Wednesday, July 23, 2008

More Dispatches

I was listening to NPR in the car yesterday and heard about a new Coleman Hawkins reissue.. What little they played, it sounded awesome.. If anyone has a copy of it, would ya burn me one?!

What have I been listening to lately? Well, as always, I've got an answer for that.

I recently had my CD player taken out of my car (for a second time) for repair. This time, I had Circuit City install an old tape deck I had. I then realized I had almost no tapes, albeit blank ones. So I went to Goodwill and picked up a few. One of them was Jackson Browne's "I'm Alive". I listened to it and suddenly remembered how much I secretly liked Jackson Browne. I then copied "Running On Empty" in it's entirety as well as "Saturate Before Using" for repeated listens in the car. For those who aren't too familiar with Browne's recordings, I highly recommend the following:

1. Something So Fine-Saturate Before Using- A great acoustic ballad with some great harmony vocals on it. I think this was the first song I really got into of his, besides Doctor My Eyes.
2. Jamaica Say You Will- Saturate Before Using- The lead track off his first, incredible album. Many covers have been done, I really like Tom Rushs' version (with Shawn Colvin providing backup vocals).
3. Take It Easy-For Everyman- Everyone knows this song! I know! It was co written with Glenn Frey of the Eagles, whom made a major hit with it. I like this version better, much better. Browne's simple vocals makes this a true gem and proves it takes more than lush California style vocals to do a song justice.
4. These Days- For Everyman- Most famously covered by Nico on her Chelsea Girl album. I can't decide which one I like better, as I like the strings on hers, but Browne really makes this the sad ballad it was.
5. The Pretender-The Pretender- One of Browne's best (and most famous) tracks from his 1970s releases. I think everyone feels like a pretender every now and again. I know I do. It's a really beautiful song.
6. The Road- Running on Empty- A great song about life on the road. In fact, the entire album is mostly about being on the road, as well as recorded on the road. This one has a really haunting electric violin as a foil for Browne's acoustic guitar for almost half the song, it's really awesome.
7. My Stunning Mystery Companion- The Naked Ride Home- A great song about settling down and falling in love with someone, mysteries, faults, and failures and all. It's an incredible song..

Let's see, what else?

The Shaw/Blades cover album called Influences.. It's not bad, a mostly middle of the road covers album with a few highlights. It certainly blows Rod Stewart's recent rock covers album out of the water! Their covers are mostly standard, very little variation from their counterparts.. but still a nice listen. I dig "Summer Breeze" "Lucky Man" and "Seen All Good People". The acoustic work on this record is stellar, bringing out fresher perspectives on these classic tunes.

When I was at Goodwill, I found a single of Wyclef Jeans' "Gone Till November" which I had completely forgotten had existed! It's AWESOME! It has a GREAT string section on it, as well as being able to boast that Bob Dylan makes a cameo in the video for it.

Also got a copy of Pearl Jam's late 90s album "Yield". I remember having a single from the album, I believe it was Given To Fly. I forgot how much I liked that album as well. Highlights include "Given to Fly" "Wishlist" and "Do The Evolution".

Also, let us not forget the Mighty Mighty Bosstone's "Let's Face It", their big commercial success. I recently "acquired" another copy of it.. Another great, forgotten album.. Highlights include 'The Rascal King' 'The Impression I Get' and 'Royal Oil'.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Blueberry Nights

There it was, I had "acquired" a copy of My Blue Berry Nights. The film stars Miss Norah Jones, jazz/pop superstar. It also featured Jude Law (whom I adore since his turn as Alfie) and Natalie Portman (whom I can't decide how I feel about). The film is a mish mash of multiple story lines connected by Jones. She does contribute songs to the mostly stellar soundtrack, but does not actually sing in the movie. My immediate reaction after seeing it? AWFUL! Jude Law was a little too intense, Jones a little too starry eyed with little substance to her character. Portman had a stand out performance, but still fails to bring real life to this hum drum film.

I was quite disappointed, to say the very least.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Semi Fresh Jams and Samples

I was hanging out with Colby recently as he was playing some tracks he was working on. He had managed to make samples out of The Wallflowers "One Headlight" that impressed me. He had also played me some beats he was working on with a friend. These beats eventually lead to the recording of an entire track. The results were pretty amazing, especially knowing the young hip hopper was like 14 or 15! I was digging through my record collection today, as well as my large mp3 collection, thinking of songs that I thought would make great samples. Instead, I started rummaging through some stuff I hadn't heard in a really long time. Despite going off track, it felt good to "go back" and hear some of the following songs again.

The first track I've been listening to today is Lucinda William's "Are You Alright" off of her most recent album West. The entire disc (like most of her albums) is fantastic. This particular song really struck me this afternoon.. It made me think of friends I haven't talked to or heard from in quite some time, made me wonder if they too, were alright.

Next is James Taylor's "September Grass" off of his recent studio offering "October Road". If any album had the mellow feel of a fall New England day, it's this disc. It's not uncommon for me to dig this record out when school resumes in the fall and play this cut over and over in the car. Say what you will about Taylor, I think it's a stunning track.

Following that, is Lindsey Buckingham's "Down on Rodeo" off of his "Under The Skin" record. I can't get enough of this album. I must have listened to it a million times before seeing him live last spring and another million following the show. It's one of the few tracks that could've been a Fleetwood Mac song, but lucky for us, wasn't. I believe it to be the most "pop" on the album, which isn't saying much. The entire disc is about as far away from Fleetwood Mac's famous brand of pop music as you can get without jumping genres completely.

Following that, is Paul Simon's soundtrack to his 1980 film, "One Trick Pony". This has got to be his most under-rated album in his entire catalog. The entire album is incredible. The majority of it about being a jaded, traveling musician, stuck on the road. Although seeing the movie adds a little context to the soundtrack, it stands firmly on it's own. My favorite tracks include "How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns" (I believe I played this a couple times on my show), "Late In the Evening" and "Nobody". Simon has a crack rhythm section to give plenty of color to this collection of great songs. Simon wouldn't return to the concept album until 1997s disaster, "Songs From the Capeman".

Another track I dug up was The Pursuit of Happiness' "I'm An Adult Now". I remember first hearing this song in the awful sequel to the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll High School". The film was a complete disaster, including Cory Feldman fronting a band attempting to play the prom. I did notice, on a recent viewing of the film (come on, it's a guilty pleasure.. I'm allowed!) that Larry Linville, better known as Frank Burns on the TV series M*A*S*H playing the principal. Anyway, I found the album in a stack I hadn't gone through in forever. The debut album had Todd Rundgren producing. This is a fun track, nothing to take serious here.

Lastly, Mike Nesmith. Yup, post Monkees. His first solo album, Magnetic South, is a masterpiece. That's right, I said it, it truly is a masterpiece. The man deserves some credit for helping to jump start the country rock movement (started by his peers, the Byrds). The album's opening track "Calico Girlfriend" is a great track. It gets better and better with repeated listenings. I highly recommend this album to anyone who digs country rock or those who are into the alternative country scene.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Brian's CD

I used to make all my friends CDs all the time. Sometimes it was used to describe how I was feeling with life at the time, other times, it was simply to try and turn them on to "new" sounds. I try not to make the discs get too "weird" or eccentric, as I don't want them to be completely turned off. This usually means any jazz or classical I've been listening to lately, eventually gets left off. For example, this disc had two jazz cuts, but in an effort to make the disc somewhat consistent, I took them off.

Back in the day, mixes were usually accompanied with a note sheet explaining why I put them on. Sometimes hints as to where to listen closely. I began writing these notes for this disc, but thought I'd share them with you folks as well.

1. C'Mon- Guster
One of my favorite tracks off of their most recent album, Ganging Up On the Sun. Although I really dig the album, it's a mixed bag for some Guster fans. The previous album, Keep It Together, the skip button wasn't needed, at all. Even me, a huge fan of the band, can't help put skip through a couple of tracks. C'Mon is one of my favorite tracks off the album. It's got a great mix of the band, everyone is highlighted.

2. Them Changes- Buddy Miles
It's taken me a long time to track this sweet jam down! I remember hearing it in Remember The Titans, for only a minute. Once I found out what the track was, I hunting the record stores, trying to find a copy of the song. This is the result of that trek. Interesting historical note, Buddy Miles was Jimi Hendrix's drummer during his "Band of Gypsies" phase, post The Experience.

3. Jools and Jim- Pete Townshend
A kickin' track from his second and most successful solo album, Empty Glass. The whole thing is awesome, especially if you compare it to the pair of albums he released with the Who at the time. This one is very punk. It's great.

4. Slow Turning- John Hiatt
I will be the first to admit, Hiatt is hard to get into. His music grew on me, very slowly. By the time I got around to hearing the Slow Turning LP, I had become a fan. This is one of my favorite Hiatt tracks.

5. Let The Good Times Roll- Louis Jordan
A classic blues jam, a great toe tapper.

6. Five Guys Named Moe- Joe Jackson
Picture this: Early 80s. Punk and New Wave are all the rage. Jackson has success with his first album which included the single "Is She Really Going Out With Him?". Then he turns around and does a jazz/big band album. This is one of the many highlights on the album. This was an old 40s big band standard, updated. Members of Elvis Costello's band, the Attractions, play on this record.

7. Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave- Dave Mason
Dave Mason had left the semi successful band Traffic and did his first solo album. The entire album is awesome.. This is one of my favorites on it. This one clearly defines "classic rock" at it's best.

8. Digging a Ditch- Dave Matthews Band
I've been listening to a little bit of Dave lately. This song is off of their album Busted Stuff, which is one of my favorites by the group. This is a nice, mellow song.

9. Rosalita- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
A great Early Springsteen classic! This one should be played more! It's got some great Sax on it, played by The Big Man. It's a great car song, roll down the windows, crank it up!

10. Delirious Love- Neil Diamond
I know, I know.. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I HATE Diamond. I always tied him with the same string as Streisand. Then he hooks up with producer Rick Rubin and makes a fantastic album! Rubin has a history of making great records, most notably the last few Johnny Cash albums and the Dixie Chicks' stellar album Taking The Long Way. This is my favorite song on the record.

11. None of Us Are Free- Solomon Burke
This track takes me places everytime I hear it. Solomon Burke continues to make great albums. This is a highlight off of the Don't Give Up On Me LP. The album has many great collaborations on it including Van Morrison and Elvis Costello

12. Helpless- KD Lang
Lang's interpretation of the great Neil Young song should be forever known as the definitive version. Heartbreaking and beautiful, it pulls together everything Young's voice couldn't do. Not that his was bad, but this one brings it to a whole new level.

13. Knocked Up- King of Leon
Someone mentioned this group to me, so I downloaded (at the time) their most recent album. I was immediately struck with this track, which happened to be the album opener. It starts off with a build up and then lets loose, only to fall back into the build up again.. It's great.

14. Somebody's Gotta Change Your Mind- Lindsey Buckingham
Buckingham is a personal hero of mine. He goes from making finely crafted pop records with Fleetwood Mac to making intensely personal solo albums. This track is my favorite off of his last studio album Under The Skin. He's got quite an impressive catalog, post Fleetwood Mac, which is sadly overlooked. His production, playing and songwriting skills haven't sounded so good since Fleetwood Mac's Tusk.

15. Basin Street Blues- Louis Prima
Okay, fine, one jazz track. Prima, who is sadly most remembered for voicing King Louie in Disney's Jungle Book.. But was an incredible showman who had a knack for making really fun records. I always tried to play Prima whenever I could on the show.

16. Dashboard- Modest Mouse
A fun track off their most recent album, The Ship Was Sinking..

17. Please Read The Letter I Wrote- Robert Plant and Allison Krauss
Originally on Page and Plant's reunion album Walking Into Clarksdale, this song was resurrected for this collaboration. It's an incredible duet.. The two most unlikely people to work together, not only made a good record, but made a GREAT record. This, although at the surface appears to be a vanity project, turns in much more than I ever expected. The entire album is beautiful, but this track strikes me the most.

18. Slow Dancing In a Burning Room- John Mayer
I don't care what anyone says, Mayer is the king. He's over the bubble gum bullshit and become a full fledged artist. I knew this long before he became famous, his major label debut showed lost of promise, but his last studio album brought it all together. Continum will brings together all the great pieces of Mayer and places it all neatly on one disc. You've got the pop side, but you've got the blues man, the word man, the guitar man.. This is becoming one of my favorite tracks off the album.

That about does it..

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Jesus On The Radio..

As many of you know, the station I worked for, first as a board operator and then a personality, closed on the first of June. It was bought out by a faith based corporation and eliminated our jobs, as well as all local content.

I walked away feeling really disappointed.. but kept some hope alive. I thought for sure, something good would come out of it. It was mentioned to me on closing day, that two of the stations 'big guys' were gonna do a startup on their own. I was really excited about that.

It's been told to me tonight that this is no longer happening. One of the two has taken a new job and will not be apart of the new venture. I have little information to go on, but know that that information comes from a very credible source.

I ask all of you to keep your fingers crossed.. I miss being on the air and look forward to coming back in some form. If anyone knows the folks at 93.5 WMWV in North Conway.. Put in a good word, would ya?!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

More Music for Fourth of July Week

Greetings All

I hope everyone is enjoying the interesting weather the summer has brought thus far. I figure, as long as it's raining, or soon to rain, that it's keeping things from getting too hot.

Anyway: Music for this week

Nick Lowe- Jesus of Cool- Reissue

Lowe's great 1978 has been given the reissue treatment. Fidelity wise, it hasn't been all that improved, but the bonus tracks are a nice touch for someone who hasn't heard a Lowe record before. Highlights include: I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass, Marie Provost, and So It Goes

Chicago- Stone of Sisyphus

For fans of Chicago, this album was the holy grail. It was an album they put together (without Peter Cetera) during the mid 90s or so, but was denied release by the record company. It's finally seen a release, but after hearing it once, I couldn't believe what a new level of suck Chicago has managed to sink to. Don't get me wrong, I love Chicago, I even like some of their 80s cheesey stuff, but this is dribble. There are no highlights on this album.. It's GOD AWFUL.

The Black Crowes- War Paint

The Robinson brothers have patched things up enough to complete work on the new Crowes album.. Simply put, the album is great! It's a return to form, back to the "Hard To Handle" type licks. It sounds similar to a late 60s Stones album (Sticky Fingers, Exile on Mainstreet) sound. The whole album contains some great career highlights for the Robinson brothers.. I highly recommend this record!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Flight

Hey Everyone

So, for those of you who don't know, I had my CD player taken out of my car this week. Suddenly, it stopped ejecting CDs. I bought an extended warranty on it, but in my infinite wisdom, didn't keep the radio that the Saturn had come with, so now I'm jam-less in the car.

Never the mind though, my head is like a jukebox.. I discovered this as I was driving Saturday and in my boredom, started to sing a bit.

Highlights included tracks by The Flight of the Conchords.. If you haven't heard of 'em, they have a show on HBO.. a humorous look at the independent music business.. Check 'em out on You Tube.