HARRY BELAFONTE
ALL TIME GREATEST HITS VOL 2
1988-BMG
Various Producers
1. Midnight Special
2. I'm Just A Country Boy
3. Man Smart (Woman Smarter)
4. Shenandoah
5. Mr. Bojangles
6. Angelina
7. God Bless The Child
8. Gomen Nasai (Forgive Me)
9. I Do Adore Her
10. The Drummer And The Cook (Cockney Air)
11. Cotton Fields
12. Matilda
13. Monkey
14. One For My Baby
15. If I Were A Carpenter
16. Angelique-O
17. Lord Randall
18. Come Back Liza
19. When The Saints Go Marching In
Harry Belafonte may be best remembered today for "Day-O" and for bringing Calypso music to the masses. But, as this collection shows, he was a lot more than that. There are a handful of Calypso songs here, but he also handles traditional, spiritual, and pop music very well. He was very versatile, and seemed to own everything he touched. Able to be contemporary and historical at the same time, Belafonte was a true star in his day. This collection showcases that very nicely. No liner notes, but the music speaks for itself.
Of particular interest is the opening track, "Midnight Special". It features the recording debut of a young Bob Dylan on harmonica.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
Back in the 80's, King Sunny Ade was marketed as the next Bob Marley. It didn't work. Ade's Juju muisc was a completely different animal than reggae, and the fact that Ade sang only in his native language of Yoruba meant that unless you were from Nigeria, you'd probably never understand a word. But Ade's music is amazing stuff. Relying mainly on guitar and drums with vocals secondary, Ade creates intoxicating jams that fill up a room nicely. Each track has something to offer, and it's really cool music. Ade is a must for any fan of African music, and Aura is one of his best offerings.
Not even a guest shot by Stevie Wonder (harmonica on "Ase") could bring this to the masses. Too bad...we didn't know what we were missing.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
THE BEATLES
ABBEY ROAD
1969-APPLE
Produced By GEORGE MARTIN
1. Come Together
2. Something
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4. Oh! Darling
5. Octopus's Garden
6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7. Here Comes The Sun
8. Because
9. You Never Give Me Your Money
10. Sun King
11. Mean Mr. Mustard
12. Polythene Pam
13. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
14. Golden Slumbers
15. Carry That Weight
16. The End
17. Her Majesty
Abbey Road was the last album recorded by The Beatles, although it was released before Let It Be. The album shows that the group was back on the same page, yet seriously divided. The first half is a normal song cycle to appease John Lennon, while the second half is bits and pieces as Paul McCartney wanted to do. The album is still amazing. Every track is golden, the production spotless, and even the continuous song flow on the second half is flawless. George Harrison is in full swing as a writer here with his two contributions being among his best as a Beatle. Even the Ringo song is good. A powerful, timeless work. This album cemented The Beatles place in history, and is still better today than most records made since.
The breakup was soon to come. McCartney tried to follow in the same vein as Abbey Road, but never matched it. If you look at this as The Beatles final album, then there couldn't be a better way to go out. An absolute classic. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
AC/DC
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK WE SALUTE YOU
1981-ATCO
Produced By ROBERT JOHN "MUTT" LANGE
1. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
2. Put The Finger On You
3. Let's Give It Up
4. Inject The Venom
5. Snowballed
6. Evil Walks
7. C.O.D.
8. Breaking The Rules
9. Night Of The Long Knives
10. Spellbound
The second album of the Brain Johnson era, and the followup to their huge Back In Black album, For Those About To Rock may be the most underrated album by AC/DC. With expectations high for them to make Back In Black 2, they almost pulled it off. The title track is huge, but there are plenty of gems here as well. "Inject The Venom", "Put The Finger On You", and "Evil Walks" could have all been hits, and every song could have worked on Back In Black. AC/DC sounds almost the same on every record. but the key is consistency. And they pull that off here. For Those About To Rock is a great time, and belongs right next to its predecessor. Not quite Back In Black 2, but they almost pulled it off.
The title track was used, along with several other songs, for the soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive. Producer Lange went on, of course, to become Mrs. Shania Twain.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
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Of dying history
BEST KISSERS IN THE WORLD
BEEN THERE
1993-MCA
Produced By JOHN HANLON
1. She Won't Get Under Me Till I Get Over You
2. Bleeder
3. Kick Between The Knees
4. Miss Teen U.S.A.
5. Four Letter Name For Fame
6. Waltzing
7. Goddamn
8. Present At Your Party
9. Bitch Can't Sing
10. Bad About The Fact
11. Letter From You
12. You Love Sleepin'
On the list of the best bands you either never heard of or forgot you had, Best Kissers In The World has to be near the top. This album from 1993 is one reason why. The Kissers were mainly Gerald Collier (who has gone on to a solo career) and Danny Bland (who went on to manage the Supersuckers). Their music is kind of like a heavier and poppier Teenage Fanclub, without the overly obvious Big Star sound, and they were terrific. "She Won't Get Under Me" is worth buying it for alone, but the rest of the album is loaded with great powerpop. This is what Cheap Trick should have ended up like. There are nods to The Replacements ("Bitch Can't Sing"), and even a solo acoustic ballad recorded in a living room that stands up with any power ballad ever recorded ("Waltzing"). This is simply great stuff.
All of the Kissers albums are out of print...if you find one, buy it. You will not be disappointed. Also, look for Collier's self titled debut album.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
NIRVANA
IN UTERO
1993--GEFFEN
Produced By STEVE ALBINI
1. Serve The Servants
2. Scentless Apprentice
3. Heart Shaped Box
4. Rape Me
5. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
6. Dumb
7. Very Ape
8. Milk It
9. Pennyroyal Tea
10. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
11. tourette's
12. All Apologies
Nirvana's follow up to the monstrous Nevermind was also their last studio album. Listening to this, it's easy to see that Kurt Cobain was prepared to take his music into a wholly new direction. There are terrific songs..."Heart Shaped Box", "Serve The Servants", and "All Apologies"...but there is also a lot of very loud noise. In Utero almost qualifies as a metal abum. It's VERY loud, and there is a ton of raw emotion and fury. It would have been interesting to see what the band would have followed this with, but we'll never know. But for those who doubt Cobain, you have to hear this. He wasn't looking to be the next Elvis. He was simply dying.
"Frances Farmer" is another great song, and "Rape Me" is furious. This isn't as strong as Nevermind, but it's still a must for any Nirvana fan. It can be difficult, but it's very good.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
JOHN LENNON
PLASTIC ONO BAND
1970-APPLE
Produced By JOHN & YOKO AND PHIL SPECTOR
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
This is the first REAL solo album by John Lennon. The noise albums he made with Yoko while The Beatles were still together kinda don't count. This is maybe the most raw and emotional album ever recorded. Stripped down to a minimal 3 piece band (Klaus Voorman and Ringo Starr), Lennon, who was in the midst of primal scream therapy at the time, lets it all out in stunning fashion. "Mother", "Isolation", and "I Found Out" are simply uncovered nerves, while "Love", "Hold On", and "Look At Me" show his softer side. "God" is where he sheds all of the Beatlemania and becomes himself. Plastic Ono Band is one of the great albums of all time. If you love John, you must have it.
Billy Preston, Phil Spector and Yoko Ono make appearances as well. Along with All Things Must Pass, the greatest post Beatles album.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
SOUL ASYLUM
GRAVE DANCERS UNION
1992-COLUMBIA
Produced By MICHAEL BEINHORN
1. Somebody To Shove
2. Black Gold
3. Runaway Train
4. Keep It Up
5. Homesick
6. Get On Out
7. New World
8. April Fool
9. Without A Trace
10. Growing Into You
11. 99%
12. The Sun Maid
Soul Asylum was always the annoying little brother of Minneapolis bands...they could never hold a candle to Husker Du and The Replacements. But in 1992, they sure tried. "Runaway Train" was a huge hit, and it turned singer David Pirner into what Sheryl Crow is today...everywhere. This is the bands best album, and it's not a terrible outing...there are times when they sound very good. But a lot of dumb lyrics and the monotony of "Runaway Train" drag this down to nothing more than ordinary. Which is too bad, because this is an album that you really want to like, but it never quite takes you there. Average stuff at best. Add points if "Runaway Train" really does it for you.
Soul Asylum regrouped for one album in 2004 with Tommy Stinson of The Replacements stepping in after the death of bassist Karl Mueller. Dan Murphy has been a mainstay in Golden Smog.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
SANTANA
LOTUS
1974-COLUMBIA
Produced By THE NEW SANTANA BAND
1. Going Home
2. A-1 Funk
3. Every Step Of The Way
4. Black Magic Woman
5. Gypsy Queen
6. Oye Como Va
7. Yours Is The Light
8. Batuka
9. Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)
10. Stone Flower (Introduction)
11. Waiting
12. Castillos De Arena, Part 1 (Sand Castle)
13. Free Angela
14. Samba De Sausalito
1. Mantra
2. Kyoto
3. Castillos De Arena, Part 2 (Sand Castle)
4. Incident At Neshabur
5. Se A Cabo
6. Samba Pa Ti
7. Mr. Udo
8. Toussaint L'Overture
Recorded live in Japan in 1973, this is Carlos Santana truly stepping out into his fusion phase. Gone are the guys who ended up starting Journey, and replacing them are what was maybe the best Santana band. There are spots that sound as puzzling as anything ever done in fusion, but there are also spots where they rock. Because Santana brought so many elements to fusion, they are more listenable than anyone else who has ever tried it. And there's no mistaking the sound of Carlos Santana's guitar. This is an artist stepping out into his own world, and it's a great look at a legendary band. Lotus is long and can be sometimes painful, but it's also loaded with rewards. Santana's days of hitmaking were now behind them, but Carlos has continued on with a great career. Lotus is a great look back, and anything live from Santana, especially from this period, is worthwhile.
This is one of the last of the great Santana albums, and maybe the best way to catch their 70's act live. Well worth the fusion. And I don't say that often. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
DAN REED NETWORK
1988-MERCURY
Produced By BRUCE FAIRBAIRN
1. World Has A Heart
2. Get To You
3. Ritual
4. Forgot To Make Her Mine
5. Tamin' The Wild Nights
6. I'm So Sorry
7. Resurrect
8. Baby Don't Fade
9. Human
10. Halfway Around The World
11. Rock You All Night Long
12. Tatiana
Oh boy. Take a band with metal looks, metal guitars, and convince them that Morris Day of The Time is the king of rock & roll, and you have the Dan Reed Network. Fusing metal with the worst of synthesizer dance pop of the 80's may have caused some to classify this band as metal funk, but it's nowhere near that. It's a sappy attempt to cash in on as many musical flavors of the week as possible. And as bad as it was in 1988, it sounds so dated now that your speakers may just blow out in protest. "Get To You" was a hit, now forgotten, and for every second that the band sounded the least bit cool, it's offset by a minute of sheer awfulness.
Steer clear of this one. Yes, I'm sorry I have this. But if I didn't, who would be here to warn you about crimes like the Dan Reed Network?
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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