Category: Music

Genre: Album   

Grade: NR

Notable People: Bruce Moon

Title:  Was

Review: Bruce’s 20^th self-produced and recorded album , available on Spotify and other streaming platforms, is a quiet set of 11 songs that are consistent with the music Bruce has been making for the 40 years we have been friends. Based solidly in the American Folk tradition, with stylistic waves to Dylan and Simon, Bruce’s all original songs are about aging, loss and regret, reflections on life lived, and fine songs of love; many with a bend towards social issues. Bruce is a very polished acoustic guitar player and gifted songwriter. I personally like when his music is filled out a bit more with accompaniment; there were many instances that I could easily imagine the addition of bass, violin or accordion coming in to further flesh out the sound, and though Bruce does make some ensemble music he is mostly an old-style troubadour. Good playing, nice singing, heartfelt songs, well arranged. If you are a folk music fan, check it out. Note- this album is not rated as I don’t rate efforts made by personal friends to avoid bias.

Genre: Album        

Grade: A-

Notable People: John Mayall and the most recent version of the Blues Breakers, Produced by: Eric Corne and john Mayall

Title:  The Sun is Shining Down

Review: Maybe nothing new or remarkable here –except that the undisputed Godfather of British Blues is still making fine albums well into his ninth decade. Every great British blues musician has done boot camp with Mayall’ s Blues Breakers (think Clapton, Page, Beck, John Mark, Johnny Almond and an endless list that far surpasses my available space)-and this version of the band is as good as ever. Mayall composed al the songs and lends his masterful vocals keyboards and unsurpassed harp to the proceedings (did I mention his uplifting blues songs that play against type?) along with the crackerjack band and surprise guest musician, Scarlett Rivera, on violin. Got Blues????-

Genre: Album  

Grade: B+

Notable People: Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot, Nils Lofgren, Neil Young,  Produced by: M,T, L &Y

Title: All Roads Lead Home

Review: Three of the four surviving members of The Horse, Neil’s forever backup band, got together over this past winter and laid down these tracks. Molina and Talbot have been the rhythm section and and hearts of Crazy Horse since the late 60s and a teen age Lofgren replaced the deceased genius Danny Whitten after the latter overdosed (The Needle and the Damage Done). Of course, Lofgren went on to be not only Neil’s second fiddle but then Bruce’s. They enticed Neil to contribute a song to the album, and he reputedly plays back ground a on a number of other cuts. The lead vocals are split between the three and are mostly kind of quiet Horse dreamy types- not the blast of what might be world’s greatest garage band of all time. Neil’s one song offering is classic- close your eyes and it is 1973. I was delighted to see these guys still upright and putting out a record after so many years, though, in fairness, you probably have to be a longtime fan to really appreciate this music; a bit dated and minimally produced. But, these guys are top notch musical muse warriors. Viva The Horse.

Genre: Album

Grade: A+++

Notable People: Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Jamey Johnson, Billy Payne and Little Feat, Sam Bush, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Michael McDonald, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Jerry Douglas, The Del McCoury Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Produced by: Tommy Emmanuel

Title: Accomplice Two

Review: ok- I am embarrassed to say it has taken me this long to discover this guy-and it has changed my life. The 68-year-old Australian Chet Atkins disciple, guitar master has been spoken about in hushed toms, by all the greats for decades- but it took me this long, an AARP (no shit) write-up, and a birthday gift from my daughter, to finally tune him in. WOW…WOW…WOW- this is all I can say. Look at the list of people who he “features” on each cut on the album………are you kidding me?… he is like a cross between Django Reinhardt and Bill Frisell, and everybody, I mean everybody loves him…I mean loves him……. I am ashamed, ashamed, ashamed, to be this illiterate musically, but have seen the light……was blind and now I see. The album is a literal masterpiece and from what I’ve learned, when Tommy calls, these folks come a running…the man is a guitar genius and plays every instrument known to man…check out the duets with Sam Bush and David Grisman, the rebirth of Little Feat and The Dirt Band and Doobie Bro- Macdonald. The connections with Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle and save for last the country blues wet dream with Jorma. OMG…. can’t get enough- running out to get Accomplice (One- the predecessor) am shaking with anticipation to see who shows up to play on that one. Run out and get this puppy –today…NOW.

Genre: Album    

Grade: B+

Notable People: Cake Produced by: Cake

Title: Comfort Eagle

Review: Very interesting and strange band I discovered from listening to Bakersfield Beat station on Sirius XM. I originally thought they were a 60’s era cosmic country- psychedelia band, but found they are a 90’s cult group that plays an eclectic mix of styles with unusual instrumentation (check out the cello), strangely semi-melodic vocals and an elusive categorization. Picked this particular album at random to check out, and liked it a lot, though not as country-ish as what I had previously hard on radio. John McRae is the founding member of the group which originated in the early 90s and is still going. This is 200 release of their seen studio album catalog. I’m going to pursue some more before my final assessment, but they are intriguing.

Genre: Album  

Grade: A-/B+

Notable People: Beck Produced by: Nigel Godrich

Title: Sea Change

Review: I have been fascinated by what I’ve heard here and there from Beck for the last 20 years and recently decided to explore further. Started with this highly regarded 2002 eighth studio album release. Recorded over a two-month period in Los Angeles with producer Nigel Godrich, the album features themes of heartbreak and desolation, solitude, and loneliness. For the album, much of Beck’s trademark cryptic and ironic lyrics were replaced by simpler, more sincere lyrical content. The album feels much like a 60s exploratory throwback in the Donovan tradition, but darker. Beck has a great voice and is a really accomplished and tasteful musician and surrounds himself with quality players, when not playing it all himself. Made me interested enough to pursue his catalog further.

Genre: Album

Grade: A-/B+

Notable People: King Leg Produced by: Dwight Yoakum

Title: Meet King Leg

Review: First album effort from this unusual musician, from 2017. He’s a Yoakum discovery and often shows up on Dwight’s Sirius XM show. Hung around LA for years making music in living rooms until he was discovered, and has not done too much new since, but tours a lot with a cracker jack post-alt country-ish band. I heard a few lush numbers on the radio and really liked his unusual vocal style resembling Jimmy Dale Gilmour and, at times, the great Roy Orbison. Add in the jingly strains of Petty and McGuinn 12 string guitar lore and guitar sounds like the immortal Clarence White has come back to life with the b-bender making a Strat sound like a pedal steel- and there are a lot of elements here to like. That said, some song inconsistency made it a little les thrilling. Hoping to check out more from this interesting artist

Genre: Album

Grade: A-

Notable People: Van the Man and his Cracker Jack Band, Produced by: Himself

Title: What’s It Gonna Take?

Review: For my recent BIG Birthday, I got this new Van issue-along with tix to see him in Connecticut labor day weekend, on a rare US tour. Though I have very mixed feelings about his politics and his persona, I have no such reservations about Van the Man’s music. His 43rd (Holy Buckets!) studio album, features 14 new compositions that collectively reflect his indefatigable drive to record and perform live in front of audiences. The album was produced by Morrison and is preceded by the single “Pretending,” a gorgeous, restless, soul song. Somewhat of a departure from his most recent releases that were focused more on Jazzy numbers, this one is master lesson on blue-eyed soul and R&B. Van takes up the guitar mostly in lieu of his beloved sax and surrounds himself with a very talented groove-laden backup band and heavenly voices. If you’ve ever been a fan or just like Brown Eyed Girl, this is a good one.

Genre: Album    

Grade:  B

Notable People: Robert Plant and Allison Krauss Produced by: T-Bone Burnett

Title:  Raise the Roof

Review:    The follow up album to their Grammy winning Raise the Sand is more or less a rehash of the first. Plant still sounds surprisingly good even after 50 years of being a Rock God, and the few songs in which Krauss sings the lead are the most appealing, but it all more or less sounds alike- feels like elevator music after a while. Very tight band and the Burnett production is stellar- just nothing new here.

Genre: Album  

Grade:  B+/B

Notable People: Neil Young, Nils Lofgren, Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, Produced by: Neil Young and Niko Bolas

Title: The Barn

Review:    The album opens with a 70s reminiscent chestnut “Song of the Seasons”, and it is a classic acoustic with his trademark guitar riffs and harp and Nils’ accordion backed by the aren’t- they- dead- yet Crazy Horse rhythm section. From there it kinds of goes in a dozen directions from grunge (Neil is the grandfather of all grunge and garage bands, ya know) to blues to R&B……. feeling a bit like Neil’s 70s-80s era romp through musical genres. The band is tight and the return of Nils on guitar and keyboards, is a bonus after being away for many years (replacing the retired Frank Sanpedro, who replaced the original second guitarist- the OD’d Danny Whitten in the mid-70s). Neil just rolls on along with all his by now overly familiar themes…he’s a true Canerican (look it up- it’s one of the song titles here) ….if you are not a big fan, you won’t like this one. If you are, it’s just one more for the amazing archive of one of rocks true Machiavellian figures.