her voice in each word she sings. There's no pretense, no vocal showing-off. She allows the songs to be heard and the words, melodies and phrasing are allowed to exist equally. There's a maturity in this collection both in her voice and in the words and melodies that she sings that I appreciate and am grateful for. I've listened to this album only twice (since receiving it early this morning), but I already feel as though these songs have become familiar and treasured musical friends. I'm sure I will wear this CD out. If you've been a fan of Natalie's past music, I guarantee you will not be disappointed in this new work. If you are somehow just discovering her - buy this album. It's a great introduction to her music. You'll then have all of her other music to discover - lucky you!

1. Ladybird
2. Maggie Said
3. Texas
4. Go Down Moses
5. Seven Deadly Sins
6. Giving Up Everything
7. Black Sheep
8. It's A-Coming
9. Lulu (Introduction)
10. Lulu
11. The End

 

[Dennie]

Best of bowie -- 2 CD Set

David Bowie

2002 EMI Records

Amazon.com

Though one of rock's most influential figures, David Bowie's accomplishments are pocked by some distinct ironies. His willful efforts at being a musical and visual chameleon spurred triumphs in genres as diverse as folk, glam, new wave, and electronica. Given the dizzying range and success of his '70s incarnations--from Ziggy to the Thin White Duke to the gaunt, goth-cypher of Low and Heroes--he seemed the artist most well-equipped to weather the changing tides of taste and trend, yet saw his career essentially shrink to cult status after scoring his biggest triumphs when he reshaped the soulless, dance-oriented club music of the early '80s into his own image. This 20-track compilation does little to address the Chinese puzzle that has been Bowie's post-'85 career, but it does deliver an artistically dizzying slate of hits as it skips from one early peak to the next, from evocative cabaret ("Space Oddity," "Changes") through muscular glam-rock ("Suffragette City," "The Jean Genie") to R&B ("Young Americans," "Fame") and post-punk flirtations ("Ashes to Ashes," "Fashion") to the dance-club hits ("Let's Dance," "China Girl," "Modern Love") and '80s one-off duets ("Under Pressure" with Queen, "Dancing in the Streets" with Mick Jagger) that essentially marked the end of his superstar reign. Whole eras and at least one classic '70s album (Low) go completely unaddressed, but all of Bowie's signature hits are here, as well as Earthling's powerful, underappreciated "I'm Afraid of Americans." --Jerry McCulley

Disc: 1

1. Space Oddity
2. The Man Who Sold The World
3. Changes
4. Life On Mars?
5. Moonage Daydream
6. Suffragette City
7. Ziggy Stardust
8. All The Young Dudes
9. The Jean Genie
10. Panic In Detroit
11. Rebel, Rebel
12. Diamond Dogs
13. Young Americans
14. Fame
15. Golden Years
16. TVC15
17. Sound and Vision
18. Heroes
19. D.J.

Disc: 2

1. Ashes To Ashes
2. Fashion
3. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
4. Under Pressure
5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
6. Let's Dance
7. China Girl
8. Modern Love
9. Blue Jean
10. This is Not America
11. Dancing In The Streets
12. Absolute Beginners
13. Time Will Crawl
14. Under The God
15. Jump They Say
16. The Heart's Filthy Lesson
17. I'm Afraid Of Americans
18. Thursday's Child
19. Slow Burn

 

[Dennie]

Happy Monday everyone.... :dance:

How Sweet It is -- CD

Joan Osborne

2002 Compendia Records

Amazon.com

With the proliferation of earthy rock chicks such as Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch, it might seem like an opportune time for Joan Osborne, who gathered Grammy nominations for her triple-platinum 1995 debut Relish and its breakthrough single "One of Us," to revive her flowing blues-and-folk roots. Rather than take the anticipated path, however, he New York singer offers a twist. Taking a page from Ally McBeal's resident torch singer Vonda Shepard, Osborne turns in an album of stylish covers of contemporary R&B classics. She wraps her husky voice around a supper-club version of Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine," underscores the message behind Edwin Starr's "War" at a funeral pace, and gives James Taylor a shudder with her lush, Eastern-tinged take on Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is." Most unexpected. --Aidin Vaziri

Track listing

1. I'll Be Around
2. Think
3. How Sweet It Is
4. Smiling Faces Sometimes
5. Love's in Need of Love Today
6. These Arms of Mine
7. Only You Know and I Know
8. War
9. Why Can't We Live Together
10. Axis: Bold as Love
11. Weight, The
12. Everybody Is a Star

 

[Dennie]

If You Want Me To - The Best of -- CD

Ginny Owens

2006 Rocketown Records

From Family Christian Website:

For the past eight years, fans worldwide have heard Ginny Owens sing of a love Without Condition and a willingness to walk through the valley. They’ve listened to her cries for Something More and her confessions of wrestling with what it means to be Beautiful. And most recently, Ginny invited listeners to come along on her own journey, to step inside her life, and to become a fellow traveler on the Long Way Home. Now, this talented singer/songwriter offers all of her best work to date in one complete package. If You Want Me To: The Best of Ginny Owens highlights the birth and growth of one of Christian music’s most acclaimed writers, showcasing both her numerous radio hits and her intimate portrayals of life and faith.

1. Free
2. I Am
3. Ginny's Story
4. If You Want Me To (A Night In Rocketown)
5. Remember Me
6. I Wanna Be Moved
7. Wonderful Wonder (New Version)
8. Something More
9. Call Me Beautiful
10. Fellow Traveler
11. 40
12. Live Once
13. Open Arms

 

[Botch]

Andy Jackson was the engineer on the last Pink Floyd album; his album above was reviewed in the new Sound-n-Vision so I gave it a try. Not bad at all, it's a good Surround Sound demo album. Oddly, it's mixed in quad; my sub isn't running and I wonder if the Yamaha has some setting to direct the lowest frequencies from the four speakers to the sub.

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Tears, Lies and Alibis -- CD

Shelby Lynne

2010 Everso Records

Product Description

With Tears, Lies, and Alibis the follow-up to 2008's Just A Little Lovin' and the first release on her own label, Everso Records, Shelby Lynne affirms her position as a visionary, iconoclastic artist who deftly weaves country, soul, rock, blues, pop and folk influences to forge her own unique style. Like Identity Crisis (2003) and Suit Yourself (2005), this sparse, unguarded collection was produced by Lynne, who evokes a live-in-the-studio vibe from a stellar group of musicians.

Born in Quantico, VA, she grew up in Jackson, AL and headed to Nashville at an early age. At 18, Lynne s demos landed her an appearance on TNN s Nashville Now series, which led to a Top 50 duet ( "If I Could Bottle This Up" ) with George Jones and a record deal. Following the release of the critically acclaimed I Am Shelby Lynne in 2000, she won the GRAMMY® for Best New Artist. She made her acting debut in 2005, playing Johnny Cash's mother in the Fox Searchlight motion picture Walk the Line.

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

 

[Dennie]

Funky Good Time: The Anthology -- 2 CD Box Set w/book

The J.B.'s

1995 Polygram Records

The J.B.'s recorded under various billings in the early '70s, including the J.B.'s, Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s, Maceo & the Macks, the First Family, the Last Word, and others. This double CD gathers 30 of the prime tracks by all of the above configurations from the first half of the '70s, including all nine of their chart hits and quite a few rare singles and long versions. Often, James Brown himself chips in with incidental vocals (though this is mostly instrumental) and keyboards. The two-and-a-half-hour program can start to sound monotonous if taken all at once, but it's prime, often riveting funk, jammed with lockstep grooves that vary between basic R&B vamps and imaginative, almost jazzy improvisation. ~ Richie Unterberger

Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Introduction To The J.B.'s / Doing It To Death - (complete version)
2. The (Parts 1 & 2) Grunt
3. My Brother (Parts 1 & 2)
4. Pass the Peas
5. Gimme Some More
6. J.B. Shout
7. Blessed Blackness
8. Hot Pants Road
9. Givin' up Food For Funk (Parts 1 & 2)
10. Honky Tonk (Part 1)
11. Dirty Harri
12. Watermelon Man
13. Parrty (Parts 1 & 2)
14. You Can Have Watergate But Gimme Some Bucks and I'll Be Straight
15. More Peas - (complete version)

DISC 2:
1. Gimme Some More - (previously unreleased)
2. 2 & 3) Same Beat (Parts 1
3. Back up and Try It Again, Party If You Don't Get It the First Time
4. Damn Right I Am Somebody
5. What Am I Buyin' I'm Payin' Taxes
6. Soul Power '74
7. Keep on Bumpin' Before You Give Out of Gas
8. Breakin' Bread
9. Rockin' Funky Watergate
10. Control (People Go Where We Send You) (Part 1)
11. Cross the Track (We Better Go Back)
12. All Aboard the Soul Funky Train
13. (It's Not the Express) It's the J.B.'s Monaurail
14. Future Shock (Dance Your Pants Off)
15. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time (Part 1)

Personnel includes: James Brown (vocals, organ, synthesizer, drums); Lyn Collins, Vicki Anderson (vocals); Phelps "Catfish" Collins, Hearlon "Cheese" Martin, Jimmy Nolen (guitar); Jimmy Parker (alto saxophone); Maceo Parker (alto saxophone, flute); St. Clair Pinckney (tenor saxophone); Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison, Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford, Russell Crimes, Isaiah "Ike" Oakley (trumpet); Fred Wesley (trombone, vocals); Bobby Byrd (piano); Dave Matthews (electric piano, organ); William "Bootsy" Collins, Fred Thomas (bass); John "Jabo" Starks (drums); Johnny Griggs (congas).Producers: James Brown, Charles Bobbit, Don Love, Fred Wesley.Compilation producer: Harry Weinger.Recorded from 1970 to 1976. Includes liner notes by Alan Leeds

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Traffic From Paradise -- CD

Rickie Lee Jones

1993 Geffen Records

Amazon.com

Traffic from Paradise is cause for celebration, for it contains flashes of Rickie Lee Jones' old alchemy, which turned beat poetry into pop hooks. Few melodies are as captivating as the one Jones sings against the skeletal acoustic guitar and bass backdrop of ""Stewart's Coat.'' On the uptempo, swing-folk ""Jolie Jolie,'' another nothing-held-back love song, her mumbly voice bends notes and smears them like a muted jazz trumpet. On her version of David Bowie's ""Rebel Rebel," she brings out the wounded insecurity lurking in the heart of every nonconformist. Traffic from Paradise is only the second album of original songs from Jones in 10 years, and the singer credits Leo Kottke for jumpstarting her stalled interested in songwriting. Kottke cowrote two of the new album's songs and plays guitar on six of them. --Geoffrey Himes

1. "Pink Flamingos" – 6:31
2. "Altar Boy" – 2:27
3. "Stewart's Coat" – 4:31
4. "Beat Angels" (Sal Bernardi) – 4:11
5. "Tigers" – 5:48
6. "Rebel Rebel" (David Bowie) – 4:39
7. "Jolie Jolie" – 4:26
8. "Running From Mercy" (Jones, Leo Kottke) – 6:01
9. "A Stranger's Car" – 2:53
10. "The Albatross" (Jones, Kottke, John Leftwich) – 3:12

 

[Dennie]

Stars -- Remastered K2HD CD

Janis Ian

1974/2010 Rude Girl-Columbia/Victor Japan (Import)

After a three-year (1971-1974) hiatus, singer/songwriter Janis Ian (guitar/vocals) reinvented her craft on the groundbreaking Stars (1974) long-player. Her penchant for hauntingly beautiful melodies and incisive lyrics remains at the center of Ian's craft as she weaves an array of uniquely expressive observations with timeless poignancy. She has publicly acknowledged that the introspective title track that opens the album was inspired by Don McLean's "Vincent." Ian's reflections are almost naked in their intimacy as she looks within the psyche of celebrity and draws comparisons between the respective astral and physical bodies that "Stars" inhabit, albeit briefly in either case. The song's sparse acoustic guitar self-accompaniment is somewhat an anomaly as the remainder of the album incorporates various backing combos. The cosy and laid-back "Page Nine" demonstrates a jazzier side to Ian's arrangements and features some inviting contributions from percussion legend and studio heavyweight George Devens (vibraphone), who had been performing in Ian's studio coterie since her second release, For All the Seasons of Your Mind (1967). "The Man You Are in Me" is instrumentally highlighted by Richard Davis (bass), who impels the rhythm and provides Ian with a sonic backdrop beguiling the listener into its practically hypnotic melody. There is also a fair share of folk-infused material, ranging from the easygoing and heartfelt peon "Thankyous" to the decidedly more political and strident "Dance with Me" -- which deals fairly directly with the Vietnam experience. Perhaps the best-known cut on Stars also obliquely references the war and is considered the disc's crown jewel. "Jessie" is a riveting love song that is as beautiful as it is soul-wrenchingly poignant. The delicate understated score only adds to the composition's empathy. "Applause" fittingly concludes the effort in a Broadway-esque fashion with a grandiose production reminiscent of something out of Cabaret or A Chorus Line. The understated and comparatively reticent middle section is dramatically bookended with an otherwise embellished and knowingly campy arrangement. Stars set the stage for Ian to further develop her mature and meditative themes utilizing a wide variety of musical styles -- a hallmark that separated her from her weepy and otherwise introspective peers. ~ Lindsay Planer

1. Stars
2. Man You Are In Me
3. Sweet Sympathy
4. Page Nine
5. Thank Yous
6. Dance With Me
7. Without You
8. Jesse
9. Youve Got Me On A String
10. Applause
11. Jesse (Live)

 

[Dennie]

Just Because I'm A Woman - Songs of Dolly Parton -- CD

Various Artists

2003 Sugar Hill Records

Amazon.com

It’s Joan Osborne who sums it up best in the promotional material accompanying this tribute album: " Dolly Parton is a gifted artist cleverly disguised as a media superstar and sex bomb." Osborne’s got it right. Beyond and beneath Parton’s well-publicized and oft-caricatured curves and angles, lurks the heart and soul of one of modern country music’s very best songwriters--the best, perhaps, since the great Loretta Lynn. In fitting celebration of the 35th anniversary of the release of Just Because I’m A Woman, Parton’s very first solo album, contemporary leading ladies of country and pop, including Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, Shania Twain, Joan Osborne, Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, and Sinead O’Connor have offered up worthy new interpretations of some of Parton’s classic compositions. That said, some of the highlights here are from lesser-known singers: Mindy Smith’s haunting rendition of "Jolene," Kasey Chambers’ bitter-sweet take on "Little Sparrow," and Allison Moorer’s tender turn on "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning." --Bob Allen

"9 to 5" - Alison Krauss
"I Will Always Love You" - Melissa Etheridge
"The Grass Is Blue" - Norah Jones
"Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" - Joan Osborne
"The Seeker" - Shelby Lynne
"Jolene" - Mindy Smith
"To Daddy" - Emmylou Harris
"Coat of Many Colors" - Shania Twain and Alison Krauss
"Little Sparrow" - Kasey Chambers
"Dagger Through the Heart" - Sinéad O'Connor
"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" - Allison Moorer
"Two Doors Down" - Me'shell Ndegeocello
"Just Because I'm a Woman" - Dolly Parton

 

[Botch]

I recently learned that Blood, Sweat and Tears' debut, Child is Father to the Man, was still available on 5.1 SACD, and I was excited to hear this classic in Surround! :banana-dance:

The Man In The Brown Shorts™ brought my copy tonight. Halfway through the second track, I grabbed the jewel case and looked through the song list... I've never heard this album before! :shock: Could've sworn I had it, it's a classic, right?? I'm currently on song 9 of 12, haven't heard a single one before in my life, wow.
The mix is okay, the music is... uh, meh. I'm now realized that Al Kooper formed this band, and they soon sacked him for David Clayton Thomas (vox), and a better keyboardist; honestly, his singing is meh and his keyboard playing sounds distressingly like mine. :doh:
This has been a weird experience. :|

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Paper Airplane -- CD

Alison Krauss & Union Station

2011 Rounder Records

A truly breathtaking collection of 11 exquisite songs, Paper Airplane is Alison Krauss' 14th album and the band's follow-up to 2004's triple Grammy® winning Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder). It is Krauss' first release since her 2007 internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum collaboration with Robert Plant, Raising Sand, which won six Grammys including "Record Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year."

Alison Krauss and Union Station features the talents of Krauss (fiddle and lead vocals), Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals). Paper Airplane was produced by the band and recorded in Nashville with engineer Mike Shipley (Maroon 5, The Cars, Def Leppard, Joni Mitchell). As bluegrass virtuosos the members of Union Station are beyond compare, and the music they create together transcends all genres. Their work on films such as Cold Mountain and O Brother, Where Art Thou? has contributed immeasurably to a renaissance of American roots music.

Part of Alison Krauss' incontestable talent is how effortlessly she bridges the gap between roots music and country, rock and pop. A highly sought-after collaborator, Krauss has worked with some of the biggest names in popular music, including James Taylor, Phish, Dolly Parton, Yo Yo Ma & Bonnie Raitt. Since signing with Rounder Records at the age of 14 in 1985 Krauss has sold in excess of 12 million albums and garnered 26 Grammy® Awards, the most for any female and the third most of any recording artist in Grammy® history.

1. "Paper Airplane" Robert Lee Castleman 3:36
2. "Dustbowl Children" Peter Rowan 3:06
3. "Lie Awake" Viktor Krauss, Angel Snow 3:55
4. "Lay My Burden Down" Aoife O'Donovan 3:52
5. "My Love Follows You Where You Go" Barry Dean, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose 4:03
6. "Dimming of the Day" Richard Thompson 5:20
7. "On the Outside Looking In" Tim O'Brien 3:35
8. "Miles to Go" Barry Bales, Chris Stapleton 2:54
9. "Sinking Stone" Jeremy Lister 4:42
10. "Bonita and Bill Butler" Sidney Cox 4:03
11. "My Opening Farewell" Jackson Browne 4:08
Total length:
43:15