First and third albums from soulful mid-70s one-hit wonders Ed Sanford and John Townsend first worked together in their native South, but it wasn’t until they moved toLos Angelesthat their music garnered any commercial impact. The duo initially signed on as staff writers, but their aspirations to perform was achieved via songwriting demos and a contract with Warner Brothers. Their self-titled 1976 debut was produced by Jerry Wexler at Muscle Shoals, but even with all that going for it, it didn’t make a commercial impression at first. It wasn’t until the single “Smoke from [...]
Early ‘70s country-rock, blues and soul from Marin County Clover was a Marin County, California four-piece that formed in the late ‘60s and recorded this pair of albums for Fantasy Records in 1970-71. Their renown, however, stems from later exploits, including the slot as Elvis Costello’s backing band on his 1977 debut, My Aim is True , as well as spinning off Huey Lewis and the News, and launching the solo and songwriting (including Tommy Tutone’s “ 867-5309/Jenny ”) career of Alex Call. Their original albums didn’t catch on [...]
Jackie Gleason’s moody mood music Jackie Gleason was a man of many talents, not the least of which was his ear for music. Gleason didn’t write a great deal, nor play any instruments, but as a musical director he picked the songs and arrangers, and conducted the orchestra in creating a lush body of romantic mood music. For this first album, originally released as an eight-song 10” in 1952, he featured the cornet playing of Bobby Hackett. Hackett became a regular on Gleason’s recordings (see the 4-CD The Complete Sessions [...]
In celebration of Johnny Cash’s 80th birthday, Sony’s Legacy division has released a tributary live show ( We Walk the Line ) and a quartet of compilations covering his #1 hits , duets , country and gospel songs. The titles are cleverly punctuated (The Greatest: Duets) to suggest these are songs from one of country greatest artists, rather than definitive collections of the named slice of Cash’s catalog. And that’s a good idea, since reducing Cash’s greatest country or gospel songs to collections of fourteen titles is sure to engender [...]
All-star tribute to Johnny Cash on the 80th anniversary of his birth This CD+DVD set documents an all-star tribute to Johnny Cash that was held in April 2012 inAustin,Texas. The lineup includes Cash’s outlaw peers, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, and a lengthy list of No Depression favorites that includes Buddy Miller, Rhett Miller and the Carolina Chocolate Drops; the latter burn up their cover of “Jackson,” with Rhiannon Giddens sawing her fiddle and channeling the sass of June Carter Cash at the same time. The nineteen tracks also include pairings of Kristofferson with [...]
Second album of covers from devout Texas traveler Texas is a big place. Big enough for musical stars to develop careers that barely touch the distant lands on the state’s borders. Pat Green was born in San Antonio, raised in Waco, attended Texas Tech, played the clubs of Lubbock, self-released four albums, found a mentor in fellow-Texan Willie Nelson, toured all over the Lone Star state and developed mainstream sponsors, all before signing with Universal in 2001.His albums have cracked the Top 20, and his singles the Top 40, but he’s never become a [...]
Second album of covers from devout Texas traveler Texas is a big place. Big enough for musical stars to develop careers that barely touch the distant lands on the state’s borders. Pat Green was born in San Antonio, raised in Waco, attended Texas Tech, played the clubs of Lubbock, self-released four albums, found a mentor in fellow-Texan Willie Nelson, toured all over the Lone Star state and developed mainstream sponsors, all before signing with Universal in 2001.His albums have cracked the Top 20, and his singles the Top 40, but he’s never become a [...]
Booker T. & The M.G.s’ 1962 debut LP couldn’t possibly live up to the invention and excitement of its title single, but it doesn’t have to, as even without the catchy hooks of their hits, the band’s soul grooves cut deep. With only three originals (“Green Onions,” the cooler variation, “Mo’ Onions,” and the exquisite late-night organ blues, “Behave Yourself”), the Stax house band was left to pull together cover songs from a wide variety of sources. They give instrumental hits by Dave “Baby” Cortez (“ Rinky-Dink ”) and Phil Upchurch (“ Can’t Sit Down ”) solid shots of Memphis [...]
Booker T. & The M.G.s’ 1962 debut LP couldn’t possibly live up to the invention and excitement of its title single, but it doesn’t have to, as even without the catchy hooks of their hits, the band’s soul grooves cut deep. With only three originals (“Green Onions,” the cooler variation, “Mo’ Onions,” and the exquisite late-night organ blues, “Behave Yourself”), the Stax house band was left to pull together cover songs from a wide variety of sources. They give instrumental hits by Dave “Baby” Cortez (“ Rinky-Dink ”) and Phil Upchurch (“ Can’t Sit Down ”) solid shots of Memphis [...]
Texas hill country soul Texas singer-songwriter Walt Wilkins gets deeper with every release. Having spent ten years as a Nashville songwriter, Wilkins returned to his native Texas. He reminisces about his time on Music Row in “Between Midnight and Day,” but doesn’t miss it, and it’s in his native hill country, physically and mentally between San Antonio and Austin, that his music has grown more earthen and multihued. The absence of songwriting appointments, clocked sessions and market-driven recording/touring cycles has provided Wilkins time to develop a stockpile of material and a community of like-minded [...]
Texas hill country soul Texas singer-songwriter Walt Wilkins gets deeper with every release. Having spent ten years as a Nashville songwriter, Wilkins returned to his native Texas. He reminisces about his time on Music Row in “Between Midnight and Day,” but doesn’t miss it, and it’s in his native hill country, physically and mentally between San Antonio and Austin, that his music has grown more earthen and multihued. The absence of songwriting appointments, clocked sessions and market-driven recording/touring cycles has provided Wilkins time to develop a stockpile of material and a community of like-minded [...]
Americana touched by soul, trad jazz and modern rock Nielsen’s name may not be immediately familiar, but the Beatles influences in his music hint strongly at his family connection to Cheap Trick guitarist/songwriter Rick Nielsen. The younger Nielsen’s music is less pure-pop than his father’s, with his hoarse-voiced Americana touched by modern rock, soul and trad jazz. Still, his sensibility for melodies and hooks is no doubt informed by embryonic exposure to his dad’s power-pop. It’s been three years since Nielsen’s self-titled debut, with much of that time’s been spent on the road with [...]
Americana touched by soul, trad jazz and modern rock Nielsen’s name may not be immediately familiar, but the Beatles influences in his music hint strongly at his family connection to Cheap Trick guitarist/songwriter Rick Nielsen. The younger Nielsen’s music is less pure-pop than his father’s, with his hoarse-voiced Americana touched by modern rock, soul and trad jazz. Still, his sensibility for melodies and hooks is no doubt informed by embryonic exposure to his dad’s power-pop. It’s been three years since Nielsen’s self-titled debut, with much of that time’s been spent on the road with [...]
Power pop legends in perfect form after eighteen year hiatus First, Redd Kross returns after a fifteen year studio hiatus with the best album of their career ( Researching the Blues ), and a week later the pride of Zion, Illinois tops that by ending an eighteen-year drought with a new release that’s as compelling as anything they’ve ever recorded. With all three founding members (John Murphy, Jeff Murphy and Gary Klebe) joined by their longtime stage drummer John Richardson, the band has self-produced an album that measure up favorably [...]
Power pop legends in perfect form after eighteen year hiatus First, Redd Kross returns after a fifteen year studio hiatus with the best album of their career ( Researching the Blues ), and a week later the pride of Zion, Illinois tops that by ending an eighteen-year drought with a new release that’s as compelling as anything they’ve ever recorded. With all three founding members (John Murphy, Jeff Murphy and Gary Klebe) joined by their longtime stage drummer John Richardson, the band has self-produced an album that measure up favorably [...]
Many have heard gentle, harmony-laden folk-revival covers of "500 Miles" by The Journeymen , Peter, Paul & Mary , and The Brothers Four , but none of these versions have the visceral impact of Hedy West's stark banjo-accompanied original.
Redd Kross returns to bless us all with brilliant power-pop Redd Kross’ first studio release in fifteen years actually reaches back an additional decade to the line-up that recorded 1987’s Neurotica . Six years ago the brothers MacDonald reunited with guitarist Robert Hecker and drummer Roy McDonald for live appearances (including the DVD Got Live if You Must! ), and have now mixed and released this album of songs written and recorded in 2007-08. Everything you ever loved about Redd Kross is here, including [...]
Rootsy Nashville duo’s third album stirs controversy Rory and Joey Feek have a history of hard work and struggle that could have just as easily led them to day jobs as it has to a record deal. Rory Feek found success as a songwriter, penning hits for Clay Walker, Blake Shelton and Easton Corbin, but failed to catch on as a solo performer. Joey Feek also recorded solo material, but it wasn’t until the couple competed as a duo on the television show Can You Duet that performing [...]
Elvis fans vote their favorites from producers’ short lists RCA/Legacy is to be applauded for the tremendous Elvis reissues they’ve released over the past few years: The 75th birthday 4-CD anthology Elvis 75 – Good Rockin’ Tonight , the 5-CD chronicle of 1956 Young Man with the Big Beat , and expanded editions of From Elvis in Memphis , On Stage and Elvis Country . Each presented generous helpings and [...]
There’s no shortage of live albums on Billy Joe Shaver, including well-picked gigs from the ‘80s ( Live from Austin, TX ) and ‘90s ( Storyteller: Live at the Bluebird and Unshaven: Live at Smith’s Olde Bar ), but when you’re an honest-to-God troubadour, each performance is a unique combination of people, place and songs. This two-CD document of Shaver’s September 2011 show at Billy Bob’s Texas , is just as essential as the earlier volumes. Though one could never expect Shaver to fully recover [...]
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MP3: Daft Punk – “Horizons” (RAM Japanese Bonus Track)
Listen to Daft Punk’s “Horizon”, the Japanese bonus track for Random Access Memories
