| 1. Mansa |
| 2. Mansané Cissé |
| 3. Sutukum |
| 4. Cabral |
| 5. Digone Nga Ma |
| 6. Sindieli |
| 7. Sona [#] |
| 8. Tooñ Baaxul |
| 9. Saxaar |
| 10. Kura |
| 11. Tante Marie |
| 12. Notisé |
Roots & Fruit,Orchestre Baobab,P.a.M. Records,Africa,Afro-Cuban,Afro-Pop,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Senegal,Senegalese
Average customer rating:
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Sirens Of The Ditch
Jason Isbell Manufacturer: New West Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000QUU2UW Release Date: 2007-07-10 |
Tracks:
- Brand New Kind Of Actress (5:31)
- Down In A Hole (4:18)
- Try (4:48)
- Chicago Promenade (3:19)
- Dress Blues (4:07)
- Grown (3:42)
- Hurricanes and Hand Grenades (5:07)
- In A Razor Town (3:15)
- Shotgun Wedding (3:45)
- The Magician (4:16)
- The Devil Is My Running Mate (3:45)
Amazon.com
Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Isbell was a driving force in the rousing postmodern Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers. Sirens of the Ditch is his solo debut. A resident of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Isbell clearly has Catholic taste in his roots rock. His backing band throws together a pleasant mélange of pedal steel, organ, strummed acoustic guitar, and heartfelt Americana vocals. At first, it sounds like something you've heard before a thousand times, by Ryan Adams or was that Bryan Adams. However, on closer inspection, there's a lot more going on. After rhyming "bitch" with "ditch" in the song "Ditch," Isbell throws in a line about "dancing to 'Purple Rain'" and you're drawn in, to a clearly delineated but poetic storyline and gorgeous melodies. Isbell's best songs will remind you of Richard Buckner, Raymond Carver, and Neil Young. "Dress Blues" might be the most sympathetic and awesome song about the Iraq war yet written. Huzzah. --Mike McGonigalProduct Description
Accomplished guitarist and songwriter Jason Isbell, formerly of Drive By Truckers (DBT), releases his debut solo album Sirens Of The Ditch.The album rocks with 11 tracks all written by Isbell kicking off with "Brand New Kind Of Actress", followed by the rocker "Down In A Hole", a swampy number featuring Muscle Shoals natives Spooner Oldham and David Hood. Isbell s songwriting skills shine especially on "Dress Blues" a pensive ballad about a high-school classmate who lost his life fighting in Iraq and "Chicago Promenade" a tribute to his late Grandfather.
Listeners caught glimpses of Isbell s skills on Drive-By Truckers records with tracks like "Danko/Manuel" and "Outfit".
Sirens Of The Ditch's mystical quality can be partially attributed to the FAME recording studio (Aretha Franklin, Duane Allman, Otis Redding) in Isbell s hometown of Muscle Shoals, AL where the album was recorded. A lot of old soul musicians came through here in the late 60s and 70s and helped define the Muscle Shoals sound, the lifelong Alabamian explains, so that influence was always in my environment, but on this record I really tried to capture that.
Co-produced by Isbell and Patterson Hood (DBT), Sirens Of The Ditch features Isbell singing lead vocals and playing guitar throughout, joined by Shonna Tucker (DBT) on Bass and Brad Morgan (DBT) on drums. Several musicians pop in for cameos including Spooner Oldham and David Hood (Patterson s father) on "Down In A Hole", John Neff (DBT) on "Dress Blues" and Patterson himself guests on "Shotgun Wedding".
Customer Reviews:
what an incredible songwriter.......2007-07-17
A great debut CD, with the best song of the year so far.......2007-07-15
The whole album is great, but if there's a better song than "Dress Blues" released this year, I'll be monumentally surprised. If John Prine had grown up in Muscle Shoals and was beginning his career during Gulf War II, this is what his songs would have sounded like.
Great Job, Jason. Can't wait to see you and the band play in Cincinnati on July 26th!
Amazing Album!.......2007-07-13
One of Rock 'n Rolls Brightest today..........2007-07-11
Listen to this!.......2007-07-11
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Greatest Hits
Social Distortion Manufacturer: Time Bomb ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000QFCCUA Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Another State Of Mind
- Mommy's Little Monster
- Prison Bound
- Story Of My Life
- Ball And Chain
- Ring Of Fire
- Bad Luck
- When The Angels Sing
- I Was Wrong
- Reach For The Sky
- Far Behind
Customer Reviews:
Give Mike a Break!.......2007-07-09
Only one disc?.......2007-07-02
So for those just getting into Social Distortion, or the people like me who will buy just about anything they do regardless of how it's reviewed, give this a try, but don't spend too much on it or expect monumental difference in songs. Hopefully it won't be another eight years before another album hits the shelves.
Worth a purchase even for the hardcore fans..........2007-07-01
Let's just say that I was surprised when I first listened to this CD. As has been speculated on by Social Distortion fans for some time now, all of the songs from the major label era albums (tracks 4-9) have been given a major facelift.
This is where things get interesting. As of now, the band has not officially commented on this situation and the liner notes are no help either. Some fans are convinced that these tracks are merely remastered. Others think that the original songs have been re-mixed. Still, more think that what's on this CD is demo versions of the Sony era classics. Others think that the songs have been completely re-recorded.
I can't say that I'm an expert on mastering, mixing, or recording, but all I needed to hear was the first 5 seconds of "I Was Wrong" to realize that these songs are basically totally different. To me, the vocals and guitars sound totally different on all of the songs.
Personally, I don't buy the notion that these songs have only been "remastered". I own many remastered albums. I re-bought some of Bad Religions re-mastered releases in 2004. All of those songs sounded nearly identical to their original releases. The only difference in those releases is that they ended up much louder and crisper on the remastered discs. This is not the case with this CD. These songs have been altered and altered alot.
I'm sure some purists will be put off by the fact that the band has done this under the name of a greatest hits cd. Myself, I don't mind it one bit. It was a welcome surprise and actually made it worth me buying this cd. If I want to listen to the originals, I can pop those cd's in any time. This is a nice change of pace.
The new versions of the classic songs are interesting. I really can't call them better or worse than the originals. They are just different. I like both the originals and what's on this cd. Like I said, this is just a nice change of pace. Also, Far Behind is a great song. Classic Social Distortion.
So, I will say that this "greatest hits" album was worth the money in the end. In a perfect world, I would have preferred them to have released a b-sides/unreleased tracks cd. Social Distortion has a huge catalog of rarities that they've never released. That would have been better for the hardcore fans like myself, but I'll take what I can get. Maybe someday I'll get what I'm looking for (Mike Ness if you happen to read this: hint, hint). In the end, this will tide me over until they get around to releasing another new album. I'll just keep crossing my fingers and hoping that doesn't take nearly a decade like the last one.
If you're a hardcore SxDx fan or a newbie just looking to get aquainted with some of Social Distortion's music, you won't be disappointed with this cd.
Re-recorded hits.......2007-06-28
Buy new song on iTunes and save money.......2007-06-28
Average customer rating:
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We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Bruce Springsteen Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000EU1PNC Release Date: 2006-04-25 |
Tracks:
- Old Dan Tucker
- Jesse James
- Mrs. McGrath
- Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep
- John Henry
- Erie Canal
- Jacob's Ladder
- My Oklahoma Home
- Eyes On The Prize
- Shenandoah
- Pay Me My Money Down
- We Shall Overcome
- Froggie Went A-Courtin'
- Buffalo Gals (bonus track)
- How Can I Keep From Singing (bonus track)
Amazon.com
The premise was simple. Bruce Springsteen invites a dozen or so New York City musicians--packing banjos, fiddles, accordions and the like--to his New Jersey farmhouse for a three-day hootenanny, and tape is rolling. The results are sublime, his 21st album featuring their versions of songs harvested from Springsteen's dog-eared LPs by Pete Seeger. Not all written by Seeger, the songs are how the American folk icon interpreted them, and these organic recordings, with no rehearsals or overdubs, pay tribute with the simplicity and spontaneity he intended. It's not hard to link Springsteen's dissatisfaction with American politics to the protest song "We Shall Overcome" or even the Irish ballad "Mrs. McGrath," where he alters the lyrics to read, "I'd rather have my son as he used to be/Than the King of America and his whole navy." But the beauty of these Seeger Sessions are pieces that underscore the mood of the bandleader, which borders on down-home amusement: the bluegrass outlaw ballad "Jesse James," the Dylanesque "Pay Me My Money Down" and the euphoric "Jacob's Ladder," a gumbo-and-whiskey-fueled romp that could pass for the closing hymn at the Church of Asbury Park. --Scott HolterAlbum Description
VIDEOA 40-minute film about the recording of the album with artist commentary. Includes filmed performances of:
John Henry Pay Me My Money Down Buffalo Gals Erie Canal O Mary DonÂ't You Weep JacobÂ's Ladder Froggie Went A CourtinÂ' Shenandoah
Plus four bonus live tour videos:
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live (Bruce Springsteen Version) Bring Â'Em Home American Land Pay Me My Money Down
Customer Reviews:
Springsteen's best album ever.......2007-07-17
Get American Land Edition.......2007-07-16
Buy the American Land edition instead (ASIN: B000GG4XJM).
Great fun, don't be turned off.......2007-07-08
Lame Record of Lame Songs.......2007-06-26
I'd hammer on the hippies
I'd hammer on some commies
All over this land
I'd hammer on the peaceniks
I'd hammer on lame Jerseyites
I'd hammer out all the rotten filthy dirty draft dodgers
All over this land
Folk Can Rock.......2007-06-19
It's really one of Bruce's best albums ever.
Average customer rating:
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A Year in the Wilderness
John Doe Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NJWSHQ Release Date: 2007-06-12 |
Tracks:
- The Wilderness
- Hotel Ghost
- The Golden State
- Darling Underdog
- A Little More Time
- Unforgiven
- There's a Hole
- Lean Out Yr Window
- Big Moon
- The Bridge
- The Meanest Man In the World
- Grain Of Salt
Amazon.com
It comes as little surprise that John Doe employs three different female vocalists (Kathleen Edwards, Jill Sobule, and Aimee Mann) to assist on A Year in the Wilderness. After all, it was Exene Cervenka's restless harmonies that bolstered Doe's own dusky lead vocals, providing X with a distinctive sound that has seldom been imitated and never bested, even by the group's own alumni. Doe nonetheless continues to refine the formula, delivering sharp, literate lyrics to rugged, often pensive odes. He mines a kinder, gentler, but no less incisive territory of the somewhat precarious space between the sexes. Doe even strums an acoustic guitar in full folk-ballad mode on "A Little More Time," a somber reflection on love lost. Former X guitarist Dave Alvin provides rootsy firepower on the driving "Hotel Ghost," as close as this disc comes to the old L.A. punk days. But Doe's raw approach chafes at the introspective nature of these songs, adding somber, gritty gravity to the uncompromising lyrics of "Unforgiven," "you say I'm good for nothing, so nothing's good enough for me." While the set lacks the blazing nervousness of X's best material, the older/wiser Doe preserves an uneasy sense of youthful alienation that sports a musically grizzled, five-o'clock shadow. These songs resonate with a mature, biting broodiness that updates, but never dilutes, his legendary early work. --Hal HorowitzProduct Description
John Doe is back again. As a founding member of punk monoliths X, he seized his rightful place as one of the most influential musicians in American alternative music in the 1980 s, clearing a path for the revolution in that genre that would take place a decade later. Since launching his solo career in 1990 with the dusty road-poetry of Meet John Doe, John has produced six stunning roots rock albums of frightening honesty and vision. A Year in the Wilderness is no exception.This time around John has invited his friends and frequent conspirators to help him interpret songs that came fast and hard. Doe dubs the Wilderness sessions, A scary and wondrous process where a blast of intuition and force that takes only moments to realize, but that can last forever and carry consequences you never imagined. Guest stars appearing on A Year in the Wilderness include Dave Alvin, Jill Sobule, Kathleen Edwards, Dan Auerbach (from The Black Keys), Greg Leisz and Aimee Mann.
Customer Reviews:
Just Fabulous.......2007-07-07
I love it. The most commercial cut is "The Golden State", a great tune. I think my favorite song is "Unforgiven", and "Big Moon" seems to haunt my head. The whole album has this vibe that I can't describe, other than to say I find myself wanting to play it almost every day. It has a "deep sound", both musically and lyrically. The songs flow so well that listening is effortless, and leaves you wanting more when the album is finished.
I believe than John Doe is a great creative talent who seems to get better with age. You won't regret buying this release; on the strength of this one, I'm going to buy some of his previous releases!
STOP, BUY THIS NOW!.......2007-07-07
BUY IT NOW! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
I've loved John Doe since way back in the X days. I've had the pleasure of enjoying his music for decades. This is by far his best work and collaboration.
A true gem.
Spend Some Time in the Wilderness.......2007-06-28
No one expresses the possibility, the longing and the loss of the landscape of love better than Doe. Like the wilderness, Doe's landscape is striking-- awe-inspiringly beautiful and able to make us feel connected to each other and the world while it resonates with a sense of isolation. This album features some of Doe's best writing to date, yet even when he makes use of a familiar phrase his delivery is transformative. No where is this clearer than in "The Golden State" where Doe uses phrases so familiar they have become clichés and transforms them in to a unique and powerful revelation about the complex nature of relationships through the alchemy of his delivery.
This album is a must have for long time Doe fans and a wonderful introduction to his work for those discovering him for the first time.
Brilliant...(don't tell anyone).......2007-06-17
And it's about time.
Because this MF is too big, too smart, too rocking, too cutting, to be denied a wide audience. I would love to see this thing come out of left field and sell 6 million copies, and have John win 5 or 6 Grammy's next February. Not that awards mean anything, but every once in awhile it's nice to see an exceptional artist, at his best, get recognized.
Besides, John has the best hair in rock and roll. "John, see you in Denver (6/22). Yrs. George Tadich Jr."
Meet John Again.......2007-06-12
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Best Of Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000E5N63E Release Date: 2006-05-09 |
Tracks:
- San Francisco Days
- Somebodys Crying
- Wicked Game
- Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing
- Let Me Down Easy
- Two Hearts
- King Without A Castle
- Only The Lonely
- Speak Of The Devil
- Blue Spanish Sky
- You Owe Me Some Kind Of Love
- Cant Do A Thing (To Stop Me)
- Lets Have A Party
- Dancin'
- Blue Hotel
- Please
- I Want You To Want Me
- Forever Blue (Acoustic Version)
Album Description
Chris Isaak begins his third decade as one of the most distinctive recording artistsand the epitome of modern coolwith his first career-spanning retrospective. Best Of Chris Isaak CD features every hit, led by "Wicked Game," and including many fan favorites such as "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing," plus four previously unreleased tracks: an acoustic "Forever Blue," a cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" and two new Isaak-penned songs, "King Without A Castle" and "Let's Have A Party."Customer Reviews:
WAITING FOR CHRIS HBO SHOW DVDS.......2007-06-09
Good compilation, but get the DVD/CD version!.......2007-06-01
What is interesting is that, even as he has matured as an artist, the roots to his music are still directly traceable to Sun Records. The obsessive Elvis Presley singles "Driving" and "Blue Hotel" to the more subtle "Let Me Down Easy," Isaak has remained stunningly consistent. The songs are always sly and sexy, even with the occasional foray into different vocal styles (the hot growl on "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" from "Forever Blue").
The CD is missing a few songs ("Don't Make Me Dream About You," "Solitary Man," "Cryin'" and "Go Walking Down There"), but if you get the DVD version (Best of Chris Isaak (CD + DVD)) there are six songs that aren't on the CD. The DVD is a treat for another great reason. Skip watching the music videos; make sure to watch with Isaak's commentary. For those familiar with his (inexplicably not yet of DVD) Shotime series or his live shows, Isaak's got a very dry and quirky sense of humor. His belly-laugh-a-minute comments make the extra expenditure worth it.
But even more interesting is watching a young Chris Isaak looking like a pompadoured Rockabilly star on "Blue Hotel" and "Dancin'." It's easy to see how he became a movie-star in training ("The Silence of the Lambs (Widescreen Special Edition)," "Little Buddha" and "A Dirty Shame (NC-17 Rated Theatrical Version)"), but also just as interesting to see the stars who guested in his videos, including the late Chris Penn. But really, make sure you listen to this for the commentary. It's a blast.
OOOOHHHH so GOOD!.......2007-03-09
Best is great !.......2007-02-17
Chris Isaak ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-01-06
I am not sure as to why he does not get the recognition he deserves.
While I think they left of sooooo many of his great songs, if you are new to Chris..buy it....you will fall in love with him.
sb
fort worth texas
Average customer rating:
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Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits
John Mellencamp Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002XL252 Release Date: 2004-10-19 |
Tracks:
- Walk Tall
- Pink Houses
- Lonely Ol' Night
- Jackie Brown
- Rain On The Scarecrow
- Love And Happiness
- Check It Out
- Peaceful World
- Paper In Fire
- Your Life Is Now
- Human Wheels
- When Jesus Left Birmingham
- Authority Song
- What If I Came Knocking
- Crumblin' Down
- Small Town
- R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.
- Cherry Bomb
- Pop SInger
Tracks:
- Thank You
- Martha Say
- Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
- Hand to Hold on To
- I Need a Lover
- Hurts So Good
- Get a Leg Up
- Wild Night
- Dance Naked
- Teardrops Will Fall
- Ain't Even Done With the Night
- Just Another Day
- Jack and Diane
- Rumble Seat
- I'm Not Running Anymore
- Again Tonight
- This Time
- Now More Than Ever
Amazon.com
Compare this to John Mellencamp's previous hits set, The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988, and it quickly becomes apparent how much the artist formerly known as John Cougar has grown in the second phase of his career. Following a 1994 heart attack, the songwriter transformed from cocky jukebox hero to compassionate everyman, trading in big pop riffs for sublime, politically charged songs that echo the outspoken work of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. Spanning 25 years, this 35-track set incorporates most of the last collection along with more recent hits over two discs in nonchronological order. --Aidin VaziriCustomer Reviews:
review songs.......2007-06-11
John Mellencamp's.......2007-05-03
Words Can't Say How Good This Music is!.......2007-03-31
You can also get this double album in a version that comes with a DVD (check first which version you are buying as the Amazon one on this page I'm reviewing is just two CDs) but even just the double CD of music is more than worth whatever the price is.
Words & Music/ John Mellencamps greatest hits.......2007-03-09
Words and music and much more.......2007-02-14
Mellencamp always had a message, a bit simplistic at times, but on the money at other times with such wonderful parodies of Small Town America as Pink Houses and Small Town. Many of his early songs were about the devastating agricultural crisis of the 80s, and how bureaucrats and banking institutions had sold out farmers. Mellencamp also sang of more simplistic yearnings such as Jack & Diane and Authority Song, about teenage love and bucking authority. All in all this is a great collection of music, sure to please Mellencamp fans, and at an irresistable price.
Average customer rating:
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Catch That Train!
Dan Zanes & Friends Manufacturer: Festival Five Rec. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000EXZ2JW Release Date: 2006-05-16 |
Tracks:
- Catch That Train!
- Let's Shake
- Welcome Table (with the Blind Boys of Alabama)
- Mariposa Ole (with Barbara Brousal)
- Train Station Humor
- Choo Choo Ch' Boogie (with Father Goose aka Rankin' Don)
- Pigogo (with the Children of Agape)
- Country Life (with Donald Saaf)
- Loch Lomond (with Natalie Merchant)
- While The Music Is Playing
- I Don't Want Your Millions Mister (with the How Not To Get Rich Orchestra)
- The Fine Friends Are Here
- Walkin' The Dog (with the Rubi Theater Company)
- Wander In The Summer Wind
- Grey Goose (with the Kronos Quartet)
- Pata Pata (with Father Goose aka Rankin' Don and Wunmi)
- Sweet Rosyanne (with Nick Cave)
- Moonlit Town (with Anna and the Flutes)
Amazon.com
With each new Dan Zanes and Friends release, many fans worry that his homespun magic will eventually hit the right note with the masses. Zanes' music, as offbeat as it is organic, is so special to forward-thinking young families that plenty have batted around half-baked plans to attach a password to it. Anybody else can sell out, the thinking goes, but please, please not him. Catch That Train, then, is bound to meet with a lot of hand-wringing. For one thing, it's the first Zanes and Friends release since the crazy-haired, asparagus-stalk thin artist started appearing in videos on the Playhouse Disney channel. For another, Starbucks has stepped in to lend a promotional hand. Those are ominous indicators indeed, but if the largely on-track Catch That Train proves anything, it's that Zanes isn't lock-stepping it with the boardroom goons just yet. Once again, the high-profile collaborators (The Blind Boys of Alabama, Nick Cave, Natalie Merchant) could cause a childless hipster to heed the all-aboard call, but also as on previous discs, it's the usual suspects who supply some of the strongest tracks: Barbara Brousal on "Mariposa Ole," Father Goose on "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie," and the Rubi Theater Company on "Walkin' the Dog." True, "Let's Shake" seems suspiciously TV-ready; skip it and pretend it never happened. Then keep your fingers crossed that, once this train leaves the station, Zanes--plainspoken hero to so many--won't trade it in for a stretch limo. --Tammy La Gorce
More from Dan Zanes
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Customer Reviews:
Very good, but not our favorite.......2007-07-01
As other reviews have indicated, Dan Zanes is fun, loose and all about the sing-along. I suspect that's why he collaborates so often and so well. If you're looking for tight, sophisticated arrangements, look elsewhere. If you're looking for music that everyone can get into, music that is accessible to children without being cloying to adults, then start filling your cart. Bruce Springsteen gets a lot of credit for bringing the Seeger catalog and other folk treasures to younger audiences, but we think he got the idea from Dan! We love the folk/americana covers, Dan's originals and the songs that he pulls in from other cultural traditions. Here are the albums we own and how we'd rank them:
1. Sea Music
2. Parades and Panoramas
3. Rocket Ship Beach
4. Family Dance
5. House Party
6. Catch That Train
Kids music has changed for the best!.......2007-06-12
Music kids and parents can enjoy.......2007-06-01
Fantastic Mix for Kids & GrownUps.......2007-05-26
Quickly became a favorite!.......2007-05-26
Average customer rating:
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Despite Our Differences
Indigo Girls Manufacturer: Hollywood Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000GG4SOC Release Date: 2006-09-19 |
Tracks:
- Pendulum Swinger
- Little Perennials
- I Believe In Love
- Three County Highway
- Run
- Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate
- Lay My Head Down
- Money Made You Mean
- Fly Away
- Dirt and Dead Ends
- All The Way
- They Won't Have Me
- Last Tears
Amazon.com
The Indigo Girls, now marking their 20th anniversary, were in a bit of slump before turning to producer Mitchell Froom, who serves them well on this energized effort--their 10th studio album and first for a new label. Recorded at Froom's home studio in Santa Monica, California, the album finds Ray, Saliers & Co. trying a few new things--recording with everybody in the same room, for example, and stepping further out of their acoustic framework for an enhanced sonic landscape, e.g., the Beatlesque "Little Perennials." They also invited impressive newbie Brandi Carlisle to harmonize on "Last Tears," one of the disc's most memorable tracks, and called on Pink (the IGs appeared on I'm Not Dead) for "Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate." All this contributes to a fresher sound and attitude, but the songwriting (Amy's rock leanings, Emily's moody balladry) is up a notch, too, with the social activism ("Pendulum Swinger") better expressed and more sophisticated than their usual banner-waving. What hasn't changed is the way the duo's vocal lines entwine like tangled lovers--at their best, it's hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins, their corduroy-and-denim harmonies becoming a sort of third tone. That's a neat trick for voices as diverse and distinctive as these, still commanding as they enter their third decade. --Alanna NashCustomer Reviews:
Great Album.......2007-06-08
Interesting listening.......2007-05-22
Great New CD.......2007-05-14
Froom!.......2007-04-04
Memorable...........2007-02-26
With a new producer and a new label, it seems as though IG has shaken off the doldrums that populated their last effort, when they replaced strong songwriting with lots of instrumentation. They use a variety of guitars here, mostly acoustic, but with electrics, slide and mandolin counterpoints. (No banjo, more's the pity.) Their back up musicians are solid and sparse. Pink appears on one song, and although her appearance and the rocker quality of the song made waves when the CD first appeared, the song "Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate" is an anthem about the music business, and, while clever and tuneful, fades away in the power of the other songs.
I normally gravitate towards Emily's songs, and here she is the sad balladeer of love lost, for the most part. She writes the opening song, "Pendulum", which is the most political ("the ticker of the nation breaking down like a bad clock") of the songs here. As in all Emily's political statements, she blends the political and the spiritual; it's a woman's power song, and lyrically stirring. My favorite of her songs on this CD is also one of those songs I can't let go of. It's entitled
"Run". In this song, Emily is relegating herself to the role of one of many lovers who've been left by someone who becomes fearful of giving too much in a relationship:
...."And you run, that's all you've ever done
It's all you know to do
I can't hold that against you.
And you'll flee, you're born to be free
And if you go, I'll understand
But you better get out while you can."
Her lyrics are as intense and as fiery in "All the Way", and her "Last Tears" and "I Believe in Love" are equally beautiful in the combination of lyrics and music. Only "Fly", with its metaphors about birds, is a weak contribution in her portion of the CD.
Amy Ray surprises with a rhythmic "Little Perennials", my favorite of her songs on this CD and the tune that keeps coming to mind whenever I look to find the CD to play again. It's a bit nonsensical, and finds, uniquely, Emily doing the low harmony instead of the high. Amy's two "rural" songs are drawn from the land on which she lives, with "Dirt and Dead Ends" the most striking and "They Won't Have Me" describing how little she fits into the rural southern landscape, despite her good intentions.
"Three County Highway" describes just about every little town I've been in and it's a love song, a little different than what Ray usually writes about.
Musically, "Despite Our Differences" is a great blend of two musicians coming together and blending their differences in a collaboration that weaves back and forth. Lyrically, it is outstanding. As usual, it gets more frequent play than anything else I've purchased in the last 6 months in my car. It's good road music, it's articulate, it's everything I buy an IG collaboration for.
I hope you listen and enjoy.
Average customer rating:
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The Grass Roots - All Time Greatest Hits
The Grass Roots Manufacturer: Mca Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002P1T Release Date: 2003-11-04 |
Tracks:
- Let's Live For Today
- Where Were You When I Needed You
- Things I Should Have Said
- Midnight Confessions
- The River Is Wide
- Bella Linda
- Lovin' Things
- Wait A Million Years
- Baby Hold On
- Heaven Knows
- Come On And Say It
- Temptation Eyes
- Two Divided By Love
- Glory Bound
- The Runway
- Sooner Or Later
Amazon.com
As a band the Grass Roots were always a shadowy bunch, a front for studio musicians and professional songwriters looking to get their songs on the radio. They scored 14 top 40 hits during their reign in the late '60s/early '70s and their hits were among the catchiest and most enjoyable of the AM radio era. "Let's Live for Today," "Midnight Confessions," "Bella Linda," "Two Divided by Love," and a slew of others are shameless pop made brilliant by multilayered harmonies and arrangements that liberally borrowed from folk-rock and R&B. The Grass Roots may have been product, but what great product. --Rob O'ConnorAlbum Description
This low-priced disc is far & away the best single-CD compilation ever issued of the Grass Roots' work, 16 chart singles covering every phase of their history, from 1966's 'Where Were You When I Needed You' (in its actual hit version) thru 'Let's Live for Today' & 'Midnight Confessions' to their last hit, 1972's 'The Runway.' Originally released in 1996. MCA.Customer Reviews:
Great CD!.......2007-05-26
Grass Roots 2007.......2007-05-08
POP MUSIC DELUXE = GRASS ROOTS style !.......2007-04-26
You will listen to this CD for a very long time. POP PERFECTION that STILL sounds GREAT!
An unknown tidbit about "The Grass Roots".......2007-03-28
Now, I dare you say The Grass Roots weren't an important musical group! Before MTV, American Bandstand was the BOMB!
A definite blast from the past.......2007-03-09
Average customer rating: |
Two Sevens Clash: 30th Anniversary Edition (Dlx)
Culture Manufacturer: Shanachie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000QTD0AC Release Date: 2007-07-17 |
Tracks:
- I'm Alone in the Wilderness
- Pirate Days
- Two Sevens Clash
- Calling Rastafari
- I'm Not Ashamed
- Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion
- Black Starliner Must Come
- Jah Pretty Face
- See Them a Come
- Natty Dread Taking Over
- See dem a Come [12" Mix] - Culture, Prince Weedy
- See dem Dub
- Natty Dread Taking Over [! 2" Mix] - Culture, I-Roy
- I'm Not Ashamed [12" Mix] - Culture, I-Roy
- Not Ashamed Dub
Pop Music:
