Powerful Voices To Make You Weep . . . or Dance.
For some reason, this time of year is the hardest to keep things up and running. Mostly, it seems to be from problems with computers. I've had four computer crisis on two machines for over the past week, and it doesn't seem to be letting up.
That still doesn't keep me from seeking out and listening to new stuff though.
Over the past few weeks we've seen a whole slew of new releases around the store starting with that Kanye West/ 50 Cent battle on the eleventh of September. (Kanye is still winning that, by the way.) We've seen a new Bruce Springsteen, a new Jennifer Lopez English album and what seems like another lackluster (for gringos only) Gloria Estefan album). We're not going to be talking about those, of course.
Not long after I complained about the lack of hard sounding female singers, and I complained about Heart wussing out Ann Wilson does the most beautiful thing could do: she shuts me up by putting out a steller, hard assed solo record called "Hope and Glory".
There are three things about this record that blew me away. There's a cover of "Goodbye Blue Sky" that takes an almost incidental piece of The Wall and turns it into it's own heart wrenching song. Secondly, there's a killer version of "Immigrant Song" where I can actually understand the lyrics. And finally, there's a cover of "We Got to Get Out of the Place" that makes you wonder what if the Animals had been fronted by a woman? It brings back a depth and soul to the song that somehow has become lost by repeated playings on oldies radio stations. For any Heart/Zeppelin fan, this album is a most listen.
Speaking of classic female voices, we've also got a new one out by Bettye Lavette. Now, I loved her last album "I Got My Own Hell to Raise," but this one new one, "Scene of the Crime" was a duet album with the Drive By Truckers, a Southern Prog-Rock group. It's a kind of swaggering country/blues album you just don't hear anymore because frankly, no one really has the balls to just make it.
I realize Bettye's voice isn't for everyone, nor is it for all occasions, but like tough, hardened women, it's one you better listen to (and be sure to listen to her the first time through.) This record makes it statement right from the get go with "Take Me Like I Am," an unapologetic song to a lover from a very, very bad girl who's just trying to do right.
Another classic voice who finally out a solo album out was Siouxsie, from Siouxsie and the Banshees. Here's a goth tinged dance/art pop album with thumping bass lines by one of the people who sort of invented that whole sound with "Hong Kong Garden." This little album is called Mantaray
Finally, I end this little post with another blast form the past with David Gimour's new DVD Remember that Night. There's a lot I can say about it, there's a lot I would say about if I could come up with the words for it.
When I first put it in, my expectations were fairly low for such a thing, thinking it would be something similar to the show I saw in theaters sometime back in 2006 that was from a BBC Broadcast. That one had a beautiful rendition of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." This one had "Echoes" in it's entirety. It was a version that very nearly made me weep with my volume as high as it could reasonably go. It was jaw dropping and stunning.
It was, in essence, everything I dreamed the DVD could be. Now, if only the laddies could be convinced to so a few charity shows.
I've got more stuff to report on, but this is already a bit to long for a lot of readers.
In closing, get the new Radiohead! It's a real steal right now.
That still doesn't keep me from seeking out and listening to new stuff though.
Over the past few weeks we've seen a whole slew of new releases around the store starting with that Kanye West/ 50 Cent battle on the eleventh of September. (Kanye is still winning that, by the way.) We've seen a new Bruce Springsteen, a new Jennifer Lopez English album and what seems like another lackluster (for gringos only) Gloria Estefan album). We're not going to be talking about those, of course.
Not long after I complained about the lack of hard sounding female singers, and I complained about Heart wussing out Ann Wilson does the most beautiful thing could do: she shuts me up by putting out a steller, hard assed solo record called "Hope and Glory".
There are three things about this record that blew me away. There's a cover of "Goodbye Blue Sky" that takes an almost incidental piece of The Wall and turns it into it's own heart wrenching song. Secondly, there's a killer version of "Immigrant Song" where I can actually understand the lyrics. And finally, there's a cover of "We Got to Get Out of the Place" that makes you wonder what if the Animals had been fronted by a woman? It brings back a depth and soul to the song that somehow has become lost by repeated playings on oldies radio stations. For any Heart/Zeppelin fan, this album is a most listen.
Speaking of classic female voices, we've also got a new one out by Bettye Lavette. Now, I loved her last album "I Got My Own Hell to Raise," but this one new one, "Scene of the Crime" was a duet album with the Drive By Truckers, a Southern Prog-Rock group. It's a kind of swaggering country/blues album you just don't hear anymore because frankly, no one really has the balls to just make it.
I realize Bettye's voice isn't for everyone, nor is it for all occasions, but like tough, hardened women, it's one you better listen to (and be sure to listen to her the first time through.) This record makes it statement right from the get go with "Take Me Like I Am," an unapologetic song to a lover from a very, very bad girl who's just trying to do right.
Another classic voice who finally out a solo album out was Siouxsie, from Siouxsie and the Banshees. Here's a goth tinged dance/art pop album with thumping bass lines by one of the people who sort of invented that whole sound with "Hong Kong Garden." This little album is called Mantaray
Finally, I end this little post with another blast form the past with David Gimour's new DVD Remember that Night. There's a lot I can say about it, there's a lot I would say about if I could come up with the words for it.
When I first put it in, my expectations were fairly low for such a thing, thinking it would be something similar to the show I saw in theaters sometime back in 2006 that was from a BBC Broadcast. That one had a beautiful rendition of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." This one had "Echoes" in it's entirety. It was a version that very nearly made me weep with my volume as high as it could reasonably go. It was jaw dropping and stunning.
It was, in essence, everything I dreamed the DVD could be. Now, if only the laddies could be convinced to so a few charity shows.
I've got more stuff to report on, but this is already a bit to long for a lot of readers.
In closing, get the new Radiohead! It's a real steal right now.
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8:55 PM
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