LUTHER VANDROSS
THE BEST OF LUTHER VANDROSS…THE BEST OF LOVE
1989 – EPIC
Produced By LUTHER VANDROSS, MARCUS MILLER & JACQUES FRED PETRUS
1. Searching
2. The Glow Of Love
3. Never Too Much
4. If This World Were Mine
5. A House Is Not A Home
6. Bad Boy/Having A Party
7. Since I Lost My Baby
8. Promise Me
9. Til My Baby Comes Home
10. If Only For One Night/Creepin’
11. Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
12. Stop To Love
13. So Amazing
14. There’s Nothing Better Than Love
15. Give Me The Reason
16. Any Love
17. I Really Didn’t Mean It
18. Love Won’t Let Me Wait
19. Treat You Right
20. Here And Now
The great talent and impressive body of work of Luther Vandross has faded from memories over the years…which is too bad for us all. The founder of the Patti LaBelle fan club, Vandross was a highly sought after lead and backup singer throughout the seventies, Vandross worked with an impressive array of artists, including Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Todd Rundgren. He wrote songs for David Bowie and for the musical The Wiz before finally getting his break as a solo artist at the dawn of his greatest decade, the eighties. This two disc compilation covers the decade from 1979-89, and it’s quite impressive. Vandross was quite the gifted singer, and the material he sang during this decade was perfect for his brand of soulfulness and for his great voice. During this time, Vandross scored 17 R&B top ten hits, all of which are included here. Most Impressive.
“Treat You Right” and “Here And Now” were previously unreleased tracks, the latter going on to become the biggest hit of his career. His songwriting skills are evident (“Any Love”, “Stop To Love”), and his choice of covers is great as well (Leon Russell & Stevie Wonder on the “Superstar” medley, Smokey Robinson’s “Since I Lost My Baby”, and the Bacharach classic “A House Is Not A Home”). His voice is golden, the songs are perfect, and it’s a shame that the music here isn’t heard more often than it is. This double collection is one of the best compilations of 80’s soul music, and a great way to keep the legacy of Vandross alive. Luther died in 2005 after his health pretty much shut down, but he left behind some incredible music. This album is the best of what he did, and deserves all the accolades it has received over the years. A perfect collection from a master of soul music.
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FAIRPORT CONVENTION
LIEGE & LIEF
1969 – A&M
Produced By JOE BOYD
1. Come All Ye
2. Reynardine
3. Matty Groves
4. Farewell, Farewell
5. The Deserter
6. Medley: The Lark In The Morning/Rakish Paddy/Foxhunter’s Jig/Toss The Feathers
7. Tam Lin
8. Crazy Man Michael
It’s hard to imagine a band having a better year than Fairport Convention did in 1969. After adding singer Sandy Denny to their lineup, the band released three albums in the year…What We Did On Our Holidays, Unhalfbricking, and Liege & Lief. By the time of this album, Fairport had left behind covers of Bob Dylan songs and were playing their own take on traditional songs, as well as writing music along those lines. The result is the most interesting and outstanding album of their long career. Unlike other albums, all of the lead vocals were handled by Denny, with the impressive but short lived core lineup that would be in flux even as the album was being released…and continues to change at a rapid pace even to this day. But this lineup, together for such a short time, made some of the most incredible folk rock music ever heard. The album is simply breathtaking.
The highlights are the exceptional “Matty Groves” and “Tam Lin”, but there is really not a weak moment on this album. Denny’s voice is beautiful, the guitar work of Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol is perfect, and the fiddle work of Dave Swarbrick is the icing on the cake. Liege & Lief is a perfect yet underrated album by a band that at this point in their career was as good as absolutely anyone…this is a must have for anyone. Denny and bassist Ashley Hutchings left the band as this was being released, while Thompson and Nicol (who would later return) would be gone within two years. While Liege & Lief lacked any hits, and gets zero radio play, it’s been in print since its release, and still sounds as stunning as it did when it first came out. The blueprint for every piece of folk-rock that has happened since…a perfect and amazing album.
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ME’SHELL NDEGEOCELLO
PLANATATION LULLABIES
1993 – MAVERICK
Produced By DAVID GAMSON, ANDRE BETTS, BOB POWER & ME’SHELL NDEGEOCELLO
1. Plantation Lullabies
2. I’m Diggin’ You (Like An Old Soul Record)
3. If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)
4. Shoot’n Up And Gett’n High
5. Dred Loc
6. Untitled
7. Step Into The Projects
8. Soul On Ice
9. Call Me
10. Outside Your Door
11. Picture Show
12. Sweet Love
13. Two Lonely Hearts (On The Subway)
Michelle Johnson changed her name to NdegeOcello, Swahili for free as a bird, and embarked on a life as a masterfully soulful and agonizingly misunderstood artist. A sultry singer and rapper, a gifted songwriter, and a monster bass player (she once tried out for Living Colour), she also has just enough of an eclectic personality that, with the exception of two early songs, has allowed her to survive for over two decades in the business without becoming a massive superstar. Plantation Lullabies is her debut album, and it showcases the many sides of NdegeOcello. She’s a bohemian, a somewhat militant feminist, politically savvy (none of which translates to huge popularity), and loaded with an amount of soul comparable to anyone on Motown in the 60’s. The results can be puzzling, but are mostly more than satisfying. When this album is at its best, it’s a huge breath of fresh air.
The hit here is “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)”, and it’s a fine track (her other hit was, of all things, a duet with John Mellencamp on a cover of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night”). Other highlights include the perfectly titled “I’m Diggin’ You (Like An Old Soul Record)”, “Outside Your Door”, and “Call Me”. It has uneven moments, but it’s evident why this album sparked a movement towards this kind of soul music, and why she’s still held in such high regard. NdegeOcello has released ten albums since Plantation Lullabies, none of which has hit it big, which seems to suit her just fine. When she’s on, she’s loaded with cool and soul, things that we could all use a little bit more of in our lives. This is her best work, not perfect by any means, but it’s a portrait of a young soul singer finding her voice, different and unique as it may be.
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RICH ROBINSON
PAPER
2004 – KEYHOLE
Produced By RICH ROBINSON
1. Yesterday I Saw You
2. Enemy
3. Leave It Alone
4. Know Me
5. Forgiven Song
6. Veil
7. When You Will
8. Places
9. Begin
10. Falling Away
11. Baby
12. Oh No
13. Answers
14. It’s Over
So, when The Black Crowes went on hiatus in the early 2000’s, guitarist Rich Robinson kept writing songs, many of these for a project called Hookah Brown. The need for the partnership between Rich and Chris Robinson in the Crowes is obvious…Rich has the hooks and the songwriting savvy, as is evidenced here. But what is also evident is that Rich needed Chris’ vocals. Which is where Robinson’s solo debut falls short. While a lot of the riffs are powerful, and a lot of the songwriting is very good, it’s the unsure and flat vocals of Rich Robinson that ultimately keeps this record from soaring to the same heights as the work he did with his band. Ultimately, Rich needed his brother here, on songs where it would have been very cool to have heard them perform them together. This would not have been the best Black Crowes album by a long shot, but it would have been much better with the vocals of his brother on it.
The centerpiece of Paper is “Places”, a nice, seven minute hypnotic riff machine. There are other strong moments…”Yesterday I Saw You” is also a fine track, but ultimately, it falls short because Robinson had yet to find a way to tailor his songs to his vocal limitations (as he did exceptionally well on 2011’s Through A Crooked Sun). But you can hear on this album the creative streak that runs through Robinson’s veins, and in that respect, the album can be satisfying, but also a bit tedious. Robinson as a guitarist is worthwhile, and as a songwriter, he is an underrated force. But as a singer…some things are better left to those with the ability to soar to the heights of the material. Which is why the brothers worked so well together, and why the Crowes had the success they did. An interesting, but somewhat below average album.
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THE VAUGHAN BROTHERS
FAMILY STYLE
1990 – EPIC
Produced By NILE RODGERS
1. Hard To Be
2. White Boots
3. D/FW
4. Good Texan
5. Hillbillies From Outerspace
6. Long Way From Home
7. Tick Tock
8. Telephone Song
9. Baboom/Mama Said
10. Brothers
Stevie Ray Vaughan had said that he always wanted to record with his brother Jimmie…and so he did. These are the last recording sessions from Vaughn, who would die in a helicopter crash not long after this album was recorded. It was released a month after his death, and is a touching tribute to the man who had brought back to life the idea that there really were still great guitar heroes out there. But this is not just a Stevie Ray album…let’s not forget that his older brother Jimmie had made a name for himself as the lead guitarist of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and also knew his way around a guitar pretty well also. The results of these sessions are the album Family Style, the only album credited to The Vaughan Brothers. And there’s a feel to this album that is rare in each man’s career. Family Style is a relaxed and loose affair, with the brothers both sounding like they were having the time of their lives.
The best moment on the album is the first one. “Hard To Be” is a highlight of both of their careers. It’s a rollicking, fun track that you simply never want to end. Just about everything else is not far behind, but if you need a reason to have Family Style, “Hard To Be” is reason enough. Also of note is “D/FW”, “White Boots” and “Tick Tock”. The brothers play well together, with a seamless flow between them that suggests that neither one wanted the spotlight here over the other. Things do fade a bit toward the end of the album, but there is enough pure brotherly guitar joy here to make this well worth the time and money spent. And as an epitaph for the late Stevie Ray, what better way to go out than on an album with your brother…making music with someone you love. You can feel that love here, and it’s really what makes Family Style special.
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METALLICA
…AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
1988 – ELEKTRA
Produced By METALLICA & FLEMMING RASMUSSEN
1. Blackened
2. …And Justice For All
3. Eye Of The Beholder
4. One
5. The Shortest Straw
6. Harvester Of Sorrow
7. The Frayed Ends Of Sanity
8. To Live Is To Die
9. Dyers Eve
People didn’t realize it at the time, but there were big changes going on with Metallica on their fourth album, …And Justice For All. Bassist Cliff Burton had been killed in a bus accident, and newcomer Jason Newsted played with the band for the first time. The songwriting of Metallica was evolving from straight thrash metal to a sound that was more melodic and more song oriented. These changes would evolve further on their next self-titled album, but here, things were still growing into what would become that sound. …And Justice For All is loaded with some genius songwriting, with a very complex sound, unusual structures, and strong lyrics about war, death, politics, and social injustice. It’s a dark album for sure, and it’s a prelude to their critical and commercial breakthrough that was to follow on their next album.
The centerpiece and absolute highlight is “One”, a disturbing song about a soldier who has lost all of his limbs, his sight, hearing, and ability to speak and is waiting to die. It’s a perfect metal song in every way, and Kirk Hammet’s solo is amazing. The rest of the album is almost as good, and really should be heard to be appreciated. The problem with the album is that the production is awful. Which is a shame, because this could have (and should have) been a massive triumph for the band. The drums have a strange, almost tinny quality, and the bass is almost completely inaudible throughout the album. Strange, given the amount of detail that the band put into every other aspect of the disc. Still, even as obviously flawed as it is, there are moments of utter magic here. If nothing else, just crank the headphones as loud as you can stand for a trip through “One”. You’ll be amazed.
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ROSANNE CASH
KING’S RECORD SHOP
1987 – COLUMBIA
Produced By RODNEY CROWELL
1. Rosie Strikes Back
2. The Way We Make A Broken Heart
3. If You Change Your Mind
4. The Real Me
5. Somewhere Sometime
6. Runaway Train
7. Tennessee Flat Top Box
8. I Don’t Have To Crawl
9. Green, Yellow And Red
10. Why Don’t You Quit Leaving Me Alone
For a period of about a decade, Rosanne Cash was able to do what a lot of sons and daughters of top tier musicians have failed at: she enjoyed great success for a period of years, gaining respect for her own body of work without having to be classified as a failure because she didn’t live up to daddy. She released a string of commercially (and artistically) successful country albums in the eighties, aided by her producer/husband Rodney Crowell, a handful of nicely written originals, some great choices in cover material, and her own talent. King’s Record Shop is the high point of her career, a breath of fresh air in Nashville, as well as a great pop album. This is a really fine collection of songs, which established her as a force in country music without having her father push her over the top. It still sounds great today…it actually sounds better now than it did in 1987.
King’s Record Shop includes four number one singles…all of them excellent and highlights of the album. John Stewart’s “Runaway Train”, her own “If You Change Your Mind”, John Hiatt’s “The Way We Make A Broken Heart”, and “Tennessee Flat Top Box”, written by her father Johnny Cash. These songs are all top shelf tracks, and worthy of their success. She also scores with “Why Don’t You Quit Leaving Me Alone” by Tom Petty’s keyboardist, Benmont Tench, and the fine and bouncy “Green, Yellow And Red”. This is a well made and relaxed, fun album loaded with great songs and great performances. Nothing groundbreaking here, but this album shows why the team of Cash and Crowell were at the head of the class of women in Nashville in the late eighties. A fine album, always a great listen, and well worth picking up if you can find it.
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ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
WITH THESE HANDS
1996 – RYKODISC
Produced By T.S. BRUTON
1. Put You Down
2. Slip
3. Crooked Frame
4. Pissed Off 2AM
5. Nickel And A Spoon
6. Little Bottles
7. Sometimes
8. Guilty
9. Tired Skin
10. With These Hands
11. Tugboat
Alejandro Escovedo may not be a household name, but his importance in the world of alternate country cannot be overstated. In the eighties, he spent time in three little known but important bands: The Nuns, Rank & File, and True Believers. He also later played a large role in the recording of Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac album, and is a widely respected member of the alt-country community. As a solo artist, fame has eluded Escovedo, but not without trying: since 1992, he has released 14 albums of varying quality and critical acclaim, and not much in the way of sales. With These Hands is his fourth solo effort, and is actually one of his weaker efforts. Not that it’s a bad album…it’s not. But there’s not much to really hang your hat on here, and nothing that will stick with you or leave you humming your favorite track.
The high point here is “Nickel And A Spoon”, a duet with Willie Nelson (who also adds a guitar solo). As with all of his solo work, Escovedo shows his punk, country, and rock and roll roots throughout, but he never reaches the heights that he did with his former bands, nor does he match the promise of his 1992 solo debut album Gravity. Escovedo’s greatest successes have been as a band member rather than as a leader, but his considerable talent is still quite evident here. After the disappointment of With These Hands, Escovedo’s output improved steadily over the years, with this album being a low point. Not because it wasn’t played or sang well, it just lacks the memorable material that would have made it something to remember. For the best of Escovedo, seek out his work with Rank & File or Gravity. This album is average…nothing more, nothing less.
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BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
BEFORE THE FLOOD
1974 – ASYLUM
Produced By BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
4. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad Of A Thin Man
7. Up On Cripple Creek
8. I Shall Be Released
9. Endless Highway
10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11. Stage Fright
1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
2. Just Like A Woman
3. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
4. The Shape I’m In
5. When You Awake
6. The Weight
7. All Along The Watchtower
8. Highway 61 Revisited
9. Like A Rolling Stone
10. Blowin’ In The Wind
A first glance at this, and the mind says that this must surely be the greatest live album ever recorded. It is, after all, two of the most legendary musical acts of all time together on stage playing their best material. But it just doesn’t work that way. Dylan and The Band were touring for the just-released Planet Waves album when this was recorded (mostly in Los Angeles), but they ended up playing almost nothing from that album on the tour. Instead, the setlists consisted of what amounted to a greatest hits show for both acts. Dylan and The Band play together on ten tracks, with Dylan playing solo on three and The Band taking the rest without Dylan. The results are puzzling…Dylan sounds in fine form, the song list is as amazing as you’d want it to be, but there’s just something missing and not right about the whole thing that makes it a disappointment.
Part of the problem is that you can easily find superior live performances by either act. Another issue is that while Dylan is in fine voice (as is The Band, as always), the two don’t seem to be enjoying playing with each other. They seem to be plowing through the songs like it’s a job to do…it’s almost mechanical. Even though it’s one great song after another, with each performance, you find yourself saying, “yeah…that was good, but I’ve heard them do it better”. The problem is that while everything here is good, it’s never their best performance of a song. It’s unpolished, and actually pretty uninspired stuff. Even when The Band plays alone, they sound hurried and maybe even a little bit bored. The most interesting track is “I Shall Be Released”, which shows that Richard Manuel could still bring it when he had to. But otherwise, Before The Flood is a good but never great live set. Should have been a lot better.
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VAMPIRE WEEKEND
MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY
2013 – XL
Produced By ROSTAM BATMANGLIJ & ARIEL RECHTSHAID
1. Obvious Bicycle
2. Unbelievers
3. Step
4. Diane Young
5. Don’t Lie
6. Hannah Hunt
7. Everlasting Arms
8. Finger Back
9. Worship You
10. Ya Hey
11. Hudson
12. Young Lion
Vampire Weekend became an indie rock success story with the release of their self-titled first album and the follow up, Contra. These albums were built around African rhythms that gave them a sound unique to modern pop music, and kept their songs upbeat. For their third album, Modern Vampires Of The City, the band made a conscience decision to abandon the sounds that made them famous, and surprisingly enough, it works. The result is that Modern Vampires is darker than the previous two albums, and the band is able to stretch out and experiment with more sounds and styles than they were before. The opening track, “Obvious Bicycle”, is a beautiful and haunting track, serving notice that this time around, what you get from Vampire Weekend is going to be significantly different from the music they’d made before.
Other highlights on the album include “Diane Young”, which utilizes pitch shifting on the vocals (not to be confused with auto-tune), the Irish folk influenced “Unbelievers”, and the sheer pop of “Step”. Not everything works, though. Most notably, “Ya Hey”, a decent song that is unfortunately augmented with highly annoying Chipmunks-style squeaking vocals. While Modern Vampires is a fine album, it’s also a transitional album for the band, and it will hopefully be a positive stepping stone that will build toward their future releases. Having freed themselves from the constraints of playing along with African rhythms, Vampire Weekend can now stretch out and be whatever band they want to be in the future. This album is a great starting point for that (even though they took six years to release the follow up), and hopefully they will be able to build on the strength of tracks like “Obvious Bicycle” and “Diane Young”. Time will tell.
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