What Are You Listening To?

[Jerome]

And I was very disappointed with 'On An Island' A feeble effort. The songs just plod along but there does not seem to be any real ideas behind them.

[Jerome]

Back to Elton - Blue Moves was a great album as well as 'Live In Australia' His version of 'Sixty Years On' on that album is just stunning. Love his seventies albums. I think a lot of creativity was sparked off in the 60's, came to fruition in the 70's and got exploited in the 80's when the big marketing machine kicked in big time to capitalise on the whole CD revolution. There are the odd bits of brilliance every now and then these days - Snow Patrol and a couple of others but there's very little imagination out there and not many bands are taking risks. They're all playing too safe.

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



One of my rare live albums (not a big fan). Also rare that a live album makes a group. I think this one did. It is their fifth album and reached #4 on the U.S. charts, and their only album to chart in the U.K. at #29. Not many live albums can claim that success. Frampton is the only other one that comes to mind. Most of these songs are on the previous albums, but some of this exceeds the studio versions. And the inclusion of my all time favorite Cheap Trick song doesn't hurt.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Ain't That A Shame

Best Track - Surrender

Mother told me, yes, she told me i'd meet girls like you.
She also told me, "stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch."
Just the other day i heard a soldier falling off some indonesian junk that's going round.

Mommy's alright, daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.

Father says, "your mother's right, she's really up on things."
"before we married, mommy served in the wacs in the philippines."
Now, i had heard the wacs recruited old maids for the war.
But mommy isn't one of those, i've known her all these years.

Mommy's alright, daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.

Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year?
Ev'ry time i got to thinking, where'd they disappear?
When i woke up, mom and dad are rolling on the couch.
Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my kiss records out.

Mommy's alright, daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.

Away.
Away.

1) Hello There - ** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrZHXYowMAU&ob=av2n
2) Come On, Come On - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K2I5-g5L9U
3) Look Out - * - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD4vnP2Y1IM&ob=av2e
4) Big Eyes - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWj8nBdwuFw
5) Need Your Love - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6xhLHilhdE
6) Ain't That A Shame - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvH3t2nCtV0
7) I Want You To Want Me - *** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBQ9dm7zaQU&ob=av2e
8) Surrender - *** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th370QmFtk8&ob=av2e
9) Goodnight Now - ** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySrQZNC55_o&ob=av2n
10) Clock Strikes Ten - ** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BA91Qlu41A&ob=av2e

3's - 3
2's - 5
1's - 2

Rating - 2.1

[Tiggi]

I've been very fond of this album for many years.

I'm not enough of a fan to be able to judge these songs relative to lots of his others, but they're definitely very strong. BJ (unfortunate initials...) here plays homage to many rootsy American genres, and the music on the album is rightly subservient to the voice.

A cracker.

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Had to go to my third source for album cover which says Best Of, but it's the same artwork as My Maria. B.W. is one of those one hit wonders I guess, only one that I remember anyway. That would be the title song of this album, which made it to #9 on the U.S. charts. The album itself peaked at #45. There was a follow up single of Shambala, which would become a hit for Three Dog Night, although neither can claim writing credits. This is his fourth album and it shows eight total, the last one in 1980. This is the only one I have heard and it comes out ok, with that title and a couple of other tracks measuring up. B.W. passed away in 1988 at the ripe old age of 38, while under going heart surgery. The guy had a great voice.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - I Got To Boogie

Best Track - My Maria

My Maria
Don't you know I have come a long, long way
I've been longin' to see ya
When she's around she take my blues away

Sweet Maria
The sunlight surely hurts my eyes
I'm a lonely dreamer
Lonely highway in the skies

Mar-i-a
Mar-i-a, I love you

My Maria
There were some blue and some low times
Just my thoughts about you bring back
My peace of mind

Gypsy lady
Your a miracle work for me
You set my soul free
Like a ship sailin' on the sea

She is the sunlight
When the skies are grey
She treat me so right lady
Take me away

Mar-i-a
Mar-i-a, I love you
Mar-i-a
Mar-i-a, I love you

1) My Maria - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdBvTvxHy7E
2) Be My Woman Tonight - ** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88S5qa2fsw8
3) Sunset Woman - **
4) A Good Love Is Like A Good Song - ***
5) Grab On Hold Of My Soul - *
6) Shambala - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nuJO4aOd_4
7) Lucky Touch - ***
8) I Got To Boogie - *
9) Remember Me - **
10) Pass This Way - **

3's - 3
2's - 4
1's - 3

Rating - 2.0

[Tiggi]

Live "farewell" album from '88.

This album marked the departure of founder guitarist Stephen Stewart, although it obviously didn't mean the end of the band.

Recorded over two nights at the Dominion Theatre in London, this contains some of their best music, but is slightly let down by a faintly muffled recording.

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Harry Chapin was never a great singer but he could tell a song with the best of them. Passed in 1981 in a car accident at the young age of 39. I remember hearing he would always schedule charity concerts for no fee. He would pay the band but Harry worked for free. Most of the benefits were for hunger related causes. Last I heard there is still hunger. Maybe that's because Harry died. Harry is best known for Cats In The Cradle which became a #1 from the album prior to this. This is his fifth album and did not fare near as well on the charts. Only made it to #53. In my book it ranks up there. Nothing bad on here, with some superb tracks. Always sentimental, Harry is known to drag a tear from an old eye now and then. R.I.P Mr. story teller.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Star Tripper

Best Track - Tangled Up Puppet

I'm a tangled up puppet,
Spinning round in knots,
And the more I see what I used to be,
The less of you I've got.

There was a time that you curled up in my lap; like a child
You'd cling to me smiling, yours eyes wide and wild
Now you slip through my arms, wave a passing hello
Twist away and toss a kiss, laughing as you go

You used to say "Read me a story and sing me songs of love"
For you were Princess Paradise like your wings of a dove
Now I chase you and tease you trying to remake you my own
But you just turn away and say "please leave me alone."

And I'm a tangled up puppet
All hanging in your strings
I'm a butterfly in a spider's web
Fluttering my wings

And the more that I keep dancing
And spinning round in knots
The more I see what I used to be
And the less of you I've got

You are a drawer full of makeup and rinses and things
You keep changing your moods like your earrings and rings
But tonight while we played tag for five minutes in the yard
Just for a moment I caught you off guard
But now you write your secret poems
In a room just for your dreams
You don't find time to talk to me
About the things you mean
And what I mean is--

I have watched you take shape from a jumble of parts
And find the grace and form of a fine work of art
Hey, you, my brand new woman, newly come into your own
Don't you know that you don't need to grow up all alone

1) Dreams Go By - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znsyWUDnDlY
2) Tangled Up Puppet - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9xx7MFvPck
3) Star Tripper - **
4) Babysitter - **
5) Someone Keeps Calling My Name - ***
6) The Rock - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E9yLzCFJv4
7) Sandy - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3gY_i3DQWI
8) Dirt Gets Under The Fingernails - ***
9) Bummer - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLNfmxn5jt4
10) Stop Singing These Sad Songs - ***

3's - 6
2's - 4
1's - 0

Rating - 2.6

[CRAZY-HORSE]

One of my rare live albums (not a big fan). Also rare that a live album makes a group. I think this one did. It is their fifth album and reached #4 on the U.S. charts, and their only album to chart in the U.K. at #29. Not many live albums can claim that success. Frampton is the only other one that comes to mind.

i think KISS were the same with their 'ALIVE' double vinyl set from 1975, their first three studio albums 'kiss' 'hotter than hell' 'dressed to kill' flopped in the US, then casablanca records released their 'alive' album and all of a sudden they hit paydirt and stadium rock.

[gryphon]

^^ A great choice to listen too......................I have always loved Harry C's story songs.........When I used to work in radio as a jock I used to play his W.O.L.D an awful lot .............it was such a great record...........sadly he never really enjoyed mainline success in the UK ...................Sad to hear that he passed away in a car accident...............don't think we will see his like of storytellersongwriter again for along time:cool2:

[Tiggi]

Another fine Feat album. They never equalled this with their subsequent records, so this must mark the high-point before Lowell's sad descent.

&

Robert Plant - Band of Joy



Borrowed from Dave at work.

This has already been subjected to a bit of scrutiny in the Weekly Album Review, so I get to assess the musical taste of the previous reviewers.

This is predominantly a covers album, so maybe a touch of writer's block is at play. For me, the covers were obscure enough for it not to feel like a covers album.

Good songs with a relaxed feel, means that this was much better than I expected, and was not too far from the music on his Alison Krauss colaboration.

I'm closer to Ed's view of the album, and this has gone on the Buy List.