CD Reviews Lenny Kravitz & REM - Episode 78

Get Black and White America Here




Get Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982 - 2011 Here



Get Collapse Into Now Here

Episode 76 The Rolling Stones Some Girls and Superheavy

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCtSXUfGXZ0&w=560&h=315]
Get Some Girls (2011) Here

Get Superheavy (Deluxe Edition) here

Get the regular edition here

Holiday Music Roundup: Matt Wertz, Hawk Nelson, Matthew West, Michael Bublé, The Jigsaw Seen, She & Him and Jim Brickman

Not a holiday season goes by without countless artists from all corners of the musical universe throwing their sonic Santa hats into the ring. This year is no different, with the far-flung likes of She & Him, Matt Wertz, Jim Brickman and Michael Bublé having released Christmas albums.

If you're planning a Christmas shindig or just wrapping presents over the coming week, the titles below should provide a worthy soundtrack.

Artist: Matt Wertz

Title: Snow Globe

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Matt Nathanson, John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, Jon McLaughlin

Tell Me More: Since the early 2000s, this Missouri native has put out several albums – both independently and on major labels, while landing high profile soundtrack slots in films and TV shows. His breezy adult contemporary pop/rock always goes down easy and Snow Globe (Provident/Essential) is no exception. Half are holiday standards (a sleek and jazzy “White Christmas” features frequent collaborator/touring partner Dave Barnes; the instrumental “Christmastime is Here” by Vince Guaraldi).

On a low-key “Tennessee Christmas,” the singer/guitarist goes into hushed vocal mode with an assist by its songwriter, Amy Grant. Wertz’s originals are all impressive, especially the finger-snapping, banjo-filled title track, smooth and romantic “Christmas in the City” and horn-laden R&B of “Wake Up, Wake Up.”

-George A. Paul

Get Snow Globe (Right now only 6.99)!

 

Artist: Hawk Nelson

Title: Christmas

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Relient K, MxPx, New Found Glory, early blink-182

Tell Me More: In recent years, Hawk Nelson has been a regular presence on Air 1 radio stations and Contemporary Christian Music festivals around the U.S. – including FishFest in Irvine, Calif., where I once was impressed by their supercharged performance. Now the fresh-faced Canadian punk/pop group has unleashed Christmas through BEC Records.

Speeding by in 15 minutes, the fun and refreshing 7-song holiday EP doesn’t wear out its welcome. “Joy to the World” starts a capella, then turns into pure comedy as lead singer Jason Dunn tries to outdo his band mates with a rebel yell. Bonus points go to the guys for not always tackling the obvious, like the strident “Here We Come A-Wassailing” and cowpunk of “Up on the Housetop.”

-George A. Paul

Get Hawk Nelson Here - Right now only $6.10!

Artist: Matthew West

Title: The Heart of Christmas

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Shawn Mullins, Chris Tomlin, previous West releases

Tell Me More: Best known for Christian AC radio chart toppers “More,” “You Are Everything” and “The Motions,” West has been putting out albums since the late ‘90s. The gregarious singer/songwriter’s The Heart of Christmas (Sparrow) is religious in nature, but doesn’t get too heavy in that realm. Musically eclectic, the songs range from classic big band (“Jingle Bells”), Dixieland-meets-gospel (“O Come, All Ye Faithful) and endearing soul (“Come On Christmas”).

West penned seven of the 12 tracks here and his usual poignant storytelling really comes to the fore (an emotional, folk-leaning “One Last Christmas,” based on the true story of a boy dying of Leukemia; acoustic guitar-based ballad “Leaving Heaven,” featuring Vince Gill’s warm pipes). That country superstar’s wife Amy Grant – boy, she sure got around this year – guests on “Give This Christmas Away.” Keeping with the family-friendly vibe, one of West’s young daughters sings briefly on a hidden final track.

-George A. Paul

Get In The Heart Of Christmas (right now only 8.99)!

  

Artist: Michael Bublé

Title: Christmas

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Harry Connick Jr., Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, other Bublé albums or his 2003 holiday EP, Let it Snow

Tell Me More: Before becoming a household name, Bublé was inspired to pursue a career as a pop/jazz singer after continuously listening to an old Bing Crosby Christmas album. So it’s no surprise that the Canadian crooner finally did a full-length holiday collection of his own.

Christmas (Reprise) assembles 14 classics and one original (“Cold December Night”) that recalls “Haven’t Me You Yet.” London swing vocal trio The Puppini Sisters and the musicians bring an Andrews Sisters-meets-Hot-Club-of-Cowtown vibe to “Jingle Bells,” while Naturally 7 add doo wop to a peppy “White Christmas,” featuring Shania Twain. Bublé even goes international: there’s a reverent “Ave Maria” with choir and a duet in Spanish with Mexican superstar Thalia.

Standouts are an ebullient, Phil Spector-styled “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” with rock drummer Josh Freese and guitarist Keith Scott and dramatic “All I Want For Christmas is You,” anchored by the legendary Jim Keltner and a string/horn section arranged by Jon Brion.

-George A. Paul

Get Michael Buble Christmas here

Artist: The Jigsaw Seen

Title: Winterland

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Early Phil Spector productions, Arthur Lee & Love, Nuggets compilations, The Posies

Tell Me More: Members of this L.A.-based underground chamber pop act have collaborated/toured with Rufus Wainwright, David Gray and Maria McKee in the past. Last year, their first new studio album in a decade came out. So this seasonal effort on Vibrophonic Recordings is a quicker-than-usual turnaround.

The lyrics lean toward the melancholy side; the Sixties psychedelia-influenced sound contains bits of mellotron, chamberlain, arp axe (!) and organ (the latter comes courtesy of Dramarama’s Morley Bartnoff). Kinks guitarist Dave Davies adds subtle vocals to Jigsaw Seen’s lone cover: Gordon Lightfoot’s “Circle of Steel.” Elsewhere, the band douses “Christmas Behind Me” in reverb, gives “Candy Cane” is jangly blissful sheen and “Winterland’s Gone” becomes idyllic, colored by flute and clarinet.

-George A. Paul

Get Winterland Here

Artist: She & Him

Title: A Very She & Him Christmas

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Aimee Mann's 2006 holiday album One More Drifter in the Snow, She & Him's previous albums

Tell Me More: There is a timeless feel to A Very She & Him Christmas (Merge), a collection that finds Zooey Deschanel (She) and M. Ward (Him) fusing their magical mix of retro pop and modern-day melancholy to tackle more than a dozen Christmas gems. From the breezy western-swing version of "Sleigh Ride" and early '60s-styled "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" to the sparse "The Christmas Song" and "Silver Bells" (the latter which finds Deschanel's emotive soprano positioned against her own ukulele work in one of the most original arrangements I've ever heard of that song), this is very much an authentic She & Him album. A Very She & Him Christmas, indeed.

-Robert Kinsler

Get A Very She & Him Christmas Here

 

Artist: Jim Brickman

Title: All Is Calm

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this CD if you like: Jim Brickman's previous albums, instrumental piano music

Tell Me More: There is a simplicity and beauty to pianist Jim Brickman's interpretations of some of the holiday's most loved songs on his ambitious All Is Calm (Somerset), a collection that also features several of his own compositions. Highlights include a tender arrangement of "Gloria In Excelsis Deo" and a lush version of "Away In A Manger" with soaring flute (played by Sam Levine) and distant Celtic vocals courtesy of Erinn Bates that add textures around Brickman's piano. Whether performing old English carols ("Coventry Carol"), original works (the infectious "Fa La La La La") or seasonal favorites ("O Come All Ye Faithful"), Brickman's All Is Calm creates a peaceful mood in tune with those who refuse to get too stressed out by the holiday season.

-Robert Kinsler

Get All Is Calm Here

Episode 75 The Stepkids & Buddy Holly

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGIkounqKU4&w=560&h=315]
Get "Listen to Me" Here

 

 

 

Get "The Stepkids"Here

George A Paul's December Live Music Gift Guide: Peter Gabriel, Placebo, the B-52's

Here are more holiday present suggestions for the concert enthusiast on your list…

Artist: Peter Gabriel
Title: New Blood: Live in London
Worth buying: Yes
For fans of: Sting’s orchestral work, David Byrne, Christopher O’Reilly, early Genesis
Tell Me More: On 2010 album Scratch My Back, Gabriel covered Neil Young, David Bowie, Arcade Fire and others with just orchestral backing. Then the prog rock legend gave his own work the classical-music-plus-vocals treatment for the follow up, New Blood. This intriguing companion concert DVD from Eagle Vision/Real World was shot at London ’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo last March.
Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra’s compelling 22-song show runs nearly 2 ½ hours. In Gabriel’s hands, Scratch selections like “Boy in the Bubble” (Paul Simon) and “Book of Love” (Stephen Merritt) are graceful and his introductions are filled with self-deprecating humor. Highlights include a gorgeous “Washing of the Water” – one of several tunes featuring sweet backing vocals from his daughter Melanie, highly dramatic “Biko,” totally revamped “San Jacinto” (where Gabriel flashes a light into the audience), frantic “Red Rain” (precipitation is projected over the DVD image) and exultant performances of “Solsbury Hill” and “In Your Eyes.” The sound is rich throughout.

“Blood Donors,” the 20-minute bonus documentary, is comprised of behind the scenes segments, interviews with the singer and conductors about putting the show and arrangements together. Also available in Blu-ray.

What about the packaging? The plastic DVD case slips into an outer cardboard covering, while the 7-page booklet has detailed tour/production credits and multiple color photos of Gabriel and the musicians.

Get New Blood Here

Artist: Placebo

Title: We Come in Pieces

Worth buying: Yes

For fans of: Manic Street Preachers, Garbage, Nirvana, Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie

Tell Me More: Placebo undertook a mammoth world tour behind 2009’s Battle for the Sun, but it failed to reach America . The DVD We Come in Pieces (Eagle Vision) - taken from a tour ending concert in September ’10 at London’s Brixton Academy – should placate Stateside fans who missed seeing the androgynous U.K. alt-rock trio live. There’s definitely a fuller-than-usual sound, with two auxiliary musicians onstage. New drummer Steve Forrest provides beefier rhythms on ‘90s British hit “Nancy Boy” and U.S. charter “Infra-Red.”   

The director makes everything visually vibrant, thanks to superimposed images. Among the standouts: a hard-hitting take on Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” the bristling “Meds” and harrowing violin-accented rocker “The Bitter End.” The bonus feature has six performances at various ’09-’10 outdoor festivals in various countries. The 2-DVD deluxe edition contains an hour long documentary and short film. Also available in Blu-ray. 

What about the packaging? Housed in a simple book-style cardboard casing, the DVD comes with a minimal booklet and nine artsy band images. 

Get We Come in Pieces here

 

Artist: The B-52’s

Title: With the Wild Crowd!

Worth buying: Yes

For fans of: Devo, Sparks , Oingo Boingo, early new wave in general

Tell Me More: I’m not sure which is harder to believe: that the B-52’s have been together more than three decades or With the Wild Crowd! (Eagle Records) marks the Athens , Ga. dance-pop act’s first official full-length concert CD. Having attended many B-52’s shows over the years, I can attest that no other band makes party music quite like these four do. The 76-minute, 18-track album, recorded at their hometown Classic Center back in February, retains the old zany spirit. Co-lead vocalists Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson reminisce a bit and the gals can basically still hit most of those high trills (“Roam,” “Private Idaho”). Four new songs from 2008 comeback album Funplex mix well with the late ‘70s new wave staples (“Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire”), ’80s modern rock hits (“Love Shack,” “Cosmic Thing”) and a rare nugget (“Wig”). A DVD of the show is expected next year.

What about the packaging? Bright color pics of the band and crowd galore, plus credits in a standard sized booklet.   

Get With The Wild Crowd Here

- George A. Paul  Dec. 21011 

Robert's December Music DVD Gift Guide: The Rolling Stones,

Looking for that perfect gift for the favorite music fan in your life? Read on friends!

Artist: The Rolling Stones
Title: Some Girls Live in Texas '78
Worth buying: Yes
You might be interested in this DVD if you like: The Rolling Stones, Gram Parsons, Mick Taylor
Tell Me More: Although The Rolling Stones burst on the scene in the early 1960s and achieved legendary status during the 1980s, I have always believed the band's greatest work spanned the 10-year-period from 1969 to 1978. The newly-issued Some Girls Live in Texas '78 captured the band just weeks after the release of their final tour de force, Some Girls.
In a loose and freewheeling performance of 17 songs, singer Mick Jagger and company delivered a blistering set featuring most of the highlights from "Some Girls" (a rowdy "Respectable," disco-tinged "Miss You" and R&B-flavored "Beast of Burden"), as well as gems such as Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little 16" and rocking versions of the Stones' own "Brown Sugar" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash."
What about the packaging: A colorful and informative 8-page booklet accompanies the concert DVD.

Get Some Girls on DVD here

Artist: Deep Purple

Title: Deep Purple with Orchestra: Live At Montreux 2011

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this DVD if you like: Deep Purple, Rainbow, Steve Morse, Black Country Communion

Tell Me More: There have been a few examples where bands performing with a full orchestra are effective, with performances by the Moody Blues and Metallica being obvious examples. But often times the approach is nothing more than a silly gimmick that does little to lift the material.

Deep Purple with Orchestra: Live At Montreux 2011 is definitely no gimmick. Released as a two-disc CD, as well as on DVD and Blue-ray by Eagle Rock Entertainment (Nov. 8, 2011), this 115-minute concert ranks alongside Bad Company's Live at Wembley and Sigur Rós' Inni as one of my favorite live collections released on DVD this year. This performance celebrated the legendary hard rocking quintet's expansive catalog with reworked versions of "Highway Star," "Knocking At Your Back Door," "Perfect Strangers," "Hush" and "Smoke On The Water." Indeed, the DVD/CD features a setlist of hits and highlights reflecting the band's full history. The highlights come fast and furious, from a Middle Eastern-flavored "Rapture of the Deep" showcasing the fusion between band and orchestra to the British blues of "When A Blind Man Cries" with vocalist Ian Gillian mining Paul Rodgers territory and oft-heard "Smoke On The Water" using the symphonic scope of the orchestra to infuse the classic with something new.

The sound and camera work on this release is incredible; hard rock fans will be thrilled.

What about the packaging: The DVD comes with a colorful 4-page booklet that includes in-depth notes about the band's ties with the Montreux Festival.

Get Deep Purple & Orch: Live at Montreux

Artist: Sigur Rós

Title: Inni

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this DVD if you like: Sigur Rós, Jónsi's Go, Radiohead

Tell Me More: Few modern-rock acts to emerge since the early 1990s have been able to craft music that is as original as it is beautiful. But like England's Radiohead, Iceland's Sigur Rós has found its own little niche in the sonic universe, a place where lush symphonic textures, intense live performances that feature singer Jónsi attacking his electric guitar with a violin bow and additional otherworldly sounds please audiences looking for something to call their own.

Inni, a three-disc collection featuring a concert DVD (also available on Blu-ray) on one disc and two audio CDs, was recorded and filmed over two nights at London's Alexandra Palace in late 2008.

What about the packaging: This release is available in several configurations. I have reviewed the version that features a 75-minute concert on DVD and double CD collection.

Get Inni Here

Artist:  Rory Gallagher

Title: Irish Tour '74

Worth buying: Yes

You might be interested in this DVD if you like: Ten Years After, Humble Pie, Joe Bonamassa

Tell Me More: One of the most significant musical currents of 2011 was the renewed interest in Rory Gallagher, who was only 47 when he died due to complications from a liver transplant in June 1995. RollingStone.com recently ranked the Irish blues-rock great 57th on its widely-discussed list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time, with the relatively-unknown Gallagher positioned in front of more famous axe wielders such as Robby Krieger (#76), Slash (#65), Johnny Winter (#63) and Robbie Robertson (#59).

Eagle Rock Entertainment has been at the forefront of the celebration, having issued restored and re-mastered versions of his celebrated catalog.

Irish Tour '74 is a two-hour DVD (also available on Blu-ray) that truly captures what made Gallagher so special. On stage he was a fiery presence as he sang and played high-powered electric guitar or acoustic blues with equal fervor, able to get young audiences to their feet with Springsteen-like command. Off-stage he was articulate and focused on his passion for the music and the relationship an artist forges with their fans that is as much about life as it is the power of music.

What about the packaging: The DVD version comes with an informative booklet that folds out as a poster.

Get Irish Tour 74

Robert Kinsler  December 2011