|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
  |
 |
|
USE THIS BLOG TO POST: Music Reviews |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ARTIST: Stevie Wonder SONG/ALBUM: Innervisions GENRE: R&B RATING: 9
The third album in the 1970s’ creative eruption of Stevie Wonder is a dazzler, revealing the many facets of his genius. There is MOR Stevie, crooning ballads “All In Love Is Fair” and “Golden Lady.” Jazz-fusion Stevie sailing through complex changes and riffs on “Too High. Latin Pop Stevie playing a fast-talking Romeo on “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.” And for the first time ever, an overtly political Stevie, crying out on the hard-driving “Higher Ground” and “Living For The City.” Lines such as “To find a job is like a haystack needle / ‘Cause where he lives they don’t use colored people” were miles from the genteel sounds Stevie was making just three years previous.
Not only was he pulling brilliant songs out of thin air like a musical Merlin, he was also producing, arranging and playing nearly every instrument on this record, including drums.
Innervisions also marked Stevie’s full-on embrace of electronic instruments. Tutored by synth masters Malcolm Cecil and Bob Margouleff, Stevie quickly seduced the wire-sprouting Moogs, ARPs and Clavinets into doing his soulful bidding. Check out the futuristic “Visions” to hear how even transistors and circuitboards can have hearts.
Along with Talking Book, Fulfillingness First Finale and Songs In The Key Of Life, this record is a milestone in R & B music, as vital today as it was thirty years ago. Posted December 11, 2006 10:04 AM | | |
ARTIST: Squeeze SONG/ALBUM: Argybargy GENRE: Pop RATING: 9
One summer afternoon in 1981, I went into the local record store with the intention of buying an album by the hard rock trio Triumph. That was my taste at the time. As I was browsing, I heard the needle drop on a record playing in the store. Suddenly, there was a burst of clean electric guitars, a driving drumbeat and a voice that sounded like the reincarnation of John Lennon circa '65. “They do it down on Camber Sands, they do it at Waikiki . . .” went the opening line. I got goosebumps. It was like nothing I’d ever heard. So melodic, so fresh, so energetic. That was my new wave conversion, at the hands of Squeeze.
Argybargy was a life-changing record for me, and twenty-five years later, I still adore it. The third album for this affable Brit band found songwriting team Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford hitting their stride in a major way. The combination of smarts, storytelling and pop charms on perfect three-minute songs like Pulling Mussels (From The Shell),” “Another Nail In My Heart,” “Misadventure” and “If I Didn’t Love You” warrants all comparisons to Lennon & McCartney. Songwriting doesn’t get much better than this.
Even with plenty of brilliant moments to come in their career, Squeeze would never quite recapture the magic of Argybargy. It was the Meet The Beatles of the ‘80s. Posted December 11, 2006 10:02 AM | | |
ARTIST: Fourplay SONG/ALBUM: X GENRE: Jazz RATING: 6
Keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Nathan East and drummer Harvey Mason were stars in their own right before forming Fourplay, a super group that has come to define the sophisticated, pop side of smooth jazz since releasing its debut album in 1991. Larry Carlton took over on guitar on the group’s 1998 album, 4, and Fourplay has continued to thrive, blending jazz, pop and soul into a sound characterized by impeccable musicianship, smart improvisations and a captivating, laid-back panache.
The group’s 10th album, X, is quintessential Fourplay – a 9-song set that revels in the easy, precise and harmonious interplay between James, Carlton, East and Mason. The quartet gets down to business right from the start with “Turnabout,” a catchy, urbane Bob James’ tune that juxtaposes tight, lyrical piano and guitar lines with a dynamic horn arrangement that recalls the theme from “Taxi.” The funky “Cinnamon Sugar” showcases Carlton’s fluid, intricate guitar in a swinging, tropical arrangement. Other highlights include Mason’s loungin’ “Kid Zero,” a slice of jazz-soul propelled by a cool bass line and funky vocal scat; and “My Love’s Leavin’,” a cool Fourplay update of the Steve Winwood chestnut featuring former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald on Posted December 5, 2006 10:39 AM | | |
ARTIST: Dusty Springfield SONG/ALBUM: Dusty In Memphis GENRE: Pop RATING: 9
It was Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun who had the idea. After hearing Dusty Springfield’s soulful take on the Goffin & King tune “Some Of Your Lovin’,” he thought, “Why not send Dusty down south to record with Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd?” It had worked like a charm for another of Ertegun’s divas, Aretha Franklin.
Springfield arrived at American Studios in Memphis with a bag of what she later called “left field” material. Aside from a few gritty R & B songs, such as “Son Of A Preacher Man” and “Breakfast In Bed,” she brought a Randy Newman ballad (“Just One Smile”), a Bacharach & David sophisticated number (“In the Land of Make Believe”) and an arty Michel Legrand theme (“The Windmills of Your Mind”).
The sessions didn’t go smoothly. Dusty felt intimidated by the setting, and her shy and painstaking way of working - one line at a time - was at odds with Wexler and Dowd’s more natural methods. Tempers flared. Ashtrays flew. At the end, Dusty was convinced that she’d delivered a disastrous recording. She refused to listen to the album.
And initially, the critics agreed. But time and distance has revealed this to be a masterpiece. An unlikely meeting of slinky Memphis funk, classically-influenced string arrangments and sophisticated material, all fused together by Springfield’s supremely soulful voice.
Re-released by Rhino in 1992 with a heaping plate of extras and lost recordings, this is an essential building block for any record collection. Posted December 5, 2006 8:43 AM | | |
ARTIST: k.d. lang SONG/ALBUM: Shadowland GENRE: Country RATING: 8
Twenty-five years after Patsy Cline died, her spirit returned to Nashville in the form of a big-boned vegetarian Canadian singer named Kathryn Dawn Lang. With a mission to pay tribute to her idol, k.d. surrounded herself with old guard country legends, including producer Owen Bradley, Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee and Kitty Wells, plus a session band of forgotten Music Row all-stars. She shunned the new digital technology of the time and recorded live to analog tape, not only recapturing the magic of Cline’s great records, but making one of the best country albums of the ‘80s.
After starting with the languid Chris Isaak-penned opener “Western Stars,” k.d. tips her hat to country songwriters, from Roger Miller (“Lock, Stock and Teardrops”) to Harlan Howard (“I’m Down To My Last Cigarette”) to Cindy Walker (“Sugar Moon”). As Cline often did, she also transforms a few jazz standards (“Black Coffee” and “I Wish I Didn’t Love You”) into weepy honky-tonk ballads.
The success of this audacious undertaking all hinged on one factor - lang’s voice. And she delivers in octave-spanning, skylark-soaring spades. As producer Bradley says in the album notes: “As a singer, k.d. is anything she wants to be . . . a rare talent with a great voice and an imagination to go along with it.” Posted December 5, 2006 8:42 AM | | |
ARTIST: Amos Lee SONG/ALBUM: Supply and Demand GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Smart, old-school soul music is making a comeback on the pop charts thanks to the rise of artists such as John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Van Hunt. Philadelphia native Amos Lee is certainly part of this latest neo-soul wave, but he comes at things from a different angle, creating music that is also deeply rooted in the folk and singer-songwriter movements of the 1970s. He’s certainly got a bit of Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers in him, but he also draws inspiration from the likes of James Taylor, John Prine and Neil Young.
Lee’s latest album, Supply and Demand, marries these influences with a seemless, easygoing panache. You can hear the soul in Lee’s rootsy falsetto and in the blues-and-gospel guitar and piano lines that propel most of the music. But the songs also ring with catchy pop hooks and the sort of smart, down-to-earth, obversational songwriting that marks the best modern folk.
The opening track, "Shout Out Loud," is the highlight – a wry, hummable tune, whose very catchiness belies its ironic, alone-in-a-crowded world lyrical message. There is topical folk, too, particularly with the song, "Freedom," with it’s deceptively simple, yet powerfully relevant message about the dangers of forcing one’s view of "independence" on another.
And, of course, there are love songs. But as you might expect, Lee approaches these from fresh angles. "Careless," for example, seems at first like a standard poem of betrayal. But Lee puts a spin on the tale, writing the song from the perspective of a man who throws away his relationship with his brother over the love of a woman. Posted December 1, 2006 3:50 PM | | |
ARTIST: Billie Holiday SONG/ALBUM: Lady In Satin GENRE: Jazz RATING: 9
As diaries of heartbreak go, this may be the most profoundly sad and honest series of entries ever committed to vinyl.
In February 1958, an ailing Billie Holiday entered the studio for what would be her final recording sessions. Though she was only in her early forties, hard living had taken its toll. She was gaunt and frail. Her voice was just a ghost of its former glory. And because she knew it, she was nervous. But she still had her greatest gifts: exquisitely languid phrasing and an ability to transform a lyric into a dramatic monologue. The songs she chose were harrowing unrequited love ballads, such as “I’m A Fool To Want You,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “I’ll Be Around” and “Glad To Be Unhappy.”
While every song is its own three-minute trailer for Holiday’s haunted life, none approaches the riveting emotional charge of “You’ve Changed.” When halfway through she cries out, “You’re not the angel I once knew / No need to tell me that we’re through,” you’re hearing the sound of a heart fracturing in two.
Holiday’s ravaged performances, backed by Ray Ellis’s autumnal orchestral arrangements, and solo spots by jazz aces such as Urbie Green and Mal Waldron, amount to a kind of beautiful pain, a sweet sweet suffering and a record that will stay with you long after the last note fades away.
If you’re in the mood for unrequited love, this is the masterpiece of the genre. Posted November 29, 2006 1:27 PM | | |
ARTIST: Randy Newman SONG/ALBUM: Little Criminals GENRE: Alternative RATING: 8
The thing about Randy Newman’s straight-faced satire is you don’t always know when he’s joking. Upon the release of his fourth album in 1977, the world beyond his cult following finally came face to face with this brilliantly acerbic composer, courtesy of a bouncy Top 5 hit called “Short People.” The newly initiated bobbed their heads, they sang along, but when they hit the line, “Short people got no reason to live,” their eyebrows shot up. “Wait a minute. Is this guy serious?”
As they got deeper into the album, they were probably further perplexed by material that bore no resemblance to songs they’d ever heard before. Newman was singing about a loan shark (“You Can’t Fool The Fat Man”), a grieving daughter (“Texas Girl At The Funeral of Her Father”), a boy who wants to be a policeman (“Jolly Coppers On Parade”) and a dying city (“Baltimore”). Admittedly, with his unsentimental bent and nasally voice, Newman takes some getting used to. But once you tune your ears to his frequency, you’ll be moved to both tears and laughter. He’s quite simply one of the most interesting, original songwriters of the last fifty years, and this is one of his quintessential albums.
The range of styles and moods here is remarkable. From the mysterious short fiction-like tale of “In Germany Before The War” to the Laurel Canyon country parody “Rider In The Rain,” Newman draws you into his three-minute worlds, gives you a quick tour, then moves on to the next exhibit.
For the uninitiated, this record is a fine place to start, followed by Sail Away and Good Old Boys. Posted November 29, 2006 1:22 PM | | |
ARTIST: Howard Jones SONG/ALBUM: The Best of Howard Jones GENRE: Alternative RATING: 8
Howard Jones is to music what Bill Paxton is to the movies. A perpetual underdog. An interesting character who consistently turns out good but underappreciated work. Not a household name, but one of those types that make you say, “Oh yeah, I like that guy.”
Since his debut in 1983 with “New Song,” this Brit has been quietly infiltrating the charts with his elegant keyboard-based pop. “What Is Love,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One To Blame,” “Like To Get To Know You Well” - Jones has landed in the Top 40 a whopping nine times.
Aside from songs that sport more hooks than the walls at the Guggenheim, what makes Jones so easy to like is his consistently upbeat, altruistic viewpoint. His lyrics explore themes of individuality (“New Song”), self-determination (“Pearl In A Shell”), aging (“Life In One Day”) and truth-seeking (“Always Asking Questions”) without ever sounding heavy-handed or trite. When you listen to a song like “Hide And Seek,” with its hope that we can all recognize humanity in each other, you can’t help but feel like a better person.
One of the nicest surprises here is a cover of Donald Fagen’s “I.G.Y.” With it chorus refrain of “What a beautiful world it will be” it’s a perfect fit for Jones’ own philosophy.
In all, this album contains eighteen good reasons to say, “Oh yeah, I like that guy.” Posted November 29, 2006 1:21 PM | | |
ARTIST: Tony Bennett SONG/ALBUM: Duets - An American Classic GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
At 80, Tony Bennett remains a picture of youth and vigor, a timeless classic of an American singer with an indefatigable capacity to turn the perfect phrase and swing. His latest project is an across-the-generations duets album that teams him with some of the top names in contemporary pop music, singing selections from the Great American Songbook. Bennett, of course, is intimately familiar with this material. Tunes such as “Lullabye of Broadway,” “Smile,” “Put on a Happy Face,” “The Good Life” and “The Best is Yet To Come” have been a part of his repertoire for more than 50 years. But are his younger partners on Duets – An American Classic up to the task?
Happily, most of them are. Bennett and Paul McCartney put a sly, romantic spin on the Ray Noble ballad “The Very Thought of You.” Elton John adds a Rat Pack-like flair to “Rags to Riches,” which Bennett took to No. 1 solo way back in 1953. Piano man Billy Joel shows off his own flair for sophisticated phrasing, dueting with Bennett on “The Good Life,” while Bono adds a boozy charm to “I Wanna Be Around.”
Other highlights include a swingin’ take on “Lullabye of Broadway,” with the Dixie Chicks adding their own harmonious kick. Pure jazz fans will dig the smooth, finger-snapping sophistication of the Bennett/Michael Buble rendition of “Just in Time,” and the swinging sass of the Bennett/Diana Krall take on “The Best is Yet to Come.” Posted November 12, 2006 1:25 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Peter Case SONG/ALBUM: Flying Saucer Blues GENRE: Alternative RATING: 6
In an age thick with singer-songwriters, it’s still rare to come across a serious tunesmith who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Someone, perhaps, with sufficient brains, wit and charm to pique a listener’s interest as quickly as Peter Case manages to do with the opening verse of Flying Saucer Blues. To wit: “The road that I’ve been on since I was two / Well, I just found out that it don’t go through / payday passed / my ship came and went / the apocalypse is over and I still owe rent.”
Given Case’s past flirtations with punk and pop success, most notably as a member of the Plimsouls, it’s tempting to read these lines as personal biography. But like virtually everything Case composes, the lyrics aren’t freighted with a sense of hidden meaning or deep significance. They’re merely the wry observations of a man who finds plenty of irony, humor and poignancy in the world -- enough, as it turns out, to make one impressive album after another. In some respects, Flying Saucer Blues doesn’t differ much from its entertaining predecessor, 1998’s Full Service No Waiting. Producer Andrew Williams returns to the studio again, along with a now familiar lineup of musicians. But, according to Case, “the last record was sparser. This one has deeper grooves.” He points to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul as a source of inspiration. “When they did Rubber Soul, the Beatles were still this little guitar band, but they were starting to write these great songs. They’d use these weird chords for dramatic effect.” If the Beatles connection isn’t always apparent on Flying Saucer Blues, there’s no shortage of great songs, or at least several songs that swiftly rise to the level of Case’s best work, which is no small accomplishment. In fact, what ultimately distinguishes this album from Case’s previous recordings are the songs themselves. Whether it’s the shamelessly catchy "Coulda, Shoulda Woulda," the heart aching lament "Cold Trail Blues" or the after-hours Memphis ode "Walking Home Late," the music conjures a variety of moods and places with refreshing honesty and understated ease.
Posted November 9, 2006 4:25 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Linda Ronstadt SONG/ALBUM: We Ran GENRE: Pop RATING: 6
The world of pop music is a very different place than it was back when Linda Ronstadt made her debut with the Stone Poneys. And Ronstadt, to be sure, is a very different artist, having moved from country, rock and R&B to big band, Broadway, Mexican, children’s recordings and back again in the ensuing decades. In the beginning, Ronstadt joined Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Laura Nyro, Grace Slick and a small but hardly silent cadre of female artists in reshaping the sounds of pop and rock in the ‘60s and ‘70s and, by example, paving the way for the Lilith Fairs of the future. Ronstadt brings her career full circle on We Ran. What is surprising here, though, is her choice of a producer: Glyn Johns, best known for his work with The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Clash. Where in the past Ronstadt was apt to tend even to the smallest detail, on these sessions she surrendered almost total control to Johns. The decision meant that Ronstadt could focus more on what she does best -- namely, demonstrate a vocal power and range that remains well beyond the reach of most of her peers and disciples.
The list of songwriters who contributed material to the album is indicative of Ronstadt’s search for songs that wouldn’t sound silly coming from a woman whose rock ‘n’ roll days are behind her. Among the standout tunes are John Hiatt’s restless rumination "When We Ran" and intriguing companion pieces by Bruce Springsteen ("If I Should Fall Behind") and Bob Dylan ("Tom Thumb’s Blues"). It’s also hard to find fault with the musicians who accompany Ronstadt. The cast features several old friends, including the Eagles’ Bernie Leadon and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, who, with Johns’ assistance, prevent We Ran from sounding like something it could easily have become, a purely sentimental journey. Posted November 9, 2006 4:20 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Natalie MacMaster SONG/ALBUM: No Boundaries GENRE: Folk RATING: 7
Question: Which of the following musicians does not hail from Canada: Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Jane Sibbery? Answer: none of the above. If you found yourself pausing for a moment to ponder the query, it's probably because American pop and rock is such a pervasive force that many artists lose their cultural identity in the mix. Not, however, Natalie MacMaster. Hearing her play the fiddle borders on an other-worldly experience, transporting listeners to Cape Breton, that hotbed of Scottish-rooted Celtic sounds, where music-making is an integral part of life. You might say MacMaster was born to the manner, since she's the niece of legendary Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster. It wasn't long before the potency of the family gene pool became apparent to all -- Natalie was recognized as a musical prodigy before she reached her teens -- and, inevitably, the enduring charm and vitality of ancient fiddle tunes cast a spell. In recent years, MacMaster has helped generate an unprecedented wave of interest in her native music, as has her iconoclastic cousin, fiddler Ashley MacIssac, who delights in reviving traditional music with punk-rock zeal.
MacMaster isn't remotely as extroverted as her cousin, but she shares his vision of a viable future for their musical legacy, one which honors tradition without being constrained by it. No Boundaries, MacMaster's fourth album, vividly illustrates the possibilities. It's a free-wheeling, free-spirited affair, imaginatively incorporating elements of rock, funk and even western swing with rootsy reels, jigs, hornpipes and, not to be missed, the gorgeously orchestrated air, "Silverwells."
Posted November 9, 2006 4:09 PM | | |
ARTIST: Dana Cooper SONG/ALBUM: Miracle Mile GENRE: Pop RATING: 6
When veteran singer-songwriter Dana Cooper performs "In My Living Room" on Miracle Mile, and thus whimsically evokes the early and innocent days of rock’s British invasion, anyone who witnessed the pop phenomenon first-hand probably won’t be much concerned with separating fact from fiction. Somehow, everything about Cooper’s remembrance of pop’s past rings true—everything, right down to the trademark palette of orchestral colors used by the Beatles’ legendary producer and arranger, George Martin. While nothing else on Miracle Mile is as instantly nostalgic as "In My Living Room," evidence of Cooper’s craft is evident. He writes from a variety of perspectives, alternating soul-searching soliloquies, such as "Standing In My Own Way," with vividly drawn narratives and vignettes, such as "Sleep Of The Innocent" and "Out Of My Misery." The latter lyric has a twist that a honky tonk George Jones could sink his teeth into — “I’m putting you out of my misery,” warns Cooper.
But if a lifetime of songwriting has taught him anything, it’s to be mindful of the danger of being too clever for your own good. As a result, Cooper has developed a highly personal tone as a writer, expressing himself with refreshing candor and resorting to neither cheap jokes or glib sentimentality to connect with his growing audience. The fact that he’s blessed with a voice that tunefully complements his sharp folk and pop instincts is the listener’s good fortune, as is the crisp production given this album by Nashville producer Josh Leo. It’s worth noting that Lyle Lovett, the author of so many similarly well-crafted songs, and Irish vocalist Maura O’Connell, a tireless performer of first-rate material, also lend their considerable talents here.
Posted November 9, 2006 4:01 PM | | |
ARTIST: Dolly Parton SONG/ALBUM: The Grass Is Blue GENRE: Country RATING: 8
Despite the success she’s enjoyed in Hollywood and on international tours, Dolly Parton has never really left home, or abandoned the bluegrass music that first inspired her to sing. Her love for southern string band music and tight, keening harmonies has never been entirely overshadowed by all of her achievements in pop music, television and film. Yet until the release of The Grass is Blue, Parton’s first full-length bluegrass album, recorded evidence of the singer’s devotion to music popularized by the likes of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and the Louvin Brothers has been parceled out only here and there, scattered across numerous albums that generally appeal to fans of mainstream and pop music.
On The Grass Is Blue, Parton decided to celebrate bluegrass without interruption or studio cosmetics. The musicians who greeted her in the studio were all seasoned pros -- respected pickers and singers including dobroist Jerry Douglas, mandolinist Sam Bush, fiddler Stuart Duncan and vocalist Allison Krauss. Parton brought along some of her own songs, both old and new, and soon the singer and ensemble were at work infusing an intriguing collection of tunes with the passion and spirit of bluegrass music. True, some of the songs were overhauled in the process. Billy Joel’s "Travelin’ Prayer" may seem an unlikely choice for a bluegrass album, but Parton’s adaptation works wonders, and with a little gender-bending she even manages to make the Louvin Brothers’ "Cash On The Barrelhead" sound as if it were always intended to be sung by a woman. Parton doesn’t interpret the old songs on the album so much as revel in singing them again. She takes particular delight in reprising Lester Flatt’s comical "I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open," brings a haunting tone to Johnny Cash’s "I Still Miss Someone," and reaffirms her often overlooked talent as a songwriter with compelling performances of "Will He Be Waiting For Me" and "Steady As The Rain." Reflecting on the results, Parton said, “I think The Grass Is Blue is the purest thing I’ve ever done.”
Posted November 9, 2006 3:53 PM | | |
ARTIST: Kelly Willis SONG/ALBUM: What I Deserve GENRE: Country RATING: 7
What Kelly Willis deserves is a major label contract, a platinum-selling record and a rapt audience at the Grand Ole Opry. Instead, she'll have to settle for knowing that her roots-rock is often more genuine, more heartfelt and more truly country than much of what Nashville sells today. On her Rykodisc debut, What I Deserve, the Austin-based performer recruits some of alternative country's most inspired sidemen, including John Leventhal (Shawn Colvin, Rosanne Cash) and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks, Golden Smog), to add color and texture to her classic, lonesome sound. Whether singing her own tunes or interpreting those of Nick Drake, Paul Westerberg or Paul Kelly, this artist knows how to use her pipes to their fullest effect and, just as importantly, knows when to lay back. The result is an album that blends retro twang with an amped-up blast of folk-rock, all delivered without the slightest hint of irony.
Posted November 9, 2006 3:47 PM | | |
ARTIST: Wilco SONG/ALBUM: Being There GENRE: Alternative RATING: 7
Sometimes an unfortunate turn of events can lead to something good. For alternative-country fans, the demise of the much-heralded Uncle Tupelo was a painful blow. But the disappointment was soon offset by the formation of Wilco, its equally acclaimed successor. On Being There, the band’s sophomore release, chief songwriter Jeff Tweedy crafted a sprawling double album that could serve as the White Album of the Americana movement -- a 19-track epic that spans a broad landscape of pop, country, folk and rock. Armed with a grab bag of instruments, including lap steel, harmonica, accordion, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, banjo and the usual guitar, bass and drums, Wilco’s five members allowed themselves the luxury to slow down and experiment in the studio while making this record. That creative breathing room is evident in the album's leisurely pace.
On Being There, the band’s music ambles from the laid-back bluesy feel of "(Was I) In Your Dreams," to the Beatlesque charm of "Hotel Arizona," to the unaffected vulnerability of "The Lonely 1." A swirling tapestry of encyclopedic influences, this is a project that, despite its scope, still comes across as an intensely personal document. Also recommended: Velvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies To God ; The Jayhawks - Tomorrow The Green Grass; The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Posted November 9, 2006 3:43 PM | | |
ARTIST: U2 SONG/ALBUM: All That You Can't Leave Behind GENRE: Rock RATING: 9
Musical trends wax and wane, and fame, as we know, is often fleeting. So admit it: when it comes to popular culture, absolute statements should be met with guarded skepticism. Still, U2 has undeniably established itself as the most influential rock band of its generation. As proof, just cue up All That You Can't Leave Behind, the band's 10th album and the third major milestone in its long, successful career. In 1987, The Joshua Tree swept across the musical landscape and established U2 as the pre-eminent band of the '80s. In 1991, the Irish rockers re-invented themselves with the dark ironies of Achtung Baby. Then, with two decades of music behind them, U2 reached the point where most rock bands become tired, timid, or simply spent. On this impressive album, however, Bono and his mates rushed headlong into the 21st century with one simple goal: to return straight-ahead rock to a place of pre-eminence.
Gone are the gimmicks that drained the life from the band's immediately previous efforts. Instead, the ill-advised theatrics are replaced by instant anthems that synthesize everything that has made U2 great for so long -- sweeping melodies, soaring lyrics, an unmistakable sense of purpose, and an unshakable belief in redemption. Bono has said that what he expects from rock is transcendence, the kind he associates with Bruce Springsteen. And that's what U2 delivers here, with music that arcs like a rainbow over a junkyard. Producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, whose names are synonymous with electronic moodiness, have kept the murkiness to a minimum on this album, and instead have allowed the band to showcase what each member does best. The Edge's chiming guitars add richly layered textures, in bold brush strokes and subtle nuances. Drummer Larry Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton construct an unfaltering rhythmic foundation. And most importantly, Bono voices the band's restless yearnings with clarity and conviction -- from the gorgeous sonic rush of "Beautiful Day," to the mid-life stirrings of "New York" and the awe-inspiring "Walk On," which would become the redemptive anthem of a nation following September 11th, 2001. All That You Can't Leave Behind is the kind of seamless, organic work that can only be created by veteran artists with a profound, instinctive sense of each other's talents. Grand but not grandiose, political but not pretentious, this musical masterpiece rouses the spirit and shocks the nervous system with a sense of splendor. Posted November 9, 2006 3:35 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Simply Red SONG/ALBUM: Greatest Hits GENRE: R&B RATING: 7
If you were anywhere near a radio in the 1980s, you're bound to recall Simply Red's breakthrough hit soaring across the airwaves. "Holding Back The Years," which dominated the pop charts in 1986, was a riveting ballad that introduced American listeners to the British band and its captivating lead singer, Mick Hucknall. With his shock of flaming red hair and irresistible vocal style, Hucknall became the overnight heir-apparent of "blue-eyed soul” -- a singer, like Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart before him, whose affinity for rhythm and blues seemed out of keeping with his English heritage.
Decades after that auspicious debut, Simply Red's Greatest Hits proves that initial claim to fame was just a hint of what was to come, and the beginning of a remarkable career that saw the band's sales top the 30 million mark. Formed in Manchester, England, Simply Red released its first album, Picture Book, in 1985. That debut not only included "Holding Back the Years," which Hucknall had written and recorded with his previous band, but another major hit, their no-nonsense cover of the Valentine Brothers’ "Money's Too Tight To Mention." With each successive album, Hucknall and company proceeded to top themselves, adding deeper levels of sophistication and soulfulness to every new recording. Five albums, twelve years of recordings, and a legacy of impassioned vocal performances are all documented in this Greatest Hits package, a snapshot that vividly captures Simply Red's finest moments. As a bonus, Hucknall also included here a new version of the Aretha Franklin hit, "Angel." Never one to be locked in the past, Hucknall also invited Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel from the The Fugees to join on him the track. It's that kind of freshness that first propelled Simply Red to the top of the charts, and the kind of creative vitality that is likely to keep them on iPods for many years to come.
Posted November 9, 2006 3:13 PM | | |
ARTIST: Beth Nielsen Chapman SONG/ALBUM: Sand & Water GENRE: Folk RATING: 7
In the title track, songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman crystallizes a lifetime of knowledge in a few simple lines: “All alone I came into this world / All alone I will someday die / Solid stone is just sand and water, baby / Sand and water, and a million years gone by.” The songs on Sand & Water give voice to a full spectrum of human experience, from the most exhilarating flights of joy, to the strongest undertow of grief. A few years before recording this album, Chapman was enjoying a flurry of commercial success as the composer behind such country hits as Tanya Tucker’s "Strong Enough to Bend," Willie Nelson’s "Nothin’ I Can Do About It Now," Lorrie Morgan’s "Five Minutes" and Trisha Yearwood’s "You Say You Will." She’d also scored a string of adult contemporary hits with her own recordings, including the singles "In The Time It Takes" and "The Moment You Were Mine." Then, in 1994, her world fell apart when her husband, Ernest, died of cancer. On this brave collection of reminiscences, Chapman transformed that tragedy into a life-affirming album that ranges from the upbeat "Happy Girl" to the devastatingly honest "Seven Shades of Blue." She’s joined on the album by guests Michael McDonald and Bonnie Raitt, with the talented Rodney Crowell serving as the project’s producer.
“The songs on this album reflect many stages of grief and healing for me,” said Chapman. “I hope this music will touch a chord with others who have lost a loved one,” she adds. “In my experience, there is no way around grief, only the way through to the other side.” On Sand & Water, Chapman offers solace, hope, and ultimately uplifting music for life’s long journey.
Posted November 9, 2006 2:50 PM | | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
