Category: Music

Genre: Album

Grade: A

Notable People: Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones

Title: Foreverly

Review: If you are someone who loves great harmony singing- think The Byrds, The Burrito Brothers, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac….well, where did all that come from? Only one place…the original harmony singing GODS- the Everly Brothers. As someone who has spent his adult life in vocal bands, they are the summit…I would have given my first born (sorry, Max) to sing with Phil or Don. Every great duet song since owes itself to the standard set by these great singing brothers. So.…here comes the most unlikely duo- Billy Joe Armstrong, the leader of Green Day and Norah jones….to pay tribute to the Everlys’ legend with an amazing tribute to their 1957 album “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us”. Who knew????? A progressive rocker and jazz/blues torch singer (who happens to be the daughter of the great sitar player and Beatles inspiration, Ravi Shankar)…..had this in them…but it’s dam near perfect. Don and Phil would be proud- this is a wonderful piece of recognition to their greatness as songwriters and singers. Very tight band and great arrangements…but, really, it’s all about the harmony. Long live the Everlys.

Genre:  Album

Grade  B+

Notable People:   Dan Auerbach, John Prine, Duane Eddy, Jerry Douglas, Produced by: Dan Auerbach and John Barry

Title: Waiting on a song

Review:  I’ve never been an avid listener of the Black Keyes, but was curious about their front man, Auerbach’ s, love affair with Nashville. It’s not quite what I expected….less traditional country music and more a variation on a theme, with shout outs to Motown, Stax-Volt, the Tijuana Brass and sixties pop chestnuts…..all with a bit of twang. There are some great Nashville session guys on the album, including the wonderful Jerry Douglas and the first song in years written by John Prine (Auerbach hung out with Prine for a week to get him to write it, and in the process, learned where you can get the best met load special every day for lunch in Nashville). But, I really got this record to hear the legendary Duane Eddy (50s guitar God) who apparently has been quietly lolling around in Nashville for many years….and Duane does not disappoint, with a sound that could only be his. Glad I got this and not what I expected.

Genre:  Album

Grade  A-

Notable People:   Ray Davies with the Jayhawks

Title:  Americana

Review:  Whoa…Lola and The Muswell Hillbillies meet the sons of the Midwest. One of the aging masters of the British Invasion (not as infamous as his pals Keef Richards or Pete Townshend, but equally significant and enduring) writes and sings his love song to our great continent. He has found the Grand Canyon, Beverly Hills and the alt- country genre. And the Jayhawks…..never thought of them as a backing band, but they rise to the occasion. Soaring guitars, twangy pedal steel, wonderful harmonies and songs that capture the angst and beauty of the sea to shining sea….though a bit on the cryptic side at times. An imaginative and unlikely pairing these guys….and a wonderful result. Who would have thunk it? Love this album….

Genre:  Album

Grade  A-

Notable People:   The Jayhawks

Title:  Mockingbird time

Review:  I came across this album while looking for the new Jayhawks album they have done with Kinks founder Ray Davies…and was amazed that I somehow missed it when it came out. Their 8^th studio album, in 2011 was their first in ten years at the time, and reunited the original classic lineup featuring dual songwriters/singers Gary Louris with the prodigal Marl Olsen. Olsen has been in and out of the band for 20 years, but when her is there…this is the real Jayhawks sound- coupling tasteful musicianship, elegant writing and soaring guitars with the closest Everly Brothers harmonies outside of ..…well the Everly Brothers. I was staying in New York for work back in 2011 when I hear what sounds like someone playing very loud Jayhawks music in the street. I wandered down from the 21^st floor of my hotel on a hot summer night to check it out, and the Hawks were actually playing the songs from this album in a tiny studio space across the street. It was magical. The album is nothing groundbreaking, but if you like their music , this is a spot on example of their best work. Good stuff.

Genre:  Album

Grade  A-/ B+

Notable People:   Van the Man

Title:   Keep me Singing

Review:  Van the Man’s 36^th (yes, count ‘em) studio album, with his usual array of great sidemen to augment his jazz rock stylings. Not a lot changed with Van’s music…the guy does what he wants when he wants..…so nothing really eccentric or new here. But, it is Van, which means he does what he does better than anybody else in the world: 12 original songs written and performed by Morrison, as well as a cover of the blues standard ‘Share Your Love With Me’ –  previously recorded by artists such as Aretha Franklin and Kenny Rogers.. The album’s closing track, ‘Caledonia Swing’, is an instrumental featuring Van on piano and saxophone. All tracks were produced by Van Morrison. If you are a BIG Van fan, you will love this. If you are new to Van or only moderately interested, thus is probably not the one for you.(try Astral Weeks or Moondance)

 

Genre:  Album

Grade  A-

Notable People:   William Bell,

Title:   This is Where I Live

Review:  A legend of the Stax-Volt sound in it 60’s heyday, the 77 year old southern soul master makes his return to Stax records after a 55 year absence. This is the Real Deal. Bell was contemporary of Otis Redding and hits all the highlights of classic southern R&B on this one- covering songs by  Jesse Winchester, Marc Cohn, Roseanne Cash and the great Booker T. You’ve got your vocals by Amy Helm to add to the chitlin’ mix. This guy wrote “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and “Born Under a Bad sign” so his songs are not chopped liver either. Glad he is back.

 

 

Genre:  Album

Grade  A

Notable People:   John Prine with Iris DeMint, Kathy Matea, Leeann Womack, Allison Krauss, Susan Tedeschi. Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves  and others

Title:   For Better, or Worse

Review:  John is one of our true national treasures. Dylan says he is the existential poet of our times. He has lost nothing in terms of musicianship, arrangements, songwriting and presentation…though his voice is not what it was as a result of neck cancer and lung removal. So- now he kind of growls along. This wonderful album is a follow up to his 1999 “In Spite of Ourselves” which introduced the world to Iris DeMint. At the time, John had just started singing again after his medical battles and decided to do a duets album of classic country music so he enticed his 12 all-time favorite female country heartbreak singers. In my book, it is one of the best albums  of the last quarter century. Now he is back with a follow up with a new generation of magnificent female singers and duets. The songs are beyond classic (“Who’s Gonna a Take the Garbage Out – When I’m Gone”) and the duets are marvelous- special highlights are the Susan Tedeschi and Leeann Womack numbers along, of course, with the Iris DeMint duets. Brilliant Nashville session legends to accompany including the immortals Lloyd Greene and Al Perkins on pedal steel. Great, great stuff.

Genre:  Album

Grade  A+

Notable People:   Leonard Cohen, Produced by Adam Cohen

Title:   You Want it Darker

Review:  Brilliant, evocative, dark, haunting….Leonard’s final album is a masterpiece, completed shortly before his death in November. Confined to a wheelchair, his son Adam helped him to complete the album from home. Filled with longing, remembrance, sentimentality, disappointment and readiness to move on…nothing less than you would expect in one more entry to this mater’s lifelong catalog of brilliance. Oh how he will be missed. What a parting gift!

 

 

Genre:  Album

Grade  A-

Notable People:    Tom Petty, Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell, Tom Leadon, Randall Marsch  Produced by: Tom Petty and Mike Campbell

Title:  “2”

Review: The second offering form Petty’s original teen years Florida band that went away for thirty plus years and he has now restarted. This is pretty great country/swamp rock. Petty plays bass and is joined by two his ever present “Heartbreakers”  (Tench and Campbell) along with their high school buddies Leadon and Marsch (Leadon is the younger brother of original Eagle lead guitarist , Bernie Leadon). These guys make really cool throwback music and seem to be having the times of their lives doing it. Quite the side project. I dig it!

Genre:  Album

Grade  A++

Notable People:    Loretta Lynn

Title:  Full Circle

 

Review: What does one say. ‘Retta is back with a full album of her own songs. She has not lost a lick- her voice sounds better than ever. The Songs will make you cry in your beer. Check out “Fist City”…NOBODY does cheatin’ songs like ‘Retta. Duets with Willie and Elvis Costello. Crackerjack Nashville session band. The ghosts of Patsy, Hank, Ferlin, Farron and George are all joyful. So am I. Have even a tiny interest in the great country music tradition? Get this.