ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION
NEW FAVORITE
2001 – ROUNDER
Produced By ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION
1. Let Me Touch You For Awhile
2. The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn
3. The Lucky One
4. Choctaw Hayride
5. Crazy Faith
6. Momma Cried
7. I’m Gone
8. Daylight
9. Bright Sunny South
10. Stars
11. It All Comes Down To You
12. Take Me For Longing
13. New Favorite
If she’d only pick up the phone and call me, I’d marry her. On the condition that she sings me to sleep every night. There’s just something about that voice. And, yeah, I’m pretty much gone by the first chorus of “Let Me Touch You For Awhile”. But there’s so much more to Alison Krauss, her band Union Station, New Favorite, and what it all meant to music in 2001. Released in the same year as the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou, New Favorite helped bluegrass and a much better brand of country music not dominated by inferior pop elements gain important footholds. Both Krauss and Dan Tyminski (the voice behind that George Clooney “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrrow” scene) also make New Favorite a keeper. The first three tracks of New Favorite are as good as it gets, a pair of sweet Krauss vocals with Tyminski’s take on “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn” in the middle. And the rest does not disappoint.
It’s not just in the vocals. Check out “Choctaw Hayride” to hear what a fine bluegrass band this is. Krauss is a marvelous fiddle player, and everyone else is just as good. Union Station’s albums are all uniformly good, but what makes New Favorite stand out is simply that it has better songs than usual. There are only two original songs here…they are better known for choosing wise covers and giving smart performances of them. There are a pair of traditional songs, and tunes by Robert Lee Castleman, Wendy Waldman, Dan Fogelberg, and Gillian Welch. Having both male and female lead vocals helps to keep everything fresh sounding. New Favorite was critically panned, but it also won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and three more, and songs from the album have remained fan favorites. It’s not perfect by any means, but Krauss’ voice makes up for a lot, and it sounds a lot better than it ever got credit for.
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LED ZEPPELIN
UNTITLED
1971 – SWAN SONG
Produced By JIMMY PAGE
1. Black Dog
2. Rock And Roll
3. The Battle Of Evermore
4. Stairway To Heaven
5. Misty Mountain Hop
6. Four Sticks
7. Going To California
8. When The Levee Breaks
I usually don’t let the kids bother me. But when they start putting down Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, I take exception. Known as Led Zeppelin IV, this actually untitled album is the absolute peak of Led Zeppelin’s career, and maybe the absolute high point of what is now known as classic rock. The kids put it down as “tired” and “overplayed”. I call shenanigans. Because this is one of the greatest albums of all time…there’s a case for it being the absolute best period. Zeppelin’s fourth shines in every aspect. The songs…the songs are perfect, from start to finish. There is no filler. It’s all radio worthy nearly fifty years later. The playing…Jimmy Page claims the prize for best guitarist of the 70’s for this album alone. He has not a single weak or flawed moment on this album. The singing…Robert Plant is assured, cool as hell, and riveting from beginning to end. Rhythm section? There is nothing negative you could say about Jones and Bonham at all here.
If you think “Stairway To Heaven” is overplayed, then you’re simply not listening. It’s maybe the most perfect rock song ever recorded. It gets played over and over because it’s that good. Appreciate it. “Black Dog” and “Rock And Roll” are standard blues rock songs…but at another level. “The Battle Of Evermore” is a fine duet between Plant and Fairport Convention’s Sandy Denny…but the best is Page’s frantic and tireless mandolin playing. “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Going To California” are two of the best hippie anthems ever written…and it was already over. “Four Sticks” is a great rocker. “When The Levee Breaks” is Zeppelin doing the blues at their best. It’s a fantastic, and somewhat underrated track. In short, this stands as one of the greatest albums ever made. If you find fault with it, you’re trying too hard, and you’re just not listening. Try it again. It’s as good as it gets.
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FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
Whoa! Strong case for the great Zep album, even among the burnout ls who now think it cliche.
Great to see Tab Benoit getting some love. Definitely an artist I'm always happy to come back to.
And thanks for the intro to Heartless Bastards.
Thanks, Fischman! Zep4 is simply great. And glad I could help with the discovery of Heartless Bastards. I love them.
They got their name, by the way...from a multiple choice trivia question. It was what's the name of Tom Petty's band? One of the answers was Tom Petty & The Heartless Bastards.
I love when band names are found like that... _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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THE YARDBIRDS
GREATEST HITS, VOLUME ONE (1964-1966)
1986 – RHINO
Produced By BILL INGLOT & GIORGIO GOMELSKY
1. For Your Love
2. Putty (In Your Hands)
3. Evil Hearted You
4. Still I’m Sad
5. You’re A Better Man Than I
6. Shapes Of Things
7. Heart Full Of Soul
8. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
9. I Ain’t Done Wrong
10. I’m A Man
11. The Train Kept A-Rollin’
12. A Certain Girl
13. I Ain’t Got You
14. I’m Not Talking
15. I Wish You Would
16. Too Much Monkey Business
17. Got Love If You Want It
18. Smokestack Lightning
The music of The Yardbirds often gets lost in their legendary history. Yes, they spawned the careers of three of rock’s most decorated guitar heroes, and yes, the final gasp of breath by the band was the birth of Led Zeppelin. But let’s not forget that these guys made some terrific music. The period that this disc covers, 1964-1966, includes the departure of Eric Clapton and the rise of Jeff Beck. There’s little, if any, Jimmy Page on this disc. And it’s a bit confusing, considering how important that the timeline of The Yardbirds is, that the tracks aren’t in chronological order. But. God bless Rhino Records…the liner notes are pretty good, and the music itself is great. There are only three original songs here (including the amazing “Shapes Of Things”)…the rest are perfectly chosen covers by some of the greats, from Chuck Berry to Bo Diddley to Graham Gouldman (later of 10cc).
The last three tracks are live, and show The Yardbirds doing what they did best. The tracks feature Clapton, and are essential. Beck’s highlight is the stunning “Heart Full Of Soul”, which may have been the heaviest song ever recorded when it came out in ’64. The rest is all great rock and roll blues that deserves to be heard. Unfortunately, The Yardbirds are a band that gets talked about more than they are listened to. A shame. Their history is astounding, and that includes the music they made. Clapton became Clapton, Beck became Beck, and Page ended the Yardbirds and formed Led Zeppelin. And singer Keith Relf, with drummer Jim McCarthy, formed Renaissance. The other and forgotten guitarist, Chris Dreja, became a photographer, while Paul Samwell-Smith became a producer. See…they ARE fun to talk about. But don’t forget to listen to their short but excellent recorded legacy.
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HUSKER DU
CANDY APPLE GREY
1986 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By BOB MOULD & GRANT HART
1. Crystal
2. Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely
3. I Don’t Know For Sure
4. Sorry Somehow
5. Too Far Down
6. Hardly Getting Over It
7. Dead Set On Destruction
8. Eiffel Tower High
9. No Promise Have I Made
10. All This I’ve Done For You
Husker Du was important on so many levels. Previously known for punk and hardcore music, Candy Apple Grey, their fifth album, finds the band slowing things down some and bringing to the public (but not inventing) what people would later call indie rock. This was an album plagued with internal fighting between Bob Mould and Grant Hart, the pressure of not selling out with their new major label deal with Warners, and the larger new audience that the deal included. There was pressure for a hit, which they didn’t get (although Hart’s “Sorry Somehow” was close). Also, their last three albums had been pretty unbeatable, so there was that pressure as well. And while they didn’t reach the heights of Zen Arcade or Flip Your Wig or New Day Rising, they did a pretty fine job of dealing with it all. Candy Apple Grey is not Husker Du’s best album, but it’s still a fine effort, and an important chapter in their history.
Remember…when you listen to this, that this was the mid 1980’s. This music was not yet popular. And Husker Du was never a hit machine. But what they were was a three piece wall of sound that made very listenable and entertaining music. Candy Apple Grey falls in line just after the band’s peak, and they would be gone after their next album (Warehouse: Songs And Stories) due to infighting and problems with their label. But Husker Du was one of the best and most interesting bands of the decade. And highly influencial. This album is an important part of the legacy the band left behind, and is well worth hearing more than just once. This is the older brother of bands like Nirvana and Soul Asylum and Pixies, and their place in history is solid. This is not their best work, but this is not an inferior effort by any means. If you see this (or any of their other albums) available, do yourself a favor and snatch it up.
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THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
1969 – CAPRICORN
Produced By ADRIAN BARBER
1. Don’t Want You No More
2. It’s Not My Cross To Bear
3. Black Hearted Woman
4. Trouble No More
5. Every Hungry Woman
6. Dreams
7. Whipping Post
As early as 1965, Duane and Gregg Allman began circling around the musicians who would form The Allman Brothers Band, giving birth to Southern rock and paving the way for bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot. But, truth be told, there was never another band like this. The roots of the Allmans go much further than just blues and rock, and the level of talent in this band was staggering. Duane was already being recognized as one of the top guitar players in the world, and he had the stunning sideman resume to prove it. The Allmans boasted an amazing twin guitar attack with Duane and Dickey Betts, a formidable rhythm section with not just Berry Oakley, but two drummers who knew exactly how to work together. And in the middle was Gregg Allman, whose soulful vocals and keyboards grounded everything. On their first album, recorded just a few months after the band formed, you can hear the magic that was already in place.
In true Brotherhood fashion, the album opens with an instrumental cover…Spencer Davis’ “Don’t Want You No More”. They also do a fine version here of the Muddy Waters classic “Trouble No More”. The rest of the tracks are written by Gregg Allman (Dickey Betts would later contribute in a huge way). Everything is very good, but they save the best for last “Dreams” and “Whipping Post” would become the centerpieces of their live shows for decades to come, and they showcase brilliantly the magic that this lineup had, although later live versions would eclipse these. They could really play, and they could jam like no one else (when they wanted to). This album is short (a little too short), sweet, and to the point that this band was quickly changing the face of rock music. As good as this is, they were not near their peak yet…they would only get better over the next couple of years before tragedy would strike twice (Duane Allman and Oakley were both killed in motorcycle accidents a year apart). But this is a striking debut, and exciting to hear, as they became even stronger very quickly.
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BLACK SABBATH
1970 – WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By RODGER BAIN
1. Black Sabbath
2. The Wizard
3. Wasp / Behind The Wall Of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B.
4. Wicked World
5. A Bit Of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning
With all apologies to Blue Cheer…this is the birth of metal. Right here. Opening with a thunderstorm and distant church bells that give way to that frightening riff of the title track, this is the true end of good time hippie music. There is nothing peace and love about the pained vocals of Ozzy Osbourne (with his chilling plea “Oh, God, please help me”), there is nothing free love about Tony Iommi’s 2 ton guitar. This was more scary than any music that had come before it, and rock would never be the same. Dark and heavy became something music could be other than bright and poppy. And Sabbath, in 1970, with this debut album and the even better follow up Paranoid, made it all happen. This album broke down all of the barriers between darkness and rock, and changed the course of the decade to come. Oh, yeah…it also happens to be a pretty damn great album. Not perfect…but close.
The British version features 7 tracks, while the American album condenses things down to five with the mixing of tracks together to form medleys. The American version is missing half a star because the first Sabbath single is omitted (it’s on the UK version), a cover of Crow’s “Evil Woman”. Otherwise, there’s nothing bad to say about this record. It’s an absolute must have for anyone who’s a fan of metal, Ozzy, guitars, dark stuff, and seventies music. This is the blueprint for all of Sabbath’s career, and while Paranoid is better known, this album stands right alongside of it. If you don’t get chills from the riff on “N.I.B.” or “Black Sabbath”, or from Ozzy’s ability to make sounding mentally unstable completely cool, then we’ll just sit you down with An Evening With John Denver. Early Sabbath is the best Sabbath. So if you dig them, you must have this album. It’s kinda the law.
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YO LA TENGO
I CAN HEAR THE HEART BEATING AS ONE
1997 – MATADOR
Produced By ROGER MOUTENOT
1. Return To Hot Chicken
2. Moby Octopad
3. Sugarcube
4. Damage
5. Deeper Into Movies
6. Shadows
7. Stockholm Syndrome
8. Autumn Sweater
9. Little Honda
10. Green Arrow
11. One PM Again
12. The Lie And How We Told It
13. Center Of Gravity
14. Spec Bebop
15. We’re An American Band
16. My Little Corner Of The World
Yo La Tengo has successfully flown under the radar of stardom for a long time. A very long time. Formed in 1984 by the couple Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, almost everything about this band is interesting. They are named for a humorous story involving the 1962 New York Mets. They have had 14 bass players in their history, but only one since 1992. They are loved by critics, and have a small but fiercely loyal fan base. They played the Velvet Underground in a film, and they played a Night Ranger tribute band on Parks And Recreation. Their taste in cover songs is impeccable. And they have made mostly pretty great albums. I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is maybe their finest…if not, it’s one of their very best. Kaplan and Hubley trade lead vocals, all of them low key and deep down in the mix almost as far as the guitars. And the result is that they sound undeniably cool. Undeniably.
The appeal of this album over their other great efforts is that this one branches out and tries the most different sounds. And almost everything works like a charm. The heaviest track is a surprise cover of The Beach Boy’s “Little Honda”. It sounds nothing like the original. Which makes it so cool. This album changes sound almost track by track, showing a stunning versatility. It also shows how good their songwriting is, and how unafraid they are to step out of their comfort zone. This album stands alongside the best of the longtime indie bands like Sonic Youth, and shows that even after so many years together, they were nowhere close to running out of ideas. This is a band and an album that gets lost in the shuffle way too often. They deserve to be heard, and this album, along with a few others by them, should be essential parts of a good rock collection. Take a listen, if you haven’t already. You’ll be happy you did.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS
DARK WAS THE NIGHT
2009 – 4AD
Produced By AARON & BRYCE DESSNER
1. Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors & David Byrne
2. Cello Song (Feat. Jose Gonzalez) – The Books
3. Train Song – Feist & Ben Gibbard
4. Brackett, WI – Bon Iver
5. Deep Blue Sea – Grizzly Bear
6. So Far Around The Bend – The National
7. Tightrope – Yeasayer
8. Feeling Good – My Brightest Diamond
9. Dark Was The Night – Kronos Quartet
10. I Was Young When I Left Home – Antony w/Bryce Dessner
11. Big Red Machine – Justin Vernon & Aaron Dessner
12. Sleepless – The Decemberists
13. Stolen Houses (Die) – Iron & Wine
14. Service Bell – Grizzly Bear & Feist
15. You Are The Blood – Sufjan Stevens
1. Well-Alright – Spoon
2. Lenin – Arcade Fire
3. Mimizan – Beirut
4. El Caporal – My Morning Jacket
5. Inspiration Information – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
6. With A Girl Like You – Dave Sitek
7. Blood Pt. 2 (Remix) (Feat. Sufjan Stevens & Serengeti) – Buck 65
8. Hey, Snow White – The New Pornographers
9. Gentle Hour – Yo La Tengo
10. Another Saturday – Stuart Murdoch
11. Happiness – Jonsi & Alex
12. Amazing Grace – Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues
13. The Giant Of Illinois – Andrew Bird
14. Lua – Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch
15. When The Love Runs Out – Blonde Redhead & Devastations
16. Love Vs. Porn – Kevin Drew
The Red Hot Organization was formed in 1990 with a simple plan. Fighting AIDS though pop culture. Although they were much more active in the 1990’s, they are still working to bring awareness through media to this day. The organization has released 24 compilation albums, three films and numerous TV shows to bring attention to their cause. Dark Was The Night has raised going on $2 million for the cause, bringing in younger listeners with the inclusion of many newer artists. The songs were recorded exclusively for this compilation, and most of the artists refused pay. Produced by the Dessner brothers (from The National), the cause makes it worthwhile. The music makes it essential. The list of contributing artists is staggering, reading like a list of the best of what rock had to offer at the turn of the decade. And that list is impressive, indeed. A primer for how great music was in 2009, for sure.
Compilations like this are usually average. A good cause wrapped around an okay selection of songs. But with Dark Was The Night, Red Hot and the Dessner’s took the time to make sure that the selection of music was powerful along with the cause. And so, these two discs, while not perfect by any means, are much better than you might expect. Great artists like Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, Yo La Tengo…there’s so much to experience here. If you’re wondering what to listen to from the period, this set serves as an excellent primer. And, when you buy it, you’re giving to an exceptional cause instead of lining a millionaire’s pocket with more change. So, there’s really no good reason to NOT check this out. It’s well worth the time and the money. It’s a great listen, and it’s for a good cause. And it has a load of songs that will make your day a bit better for having heard them. ‘Nuff said.
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