DIXIE CHICKS
FLY
1999 – MONUMENT
Produced By BLAKE CHANCEY & PAUL WORLEY
1. Ready To Run
2. If I Fall You’re Going Down With Me
3. Cowboy Take Me Away
4. Cold Day In July
5. Goodbye Earl
6. Hello Mr. Heartache
7. Don’t Waste Your Heart
8. Sin Wagon
9. Without You
10. Some Days You Gotta Dance
11. Hole In My Head
12. Heartbreak Town
13. Let Him Fly
Let me start by saying that I could listen to Natalie Maines sing all day long. Maybe my favorite voice in all of country music. Between 1995, when Maines joined the group, and 2003, when Maines spoke her mind about then President George W. Bush, The Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) could do absolutely no wrong. During this incredibly fruitful period, they released three studio albums: Wide Open Spaces, Fly and Home. Fly, from 1999, was a massive hit, and included a total of eight singles. It’s sold 11 million copies, and became the second of five straight number one albums. The Dixie Chicks got it all right, and they were on top of the country music world. What is there not to love about them? They are an absolute musical ray of sunshine, incredibly talented, and have great taste in songs.
Fly has so many great moments. The first five songs read like a greatest hits album, from the wonderfully sharp “Ready To Run” to the Maines highlight “Goodbye Earl”. There are five Chicks originals here, alongside finely chosen covers by the likes of Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale and Darrell Scott. The playing of Martie Seidel and Emily Robison is flawless as always, and the trio’s harmonies are as strong as they get. This is The Chicks at the top of their game. Since their 2003 blacklisting, they have come back and made their peace with those who were somehow offended by an opinion about the President that seems laughably tame today, but not at the same ferocious pace that they were on from ’95 to ’03…since then, there have been just two Chicks albums, and those were 14 years apart. Anything from ’95 to ’03 from this group is a guaranteed winner.
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PATSY CLINE
THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
2004 – MCA
Produced By OWEN BRADLEY
1. Walkin’ After Midnight
2. A Poor Man’s Roses (Or A Rich Man’s Gold)
3. Lovesick Blues
4. I Fall To Pieces
5. True Love
6. San Antonio Rose
7. Crazy
8. Strange
9. She’s Got You
10. Heartaches
11. Half As Much
12. When I Get Through With You
13. Imagine That
14. So Wrong
15. Why Can’t He Be You
16. Leavin’ On Your Mind
17. When You Need A Laugh
18. Back In Baby’s Arms
19. Faded Love
20. Always
21. He Called Me Baby
22. Sweet Dreams (Of You)
There are more than 500 different Patsy Cline compilation albums out there…which is really kind of ridiculous, considering that she released just three studio albums in her lifetime. But on the plus side, there’s plenty to choose from. Depends on which tracks you want, and how many of them. One of the better collections out there is The Definitive Collection. 22 tracks seems about right for Patsy, and the ones that MCA chose to include here are as right as you can get. Her biggest hits are all here…”Crazy”, “I Fall To Pieces”, and her breakthrough single, “Walkin’ After Midnight” in its original version. Her entire string of hits from 1961 to her death in 1963 are here, as are her posthumous hits (minus any duets). Her legacy is so much more than just a couple of hits. This shows that off nicely.
Cline was just 30 years old when she was killed in an airplane crash in Tennessee in March of 1963. Her career had just started taking off 2 years earlier, and the immediacy of her rising star made her loss even more traumatic. Patsy Cline sang like she hurt all the time, with power and grace. She became a bigger star in death, all of it deserved. And her influence on countless country singers is still felt to this day. The Definitive Collection is as perfect as you will get with Patsy Cline. Again, whatever you choose for a compilation from her, you won’t go wrong, but this is as perfect as they come. A true legend, one of the great singers in country music, and one of its greatest interpreters, Patsy Cline should never be forgotten. This album helps insure that will never happen.
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MAZZY STAR
SHE HANGS BRIGHTLY
1990 – ROUGH TRADE
Produced By DAVID ROBACK
1. Halah
2. Blue Flower
3. Ride It On
4. She Hangs Brightly
5. I’m Sailin’
6. Give You My Lovin’
7. Be My Angel
8. Taste Of Blood
9. Ghost Highway
10. Free
11. Before I Sleep
Mazzy Star became famous for their hit “Fade Into You" from their 1993 album So Tonight That I Might See. She Hangs Brightly is their 1990 debut album, and it shows plenty of promise. But it’s not as together or strong as the follow up. The band is reminiscent of Cowboy Junkies, with its casual female vocals and lazy sounding guitar work. She Hangs Brightly is a continuation of the band Opal, which changed its name with the addition of vocalist Hope Sandoval. The stars of this band are definitely Sandoval’s sweet and distant singing laced with the guitar work of David Roback. The band was unknown at this time, so it’s their least popular work. That’s okay…they were still getting some kinks worked out before having a big hit.
The best song here is an obscure cover of “Blue Flower” from a 70’s band called Slapp Happy. Mazzy Star definitely makes it their own. Also of note is the opener “Halah”, but there is a drop in focus and quality after the first two tracks. Still, even without great songs, Sandoval’s singing is enchanting, and Roback’s guitar work is reminiscent of The Doors. It’s hard to go wrong with dream pop, and it was one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite albums. Life has not been so easy for Mazzy Star since the nineties. After three albums in the decade, there has been just one since…and that was over ten years ago. This is worth hearing as the prelude to their most successful second album, but it’s too bad they haven’t been able to build much on that.
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DAVID BROMBERG
DEMON IN DISGUISE
1972 – COLUMBIA
Produced By DAVID BROMBERG
1. Hardworkin’ John (Live)
2. Sharon
3. Medley Of Irish Fiddle Tunes (Live)
4. Diamond Lil
5. Jugband Song (Live)
6. Demon In Disguise
7. Tennessee Waltz (Live)
8. Mr. Bojangles (Live)
9. Sugar In The Gourd (Live)
David Bromberg has always been a busy man, but his volume of work in the seventies was extraordinary. He not only released nine studio albums during that decade, he also appeared on more than 40 albums by other artists, including Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Ringo Starr and John Prine. A fine guitarist, he became a favorite sideman for many big stars, while holding down a successful solo career. Demon In Disguise is his second album, recorded mostly live but including also a trio of studio tracks, two of which he is joined on by five members of the Grateful Dead, including Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh. While his humorous lyrics didn’t earn him critical points, his expert playing certainly did. There are no hits here, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad record.
The three studio tracks, all written by Bromberg, are brave indeed. The strangeness of “Sharon”, along with his fine lyrics on “Diamond Lil” and the title track, are winners. He ends the album with a trio of live covers, including a wild turn at Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles”. This acoustic album holds up quite well, especially the level of instrumental work. He slowed down after the eighties, never had a big hit, but has never stopped making fine music for himself and for others. Demon In Disguise is a fine piece of what 1972 sounded like in so many good ways. It’s entertaining, but the star of the show is Bromberg’s guitar. This guy can really play, and it’s on full display here. His work has been critically panned over the years. Don’t believe the critics.
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B.B. KING & ERIC CLAPTON
RIDING WITH THE KING
2000 – DUCK / REPRISE
Produced By ERIC CLAPTON & SIMON CLIMIE
1. Riding With The King
2. Ten Long Years
3. Key To The Highway
4. Marry You
5. Three O’Clock Blues
6. Help The Poor
7. I Wanna Be
8. Worried Life Blues
9. Days Of Old
10. When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer
11. Hold On, I’m Comin’
12. Come Rain Or Come Shine
The relationship between B.B. King and Eric Clapton went all the way back to 1967, when Clapton was still a member of Cream. They had a great mutual admiration, as well as a love of the blues in common. But it would be another 30 years before they were to record together for the first time, and three more years before this collaboration album came to be. It was Clapton who made things happen. He chose the songs and the musicians, but this isn’t so much a Clapton album as it is a living tribute to his hero in King. The elder King is given the star treatment for much of the album, with Clapton content to play the sideman and supporting role. When that’s the case, it works exceptionally well. These two guitar legends compliment each other quite nicely.
The better tracks are the ones on which King carries the lead singing. They also trade off vocals frequently, which works well. “Come Rain Or Come Shine” is exceptional King, and there’s enough of the best of both of these blues kings to make enthusiasts happy. It’s clear that King is the master here (Clapton’s bits, especially vocally, are weaker), but the album is done with enough feel and respect to make it an overall winner. And points to Slowhand for deferring to the master as often as he does. Riding With The King is not perfect, but it sure is good enough. This is a two of the all time greats who work together well actually doing just that…working together well. A fine blues album, a fine living tribute, and a fun combination of a pair of legends that we’re fortunate to have access to.
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WILCO
A GHOST IS BORN
2004 – NONESUCH
Produced By WILCO & JIM O’ROURKE
1. At Least That’s What You Said
2. Hell Is Chrome
3. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
4. Muzzle Of Bees
5. Hummingbird
6. Handshake Drugs
7. Wishful Thinking
8. Company In My Back
9. I’m A Wheel
10. Theologians
11. Less Than You Think
12. The Late Greats
Wilco of 2004 bears absolute zero resemblance to the alt-country band that formed out of the ashes of Uncle Tupelo in 1994. Coming as the follow up to their breakthrough album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born is the Jeff Tweedy as a loud lead guitarist album, but it’s also more than that. Many of Wilco’s most memorable songs come from this album, and the band shows that they are capable of evolving from album to album. A Ghost Is Born is anchored by a pair of long (over ten minute) exercises in rock exploration with “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” and “Less Than You Think”. In between, the dynamics of the band are on full display. After the departure of multi instrumentalist Jay Bennett, Tweedy and company had to learn to expand quickly. Which they did.
Tweedy’s songwriting is on point here. “Muzzle Of Bees” and “Handshake Drugs” are Wilco classics. “Hummingbird” is one of his loveliest songs, while more dynamic exercises like “At Least That’s What You Said” emerge victorious. Tweedy describes his guitar solo at the end of that track as a musical transcription of one of his panic attacks. That alone makes me want to hear it. And “I’m A Wheel” is fine as well. Wilco is still trying to grow into themselves here, but while it’s not as cohesive as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, it’s impossible to deny that there is big progress being made here. This is pretty ambitious stuff for a guy who was once just the bass player for a punk band that accidentally discovered country music. A Ghost Is Born is important in the evolution of Wilco, and it’s got enough great material to make it worthwhile.
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MATTHEW SWEET
IN REVERSE
1999 – VOLCANO
Produced By MATTHEW SWEET, GREG LEISZ, FRED MAHER & JIM SCOTT
1. Millennium Blues
2. If Time Permits
3. Beware My Love
4. Faith In You
5. Hide
6. Future Shock
7. Split Personality
8. I Should Never Have Let You Know
9. Trade Places
10. What Matters
11. Write Your Own Song
12. Worse To Live
13. Untitled
14. Thunderstorm
First of all…yes, the album cover was intended to be upside down. An upside down oil painting by Margaret Keane. Also, the rest of the packaging is intentionally upside down, and the lyrics are printed in reverse order. In Reverse is also proof that Matthew Sweet has been underrated for a really long time. His seventh album, it was critically acclaimed but fell flat as far as sales. There are no singles from the album, and it pretty much sunk like a stone. But true to form for Matthew Sweet, this album contains fine songs, plenty of power pop chords, and good vocals. There’s something for everyone here: big guitars, pop hooks for days, rockers, ballads, all strongly written. It’s too bad there wasn’t a hit in here somewhere.
While none of the tracks here really stand out, there also isn’t a bad one in the bunch. In Reverse, more than anything, plays like a collection of good B-sides. All fine sounding, and nothing that sticks in your head. Everything here is very good, just short of great. Consistent is the word of the day here. This album, unfortunately, marked the end of Sweet’s most accessible period. But with nothing to match the excellence of songs like “Girlfriend” or “Sick Of Myself” or “The Ugly Truth”, you’ll have to settle for Matthew Sweet as a really good songwriter and performer who makes very good records. In Reverse is well worth having. Not memorable, but it always somehow sounds really terrific. If you find this one hiding somewhere, snatch it up. A pleasant surprise.
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LADYTRON
WITCHING HOUR
2005 – ISLAND
Produced By JIM ABBISS & LADYTRON
1. High Rise
2. Destroy Everything You Touch
3. International Dateline
4. Soft Power
5. CMYK
6. AMTV
7. Sugar
8. Fighting In Built Up Areas
9. The Last One Standing
10. Weekend
11. Beauty*2
12. Whitelightgenerator
13. All The Way…
Ladytron is a British electronic band from Liverpool. This is the kind of band that would have been massive in the decade of the eighties, and that has still found a way to be really cool in the 21st century. They were, until 2023 when Reuben Wu left the band, a four piece band fronted by Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo along with guitarist / bassist / synth player Daniel Hunt. Witching Hour is their third album, and it’s simply cool. This is dance pop with just enough tough guitar in the mix to keep things heavy, and enough bounce to make you want to dance to it. With Witching Hour, Ladytron was just finding their footing and becoming one of the surprisingly cool acts of the 2000’s. Great guitar, cool vocals (some sung by Aroyo in Bulgarian), and fine songwriting.
The best songs on Witching Hour will have you seeking out more of their music. “Destroy Everything You Touch” is their highest charting song in their native UK. “Soft Power”, “Weekend”, and especially “Sugar” are top notch, and make this album worth seeking out. The cool vocals of Aroyo and Marnie, along with the absolute danceability of every song makes a great find, but it’s ultimately Hunt’s guitar interplay that makes this album a winner. There is certainly a lot to love about Ladytron, a band that would be a lot bigger in a more fair world…or a world of the eighties. You will want to check out more from Ladytron, but a good place to start with this fine band is Witching Hour. An album that US audiences have surely missed out on. You won’t be disappointed.
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PORTISHEAD
THIRD
2008 – MERCURY
Produced By PORTISHEAD
1. Silence
2. Hunter
3. Nylon Smile
4. The Rip
5. Plastic
6. We Carry On
7. Deep Water
8. Machine Gun
9. Small
10. Magic Doors
11. Threads
Those expecting the third album from Portishead to be a continuation of their successful trip hop formula were in for a surprise. A very good surprise. Third is not only a complete departure from what made them famous, it’s also an adventurous success. The band had been on hiatus, and it had been eleven years since they had last released a studio album. Third is a band taking chances. It’s beautiful, and at times frightening music. Still maintaining elements of electronic music, Portishead finds themselves rocking and creating more atmospheric music than they had before. The results are stunning: Third is an absolute victory for Portishead. The vocals of Beth Gibbons are more emotional than ever, and the band has obviously found what they were looking for sonically.
“Plastic” is a frightening song punctuated by what sounds a lot like slow moving helicopter blades. “Magic Doors”, “Machine Gun” and “The Rip” are masterful songs. Third is an exciting and moving piece of work that just gets better with each listen. This is a band reinventing themselves in the studio, and creating a masterpiece in the process. Even when the music sounds mechanical, there’s a strange emotional current running through the middle of it. Portishead, on this record, rocks. They make music that is somehow cold…and warm…at the same time. Unfortunately for us, they have yet to make a fourth album. It’s been going on 15 years now, so the odds aren’t looking very good at this point. But the three they did make…get them all. This is a great band that should have made more music than they have.
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CHRIS ISAAK
ALWAYS GOT TONIGHT
2002 – REPRISE
Produced By JOHN SHANKS
1. One Day
2. Let Me Down Easy
3. Worked It Out Wrong
4. Courthouse
5. Life Will Go On
6. Always Got Tonight
7. Cool Love
8. Notice The Ring
9. I See You Everywhere
10. American Boy
11. Somebody To Love
12. Nothing To Say
Blessed with a soaring tenor that can cut through even the most unexciting chorus, and one of the greatest and consistent bands in rock and roll, Chris Isaak lives forever on the fringe of being a massive star without ever really crossing that line. “Wicked Game” made him a household name back in 1989, and he’s been trying for that big follow up hit ever since. His albums are always impeccably played and sung, and he’s also forever falling just short with his songwriting. Always Got Tonight is his eighth album, coming four years after Speak Of The Devil. This is what you get from Chris Isaak. Fine sounding music played over mostly forgettable songs. Always one or two ballads too many, and multiple attempts at that money shot that made “Wicked Game” a smash.
The best song here is “One Day”, which opens things up on a really strong note. But by the second track, “Let Me Down Easy”, the album is already running out of gas. The only song with any real meat on its bones is the title track (“Notice The Ring” is an almost rocker with…a flute solo?)…Isaak seems otherwise content to roll out one ballad after another with that one really high note. The only thing that saves this from being a bad record is the playing of his band, and the clean powerful vocals of Isaak himself. Since Always Got Tonight, Isaak has slowed down, releasing only three more discs of original material (plus a pair of Christmas albums). He’s concentrating more on live recordings, which is a good move…his live shows are better than his studio work, for sure.
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