TOM WAITS
CLOSING TIME
1973-ELEKTRA
Produced By JERRY YESTER
1. Ol' 55
2. I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You
3. Virginia Avenue
4. Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)
5. Midnight Lullaby
6. Martha
7. Rosie
8. Lonely
9. Ice Cream Man
10. Little Trip To Heaven (On The Wings Of Your Love)
11. Grapefruit Moon
12. Closing Time
Tom Waits was never the greatest singer on earth, but his debut, Closing Time, finds him in a much less ravaged state than on his later...and more adventurous recordings. What carries this are the songs...as usual. "Ol' 55", "Martha", and several other highlights are here, and the songs are all straight up. You won't be rocked by this, but if you like good songs, this is where to go. It's hard to believe that this is the same guy who did the bizarre Rain Dogs. But it's still worth having. This is what got him signed in the first place, and the songs still hold up. Just don't expect anything rocking.
Waits has done quite well, even if his voice hasn't. He's done movies, and his later albums are loaded with oddities that are worth hearing over and over. This is where it all began.
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'Fore the devil knows we're dead...
VAN MORRISON
MOONDANCE
1970-WARNER BROS
Produced By VAN MORRISON
1. And It Stoned Me
2. Moondance
3. Crazy Love
4. Caravan
5. Into The Mystic
6. Come Running
7. These Dreams Of You
8. Brand New Day
9. Everyone
10. Glad Tidings
Along with Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy, Moondance may be the most front heavy album of all time. The first 5 songs, or side one, are hits, strong, flawless, and comprise an excellent makeout album. Probably most of the people who owned this in the 70's never even bothered to listen to side 2. Which is too bad, because while not nearly as famous, the last 5 songs are just as good. Particularly "Brand New Day". Van The Man is shaping his successful period here...somewhat jazzy soul numbers with deep hooks. The main piece is "Into The Mystic", a strange ode to the Boston river...one of the most beautiful songs of its time. Moondance is a stunning album, Van Morrison at his best.
Van had plenty left in him...His Band And The Street Choir, released in the same year, is just as great, and the two together would have made an unbelieveable double album. But that just wasn't Van's way of doing things.
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SON VOLT
OKEMAH AND THE MELODY OF RIOT
2005-TRANSMIT SOUND/LEGACY
Produced By JAY FARRAR
1. Bandages & Scars
2. Afterglow 61
3. Jet Pilot
4. Atmosphere
5. Ipecac
6. Who
7. Endless War
8. Medication
9. 6 String Belief
10. Gramophone
11. Chaos Streams
12. World Waits For You
13. World Waits For You (Reprise)
After their 1999 tour supporting Wide Swing Tremolo, Son Volt was dropped by Warner Brothers, and the band went on hiatus. Their return was their 4th album, Okemah, after 7 years. How worth the wait is it? I will tell you this...if you don't have this album, your collection can never be complete. By this time, Son Volt was Jay Farrar and a cast of extras, but the more you listen to Farrar, you realize what an underappreciated force he is. These songs are masterful, and Farrar's voice, which may strike you as lazy at first, will grow on you until you can't hear enough of the guy. "Bandages And Scars" may be the most I've ever enjoyed doing a cover song...it's simply brilliant. And it continues, track after track. If you don't have this, you MUST have this. If you do, then you get it.
This version has two sides...as if it wasn't already great. The DVD side contains the entire album in enhanced stereo and a documentary on the making of Okemah. Seriously...why don't you have this yet?
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RICK NELSON
THE BEST OF RICK NELSON (VOLUME 2)
1991-EMI
Produced By RICK NELSON, OZZIE NELSON, & JIMMY HASKELL
1. You Are the Only One
2. Travelin' Man
3. Hello Mary Lou
4. A Wonder Like You
5. Everlovin'
6. Young World
7. Summertime
8. Teenage Idol
9. I've Got My Eyes On You (And I Like What I See)
10. It's Up To You
11. I Need You
12. That's All
13. I'm In Love Again
14. If You Can't Rock Me
15. Old Enough To Love
16. A Long Vacation
17. There's Not A Minute
18. Today's Teardrops
19. Congratulations
20. Lucky Star
21. My One Desire
22. You'll Never Know What You're Missing
23. Tryin' To Get To You
24. One Of These Mornings
25. It's All In The Game
26. If You Can't Rock Me (Version 2)
27. More Songs By Ricky-Album Radio Spot
Long maligned and forgotten due to his status as America's first TV manufactured teen idol, Rick Nelson gained respect with his 1972 hit "Garden Party". But despite growing up on TV with his parents, Ozzie & Harriet, and having his singing career boosted by the show, Nelson's work as a musician from 1957 to 1962 remains sadly ignored. When Elvis Presley went into the Army, there were only a small handul of Americans to keep the genre alive, and Nelson was one of them. This is a fine set of songs from the early days of rock and into the American dark ages, the early 60's.
"Hello Mary Lou" is the obvious highlight, but there are plenty more as well. During that '57-'62 period, Nelson worked hard and was quite prolific. This is maybe the best collection of his work that exists, and it's an important document of rock and roll being kept alive in America at a time when it was nearly dead. Teen idol status aside, this is where Nelson shows he's much more than that. He comes out alive...something many of his peers can't say at all.
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THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
LIVE AT LUDLOW GARAGE, 1970
1990-POLYDOR
No Production Credit
DISC 1
1. Dreams
2. Statesboro Blues
3. Trouble No More
4. Dimples
5. Every Hungry Woman
6. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
7. Hoochie Coochie Man
DISC 2
1. Mountain Jam
Ludlow Garage was a music venue in Cincinnati that was open for only 3 years, but this bit of history was recorded there in 1970. The original Allman Brothers lineup performed there often, and this set, resurrected 20 years later, is just another document to show how powerful this band really was. Duane's guitar is on fire, and the band roars through this early set. The sound is not the best, and if you can sit through 44 minutes of "Mountain Jam" you're a hell of a man, but you can hear what made them great. And that's good enough...always.
This was taken from their tour of the first album, and they were still relatively unknown. Which means they were hungry. If it's a great recording you're after, go with At Fillmore East. But this is almost as good, and if you can get past the shoddy recording, you'll be most pleased.
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ROMEO VOID
WARM, IN YOUR COAT
1992-COLUMBIA
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. White Sweater
2. I Mean It
3. Charred Remains
4. Talk Dirty To Me
5. Myself To Myself
6. In The Dark
7. A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)
8. Out On My Own (Dance Mix)
9. Just Too Easy
10. Wrap It Up
11. Flashflood
12. Undercover Kept
13. Chinatown
14. Never Say Never
15. One Thousand Shadows
In the 80's, New Wave bands were all kind of strange. Romeo Void was even stranger...they were almost normal. In a strange kind of way. This short lived band (1979-85) released a few quirky albums that sometimes teetered on jazz (thanks to the work of their excellent sax player, Benjamin Bossi). Warm, In Your Coat is a compilation, and was, for years, the only Romeo Void album in print. It contains a batch of well played yet puzzling songs, and two great ones..."A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing) is an uncaracteristically clean, pop single. As good as 80's pop got. The other is the song that made the parents of teenagers everywhere nervous...the non-hit (but more popular) "Never Say Never".
The lasting impression of this band is the very un-rockstar Deborah Iyall coldly and frighteningly seducing everyone with "I might like you better if we slept together.", over and over. Romeo Void was otherwise unremarkable, as is this collection...but it's worth having for those two songs alone. A truly strange and different kind of band.
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DICK DALE
TRIBAL THUNDER
1993-HIGHTONE
Produced By SCOTT MATHEWS & DICK DALE
1. Nitro
2. The New Victor
3. Esperanza
4. Shredded Heat
5. Trail Of Tears
6. Caravan
7. The Eliminator
8. Speardance
9. Hot Links
10. The Long Ride
11. Tribal Thunder
Dick Dale is easily the most underappreciated guitarist in the history of rock. Between the time of Buddy Holly's death and the arrival of The Beatles, Dick Dale was rock's only new shining light. He's only gotten better...and he was always good. Tribal Thunder is only his 6th studio album, and his first since 1964. In the true King Of The Surf Guitar fashion, this is all instrumental. Does it sound like a guy who made his name in the early 60's? Not at all...he could stand up straight with this next to the guitar heroes of the day like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Without all of the tapping. This is extraordinary stuff, but there does come a point where you'd like him to stop soloing for even a minute and let the band stretch out a bit. Otherwise, this is a master at work.
Dale has been at it now for 50 years. He should be much better known than he is...maybe someday he will truly get his due. But no mistake about it...this dude can flat out play.
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SUPERTRAMP
EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS...
1977-A&M
Produced By SUPERTRAMP
1. Give A Little Bit
2. Lover Boy
3. Even In The Quietest Moments
4. Downstream
5. Babaji
6. From Now On
7. Fool's Overture
Even In The Quietest Moments...is the 5th album from Supertramp, and the one preceding their smash hit Breakfast In America. It's also probably their second best album (behind Crime Of The Century), and maybe their most overlooked, despite housing the hit "Give A Little Bit". There are traces of their art rock beginnings here (the 10+ minute "Fool's Overture"), though not as obvious, but otherwise this is a decent set of songs that sounds very good. Roger Hodgson's voice had yet to go completely over the top, and the band sounds on top of their game and relaxed. This is by no means an absolute classic, but it's almost as good as Supertramp would get. It's a good sounding album, and if this band was your thing, very enjoyable.
Breakfast In America made them huge, even though it sounded nowhere near as fine as this did. And considering how average Supertramp could be, this is quite an accomplishment.
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SQUEEZE
SINGLES: 45'S AND UNDER
1982-A&M
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. Take Me I'm Yours
2. Goodbye Girl
3. Cool For Cats
4. Up The Junction
5. Slap And Tickle
6. Another Nail For My Heart
7. Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
8. If I Didn't Love You
9. Is That Love
10. Tempted
11. Black Coffee In Bed
12. Annie Get Your Gun
Squeeze has continued off and on since their debut album in 1978, but their best music was unquestionably made before 1982. Songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook became true writing partners, and you can hear the progression from start to finish on this best of. There are amazing tumes here..."Tempted" is one of the best songs of the early 80's, and the rest aren't far behind. For awhile, this was a great band, and this is a great document of their work during that period. That they have never recaptured the magic is too bad...but that magic is readily available. Squeeze is a band that should not be forgotten.
Along with Difford & Tilbrook, the band also featured Jools Holland, and for a time, the very good journeyman singer Paul Carrack. Also recommended: their early album Argybargy.
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JAMES BROWN
ROOTS OF A REVOLUTION
1989-POLYDOR
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
This 2 disc set features 43 tracks from the King Of Soul recorded between 1956 and 1964. As is the case with anything recorded by Brown during this period, this is all excellent stuff. The Famous Flames are in fine form, and this shows Brown at his rocking best. It is a little long, and sadly, there is not a sentence of liner notes. But, if you're a fan, this is where his legacy began. It truly is the roots of a revolution. James Brown was the most energetic performer who ever lived, and that energy shines through here. A must for any fan of early soul and rock & roll.
Brown, of course, went on to even bigger and better things in the mid sixties and into the 70's. This is just the beginning of a stunning body of work.
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'Fore the devil knows we're dead...
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