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.