text:
As the 1950s recede in the memories of those who lived through them, and as more people who weren't around then assume responsibility for taking care of pop culture, the myth begins to overtake the reality. And as far as music is concerned, the myth is this: Popular music in the early 1950s was boring and sterile until rock 'n' roll suddenly burst onto the scene, giving birth to a new kind of radio, Top 40, that catered to teenagers.

As myth goes, that's OK, but the reality was more nuanced. To begin with, Top 40 radio was around before rock 'n' roll, and it originally was aimed largely at housewives and blue-collar adults in general; when rock 'n' roll appeared, Top 40 radio was ready, and so were the teenagers who bought little transistor radios so they could listen. As for rock 'n' roll itself, it didn't burst so much as creep up on everyone, crossing over from country and R&B into the pop sphere somewhat gradually, culminating in the arrival of Elvis Presley, who really did seem to hijack the music scene the way the Beatles would 10 years later. But in the 1950s, rock coexisted on the airwaves and in the charts with the pop styles and artists that were already established - Patti Page, Frankie Laine, Tony Bennett, etc. - and much of their output was every bit as catchy and gimmicky as anything in early rock, with elaborate production techniques, novel sounds and hooks designed to jump out of the radio or jukebox and tickle the ears.

Which brings us to these CD collections: they allow us, year by year, to hear the new sound gradually emerge amid the pop, R&B and country hits of the day, including a lot of wonderful stuff that the rock generation long ago consigned to Orwell's memory hole. (Note, however, that the `Golden Decade' chronicled actually runs from 1948 to 1957, presumably for copyright-related reasons.) One of the great lost gems here is Frank Sinatra's 1952 'Bim Bam Baby' on Vol. 9, a proto-rocker that's as outlandish as it sounds, but which also points ahead to the great Capitol years in its aggressive arrangement and Sinatra's powerful delivery. (Is it because he's doing all he can to keep from running into the booth and strangling Mitch Miller?) There's also a fair amount of British material here, presumably in the interest of reaching an wider clientele; most Americans probably will know only Lonnie Donegan and Petula Clark, who sounds nothing like the Petula who stole Yankee hearts in the '60s. (Among the stranger British offerings, you haven't lived until you've heard the very English Max Bygraves, on Vol. 20, sing 'Ballad of Davy Crockett,' complete with children's chorus; Bygraves also contributes a funny lampoon of American pop songs, called 'Cowpuncher's Cantata,' on Vol. 9.)

In the pre-rock Fifties, several artists and their labels would put out competing versions of songs that looked like hits, and so you get several different treatments of the same tunes over the course of these albums - some by British artists, some tailored to the country or R&B markets. And make no mistake: Pat Boone's version of 'Tutti Frutti,' for example, is every bit as important to our understanding of the Fifties as is Little Richard's.

Finally, about the presentation: Each volume is a hardcover book, slightly smaller than an LP, containing thumbnail biographies (in English and German) and chart information, plus photos, record sleeves, posters and other illustrations. The four CDs, totaling 80 tracks per set, are mounted inside the back cover. This format makes these volumes hugely attractive to collectors, though there are some amusing oddities among the illustrations: Nat Cole's 'Mona Lisa' is represented, not by Leonardo's original, but Marcel Duchamp's goateed version, and in place of the white crooner Don Cherry (`Band of Gold') is a photo of the black trumpeter.

Overall, this series may be the last best chance to hear the 1950s as we heard them then. Amassing all 25 is a pricey proposition, but each volume stands alone as a treasure trove and time capsule in its own right.

Tracks included in this volume:
CD 1 / Total Time: 54:02
1. CHUCK WILLIS - Don't Deceive Me 03:01
2. THE HILLTOPPERS - I'd Rather Die Young 02:47
3. HANK SNOW - For Now And Always 02:05
4. LITTLE WALTER - Off The Wall 02:48
5. KAY STARR - Changing Partners 02:53
6. BILLY WARD & THE DOMINOES - ? These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You 03:03
7. HANK WILLIAMS - I Won't Be Home No More 02:44
8. THE FIVE ROYALES - Baby Don't Do It 02:44
9. MITCHELL TOROK - Caribbean 02:25
10. JOHNNY ACE - The Clock 02:58
11. BIG MAYBELLE - My Country Man 02:33
12. RED FOLEY - Hot Toddy 02:37
13. FAYE ADAMS - I'll Be True 02:48
14. BIG MAMA THORNTON - Hound Dog 02:50
15. THE MIDNIGHTERS - Annie Had A Baby 02:40
16. KAY STARR - Allez-Vous-En (Go Away) 02:35
17. HANK SNOW - When Mexican Joe Met Jole Blon 02:19
18. AMOS MILBURN - One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer 03:10
19. HANK WILLIAMS - Weary Blues From Waitin' 02:35
20. WILLIE MABON COMBO - I'm Mad 02:35

CD 2 / Total Time: 53:03

1. MARILYN MONROE - Heat Wave 04:22
2. WEBB PIERCE - It's Been So Long 02:19
3. BIG MAYBELLE - Way Back Home 02:45
4. CARL SMITH - That's The Kind Of Love I'm Looking For 02:41
5. HANK THOMPSON - Rub A Dub Dub 02:14
6. THE HILLTOPPERS - To Be Alone 02:56
7. JOHNNY ACE - Saving My Love For You 02:38
8. THE CLOVERS - Good Lovin' 02:59
9. WEBB PIERCE - I'll Go On Alone 02:42
10. CARL SMITH - Orchids Mean Goodbye 02:44
11. HANK WILLIAMS - I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive 02:26
12. MARILYN MONROE - Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend 03:30
13. WALLY COX - There Is A Tavern In The Town 02:17
14. THE FOUR LADS - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) 02:20
15. JULIUS LaRosa - Eh Cumpari 02:25
16. CARL SMITH - Just Wait 'Til I Get You Alone 02:36
17. THE CLOVERS - Crawlin' 02:34
18. HANK THOMPSON - No Help Wanted 01:58
19. WEBB PIERCE - That's Me Without You 02:19
20. BILLY WARD & THE DOMINOES - Pedal Pushin' Papa 02:28

CD 3 / Total Time: 51:20

1. BILLY WARD & THE DOMINOES - Rags To Riches 02:40
2. CARL SMITH - Trademark 02:18
3. RALPH FLANAGAN & HIS ORCHESTRA - Hot Toddy 03:01
4. HANK THOMPSON - Yesterday's Girl 03:06
5. THE CLOVERS - Comin' On 02:47
6. WEBB PIERCE - I Haven't Got The Heart 02:06
7. THE FOUR LADS - Down By The Riverside 02:32
8. MARTY ROBBINS - I Coudn't Keep From Crying 02:45
9. RAY ANTHONY & HIS ORCHESTRA - Dragnet 02:48
10. CARL SMITH - Do I Like It 02:34
11. TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD - Hey Mister Cottonpicker 02:21
12. THE FOUR FRESHMEN - It Happened Once Before 02:28
13. WEBB PIERCE - I'm Walking The Dog 02:26
14. RAY ANTHONY & HIS ORCHESTRA - The Hokey Pokey 03:12
15. TINY BRADSHAW - Heavy Juice 01:48
16. JOHNNY HORTON - S. S. Lureline 02:01
17. THE FOUR KNIGHTS - Oh Happy Day 02:21
18. CARL SMITH - Satisfaction Guaranteed 02:59
19. WEBB PIERCE - Don't Throw Your Life Away 02:35
20. RAY ANTHONY & HIS ORCHESTRA -
O mein Papa (O My Papa) 02:42

CD 4 / Total Time: 53:55

1. THE PENGUINS - Earth Angel 02:55
2. DORIS DAY - If I Give My Heart To You 02:48
3. HANK SNOW - I Don't Hurt Anymore 02:54
4. STUART HAMBLEN - This Ole House 02:54
5. BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS - Shake, Rattle And Roll 02:28
6. WEBB PIERCE - More And More 02:24
7. PATTI PAGE - Cross Over The Bridge 02:32
8. ARCHIE BLEYER & HIS ORCHESTRA - Hernando's Hideaway 02:31
9. RAY PRICE - Release Me 02:40
10. KAY STARR - If You Love Me (Really Love Me) 02:47
11. THE AMES BROTHERS - The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane 02:48
12. FRANK WEIR - The Happy Wanderer 02:42
13. LOU MONTE - Darktown Strutters Ball 02:40
14. THE McGUIRE SISTERS - Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight 02:50
15. DAVID WHITFIELD & MANTOVANI'S ORCHESTRA - Cara Mia 03:07
16. DON CORNELL - Hold My Hand 02:46
17. KITTY KALLEN - In The Chapel In The Moonlight 02:49
18. NAT KING" COLE - Answer Me My Love 02:52
19. ELVIS PRESLEY - That's All Right 01:55
20. THE FOUR TUNES - I Understand Just How You Feel 02:42


title: Fright Night

text: When I purchased this CD I really should have read the fine print so buyer beware, this CD is only the musical score and contains none of the actual songs from the film.  Know which one you prefer ahead of time.  If the songs are what you want then do not purchase this.  If you are after just the music then this is your CD.  To me the songs are what made the music.  Although there are a few tracks on this CD that will evoke memories of the film it is the actual songs that set it apart and they should have been included on one CD.  Again, buyer beware.


title: Five Stars

text: Loved this. 4 year old is constantly singing the songs! Great as a bedtime story.


title: Four Stars

text: Ok stuff. doesn't quite sweep me away.  Tony


title: Five Stars

text: great!! Do it again!!


title: Yep

text: damn right its good. all the CD;s of Hamilton Trio are great.


title: Spunky Monty Alexander

text: For 21 years artistry This is a revelation within itself I was actually sixteen years of age the first time I heard it and who ever the DJ was that played it ( I believe it was Marty Fay out of new york at the time anyway they noted his age which was 21 at the time, and thought to my self thats real good for that age , and have been captured every since, with monty I feel the piano and the artist that are with him only compound the feeling Hat's off to you monty may your memory stay present always and feelings never cease,


title: Ducky

text: As usual with Odell Brown and The Organizers always good Listening and as specially if you like horns The blends are superb I regard this album as a kick around of tasteful sound well done guys well done


title: 2 first rate albums by a restrained, swinging Jacquet, in 2 different settings

text: Jacquet’s first 2 Argo (later Cadet) albums, linked by the appearance of Kenny Burrell. For the most part, this is not the Jacquet of the JATP era, but a more restrained and tasteful (yet swinging) tenor. The second of the 2 - ‘Desert Winds’ (1964) - has had an “official” Verve release, and can be easily found here on Amazon, often as an inexpensive used CD. Its a straightforward session, mostly standards, and pianist Tommy Flanagan is his usual tasteful self - a plus on any recording. The first album - ‘The Message’ (1963), never before on CD - finds Jacquet in a more soul-type session, with organ, a second guitar, and added percussion. The title tune uses the same base line as ‘Comin’ Home Baby,’ also composed by the bass player on this session (Ben Tucker), and ‘Bonita’ is as groovy as anything from this period (it has a similar feel to Burrell’s classic ‘Chtlins Con Carne’). Jacquet is a slightly more histrionic on this album, but it suits the setting. Kenny Burrell is right at home in this genre, as he is in the more standard ‘Desert’ album. All in all, 2 enjoyable albums, representing ‘60’s jazz at its best - not groundbreaking, maybe taken for granted at the time, but well worth having. 4 1/2 stars.


title: If you must hear Art Farmer playing “The Sidewinder”....

text: Art Farmer’s fine mid-60’s group (Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton) playing the Jazz “hits” of the day. Nice playing all around, of course, fun to hear them tackle these tunes, but the problem is that the material (all pretty familiar - 4 from the Blue Note catalog, a couple associated with Cannonball, “Take Five,” “In Crowd”- plus a couple ballads) is so much stronger in the original versions - all which are easily obtainable. Nothing wrong here, though, maybe slightly tepid. Farmer sounds best in the 2 ballads, which play to his strengths. The same group’s earlier album for Columbia - “The Time and the Place” (the one passed off as a “live” concert) - is excellent, and well worth seeking out. This is also worth seeking out, my reservations aside,  but at this point it might be hard to find.


title: Beware! Not Exactly a Miles Davis Record...

text: This obscure 1946 recording features a small contingent from the Billy Eckstine band accompanying 2 little known singers in multiple takes of 4 numbers. The selling point is that the contingent features future greats Miles Davis, Gene Ammons and Art Blakey! But, based on this, you would never know they would go onto great things. The playing and singing is fine, but also routine. And the format, with multiple takes of the songs, is numbing; one take of each would be enough. I guess this might be of slight interest to the Miles Davis completist, but I would put it at the bottom of my list. I actually got this for Gene Ammons.  The liner notes are excellent. 3 stars is generous.


title: Strong mid-‘50’s Basie, with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams featured on many of the 17 selections

text: A collection of material from five 1956 sessions (and one from’57), with appearances from Ella and Joe Williams (separately and together), several  strict instrumentals, everyone in their prime. This Basie band featured Thad Jones, Joe  Newman, Frank Foster, Frank Wess - one of the strongest Basie lineups. What makes this a real standout is the selections that originally appeared on the “Metronome All-Stars 1956” LP - almost impossible to find, and  “Party Blues” (with Ella, Joe and a small group from the Basie band) alone would make this essential. No kidding. You might already have plenty of Basie in your collection, but this is a real find. (There are reviews here for a CD with the same cover that say this is a “live” session, mention musicians like Clark Terry - not sure where that’s coming from, but this album is as I’ve described.)


title: Nice Collection of Mid-‘50’s Basie, Including Ella and Joe Williams at the Top of Their Game

text: Not sure what album the other reviewers are talking about here, but it’s certainly not the one pictured here. This is no “live” recording, there’s no Buddy Tate, Clark Terry or Lester Young, but a collection of materials from a half dozen sessions (5 from 1956, 1 from ‘57), some featuring Ella Fitzgerald or Joe Williams (or both together), some strictly  instrumentals.  The ‘56 Basie band featured strong lineup that included Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Frank Foster, among others. It’s a wonderful collection, worth having for the material from the “Metronome All-Stars 1956” that appears here, but the whole CD is strong, with good sound.  Prime mid-‘50’s Basie. I found it somewhere on the Amazon site for a lot less - keep scrolling!


title: Jimmy Smith’s Trio In A Wild Performance Of Some Of His Most Popular Numbers

text: Don’t miss this! 2 CD’s of Smith in the format that made him famous. A tight trio in a wild 1965 performance of some of his biggest numbers (“Walk on the Wild Side,” “The Sermon,” “Back at the Chicken Shack,” “Virginia Woolf,” “Organ Grinder’s Swing,” among others) like you’ve heard them before. Well recorded before an enthusiastic Paris audience. Long-time guitarist Quentin Warren gets a few spots, the great drummer Billy Hart gets a solo, but it’s mostly all Smith. I have 60 Smith CD’s in my collection, but this is unique - don’t think there is anything quite this uninhibited in his discography.  Can’t believe this isn’t better known.


title: Apparently Another CTI Compilation?

text: Think I’d need more information on this before shelling out $900. Plus shipping! Only 1 left! Better hurry.  (But there are plenty of CTI anthologies available, usually containing pretty much the same material, and any one of them would fill the bill.) My 3 stars is just a hunch.


title: Smith's Best Verve Album

text: Jimmy Smith's Verve albums were a departure from the Blue Note albums that made him famous. Instead of his small group recordings, the Verve's find Smith fronting a big band, and he's the only soloist.  These albums were big sellers at the time, and hold up pretty well.  But a couple times producer Creed Taylor broke with his successful formula and returned Smith to the format that initially made him famous. Organ Grinder's Swing is one such date, and it finds a tight trio (Kenny Burrell & Grady Tate) operating at a high level even by their usual stands.  Everything swings, including their Coltrane-ish version of Greensleeves.  I probably own everything Smith ever did, and, for me, this is one of the best. A real jazz album without the the  extra trappings, it can hold its own along side of such classics as The Sermon and Midnight Special. No bonus tracks or extra material here, just the original album.  This one occupies a special place.


title: Five Stars

text: Greatness!


title: Five Stars

text: Wow just WOW!


title: Five Stars

text: WOW WOW!!!


title: Breezy, catchy and easy-to-love compilation

text:
A few months ago I caught one of these tracks (King Club's brilliant "You Were Singing") on KCRW's late night programme Let's Get Lost and have been pursuing it ever since.

I *finally* tracked down this fantastic 90 minute CD via i-tunes, but - had it been available - I would MUCH rather have bought it on amazon ;)

Ralf Gum proves to be a master DJ in seamlessly mixing and assembling some fantastic Euro-house tracks.  This is one helluvan upbeat and fun cd that anyone who likes dance music will enjoy from beginning to end.

BTW - I played at my NY Eve party and everybody loved dancing to it.


title: one of the great ones of our time

text: Brendel, one of the great ones of our time.


title: Complete background music

text: Probably most of the music from the two GM movies (I haven't memorized the scores), with the entr'acte and numerous alternate takes, some issued for the first time, all in un-doctored hi-fidelity mono. A must for GM fans.


title: Kicking off the New Orleans revival

text:
True to his nickname, Bunk Johnson was as accomplished a B.S. artist as he was a trumpet artist, and on the 9-minute interview track that closes this CD we get to hear about him inventing jazz with Buddy Bolden in 1895 and teaching Louis Armstrong how to play the cornet in 1912. It's a fascinating piece of storytelling, so starkly at odds with every more reliable source but too full of intriguing details to dismiss altogether. That's Bunk in a nutshell.

The music on this disc -- 9 tracks and 27 minutes' worth -- is probably as "authentic" a document of the pre-1920s New Orleans style of jazz as has ever been recorded. Johnson plays with powerful clarity and simplicity, without (as others have noted) the "hot" touches that characterized jazz trumpeting from King Oliver on. His style is unmistakably that of a marching-band trumpeter adapted to the blues. He easily outshines the other front-line players. (George Lewis in particular frequently seems unsure of the key, notably on the otherwise extraordinary "Bunk's Blues.") Behind the front line, the rhythm section kicks up a convincing pound, though they are hard to hear in light of the recording quality, which is lousy even for 1942 (though better than that of the earliest Armstrong Hot Fives of 1925, at least). There aren't really any "solos," just a handful of "breaks" in the older sense, where Johnson or George Lewis or Big Jim Robinson stop playing for a couple of measures.

The New Orleans revival of the 1940s -- at the same time that swing was dying off and modern jazz was being developed -- is one of the more curious developments in jazz history, and this is one of the original documents of the movement. It's well worth hearing.


title: What a great find!

text: Johnny Hartman is under-represented and under appreciated. There are so few great male jazz vocalists from the mid-60s out there, and he's truly one of the greats. Typically, I like two or three tracks on an album. In this case, every tune is a winner, and the entire ensemble is superb.


title: Recommended!

text: Anything by this Garland trio is tasty and well worth getting. I am surprised that this album has not appeared on CD. Recommended!


title: Get The Four Track Version

text: The four track version is the only place to get the 1979 12" mix of "The Thom Bell Sessions"as originally released. Recommended.


title: Good shop.gracias

text: Excelent hispan metal band.


title: Five Stars

text: very good cd i recomend this band but need more sound of record,still good shop.thanks


title: Five Stars

text: super very good band..ok


title: very good musicians. i recomand this

text: symakya is excelente band ,very good musicians.i recomand this shop


title: Great for Kids and Parents

text: Great wholesome music for families to listen to in the car or around the house.  Enthusiastic writing and performance that really captures what being a kid is/was like.  Price here is a joke obviously; check out their website.  All their discs have been great, and I find myself humming them out of the blue.


title: Five Stars

text: I Lovr it


title: Five Stars

text: what a string man!


title: Well, if you like the cocteau twins . . .

text:
From what I've been able to find out, this album was released in 1993 by eden records.  There's approximately 61 minutes of music here.
The trackist is as follows:
1. song for her
2. rivulets and violets
3. field of flowers
4. dancing dreams
5. holding you
6. dreaming of you
7. hazy drops
8. your smile
9. heartbeat
10. paperchain stories
11. thoughts from afar
12. jisel
13. serenity
14. frosty morning

They also released a 2nd album - Promise - on 5 Minute Walk Records.

PROS -
Good production values.
Sounds a lot like late-80s Cocteau Twins: think Victorialand or Moon And The Melodies.

CONS -
Sounds a lot like late-80s Cocteau Twins: think Victorialand or Moon And The Melodies.  I'm just sayin'.


title: We’ll worth the higher price.

text: It’s a fairly rare album now, that I sought out after hearing it on WWOZ. The price was high but much less than other sellers were asking.


title: Not your typical pop music swill

text:
I liked this and the other CD's in this series a great deal.  All positive, no negatives.  A showcase of very talented young people.

Seriously, if you love GOOD music get all three CDS's.


title: decent, but probably better options available

text: A pretty good collection and cross section of his work over time, but a duplication of many other 3-4cd collections, track for track.  Rather than "There She Goes" the collection inexplicably contains Soul Shake Down (Party) a second time.  Sound quality is poor at times (on the earliest recordings?), but I don't know whether other collections do it better.  I pulled this set out of my parent's basement, and I like having these songs on hand.


title: Five Stars

text: I'm a big Hapa fan. Very professional.


title: I love this CD!

text: I'm a sucker for Christmas music, and this would be great to play at that season or any other!  It is a delight to listen to, as is any Mark McKenzie soundtrack.  You will want to hug someone after listening to this wonderful, lovely album.


title: Vicious Bite From Motörhead

text: Badass CD


title: Tops their previous collaboration

text: For those who have had a chance to listen to 1994's Waldron-Haslam, this follow-up session is cast in a similar mould. Consisting of some originals and standards, Haslam blends his baritone with Waldron's beautiful  understatements. (Recommended)


title: A New Take on a Great Composer

text: Duke Ellington is surely a prime candidate for the greatest composer and arranger in jazz history.  Ken Aldcroft offers a fresh and exciting approach to a number of Ellington tunes, drawing mostly on lesser known compositions.  The album also includes a beautiful original: "Evening Peace."  Aldcroft plays in a modern style, in the tradition of such guitarists as John Abercrombie and Bill Frisell; his bass-free arrangements are quite original and interesting.  An excellent purchase for any Ellington fan, or any fan of contemporary jazz.


title: Though many are too relaxed, there's much to like here!

text: Most ragtime aficionados (Joplin included) know that racing through these rags is sacrilege, akin to "showing off your chops", but some lend themselves better to one approach or another. Appling's Maple Leaf, Magnetic Rag, and Solace are darn near perfect in their unhurried approach, but other favorites, such as Bink's Waltz (surprisingly, given Appling's tendencies to play at a relaxed tempo) is way too fast, even if the attempt was to actually play it as a dance. It is a more ruminative waltz, written immediately after the death of his daughter. Many of these are wonderful, but there are a few that are a little too relaxed for my taste (Gladiolus, Elite Syncopations, Nonpareil included). It is also strange to hear a complete lack of pedaling here (due to the physical limitations of an aging Appling), but I am becoming fond of that particular aspect of these performances.  I do welcome different interpretations, tempos, etc., and have quite a few Joplin recordings myself. My favorite of the Binks Waltz (and Solace, though Appling's version is dead even, as is his Maple Leaf) is from a sadly unknown and out-of-print LP by Marden Abadi on the Sine Qua Non label that I purchased in 1978. Abadi plays with a slight rubato at key points in phrases that remind me of Chopin, whose music Joplin was familiar with (I've always thought Chopin's mazurkas must have had an influence on Joplin's waltzes). So, in summary, get this collection, for it is wonderfully played, and make your own comparisons. There is much to like here!


title: It's all good...

text: Well, you just may not be able to find the All-Star radio session anywhere else. So that alone makes this CD worth collecting if you're not only a Louis fan, but also Bud Freeman fanatic and Fats is thrown in here for good measure. But the 1934 Paris recordings can be found in better shape on the Gitanes label with some other interesting though not as vital stuff that excludes Armstrong.


title: Five Stars

text: The first Gleason album that I ever purchased:  1964.


title: Unique transcriptions that transcend the genre

text:
Anders Miolin is a Swedish-born virtuoso and prodigy who first entered the Royal Danish Academy of Music at the age of 15! On this album he performs on both an alto guitar and a unique ten-stringed guitar, but the unusual instruments are less the point than the unusually fine performances he gives us here.

The great guitarist Andre Segovia had met Maurice Ravel in the 1920s, and, according to Segovia, they had discussed Ravel composing some music for Segovia to perform on guitar. Ravel loved all things Spanish, Spanish themes surfaced again and again in his music, so the composition of some guitar pieces seemed like a natural progression, but alas, for whatever reasons, it never happened.

Anders Miolin rectifies this situation by transcribing these Ravel pieces--originally written for piano, voice and orchestra--for guitar, and the result is revelatory. Miolin matches the instrument to the composition--the ten-string guitar features the six typical guitar strings along with four additional bass strings, to provide added depth for the compositions that demand it. For the others, the alto guitar is better suited.

The end result is a gorgeous album of Ravel's music, none of which was composed for guitar, which sounds like it was composed EXCLUSIVELY for guitar. Anders Miolin has accomplished that rarest of things here--shed a bright new light on familiar music in such a way that it sounds like nothing you've ever heard before. Highly recommended.


title: Brilliant and essential

text: A brilliant album, essential. Contains some of Lenny's best routines, including "White Collar Drunks" and "Comic at the Palladium." This is what a Lenny Bruce show was like before constant busts and police harassment reduced him to a paranoid catastrophe and his act to a reading of his court transcripts. Highly recommended.


title: A crucial piece of 60s history

text:
In 1969, locals had claimed a vacant lot owned by the University of California and transformed it into a park, unofficially dubbed "People's Park." In the early morning hours of May 15, 1969, police claimed the park as university property, uprooting trees the locals had planted and surrounding the area with a chain-link fence to keep "trespassers out."

By noon, a crowd of 6,000 people had gathered, demanding access to the park. In the resulting confrontation, one Berkeley resident, James Rector, who was watching the activities from a nearby roof, was shot and killed, and hundreds were arrested, including Robert Scheer, and editor at Ramparts magazine. His account of his nearly 24 hours in detention provides the text, read with dramatic flair by NYC radio personality Rosko, accompanied by the haunting flute of James Spaulding and bass of Ron Carter.

Granted, this album is probably of very little interest to anyone but a few baby boomers and students of 60s history. But for anyone who wants a clear picture of what it was like to be arrested at a 60s protest, this album paints a stark portrait of the inside of Santa Rita prison--the brutality, the hatred and contempt the guards had for the young protesters, and the terror they induced.

A great find.


title: Two masterpieces by one criminally overlooked group

text:
The CJQ just might be the best-kept secret in modern jazz. Although this excellent group recorded for Blue Note Records, unless you grew up in Detroit in the late '60s, you probably never heard of them--and that's a damn shame.

The Contemporary Jazz Quintet had it all--top-notch players, stimulating, engaging, original material, and they swung like mad. Nominally led by pianist Kenny Cox, this band was actually much more of a democracy. In fact, all the material here was written either by saxophonist Leon Henderson (Joe's little brother) or trumpeter Charles Moore. Bassist Ron Brooks and drummer Danny Spencer make up the outstanding rhythm section that drives this band.

This CD combines their two Blue Note releases--"Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet" and "Multidirection"--into one power-packed release that, even at $20, represents one of the best values in all of recorded jazz. The closest approximation I can offer is that great second quintet that Miles led in the 60s, with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, et al.

I know that sounds like hyperbole, but this band delivers, and the compositions are as inspired and original-sounding as the best Miles Davis tunes of that era--"Footprints," "Nefertiti," "Masqualero." There's a stark beauty here, and the players all show enough restraint to let these brilliant compositions breathe, yet they still play with enough fire to excite and inspire.

So if this group is so great, why weren't they more popular? Why is this the first review for this excellent CD? My guess is timing, more than anything. Had these albums come out in 1964 or '65, they would have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other Blue Note releases like Jackie McLean's "Let Freedom Ring," Grachan Moncur's "Evolution" and Eric Dolphy's "Out to Lunch." But by '68 and '69, rock artists like Cream, Hendrix and Santana could really play, Miles was starting to take jazz electric, and the free jazz movement was getting all the attention from the critics. Beautiful tunes, tastefully played probably seemed like a quaint artifact of a bygone era.

But if this music was out of step with the times, this album is now a timeless classic that holds its own against any other jazz albums of the last 50 years. It's well worth the $20 Amazon is asking for it.


title: Great live performances from a forgotten founding father

text:
I first heard selections from this album on the late, great Dave Dixon's freeform show on WDET-FM in Detroit in the late 80's. Let's dispense with the downside first, the reasons I don't give this album a full 5-star endorsement (which get handed out way too easily here on Amazon, if you ask me). Side Two of this album consists of studio recordings that are all available elsewhere, interspersed with a fairly low audio-quality radio interview that Eddie gave a Seattle DJ while out on tour with Buddy Holly. The interview segments are mildly interesting, mainly because of the squareness of the DJ--one of those guys who thinks he's hip because he has a sports car or something. But they almost sound as if they were recorded right off the radio, with a continual low humming and somewhat muffled sound overall.

But Side One is truly something special--live performances recorded in January and February, 1960, when Eddie was visiting England with Gene Vincent. (This was the trip prior to the visit in April of that year when Eddie was killed and Gene was badly injured when the cab they were riding in was struck by another car.)

These recordings come from appearances on a show called "Boy Meets Girl," hosted by Marty Wilde (one of a succession of British pop stars like Cliff Richard and Billy Fury, whose success never translated across the ocean here in the States). The interview segments are hilarious, and the performances are first-rate.

You can hear why Eddie Cochran (along with Buddy Holly, who we also lost, tragically, just a year earlier) was really the missing link between the first generation of great rock and rollers (Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis) and the British invasion to come. Eddie wrote great songs ("C'mon Everybody," "Summertime Blues," "20 Flight Rock"), was a hot guitar player and had a powerful, masculine vocal style, full of fun and smoldering sexuality.

Given the fact that this album is sort of a one-sided wonder, I'm not sure it's worth the $40 or so people seem to be asking for a used copy, but if you can find a good-condition copy in the $20 price range, I'd snap it up. The live recordings on Side One, while mono, are pretty decent quality, and the performances are one-of-a-kind ribald rock and roll, a riot to listen to and very well worth owning.


title: A wholly original sound

text: An interesting album of original music. You don't come across too many groups that are led by a trombone player, and Jacob Garchick is a notable talent on the instrument. Pianist Jacob Sacks is outstanding on this album as well, and drummer Dan Weiss does a great job keeping up with some very tricky arrangements. What's interesting also is the lack of a bass. It creates a nice space for the other guys to play in, and in listening to this album it seems as if a bass might just muddy the waters a bit if it were here. This is challenging music for the listener as well as for the players. It's not easy listening background music, the tunes don't adhere closely to traditional structures--but if you enter with an open mind, you'll hear some wild and wonderful sounds, quite unlike anything you've heard before.


title: Classic Lenny, before the fall...

text:
This is a must-have. Period. Recorded before the Lenny's life itself became the drama, when his ideas could be judged on their own terms. Here is Lenny having fun, riffing, creating characters. Lenny's perspective was that of the underdog, the average guy--just trying to get by, have a few laughs, not be bugged--and how hard it was in mid-20th century America just to do THAT.
A lot of the references in here might be lost on contemporary audiences--to obscure B-movie actors, for example. Still, no one who loves comedy can ignore Bruce's influence. George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and dozens of others are free to say what they want how they want because Lenny took on the court system and forced them to re-define obscenity--even if some of his legal victories happened posthumously.
There used to be a saying posted in the backstage area of some comedy clubs: "Lenny Bruce died for your sins." Here's one of the great source recordings of the Master.


title: Uneven collection, but some great sides here

text: I was hoping this would be a complete reissue of the legendary sessions Hughes Panassié supervised for RCA Victor in New York in 1938 and 1939, and maybe a few sides from his earlier Paris sessions. There are only four of the New York recordings (though two of them, "Weary Blues" and the awesome "Really the Blues," feature the great Sidney Bechet) and all the other sessions heard here are represented by just one song each. The album begins with its most exciting recording, the 1937 "Crazy Rhythm" from Paris with visiting American saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter, with local talent Alix Combelle and André Ekyan holding their own and the whole performance swung by the driving guitar of Django Reinhardt. Also on the plus side is "Black, Brown and White," a great social-protest blues by Big Bill Broonzy. On the down side are the novelty vocals by pianist Earl "Father" Hines and Willie "The Lion" Smith; there were some great jazz pianists who could also sing, and one, Nat :"King" Cole, who sang so superiatlvely well that eventually his voice, not his piano, became the focus of his career. But neither Hnies nor Smith were in Cole's league as a vocalist.


title: awesome concert & recording

text: Besides being great time period for the band, this show has a wonderful set list. The recording sound and quality are equally fabulous too. Worth every dollar.


title: Play that again!

text: You probably wouldn't be reading this if you didn't already know Daisy (may she rest in peace); her voice  was and still is one of a kind. Both emotionally raw and professional, with superb backing musicianship- if you can find it, get it.


title: Leo Buscaglia! Need I say more?!?

text: I own all 27 volumes of "Power Talk!" and have listened to them many times over the years. This is definitely one of the best volumes in the entire series. The interview with Leo Buscaglia takes up 2 CDs and is worth the price of admission alone. Here you have a supremely talented and thought provoking interviewer (Robbins) talking with one of the most passionate, funny and fascinating story tellers of the 20th century. What more is there to say?


title: Do bother.

text: This fellow Hemmingway is completely wrong. This set has great sound and was definitely mastered from the original analog tapes. Clooney is in great voice and the song selection is bery good. Only 12 of these were ever legally released before. Illegal CDRs are not real releases.


title: What a Beautiful Morning! is the icing on the cake of ...

text: Oh! What a Beautiful Morning! is the icing on the cake of this wonderful album of incredible arrangements of Ray Charles songs.  It's an anthem to life!  Classic.  The band swings.


title: Five Stars

text: The Holy Grail!


title: and overall it's a very nice album, even if it can't be called pure ...

text: The music is flavored a bit with the "commercial jazz" additives reminiscent of the CD101.9 radio station in NYC, if anyone remembers.  But his skill is superb, and overall it's a very nice album, even if it can't be called pure jazz.


title: A superb compilation from an underrated band of hard rockers

text:
A smokin' collection of tunes from this hard rockin' Scottish band.

RIP lead singer Dan McCafferty,,,  10/14/1946 - 11/8/2022

user_id: AEFKWKWKDKXZITMOCUUFDXBVZDNQ


title: Poor quality

text: False advertising- read the small print. Not real at all. Feel and looks like plastic


title: Great Album, Great Seller

text:
One of the rarer Beatles compilation albums for your collection, including versions of I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND and SHE LOVES YOU sang in German.

The album arrived professionally packaged and in great condition. This seller knows how to ship an album.


title: Great overview with an unusual edit of "Intermission Riff"

text: Fantastic collection of highlights from Stan Kenton. The version of "Intermission Riff" is edited in that it only has the tenor sax solo from Vido Musso and is missing the second solo from Boots Mussilli on alto sax. (If this is the take from "Kenton in Hi-Fi" then Carl Fontana's trombone solo was edited out-I can't tell off hand which version was used on this compilation). This is the only place I've seen this edited version of "Intermission Riff" perhaps making this release a collector's item!


title: My copy of this CD DOES show the track "Trouble" ...

text: My copy of this CD DOES show the track "Trouble" on the cover but it is NOT on the CD :( Five stars though for what IS there :) (No idea why "Trouble" was dropped from the original album).


title: Great Banjos!

text: This album is available on CD under the title "I Like Dixieland" as by the Bourbon Street Stompers (with 5 bonus Stephen Foster songs from another Time Records album (# S2146- [...])entitled "Banjo, Banjo, Banjo" by Kelso Herston) . I don't know if they are the same group as on the original Time Records release of "We Like Dixieland" by the Bourbon Street Stompers (look up on Amazon) which is a totally different album.


title: John Coltrane Traning In CD

text: Item arrived as described


title: Great Sax Player

text: The background band is a group that fills in to play for Capital records on all Louis Prima albums. They do a good job of staying out of Sam's way so that you can really hear his excellent sax work. The sound engineers did a great job capturing the full spectrum of the alto sax clearly. This album would make a great demo album in a high end stereo store! This does not have the feeling of a live recording on Bourbon St and that is a good thing.


title: Early techno? Late Jazz? Upbeat jazz for sure

text: This is an unusual album. One might draw a conclusion that some techno spurred from this artist as there are hints of slow airy techno in some songs on this album. There are many songs that are very upbeat and fun to listen to as well. Overall a decent album with good mastering and recording. The bass line in many of the songs is fun and powerful if you have a sub. I couldn't give it an I love it rating because it was nearly all synthesizers and electronically created music with little real instrument play. Still has a place in the music collection though as a good 'evolution of music album'.


title: British Marching

text: This album starts off with Big Ben summoning in the music. Marching band music with bagpipes follow. Pretty well recorded for being in an outdoor setting.


title: George Shearing - "Shearing on Stage."  -  A TREASURE!

text: The tunes on this CD not only swing, they strut!  The chemistry between Shearing and Emil Richards on vibes reminds me of that between Brubeck and Desmond.  One of the most uplifting albums I have ever heard, it's a  "must have" for all jazz fans.  You can't help being in a good  mood once you hear these tunes.  I first heard this album in 1959 when I  purchased the LP, if anyone remembers those.  Now forty years later I have  the CD and it's great!


title: Starless and Black Bible

text:
The suite Under Milk Wood is often cited as evidence that not all British Jazz in the 1950s and 1960s was just a pale imitation of its US counterpart. In fact Stan Tracey – who sadly died, aged 86, on December 6th 2013 – cited Duke Ellington as his biggest influence, and while house pianist at Ronnie Scott’s from 1959 until the late 1960s provided backing for some of the biggest US front men, including Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins and Ben Webster. (Getz was unappreciative, prompting on stage bickering, but Rollins was the opposite, commenting to the audience: “Doesn’t anyone here know how good he is?”). Despite that, in the 1960s Tracey began forging a very un-American sounding jazz, first with the New Departures Quartet LP (particularly the evocative “Culloden Moor”), and then with Under Milk Wood, inspired by Dylan Thomas.

It’s perhaps dangerous to make too much of the poetry-jazz connection. Certainly some joint gigs with poet Michael Horowitz encouraged the kind of improvisation-based mood pieces found on both LPs. And the prose that inspired the best known track of the suite, “Starless and Black Bible”, is every bit as musical in its effect as Thomas’s poetry:

"It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters’-and-rabbits’ wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea. The houses are blind as moles (though moles see fine tonight in the snouting, velvet dingles) or blind as Captain Cat there in the muffled middle by the pump and the town clock, the shops in mourning, the Welfare Hall in widows’ weeds. And all the people of the lulled and dumbfound town are sleeping"

But Tracey – famously a man of very few words – was dismissive of any kind of close link between the music and the literature. He first heard the audio recording made by the author himself. “I was very taken with it and thought it would be a good idea to base a suite on the characters or places”, he told Alyn Shipton. But, he went on, “you end up with the music….and you make your own pictures”. And it’s hard to hear any specific influence on the music from the rhythm of the words, as some commentators have suggested. The importance, though, is that the starting point results in a very different perspective from any US models.

Essentially an improvisation with close interplay between Tracey’s distinctive and slightly menacing piano and the lyrical playing of tenor sax player Bobby Wellins, “Starless and Black Bible” establishes an appropriately melancholy mood using the slightest of means – an initial theme and short chord sequence, followed by a series of downward scales from Wellins that soon leads to a harmonic resting point on what sounds something like the dominant harmony. Then there’s a return to the opening theme and sequence. The music has survived to this day, despite patchy availability, with Tracey in the end having to issue the piece on his own record label.


title: Very Special Recordings

text: These were very special recordings when they were issued in the early 1960s and there has never really been anything quite like them since.  Jazz was popular and had an audience which encouraged a number of artists to enter the field with very personal conceptions that remained very much part of the tradition.  Dickerson was perhaps the most brilliant of them.  He already possessed a technique and feeling which allowed him to  be very expressive at the same time as he experimented with the modal leanings and more jagged phrasing inspired no doubt by Coltrane's influence.  Yet he brings everything together  so they become satisfying musical statements of the material at and - standards with catchy originals.  The other musicians always support his conceptions if they do not approach his facility or creativity.  To My Queen, on the fourth LP to be released of the same name, was considered quite a treasure in the mid 60s and was much programmed and admired.  Dickerson soon tired of the dwindling "good ol boy" jazz networks in this country and played and recorded in Europe. Most of his subsequent recorded output, though equally brilliant and self-expressive,  was quite abstract and no longer connected with what had at one time been the great jazz audience.  We may term it less "commercial" but really it was jazz itself which lost its commercial appeal later on so without the former audience musicians such as Dickerson who remained active often did so in their own homes only.  He lived in Philadelphia. There would be announcements of possible gigs but these would fail to materialize and eventually he was gone. He was a wonderful man as well as a wonderfully creative and espressive player.


title: A 1950s classic!

text:
Hungarian pianist George Feyer made the 10" version of this recording  for Vox in the early 50s and it sold like crazy when released in 1953.  The 12" inch version came three years later and did at least as well, becoming a catalogue staple.  The success of the earlier prompted an "Echoes" series on Vox that ran to something like 12 LPs between 1954 and '56.  Feyer, who had a sonorous touch and an airy, effervescent style which quite belied the dramatic circumstances of his life, became the darling of the New York City cafe set as a piano soloist through lengthy gigs at the Carlyle and Stanhope hotels. And churned out many LPs. On most of his recordings, as this one, he was accompanied by a rhythm section that backs him lightly and stays out of his way. For many years he donated his talents entertaining patients at New York's Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Echoes of Paris is not only one of his best known, but one of his best efforts. Please try other titles in the "Echoes" series and also his 1959 live set for Cadence from the Cafe Carlyle which provides an example of how he really sounded solo on site.


title: Five Stars

text: Received without problems


title: Missing a couple of tracks; incomplete and incorrect information

text:
This is missing a couple of songs: "Social Call" from the album 'When Farmer Met Gryce,' and "Speculation" from 'Nica's Tempo.'  Based on that I'd give this 2 1/2 stars if it were possible, because while I like the content, I don't think they should have omitted anything from the albums (I guess "Classic Albums" doesn't necessarily indicate "Complete Albums").  It would have been better if this had been stated on the cover somewhere (Avid, who produce similar collections, is good about this with their CDs).

The sound is not bad; I think it's better than the CDs from Avid (which, to me, sound both sibilant and tubby).

There is hardly any information about the sessions in the booklet (it mostly consists of ads for their other sets), and some of what they did include is incorrect (e.g. 'Nica's Tempo' credits).  Again, the Avid sets are better about this.

I should point out that I did not buy this from Amazon; I also paid $9.99 for this set.


title: RockPaperScissors (mostly) without vocals

text: This album is ideal for those who enjoyed RockPaperScissors but thought the singing got in the way of the cool sounds. Billed as a companion to RockPaperScissors this CD was produced and mixed by James Hood and explores the sonic textures of the earlier CD. The only substantial vocal left here is Lisa Germano's presence on the last track, Want II. Even this track becomes much more of an ambient excursion in remixed form. The full tracklist includes: 1. Reintroduction; 2. Strangeprocession II; 3. Darkerroom Instrumental; 4. Scissorspaperrock; 5. Lightstar II; 6. Tangerine II; 7. Even Doges in the Wild; 8. Want II.

attachment_type: IMAGE


title: awesome

text: as described---fast shipping!


title: Every generation has great music but this is a big part of mine. Roger Finnegan

text: A fantastic collection of pop music covering the period just before the Beatles and the British Invasion, Motown and all the great SOUL MUSIC shook things up.I loved the girl groups from that period WOW!


title: Teton Range gorgeous !!!

text: Love this beautiful soundtrack. It's one of my absolute favorites! Roger Finnegan


title: Sounds great to me !

text: Super happy with this amazing 4 - CD Hardcover Digibook ; Where the Action Is.  Rhino Records collections are top quality , comprehensive , attractive with loads of fun and listening entertainment . Roger Finnegan


title: Love this music!

text: A must have collection.


title: Love this music!

text: Time Life's Soul Story collection is a must have for soul music fans.


title: Desert Island Music

text: This Steve Lacy collection is a real prized find.Fantastic!!!


title: Rock on

text: A nice collection of hits and fast efficient service.


title: Rock on

text: A nice collection of hits and fast  efficient service.


title: A thing of value

text: Great collection and service!


title: Those were the days

text: Great oldies but goodies!


title: Go Willy!

text: Excellent CD and price....fast service !


title: Slow boat to china

text: Nice CD but past due date on delivery.


title: Real rock and roll!

text: Great cd! Still Rockin says it all!


title: Sweet Soul

text: Great buy!


title: Five Stars

text: excellent item - fine sale


title: Childhood Favorite

text: I had this album as a child, and it was one of my favorites. Twenty years later, I still get the songs stuck in my head. I was so pleased to find this, as I'd forgotten the artist's name. "Daddy Stop Teasing" is a song that my dad and I still sing to each other!


title: Wretched's best release IMO

text: Wretched were one of the original Maryland doom bands as you may know. Jon Blank was the singer on the first album 'Life Out There' and this final release from '09, 'Black Ambience'. While his vocals on the first one were just OK, on this last title he nailed it. Sadly, right after returning from a Euro tour in '09 with Wino where he played bass, he died of a drug overdose. That's what happens when you hang around Wino. That's why Wino was kicked out of Vitus a couple years ago. Be that as it may, this final EP is killer IMO. Check it out on Youtube. Amazing stuff right here if you're a fan of doom.


title: A Great Box set from the Kinks

text:
This is indeed an excellent 6 CD box set, lots of unreleased and rare tracks, different versions of known tracks etc etc. Not something you would want to take in all at once, unless you're ready to o.d. on Kinks.... but yeah, definitely here is some excellent stuff to sink your teeth into.

Disc 1

1. Brian Matthews Introduces the Kinks [Mono Version] 0:08
2 You Really Got Me [Mono Version] Davies 2:13
3 I'm a Hog for You, Baby [Mono Version] Leiber, Stoller 1:41
4 I Believed You [Mono Version] Davies 1:57
5 Long Tall Sally [Mono Version] Blackwell, Johnson, Penniman 2:12
6 I Don't Need You Anymore More [Mono Version] Davies 2:11
7 Stop Your Sobbin' [Mono Version] Davies 2:05
8 I Gotta Move [Mono Version] Davies 2:23
9 Don't Ever Let Me Go [Mono Version] Davies 2:22
10 All Day and All of the Night [Mono Version] Davies 2:23
11 Tired of Waiting for You [Mono Version] Davies 2:31
12 Come on Now [Mono Version] Davies 3:40
13 There Is a New World Openingfor Me [Kassner Publishing Demo] Davies 2:29
14 Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy [Mono Version] Davies 2:15
15 Who'll Be the Next in Line [Mono Version] Davies 2:01
16 Time Will Tell [Mono Version] Davies 2:37
17 Set Me Free [Mono Version] Davies 2:12
18 I Need You [Mono Version] Davies 2:25
19 See My Friends [Mono Version] Davies 2:46
20 Wait Till the Summer Comes Along [Mono Version] Davies 2:08
21 I Go to Sleep [Mono Version] Davies 2:44
22 A Little Bit of Sunlight [Kassner Publishing Demo] Davies 1:52
23 This I Know [Mono Version] Davies 2:03
24 A Well Respected Man [Mono Version] Davies 2:42
25 This Strange Effect [With Brian Matthew Speaking Over Intro] Davies 2:34
26 Milk Cow Blues [Mono Version] Estes 3:41
27 Ring the Bells [Mono Version] Davies 2:19
28 I'm on an Island [Mono Version] Davies 2:16
29 Till the End of the Day [Mono Version] Davies 2:20
30 Where Have All the Good Times Gone? [Mono Version] Davies 2:50
31 All Night Stand [Mono Version] Davies 1:54
32 And I Will Love You [Mono Version] Davies 2:20
33 Sittin' on My Sofa [Mono Version] Davies 3:03

Disc 2

1 Dedicated Follower of Fashion Alternate [Stereo Take] Davies 3:03
2 She's Got Everything Davies 3:09
3 Mr. Reporter [Ray Vocal] Davies 3:56
4 Sunny Afternoon [Mono Version] Davies 3:35
5 I'm Not Like Everybody Else [Mono Version] Davies 3:28
6 This Is Where I Belong Davies 2:24
7 Rosie Won't You Please Come Home Davies 2:33
8 Too Much on My Mind [Mono Version] Davies 2:28
9 Session Man Davies 2:14
10 End of the Season [Mono Version] Davies 2:58
11 Dead End Street [First Version] Davies 3:01
12 Village Green Davies 2:09
13 Two Sisters [Mono Version] Davies 2:01
14 David Watts [Mono Version] Davies 2:31
15 Mister Pleasant [Mono Version] Davies 2:59
16 Waterloo Sunset [Mono Mix] Davies 3:16
17 Death of a Clown [Mono Version] Davies, Davies 3:03
18 Lavender Hill [Mono Version] Davies 2:58
19 Good Luck Charm (Good Luck Child) [Mono Version] Koerner 1:41
20 Autumn Almanac [Mono Version] Davies 3:05
21 Susannah's Still Alive Davies 2:22
22 Animal Farm Davies 3:00
23 Rosemary Rose [Mono Version] Davies 1:47
24 Berkeley Mews Davies 2:40
25 Lincoln County [Mono Version] Davies 3:11
26 Picture Book Davies 2:37
27 Days Davies 2:53
28 Misty Water [Mono Version] Davies 3:09

Disc 3

1 Love Me Till the Sun Shines [Top Gear Session With Brian Matthew Intro [Top Gear Session with Brian Matthew Intro] Davies 2:52
2 The Village Green Preservation Society Davies 2:48
3 Big Sky Davies 2:51
4 King Kong [Mono Version] Davies 3:25
5 Drivin' Davies 3:20
6 Some Mother's Son Davies 3:25
7 Victoria Davies 3:38
8 Shangri-La Davies 5:21
9 Arthur Davies 5:26
10 Got to Be Free Davies 3:01
11 Lola [Mono Single Version] Davies 4:06
12 Get Back in the Line Davies 3:06
13 The Moneygoround Davies 1:45
14 Strangers Davies 3:21
15 Apeman [Alternate Version] Davies 3:40
16 God's Children Davies 3:18
17 The Way Love Used to Be Davies 2:13
18 Moments Davies 2:57
19 Muswell Hillbilly Davies 4:58
20 Oklahoma USA Davies 2:40
21 Twentieth Century Man Davies 5:57
22 Here Come the People in Grey Davies 3:45

Disc 4

1 Skin and Bone Davies 3:40
2 Alcohol Davies 5:16
3 Celluloid Heroes Davies 6:22
4 Sitting in My Hotel Davies 3:23
5 Supersonic Rocket Ship Davies 3:32
6 You Don't Know My Name Davies 2:37
7 One of the Survivors Davies 4:07
8 Sitting in the Midday Sun Davies 3:48
9 Sweet Lady Genevieve Davies 3:29
10 Daylight Davies 3:22
11 Mirror of Love Davies 3:31
12 Artificial Man Davies 5:31
13 Preservation [US Single] Davies 3:38
14 Slum Kids Davies 6:27
15 Holiday Romance Davies 3:12
16 (A) Face in the Crowd Davies 2:19
17 No More Looking Back Davies 4:30
18 Sleepwalker Davies 4:05
19 The Poseur Davies 2:52

Disc 5

1 Sleepless Nights Davies 3:18
2 Father Christmas Davies 3:42
3 Misfits Davies 4:43
4 Rock 'N Roll Fantasy Davies 5:01
5 A Little Bit of Emotion Davies 4:52
6 Attitude Davies 3:49
7 Hidden Quality Davies 3:04
8 Gallon of Gas [Mono Version] Davies 4:29
9 Catch Me Now I'm Falling Davies 5:57
10 Nuclear Love [Mono Version] Davies 2:40
11 Duke Davies 3:30
12 Maybe I Love You Davies 3:14
13 Stolen Away Your Heart Davies 3:00
14 Low Budget Davies 6:01
15 Better Things [Edit] Davies 2:46
16 Destroyer Davies 3:48
17 Yo-Yo Davies 4:11
18 Art Lover [Remix] Davies 3:23
19 Long Distance Davies 5:21

Disc 6

1 Heart of Gold Davies 4:04
2 Come Dancing [Demo Remix] Davies 4:03
3 State of Confusion Davies 3:44
4 Do It Again Davies 4:10
5 Living on a Thin Line Davies 4:14
6 Summer's Gone Davies 3:54
7 How Are You? Davies 4:30
8 The Road Live Davies 6:14
9 Million Pound Semi-Detached Davies 4:12
10 Down All the Days (To 1992) Davies 4:58
11 The Informer Davies 4:03
12 Phobia Davies 5:17
13 Only a Dream Davies 5:06
14 Drift Away Davies 5:04
15 Scattered Davies 4:12
16 Do You Remember Walter? Davies 3:44
17 To the Bone Davies


title: Sounds Great If You Have A Decent Stereo System

text:
I don't know (or care) what planet the other 'reviewer' flew in from, but it makes no difference anyway. Obviously he's a moron who can't even spell 4 letter words correctly. Why does Amazon allow twits like that to write disjointed sentences in no order, and call it a 'review'.

As for the disc, it sounds fine. All I needed to do was adjust the EQ a little and it had all the range of frequencies my ears wanted. And I have very sensitive hearing and can pick up alot of nuances most people can't. I have found that few CDs are mixed the same, and volume levels differ with the majority of titles. This disc is a bit louder than some, and the mid to high range frequencies needed to be tweaked up a little above normal. That's all it needed.

Whether it's a legit title or not I don't care. If the artist doesn't care enough to get the rights to the title and release it on his own, it's his loss - not mine. All I know or care about is finding titles I want, and being able to listen to them in decent sound quality. And BTW, Youlden is an excellent blues singer, and these albums prove it.


title: Beckett

text: A progressive rock outfit from Newcastle England, who formed in 1970. Their album was produced by Roger Chapman of Family. Featured Terry Wilson-Slesser on vocals, who later went on to sing for Back Street Crawler.


title: Pathetic Sound Quality On This Red Fox version

text: Yes, it's cheaper than the legit Capricorn version, but you get what you pay for. This is a pathetic, flat sounding recording made from vinyl. Instead, spend a few more $ and get the legit Capricorn label version listed elsewhere on Amazon while you still can, since it has been out of print since the late 90s.


title: Excellent Sound Quality

text: Ignore the airhead reviewer "Daniel". The sound quality is great and it's the only way to get this great album on CD.


title: Mephistopheles

text: Australian album originally from 1974 and featuring Paul Gaffey and Simon Heath. Interestingly orchestrated prog with operatic and epic overtones.


title: Gabriel Bondage 2 on 1

text:
2 on 1 import CD with Angel Dust and Another Trip To Earth on one disc.

Pleasant acoustic guitar-driven effort, operating in a sort of folk/prog area.


title: Mayfield's Mule

text:
Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter CHRIS MAYFIELD began to play at the beginning of the Sixties in local Kent band The MORAL SET, then went on to the usual plethora of bands and sessions, playing with the earliest NIRVANA, JOHN GUSTAFSON, GENE LATTER and IAN HUNTER among the others.

In 1968 after a few disappointing musical adventures, Chris joined AMEN CORNER as a roadie/driver, but his girlfriend passed some of his demos to Amen's sax player, MIKE SMITH, who immediately got them to various labels, EMI approved and immediately signed Chris to a recording deal.

PETE SAUNDERS (k), STEVE BRADLEY (b) and ex-ELASTIC BAND SEAN JENKINS (d) soon joined and MAYFIELD'S MULE was born.

Three Parlophone singles were recorded in a few months and the band also began to work on an album at Abbey Road studios. But something went wrong and the LP was apparently shelved, gaining instead an incredible Uruguayan release on local Emi-Odeon label, without any involvement and knowledge from the band.

Mayfield's Mule went on for a while longer, recruiting brothers MIKE and ANDY SCOTT, and then called it a day.

While Sean Jenkins played a few months with HENRY COW and Andy Scott resurfaced in THE SWEET, Chris Mayfield joined forces with JOHN KONGOS to record some demos of his new material.

He then met up with an old friend from Kent NOEL REDDING (late of Jimi Hendrix Band and Fat Mattress) and they formed the shortlived BRAIN POLICE, which became (without Chris) ROAD and finally The NOEL REDDING BAND.

Chris moved to Holland for a while and then on to the USA, where he stayed playing music for the next 20 years, before coming back to England where he gave life to the brilliant BLUZE The BAND in 1998.

After 7 years on the road this band is no longer working, but Chris is still gigging and right now is recording tunes for his new solo album.

This CD contains all the best Mayfield's Mule recordings, drawing from both the singles and the album.

The music is basically rock but with hints of prog, blues, rural and even a bit of soul thrown in. All tracks have been digitally remastered from the original tapes.

01.Oh Lady (5'06)
02.Double Dealing Woman (3'30)
03.My Way Of Living (4'13)
04.I See A River (2'18)
05.Down From The Country (3'41)
06.Drinking My Moonshine (2'44)
07.Abracadabra (5'23)
08.Here Comes The Rain (9'19)
09.Rolling Down The Highway (2'17)
10.My One For Your Two (8'15)
11.Life's Been Good To Me (1'56)


title: Ignore the other review

text: I guess if you have a bogus sound system like "reviewer" G. Siler must have, yeah the CD wouldn't sound good. Fact is, it DOES sound GREAT. The source tapes are from a 1970 live concert, so a REASONABLE person shouldn't expect 2011 sound quality.... but even taking that into consideration, the CD has great sound quality and I am certainly glad I bought it! And no G. Siler, it isn't a bootleg, so "as far as you can tell" doesn't mean anything now does it?


title: Killer mainly 60s rock

text: 1993 Repertoire release CD with: Frigid Pink-House Of The Rising Sun, UFO-Prince Kajuku, Yardbirds-Still I'm Sad, The Herd-From The Underworld, Humble Pie-The Light Of Love, Atomic Rooster-Devil's Answer, Lucifers Friend-Ride The Sky, Family Dogg-Sympathy, Quatermass-Black Sheep Of The Family, Steamhammer-Junior's Wailing, Zombies-Time Of The Season, Grapefruit-Dear Delilah, Easybeats-Hello How Are You, Crispian St Peters-You Were On My Mind, The Smoke-My Friend Jack (rare version), Flowerpotmen-A Walk In The Sky, The Nice-America, Small Faces-Afterglow Of Your Love, Rod Stewart & Python Lee Jackson-In A Broken Dream, Fleetwood Mac-Man Of The World, The Move-Blackberry Way.


title: Whirl Live by Marble Sheep

text:
Disc Red
1) MELTED MOON 10.13
2) LIKE A BIRD 14.41
3) U.F.O. 8.42
4) ACOUSTIC HORIZON 14.51
5) CEMENT WOMAN 18.59

1,3,5 recorded live 1st July 1989 at N.Y. Antiknock, Tokyo
2 recorded live 31st Jan. 1988 at CBGB, Kyoto
4 recorded live 20th June 1988 at N.Y. Antiknock, Tokyo

Disc Blue
1) IN THE DEW 7.25
2) ULTRA - MAN 19.23
3) SPACE 4.25
4) HAWKS OUT 11.56
5) HORIZON 16.03

1 recorded live 1st July 1989 at N.Y. Antiknock, Tokyo
2 recorded live 27th Nov. 1989 at Egg Plant, Osaka
3 recorded live 18th June 1988 at Shinjuku Loft, Tokyo
4 recorded live 17th Dec. 1989 at Egg Plant, Osaka
5 recorded live 24th June 1989 at Egg Plant, Osaka

KEN MATSUTANI, electric guitar, vocals, acoustiv guitar (red-4)
TAKEHITO HAGA, electric guitar, chorus, acoustic guitar (red-4)
YASUHIKO IKEDA, drums (red-2,4, blue-3)
HIROTOH NAKANO, percussion (red-2,4, blue-3)
MOTOSHI CHIZIWA, bass, electric guitar (red-4)
SIGERU KONNO, drums & chorus (red-1,3,5, blue-1,2,4,5)
YASUYUKI WATANABE, drums & percussion (red-1,3,5, blue-1,2,4,5)
TOSHIJI MIKAWA, audio generator (blue-3)
TAKARI KANNO, over head projector & slide

Engineered by Souichirou Nakamura
Produced by Akihiro Nagoya
Remastered at Inner Music Studio


title: Ex Guru Guru guitarists first "solo" album

text: Ax Genrich, guitar master and first guitarist for Guru Guru, stretches out with several styles of music on his first solo venture originally from 1975. Along for the ride are Mani from Guru Guru, Jen Fride, Peter Wollbrandt, Helmut Hattler, Deiter Morbius and Achim Roedelius. Definitely quite a musical journey to go along with.


title: Persuader & Freternia

text: 4 early tracks from both bands, 2 each from their first albums and 2 demo tracks each. On this one, the Freternia tracks are a bit stronger than the Persuader ones, but both bands are great. Excellent examples of young Scandanavian power metal. I bought mine when it was first released, but they're getting hard to find now.


title: Bevis & Goodway Crank It Up

text: Recorded in 1991 this Woronzow super band was made up of Steve Broughton on drums, Simon House - violin, Adrian Shaw - bass and the twin lead guitar frenzy of Rod Goodway and Bevis Frond himself. Heavy psychedelic rock for any acid head or one who appreciates good psych music.


title: '78 Brilliance

text:
This release, coinciding with and celebrating the 70th anniversary of Frank Zappa's birth, contains many of the songs that were to show up on Sheik Yerbouti and some of them were even to be used as the basic tracks for it. So, this is of fantastic sound quality, with Terry Bozzio's tremendous drumming particularly clear and upfront. Frank's guitar is, as you would expect, also well placed in the mix. Heck, everyone: Patrick O'Hearn, Bass; Adrian Belew, Guitar; Tommy Mars, Keys; Peter Wolf; Keys and Ed Mann, Percussion, are all clear and evenly spaced in this powerhouse offering from the deep Zappa Vault. But it is definitely the best recording of Terry's unique and exciting kit hits that I've heard.
There are exquisite Jams here: "Pound For A Brown" is a 20:39 instrumental of stunning musicianship and there are many classic, hugely satisfying lead outbreaks from Frank throughout this 3-disc set of tracks culled from five performances at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England.
There is fun chatting from Frank, good balance of audience noise and all discs are packed full of highly nutritional Frank Zappa classics ("Peaches En Regalia" stripped back and executed by this band is a hoot).
The packaging is pretty grand: fold out cardboard case with plastic jewel trays for the discs (I like that); a booklet with track listing/times and liner notes written by Peter Wolf for this release and a folding card housing a balloon and "Print Material" which is like a folded square of poor quality toilet paper. So these don't strike me as essential additives, but I suppose they are artifacts in their own understated way.
Highly, highly recommended- one of the best vault releases. (Available at the Frank Zappa website.)

Disc One:

1. Convocation/The Purple Lagoon
2. Dancin' Fool
3. Peaches en Regalia
4. The Torture Never Stops
5. Tryin' To Grow a Chin
6. City of Tiny Lites
7. Baby Snakes
8. Pound for a Brown

Disc Two:

1. I Have Been In You
2. Flakes
3. Broken Hearts Are For A**holes
4. Punky's Whips
5. Ti**ies 'n Beer
6. Audience Participation
7. The Black Page #2
8. Jones Crusher
9. The Little House I Used To Live In

Disc Three:

1. Dong Work For Yuda
2. Bobby Brown Goes Down
3. Envelopes
4. Terry Firma
5. Disco Boy
6. King Kong
7. Watermelon In Easter Hay (Prequel)
8. Dinah-Moe Humm
9. Camarillo Brillo
10. Muffin Man
11. Black Napkins
12. San Ber'dino

*Censored for Amazon's publishing guidelines.


title: No Fooling Here

text:
This is a very rewarding volume in the 'Road Trips' series.
One thing that's outstanding about this release is the scarcity of official Dead releases from the year of '88, and this is a welcome and worthy offering from it.
This shows the consistency returning after some patchy and difficult times earlier in the eighties; their energy levels and particularly Jerry's better health, are helping to ride the train steady again, and it would roll along nicely right into the last great peak that was the Spring '90 tour.
Of course, like each of their best live Dead years, it's unique unto itself, with some terrifically vital and clear new jams and renderings brimming with confidence, creativity and enthusiasm.
I have to pay homage to the previous reviews here by concurring and affirming, the tremendous energy displayed throughout the entire show (and the second set from the previous night), including and especially the vocals and guitar from Mr. Garcia: Jerry is sounding galvanized and vibrant when compared to some of the strain he'd been under during recent years.
Classic Garcia guitar brilliance abounds throughout.
Really, the highlight is all three discs; very solid; full of tight, but loose and synapse-stimulating jams; sharp and confident first-set numbers; great sound, with good division between instruments and Brent's keys are nicely balanced and complimentary in the mix.
I love this pick, it's a great moderation between early and later year live Grateful Dead music that I think makes another strong case for the legacy enduring through their later decades.
Highly recommended.
Oh, and the Scarlet-Fire is great; the improv at the end of Estimated Prophet is fab and the third disc is transcendent.


title: Centennial Hall

text:
Of all the tremendous shows from the hallowed Grateful Dead tour of Europe in 1972, this is one of the most indispensable for those looking to choose the most essential of the individual releases. One reason is that it completely supersedes the previous, though successful, '97 release: "Hundred Year Hall", which was only about two-thirds of this very same concert. Whereas this release is, of course, the entire show in all its glory, as well as being a new and slightly better mix.
In a tour of shows that were consistently fabulous it can be a fun or frustrating exercise to try and choose a favorite, but in the Dead.net poll asking site users to rank their faves, this did indeed take the number one spot.
It is definitely a tremendous show, with consistently high energy playing from all, with "The Other One" being a particularly remarkable version and "Turn On Your Lovelight"'s ending jam sees Jerry melting minds with divinely fiery playing; everyone locked in beautifully as they merge in classically magic fashion into "Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad", another easily notable highlight.
I highly recommend this as one of the shows to get and as of writing is still available at Dead.net.

Disc 1
1. Bertha
2. Me and My Uncle
3. Mr. Charlie
4. He's Gone
5. Black-Throated Wind
6. Next Time You See Me
7. China Cat Sunflower>
8. I Know You Rider
9. Jack Straw
10. Big Railroad Blues
11. Playing in the Band

Disc 2
1. Chinatown Shuffle
2. Loser
3. Beat it on Down the Line
4. You Win Again
5. El Paso
6. Tennessee Jed
7. Greatest Story Ever Told
8. The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)
9. Casey Jones
10. Good Lovin'
11. Dire Wolf

Disc 3
1. Truckin'>
2. Drums>
2. The Other One>
3. Comes A Time>
4. Sugar Magnolia

Disc 4
1. Turn On Your Lovelight>
2. Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad>
3. One More Saturday Night


title: Hot, Raw and Smokin' '71

text:
This and the other 1971 Road Trips, Vol.3-No.2, were very pleasant surprises to me.
I'm a completest when it comes to these archival Grateful Dead releases, so I HAVE to get them, but came 'round late to these ones.
Vol.3-No.2 has a tremendous 'Dark Star>El Paso> Dark Star' for singling out, while this one, to me, has an absolutely crackling-with-energy 'China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider'; It has the raw and sinewy seventy-one feel, but is also executed so good and tight that it transcends delegation.
'The Other One>Me and My Uncle>The Other One' is another suite that raises the stakes of this offering. I won't do it a possible disservice by trying to dissect it, but I assure you that it is superb.
These aren't the only highlights, of course; at the end of the day it is all exceptional music.
The 'Hard to Handle' isn't quite up to par with some of the other '71 versions, but no matter, I still love and appreciate another unique slice.

Disc 1:
7/31/71 Yale Bowl, New Haven CT

1. Big Railroad Blues
2. Hard To Handle
3. Me and Bobby McGee
4. Dark Star>
5. Bird Song
6. Not Fade Away>
7. Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad>
8. Not Fade Away
9. Uncle John's Band>
10. Johnny B. Goode

Disc 2:
8/23/71 Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL

1. China Cat Sunflower>
2. I Know You Rider
3. Truckin'
4. Sugaree
5. Cryptical Envelopment>
6. The Other One>
7. Me and My Uncle>
8. The Other One>
9. Cryptical Envelopment>
10. Wharf Rat
11. Sugar Magnolia


title: A Great Australian Talent

text:
Ned Collette is a terrific guitarist and a laid back, understated, but warm singer.
The songs presented here mainly combine these two features to create a brooding, largely acoustic album, with sprinklings of electric, slide and bass guitar, synthesizers, drums and strings.
Ned's from Melbourne, Australia and doesn't inflect his accent; it is clearly Aussie.
I haven't followed his progress, but have heard songs from new albums here and there and been very impressed. He is definitely growing as a talent, which could well mean he won't ever chart, but that doesn't mean much to the music, does it?
Great, quality album.


title: My favourite '90s Grateful Dead release

text:
Some time ago, when I wanted to put some balance into my bulky collection of sixties and seventies Dead concerts, I saw this, did some research, took the risk, and bought it. As some of the eighties and nineties Grateful Dead concert releases aren't always the best representations of peak Dead, my expectations were well exceeded. Compared with some other eighties/nineties Grateful Dead shows/tours, there is a consistency of energy here (as with all of the 1990 Spring tour) and such a huge and shimmering sound that it stands on its own and doesn't need to be compared to the days of old.

The 'Throwing Stones' here is the best I've heard; the 'Drums' and 'Space' parts in the show are captivating and break up the concert well; Brent's more commercial numbers successfully skate quality and remain interesting, despite being more mainstream and methodical than the more common Hunter/Garcia, Barlow/Weir compositions, whilst his keyboard playing throughout the whole show is very impressive; so, a good show for the Brent skeptics, too, perhaps.
The 'Terrapin Station' is sublime; part of the reason for releasing this show.
The guys are all playing well here and going out on those new limbs; fresh branches of nuance, rarer in the later years, with successful and satisfying results.

Many moments are touching and funny- Phil's vocal cover of Dylan's 'Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues' has some amusing ad-lib/impro and when Weir classically misses a cue in the high energy opener of 'Jack Straw' you can hear Brent cracking up and the crowd appreciating it all. In fact, as was so much the case in the Dead's performances, the audience add a real 'Je ne sais quoi'...(sheepishly: pardon me), to the whole recording and you can hear the vibe crackling with electricity.
Phil's Birthday added to the festivities, too.
Incredible sound and a gorgeous encore cover of The Beatles' 'Revolution'.
I highly recommend this.
Wonderful packaging- jewel CD holder templates securely keep the discs within the grand, fold-out cardboard case.


title: Awesome record, quick update to it, worth the buy, but might be discontinued soon If not already.

text:
Best death metal release of 2014. I had the write this review because Discogs keep deleting my reviews.
The 2012 version released on Ebay is a Fake CD (inferior sound bootleg) (Directly ordered from ebay by mr, Hoffman ebay account). The real CD/LP are from amazon ONLY, and are from 2014 and +.
Any 2012 release of this contains inferior sound and an Hoffman release or not, that he's behind this thread or not, It's a fake.
(The company having the original files that Hoffman probably never had for unknown reason and used the decrypted wav files for his series of LEGAL fake).
I have expensive equipment here, compared both amazon and his ebay CD here, 2 DVD-R player linked to the same receiver, with Sennheiser's HD800's ($1500 headphones), and each times,
the amazon one is a lot more powerful and clear, with more details, and this amazon CD has been bought 4 times just to make sure I had the genuine one.
I don't Joke around working 60 hours a week for genuine records. Thank you. I think the fact that they only produced 1000 of these genuine worldwide CD/LP's is absolute chaos for every1. Normally the official amazon CD-R's contains the genuine sound of the artist by a contract.
They never produce enough and we always end up with fakes pirated by the policy return and I think this jewish contract is an abomination.


title: Exiles, Okies and America's Main Street

text:
This is a 2010 studio release from supergroup “The Lost Dogs” featuring Terry S. Taylor, Michael Roe, Derri Daugherty, and Steve Hindalong. 14 out of 15 tracks are new material (“The Glory Road” was originally recorded on SONGS OF THE HEART by Daniel Amos). The songs on this album were inspired by a trip the Dogs took in 2008, traveling along Route 66 from Chicago all the way to California. Besides the regular band-members, there are some stellar contributions from Jimmy Abegg (banjo, mandolin), Tim Chandler (bass), Shad Cobb (fiddle), and several others. Musically I’d describe OLD ANGEL as country/Americana with elements of rock and folk.

Here are three things I love about this album:
1. THE CONTRAST OF DESPAIR AND HOPE. These songs are primarily about the people that live, or lived, along Route 66. Their stories, to a large extent, are stories of tribulation. The Dogs rightly compare their stories to those of Israel in the wilderness: “If I’m gonna show you heaven, first I’ve gotta show you hell. In songs about exiles and a garden, before and after we fell. O Israelites and Okies, may we all travel well.” On “Pearl Moon” - which is about the Hooverville camps of the 1930’s - there are descriptions of coyotes crying, a phantom moon, a tide that won’t turn and finally the loud wails of “and our babies died. . . our babies died!” It’s hard to listen to this song without feeling the despair in those cries. But even through death and sorrow, there is hope. The world might have it “out for us” (on “The Glory Road”) but “there will be peace for us baby. . . someday peace for us.” And other songs remind us of the many good things we have in life: music, ice-cream stands, diners, laughter, romance, etc. So if you’re “down in the mouth and the times are grim” you can “grab a spot on the rock where the river rolls. . . and go dancin’ on the Devil’s Elbow.”

2. THE SUBTLE STRENGTH OF THE VOCALS. The Lost Dogs have always been about great vocals. Somehow though, the vocals seem even better on this album. On many of these songs the vocals are understated - but it’s the restraint in the singing that so powerfully conveys longing and sadness. Roe’s masterful job on “Turn It Around” is a perfect example, as is Taylor and Daugherty’s singing on “Dust in My Bowl”. On other songs Taylor, Roe, & Daugherty invoke a wide range of emotion - sorrow and lament, determination and hope, faith and doubt. Don’t get me wrong. There is also some great music here and at least a few songs that will get your toes tappin’. There’s “Dead End Diner,” an upbeat Beatlesque song with an infectious chorus and a nice bass groove from Chandler. And the gritty country-rocker “Wicked Guns” (an ode to the Old West), is a very cool tune with some fabulous guitar-work by Roe. “Dancin’ on the Devil’s Elbow,” by the way, may be the most fun song the band has recorded since “Three Legged Dog.” With some fine fiddlin’ from Cobb, Abegg on banjo, and Hindalong on saw (no joke), this song is sure to make you grin.

3. THERE’S GHOSTS IN “THEM HILLS.” Or rather, ghosts in the music. What I mean is, there are some added effects in the music that make OLD ANGEL feel like much more than a collection of songs. From the variety of instruments Hindalong plays (shaker, spring drum, chimes, harmonica) to the sound of train engines, wind blowing, a preacher’s sermon (at the end of Pearl Moon), etc. OLD ANGEL paints a landscape full of history and detail. You can practically feel the dust - and the ghosts - in the music. There is also a haunting tone to some of the background vocals, aided in part by the “angelic voice” of Liesl Dromi.

Before closing you should know there is a wonderful video of the Dogs’ travels on Route 66, filmed by Mr. Abegg. You can find it on the Lost Dogs website - thelostdogs.com - or on YouTube under the title, “The Glory Road Trailer.” It’s less than 5 minutes long and is definitely worth watching. Oh, just in case it wasn’t clear, I REALLY like this album. Hope you do too.


title: An Outstanding Live Set from 77's Frontman

text:
This is a live 2-CD set with recordings from a 1997 tour, from 77's singer & guitarist Mike Roe.  It's a mix of acoustic & electric performances (electric guitar, at least) - also featuring David Leonhardt (guitar) and Mark Harmon (bass) from the 77's, and Brian Meyers on percussion.  Leonhardt also plays keyboards on one song ("This is the Way Love Is").  Three great things about this album:

1. Mike Roe's guitar playing.  Nothing short of phenomenal.  This album contains probably Mike's best blues work ever recorded.  Amazing stuff on "Nobody's Fault But Mine" (closer to the Blind Willy Johnson recording than the Zeppelin version), and a blistering 3-minute guitar solo at the end of "Nuts for You."  Excellent playing by both Mike and Dave on other songs too, including three instrumental pieces (Limelight, Mezzo, and John Lee's Blues).
2. The banter between Mike & Dave, and Mike & the audience.  Sounds like they really recorded everything on these sets.  A lot of humor, funny moments & remarks from Mike - much of it in response to requests from people in the audience.  Mike also shares a bit of personal background info on some of the songs & history of the 77's.
3. You get a wide variety of both Roe and 77's material, as well as some rare gems and a few oddballs.  A total of 11 songs come from the 77's albums, DROWNING WITH LAND IN SIGHT and STICKS & STONES, and 5 songs come from Roe's SAFE AS MILK album.  You also get a cool version of "King of the Road," a Hank Williams cover ("Beyond the Sunset"), an alternative version of "I Walk the Line" (the lyrics have been changed) and even a gospel selection ("Men Are So Busy").  And there's a great version of "UUUU" (from the indie-release, MORE MISERABLE THAN YOU'LL EVER BE).

Also, my copy of this CD has a different album cover than the one currently shown on Amazon.  I've got a picture of a naked 1-year old Mike Roe holding a telephone.  The other cover looks like, I'm guessing, a picture of Mike's mom (but not sure about that).

FYI, the album title was chosen because these concerts were set up literally FOR the fans.  In the liner notes Roe says he wanted to "pull together a tour that would be booked and promoted mostly by fans in whatever style and fashion they fancied, with no restrictions on the venue - be it bar, church, or alleyway, if warm bodies showed up, I'd be there to sing for them. . . most importantly, the fans picked nearly all of the songs we played every night."  A pretty cool concept, I think.  All told, this is an outstanding rock & roll album with some great blues and guitar playing, and a lot of good laughs.  A must-have for any 77's or Mike Roe fan!


title: First Revie for Me

text: It was a trip to Taco Bell that introduced me to Jayne Sachs. I was in the car waiting for my wife and trying to tune in 91.3 WYSO NPR which doesn't come in too well by our house.  I heard or partly heard the song Fragile and loved it.  I recorded some of it on my iPhone while moving the car all around the parking lot trying to get the song to come in good enough to make out the lyrics so I could do a web search.  No good on the searches on the internet.  Went to WYSO and looked at their playlist (THANK YOU WYSO)!  I found the song.  Then I found Jayne.  She and her band are in Dayton.  I found some used copies of her album in various places but I figured I would rather see her get the money so I went new.  I sent a note to her on her website and we had a couple of real nice communications back and forth.  I bought the album and she autographed it and made a reference to Taco Bell. She also was nice enough to send another of her CDs.<br />  I have enjoyed the album, I am no musician so I don't know how well I can do on a description.  Jayne has a very nice voice that carries the emotion of the lyrics, the band doesn't overpower her.  In " Fragile(Drops Of Anesthesia)"  my favorite song, it is almost if she is in the room right next to me nice close mike. The emotion of the hurt in her relationship in this song comes  through in the timbre her voice so clearly. The first words," I know  You don't like me much tonight....."  The melody and her voice blend so nicely. I really like the guitar and voice interaction, then we switch to the piano and her voice interacting.  Her lyrics are really well written and carry the story being told in the song. Not just a bunch of mindless nonsense.  The second song "40 Days" reminds me of some of Sheryl Crows songs but I think this song predates the songs I am thinking of.  The songs on this album are the kinds to sit down with and relax while listening to them.  Jayne and her band do live performances and I would love to see one someday.  Thank you Jayne for the enjoyment you have brought me.  Fragile is one of the songs that is stuck in my head.


title: Johnny Allen

text: Johnny is one the best guitarist in the history of blue/rock on the scene in NYC. He may have been too good. The industry doesn't get that.. He came around at a time when music business was more prone to sign and back white blues/rock guitarists who dressed and played like Stevie Ray Vaughan. Johnny has always had his own style with a superior technique. The fact that Johnny Lang got fame over Johnny Allen says a lot about the biz.


title: Charlie Christian And Lester Young, Plus Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, and Count Basie: 1940-1941

text:
In its liner notes for this CD, Charlie Christian & Lester Young - Together, the Dutch label, Archives of Jazz, makes this statement: "With the exception of a famous jazz concert released on record, the material found on this compact disc represents the only known recordings of these two men playing together. The balance of the material on this CD features Charlie playing with other great musicians. None of the material on this CD has ever been released before in any form."

To be more specific, of the total 16 tracks included here only five feature Charlie Christian and Lester Young playing together. Those five tracks also include Benny Goodman on clarinet, Buck Clayton on trumpet, Jo Jones on drums, Artie Bernstein on bass, and Count Basie on piano. As indicated in the annotated track listing shown below, those other "great musicians" referred to in the notes include Cootie Williams on trumpet, Georgie Auld on tenor sax, Harry Jaeger on drums, and Ken Kersey on piano.

Four recording sessions in New York City in late 1940 and early 1941 were used to record the complete 16 tracks:

1. Ad-Lib Blues
2. I Never Knew
3. Charlie's Dream
4. Wholly Cats
5. Lester's Dream
6. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (#3)
7. Breakfast Feud (Rehearsal)
8. Royal Garden Blues
9. Benny's Bugle (Rehearsal)
10.I Can't Give You Anything But Love (#2)
11.Gone With The Draft
12. Benny's Bugle
13. Breakfast Feud (2nd Rehearsal)
14 Wholly Cats
15. Breakfast Feud
16. Gilly

Tracks 1-5: October 28, 1940 --
Charlie Christian, electric guitar, Lester Young, tenor sax, Benny Goodman, clarinet; Buck Clayton, trumpet; Count Basie, piano; Artie Bernstein, bass; Jo Jones, drums.

Tracks 8-9,12,14: November 7, 1940 --

Personnel same as above, except Cootie Williams replaces Buck Clayton on trumpet, Georgie Auld replaces Lester Young on tenor sax, and Harry Jaeger replaces Jo Jones on drums.

Tracks 6-7, & 10,13,& 15-16: December 19, 1940 --

Personnel same as above, except Ken Kersey replaces Count Basie on piano.

Track 11: January 15, 1941 --

Personnel the same as Nov. 7, 1940 except Jo Jones replaces Harry Jaeger on drums.

As is evident from the track listing, there is some repetition in the recordings selected for this album: two versions of  three songs -- Wholly Cats, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, and  Benny's Bugle; as well as three versions of Breakfast Feud. These repeated tunes, because they contain many of the same riffs, contribute to a sense of sameness on the CD aa a whole and account for the four-star rating from this reviewer.

My favorites on this CD include Ad Lib Blues and I Never Knew for the contributions there of Benny Goodman and Buck Clayton, who bring an extra sense of musical excitement to the solo work by both Christian and Young. Perhaps the best track on the CD, however, is the December 19th version of Breakfast Feud, which, after the two rehearsals, displays a tight ensemble performance by all players in that particular Goodman group.

An extended quotation from Gunther Sculler's acclaimed book, [[ASIN:0195071409 The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945 (History of Jazz)]], may provide some helpful historical and critical perspective on these special recordings: "For a brief period in late 1940, Benny Goodman, discouraged by the loss of Lionel Hampton in his Sextet, considered abandoning it and leading a Kansas City Six type of group  instead. From one of the group's rehearsals for a test recording -- the plan never came to fruition -- performances have come to light which reveal prime Prez: perfect and characteristically unostentatious on I Never Knew; ingenious in his two laid-back breaks  -- one an inversion of the other -- on Ad Lib Blues; and a paragon of easy, relaxed and mellifluous swing on Lester's Dream."

I believe that the performances that Schuller refers to above are those captured on this imported CD. Although this CD is packaged to primarily attract fans of Lester Young by pairing Prez with jazz guitar legend Charlie Christian, it should also appeal to fans of Benny Goodman, whose many compelling solos throughout this album offer listeners much musical enjoyment.

Strongly recommended for fans of both Lester Young and Benny Goodman.

'


title: Lester Young: Seven Recording Sessions From 1947 To 1951

text:
This review pertains to the 20-track compilation issued by the Italian label, Giants of Jazz. The CD offers a particularly nice mixture of slow ballads, blues, medium tempo standards, and even a few tunes that suggest a trace of the bebop then in the air.

The following track listing includes some pertinent facts about recording dates and personnel involved. [Note: it is not listed in the order of tracks on the Giants of Jazz CD.]

1. On The Sunny Side Of The Street, Chicago, Feb. 18, 1947 [Lester Young, tenor sax, on all tracks]
Personnel: Argonne Thornton, piano; Fred Lacey, guitar; Rodney Richardson, bass; Lydell Marshall, drums

2. Easy Does It, NYC, Dec. 28 or 30, 1947
Personnel: Argonne Thornton, piano; Fred Lacey, guitar; Ted Brisco, bass; Roy Haynes, drums

3. East Of The Sun
4. Something To Remember You By, NYC, Dec. 29, 1948
Personnel: Gene Di Novi, piano; Chuck Wayne, guitar; Curley Russell, bass; Tiny Kahn, drums

5. 'Deed I Do
6. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
7. Encore
8. Too Marvelous For Words, NYC, Sept. 17, 1949
Personnel: Hank Jones, piano; Ray Brown, bass; Buddy Rich, drums

9. It All Depends On You
10.Neenah
11. Count Every Star
12. Jeepers, Creepers, NYC, June 1950
Personnel: John Lewis, piano; Joe Shulman, bass; Bill Clark, drums

13. September In The Rain
14. Undercover Girl Blues
15. Little Pee Blues
16. Thou Swell, NYC, Jan 16, 1951
Personnel: John Lewis, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Jo Jones, drums

17. Lester Swings
18. A Foggy Day
19. Let's Fall In Love
20. Slow Motion Blues, NYC, March 8, 1951
Personnel: same as Jan. 16, 1951

Although some jazz critics claim that Lester Young never played at his pre-war level once he had returned to performing after his military discharge, for the most part these selections show that Young had substantial energy and an extraordinary amount of melodic imagination with which to perform and record. Young's physical health played a role in his playing at times. For example, in his liner notes for the Verve collection also entitled Lester Swings, British jazz critic and Young biographer Dave Gelly writes that on the popular ballad, Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Young "seemed to be having difficulty with sound production."

On the other hand, Gelly also points out in his notes that two tracks, Undercover Girl Blues and Lester Swings, "come from what was probably the most settled period of Young's life."

Gelly also addresses the persistent debate regarding Young's post-war physical and psychological health and his ability to again perform at a high level: "It is difficult to see how anyone, faced with the evidence of Undercover Girl Blues could have concluded that Lester Young in the early 1950s was a spent creative force. The saxophone tone is clear, delicate, and infinitely flexible. The slurs, shadings, and tonal shifts emerge not as  applied effects but as an organic part of the improvised line. And rarely did Young play as robustly in the last decade of his life as he does on Lester Swings, based on the chords of Exactly Like You. A few years later the tempo would have given him trouble, to say nothing of the sheer energy called for. As it is, he drives the whole thing along in grand style."

Additionally, in his brief but informative 1984 biography of Young, Gelly further describes two of the tunes included on this fine CD:

"From 1950 we have the beautiful, fragile Polka Dots and Moonbeams, in which the tenor saxophone steals tentatively through the theme, absorbed and fascinated by its possibilities."

"East Of The Sun ... is a rather good performance, although Prez deliberately trails off at the end instead of finishing cleanly."

In addition to the excellent songs cited above, this reviewer would like to also highlight several of the more up-tempo tunes, especially Encore, Young's own Neenah,  and Easy Does It. They are a refreshing change of pace from the slower ballads and blues and at times seem to suggest traces of bebop in their rhythms and sounds.

Highly recommended for fans of Lester Young wishing to add some specific recordings from 1947 -1951 to their collections.


title: A Pleasant Album With A Major Flaw

text:
As a fan of Dexter Gordon, I was looking forward to listening to this CD and also to learning something about the musicians playing with him, which in this case include a pianist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, and an extraordinary performer on vibraphone. But this CD includes no liner notes of any kind, just two blank pages inside a folded piece of cover display. The track listing, the only information offered here, is printed on the bottom side of the jewel case.

When companies produce CDs of performances by such "jazz masters" as Dexter Gordon and omit any type of written explanation about the recording session and the artist's sidemen,it strikes me as a sign of disrespect, both of the featured musician and the customer.

Although I found the music to be enjoyable and the playing of the rhythm section quite extraordinary at times, I will probably avoid buying anything else by this label.

Perhaps other fans of Mr. Gordon will not attach as much importance to the lack of liner notes as I do and may wish to purchase it simply to hear him playing his tenor sax with a rather full complement of sidemen.