INXS
LIVE BABY LIVE
1991-ATLANTIC
Produced By MARK OPITZ & INXS
1. New Sensation
2. Guns in The Sky
3. Mystify
4. By My Side
5. Shining Star
6. Need You Tonight
7. Mediate
8. One X One
9. Burn For You
10. The One Thing
11. This Time
12. The Stairs
13. Suicide Blonde
14. Hear That Sound
15. Never Tear Us Apart
16. What You Need
This live album by INXS at the top of their popularity should be a great deal: the tracklist is pretty much the ultimate INXS compilation album, and it’s all taken from a very successful world tour. Unfortunately, this just doesn’t work. The 16 songs are pulled from 14 different tour stops, and it sounds pieced together. And the sound itself is atrocious. This album sounds more like it was recorded on a fan cell phone (from 1990) than it sounds like a professional recording. Which is too bad, because it sounds like underneath it all might have been some pretty good performances. Live Baby Live sounds bad, and it’s tediously long.
The popularity of INXS took a nosedive the following year, thanks to the emergence of grunge. The band recorded three more studio albums before the suicide of lead singer Michael Hutchence. The only other live album from INXS was 1993’s Live At Barker Hanger, an even longer affair recorded at a small show at the Santa Monica airport. Live Baby Live was, unfortunately, the beginning of a slow decline for INXS. Wish there was a better live album out there from them. Unfortunately, this will have to do.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
THE JAYHAWKS
HOLLYWOOD TOWN HALL
1992-AMERICAN
Produced By GEORGE DRAKOULIAS
1. Waiting For The Sun
2. Crowded In The Wings
3. Clouds
4. Two Angels
5. Take Me With You (When You Go)
6. Sister Cry
7. Settled Down Like Rain
8. Wichita
9. Nevada, California
10. Martin’s Song
After having released a go-nowhere debut and a collection of demos (Blue Earth) in the late 80’s, The Jayhawks were signed to Def American in the early 90’s and promptly recorded Hollywood Town Hall. And while it did make the band fairly well known, it was unfortunately not the breakthrough it deserved to be. Mark Olson and Gary Louris were becoming a formidable songwriting team, and the tracks on this album were all exceptional. Olson and Louris sing great harmonies, and the playing is excellent, with help from Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench.
Song after song on this album are as good as this brand of alt-country gets. Track after track, you’ll find great melodies, hooks, harmonies, and playing. There are standouts (“Crowded In The Wings”, “Sister Cry”, “Wichita”), but a case could be made for every song here. Hollywood Town Hall should have been a monster success, and remains one of the great mostly unheard albums of the 90’s. Olson left the band in 1995, and The Jayhawks went on hiatus in 2005. They started playing again in 2009, and even Olson has been back in the fold. This is a high water mark for a band that deserves a lot more love than they get.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
KING’S X
FAITH HOPE LOVE
1990-MEGAFORCE
Produced By SAM TAYLOR & KING’S X
1. We Are Finding Who We Are
2. It’s Love
3. I’ll Never Get Tired Of You
4. Fine Art Of Friendship
5. Mr. Wilson
6. Moanjam
7. Six Broken Soldiers
8. I Can’t Help It
9. Talk To You
10. Everywhere I Go
11. We Were Born To Be Loved
12. Faith Hope Love
13. Legal Kill
Is King’s X a Christian rock band? The Christian rock community seems to think so. Probably because the band is not ashamed to make their views and feelings about Christianity a big part of their lyrical content. Faith Hope Love is the band’s third album as King’s X, and it is to date their most successful. There are a lot of things to love about this band: the power trio of Doug Pinnick, Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill are great players, work together well as songwriters, and the band has maybe the best harmonies in the hard rock genre.
From the opening track, Faith Hope Love is a pounding collection of all of the above. There are some tedious moments where the band sounds on the edge of becoming maybe a prog band, but otherwise it’s a very satisfying album. It didn’t sell nearly as well as it should have, maybe because of the confusion over their religious status. But this is a band with as much or more talent as anyone in hard rock from the time, and they deserve to be heard. And this is the album you want to start with.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
My favourite band from my teenage years. King's X are to me what I imagine Led Zeppelin is to some people. The music is etched on my brain.
This album was their biggest attempt at commercial success. They never got the breakthrough that they, or perhaps their record company were looking for. There's an interview on YouTube where Ty talks about going to a smaller label, and the relief they felt to have complete creative freedom.
They never claimed to be a Christian band, but there were always allusions to biblical ideas. As someone who grew up in Christian culture, one of the things that appealed to me about them is that they expressed just as much doubt as they did faith, and that authenticity was more encouraging than any dogma.
It was only down the track that I really heard all the music that had influenced them, which is pretty much everything from 67-74. They were hard to pigeon-hole. They were a melting pot of so many things.
GENE VINCENT
CAPITOL COLLECTOR’S SERIES
1990-CAPITOL
Produced By RON FURMANEK
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula
2. Woman Love
3. Race With The Devil
4. Gonna Back Up Baby
5. Bluejean Bop
6. Important Words
7. Crazy Legs
8. B-I-Bickey-Bi, Bo-Bo-Go
9. Five Days, Five Days
10. Lotta Lovin’
11. Wear My Ring
12. Dance To The Bop
13. I Got It
14. I Got A Baby
15. Walkin’ Home From School
16. Baby Blue
17. True To You
18. Rocky Road Blues
19. Git It
20. Say Mama
21. Rocky Road Blues (Backing Track)
Gene Vincent is one of the more forgotten of the pioneers of rock & roll. He was also maybe the most rocking of them all. In 1956, “Be-Bop-A-Lula” hit the charts, making Vincent a star. He never again reached the heights of his big hit, but as this excellent collection shows, he put out some excellent rock & roll between 1956 and 1958. In 1959, he was forced to leave the US for tax reasons, and in 1960 he was injured in the car accident that killed Eddie Cochran. Although he continued to record, he was never the same, and he died in 1971 at the age of 36.
Capitol Collector’s Series is 21 tracks of Vincent at his best. It includes great liner notes, some cool photos of Vincent with his band The Blue Caps, thorough track info, and of course some of the best rock from the 1950’s. Don’t forget Gene Vincent, and don’t let him fade away without giving his music a chance. Pick up this excellent compilation.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
VARIOUS ARTISTS
THE BEST OF THE JOHNNY CASH TV SHOW 1969-1971
2007-COLUMBIA LEGACY
Produced By AL QUAGLIERI
1. The Johnny Cash Show Open/I Walk The Line (Johnny Cash)
2. Flesh And Blood (Johnny Cash)
3. Stand By Your Man (Tammy Wynette)
4. Medley: She Thinks I Still Care/Love Bug/The Race Is On (George Jones)
5. I’ve Been Everywhere (Johnny Cash & Lynn Anderson)
6. Detroit City (Bobby Bare)
7. Ring Of Fire (Ray Charles)
8. It’s Too Late (Derek & The Dominos)
9. Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) (Kris Kristofferson)
10. Medley: Only The Lonely/Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison)
11. Belshazzar (Johnny Cash, The Carter Family & The Statler Brothers)
12. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Waylon Jennings)
13. Girl From The North Country (Johnny Cash & Joni Mitchell)
14. Fire And Rain (James Taylor)
15. Daddy Sang Bass (Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins & The Tennessee Three)
16. Closing Monologue/I Walk The Line (Reprise) (Johnny Cash)
For three years and 58 episodes, The Johnny Cash Show was one of the most unique hours on television. ABC was terrified of his religion, his guests, his politics, and even his lyrics. When they finally got the chance in 1971, they cancelled his show. But during that time, there were some truly great musical moments captured on the show. This collection, small at 16 tracks, collects some of the best of that forgotten show. It’s cool to hear Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings, and Ray Charles here live: the performances are excellent all the way around.
Even more interesting are acts like James Taylor showing up…but mostly Derek And The Dominos. The ultimate for this would be a multi disc DVD set, but even as small as this is, the taste you get is more than worth it. Excellent liner notes detailing the history of the show are helpful, and there are some great photos included as well. The only complaint, really, is that I wish there was a lot more. A lot more.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
SON VOLT
A RETROSPECTIVE: 1995-2000
2005-WARNER BROS/RHINO
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON, SON VOLT, BRUCE RANES & JAY FARRAR
1. Drown
2. Windfall
3. Route
4. Rex’s Blues
5. Looking At The World Through A Windshield
6. Too Early
7. Back Into Your World
8. Picking Up The Signal
9. I’ve Got To Know
10. Creosote
11. Straightface
12. Tulsa County
13. Driving The View
14. Ain’t No More Cain
15. Flow
16. Holocaust
17. Tear Stained Eye (Four Track Demo)
18. Loose String (Four Track Demo)
19. Medicine Hat (Live-Acoustic Café)
20. Open All Night
This is an excellent compilation of what was then the entire career of Son Volt. The band released three albums (Trace, Straightaways and Wide Swing Tremolo) between 1995 and 1998 before going on hiatus. This album coincided with the release of Okemah And The Melody Of Riot, seven years after the last Son Volt album and with only Jay Farrar from the original lineup. Having only three albums of material to choose from, the selections here are fine.
There are also some nice selections from compilation albums. “Rex’s Blues” (by Townes Van Zandt), “Looking At The World Through A Windshield”, “Tulsa County” and “Holocaust” (Big Star) are excellent non-album tracks, and “Open All Night” is from a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. There are also five previously unreleased tracks, and a nice live version of “Medicine Hat”. Overall, a fine compilation, and a great way to introduce yourself to the early days of Son Volt.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
VAN MORRISON
SAINT DOMINIC’S PREVIEW
1972-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By VAN MORRISON & TED TEMPLEMAN
1. Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)
2. Gypsy
3. I Will Be There
4. Listen To The Lion
5. Saint Dominic’s Preview
6. Redwood Tree
7. Almost Independence Day
Was this Van Morrison’s best album? It’s very likely that it was. Saint Dominic’s Preview is a beautiful melding of pop, soul, Celtic and everything else that Morrison is at his very best. “Jackie Wilson Said” and the title track were hits, and on a par with any of his other hits. “Gypsy”, “I Will Be There” and “Redwood Tree” are some of his best lyrics. The other two tracks are the long “Listen To The Lion” and “Almost Independence Day”, which sound like they could have come from his excellent solo debut Astral Weeks.
Morrison would follow this with his first career misstep, Hard Nose The Highway, and his popularity would wane soon afterward. Saint Dominic’s Preview is the end of Morrison’s peak as an artist, and is if not above his earlier works, right there alongside of them. A vital piece of the Van Morrison discography.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
BLACKFOOT
STRIKES
1979-ATCO
Produced By AL NALLI & HENRY WECK
1. Road Fever
2. I Got A Line On You
3. Left Turn On A Red Light
4. Pay My Dues
5. Baby Blue
6. Wishing Well
7. Run And Hide
8. Train, Train (Prelude)
9. Train, Train
10. Highway Song
Blackfoot was a minor player in the Southern Rock of the 70’s and 80’s. They were good enough players, but the problem may have been that they just didn’t have the songwriting chops to stand out: exactly half of the tracks on Strikes, their most successful album, are covers. “Train, Train” was written by frontman Rickey Medlocke’s grandfather, while the rest were from Spirit (“I Got A Line On You”), Blues Image (“Pay My Dues”), and Free (“Wishing Well”). Their own song, “Highway Song”, was a minor hit.
After the demise of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Southern Rock was fading, so Blackfoot changed their image and sound to a harder rock after this album, without much success. They last released an album in 1994, but they are still going to this day, although now none of the original members are present, and none from this album. Must be strange to see these guys on an oldies circuit and wonder who the hell they are…or were.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
SOUNDGARDEN
SUPERUNKNOWN
1994-A&M
Produced By MICHAEL BEINHORN & SOUNDGARDEN
1. Let Me Drown
2. My Wave
3. Fell On Black Days
4. Mailman
5. Superunknown
6. Head Down
7. Black Hole Sun
8. Spoonman
9. Limo Wreck
10. The Day I Tried To Live
11. Kickstand
12. Fresh Tendrils
13. 4th Of July
14. Half
15. Like Suicide
Is Superunknown the greatest American hard rock album of all time? It's certainly one of them. Soundgarden wasn’t grunge in the sense that the other bands from Seattle were: Soundgarden had a monster of a lead singer in Chris Cornell, they were heavier than Pearl Jam ever dreamed of being, and they were more metal than anyone else from the scene. Coming off of a breakthrough album (Badmotorfinger), Superunknown is Soundgarden’s masterpiece. Clocking in at a long 70 minutes, the album features the excellent “Fell On Black Days”, “My Wave”, “The Day I Tried To Live”, “Spoonman”, and the monster hit “Black Hole Sun”.
Soundgarden lasted just one album after this, and broke up in 1997. But when this album came out, they seemed unstoppable. For good reason: Superunknown is one of those great moments where everything is perfect for a band. This is a must for anyone who loves rock. It’s a perfect album by a band that was, for just a moment, the perfect band.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Romanelli
