| 1. Mar'ra Zalim |
| 2. Guitari |
| 3. Zmarty Khareta |
| 4. Kamoo Khleety |
| 5. Parpoolen Biakh |
| 6. Len Bikhshawa |
| 7. Kapoorta Khleety |
| 8. Dimit Eynati |
| 9. Biakh Bizmaren |
Editorial Reviews
EastJam Records
"Featuring world-class music from world-class artists, 'Change' delivers a promising future for the advancement of Assyrian music while honoring its past with tributes to the late, great Biba."
Product Description
Featuring the hit single "Guitari", "Change" offers an array of sultry rhythms and smooth acoustic sounds with a pop music feel that only Walter Aziz can pull off so well. The album contains songs in the Assyrian language, blurring the boundaries between Middle Eastern and Latin sounds.
Change
This album goes through a wide swing of emotions from love, to grief, to joy, to pride, to deviousness. The emotional range of this album has me going up and down each time I listen to it.
Some People Change also celebrates another collection other than the emotional: the range of difference between people themselves. "Some People Change" and "Takes All Kinds" are anthems to real people, celebrating the differences that make the world go around. Without each person being their own spoke in the wheel, the world couldn't turn.
And songs like "What Do You Think About That", "Redder Than That", and "Hey Country" demonstrate that Montgomery Gentry knows what spoke they are. They're the good ol' redneck boys that we all know and love.
I have lost five people out of my family in the last year and half... and this song "Clouds" made me just break down and cry. I don't cry easily at movies or songs, but this just hit home and you knew that Montgomery got it with the death of his son and father. For me... the rest of the album was good, but is so pale compared to the masterpiece of "Clouds".
Start to finish, it finds a sound and rolls along its gentle, mournful waves all the way to the finish. But there are few bright spots (and not just in an emotional sense). "Lonesome Tears" has a heart-tearing rush and sonic building conclusion, "The Golden Age" floats by like a darkening cloud, and "Lost Cause" is a gorgeously desperate plea (which, like many songs on here, is aimed at one or more of his former celebrity significant others). Few others are worth remembering--always listenable, but rarely exemplary--but the album as a whole deserves to be spun at least a couple of times.
Best cuts: "Lost Cause," "Lonesome Tears," "The Golden Age," "Round the Bend," "Sunday Sun," "Little One," "Paper Tiger," "End of the Day"
The X-rated rap "Pasties & a G-String" is alone worth the price of admission, but there are other songs that stand among the best in Waits's extensive catalogue: namely, the beautiful "Tom Traubert's Blues," and the witty "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)". These three songs hold up the rest of the album. Not that anything on here is bad--good heavens, no. It's all worth listening to repeatedly. I would listen to it in small doses, though--sometimes, that's the best way to take the truth.
Even though the subject matter of "Music" is starting to get played out, I don't understand why most of the reviewers don't seem to like that song. But it IS true that the rest of the songs are a lot better than that. "Good Time" and "Rain" are just plain funky, while "Soul Food" is very satisfying. And if you think you'll already know what "Mistreating Me" is about, just listen to the song and you'll find some very interesting lyrics. Kanye West also drops in to produce two back-to-back gems that compliment each other: "It's Alright" and "Didn't I".
I don't know if I'll do like another reviewer and put Leela in the same league as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin (although she does a damn good job with her rendition of Sam Cooke's title track); speaking of remakes, her cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" is also quality. But that leads me to another point. As reviewer E. Sims says, Leela's singing voice sounds a little too much like Joss Stone's, and the thing about that is, well, not to be cruel, but it's like this: when a white artist sings "black" music in a soulful voice, it's invigorating. When it's the other way around, it's a little odd. In other words, Leela sounds like a white person singing like a black person, which might not sit right with everyone.
But that doesn't really bother me, and it's also not the reason why I knocked half a star off my rating; the reason is because the Wyclef-assisted "Ghetto" completely threw everything off. But A Change Is Gonna Come still proves that Leela James deserves much more attention than she's getting, so help her get some by picking this up.
Anthony Rupert
HIGHLY recommended!
For music lovers that give this cd anything below a 5..you don't appreciate GOOD music!
As for 'The Very Best Of Change', Atlantic / Rhino provides improved sound (when compare to 'The Best Of Chic' CD from 1991), and the detailed liner notes would've been better if rare photos were included. As for the tracklisting, it's quite stellar, but not perfect! Most of the group's hits from 1980 - 1985 are represented here, but I'd recommend a 'few changes' (no pun intended!). Replace the radio edit of 'A Lover's Holiday' with the 6+ minute full length version & also include the group's final hit, 'Mutual Attraction' (1985). There's enough room on the CD for these changes (I remastered my original CD to include the additional music!), so Atlantic / Rhino's mistake prevents the CD from getting 5 stars (IMO).
At any rate, I recommend 'The Very Best Of Change' (as well as 'The Glow Of Love' CD from 1980!) to fans who don't care to buy the expensive individual import CDs. Enjoy a blast from the past!
Peace, SD
(Chakasworld)
I made this decision because Rhino would not let me do a 2 CD set because they thought that it would not sell at that price point. So to get the ORIGINAL LONG VERSIONS of ALL the other songs, at the time not available on CD, on a single CD I chose to use the single versions of the 3 songs from the debut album.
Here are the liner notes from inside the CD which I wrote for this release:
THE VERY BEST OF CHANGE
It was May of 1980. I was in San Francisco at the tourist trap Fisherman's Wharf with my high school German language class in my junior year. While the rest of the kids were walking around soaking up the smell of boiling crabs and a bay breeze, I was sneaking away to Tower Records at Columbus & Bay. When I walked in, I heard the most amazing music. All of the people working at the counter were grooving to the beat and quite excited about this new record they had just got in a few minutes earlier. I stood there in the middle of the store in amazement, soaking up the funky bass, soulful vocals, and a groove that sho' nuff wanted to make my body move. But as a shy 16 year old boy from Turlock, a farming town 100 miles east of the big city, I was hesitant to ask what was playing on the stereo. Finally, I got up the courage to ask someone and the dancing Tower employee gleefully held up the most beautiful album cover I had ever seen and said " It's Change - they're hot!" I proceeded to ask what asile would find a copy. The records were not yet out of the boxes, but he went in back and brought me out a copy. Since it was the record currently playing, he gave me the sale price. Boy, was I excited! I just got the hottest dance music from the city to bring home so my best friend Lauren Camarata and I could practice our Latin Hustle and Bus Stop in her parent's living room!
During the bus ride home everyone was asking what was in the big yellow Tower Records bag. I proceeded to show them the stark white album cover with the orange and black abstract shapes. "What's that" they asked. "Change - the hottest new disco record" I replied. "Never heard of them" was the usual response. This didn't surprise me. If it wasn't AC/DC or Journey they didn't get it. That was the beginning of what became a ritual for me every May for the next 5 years - a new Change album.
The music Change made remained true to the origins of dance music, namely R&B. Their fusion of soulful rhythm & blues and the harder-edged euro-disco gave birth to a timeless style that still sounds fresh today. In the beginning, Change's music was recorded in Italy and the soulful vocals were recorded by top R&B session singers in New York. The combination was exactly what the people on the dance floor wanted.
In 1980 dance music was going through many changes. Disco, the out of control cultural phenomenon - not the music, was going through a serious backlash in America. Everyone from The Beach Boys to Ethel Merman had made a disco record. These puerile attempts at dance music not only appalled popular music purists, but made the ultra-hip dance community feel invaded by mainstream attempts to capitalize on their sound. But disco, the music style, was continuing to evolve as it has since it's humble beginnings in New York in the early 1970's. Yet mainstay disco artists were abandoning the genre. Chic was leaning towards R&B while Donna Summer's music became more rock oriented. (Ever tried dancing to "The Wanderer?") Clubland was searching for a change in the musical tempo. They wanted a sound they could call their own again.
Change seamlessly picked up the disco mirror ball where Chic dropped it - in the middle of the neon-lit dance floor. Like many other artists that were influenced by Chic, Change was "classy disco"- lots of strings, smooth vocals, a slappy bass, clad in fashionable designer clothing. This describes lots of dance music and artists from the early part of the 1980's. Listen to and look at Ashford & Simpson's "Found A Cure", Shalamar's "In The Socket", The Whispers' "And The Beat Goes On" or Change's "Paradise" and you will hear timeless music that sounds as contemporary today as it did in 1980. Yet Change's music had a harder edge than other R&B/Disco hits like Kool & The Gang's "Celebration." Their euro-disco influence is what set them apart from the rest.
But who is Change?
Change was an ever changing amalgamation of studio musicians from Italy and session vocalists from the United States led by Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi. Petrus, a native of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, met Malavasi in 1975 while he was studying at the Conservatory of Bologna. They formed a production company with the aim of becoming "The Italian Gamble & Huff." Petrus and Malavasi proceeded to recruit Italian musicians David Romani and Paolo Gianolio and utilized their composing and arranging talents. The team's first project was a studio concept called Macho, whose disco cover version of the Spencer Davis Group classic "I'm A Man," became a big European hit and peaked at # 6 on Billboard's National Disco Action Top 40 in October 1978.
Their goal was to blend the soulful, R&B derived elements of American disco with harder-edged euro-disco stylings . Petrus, the business man, and Malavasi, the music man, produced the rhythm tracks for the first Change album in December of 1979 in their Bologna studio. Their strategy was to go to America with the completed music tracks and find the right singers to create the Change sound.
In New York, The Disco Capital Of The World, they found non other than Luther Vandross. An accomplished session and background singer, vocal arranger and songwriter, Vandross had sung background on David Bowie's Young Americans album and tour and co-wrote "Fascination," a song from that album. He also provided the soulful, smokey vocal to the European smash "Hot Butterfly (a.k.a. Papillon)" by Gregg Diamond's studio group Bionic Boogie. But his most well-known vocal performance, at that point, was a Kentucky Fried Chicken television commercial.
For female lead and background vocals Petrus and Malavasi enlisted the pipes of Jocelyn Shaw. The result of all this trans-Atlantic work was the first Change album The Glow Of Love. The album became an international smash. In America it exploded to the top of Billboard's Disco Top 100 in just six weeks. It stayed there for an amazing nine weeks, long enough to become Billboard's #1 Disco Single/Album of 1980.
Petrus and Malavasi had achieved their dream - a hit in America. But what next? Well, the formula worked once, so they repeated their previous footsteps and one year later released their second album Miracles. As before, the album rocketed to the top of Billboard's Disco Top 100 in six weeks and stayed at the top for five weeks. Billboard ranked Miracles, with the key track "Paradise," as the #3 Disco Single/Album of the year in 1981.
By this time the comparisons to disco supergroup Chic were more than coincidental. Not only did both groups' records reside next to each other in my alphabetical record collection, but both had a similar sound, especially the velvet smooth harmony vocals, lush strings, and dominant bass lines. The similarities were never more apparent than on the Miracles album. Luther was replaced by James "Crab" Robinson for male lead vocals and Diva Gray was brought in for female lead vocals. Background vocals were supplied by Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Fonzi Thornton, and Ullanda McCullough all of who were the core background vocalists on numerous Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers productions. Even Change's label RFC Records was distributed by Chic's label Atlantic Records.
By the time their third album was ready for release, disco was dead, well at least that's what middle-America thought. In reality, disco evolved into Hi-NRG. In 1982 the Change sound was more R&B than dance. New Wave had infiltrated the dance chart and people were dancing to the sounds of The Thompson Twins, Tom-Tom Club and Billy Idol. Change was neither Hi-NRG nor New Wave.
So the album Sharing Your Love and the single "The Very Best In You" had a disappointing chart run on Billboard's Dance/Disco Top 80, peaking at #30. Another possible reason for such a daunting chart run could be that another similar sounding song was charting simultaneously. Petrus & Malavasi had set up offices in New York and took on other production projects. One such endeavor was the Ritchie Family. They were a studio group of ever changing musicians and female vocalists created by Village People creator and producer Jacques Morali. Together they had a string of #1 dance records to their credit. Petrus & Malavasi wrote and produced the song "I'll Do My Best (For You Baby)." RCA released the single at the same time as "The Very Best In You." Both songs peaked on the dance chart the same week in June 1982. The Ritchie Family tune at #17, Change at #30. Both songs use the word "best" and while different songs, both have a distinct family resemblance. "I'll Do My Best (For You Baby)" can be found on The Best Of The Ritchie Family (Hot Productions HTCD 41-2). Did these records compete for club play? Their chart histories certainly suggest so.
Meanwhile on the R&B chart "The Very Best In You" was competing with another
Petrus & Malavasi production by Capitol Records' trio High Fashion whose song "Feelin' Lucky Lately" peaked at #32 while "The Very Best In You" peaked at #16. High Fashion was from New York City and was comprised of Erick McClinton and future R&B divas Mell'sa Morgan and Alyson Williams. This song would musically fit on any Change album. It can be found on Rhino's The Disco Years, Volume 5: Must Be The Music (70276).
By 1982, for the Sharing Your Love album, the Change lineup had stabilized. For the first time the cover was not an abstract Greg Porto design, but a group photo. Porto remained art director. Petrus & Malavasi still utilized other musicians on the records, but relied on the core group for image and now touring.
For their fourth album, This Is Your Time, the group still consisted of the same musicians as the year before. The cover art returned to a stark white background and a geometrical abstract Porto design. The music continued to sound like Change. The single "This Is Your Time" peaked at #39 on the dance chart and #3 R&B.
In 1984 it was obvious that it was time for a change for Change. While consistently charting, no records were being broken. Change needed a fresh sound. Petrus hired the ultra-hot James "Jimmy Jam" Harris & Terry Lewis to produce the fifth Change album Change Of Heart. Jam and Lewis were alumni of Prince's Minneapolis purple empire as former members of The Time. Hot from writing and producing the 1983 top five R&B hits "Just Be Good To Me" and "Tell Me If You Still Care" for The S.O.S. Band and the number one "Encore" for Cheryl Lynn, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis embarked on what is probably the only record in history to be recorded in both Italy and Minnesota. The song "Change Of Heart" became another hit for Change peaking at #7 R&B and #17 Dance. Jam and Lewis had produced the most exciting Change album since the debut set the world on fire four years earlier.
Since then Jam & Lewis went on to write and produce numerous smashes for Cherelle, Alexander O'Neal, Rod Stewart, The Human League and of course Janet Jackson. Listen to Alexander O'Neal's first single "Innocent", it sounds remarkably like "Change Of Heart", just as "Say You Love Me Again" uses the same chord progression as Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait Awhile." Funny how the two European groups that Jam & Lewis produced both ended up with eponymous hit songs and album titles: "Human" by The Human League and "Change Of Heart"!?
Time changes everything and by 1984 Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi were no longer a team. That's why Petrus hired Jam & Lewis for the fifth Change album. Petrus was always the business end of Change, Malavasi the musical half. When it came time for a sixth and final Change album, Petrus looked inward to Change instead of outward. He utilized the writing and production talents of keyboardist Timmy Allen and even co-wrote two songs himself. The album did not do very well. Musically it's the weakest album of their career. The single "Let's Go Together" peaked at #56 on the R&B chart. Even the album cover seemed to be uninspired. The passion was obviously gone, and the music suffered.
Lead vocalist Deborah Cooper went on to sing for C & C Music Factory on their 1992 hits "Pride (In The Name Of Love)", the cover version of the U2 song, the original "(Pride) A Deeper Love", before Aretha Franklin covered it, and "Keep It Comin" (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More)". Members Jeff Bova and Timmy Allen have gone on to become two of the top session musicians in the world in the 1990's.
Change has always been a favorite group of mine. Mainly because I love the smooth disco-soul sound of the early 80's. But also because not many people remember Change and my best friend Lauren and I always felt Change to be our little musical secret. As I began research for this project, I realized that more people than I thought knew of Change. Now in 1998 it is still great to hear "Lover's Holiday" on Groove Radio 103.1 here in Los Angeles as a Classic Groove. We always knew it was!
I compiled this collection back in 1986 on a cassette for my own personal enjoyment. It is a dream come true to see it finally released. So close your windows, turn your stereo up to 11 and boogie down to this fabulous CD. You know that is exactly what I will be doing.
Before the group took on their "Chic" overtones, "A Lover's Holiday", "The Glow of Love" and "Searchin'" (the last two cuts being why I wanted the compilation in the first place - Luther is just flat SANGin' on both of those) were all a part of the original "Change" group ("The Glow of Love" album). And, all three of these cuts are a part of "The Very Best of Change". What's my beef, then, as what I wanted is all a part of this CD?? THESE ARE ABBREVIATED RENDERINGS!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!! These cuts are NOT their original length!!! When I heard it, initially, I thought something had happened to my playback device (which, in this case, was my Bose II Wave Radio.....you KNOW I was gettin' upSET!). But, for some unknown reason, these cuts are abbreviated, RIGHT when it starts gettin' GOOD, ya know?? The cuts are re-engineered to fade right on out.
So, gentle reader, my next move is to see if I can find "The Glow of Love" as a stand-alone CD (I also like "Paradise" from a later album, again why I got the "Very Best" CD - fade that one out, too). But, if you don't mind this, the CD was in EXcellent shape, arrived promptly, etc. BUT......if you are lookin' forward to hearing that original, aMAzing, CHANGE sound that would be like FINE Italian cooking......I would suggest that you find some good Chinese.
Quite simply, A Change of Seasons is the greatest progressive metal song ever recorded. I know that's a bold statement, but I just can't see anyone listening to this 23-minute epic and coming away unimpressed. A Change of Seasons really sums up everything that Dream Theater is all about. It combines an epic song structure, brilliant technical musical performances, emotional and insightful lyrics into an epic odyssey through the various stages of life. It's one of the most ambitious metal songs ever recorded, and as technical and progressive as it may get, it never ventures into the self-indulgent excesses that often plague the progressive rock and metal genres. The instrumental sections aren't excuses to show off, but rather essential chapters in the overall story that maintain the mood and emotion of the songs in a way that mere words could never do.
I know some will argue that later Dream Theater epics like the title track from Octavarium or the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence suite are superior to A Change of Seasons, but to me this song is untouchable. Years later it has the power to make my jaw drop in amazement, and I still find myself wishing the song never had to end. Since the conclusion of the song represents the conclusion of life itself, I think that says something about of this one "little" song.
While such a monumental song could have been worth the price of admission all by itself (see Edge of Sanity's Crimson), the band didn't stop there, instead opting to include a host of live cover performances that further demonstrate both their influences and their versatility. The Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple covers weren't entirely unexpected, but come on, Elton John? Can anyone honestly say they saw that one coming? It's all brilliant stuff, particularly the mash-up at the end called the Big Medley, which features bits of songs by Queen, Pink Floyd, Dixie Dregs, Kansas, Genesis, and even Journey.
Here's the bottom line. A Change of Seasons is an absolute masterpiece that is a must-have for every single Dream Theater fan and everyone who enjoys progressive metal. It may be a bit heavy for some traditional progressive rock fans, but I've generally found that crowd to be pretty open minded, so I think they'd enjoy it as well.
It starts with an acoustic interlude, which leads into a roaring riff from Petrucci. It continues like this for a while, fading between great drums, great bass, great guitar - and then the vocals come in.
The best DT lyrics ever are in this song, all about missed opportunities and chances. Beautifully sung by LaBrie.
About 14 minutes in is one of the greatest moments in music, and DTs finest. The lyrics are powerful, the music haunting - its a perfect emotional buildup, leading into a bluesy solo by petrucci.
The whole thing continues to unfold, over proggy soundscapes to acoustic interludes, until it reaches the last verse.
Its a ridiculously ambitious album, flawlessly pulled of by the masters of technical music today, by far their most underrated. I STRONGLY advise anyone new to Dream Theater to buy this. An awesome album. 5 stars.
For whatever reason, Blue Note did not issue this until the mid-70s as part of a Sam Rivers twofer and the session was entitled Involution. If you have that session, then you already have tracks 1-6. Tracks 7 and 8 were released as part of Mosaic's Complete Andrew Hill Sessions 1963-1966.
I have a copy of the Mosaic Complete Blue Note Sam Rivers Sessions but I do not have it in front of me at the moment. It should contain this session as well. Thus my title- if you own any of the above titles, you already own all or part of this CD.
The other part of my title refers to the fact that not everybody likes this phase of Hill's career. I love it but there are those who thinks it is too cerebral or chaotic or some such. The samples on this page should let you know what to expect. But make sure to listen to Pain which is a sweet little Monkish trio piece.
For those of you who like the free stuff, I suggest the following Hill titles: Point of Departure, Compulsion, Strange Serenade, this title and the Mosaic Select Box 16 which includes a couple of late-60s unreleased Blue Notes sessions that are outstanding. For those of you that prefer the more In the Tradition side of Hill, I suggest Black Fire, Judgement, Dance with Death or Time Lines for something more recent. I also have a Listmania List entitled A Guide for the Perplexed: Andrew Hill's Lifetime of Achievement that is a fairly complete listing of his recorded work as a leader.
Hill was one of the great composers and pianist of recent jazz history. It is nice to finally have so much of his earlier work available again. Peruse and enjoy.
She has a very soft and sexy singing style. Not too much in the style of many of the newer female artists that sound processed. I am happy with this album as a whole. You can listen to the first to the last track without skipping anything. Nothing disappointing.
The CD cover looks like a scene from some fantasy movie, and that's just what you get musically; Dreamy harmonies, guitars, horns, keys, and Goapele's ethereal voice delicately floating above it all.
Title track "Change it all" is a midtempo look at the crumbling state of society around. Continuing the social commentary are the upbeat, optimistic "Find a way", and the more mellow "If we knew".
"Different" is a lush ballad featuring Clyde Carson providing some soft, unobtrusive rapping, while "You" featuring Dwele is a simply stunning seventies style soul ballad (with sparkling, echoey effects). The piano tinkling "First love" is another groovy midtempo number.
The clap filled guitar driven "Love me right" is a pleasant change with a slight rock feel, as is the similar "Fly away".
Vocally, Goapele reminds me of Amel Larrieux (check her out too). In a word, Fantastic!!!
"Featuring world-class music from world-class artists, 'Change' delivers a promising future for the advancement of Assyrian music while honoring its past with tributes to the late, great Biba."
Product Description
Featuring the hit single "Guitari", "Change" offers an array of sultry rhythms and smooth acoustic sounds with a pop music feel that only Walter Aziz can pull off so well. The album contains songs in the Assyrian language, blurring the boundaries between Middle Eastern and Latin sounds.
Change
Change,Walter Aziz
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Some People Change
Montgomery Gentry Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
| Contemporary Country
| Country
| Styles
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| Bluegrass
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ASIN: B000ICLTGE Release Date: 2006-10-24 |
Tracks:
- Some People Change
- Hey Country
- Lucky Man
- Takes All Kinds
- Your Tears Are Comin'
- Clouds
- Twenty Years Ago
- What Do Ya Think About That
- Redder Than That
- A Man's Job
- If You Wanna Keep An Angel
- Free Ride In The Fast Lane
Amazon.com
It might have been tempting to subtitle the latest from Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry ...And Some People Don't. Though the soaring title ballad that opens the album celebrates the power of redemptive transformation, much of the material finds the duo pledging allegiance to roots that remain proudly hick ("Hey Country," with its interplay of banjo and screaming rock guitars) and defiantly redneck ("Redder," "What Do You Think About That"). Highlights include a deathbed reconciliation between a stubborn father and his rebellious son on "20 Years Ago" and a revenge song that channels a "Pretty Woman" groove on "Your Tears Are Coming." Wherever Montgomery Gentry are taking their music, they haven't forgotten where they came from. --Don McLeeseCustomer Reviews:
Another Great Effort From Montgomery Gentry.......2007-06-19
good enough.......2007-06-12
Montgomery Gentry knows who they are........2007-06-04
This album goes through a wide swing of emotions from love, to grief, to joy, to pride, to deviousness. The emotional range of this album has me going up and down each time I listen to it.
Some People Change also celebrates another collection other than the emotional: the range of difference between people themselves. "Some People Change" and "Takes All Kinds" are anthems to real people, celebrating the differences that make the world go around. Without each person being their own spoke in the wheel, the world couldn't turn.
And songs like "What Do You Think About That", "Redder Than That", and "Hey Country" demonstrate that Montgomery Gentry knows what spoke they are. They're the good ol' redneck boys that we all know and love.
More country rock, less shlock!.......2007-05-29
"Clouds" is the highlight!.......2007-04-12
I have lost five people out of my family in the last year and half... and this song "Clouds" made me just break down and cry. I don't cry easily at movies or songs, but this just hit home and you knew that Montgomery got it with the death of his son and father. For me... the rest of the album was good, but is so pale compared to the masterpiece of "Clouds".
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Sea Change
Beck Manufacturer: Interscope ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
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ASIN: B00006F7S4 Release Date: 2002-09-24 |
Tracks:
- The Golden Age
- Paper Tiger
- Guess I'm Doin' Fine
- Lonesome Tears
- Lost Cause
- End Of The Day
- It's All In Your Mind
- Round The Bend
- Already Dead
- Sunday Sun
- Little One
Amazon.com
Beck is bummed. Really bummed. And if song titles such as "Lost Cause," "Lonesome Tears," "Already Dead," and "Nothing I Haven't Seen" don't make the point, his achingly sad lyrics and Sea Change's unerringly downcast sound do. While 1998's Mutations--arguably the singer-songwriter's masterwork and Sea Change's spiritual cousin--was filled with unflinching self-examination, moments of levity were found in songs like "Tropicalia." Not so on Sea Change. Beck's woozy, almost narcoleptic delivery seems to amplify the set's sense of ennui. But sad isn't necessarily bad, and despite the somber tone, there's much to praise, not the least of which is the return of producer Nigel Goderich (Mutations, Radiohead), who wraps Beck's gloom in a dreamy, warm blanket of soft strings and floating bleeps and gurgles. Like Daniel Lanois, Goderich is all about vibe, and even Beck's most bare-bones songs benefit from billowy atmospherics. That's especially true of "Paper Tiger," a restless, slowly building epic improbably propelled by a languid orchestra and Beck's expressionless drone. The inky black feel of "Round the Bend"--a glacially slow dirge with muffled vocals--may be the darkest thing Beck's ever written, not counting the very grim "Already Dead." Whatever's going on in Beck's world, at least we know he's purging, which, all things considered, may be better for his soul than ours. --Kim HughesCustomer Reviews:
Best Album Ever.......2007-07-17
Depressed Beck.......2007-07-05
Start to finish, it finds a sound and rolls along its gentle, mournful waves all the way to the finish. But there are few bright spots (and not just in an emotional sense). "Lonesome Tears" has a heart-tearing rush and sonic building conclusion, "The Golden Age" floats by like a darkening cloud, and "Lost Cause" is a gorgeously desperate plea (which, like many songs on here, is aimed at one or more of his former celebrity significant others). Few others are worth remembering--always listenable, but rarely exemplary--but the album as a whole deserves to be spun at least a couple of times.
Best cuts: "Lost Cause," "Lonesome Tears," "The Golden Age," "Round the Bend," "Sunday Sun," "Little One," "Paper Tiger," "End of the Day"
Gotta love Beck.......2007-06-27
perfect antidote to ease a chaotic mindset.......2007-06-18
Beck reallly needs to give up scientology.......2007-05-21
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Small Change
Tom Waits Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Singer-Songwriters
| Pop
| Styles
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ASIN: B000002GY9 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen)
- Step Right Up
- Jitterbug Boy (Sharing A Curbstone With Chuck E. Weiss, Robert Marchese, Paul Body And The Mug...
- I Wish I Was In New Orleans (In The Ninth Ward)
- The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)
- Invitation To The Blues
- Pasties And A G-String (At The Two O'Clock Club)
- Bad Liver And A Broken Heart (In Lowell)
- The One That Got Away
- Small Change (Got Rained On With His Own .38)
- I Can't Wait To Get Off Work (And See My Baby On Montgomery Avenue)
Customer Reviews:
Vintage Tom Waits.......2007-05-21
Tom Waits at his best..............2007-05-17
AMAZING.......2007-04-17
es como en el medio de la soledad, hallar un bar abierto a la madrugada.... .......2007-03-14
A poetic, gritty album.......2007-01-02
The X-rated rap "Pasties & a G-String" is alone worth the price of admission, but there are other songs that stand among the best in Waits's extensive catalogue: namely, the beautiful "Tom Traubert's Blues," and the witty "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)". These three songs hold up the rest of the album. Not that anything on here is bad--good heavens, no. It's all worth listening to repeatedly. I would listen to it in small doses, though--sometimes, that's the best way to take the truth.
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A Change Is Gonna Come
Leela James Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0007Z9RBG Release Date: 2005-06-21 |
Tracks:
- Intro
- Music
- Good Time
- Ghetto
- Untitled
- Soul Food
- Rain
- Untitled
- When You Love Somebody
- Mistreating Me
- Don't Speak
- Untitled
- My Joy
- It's Alright
- Didn't I
- Prayer
- Untitled
- A Change Is Gonna Come
- Long Time Coming
Album Description
With a dynamic,utterly distinctive blend of breathtaking rhythm & blues, fiery funk and roof-raising gospel inflections, Leela James delivers original music with a vocal prowess that both honors and advances the cause of true soul music. On A Change Is Gonna Come, her stunning debut album produced by some of today's biggest names-from Kanye West and Wyclef Jean to Commissioner Gordon and Raphael Saadiq-Leela James reaches back to the best and brings it up to the date for today...and tomorrow.Customer Reviews:
4-1/2 stars -- Black-and-blue-eyed soul.......2007-07-18
Even though the subject matter of "Music" is starting to get played out, I don't understand why most of the reviewers don't seem to like that song. But it IS true that the rest of the songs are a lot better than that. "Good Time" and "Rain" are just plain funky, while "Soul Food" is very satisfying. And if you think you'll already know what "Mistreating Me" is about, just listen to the song and you'll find some very interesting lyrics. Kanye West also drops in to produce two back-to-back gems that compliment each other: "It's Alright" and "Didn't I".
I don't know if I'll do like another reviewer and put Leela in the same league as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin (although she does a damn good job with her rendition of Sam Cooke's title track); speaking of remakes, her cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" is also quality. But that leads me to another point. As reviewer E. Sims says, Leela's singing voice sounds a little too much like Joss Stone's, and the thing about that is, well, not to be cruel, but it's like this: when a white artist sings "black" music in a soulful voice, it's invigorating. When it's the other way around, it's a little odd. In other words, Leela sounds like a white person singing like a black person, which might not sit right with everyone.
But that doesn't really bother me, and it's also not the reason why I knocked half a star off my rating; the reason is because the Wyclef-assisted "Ghetto" completely threw everything off. But A Change Is Gonna Come still proves that Leela James deserves much more attention than she's getting, so help her get some by picking this up.
Anthony Rupert
Ms. Leela.......2007-07-09
Would give 6 stars if I could...........2007-06-14
Soul found its resting place in Leela James THROAT!!!.......2007-06-13
Speechless.........2007-01-28
HIGHLY recommended!
For music lovers that give this cd anything below a 5..you don't appreciate GOOD music!
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The Very Best of Change
Change Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Disco
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ASIN: B000007RPY Release Date: 1998-06-30 |
Tracks:
- A Lover's Holiday
- Searching
- The Glow Of Love
- Paradise
- Hold Tight
- The Very Best In You
- Hard Times (It's Gonna Be Alright)
- This Is Your Time
- Don't Wait Another Night
- Change Of Heart
- You Are My Melody
- Say You Love Me Again
- Turn On Your Radio
- Let's Go Together
Customer Reviews:
Nice CD, BUT It's Missing A Key Song From 1985!!.......2007-05-15
As for 'The Very Best Of Change', Atlantic / Rhino provides improved sound (when compare to 'The Best Of Chic' CD from 1991), and the detailed liner notes would've been better if rare photos were included. As for the tracklisting, it's quite stellar, but not perfect! Most of the group's hits from 1980 - 1985 are represented here, but I'd recommend a 'few changes' (no pun intended!). Replace the radio edit of 'A Lover's Holiday' with the 6+ minute full length version & also include the group's final hit, 'Mutual Attraction' (1985). There's enough room on the CD for these changes (I remastered my original CD to include the additional music!), so Atlantic / Rhino's mistake prevents the CD from getting 5 stars (IMO).
At any rate, I recommend 'The Very Best Of Change' (as well as 'The Glow Of Love' CD from 1980!) to fans who don't care to buy the expensive individual import CDs. Enjoy a blast from the past!
Peace, SD
(Chakasworld)
Soul Train on a Saturday afternoon in 1982.......2007-03-07
The Very Best Of Change.......2006-11-11
I made this decision because Rhino would not let me do a 2 CD set because they thought that it would not sell at that price point. So to get the ORIGINAL LONG VERSIONS of ALL the other songs, at the time not available on CD, on a single CD I chose to use the single versions of the 3 songs from the debut album.
Here are the liner notes from inside the CD which I wrote for this release:
THE VERY BEST OF CHANGE
It was May of 1980. I was in San Francisco at the tourist trap Fisherman's Wharf with my high school German language class in my junior year. While the rest of the kids were walking around soaking up the smell of boiling crabs and a bay breeze, I was sneaking away to Tower Records at Columbus & Bay. When I walked in, I heard the most amazing music. All of the people working at the counter were grooving to the beat and quite excited about this new record they had just got in a few minutes earlier. I stood there in the middle of the store in amazement, soaking up the funky bass, soulful vocals, and a groove that sho' nuff wanted to make my body move. But as a shy 16 year old boy from Turlock, a farming town 100 miles east of the big city, I was hesitant to ask what was playing on the stereo. Finally, I got up the courage to ask someone and the dancing Tower employee gleefully held up the most beautiful album cover I had ever seen and said " It's Change - they're hot!" I proceeded to ask what asile would find a copy. The records were not yet out of the boxes, but he went in back and brought me out a copy. Since it was the record currently playing, he gave me the sale price. Boy, was I excited! I just got the hottest dance music from the city to bring home so my best friend Lauren Camarata and I could practice our Latin Hustle and Bus Stop in her parent's living room!
During the bus ride home everyone was asking what was in the big yellow Tower Records bag. I proceeded to show them the stark white album cover with the orange and black abstract shapes. "What's that" they asked. "Change - the hottest new disco record" I replied. "Never heard of them" was the usual response. This didn't surprise me. If it wasn't AC/DC or Journey they didn't get it. That was the beginning of what became a ritual for me every May for the next 5 years - a new Change album.
The music Change made remained true to the origins of dance music, namely R&B. Their fusion of soulful rhythm & blues and the harder-edged euro-disco gave birth to a timeless style that still sounds fresh today. In the beginning, Change's music was recorded in Italy and the soulful vocals were recorded by top R&B session singers in New York. The combination was exactly what the people on the dance floor wanted.
In 1980 dance music was going through many changes. Disco, the out of control cultural phenomenon - not the music, was going through a serious backlash in America. Everyone from The Beach Boys to Ethel Merman had made a disco record. These puerile attempts at dance music not only appalled popular music purists, but made the ultra-hip dance community feel invaded by mainstream attempts to capitalize on their sound. But disco, the music style, was continuing to evolve as it has since it's humble beginnings in New York in the early 1970's. Yet mainstay disco artists were abandoning the genre. Chic was leaning towards R&B while Donna Summer's music became more rock oriented. (Ever tried dancing to "The Wanderer?") Clubland was searching for a change in the musical tempo. They wanted a sound they could call their own again.
Change seamlessly picked up the disco mirror ball where Chic dropped it - in the middle of the neon-lit dance floor. Like many other artists that were influenced by Chic, Change was "classy disco"- lots of strings, smooth vocals, a slappy bass, clad in fashionable designer clothing. This describes lots of dance music and artists from the early part of the 1980's. Listen to and look at Ashford & Simpson's "Found A Cure", Shalamar's "In The Socket", The Whispers' "And The Beat Goes On" or Change's "Paradise" and you will hear timeless music that sounds as contemporary today as it did in 1980. Yet Change's music had a harder edge than other R&B/Disco hits like Kool & The Gang's "Celebration." Their euro-disco influence is what set them apart from the rest.
But who is Change?
Change was an ever changing amalgamation of studio musicians from Italy and session vocalists from the United States led by Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi. Petrus, a native of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, met Malavasi in 1975 while he was studying at the Conservatory of Bologna. They formed a production company with the aim of becoming "The Italian Gamble & Huff." Petrus and Malavasi proceeded to recruit Italian musicians David Romani and Paolo Gianolio and utilized their composing and arranging talents. The team's first project was a studio concept called Macho, whose disco cover version of the Spencer Davis Group classic "I'm A Man," became a big European hit and peaked at # 6 on Billboard's National Disco Action Top 40 in October 1978.
Their goal was to blend the soulful, R&B derived elements of American disco with harder-edged euro-disco stylings . Petrus, the business man, and Malavasi, the music man, produced the rhythm tracks for the first Change album in December of 1979 in their Bologna studio. Their strategy was to go to America with the completed music tracks and find the right singers to create the Change sound.
In New York, The Disco Capital Of The World, they found non other than Luther Vandross. An accomplished session and background singer, vocal arranger and songwriter, Vandross had sung background on David Bowie's Young Americans album and tour and co-wrote "Fascination," a song from that album. He also provided the soulful, smokey vocal to the European smash "Hot Butterfly (a.k.a. Papillon)" by Gregg Diamond's studio group Bionic Boogie. But his most well-known vocal performance, at that point, was a Kentucky Fried Chicken television commercial.
For female lead and background vocals Petrus and Malavasi enlisted the pipes of Jocelyn Shaw. The result of all this trans-Atlantic work was the first Change album The Glow Of Love. The album became an international smash. In America it exploded to the top of Billboard's Disco Top 100 in just six weeks. It stayed there for an amazing nine weeks, long enough to become Billboard's #1 Disco Single/Album of 1980.
Petrus and Malavasi had achieved their dream - a hit in America. But what next? Well, the formula worked once, so they repeated their previous footsteps and one year later released their second album Miracles. As before, the album rocketed to the top of Billboard's Disco Top 100 in six weeks and stayed at the top for five weeks. Billboard ranked Miracles, with the key track "Paradise," as the #3 Disco Single/Album of the year in 1981.
By this time the comparisons to disco supergroup Chic were more than coincidental. Not only did both groups' records reside next to each other in my alphabetical record collection, but both had a similar sound, especially the velvet smooth harmony vocals, lush strings, and dominant bass lines. The similarities were never more apparent than on the Miracles album. Luther was replaced by James "Crab" Robinson for male lead vocals and Diva Gray was brought in for female lead vocals. Background vocals were supplied by Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Fonzi Thornton, and Ullanda McCullough all of who were the core background vocalists on numerous Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers productions. Even Change's label RFC Records was distributed by Chic's label Atlantic Records.
By the time their third album was ready for release, disco was dead, well at least that's what middle-America thought. In reality, disco evolved into Hi-NRG. In 1982 the Change sound was more R&B than dance. New Wave had infiltrated the dance chart and people were dancing to the sounds of The Thompson Twins, Tom-Tom Club and Billy Idol. Change was neither Hi-NRG nor New Wave.
So the album Sharing Your Love and the single "The Very Best In You" had a disappointing chart run on Billboard's Dance/Disco Top 80, peaking at #30. Another possible reason for such a daunting chart run could be that another similar sounding song was charting simultaneously. Petrus & Malavasi had set up offices in New York and took on other production projects. One such endeavor was the Ritchie Family. They were a studio group of ever changing musicians and female vocalists created by Village People creator and producer Jacques Morali. Together they had a string of #1 dance records to their credit. Petrus & Malavasi wrote and produced the song "I'll Do My Best (For You Baby)." RCA released the single at the same time as "The Very Best In You." Both songs peaked on the dance chart the same week in June 1982. The Ritchie Family tune at #17, Change at #30. Both songs use the word "best" and while different songs, both have a distinct family resemblance. "I'll Do My Best (For You Baby)" can be found on The Best Of The Ritchie Family (Hot Productions HTCD 41-2). Did these records compete for club play? Their chart histories certainly suggest so.
Meanwhile on the R&B chart "The Very Best In You" was competing with another
Petrus & Malavasi production by Capitol Records' trio High Fashion whose song "Feelin' Lucky Lately" peaked at #32 while "The Very Best In You" peaked at #16. High Fashion was from New York City and was comprised of Erick McClinton and future R&B divas Mell'sa Morgan and Alyson Williams. This song would musically fit on any Change album. It can be found on Rhino's The Disco Years, Volume 5: Must Be The Music (70276).
By 1982, for the Sharing Your Love album, the Change lineup had stabilized. For the first time the cover was not an abstract Greg Porto design, but a group photo. Porto remained art director. Petrus & Malavasi still utilized other musicians on the records, but relied on the core group for image and now touring.
For their fourth album, This Is Your Time, the group still consisted of the same musicians as the year before. The cover art returned to a stark white background and a geometrical abstract Porto design. The music continued to sound like Change. The single "This Is Your Time" peaked at #39 on the dance chart and #3 R&B.
In 1984 it was obvious that it was time for a change for Change. While consistently charting, no records were being broken. Change needed a fresh sound. Petrus hired the ultra-hot James "Jimmy Jam" Harris & Terry Lewis to produce the fifth Change album Change Of Heart. Jam and Lewis were alumni of Prince's Minneapolis purple empire as former members of The Time. Hot from writing and producing the 1983 top five R&B hits "Just Be Good To Me" and "Tell Me If You Still Care" for The S.O.S. Band and the number one "Encore" for Cheryl Lynn, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis embarked on what is probably the only record in history to be recorded in both Italy and Minnesota. The song "Change Of Heart" became another hit for Change peaking at #7 R&B and #17 Dance. Jam and Lewis had produced the most exciting Change album since the debut set the world on fire four years earlier.
Since then Jam & Lewis went on to write and produce numerous smashes for Cherelle, Alexander O'Neal, Rod Stewart, The Human League and of course Janet Jackson. Listen to Alexander O'Neal's first single "Innocent", it sounds remarkably like "Change Of Heart", just as "Say You Love Me Again" uses the same chord progression as Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait Awhile." Funny how the two European groups that Jam & Lewis produced both ended up with eponymous hit songs and album titles: "Human" by The Human League and "Change Of Heart"!?
Time changes everything and by 1984 Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi were no longer a team. That's why Petrus hired Jam & Lewis for the fifth Change album. Petrus was always the business end of Change, Malavasi the musical half. When it came time for a sixth and final Change album, Petrus looked inward to Change instead of outward. He utilized the writing and production talents of keyboardist Timmy Allen and even co-wrote two songs himself. The album did not do very well. Musically it's the weakest album of their career. The single "Let's Go Together" peaked at #56 on the R&B chart. Even the album cover seemed to be uninspired. The passion was obviously gone, and the music suffered.
Lead vocalist Deborah Cooper went on to sing for C & C Music Factory on their 1992 hits "Pride (In The Name Of Love)", the cover version of the U2 song, the original "(Pride) A Deeper Love", before Aretha Franklin covered it, and "Keep It Comin" (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More)". Members Jeff Bova and Timmy Allen have gone on to become two of the top session musicians in the world in the 1990's.
Change has always been a favorite group of mine. Mainly because I love the smooth disco-soul sound of the early 80's. But also because not many people remember Change and my best friend Lauren and I always felt Change to be our little musical secret. As I began research for this project, I realized that more people than I thought knew of Change. Now in 1998 it is still great to hear "Lover's Holiday" on Groove Radio 103.1 here in Los Angeles as a Classic Groove. We always knew it was!
I compiled this collection back in 1986 on a cassette for my own personal enjoyment. It is a dream come true to see it finally released. So close your windows, turn your stereo up to 11 and boogie down to this fabulous CD. You know that is exactly what I will be doing.
This collection DOES extend past Luther's songs..........2006-10-26
BAD Italian.......2006-07-29
Before the group took on their "Chic" overtones, "A Lover's Holiday", "The Glow of Love" and "Searchin'" (the last two cuts being why I wanted the compilation in the first place - Luther is just flat SANGin' on both of those) were all a part of the original "Change" group ("The Glow of Love" album). And, all three of these cuts are a part of "The Very Best of Change". What's my beef, then, as what I wanted is all a part of this CD?? THESE ARE ABBREVIATED RENDERINGS!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!! These cuts are NOT their original length!!! When I heard it, initially, I thought something had happened to my playback device (which, in this case, was my Bose II Wave Radio.....you KNOW I was gettin' upSET!). But, for some unknown reason, these cuts are abbreviated, RIGHT when it starts gettin' GOOD, ya know?? The cuts are re-engineered to fade right on out.
So, gentle reader, my next move is to see if I can find "The Glow of Love" as a stand-alone CD (I also like "Paradise" from a later album, again why I got the "Very Best" CD - fade that one out, too). But, if you don't mind this, the CD was in EXcellent shape, arrived promptly, etc. BUT......if you are lookin' forward to hearing that original, aMAzing, CHANGE sound that would be like FINE Italian cooking......I would suggest that you find some good Chinese.
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A Change of Seasons
Dream Theater Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000002HK4 Release Date: 1995-09-19 |
Tracks:
- Change Of Seasons
- Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
- Perfect Strangers
- The Rover / Achilles Last Stand / The Song Remains The Same
- The Big Medley
Customer Reviews:
The definitive progressive metal song, and some great covers too!.......2007-06-28
Quite simply, A Change of Seasons is the greatest progressive metal song ever recorded. I know that's a bold statement, but I just can't see anyone listening to this 23-minute epic and coming away unimpressed. A Change of Seasons really sums up everything that Dream Theater is all about. It combines an epic song structure, brilliant technical musical performances, emotional and insightful lyrics into an epic odyssey through the various stages of life. It's one of the most ambitious metal songs ever recorded, and as technical and progressive as it may get, it never ventures into the self-indulgent excesses that often plague the progressive rock and metal genres. The instrumental sections aren't excuses to show off, but rather essential chapters in the overall story that maintain the mood and emotion of the songs in a way that mere words could never do.
I know some will argue that later Dream Theater epics like the title track from Octavarium or the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence suite are superior to A Change of Seasons, but to me this song is untouchable. Years later it has the power to make my jaw drop in amazement, and I still find myself wishing the song never had to end. Since the conclusion of the song represents the conclusion of life itself, I think that says something about of this one "little" song.
While such a monumental song could have been worth the price of admission all by itself (see Edge of Sanity's Crimson), the band didn't stop there, instead opting to include a host of live cover performances that further demonstrate both their influences and their versatility. The Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple covers weren't entirely unexpected, but come on, Elton John? Can anyone honestly say they saw that one coming? It's all brilliant stuff, particularly the mash-up at the end called the Big Medley, which features bits of songs by Queen, Pink Floyd, Dixie Dregs, Kansas, Genesis, and even Journey.
Here's the bottom line. A Change of Seasons is an absolute masterpiece that is a must-have for every single Dream Theater fan and everyone who enjoys progressive metal. It may be a bit heavy for some traditional progressive rock fans, but I've generally found that crowd to be pretty open minded, so I think they'd enjoy it as well.
DTs Best Song, and Most Underrated.......2007-06-08
It starts with an acoustic interlude, which leads into a roaring riff from Petrucci. It continues like this for a while, fading between great drums, great bass, great guitar - and then the vocals come in.
The best DT lyrics ever are in this song, all about missed opportunities and chances. Beautifully sung by LaBrie.
About 14 minutes in is one of the greatest moments in music, and DTs finest. The lyrics are powerful, the music haunting - its a perfect emotional buildup, leading into a bluesy solo by petrucci.
The whole thing continues to unfold, over proggy soundscapes to acoustic interludes, until it reaches the last verse.
Its a ridiculously ambitious album, flawlessly pulled of by the masters of technical music today, by far their most underrated. I STRONGLY advise anyone new to Dream Theater to buy this. An awesome album. 5 stars.
Fantastic!!!.......2007-04-11
Dream Theater Full Length EP.......2007-01-30
The Next Step.......2007-01-11
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Change
Andrew Hill Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000PITXN2 Release Date: 2007-06-05 |
Tracks:
- Violence
- Pain
- Illusion
- Hope
- Lust
- Desire
- Violence
- Desire
Customer Reviews:
Caveat emptor.......2007-06-10
For whatever reason, Blue Note did not issue this until the mid-70s as part of a Sam Rivers twofer and the session was entitled Involution. If you have that session, then you already have tracks 1-6. Tracks 7 and 8 were released as part of Mosaic's Complete Andrew Hill Sessions 1963-1966.
I have a copy of the Mosaic Complete Blue Note Sam Rivers Sessions but I do not have it in front of me at the moment. It should contain this session as well. Thus my title- if you own any of the above titles, you already own all or part of this CD.
The other part of my title refers to the fact that not everybody likes this phase of Hill's career. I love it but there are those who thinks it is too cerebral or chaotic or some such. The samples on this page should let you know what to expect. But make sure to listen to Pain which is a sweet little Monkish trio piece.
For those of you who like the free stuff, I suggest the following Hill titles: Point of Departure, Compulsion, Strange Serenade, this title and the Mosaic Select Box 16 which includes a couple of late-60s unreleased Blue Notes sessions that are outstanding. For those of you that prefer the more In the Tradition side of Hill, I suggest Black Fire, Judgement, Dance with Death or Time Lines for something more recent. I also have a Listmania List entitled A Guide for the Perplexed: Andrew Hill's Lifetime of Achievement that is a fairly complete listing of his recorded work as a leader.
Hill was one of the great composers and pianist of recent jazz history. It is nice to finally have so much of his earlier work available again. Peruse and enjoy.
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Change in the Weather
Eric Lindell Manufacturer: Alligator Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000EGDMXW Release Date: 2006-04-04 |
Tracks:
- Give It Time
- Two-Bit Town
- Feel Like I Do
- All ALone
- Should Have Known
- Casanova
- See Me Through
- Sunny Daze
- It Won't Be Long
- Sad But True
- Let Me Know
- Uncle John
- Lady Jane
- Lazy Days
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Although this is his first nationally distributed album, Eric Lindell is probably already tired of hearing himself tagged as "blue-eyed soul." But there is truth in that description. Sounding somewhat similar to Delbert McClinton and, with his lanky frame and scraggly beard, looking a bit like a tattooed young Bruce Springsteen/Tom Waits mashup, Lindell has the pipes, the style, and the songs to break out of his bluesy niche and into the mainstream. Recorded at various times in California and New Orleans with a revolving cast of musicians, Change in the Weather falls between a laid-back West Coast-styled soul, gritty Crescent City R&B, and a bit of frisky reggae. Despite the scattershot recording of these tracks, Lindell focuses the album's styles with dynamic and subtly emotional vocals that float with insistent assurance. Horns punctuate the Stax-styled "All Alone" and the breezy Caribbean groove of "It Won't Be Long" adds layers to the already warm, soulful approach. While he never takes a solo, Lindell's ever-present rhythm guitar drives the sound, filling the spaces but leaving room for his low-key, commanding voice. He's clearly enjoying himself, and that enthusiasm shoots out of the speakers due to the singer's snappy, never fussy production and smartly arranged tunes that call you back for another listen. On the basis of Change in the Weather, the forecast for Eric Lindell is--like his music--brisk, crisp, and balmy. --Hal HorowitzAlbum Description
California-born, New Orleans-schooled singer/songwriter/vocalist Eric Lindell is a roots rocker with dozens of original songs that combine soul shaking rhythm & blues, reggae grooves, swamp pop and blues. Lindell is a fan favorite in his northern California turf and his adopted home of New Orleans (where he was featured on the cover of OffBeat magazine and performed on the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival). He is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and bass, and has performed with some of the Crescent City's top musicians as well as some of the jam band community's biggest names (including members of Galactic). The winner of the "1999 John Lennon Songwriting Competition" for his song Kelly Ann, Lindell is now ready to bring his rough-hewn voice and memorable original songs to the rest of the music-loving world with the release of his Alligator Records debut, CHANGE IN THE WEATHER.CHANGE IN THE WEATHER will delight and surprise music fans hungry for an extraordinary, original artist who is just getting ready to explode. Lindell's songs are cliche-free, completely original and yet have an instant familiarity to them. The laid-back grooves and hook-laden melodies hint of 1970's-era Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen, but are not throwbacks as much as they are powerful, rootsy, thought-provoking and danceable contemporary songs. Traces of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles and Sly and the Family Stone can be found in Eric's originals, with foot-stomping grooves coming around every corner and horns punching in all the right places. Guests on the CD include War drummer Harold Brown, Ivan Neville, and Galactic's Stanton Moore.
Customer Reviews:
Fresh and Fabulous.......2007-02-16
Makes Your Shoes Move.......2007-02-14
Nasty (as in awesome) Debut.......2006-12-11
Better Than I expected.......2006-09-14
simply excellent.......2006-08-09
Average customer rating:
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Change It All
Goapele Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues
| Blues
| Styles
| Music
Contemporary R&B
| R&B
| Styles
| Music
General
| R&B
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soul
| R&B
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rap & Hip-Hop
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000A2APVW Release Date: 2005-12-27 |
Tracks:
- Intro
- Change It All
- First Love
- Love Me Right
- 4 AM
- Different
- Crushed Out
- Fly Away
- Fina A Way
- If We Knew
- You
- Good Love
- Battle Of The Heart
- Darker Side Of The Moon
- Bonus Track 1
Customer Reviews:
Change It All.......2007-07-16
soul sister.......2007-06-27
Impressive.......2007-05-10
She has a very soft and sexy singing style. Not too much in the style of many of the newer female artists that sound processed. I am happy with this album as a whole. You can listen to the first to the last track without skipping anything. Nothing disappointing.
Dreamy!!.......2007-05-02
The CD cover looks like a scene from some fantasy movie, and that's just what you get musically; Dreamy harmonies, guitars, horns, keys, and Goapele's ethereal voice delicately floating above it all.
Title track "Change it all" is a midtempo look at the crumbling state of society around. Continuing the social commentary are the upbeat, optimistic "Find a way", and the more mellow "If we knew".
"Different" is a lush ballad featuring Clyde Carson providing some soft, unobtrusive rapping, while "You" featuring Dwele is a simply stunning seventies style soul ballad (with sparkling, echoey effects). The piano tinkling "First love" is another groovy midtempo number.
The clap filled guitar driven "Love me right" is a pleasant change with a slight rock feel, as is the similar "Fly away".
Vocally, Goapele reminds me of Amel Larrieux (check her out too). In a word, Fantastic!!!
Ausar007.......2007-01-13
Average customer rating: 
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Boats Against the Current/Change of Heart
Eric Carmen Manufacturer: American Beat ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Soft Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P46PEQ Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Boats Against the Current
- Marathon Man
- Nowhere to Hide
- Take It or Leave It
- Love Is All That Matters
- She Did It
- I Think I Found Myself
- Runaway
- Desperate Fools Overture
- Haven't We Come a Long Way
- End of the World
- Heaven Can Wait
- Baby I Need Your Lovin'
- Change of Heart
- Hey Deanie
- Someday
- Desperate Fools
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- Electro 33
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