Utopia - Deface The Music (1980)

Utopia - Deface The Music, 1980

Imitation of the highest order of flattery ............and without question Rundgren knew what he wanted to risk and accomoplish with an album inspired and born in the spirit of Beatlemania.   Too many people have literally slagged or ignored this album and really has miss this one!   Todd Rundgren and Utopia wrote this album totally in the style of those four mop tops (1964-1967) and the end result is an album that you may just love if you give it a chance......cause all we are saying.........is give this a chance...............(ooops).
  I bought this album on cassette back in the early 80's purely for the album cover......hope you never did that!   After hearing this cassette I became a fan of Utopia.   

Shania Twain - Up! (2003)

Shania Twain - Up !  (2003) SACD

  Well I am not sure what happened to me......but I am in love with Shania Twain.........wait......i mean her music!     Up!   is a great pop album.....and way better then her "Come on Over" album which I found a little too "New Country" for me, but this album really is solid from start to finish!
  I could not believe my ears when I heard her obvious allusion to Pink Floyd's Money on "Ka-Ching!" which is a very powerful song that really makes you think about the money and credit card world we live in.

   I am not sure what happened to me but this weekend I became a Shania Twain fan !

Uh Oh !

hey for all those who are laughing at me ....take the Up! Challenge......put this album on your stereo and watch what happens......

I am definitely UP !

Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)

Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971) Remaster

  You must love Joni!   Hard to pick what album is my favorite but "Blue" is certainly right up there which seems to carry a deep emotional factor for me.   The album itself is pretty quaint and unassuming and pretty much is themed around the feelings of sorrow and loneliness.......a rich and wholesome album if I could suggest.   The remastered HDCD version of this album is very well done and offers a nice and clean version of this gem.
   The title song "Blue" is one of my favorite songs she has ever done and it was a toss up for my wedding whether I'd play this track or "Both Sides Now" from 1969's Clouds album........well the only way you will know what I picked is if you were there !   (LOL).
  Legendary rock band Narareth made a million off her song of "This Flight Tonight" which remains a centre piece of this album.  
  Joni is joined by Steven Stills and James Taylor on this album as guest musicians as well.
"acid, booze and ass........needles, guns and grass.........lots of laughs......LOL's...

XTC - Mummer (1983)

XTC - Mummer, 1983 Remastered

  Mummer was the 6th album released by England's Alternative Psych-Rock Popsters and was the comeback album for Andy Partridge who had previously suffered a mental breakdown and led to XTC's retirement from touring in fact!   Mummer was an album that sounds very much like a more pop-friendly album with tons of soothing type sounds and songs.  "Wonderland" was the song and "Deliver Us From The Elements" that really made me at first take notice of this album which I bought way back when as a delete vinyl album !

  I dont think Mummer is the album that most fans of XTC will cite as their fav, but for me it is a great bit of pop and rock for my ears.  I think in many ways the band really had a complete album in Mummer and had some awesome musical moments.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

  Heavy Metal guru's Black Sabbath rocked the world in 1970 with Paranoid......and left in place some of Rocks most immediately identifiable riffs in metal history.      Paranoid features three classic metal tracks with "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and "Paranoid".    Ozzy Osbourne's crazed vocals wrapped around Tony Iommi's lead guitar punctures your mind in a way that few metal album can.
  My favourite song on the album is "Planet Caravan" with it's psychy/progressive bits and outer worldly aspects. 
  I am not a huge metal fan in general but I have always loved this album and think that it was the best thing Sabbath ever did.

The Bloody Hollies - Yours Until The Bitter End (2011)

The Bloody Hollies - Yours Until The Bitter End (2011)

Holy crap these guys are good !   Fans of the heavier side of the music spectrum will love this album..aka the Black Keys, Radio Moscow......  The Bloody Hollies are a Buffalo based indie band that have released a number of albums that straddle metal, garage rock and punk genres and seem to just crank out great number after number.   On "Yours Until The Bitter End" they added a fourth member ....enter bassist Erik Norgaard and wham what an album.    This album is a fair dose of high energy heavy reverb with some pretty catchy and cool tunes.  Highly recommended if you are looking for a good kick -ass album !

Nat King Cole - Just One Of Those Things (1957)

Nat King Cole - Just One Of Those Things, 1957 Analogue Productions (SACD)

  Brace yourself.........the huge symphonic brilliance of Billy May mixed with the mild mannered and hauntingly silky smooth voice of Crooner Nat King Cole.   In 1957 Cole shifted from Gordon Jenkins to Billy May to finally get the Sinatra experience which he always had wanted.   The end result is simply a magnificent album full of huge orchestration and soothing energy that really never stops bopping about.   Hoffman and Gray have done a awesome job on all the Nat King Cole SACD remasters and this one really swings !

"Cottage For Sale" is simply a masterpiece of cronnership' as Nat King Cole simply hits your heart dead on....

For those are too caught up in the modern music to really appreciate the good old stuff have simply missed out..... The mid 50's Nat King Cole albums are amazing !