SLASH
2010 – DIK HAYD
Produced By ERIC VALENTINE, KID ROCK & BIG CHRIS FLORES
1. Ghost (Feat. Ian Astbury)
2. Crucify The Dead (Feat. Ozzy Osbourne)
3. Beautiful Dangerous (Feat. Fergie)
4. Back From Cali (Feat. Myles Kennedy)
5. Promise (Feat. Chris Cornell)
6. By The Sword (Feat. Andrew Stockdale)
7. Gotten (Feat. Adam Levine)
8. Doctor Alibi (Feat. Lemmy Kilmister)
9. Watch This (Feat. Dave Grohl & Duff McKagan)
10. I Hold On (Feat. Kid Rock)
11. Nothing To Say (Feat. M. Shadows)
12. Starlight (Feat. Myles Kennedy)
13. Saint Is A Sinner Too (Feat. Rocco Deluca)
14. We’re All Gonna Die (Feat. Iggy Pop)
Saul Hudson is the top hat wearing lead guitarist of Guns ‘N’ Roses who goes by the name Slash, but you all knew that. He left the band in 1997, then rejoined twenty years later, and still plays with them…despite the fact that G’N’R has released just one album of original material (without Slash) in the last 34 years. But fortunately for Slash, he has always had the guitar chops to be able to stay working and recording. He’s released a pair of albums with Slash’s Snakepit, a pair with Velvet Revolver, and four with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. He’s also stayed busy as a hired gun, having played for everyone from Michael Jackson to Bob Dylan. He has also released a pair of solo albums, the first of which is this self-titled disc from 2010. It was very successful, and kept his name and his top hat in the public eye for many years.
Slash the album features a long parade of guest stars. Thirteen different singers are here, most of whom form a pretty impressive who’s who of hard rock. Ian Astbury, Lemmy, Ozzy, Chris Cornell and Dave Grohl are among the many guests, but be aware that the album also includes names like Fergie, Adam Levine and Kid Rock. There are also many versions with bonus tracks that feature Alice Cooper, Koshi Inaba and Beth Hart. It’s also notable that the album includes every member of the classic G’N’R lineup except for Axl Rose. Most of the lyrics are written by the guest singers…and many of them are not those artists greatest works. What you get with Slash the album is predictably a mixed bag. Of course, his guitar work shines, but the quality differs depending on how you feel about the guest stars. An up and down affair that ends up average for sure.
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TRACY CHAPMAN
LET IT RAIN
2002 – ELEKTRA
Produced By TRACY CHAPMAN & JOHN PARISH
1. Let It Rain
2. Another Sun
3. You’re The One
4. In The Dark
5. Almost
6. Hard Wired
7. Say Hallelujah
8. Broken
9. Happy
10. Goodbye
11. Over In Love
12. I Am Yours
Tracy Chapman has had a long career doing things her own way, and with dignity. She’s had her success…her debut album in 1988 made her an instant star, with the single “Fast Car” becoming a massive hit. And in 1995, she had a surprise hit with “Give Me One Reason” from her New Beginnings album. Aside from that, she’s gone about her musical career at her own speed and with minimal success…but always a load of well-deserved respect. By the decade of the 2000’s, her albums were making considerably fewer waves, but still selling fairly well, thanks to her loyal fanbase. Her sixth album, Let It Rain, came out in 2002 to little fanfare. Her singing is as strong as ever, and the playing is to perfection. As it always is with Chapman. Things in life that you can always count on, to be sure. Tracy Chapman will never give you poorly played music.
But the songs…she does seem to be starting to run out of gas in this area. She’s never had a lot of hit material to start with, but on Let It Rain, she’s not even close. Meaning that even though the sound is great, the songs themselves may have your attention wandering. The best of this lot are “Another Sun”, “You’re The One” and “Say Hallelujah”, which is the most lively thing here with its spiritual feel. Otherwise, if you’re a fan, you’ll find it pleasant enough, but it’s not a record that will have you saying “wow”. After Let It Rain, Chapman had two more albums in her: 2005’s Where You Live and Our Bright Future from 2008. Neither showed much life, and Chapman has been mostly silent for the past seventeen years. Despite having Luke Combs resurrect “Fast Car” in 2023, her best years as a writer seem to be unfortunately behind her. This one comes in as average.
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SAM COOKE
PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND: 1951-1964
2003 – ABKCO
Produced By SAM COOKE, HUGO & LUIGI, RENE HALL, AL SCHMITT, ART RUPE, LOU ADLER & BUMPS BLACKWELL
1. Touch The Hem Of His Garment
2. Lovable
3. You Send Me
4. Only Sixteen
5. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
6. Just For You
7. Win Your Love For Me
8. Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha
9. I’ll Come Running Back To You
10. You Were Made For Me
11. Sad Mood
12. Cupid
13. (What A) Wonderful World
14. Chain Gang
15. Summertime
16. Little Red Rooster
17. Bring It On Home To Me
18. Nothing Can Change This Love
19. Sugar Dumpling
20. (Ain’t That) Good News
21. Meet Me At Mary’s Place
22. Twistin’ The Night Away
23. Shake
24. Tennessee Waltz
25. Another Saturday Night
26. Good Times
27. Having A Party
28. That’s Where It’s At
29. A Change Is Gonna Come
30. Jesus Gave Me Water
31. 8 Bars Of Soul
Sam Cooke was simply one of the greatest vocalists of all time. His flawless tenor remains an amazing sound, and his list of hits is stunning. Cooke’s career was early in the era of recorded popular music, so he didn’t really make many great albums (Night Beat is an exception), but the singles were more than plentiful. He died in 1964, so we’ll never know just how great his career could have blossomed into. Fortunately for us, in 2003 ABKCO Records released this jaw dropping compilation album that contains almost every Sam Cooke highlight. From the early 1950’s and his time as the front man for the gospel group the Soul Stirrers, to his untimely death, this is one of the better hit collections you will ever find. As short as it was, Cooke, career was nothing short of amazing. So much so that his material still stands up to this day.
Cooke not only sang, he also wrote his own material, and was a savvy businessman. His influence on every soul singer in history is undeniable. And his best work is all here. Cook had a whopping 29 top 40 singles, each one showcasing Cooke’s amazing vocals. “You Send Me”, “Bring It On Home To Me”, “Summertime”, “Twistin’ The Night Away”. And on and on and on. His mark on gospel, soul, pop, early rock and roll…none of it can be denied. His talent was effortless, and often overlooked. His recorded legacy deserves to be heard, and Portrait Of A Legend is the absolute best place for that. He was just 33 years old when he died, but thanks to this amazing album, his legacy lives on. Sam Cooke is a musical treasure, which is proven by every single track on this great collection. This one is perfection.
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WEEZER
RADITUDE
2009 – DGC
Produced By DR. LUKE, JACKNIFE LEE, POLOW DA DON, BUTCH WALKER & RIVERS CUOMO
1. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
2. I’m Your Daddy
3. The Girl Got Hot
4. Can’t Stop Partying (Feat. Lil Wayne)
5. Put Me Back Together
6. Trippin’ Down The Freeway
7. Love Is The Answer
8. Let It All Hang Out
9. In The Mall
10. I Don’t Want To Let You Go
One of the great miracles of modern music is that Weezer has survived as a band for over thirty years. They have had great success, but they have also gone through personnel changes, long breaks, and some pretty bad albums. Their seventh album, Raditude, falls into that category. It’s the follow up to the Red album that included the hit “Pork And Beans”, which saw their album sales begin to slip. Raditude didn’t help that cause. It’s a puzzling album, even for a band as puzzling as Weezer. Rivers Cuomo wrote songs for this album that were stranger than usual, and his point of view of what seems to be a hormonal 14 year old boy at this point in their career has been criticized. Raditude seems to be an attempt at making a straight up pop album, an idea that doesn’t work very well. At all. And having outside writers on many of the tracks is a pretty non Weezer move.
The best track by far is “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To”. “I’m Your Daddy” is classic Weezer…but from there, it’s straight downhill. The pairing of the band and rapper Lil Wayne on “Can’t Stop Partying” is beyond unfortunate, and the album sinks lyrically very quickly and very decisively. It’s almost as if Cuomo just made Raditude, not because it was good, but because he simply could. And of course, it’s yet another disaster that Weezer was able to survive. They’ve made another eight albums since this one, and while they haven’t reached the highs they did in their early years, Weezer can still get it done, despite having clunkers like Raditude on their resume. There are far better Weezer discs out there to choose from…Blue, Green, Red, Pinkerton. This is one you can probably skip.
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STEPHEN BISHOP
BLUE GUITARS
1994 – CANYON INTERNATIONAL
Produced By ANDREW GOLD & JEFF JONES
1. I Go Numb
2. Dive Into The Pool Of Love
3. On Blonde Street
4. When You Love Somebody
5. (Just Like) Romeo And Juliet
6. Wall Around Your Heart
7. The King Of Tonga
8. Picasso Played A Blue Guitar
9. Italian Rain
10. Let Your Heart Remember
11. When Love Was Grand
12. Separate Lives (Acoustic)
13. R’s Theme
Stephen Bishop had been a struggling singer songwriter in Los Angeles for years when he was discovered by Art Garfunkel, who recorded two of his songs for the 1975 album Breakaway. Bishop hit the ground running: his debut album Careless had the hits “Save It For A Rainy Day” and “On And On”. His second album, Bish, sold well, and from there, his career did a freefall into mostly obscurity that continues to this day. Outside of some soundtrack work (he was the guitar player who had his instrument smashed by John Belushi in Animal House), his career has been an exercise in futility. His sixth album, Blue Guitars, was initially released only in Japan in 1994 before coming out in the US two years later…his first American release since 1989. The American album (this one) has two tracks that differ from the Japanese version, a different album cover and some different track lengths.
And, of course, there is not a hit to be found. Bishop’s MOR style doesn’t hold your attention for very long, and this album shows why he’s been so ultimately unremarkable for so long. Bishop plays acoustic guitar: everything else is played by Linda Ronstadt’s longtime guitarist Andrew Gold. The backup singers are interesting: David Crosby, Michael McDonald, 2/3 of Wilson Phillips, and the woeful Pia Zadora. The most interesting thing about Blue Guitars is an acoustic version of his song “Separate Lives”, which had been a soundtrack hit for Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin (White Nights). What you get with Blue Guitars is decent enough songwriting and pale, adult contemporary music that you can easily fall asleep to. Stephen Bishop has had few great moments in his career. You won’t find any of those here.
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CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
1969 – COLUMBIA
Produced By JAMES WILLIAM GUERCIO
1. Introduction
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Beginnings
4. Questions 67 And 68
5. Listen
6. Poem 58
7. Free Form Guitar
8. South California Purples
9. I’m A Man
10. Prologue, August 29, 1968
11. Someday (August 29, 1968)
12. Liberation
For almost a decade, Chicago was one of the greatest rock bands in the world. They had a run of nine studio albums, plus a live and a compilation release between 1969 and 1977. With a steady lineup, inspired playing and top notch songwriting. That all changed with the death of guitarist Terry Kath in 1978…Chicago has soldiered on to this day, but they have never been the same, with a revolving door lineup and a stubborn reliance on soft ballads. But in the beginning, Chicago (known as Chicago Transit Authority on their first album) was an absolute force. Armed with three lead singers, multiple songwriters, a top notch horn section, and Jimi Hendrix’ favorite guitarist, this band was scary good. This, their debut album, was released as a double, and remains to this day one of the greatest first efforts in rock history.
“Introduction” shows the genius of Kath, as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. This is as complex as anything in progressive rock. And then three hits in a row: “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is”, “Beginnings” and “Questions 67 And 68” show this to be a band to be reckoned with. Kath’s “Free Form Guitar” is the stuff of legend, done in one shocking take. Their cover of “I’m A Man” showcases their lead vocal trio of Kath, Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera. Yes, this album is long. But so what? That would be an issue if it sucked. This album does not suck. At all. The perfect blend of jazz and rock. Three top notch lead singers. Perfect horns. Great songwriters. And one of the greatest guitar players in the history of the instrument. This is not bland pop band ballad spewing Chicago. Thank God. This is what they were intended to be. Underrated as an album, this is the stuff of greatness.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
1969 – COLUMBIA
Produced By JAMES WILLIAM GUERCIO
1. Introduction
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Beginnings
4. Questions 67 And 68
5. Listen
6. Poem 58
7. Free Form Guitar
8. South California Purples
9. I’m A Man
10. Prologue, August 29, 1968
11. Someday (August 29, 1968)
12. Liberation
For almost a decade, Chicago was one of the greatest rock bands in the world. They had a run of nine studio albums, plus a live and a compilation release between 1969 and 1977. With a steady lineup, inspired playing and top notch songwriting. That all changed with the death of guitarist Terry Kath in 1978…Chicago has soldiered on to this day, but they have never been the same, with a revolving door lineup and a stubborn reliance on soft ballads. But in the beginning, Chicago (known as Chicago Transit Authority on their first album) was an absolute force. Armed with three lead singers, multiple songwriters, a top notch horn section, and Jimi Hendrix’ favorite guitarist, this band was scary good. This, their debut album, was released as a double, and remains to this day one of the greatest first efforts in rock history.
“Introduction” shows the genius of Kath, as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. This is as complex as anything in progressive rock. And then three hits in a row: “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is”, “Beginnings” and “Questions 67 And 68” show this to be a band to be reckoned with. Kath’s “Free Form Guitar” is the stuff of legend, done in one shocking take. Their cover of “I’m A Man” showcases their lead vocal trio of Kath, Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera. Yes, this album is long. But so what? That would be an issue if it sucked. This album does not suck. At all. The perfect blend of jazz and rock. Three top notch lead singers. Perfect horns. Great songwriters. And one of the greatest guitar players in the history of the instrument. This is not bland pop band ballad spewing Chicago. Thank God. This is what they were intended to be. Underrated as an album, this is the stuff of greatness.
TIM MCGRAW
A PLACE IN THE SUN
1999 – CURB
Produced By BYRON GALLIMORE, TIM MCGRAW & JAMES STROUD
1. The Trouble With Never
2. Seventeen
3. She’ll Have You Back
4. Somebody Must Be Prayin’ For Me
5. My Best Friend
6. Senorita Margarita
7. Some Things Never Change
8. You Don’t Love Me Anymore
9. Something Like That
10. Please Remember Me
11. Carry On
12. My Next Thirty Years
13. Eyes Of A Woman
14. A Place In The Sun
One of the most low profile superstars in music…at least, if you’re not a huge country music fan. The charmed life of Tim McGraw has taken him to many places: he was noticed in the beginning because he had a famous father (baseball star Tug McGraw), he married extremely well (Faith Hill), and when his sports dreams were cut short by an injury, he simply fell back on music. But don’t get me wrong: Tim McGraw is blessed with talent. And he’s been one of the most successful artists of the past thirty years. A Place In The Sun is his fifth album. Like his previous three releases, it sold a gazillion copies (four times platinum) and spawned five hit singles. These facts prove that he is a success. But they do not prove that this is a top notch album that deserves to be heard. Quite the opposite, actually.
McGraw has always had an ear for hit songs, regardless of how well written they are, or of the messages that those songs project. The best track on this record by far is “Please Remember Me”, written by Rodney Crowell and Will Jennings. But aside from that, McGraw spends much of the rest of this album showing off his weaknesses. Songs like “Something Like That”, “Some Things Never Change” and “My Best Friend” were huge hits, sure…but also expose McGraw as being a guy who’s trying way too hard and failing at sincerity. A Place In The Sun was a number one album, had four number one singles…and in the end falls flat as a pancake. This proves that while the Tim McGraw formula works like a charm, it also covers up the many weaknesses of this artist. An album that has all the shiny whistles and bells that you can ultimately pass on.
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BIG RICHARD
LIVE FROM TELLURIDE
2022 – SELF RELEASED
No Production Credit
1. Caleb Meyer
2. Greasy Coat
3. The Blackest Crow
4. All The Good Girls Go To Hell
5. Kesh Jig / Frank’s Reel / Beth Cohen
6. Creep
7. Hold Whatcha Got
8. It’s Gonna Fall / Old Dangerfield
9. Down In The Willow Garden
10. Tomorrow Will Be A Lonely Day
11. Side Canyon
12. Try Me One More Time
13. The Wind And Rain
14. Toxic
15. Reuben’s Train
16. Walls Of Time
Big Richard is an all female bluegrass kind of supergroup from Colorado that will throw songs by the likes of Radiohead and Britney Spears at you from the stage. Sound interesting? Well, it is. Big Richard just released their debut studio album in 2025, but they’ve been burning up stages since their inception in 2021. Their live act is received so well that their debut album was recorded live at Telluride…a favorite Colorado festival destination. They stay quite busy, playing local shows and festivals all over the US. Live From Telluride is the second best way to get to know this fun group (second only to actually being there). If you like this record, then you’ll want to check out both their calendar and their new album, Girl Dinner. Bands like this are one of the great upsides of festivals…you sometimes find a band that blows you away, and your fandom will always be based on discovering them before they were big.
Not that it’s likely for this band to become big. They are, after all, a bluegrass band, and they’ve all been around for some time before coming together here. No matter. Have yourself some fun with this one. All but two of these songs are covers, many of them are old traditional songs. They open with Gillian Welch’s “Caleb Meyer”, and also get in a few Bill Monroe and Ernest Tubb songs. Then there’s Spears’ “Toxic”, Radiohead’s “Creep” and for good measure, the Billie Eilish song “All The Good Girls Go To Hell”. If this doesn’t strike you as a good time, well, I don’t know what to tell you. Live At Telluride is a great look at an unsigned gem of a band that’s loaded with talent and imagination. Because I’m from Colorado, this is local music for me. Something extra to be proud of that we have artists like this in the neighborhood.
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BLACK SABBATH
DEHUMANIZER
1992 – I.R.S.
Produced By REINHOLD MACK
1. Computer God
2. After All (The Dead)
3. TV Crimes
4. Letters From Earth
5. Master Of Insanity
6. Time Machine
7. Sins Of The Father
8. Too Late
9. I
10. Buried Alive
11. Time Machine (Wayne’s World Version)
The legacy of Black Sabbath may be secure, but maintaining their success was never an easy task. The biggest problem that Sabbath had to endure was their absolute inability to keep a steady lineup from one album to the next (after Ozzy Osbourne’s departure in 1978). Black Sabbath, in their history, employed a total of nine lead vocalists, which is an insane number. The best known of those (besides Ozzy) was Ronnie James Dio. Dio had appeared on three studio albums with the band between 1980 and 1982 before embarking on a solo career. He was back in the fold for Sabbath’s sixteenth album, 1992’s Dehumanizer. Along with drummer Vinny Appice, this marked the lineup’s first recordings in over a decade. This is one of Sabbath’s heavier albums, which is a good thing. That does not, however, make it one of their best.
Since nearly every Sabbath album since the end of the seventies is considered a reunion album, we won’t call it that. The best tracks here are “TV Crimes” (about the evils of televangelists), and “Master Of Insanity”. Also, “Time Machine” made an appearance in Wayne’s World. But even at this point, the band sounds tired and pretty much over it. Tony Iommi was always difficult to work with, and he had met his match in that department in Dio, who left again after this album. Like many of the post Ozzy discs, Dehumanizer is uneven and a bit lost, but it was and is still a fan favorite. Truth is, there are at least a dozen better Sabbath albums in their catalog. The biggest point of value is if you’re a fan of Dio era Sabbath. Reality: this is a portrait of a band that had already seen its better days. Interesting, but definitely not essential.
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