Sharon Jones - Give The People What They Want (2014)

Sharon Jones - Give The People What They Want 

  Ever since I heard her debut album I have not missed a Sharon Jones album....one by one they just keep gettin' better 'n better!   Make no mistake my friends "Give The People What They Want" is a fantastic soul funk album full of great memorable  tunes....  The tune "You'll be lonely" is scrumptiousloussylydelicissouslly........i mean come on dude.......this jig sure is sweet!

  If you are familiar with Sharon Jones then you will adore these 10 great new tracks but for those who have not had a taste let me just say how much you have missed,..........but its not too late!

Richard Betts - Highway Call (1974)

Richard Betts - Highway Call 

  Richard "Dickie" Betts was a key member in the Allman Brothers Band until 1976 and released this fantastic first solo album back in 1973.  Of course Betts is best known for his tune  "Ramblin' Man" and other great Allman songs.

  Highway Call is a superb Country-Rock album and features some fantasic song writing from Betts with some great supporting lyrics.  Betts surrounds himself with some top notch musicians as well including the firey fiddle of Vassar Clements.


  Leave it to Betts to do a little something different and puts on this album a 15 minute epic country rock track titled "Hand Picked" in ode to the greats..... Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, the Allmans, and Flatt & Scruggs. 

Boards Of Canada - the campfire headphase (2005)

Boards Of Canada - the campfire headphase (2xLP)

  The Boards of Canada are incredibly not from Canada.....they are from Scotland and are the genius of the duo of Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin.   This electronic duo released their landmark album in 1998 with "Music has the right to children" which was a groundbreaking album that still is copied and mimiced today.   Their music is perhaps best described as warm electronica.......and always  hugely thought provoking.   Their music is picturesque and full of deep imagery.


  The campfire headphase was their 3rd full length album and was a bit of a departure from their patented sound and approach.  I would say this album is a lot less organic sounding and more produced. The good news is that the electronic grace is all still here and the beauty of their music has not altered.

  I would not suggest putting this album on for a dinner party but if want to zone out and chill for an hour you cant go wrong with this album.  I am personally a big fan of this band and have all their music in my collection and this album holds a special spot in my heart.


  

Polly Bergen sings songs of Helen Morgan (1957)

Polly Bergen: Bergen sings  Morgan

  I first heard the voice of Polly Bergen totally by chance and I knew I had to hunt more of her music down.  "Sings songs of Helen Morgan" was her first on Columbia Records and was partially the results of her Emmy-winning appearance in The Helen Morgan Story.   This album is a fantastic example of her beautiful and powerful voice.  

   Orchestration is handled by Luther Henderson and nicely compliments Bergens vox!  

   This album is a fine collection of old standards and songs of Helen Morgan sung in Bergen's way.  I am a big fan of the 50's female crooner scene.....June Christy..Helen Merill, Jane Morgan, Julie London and I would put Polly Bergen's early albums right at the top of the pile!

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973)

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies , SACD

Billion Dollar Babies was one of THE albums that I grew up with...........my brother and I played this album a "billion" times over. The album is a pure classic of 70's rock and remains IMHO one of Cooper's finest album (along with 1971's Killers). Side note: Steve Hoffman's 24 KT Audio Fidelity is also a superb audio discovery (HDCD) and I highly recommend this version too.

This SACD version comes with a replica CD sized fold out One Billion Dollar bill as a teaser in ode of the original vinyl. I own the original vinyl and 2001's double Warner Archives CD remastered version by Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot but Hoffman's SACD easily steals the show here offering the richest and widest sound of this precious rock artifact that I have ever heard!

Hoffman has brought out dynamics and detail I never even knew existed and this disc honestly has brought this album finally to life! The detail and soundscape is quite dynamic and offers excellent seperation and deep tones. I really noticed the depth on the title track and Generation Landslide with warm but wide instrumental and vocal seperation. On Generation Landslide the acoustic is right to the left of you while the harmonica balances the far right and both sound like they are right there in your living room with you.

The bass is also nicely balanced and deep in tone and quality......another very noticeable aspect of this SACD.

If you are a fan of this album then this is an essential purchase.

Mr. Hoffman we owe you a "Billion" for giving us this album in glorius SACD!

Nat King Cole - Unforgettable (1954)

Nat King Cole - Unforgettable 

    In 1954 Nat King Cole was ontop of the crooner world and was growing in mass popularity.   It seemed that everything Cole touched became Unforgettable.......

  Old King Cole released his most treasured album fittingly titled "Unforgettable" featuring the massive selling title cut and my personal favourite track "Answer me, my love" to just name two of the ten cuts.
  

Flatt & Scruggs - Foggy mountain Banjo (1961)

Flatt & Scruggs - Foggy mountain Banjo 

  Perhaps the watermark album released back 1961 for this pickin duo of old time bluegrass.  Be warned these two "old timers" are anything but boring.  No question Earl Scruggs is one of the fastest banjo pickers the world has ever seenand just had a way to get your movin'.

    Adding his vocals and rhythm guitar is of course Lester Flatt who compliments Scruggs jig-like sensibilities on virtually every songs.

Pete Wernick - Dr. Banjo Steps Out (1977)

Pete Wernick - Dr. Banjo Steps Out

  If you like to smoke bluegrass then this is your album !

  .....i mean if you like smokin Bluegrass then this is your album!

  Pete Wernick is of course the banjo man who played in the vintage bluegrass band Hot Rize on Flying Fish label.   "Dr. Banjo Steps Out" is a bit Psychedelic....a bit bluegrass...a bit deliverance and bit rock and or roll........

   Wernick invented the phased banjo......an original technique that made this guy famous amongst the flower power kids and the ardent bluegrass crowd.

  Every song on this album is killer and offers some simply knockout banjo work that is sure to being out the air-banjo in everyone!

Chris Spedding - Guitar Graffiti (1978)

Chris Spedding - Guitar Graffiti

 Chris Spedding may be one of the least known and sadly most ignored guitarists singer/songwriters of the last 30 years.   Something like 12 solo albums in and tons and tons of guest appearances and the guy is still going !

  1978's "Guitar Graffiti" is an eclectic mix album with loads of cool songs and choice guitar work.   In many ways I like this album as much as his masterpiece 1990's "Cafe Days" although both albums are very very different.  Two of my favourite Spedding tracks come from "Guitar Graffiti" those being "Time Warp" with his ode to Kraftwerk and the succulent guitar assault on "Frontal Lobotomy" and "hey miss Betty" and "more lobotomy" and " Breakout" ....ok ok ok......side two then !!!!!

  Chris Spedding is a fantastic songwriter and guitarist and if you like 70's power pop then this album is for you.   Side two will blow your mind !!!  Simply awesome music !
   

Chuck Berry - Berry's Golden Decade (1955-1965)

Chuck Berry - Berry's Golden Decade (1955-1965)

  Here is a very cool 2 LP set Chuck Berry compilation featuring some fantastic guitar and early rock'n roll music.  Of course Chuck Berry was one of the most influential rockers of all time ...perhaps the most oft cited one !

  Bands like The Rolling Stones, Beatles and The Animals were clearly influenced by the songs of this guy!

  Songs like "Johnny B. Goode", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Reelin' and Rockin' litter this fantatsic double album set.

Charles Edward Berry was born in St. Louis Missouri coming from a very musical family.   Early in his career he signed onto Leonard and Phil Chess' label which was aply named CHESS.  All the music on this compilation comes from Berry's Chess-era days.

My favourite Chuck Berry song is the intimately blues "Deep Feeling"which has a huge wall of guitar  sound.

   The vinyl states that this music was electronically altered for stereo and i think has that famous dog-head vinyl sound......definitely not audiophile quality but still highly addictive and 100% enjoyable!

Alan Stivell - en direct - Live (1972)

Alan Stivell - en direct - Live a L'Olympia

  Live at the Olympia is one of the finest celtic prog rock/ world music albums you will ever hear!

  In 1972 harpest Alan Stivell recorded this live album with a cast of fantastic musicians who set out to share thier love of prog celtic rock.    This album deserves the tag of a live masterpiece and is essential listening for any fan of Celtic music. 

 Stivell plays a haunting harp and when combined with fiddles, whistles, guitars, and Hammond organ, will take you into ancient times.    

  One of the most haunting moments is revealed on the unassuming tune "Telenn Gwad" which remains the single biggest highlight for me.  Soft soaring symphonia with harp and violin and the caressing vocals of Alan Stivell.   

  Prog rock fans will love the tune "Pop-Plinn" with its huge Canterbury-like vibe and song structure.

  Fans of Loreena Mckennitt will need to hear this album (and others) as they carry for me a very similar emotive quality.  No question Loreena was also influenced and touched by the beauty of Stivell's music!


  The albums two sides are also quite different in character with side being more the accoustic songs and would appeal to folk lovers while side two seems to be more electric and progressive rock based.

Keith Jarrett - In The Light (1974)

Keith Jarrett - In The Light

  Keith Jarrett has been at the cutting edge of music for some time often pushing the boundaries of what we know.  "In The Light" is a double vinyl album from his early days and finds Jarrett tackling symphonic classically jazz infused ideas.
  Fans of the "ECM-Scene" will no doubt already own music by Jarrett , but might be surprised a bit by his focus on this album.

"In The Light" is essentially a classical compendium of eight different works employing a number of ensembles.   

   Like many Jarrett albums his music defies classification and takes treks from baroque to contemporary dissonance to complex counterpoint to a brass quintet.   

  Strongest song on the album for me is the 20 mins epic "Metamorphosis," featuring Bela Bartok'ish  structures and tones.  

Chet Atkins - The First Nashville Guitar Quartet (1979)

Chet Atkins - The First Nashville Guitar Quartet

  Chet Atkins teams up with Liona Boyd, John Knowles and John Pell to create a very unique sounding album.

   This album is basically just the result of four acoustic guitars covering a wide range of songs including the Walt Disney favorite "Someday My Prince Will Come", Canada's Anne Murray hit "You Needed me" and Sousa's "Washington Post March".

  If you love acoustic guitars then this album is for you!

     This RCA LP was very well recorded and offers fantastic sound quality sure to please all audiophile fanatics out there.  

Chet was quite the musician and recorded and played on a widely diverse set of album in a diverse set of genres and themes with the one constant being his amazing musicanship!

R.L. Burnside - A Ass Pocket Of Whisky (1996)

R.L. Burnside - A Ass Pocket Of Whisky (1996)

Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action (1976)

Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action

   Some five years after the release of the power pop rock masterpiece album "Teenage Head" and with 50% new members the "Groovies" carried on with an album celebrating the British Invasion.

  Cyril Jordan (guitar) and bassist George Alexander were now the only remaining members of the Flamin' Groovies and no question this band changed their sound too.

 I love this album with its mod vibes and total rule Britania aura.   At times it has a sound The Who...other times The Beatles....other times The Kinks.

"Shake Some Action" was recorded in Great Britain and produced by Dave Edmunds.
 

Chet Atkins - Picks The Beatles (1966)

Chet Atkins - Picks The Beatles

  Recorded back in 1966 guitarist Chet Atkins delivers his ode to those rather famous four Liverpudleans!   If you are a fan os great clear guitar playing then this is your album!

Of Montreal - Lousy with Sylvianbriar (2014)

Of Montreal - Lousy with Sylvianbriar

The Smithereens - Meet The Smithereens (2009)

The Smithereens - Meet The Smithereens

The Smithereens - B-Sides The Beatles (2009)

The Smithereens - B-Sides The Beatles