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Christy Moore - This is the Day
Columbia 503 255-2 Reviewed by RP
"King Puck" is back running a soft brogue across eleven folk songs suffused with an infectious and uncommon idealism. Of these, nine are covers from the pens of gifted fellow travellers like Jackson Browne (How Long), Dan Penn (Cry Like A Man) and Mike Waterson (A Stitch In Time). All have anecdotal liner notes accompanying them, which goes some way to explaining why they receive Moore's personal seal of approval. Most memorable, though, have to be those written in an overtly political vein. Revolution and revolutionaries, human rights and human resolve have long provided sustenance to his vision. Here, close to home, it was his own requiem to a murdered Veronica Guerin (Veronica) with it's assertion that ".. you'll never silence her / Your story will be written / Her spirit won't rest easy / Until her job is done". Further afield, an evocative rendition of Arlo Guthrie's moving tribute to singer and activist, Victor Jara, recounts how he was caged, tortured and finally executed for his beliefs under the Pinochet regime. Then there is Companeros -a song Moore tells us he learnt Thirty Two years ago from the singing of the writer Ewen McColl. Christy Moore, whether you accept his beliefs or not, should at least be admired for an unwavering strength in those convictions, and for the intelligence and beautiful craftsmanship found in the music that clothes them.

Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch et al. - Down From The Mountain
Lost Highway 088 170 221-2Reviewed by RG
Having praised Gillian Welch's contribution to the 0 Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack in the last issue, here's the soundtrack itself - sort of. In fact it's the album of the concert of the bands playing the music from the soundtrack. So, now that's clear we can get on to the content. Welch contributes two tracks (neither of which actually appear in the movie but fit its feel so well that show producers the Coen brothers insisted she sing them) as well as backing and accompaniment to Emmylou. However, her piece de resistance is the closing duet with Alison Krauss where she introduces some much needed traditional grit to Krauss' often overly sweet tone. In fact, those familiar with the smoothly manicured studio delivery of Krauss are in for a treat (or a shock if they belong to her middle of the country road fan base). The music on this album is pure, traditional folk country, heavily laced with blue grass: the music of the depression. Blue it may be but depressing it's not. This is music from people with little else to lift them. It's the deepest roots of what is now known as country and stands in stark contrast to its spruced up, brushed down offspring. With the likes of the Cox Family present, and the Fairfield Four, authenticity is guaranteed - and so is quality.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Michael Burks - Make it Rain
Alligator - ALCD 4878 Reviewed by AH
The first person that comes to mind when you glance at Michael Burks crouched over his Gibson Flying V on the sleeve of his alligator debut is Albert King. Once you get locked into the grooves other great masters like Albert Collins, BB King, Freddie King and Luther Allison spring to mind. Michael Burks has shades of all these greats in him, and like the above-mentioned players he's not somebody who likes to hold back. For the most part he attacks his guitar with utter ferocity, his rich, deep BB style vocals mirroring his instrument perfectly. The excellent band - Vasti Jackson on rhythm Guitar, Ernest Williamson on keyboards, David Smith on bass and Steve Potts on drums -lay down rock solid backing but never try and steal Burks' fire. Opener 'Hit the Ground Running', kicks off the party, Michael's guitar blazing away and locking into a groove that stays with the listener for 54 blues-soaked minutes. Even when he slows it down the guitar still manages to burn a hole in your soul, and when he combines it with his gospel tinged vocals (as he does on the beautiful 'What can a man do'?) the results are truly astonishing. Burks pays homage to Albert King on 'Everybody's got their hand out' - bet Albert's roaring his approval in Blues Guitar Heaven

Emmylou Harris - Red Dirt Girl
GRAPEVINE GRACD 103 Reviewed by RP
Since being dropped by Warner Brothers almost a decade ago, Emmylou Harris has audaciously switched codes - ditching all too familiar country sounding arrangements in favour of a far more ambitious, and richly textured, folk-pop idiom. Under the Grapevine umbrella, a committed core of accomplished musicians, have lent their support while this legendary figure of the country scene has reinvented herself. If the stunningly produced Wrecking Ball (1995) and a musically autobiographical "live" album, Spyboy (1998) tilled soil and planted seeds, then her most recent CD, Red Dirt Girl, is a GM harvest. This is a contemplative and spiritual release that cleverly juxtaposes vivid religious symbolism within it's secular storytelling. Sermoniser or wit? Take your pick. But Emmylou's grasp of the striking image, either to reinforce or undermine a subject, is enviable. Perhaps the mantra-like, "We took the wrong train to/ Kingdom Come now/ No more damage/ Can be done baby", through an echo of the Lord's prayer, puts irony ahead of doctrine. Great folk compositions, such as the title song, which describes in detail the hopelessness of Lillian, an Alabama woman from the wrong side of the tracks; the five kids by the age of 27, her shattered dreams and the descent into booze, drugs and an early grave, is an irresistible requiem that effortlessly beds in uncomfortable lyrics and fine music.

Eva Cassidy- Songbird
HOT RECORDS 61-10045 Reviewed by RP
Unless you've lead a suspiciously devout monastic existence, then the posthumous "Eva Cassidy" phenomenon could not have passed you by. A movement fuelled by a sublime and unblemished voice, one cruelly cut down by cancer, has through selective and enterprising marketing, grabbed with both hands a collective emotional psyche to propel an artist of modest ambitions to previously unthought of heights. Call me cynical, but believe that there are many anonymous, fledgling talents of similar ability out there, who achieve no artistic or commercial recognition, so I think I'm correct in saying that it takes an unusual set of circumstances and a degree of opportunism to develop the momentum for this type of band-wagon. In it's latest guise we are treated to a belated 180g virgin vinyl release of Songbird: The compilation album which draws tracks from a self-conscious, Live At Blues Alley, The Other Side, where Cassidy duets with Chuck Brown, and her exquisite, Eva By Heart. A sympathetic Nick Webb Abbey Road remaster reveals the crystalline vocal innocence from a performer who possessed (in abundance) a seamless versatility needed to cross the musical genres of folk, jazz, gospel and R&B. The pressing quality (courtesy of Pallas in Germany) is of the highest order and the run, limited to 10,000 copies, will undoubtedly fail to meet demand.

Gaby Cole, Marco Pezzenati - Just For A While
Fone 010 SACD Reviewed by RG
Jazz vocal and percussion might seem like a scary combination, and truth be told, there are points on this disc where it certainly is, but don't let that put you off. Gaby Cole's mannered, even exaggerated, vocal delivery may not be everybody's cup of tea, but given the sparse acoustic environment and the lack of textural and dimensional options open to the performers, this is actually its most natural habitat. Marco Pezzenati's percussive interjections are more thoughtful and less over bearing than is generally the case when a musician gets this much space to fill (especially drummers). The results are musically much more varied than you might expect, turning a new and familiar eye on a collection of jazz standards that range from Ellington's 'Mood Indigo', through The girl From Ipanema' to the Gershwins' 'I Got Rhythm: The recording is in Fone's normal excellent style, right down to the coherent and transparent soundstage and wide dynamics. Stand out tracks include a wonderfully languid 'Summertime' and a strangely haunting 'These Foolish Things' and whilst ultimately this is an album you'll probably end up dipping into rather than listening to in its entirety, the sonic excellence and offbeat presentation make it a diversion well worth taking. A dem disc in the making? I have that horrible sinking feeling...

Jennifer Warnes - The Well
RYKO/SDR SD8960 Reviewed by RP
Once a darling of the hi-fi world through her sartorial celebration of rubberwear in blue; Jennifer Warnes, has after nine years unveiled a lavish Martin Davich co-production that showcases five Warnes original songs and six covers. They include a Tom Waits coffeeshop waitress ballad, 'Invitation To The Blues', and the wry, Arlo Guthrie penned, 'Patriot's Dream', on which the modern Godfather of American folk, himself, guests on vocals. These two tracks and Jenny's, 'Praire Melancholy' and The Panther', exude class. Opulent arrangements for violins, violas, mandolin, piano and ambient synths, are several rungs up from a traditional, earthy folkblues. Yet there's no denying their effectiveness in underscoring those perfectly timed and beautifully enunciated syllables. In the delivery of lines such as, "... sometimes my heart feels like a dandelion/ seeds scattered in a careless wind/ and nothin' to show for my life and time but/ innocent wonder in the face of thunder/ feelin' like something is about to begin" (The Well) she shapes, forms and manipulates language with a craftsman's feel. Her vocal chords perfectly measure, plane or cut the lyric with the grain of the song, never against it, to peel away layers of meaning that younger (less mature) aspirants simply dream of. Magnificent recording to match.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Tori Amos- Strange Little Girls
Atlantic 7567-83486-2 Reviewed by RP
A cover version is your classic booby-trap. An attractive or familiar bauble that draws you in with half-remembered chords, and then wham! It explodes in your face to debilitating effect. Which, I guess, would make a Tori Amos album that's full of covers nothing less than the proverbial minefield. However, what separates this disc from a dire effort like that self-indulgent Robbie Williams homage to Sinatra, is the choice and interpretation of songs. Robbie, bless him, simply does not possess the vocal goods to carry off iconic numbers where versatility, timing, inflection and precise delivery are all required in abundance. Tori, on the other hand, selects strong pop songs as opposed to emblematic standards and consciously, too, abandons many of the familiar hooks found in the original cuts of tracks like, 'I Don't Like Mondays', 'Rattlesnakes','I'm Not In Love' or 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun: A courageous reworking of these songs, together with the terrific lyrics found on the title track as well as Neil Young's 'Heart Of Gold', Lou Reed's 'New Age', Joe Jackson's 'Real Men' and Tom Wait's 'rime', reveals itself through significant shifts of emphasis and style. An intriguing and chameleon-like sweep through the familiar, where acceptance is not attained without a little pain.

Heather Nova - South
V2 - WR7017352 Reviewed by AH
Heather Nova was born in Bermuda and spent her formative years living on a boat with her parents going wherever the mood took them. Her musical breakthrough came when she supported The Cranberries and Bob Mould. She followed that up with more dates, opening for Neil Young and Pearl Jam, amazing the crowds with just an acoustic Guitar and her soaring voice. Touring Europe extensively helped her sell over 400,000 copies of the excellent Oyster and she consolidated that success with the follow up Siren. Now she unleashes South, the album that should, justice prevailing, catapult her into the singer/songwriter premier league. South opens with the sound of crickets and then explodes into the sound of summer with the breezy 'If I saw you in a Movie: The sunshine feel continues with 'Talk to Me' and the catchy 'Virus of the Mind', a hit single if ever 1 heard one. The Mood softens with one of the album's many highlights, the dreamy 'Like Lovers Do' giving Nova's sensual voice the opportunity to weave it's magic. She ups the tempo again with the sublime pop of 'fm no angel' and then delivers two crackers, the string-soaked ballad 'Help Me Be Good To You' and the gentle acoustic 'Tested: South is the work of an artist at the peak of her powers and deserves to sell millions - make sure you're at the front of the queue.

Laurie Anderson - Life On A String
Nonesuch 79539-2 Reviewed by RP
Out there on the avant garde fringe of rock music, Laurie Anderson now in her fifties, generates a visionary sharpness throughout this tightly constructed and allegorical album, which in many ways examines the artist and the art of observation as much as anything else. To the uninitiated her musical concepts, that accommodate bowed classical instrumentation alongside New Age, Jazz and African influences within a popular framework, may be the compositional equivalent to autism. Either these will be expressions of profound insight, or simply not communicate to the listener at all. It depends solely on the individual. Anderson's songs, and there are a dozen here to choose from, reveal a sculptress' eye for detail in these moody, evocative and part-spoken forms. A tactile edge to lyrics like, "It's midnight downtown. It's been raining for days. Rain beats down. It covers the streets with it's sparkling skin." (Washington Street) rejuvenates a set of mundane cityscape images with that last simple (almost throwaway) line. The arrangements continue to clothe these and far more pictorial and literate lyrics just waiting to be discovered in analogous works such as 'Pieces And Parts', where she combines a plantation slave folktale with the symbolic and physical status of a whale, before indulging in didacticism where matters of the heart are concerned.

Rammstein - Mutter
CD Motor 549 639-2 Reviewed by DA
German band Rammstein are an interesting proposition, defying all the odds by enjoying growing global success whilst resolutely refusing to sing in anything but their mother tongue. I have even heard that there are Rammstein tribute bands in the USA, which is really quite amazing for a band that are only on their third album. Mutter, which means mother, puts Rammstein at the same point that Metallica were a few years ago with their eponymously titled black album, i.e. they have introduced just enough commercial appeal to break into the big time without betraying their heavy metal roots. Marching along to a distinctly Teutonic beat, the band throw out guitar chords like great slabs of concrete, whilst the keyboards burble and warble around the soundstage. The singer, whilst undoubtedly gruff, makes sterling work of the big choruses that are commonplace here. 'Ich Will' (I Want), which they played at the last MTV Europe awards bash is a case in point, starting with the singer chanting the title over the twiddly keyboards until the riffs jump in, and then they're away into a punch the air chorus and back again. Make no mistake Rammstein are going to be big, Keraang have even started using the rif from 'Sonne' (Sun) to back their self promoting advertising. Add to this the fact that this is a superb recording, and if you have any affinity for heavy metal then you have to put Mutter on your must buy list for this year.

Dusty Springfield - A Very Fine Love
Columbia 478508-1 Reviewed by RP
Not a great LP like Dusty In Memphis, nor a modern classic such as Reputation, but a last lesson from probably the finest soul/pop singer this country has produced, which fills empty songs with warmth and propels those with a slightly higher pedigree nearer the spine-tingling category. Crucial cuts, here, include 'Wherever Would I Be': A polished, Diane Warren penned duet for Dusty and Daryl Hall; the introspective ballad, 'Where Is A Women To Go', on which Mary Chapin Carpenter provides backing vocals, and the off-camber, 'I Can't Help The Way I Don't Feel: A Very Fine Love is, as I've suggested, a record of close calls. In playback, Dusty's unique voice, that can soar, tremble, hold a note and fashion or even amplify meaning buried deep within lyrics, which would by most standards sound trite, here distils a degree of integrity and emotional urgency from tired and overworked lines like, 'There is a wind tonight/ That blows and chills me to the bone/ Here by the fireside/ Even the heat can't keep me warm". (You Are The Storm). Combine her inspirational qualities as a performer with Tom Shapiro's luscious production and some solid Brian Tankersley engineering, and the results are persuasive.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Jewel - This Way
(Atlantic - 835192) Reviewed by AH
A few years ago a friend and I went along to Southampton Guildhall to watch Jewel expecting a couple of hours of gentle acoustic folk and for the first hour that's exactly what we got. What we got for the second half though was totally unexpected as Jewel strapped on an electric guitar, plugged in and proceeded to rock the place stupid. We were mesmerised and came away hoping that the next album would be plugged in and rocking, so it's pleasing to report that This Way is exactly that - a full band affair. So far, every review I've read on This Way has been pretty lukewarm and had I not bought it before the (UK) reviews I'd have been very reluctant to shell out my hard earned cash. I'm bloody glad I did because the new style really suits her. Jewel has such a versatile voice that the transition to Rock/Gospel singer is no effort for her. She's also a fine songwriter and lyricist who knows how to write a memory lingering hook. Fine examples are the glorious 'Everybody needs someone sometime', 'Cleveland', (a country rocker with an irresistible chorus) and the raucousness of 'Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone', a better with a stunning slide intro from ex-Giant guitarist Dan Huff. If you're looking for folk album number 3 look elsewhere. If you want to hear an artist expanding her mesmeric talents, purchase now.

Ryan Adams - Gold
Lost Highway 170 62-2 Reviewed by RP
Speculative comparisons to Dylan and Neil Young are exaggerated, but not without merit. Adams is an observant and intelligent writer of songs which frequently blend distinct and uncomfortable images. Scenes where all-night bars, streetwise cops, or that tell-tale picture of a teenage mother prostituting herself to pay for medical school (Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues) are wed to touching, romantic interludes that mull over loves: successful, fractured and unrequited. Ryan rocks. Yet does so with a lyrical dexterity and delicacy of touch that can command and accommodate quite disparate descriptive moments in a whim. "Riot on the streets, the touch beneath the sheets. It's only gonna make you love me more Moonlight on the beach, sweet amphetamines. It's only gonna make me love you more" is a minor case in point. When he rakes over the lines for 'Firecracker', backed by Hammond B3, harmonica and acoustic guitar, it's pure Dylan, but without that sawing voice. While, elsewhere, 'Nobody Girl' and 'Sylvia Plath', minus those nose-candied pinched vocals, could be straight out of the Neil Young songbook. Ryan's delivery here is smoother, though his singing still possesses the character and deeper textures needed to sustain the seriousness of these vivid impressions of life displayed in seventeen modern vignettes.

Curtis Salgado - Soul Activated
Shanachie - SHCD 9026 Reviewed by AH
Those of you out there longing for a return to real soul (and fm talking Otis Redding, AI Green, Syl Johnson - you get the picture) this little beauty will be right up your street. Curtis Salgado served a quality apprenticeship working alongside greats like Robert Cray, Steve Miller (as harp player) and Roomful of Blues where he gained valuable experience and a deep affection for quality soulful blues. However, whilst Soul Activated is deep and bluest' it has more of a Stax and Hi-records Soul feel, allowing Salgado's voice to swoop and soar with gritty passion. There is a well-balanced mix of originals and cover versions on display here. Salgado rips through Jimmy Cliffs reggae classic 'The Harder They Come', transforming it into a full-blooded Stax romp to startling effect. He also covers Daryl Halls 'Every time you go away' and although the song has had plenty of exposure Salgado still manages to breathe new life into the old dog. Also on display is a ripsnorting version of Freddie King's magnificent 'I'd rather be blind: Salgado is a mean harp player, his blowing on instrumental 'Lip whippin' reminiscent of the Fabulous Thunderbirds' Kim Wilson, and he's a more than competent songwriter. Best of all is 'Hip Hip Baby', a swinging duet with Lou Ann Barton featuring Jimmy Vaughan on Guitar. Tasty, very tasty indeed.

Acoustic Triangle - Interactions
audio-b SABCD 5012 Reviewed by RG
The kind of band name and album title that all too often send shivers down my spine. The haunting shades of salon jazz and the mindless chant of D-M-P rise darkly in the back of my psyche, only to be banished by the first notes that issue forth from the speakers. Ravels Trois Poemes de Stephane Mallarme beautifully and thoughtfully arranged for jazz trio. An unexpected (you know reviewers never read the instructions) pleasure indeed, that had me rapidly scanning the other tracks for similar nuggets. Well, nothing else quite scaled those sublime heights (but then nothing else stole its melodies from Maurice), and on occasions it dipped dangerously close to Take Five land, but those occasionally inane meanderings were the exception to the rule. The rest of the set stayed well this side of the line in the sand where any self-respecting players auto eject cuts in. The result is a relaxing, tuneful and at times rather thought provoking album, which would be worth it for the opening tracks alone. Add in a decent, natural sounding rather than sonically spectacular recording, and this one's a grower. Real jazz, available on a hybrid SACD, rather than some tired re-release or demo disc: That's got to be a first. That the carefully crafted music actually suits the sonic benefits available from the format really is the icing on the cake.

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