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Pop
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Grey
De Lisle - The Graceful Ghost
Sugarhill Records SUG LP 3985 Reviewed by RP
The Graceful Ghost is an atmospheric album carried by beautifully quaint
and quite haunting Grey De Lisle vocals. Her delicacy and timing in the
delivery of each line together with a production that genuinely captures
the essence of the marvellously evocative acoustic instruments like the
banjolin, celeste, pedal and Indian harmonium that are employed here (all
taped by engineer Todd Burke on some vintage recording equipment) recreates
an old time almost pre-Civil War era sound whose nostalgic warmth is then
applied to varied experiences from across the decades.
Consequently songs that warn of treacherous women (Jewel Of Abilene) or
lecture against falling in love with an impoverished farmer (Sharecroppin’
Man) sit comfortably alongside a bittersweet ballad like ‘The Maple
Tree’ that tells of the tragic consequences which occur when a mistakenly
reported death is announced. The gospel country style on these laments
for lost loves, gentle waltzes and lullabies taps directly into an American
musical heritage. The care with which this numbered limited edition twelve-track
collection has been put together cannot be questioned. In addition to
the lovely song craft Graceful Ghost comes replete with a DVD about the
making of the album, postcard, poster and a 45 cut of ‘Willie We
Have Missed You’.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186 |
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Steve
Tilston - Life By Misadventure
Market Square MSMCD 108 Reviewed by RP
Steve Tilston writes elegant folk songs that combine political and deeply
personal sentiments – all backed up by his excellent virtuoso acoustic
guitar playing. The enchanting and richly melodic Life By Misadventure
album was first released back in 1987 on the Run River label. More recently
this Market Square re-master has revisited those tapes, applied some spit
‘n’ polish and expanded it to include a twenty-three minute
long ‘Rhapsody’- an extraordinary wholly instrumental Celtic
suite that draws upon traditional, classical and new age sources for inspiration-proving
along the way Tilston’s credentials as an arranger.
Unsurprisingly, after nearly twenty years, this music still has resonance
today. So even an anti-Thatcherite song like ‘These Days’
which reflects upon a stark socio-economic divide does not feel dated
because unlike many of his contemporaries Tilston’s language is
carefully weighted and not that strident or angst-ridden tirade so common
to the Eighties. Light vocal touches, full of deft inflexions and careful
phrasings, leads us onwards to the threshold of each sophisticated lyrical
insight-making intimate songs such as ‘Here Comes The Night’,
‘I Call Your Name’ and ‘Nowhere To Hide’ more
involving. A warm and plush feeling transfer reinforces that notion of
intimacy.
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Paul
Brady - Say What You Feel
Compass Records Reviewed by AH
In the 90’s Paul Brady recorded two of my all time favourite albums,
Trick Or Treat and Spirits Colliding. Both were chock full of insightful,
uplifting songwriting and Spirits Colliding even helped him make a dent
in the singles chart with ‘The World Is What You Make It’,
a tune used by the BBC for a sitcom so memorable I can’t for the
life of me remember what is was called.
As is so often the case with songwriters, Brady’s songs have been
bigger hits for other artists; the likes of Cher, Tina Turner and Bonnie
Rait have all enhanced their careers with the help of his extremely talented
pen. Whilst in Nashville in 2003 to pick up an award, Brady laid down
six new tracks and the sessions went so well he decided to go back a year
later to finish what he started.
Say What You Feel is the result, a more stripped back affair but still
displaying his keen ear for a melody. Brady originally employed a brass
section on this record but removed them from the final mix because he
felt it detracted from the overall intimacy of the songs. It’s that
keen ear that enables him to make continually engaging albums, and this
little beauty is most certainly that.
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The
Futureheads
Big Life 679L074CD 679 Reviewed by MC
CRelentless. If I had to describe The Futureheads with just one word,
that word would be Relentless. But then again, I could have chosen Strange.
Strange and Relentless. I’m not entirely sure that these words have
been used as a recommendation before, but that is certainly how I mean
them here. The Futureheads use rhythm at the heart of their songs, their
vocals spat out over fiercely accentuated guitar lines, stumbling and
jerking through the verses before stamping out the choruses. If you think
of The Jam’s ‘Eton Rifles’ you will be on the right
lines. Every track seems to be driven by a buzzsaw guitar line as they
pound their instruments to submission, while the vocals pogo about with
close harmonies bursting out all around.
The Futureheads play for the love of it, making songs that are the audio
equivalent of a hyperactive child with sugar rush. And that is why The
Futureheads are relentless: because they refuse to calm down, they refuse
to look at the world with cynical eyes. This is the music of happy madmen:
they may be scared sometimes, they may be confused by the world, but they
never tire, and they never grow bitter. The Futureheads bring to you their
own full-grown musical genre, matured in secret and perfectly formed straight
out of the box. Like the Proclaimers on speed the Futureheads are truly
fantastic. |
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The Prodigy
- always outnumbered, never outgunned
XL Recordings XLCD 183 Reviewed by MC
So, you produce possibly the best album of the decade having fusing dance
and rock to create an uncompromisingly hard sound with universal appeal.
What do you do next?
In 1996 The Prodigy released ‘The fat of the land’, eight
years later, they have returned. So the question on everyone’s lips
is: can they live up to their past glory? The Prodigy play an interesting
trick with the track-listing for this album. They open with ‘Spitfire’,
firing out a salvo of rock guitar and screamed vocals. But where track
one would sit easily alongside ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Breathe’
it is track two that really sets out the plan for this record. Because
with always outnumbered… the Prodigy have discovered funk.
This is a record that for the most part sheds their alliance with punk
and instead gets back to their dance roots. That is not to say that this
is huge leap for the band, a complete u-turn, but instead they have allowed
themselves to move on, and in doing so have re-injected a sense of genuine
energy back in into their music. This, I must stress, is no bad thing.
So can the Prodigy live up to their past? Of course they can, and they
achieve it primarily by moving on. So let ‘Spitfire’ reassure
you that this is still the old band you grew to love, and then relax and
let them show you their new tricks.
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Wilco
Johnson - Back In The Night; The Best of Wilko Johnson
Jungle Records FREUD CD 078 Reviewed by LH
Anyone who’s caught Wilko’s electrifying live performances
– whether with Dr. Feelgood in the seventies, Ian Dury in the eighties
or solo ever since - will know the kind of excitement and power the man
is capable of on stage. Capturing this type of thing in the studio is
notoriously difficult but as this album shows, it can be done. A collection
of album tracks, radio sessions and new recordings, Back in the Night
is exactly what it says it is – the best of Wilko Johnson. Everything
from re-recorded Feelgoods classics (including ‘Sneaking Suspicion’,
‘She Does It Right’ and a riotous live stab at ‘Roxette’)
through to later work like the reggae-fied ‘Dr. Dupree’, the
mutant Bo Diddley swagger of ‘Down By The Waterside’ and the
two chord classic crunch of ‘Some Kind Of Hero’ is here, with
‘Turned 21’ showing our boy is capable of writing a soul ballad
with the best of them.
Although occasionally augmented with keyboards and harmonica this is very
much a “guitar, bass and drums” album with Norman Watt-Roy’s
bass guitar outstanding throughout. The sound is rough’n’ready,
the performances are as live as they come - but who would have it any
other way? The term legend is often over used and rarely justified but
in Wilko’s case no other term will do: some kind of hero indeed.
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Willy
Mason - Where The Humans Eat
Virgin Records 0724387537620 Reviewed by MC
Willy Mason appears to record all his music in his house, with very little
help from anyone else. Whether this is really true, or a carefully cultivated
impression really doesn’t matter. What is clear is that this is
music stripped bare of all its gloss and dead weight. Drawing heavily
from country and old blues Willy Mason makes music which is essentially
one man and his guitar. It’s true, Willy’s voice isn’t
great, and sometimes the guitar isn’t quite right, but none of this
matters, this is music from the heart. The simplicity of this record won’t
be lost on audiophiles; without costly post production techniques this
album springs from the speakers as if the man himself were standing in
your living room. Indeed, this effect is only amplified by his visceral
lyrical content, laying bare his every thought and cutting seriously close
to the bone.
I could go on and make the obvious comparisons with people like the White
Stripes and Bob Dylan, but quite honestly, it’s just not worth it.
What you are buying here is a view, a perspective on the world. You are
buying Willy’s thoughts, his dreams and opinions, set to some of
the frailest and most poignant tunes written for a long time.
This is, at its heart, a protest record, made by a peacenik hippy, stuck
in a bygone age. And I love it.
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KT
Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope
Relentless Records LPREl06 Reviewed by RP
Edinburgh’s KT Tunstall is an exciting and versatile singer-songwriter
who with this accomplished and varied debut album shows just how comfortable
she is when playing contemporary pop and rock, electric-blues and even
that dreaded, Norah Jones brand of cappuccino jazz on a syrupy ‘Silent
Sea’. Her voice, which possesses no little warmth, has enough of
a rasping quality about it to fill this confessional material with a series
of convincingly edgy and expressive insights. Sometimes these gentle allusions
to love, life and a fledgling career are a little lightweight.
But with bluesy tracks like ‘Black Horse And The Cherry Tree’
and ‘Miniature Disasters’ we hear classic songs of self-examination.
While the hesitancy and thoughtfulness of her closing ‘Through The
Dark’ is mimicked by it’s deliberately slow tempo - Another
slight yet subtle and intelligently conceived piece of song craft. These
rub shoulders with back to back catchy and radio friendly grooves such
as ‘Suddenly I See’ and the infectious beat of ‘Stoppin’
The Love’ that features a cutting blues guitar in an artful contrast
to the seductively smooth Tunstall vocal line. It’s enough to make
you forget that KC is an emerging talent. I will watch with interest the
stylistic development and artistic direction taken on what should be an
intriguing follow up to the accessible and neatly observed Eye Of The
Telescope.
Supplier: www.diverserecords.com Tel: 01633 263526 |
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The
Revivals
Crushed Rock Records REV2005CD Reviewed by AH
I don’t listen to very many British rock bands anymore. I didn’t
much care for Oasis and don’t have a lot of time for The Thrills
or The Coral. The Revivals, however, might just be the band to change
all that. They’ve got a charismatic and leather lunged lead singer
in Ian Hutchinson, a vocalist with stacks of attitude who can give a song
a real shot in the arm. For a bunch of young lads their sound is firmly
rooted in the classic rock era; It’s retro but it’s fresh,
not unlike what the Kings Of Leon are doing right now. They even get a
bit Pogues-y on the celtic ‘Alright Burn Ur Bridges’, A mid-paced
rocker with an infectious, jiggy guitar solo, but it’s when they’re
pumped up and revving that the revivals really come into their own. The
twin guitars of Hutchinson and Stewart Methven attack the songs with real
venom, whilst the rhythm section of Dave Shaw and Mike Skinner pound out
a rock solid beat.
The Revivals isn’t without a couple of weak tracks, but as debut
albums go it has much to commend it. It also sounds bloody great at maximum
volume in the car, but make sure you keep an eye on your speed.
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Dwight
Yoakam - Dwight’s Used Records
Koch Records KOC-CD-9805 Reviewed by RP
As the title suggests there’s nothing new here. Dwight’s Used
Records is an eclectic and inherently fragmented selection of thirteen
covers and the songs cut with and for other people’s albums. It
traverses a variety of styles from rockabilly, straight country and bluegrass.
However, this alternative view is never dull. The one constant is of course
Yoakam’s unique vocal twang. Stand out numbers include the ballad
‘Waiting’ which was written for and performed with Deana Carter
and a really sparse and heartfelt bluegrass recording of John Prine’s
‘Paradise’ that simply drips with emotion. The two Nitty Gritty
Dirt Band performances of a traditional tune ‘Some Dark Holler’
and the Gram Parsons song ‘Wheels’ are also extremely strong
acoustic country grooves. It’s probably worth it for these alone.
On the weird side of the tracks there’s an Elvis-like stab at ‘Loco-Motion’
that will intrigue a few of you but send others running for cover.
Yet on some of the surprising and unlikely material found here (I’m
thinking mainly of Dwight’s version of an old ZZ Top track ‘I’m
Bad, I’m Nationwide’) he is far more convincing.
The faithful will adore it.
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Candye
Kane - White Trash Girl
RUF Records Reviewed by AH
Candye Kane has led a wildly rich and varied life. The daughter of a body
painting hippie musician and dysfunctional mother, she was shoplifting
at nine years old. As a young adult she found a way out of the ghetto
courtesy of the sex trade, where she became a cover star for countless
sleazy mens mags.
In the early 80’s Candye happened upon the music scene, cutting
here teeth in various country punk bands before switching her attentions
to the more mainstream country scene. Considered far too raunchy for that
narrow minded and politically correct fraternity she found her spiritual
home in the blues. White Trash Girl is her latest offering.
It’s a swinging, sleazy, jazz, tinged romp through the blues –
Candye style! That means plenty of innuendo and sexual references (‘Masturbation
Blues’), observations on the fuller figure (‘Big Fat Mamas
Are Back In Style’) and send ups of her lifestyle (‘White
Trash Girl’). In amongst the originals are a couple of well chosen
covers, ‘What A Day For A Daydream’, given the swinging bluesy
treatment with hip guitar and swirling organ and Lieber/Stoller’s
‘I Wanna Do More’, all dirty harmonica and walking beat. Candye
Kane might be the queen of trash but she does it with humour, humility,
talent, a great band and larger than life persona. Trash maybe –
but priceless trash.
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Hubert
Sumlin - About Them Shoes
Rykodisc RCD17307 Reviewed by AH
In the blues world Hubert Sumlin is a God. For 25 golden years he was
Howling Wolf’s lead guitarist. He’s also been the guitar slinger
in Muddy Water’s band and influenced a whole host of later generation
guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Jeff
Beck. Richards and Clapton repay the debt by playing on Hubert’s
new album About Them Shoes, a masterclass dedicated to the Wolfman and
Muddy Waters. Others appearing as guest musicians include New York Dolls
frontman David Johansen, Ace harpist James Cotton and Levon Helm on drums.
It’s some band Sumlin’s assembled here; it has to be said
he brings the best playing and singing out of everyone concerned –
particularly Clapton, who hasn’t sung or played with this kind of
fire or urgency for many a moon.
Most of the songs will be familiar to blues fans, seven being from the
pen of Waters, four from Willie Dixon and one from Carl C. Wright. The
sole contribution from Sumlin is ‘This Is The End, Little Girl’,
where he had Richards pick sublime acoustics over Paul Nowinski’s
lonely double bass.
Rolling Stone felt the need to include Hubert in their 100 greatest guitarists
list recently, and that’s a fitting compliment. He might not be
the flashiest but he’s got talent to match his grin…. And
by golly, can he smile.
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Katie
Buckhaven
Hot Records Hot 1097 Reviewed by AH
The jolly nice chaps at Hot Records sent me this delightful package of
joy to review, and I do it with a certain amount of awe and a complete
lack of knowledge
As the press release offered precious little about Katie’s background
I decided to trawl the net for more information; I thought no point reviewing
something if I can’t give you dear readers a little background on
an up and coming artist.
However, what the biography told me was…. Well not much really.
I don’t know if she’s English but I can tell you she picked
up a guitar at seven, was inspired to write by her parents record collection
and has performed in Paris, Seville and Berlin, singing in French, Spanish
Italian and of course English. Buckhaven’s style is a little bit
Norah Jones with a twist of Eva Cassidy and a hint of Joni Mitchell. In
amongst the mostly well chosen covers (do we really need yet another version
of ‘Songbird’?) are some very tasteful and beautifully sung
originals, and it’s this clutch of songs that point to a very bright
future indeed for Miss Buckhaven.
None other than Michael Parkinson firmly believes she has what it takes,
and after listening to her crystalline voice weave its magic I’m
inclined to agree with him. She’ll need that vital lucky break,
but at least she’s on the right label.
Supplier: www.hotrecords.uk.com |
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Jazz
Music |
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Marlena
Shaw - Live in Tokyo
Eighty-Eights VRJL 7007 Reviewed by DD
Marlena Shaw made her first appearance aged just ten at Harlem’s
Apollo Theatre graduating by the age of 20 to entertaining large audiences
at resort hotels. With a hugely flexible voice, she can handle jazz, pop
and R&B with equal confidence, although it’s jazz that dominates
in this live set.
Recorded in June 2002 at B Flat, Shaw fronts a quartet comprising Ricky
Woodard (tenor sax), Clarence McDonald (piano), Jeff Chambers (bass),
and Ron Otis (drums).
It’s clear from the first few bars that Shaw knows her stuff and
quickly has the audience eating out of her hand. Numbers like ‘Feel
Like Makin’ Love’ see her wringing every drop of emotion from
the song and clearly having a great time doing it.
‘Round Midnight’ sees her demonstrating her jazz chops, her
technique of sliding smoothly from one word to the next working very well
in this number. Woodard contributes a powerful solo here too. The recording
is exceptionally natural and a real casebook example of superbly recorded
live jazz.
You are transported to a prime seat in the audience for this hugely enjoyable
set. If the quality of this release is typical of other Eighty- Eights
pressings there’s clearly a whole treasure trove out there just
waiting to be discovered.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Yellowjackets
- Time Squared
Heads Up HUCD3075 Reviewed by RP
A strong and bouncy return to the studio for Bob Mintzer and the guys
with their trademark mixture of straight-ahead and improvisational flavoured
jazz funk. The opening, pulsating groove of ‘Go Go’, with
its ear catching and pop orientated solos soaring across the canvas is
heavily reminiscent of Tutu. This is probably an inadvertent celebration
of the Miles Davis sound heard in mid 1980s. However, the following cut,
‘Monk’s Habit’ is most definitely a Russell Ferrante
homage to the rhythmically robust playing that was synonymous with the
Thelonious piano style.
There are generous solo opportunities throughout with electric bass man
Jimmy Haslip in inspired form for the blues tinted ‘Sea Folk’
while ‘V’ offers deeply thoughtful and quite elastic solo
improvisational moments for both saxophone and piano. This is an accessible,
infectious and extremely agreeable album full of engaging and playful
songs. Only ‘Gabrieta Rose’, which is dedicated to Jimmy Haslip’s
daughter who recently survived a near fatal illness, proves to be a slower
and much darker piece of a kind that naturally puts greater demands upon
its audience.
The Rich Breen recording made at the Firehouse Studios possesses fine
instrumental detail and good separation. Time Squared is also available
on the premier SACD digital format as HUSA 9075.
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Tsuyoshi
Yamamoto Trio - Misty
Three Blind Mice TBM 30-45 Reviewed by DD
This was one of Three Blind Mice’s most popular albums in its original
incarnation back in ‘74. Now benefiting from a major makeover it
has emerged re-vitalised and ready to take on many a modern upstart. With
a brief from the labels founder Takeshi ‘Tee’ Fujii to make
the sound ‘more clean, open and natural’, the album has been
expertly re-mastered and re-cut by JVC’s Tohru Kotetsu as this double
45rpm set. Unlike so much audiophile material of the era this benefits
from a truly gifted trio who demonstrate real jazz chops as they take
on the standards and single ‘own’ composition that make up
this seven number set.
It’s immediately obvious that an exceptional job has been done on
the re-mastering. The weight and power of the piano, the dynamic range
and percussive attack, are extraordinary. The band’s take on ‘Yesterdays’
gives true prominence to the double bass conveying all the subtleties
of Isoo Fukui’s finger work. Side 4 opens with a delicate ‘I
Didn’t Know What Time It Was’ and closes with one of my favourites
here, ‘Angel Eyes’.
The set, like it’s equally good companion Midnight Sugar (TBM 23-45),
is available only as one of a limited pressing of 1,000 numbered editions.
Grab yours now!
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Fred
Simon - Remember The River
naim cd081 Reviewed by DD
Playing this CD for the first time on a gloomy post Christmas January
Sunday proved to be the perfect setting to realise the value of this set.
The quiet winter afternoon perfectly offset the reflective, gentle music
from the trio. Fred Simon (piano), is joined here by his usual compatriots
Steve Rodby (acoustic bass), and the multi instrumentalist Paul McCandless
on variously English horn, oboe, soprano sax, bass clarinet and penny
whistle. Recorded by Ken Christianson in the warm and spacious acoustic
of the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, Illinois, it’s another
outstanding job with an entirely natural, full-bodied sense of the musicians
performing before you. You don’t need to concentrate to hear clearly
what each is bringing to the mix, but the recording properly allows the
entirety of the emotional experience to get across. Each gentle number
glides seamlessly into the next and each is equally strong, melodic and
beautifully played. If forced to pick out favourites, I’d single
out the opening: ‘Kore (Oh love, where are you leading me now?)’,
with its delicate Eastern influenced opening, and the plaintive first
part of ‘Listen to the Colour of Your Dreams’ (based on a
line from Lennon’s ‘Tomorrow Never Knows), comprising a lovely
piano and oboe duet. This is another creditable release from Naim and
the perfect antidote to the British, or to any other winter. |
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Laura
Zakian - Just One Of Those Things
Dancing Rhino Records LZDR 002 Reviewed by RP
Laura Zakian has a real feeling for those gentle changes in weight of
emphasis and range that tap into the emotional ebb and flow that is jazz.
Like many of the current crop of divas she possesses a very pretty voice
that has tremendous clarity.
Her reading of these standards, which include Cole Porter’s title
track; the Noel Coward classic ‘Mad About The Boy’ and Brooks
Bowman opener ‘East Of The Sun’, are instinctively handled
with seamless shifts between melancholy and playfulness expressed through
the slightest and most subtle variations in pitch, timbre and tempo.
Behind these sultry and seductive vocals there’s a solid and rhythmically
tight band that supports the message of songs like Johnny Mercer’s
‘Out Of This World’ without unduly drawing attention to themselves.
Nothing flashy from Mark Lockheart’s tenor and soprano sax or Jim
Watson on piano which might dilute the resonant and frequently soulful
cadences, just a nice swing. Instead there is the right amount of muscular
and foot-tapping bass from Simon Thorpe in ‘Peel Me A Grape’
to establish the rhythmic framework for such a sexually charged and intimate
song. This is a beautifully constructed and executed set where the singer
is always sensitive to and has a firm grip upon every lyrical thread.
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Hank
Mobley
Classic Records / Blue Note 1568 Reviewed by DD
Under-appreciated for most of his career, Mobley was one of the most solid
players in jazz, playing a key role in many of the definitive Blue Note
hardbop recordings of the late fifties and early sixties. A member of
the original Jazz Messengers, he also worked with Horace Silver, to be
followed by a less happy time with the Miles Davis’ Quintet. Davis
singled him out for criticism largely because he was neither Coltrane
nor Sonny Rollins. Hugely unfair of course and Mobley soon returned to
the Blue Note stable to record and release many solid, dependable sets.
This album, recorded in 1957 when Mobley was also a member of the Max
Roach Quintet ,sees him leading a sextet comprising Bill Hardman (trumpet),
Curtis Porter (alto and tenor sax), Sonny Clark (piano), Paul Chambers
(bass), and Art Taylor (drums).
Containing just five numbers, the set really comes alive for me on Side
2. There’s some fine work on the first side, notably a great reading
of the classic ‘Bags Groove’, it’s simply that the second
side containing just two numbers giving the band more room to stretch
out. The band’s extended take on Mobley’s ‘Double Exposure’
sees some superb interplay between Mobley and Porter but also some really
crisp ensemble work. The closing ‘News’ features highly effective
solos from Mobley, Hardman, Porter, Chambers and particularly Clark.
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