Best of Acoustic Guitar [Import]

Product Description
A selection of the best performances during the acoustic guitar festival in Sarzana. Including fantastic live pieces by John Renbourn, Alex de Grassi, Tommy Emmanuel and many more. CNI.

Best of Acoustic Guitar,Best of Acoustic Guitar,Rock/Pop Collections

Average customer rating: Genius Like No One Else Best one stop buy for Love Love - 'The Best Of .....' (Rhino) 4 1/2 stars The Best of Love What Is Missing

The Best of Love Love Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Garage Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Baroque Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Forever Changes Love The Forever Changes Concert Four Sail Moby Grape ASIN: B00007LTIE Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

1. My Little Red Book
2. Can't Explain
3. Softly To Me
4. No Matter What You Do
5. Hey Joe
6. Signed D.C.
7. Seven & Seven Is
8. Stephanie Knows Who
9. Orange Skies
10. Que Vida!
11. She Comes In Colors
12. Alone Again Or
13. Andmoreagain
14. Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
15. Live And Let Live
16. You Set The Scene
17. Your Mind And We Belong Together
18. Laughing Stock
19. Singing Cowboy
20. Your Friend And Mine-Neil's Song
21. Robert Montgomery
22. Always See Your Face

Album Description

The definitive single disc collection. 22 album tracks & hard-to-find singles including, 'Alone Again Or', 'My Little Red Book', 'Seven & Seven Is', 'Hey Joe', & more. Elektra/Rhino. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Genius Like No One Else.......2007-01-05

One of the most brilliant and iconoclastic bands in all of rock, "Love" (aka, "Arthur Lee and Love") has a unique sound that defies categorization. Web encyclopedia "Wikipedia" lists them in genres rock and roll," folk-rock." Psychedelic rock," and Psych-Folk," all labels which are essentially accurate, but none of which, of course, encapsulates their sound and attitude. They're a paradoxical group, based in L.A. but with San Francisco sensibilities, remarkably angry but incredibly tender, destined for fortune but ending with fame (although within a relatively small circle).

Still, one is tempted to find some antecedents to their meandering mixture of punk, balladry, beach music, jazz, and the hodgepodge of styles and sounds that became known as "psychedelia." A comparison with other groups yields a wine-tasting compendium of notes: Pre-dating them, I hear the loose, raucous, playful sound of the Kingsmen's 1965 recording of "Louie, Louie," the romantic lyricism, precious posturing, and baroque textures of Left Banke's "Pretty Ballerina (1966)," the Stones' 1967 "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" and "Dandelion," Donovan, and the mid-1960`s politics and experimentation of the Yardbirds. Contemporary sounds include the Stones (who apparently lifted some of the lyrics to "She Comes in Colors"), the Kinks, with their own fresh musical synthesis (Ray Davies would later produce one of Love's albums), the very electric guitar solos recalling Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix, and the humor, parody, and harmonies of the Turtles. (Arthur Lee produced a 1964 record with Hendrix on guitar, and Hendrix appeared on the group's 1970 "False Start" album). Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list, but it perhaps suggests the heterogeneity of their influences, producing a unique and varying collection of songs.

Probably their three most famous numbers are the punk-Neanderthal version of Burt Bacharach's (!) "Little Red Book," "Seven and Seven Is," also known as "the atom bomb song" because of its thunderous A-bomb closing, and an ultra-fast version of Billy Roberts' "Hey Joe" (most famously done by Hendrix). "Little Red Book" mocks the original, with a dominating and driving beat--anchored in the drums and bass--that prefigures Punk. Love's version of "Hey Joe" is sheer genius, the vocals break up the lyrics into nursery rhyme fragments, in ironic contrast to the homicidal, misogynistic lyrics ("I shot my old lady down").

While there are many facets to "Love," their romantic, free-spirited (but less well-known) songs contrast most heavily with the hits mentioned above. These songs don't have the easy structure that marked pop/rock music of the era, but drift in several directions--a little like Jefferson Airplane, but again, pretty hard to compare to anyone else. "Orange Sky" and "She Comes in Colors" are, respectively, an introspective ballad and a jazz-inflected number that--I hate to say it--seems hippie-like: "...My love, she comes in colors... you can tell her from the clothes she wears," unless it makes you think of Yardley, who (somewhat like the Stones) appropriated the color obsession to sell their products.

Lest the band seem too obscure or inaccessible, just listen to the twin songs of "Alone Again Or" and "And More Again." These are as romantic as anything Bacharach wrote, especially the flamenco-tinged former, in which the band expresses a surprisingly powerful statement of love and idealism. The band creatively used wind instruments: The clarinet gave a floaty jazz feeling to several numbers, and the trumpet and sax supported the rhythm section and supplied solos. "Your Mind and We Belong Together" has a jangly "Byrds" guitar backing, a group that influenced Lee. "Laughing Stock" is an unusual self-referential song that somehow works, while "Your Friend and Mine--Neil's Song," is right out of "The Lovin' Spoonful." "Robert Montgomery" features their deeply "electrified" sound with surprising tempo and chord changes, and outstanding guitar work.

A few more song notes: Fans will know that "From D. C.," a relatively well-known and widely praised song, is about a former band member's bout with drugs, but the remarkable thing is how well the total sound conveys melancholy and yearning. "Can't Explain" is a rollicking sound that seems transplanted from mid-60's London and "Softly to Me" is an oddly endearing love song with awkward repetitions of the word "darling," and "Stephanie Knows Who" is an energetic, even wild kind of punk jazz. In summation, there can be no summation, because no band has ever approached their unique and wildly diverse style. These days we demand a specific identity from our bands--it's easier on our brains, and the commodification sells more records. While this was also true in the buoyant late-1960's days of "Love," the band managed to transcend these limits, and, for a brief time and for too small an audience, to triumph. Rhino Records compilation of their mostly 1967-68 material is an essential document of one of the greatest bands of that or any other era.

Best one stop buy for Love.......2007-01-03

This is a terrific best of album, with most of the songs from 3 different Love albums. Arthur Lee, the lead singer on most songs, is dead now and Bryan McClean, the lead singer on fewer songs, passed away before Arthur did. Sometimes the lyrics are childish and sometimes they are outlandish. But the instrumental backing is always good to great to greatly inspired. For folks who want to know what rock studio music was like in the 60s, this CD is a must.

Love - 'The Best Of .....' (Rhino) 4 1/2 stars.......2006-12-02

Irresistibly priced 22 track repertoire of Love's work,1966-1970.For those of you unfamiliar with Love,they were a 'lesser known' West Coast psych/garage rock band,that in my opinion their main man,Arthur Lee(R.I.P.-earlier this year)was a bit like Jimi Hendrix. Wonder if many would even semi-agree with me on that. Tunes here that'll have many patrons keeping this disc in their player for a bit are "My Little Red Book", "No Matter What You Do", the Leave's cover "Hey Joe", "Signed D.C.", the rocking "Seven And Seven Is", "She Comes in Colours" (didn't I hear this cut in the first Austin Powers movie?), the non-lp single "Laughing Stock" and the low-tempo "Always See Your Face". A should-have.

The Best of Love.......2006-11-06

Since I am a big fan of this group, especially Bryan Maclean, and Arthur Lee in that order, I felt this was a great compulation album to finish my collection of this great siminal mid to late 1960's Rock group.

What Is Missing.......2006-08-08

Any Love compilation is worth any price. But what is not there, is the little gem on the B side of a certain 45 rpm record. When we bought 45s way back when, we always played the B side first, lest we miss any rare gem. In 1967, when Elekta released the single with "7 And 7 Is" as the A side, what else could be on the B side, but "No. Fourteen"(the wit of Arthur Lee is evident with this prank). Not a throwaway, by a long shot, but an interesting tune in its own right. So find the 45 and listen. Rule of thumb when listening to Love: remove your socks first or risk having them knocked off anyway. Noteworthy: If you find a 45 from The Fastest Group Alive with the A side song as "Bears", listen to the B side called "Cotton Picking Time In The Valley". It rivals Love for quirky B sides.

Average customer rating: Charlie Patton and the History of the Blues Best sounding Patton on disc Best available quality, a must own cd!! the best sound! A very fine single-disc overview

The Best of Charlie Patton Charlie Patton Manufacturer: Yazoo ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson The Best of Blind Willie McTell The Original Delta Blues The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James Complete Recorded Works of Son House & the Great Delta Blues Singers ASIN: B0000CC4V5 Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

1. Down The Dirt Road Blues
2. It Won't Be Long
3. High Water Everywhere - Part 1
4. High Sheriff Blues
5. Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues
6. Lord I'm Discouraged
7. Shake It and Break It
8. Rattlesnake Blues
9. Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues
10. A Spoonful Blues
11. Pony Blues
12. Magnolia Blues
13. Moon Going Down
14. I'm Goin' Home
15. Elder Green Blues
16. Jim Lee Blues - Part 1
17. Banty Rooster Blues
18. Jersey Bull Blues
19. I Shall Not Be Moved
20. Going To Move to Alabama
21. Pea Vine Blues
22. Green River Blues
23. Bird Nest Bound

Customer Reviews:

Charlie Patton and the History of the Blues.......2007-05-26

Charlie Patton was one of the great early blues legends, along with others such as Son House. His recordings were of low quality, with a lot of noise that obscured his artistry, as I understand it. This CD, remastered by Yazoo, still has noise, but the voice and instrumental playing emerges, for the most part, cleanly, revealing the artistry of Patton.

The liner notes summarize his importance (page 2): "Charlie Patton (1891-1934) was the most powerful blues recording artist of all time, as well as the most subtle. He was, and remains, a figure of immense significance in blues history." The first sentence may be a bit of hyperbole, but the CD does show us why he is so important. His guitar playing is cleanly done; he provides some of his own rhythm by foot stomping and guitar slapping; his voice is a great blues voice, ranging from softly sung songs to great "exuberation." He established a series of themes, which he would use as the basis for many songs after he began recording, by 1910.

Some illustrative cuts:

"Down the Dirt Road" is a nice example of Patton creating his own percussion effects by foot stomping and guitar tapping. His raw voice does well by the blues song here. This is one of his three best-known themes.

"High Water Everywhere" focuses on a flood in the late 1920s. What a raw powerful voice, as he nearly shouts out the tune at times. The guitar playing is rather simple, but effective. There are some nice backing vocals and the song is taken at a sprightly pace.

"Pony Blues" is perhaps "Patton's signature song. . ." It represents one of his few key themes that he varied as time went on into other songs. The background noise is among the most annoying on the CD, but it does not obscure the work of Patton. Voice and instrumentation change throughout the song. As liner notes say, "Patton's vocal dynamics usually kept his blues from being predictable and boring."

This is a "must buy" for those who want to understand where the blues came from; it represents a key point in understanding the evolution of the blues.

Best sounding Patton on disc.......2006-12-10

I've heard four other discs of Charlie Patton's music and this new Yazoo re-remaster is by far the best sounding. Other Charlie Patton discs sound just plain muddy with too much high-end removed, others are nearly unlistenable, but not this one.

According to the liner notes, this is the first disc allowing the listener to hear "High Sheriff" and "Jersey Bull" at the correct speed. This is the only Patton disc with sound quality earning a five-star review as far as I'm concerned.

Best available quality, a must own cd!!.......2006-07-17

If you want to learn the true roots of Rock n roll, this cd is it!! Patton was a true master of the blues, and his influence changed music forever. Yazoo has done the best job at restoring his music. Do not by any other labels for early blues; Yazoo only deals with the best quality 78 rmp records that exsist.

the best sound!.......2005-01-06

let me echo an earlier review: Yazoo has completely re-mastered these timeless songs from the best available 78's; I have never heard Patton sound so three-dimensional, the remastering bringing more of a living presence to the songs than ever before. I hear things I didn't hear before, the spoken asides jump out, little touches I hadn't noticed... I've listened to Charlie Patton for well over 30 years and have never heard him sound so good. It really is astounding what Yazoo has done. Kudos to Yazoo! Their approach to the remastering this time really paid off. This is the best sounding Patton there is.

A very fine single-disc overview.......2004-04-04

If you're not up for one of the numerous Charlie Patton box sets, this is a really excellent alternative.
Yazoo's "The Best Of Charley Patton" gathers 23 cuts, 70 minutes of music, including "Down The Dirt Road Blues", "Pony Blues", "Shake It And Break It", "Banty Rooster Blues", and numerous others. The sound quality is a good as any disc you'll ever come across, and while these sides certainly aren't as clean as Robert Johnson's or Blind Willie McTell's prewar singles, Yazoo has done a really fine job remastering the songs.

There are other excellent Charlie Patton discs, like Wolf Records' "Pony Blues: His 23 Greatest Songs", Recall's very reasonably priced double-disc overview "Screamin' & Hollerin' The Blues", and Snapper's brand new "Hand It On The Wall", but as far as single disc compilations go, none are better than this one, and few are quite as good.
A very fine purchase. And kudos to Yazoo Records for actually spelling Patton's name the way he spelled it himself!

Average customer rating: Devolution Definitely awesome! I can see your aura and it's ugly... - The Waybacks, wow! I Wan'na Be Like You Haggis

Devolver The Waybacks Manufacturer: Waybacks ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Burger After Church Way Live From the Pasture to the Future The Duhks All the Roadrunning ASIN: B0000665UV Release Date: 2000-05-30

Tracks:

1. Likkus Interruptus
2. Compadres In The Old Sierra Madre
3. Gone Wayback
4. Been Around
5. Scrapple From The Apple
6. The Last Steam Engine Train
7. I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)
8. McHattie's Waltz
9. The Witch Of The Westmereland
10. JNPT
11. Cluck Old Hen

Customer Reviews:

Devolution.......2002-07-24

It's rewarding to find a band on the brink of emergence as a force. That's force not farce. Devolver encompasses several genres and is not limited to bluegrass. The Waybacks are accomplished in interpreting jazz (Bird's "Scrapple From the Apple"), Celtic (Fischer's "Witch"), among other styles. This band, to put it simply, is fun to be around. Don't miss the bonus track (#13) at the end of this CD.

Definitely awesome!.......2002-02-26

The first time I heard this CD, I didn't think it was anything really special. The second time I thought it was pretty cool. And by the third time it was my second favorite CD of all time (second only to Cake's Fashion Nugget). Incredible music, especially their instrumentals. A variety of types within the bluegrass/folk genere. Don't forget to listen to the last track (the untitled one) -- you're laugh your arse off.

I can see your aura and it's ugly... - The Waybacks, wow!.......2001-03-21

OK, so I haven't heard this CD yet - so what, I'm buying it now. I caught these guys opening for the hilarious Roy Zimmerman at McCabe's in Santa Monica CA and they blew my socks off. Mouth agape, eyes fixated on the amazing stringwork of Mr.s Nash and Jaques with great backup, bass & drum. These guys are tight as hell, know exactly what their doing on stage, and put on a great show. Wonderful mandolin work and tight synchrony by some fantastic bluegrass jazz hippies.

I Wan'na Be Like You.......2001-01-04

GREAT CD! These guys really have talent...how they play the ole fiddle and guitars the way they do is beyond me. I heard of them when I went to California...they are absolutely great! Listening to it always puts me in a great mood.

CLUCK OLD HEN...CLUCK ALL DAY!

Haggis.......2000-07-10

I am very impressed with this album and have not stopped listening to it since I got it. Beautiful musicianship and a lovely choice of material, well executed, make this an album to enhance any acoustic music lovers collection. But the main reason I love it is that the band sound like they're having FUN ! , an ingredient often missing these days! Living in the UK means that I have never seen the Waybacks live, so hopefully they will be making a trip across the 'pond' soon. I can't wait!

Average customer rating: Great CD a trip one loves to take

Acoustic Journey Al Petteway Manufacturer: Maggie's Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Land of the Sky Caledon Wood The Waters and the Wild Shades Of Blue Whispering Stones ASIN: B0002SPS2A Release Date: 2004-08-17

Tracks:

1. Desert Dance/ Mariposa
2. Caledon Wood
3. Sundog
4. Midnight Ride
5. You Make Me Smile
6. Red-Haired Boy
7. Loss
8. Baker's Dozen
9. The Celtic Wedding
10. Accokeek Shore
11. Bareback
12. Lullaby
13. Ode to Ferdinand
14. Silver Branch
15. New Moon

Album Description

Al & Amy are an award-winning performing arts duo. They create new music for a new generation - a brilliant convergence of Celtic, with hints of progressive Bluegrass, Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz and Classical idioms...This recording features a variety of instruments including Acoustic Guitar,Piano, Mandolin, Irish Bouzouki, Fretless Bass, Uillean Pipes & World Percussion and fits the genre's of New Age and CONTEMPORARY FOLK.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2004-11-20

The previous review goes into great detail about the CD, so there is no need to duplicate that here. I do want to add that this CD like all of Al and Amy's CDs provides an enormous amount of pleasure. It is not a greatest hits CD, although it has some of their best songs. It is, instead, a compilation of new, old and remixed songs, all of which sound great. I have listened to this CD over and over again. I highly recommend it.

a trip one loves to take.......2004-08-19

This album is billed as a collection/collaboration...for a much weaker album one might be tempted to say 'greatest hits'. This set of tunes may indeed have appeared in previous work by Amy and Al, but what they have done here is make them new and exciting. If the songs were people one would say they are not 'good looking', they are 'beautiful'. To be sure the original soul and heart of these songs still beats. In this CD they have taken on a complexity or maturity that is uncommon in all but the greatest musical works. One can listen to this CD many times under many different circumstances and still have it work. It is one to treasure.

Desert Dance begins the journey of this album with a great fusion of Celtic, Central American, and Mediterranean (in an earlier time I might have called it Galician or North African). It still retains that 'silk roads' lure that would make Yo Yo Ma jealous.
Caledon Wood has been one of my favourites for many years. The version here adds levels of breadth and depth I'd not imagined. In six listenings it still comes up with new themes. The drum and percussion for example could be very early Celtic of the type around the mythic fire...it could also be East Indian or a variety of other places in the world. Makes it a whole new song.
Sundog creates the meeting of faery time and human time when the sea, the sun, the winds, and our friends gather at a miraculous moment. Red-Haired Boy is another of the tunes that has matured wonderfully and taken on a complexity that is delightful. Listening to it I'm more reminded of the line by the poet: "My Love is Wood Fire Burning". I think of friends of all types with this one. Perhaps the most surprising tune on the CD is Baker's Dozen. On the one hand very much a folk tune. On the other it is a VERY progressive up-town jazz piece that may well be a sleeper. I first heard this shortly after they wrote it. It is as exciting now as the first time with lots of new stuff in it.
Amy and Al are great musicians. They have produced excellent work on their own. Together they produce music that transcends the individual efforts. It is worth listening to anything and everything they have done. That being said, this is their best work yet.
Like those we love, each time we see them we experience both the familiar and a magic something that is new. The same can be said for this album.
For passing time, time passing, and times to remember, this is an album you should run not walk to buy. Like great art, you'll wonder how you lived without it.
Enjoy!

Average customer rating: The Best of Bill Haley and His Comets 1951-1954 rockin, swingin' rhythm and blues. Before "Rock Around the Clock," Haley went crazy man, crazy The headwaters of rock 'n' roll

The Best of Bill Haley and His Comets 1951-1954 Bill Haley & His Comets Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rock Around the Clock 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Bill Haley & His Comets (Millennium Collection) Ultimate Collection Very Best of Bill Haley Don't Knock the Rock / Rock Around the Clock ASIN: B0001MZ7SW Release Date: 2004-03-30

Tracks:

1. Rocket 88
2. Green Tree Boogie
3. Sundown Boogie
4. Rock The Joint
5. Dance With A Dolly
6. Rockin' Chair On The Moon
7. Stop Beatin' Round The Mulberry Bush
8. Real Rock Drive
9. Crazy Man, Crazy
10. What'cha Gonna Do?
11. Pat-A-Cake
12. Fractured
13. Live It Up
14. Farewell, So Long, Goodbye
15. I'll Be True
16. Ten Little Indians
17. Chattanooga Choo Choo
18. Yes Indeed!

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Bill Haley and His Comets 1951-1954.......2005-04-17

Bill Haley usually gets his due for helping to kick off the rock & roll era with "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954, but as it happens, Haley had been cutting solid rock sides several years before that. Haley covered Jackie Brenston's epochal "Rocket '88" within a few months of its 1951 release with his Western swing outfit, Bill Haley & the Saddlemen, and after that it didn't take long for Haley and his bandmates to make with the boogie and add some strong proto-rockabilly material to their set. The result was a string of regional hits for the Essex label that eventually led to Haley's signing to Decca Records and the recording of the song that became both his greatest triumph and the millstone he could never escape. "The Best of Bill Haley and His Comets 1951-1954" is hardly the first album to skim the cream off Haley's pre-Decca hits (pick up "Rock the Joint" for a more complete picture of this era), but it's more concise and better sounding than most collections of Haley's Essex sides, and leaves his lukewarm hillbilly material by the wayside in favor of straight-ahead rock & roll (though Billy Williamson's blazing steel guitar solos point to the band's country roots). These recordings prove that Haley's showy style had fully evolved long before "Rock Around the Clock" made him an international star, and if anything this material makes for a more satisfying listen than the vast majority of Haley compilations on the market, with "Rock the Joint," "Real Rock Drive," and "Crazy Man, Crazy" standing alongside his very finest work. "The Best of Bill Haley and His Comets" is a well-considered tribute to the formative years of one of rock's more neglected pioneers, and it's plenty of fun to boot.

rockin, swingin' rhythm and blues........2005-01-21

An amazing collection of Haley's pre rock around the clock recordings. It's a swingin' collection. BIll Haley is the true king of rock. the best songs on this cd are rocket 88 and rock the joint. this is the original rock. Bill began rock and roll by blending country and western and rhythm and blues together. it's a great cd for the hard core bill haley fan!

Before "Rock Around the Clock," Haley went crazy man, crazy.......2004-06-24

Before Bill Haley began rocking around the clock tonight, he released singles with his group the Saddlemen. So what to call this new brand of music? Western swing mixed with polka? A fusion of country-western and 40's R&B set to a steady beat? Country boogie? Call it what you will, but this collection consists of A and B-sides of his singles on Holiday and later Essex Records, which veers closely to his later chart-toppers.

Clearly, Haley saw this R&B style music as his fugure, given by his own cover of Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88", which is considered by some to be the first R&R song and not "Rock Around the Clock," and Jimmy Preston's #6 R&B hit, "Rock This Joint," both included here. The latter definitely predicts his later style, with some piercing steel guitar reflecting the country roots, but it was also the song Alan Freed played over and over and yelling "rock and roll, everybody!" on the King of the Moondogs show.

Songs like "Green Tree Boogie" would have rhythms repeated in their later material as well as stuff done by Little Richard but more raucously. The steel guitar and loudly pronounced bass enhances the beat. The brisk "Dance With A Dolly" sounds like early Louis Jordan material, especially with the piano boogie solo in the middle, with a kind of nursery rhyme-like beat.

One day, Bill Haley asked some kids how they liked his music. One responded, "crazy man, crazy," which Haley wrote down on a napkin. This standout song which reached #12 on the charts in 1953, was the first blip he made before he exploded with "Rock Around The Clock." With its "go go go everybody" shouts in the middle, accompanied by the Comets' trademark country guitar, how could this miss? I heard this song via a compilation LP my father bought back in the 50's. Another song that was on that compilation was "Farewell, So Long, Goodbye," with its rude-noise bari-sax note after each time the chorus was sung. Or did the Comets have some really strong chili before the recording session?

Chanting harmony choruses were prevalent in a cover of Faye Adams' R&B hit "I'll Be True" and "Live It Up" with its opening tribal drums and frat choruses.

Another observation is how nursery rhymes were recycled with early rock and roll arrangements and additional lyrics. Again, this seems to echo what Louis Jordan's nursery rhyme medley, "School Days (When We Were Kids)" earlier. Here, Haley gives the R&R treatment to "Pat-A-Cake" as in Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man, and "Ten Little Indians," which despite its as stance at being condescending to Native Americans today, does put on a thrilling beat. "Stop Beatin' Round The Mulberry Bush" also borrows from a nursery rhyme, and it was just before this song came out that Haley and company ditched the cowboy outfits, donned the suits and ties, and became the Comets in 1952.

"Fractured" was based on slang kids were using then, as in "this music fractures me," showing the Haley was attentive of the times and his audience, the pop market with its white teenagers. And his R&R cover of the 40's standard "Chattanooga Choo Choo" shows him reaching back to the big band days, with the female backing chorus reminding the era of the original.

There's no denying Haley brought out a new brand of music to white audiences, and helped changed the face of popular music,--and I really dig this stuff-- but what must be understood is that his fame came at the expense of many black artists unable to reach white audiences due to the recording industry.

The headwaters of rock 'n' roll.......2004-04-30

For many artists, the public's perception of their career begins with a watershed moment. For Haley, that moment was the 1954 recording of "Rock Around the Clock," magnified by the song's re-appearance in the 1955 film "Blackboard Jungle." But also like many artists, Haley's career - nor what he was really famous for - was born in that seemingly single moment of inspiration. This collection shows off the years before the public's light bulb switched on, as Haley and His Comets transitioned from a western swing band to one of the (if not "the") earliest of rock 'n' roll acts.

Throughout the 40s Haley had made his way as a western swing artist. But when he signed with Essex Records in the early 50s, he began to cross-pollinate his country influences with beat-oriented R&B. The seeds of 1954's "Rock Around the Clock" can be heard loud and clear across the sixteen tracks anthologized here. What's particularly fine about these sides is their transitional nature - they're not country or R&B, nor are they yet fully transformed into rock 'n' roll. They're a hybrid in the making with slap bass and fine stick/rim work on the drums, but also featuring pedal steel guitar. There are danceable backbeats, but they often swing towards a western two-step rather than the more freestyle rhythms heard on the race chart. The sax and guitar clearly begin to define rock 'n' roll conventions, borrowing pieces from R&B, country and blues and fusing them into something entirely new. Danny Cedrone's iconic 6-string solo from "Rock Around the Clock," for example, was lifted from his own performance on 1952's "Rock the Joint." Imagine what that sounded like on Alan Freed's Cleveland radio show at the time!

Haley was unfairly reduced to a footnote for many years, obscured by the large shadows of Berry, Presley and others. What these tracks show ever so clearly is that he was fusing country and R&B into rock 'n' roll before the other "founders" were on the scene. So too was he writing prototypical rock 'n' roll songs, leaning on teen slang for "Crazy, Man, Crazy" and delving into his own imagination for "Rockin' Chair on the Moon."

This is a most welcome release in celebration of Rock 'n' Roll's 50th anniversary!

Average customer rating: Listen & Learn, Son House is for Real Are You? Great Music Good overview, but not the best possible track selection New to Son House? This is the place to start... If you only get one Son House, get this.

Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of Son House Son House Manufacturer: Shout Factory ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Blues General | Blues | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Blues General | Blues | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Blues | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Avalon Blues : Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings Howlin' Wolf: His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) Complete Recorded Works of Son House & the Great Delta Blues Singers The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James The Complete Recordings ASIN: B0000C3I7I Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

1. My Black Mama Part 1
2. Walking Blues (Unissued Test)
3. Dry Spell Blues
4. Country Farm Blues
5. Levee Camp Blues
6. Walking Blues
7. Shetland Pony Blues
8. Delta Blues
9. Special Rider Blues
10. Depot Blues
11. American Defense
12. Am I Right Or Wrong
13. Walking Blues (Death Letter)
14. Grinnin' In Your Face
15. Empire State Express
16. John The Revelator

Album Description

• This release in the Heroes of the Blues series is the only true cross-licensed best-of package for Son House • A complete career retrospective, covering all periods of his career and various record labels • Transcribed directly from Paramount 78's and completely restored and re-mastered • Original cover art by R. Crumb

Customer Reviews:

Listen & Learn, Son House is for Real Are You?.......2004-03-03

Son House taught Robert Johnson the slide blues. Son House taught Muddy Waters. When Son House started performing at Blues festivals again in the mid 1960s, some of Muddy's younger band members would start to go off for a smoke or whatever when the old man came on stage. Muddy wouldn't let them. Muddy Waters would tell all his band members to be quiet and pay attention when the man played because even compared with Muddy, this was the real deal.

Rediscovered in Rochester, New York, relearning to play the guitar, (how this country abuses the masters that come from its people, particularly its Black people), put back on the stage by the folk revival's blues section, House made recordings that reproduced his old masterpies, with a wrier sense of meaning than before.

People outside of the blues life focus on the guitar playing or the rhythm of the singing, but where the power comes from is the feeling and the words that are put together, the life and the meaning of the blues. Son House in his youth and his old age, on this and his other sides, always gave it.

So Like Muddy Waters, I would like you to know that
Son House is the real deal.
Listen and learn

Great Music.......2004-01-08

I was introduced to Son House through npr's series on the blues. In fact that series has inspired me to check out several new artists, but Son House has to be the most versatile and interesting.

My only real problem with this album involves the production values. I have to assume that the intent on the earlier tracks was to give the listener some of the experience of listening to scratchy old 78's-- when I was child we still had an old victrola so I've already had that experience. Now I would rather hear the music than the hiss and pop of the needle.

Good overview, but not the best possible track selection.......2003-12-10

Like the "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" volume dedicated to Son House, this CD includes songs from House's entire career. That's a big plus, and this is great music, but I would still recommend the "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" album, which has a stronger track list.

This CD includes several of Son House's most legendary songs, including the superb early-40s Library of Congress version of "Walking Blues", the a capella spiritual "John The Revelator", and the awesome "Death Letter". But it misses out on key tracks like "Levee Camp Moan", "Preachin' Blues", and the slide guitar-fest "Pearline", and even though no Son House-collection can merit less than four stars, this is not one of the best.

New to Son House? This is the place to start..........2003-11-17

Eddie 'Son' House was one of the most intense and commanding of the early Mississippi Delta bluesmen, and he was also one of the greatest. This 'best of' collection wonderfully captures glimpses of the three major periods of House's career: his debut 1930 Paramount session, his early 1940s field recordings made by Alan Lomax and his rediscovery in the 1960s. With informative notes by Mark Humphrey and Robert Crumb's distinctive cover artwork, the set is a loving tribute to one of the genre's greatest and most powerful voices.

If you only get one Son House, get this........2003-10-03

Not much else needs to be said about one of the Delta Blues founding fathers. His emmotional voice, poignant lyrics and "action-packed" guitar playing style sets him up in the lofty realm as one of Blues' all-time greats. His influence on other great artists is well documented. This CD has a set of remastered material that covers his entire career. So if you get only one, make sure this is it. Most Delta Blues fans will track down all his work though, making this album a bit unnecessary, though the remastering on this disc sounds good to my ears.
Gotta love the R. Crumb art too!

Average customer rating:

The Best of Slide Guitar Various Artists Manufacturer: Wolf Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD) ASIN: B00004SSVA Release Date: 1998-06-17

Tracks:

1. Happily Endlessly - Lil' Ed Williams
2. I'm A Blues Man - John Primer
3. Bloody Tears - John Littlejohn
4. Moon Is Rising - Eddie Taylor
5. Dim Lights - J.B. Hutto
6. Long Distance Call - Muddy Waters
7. Sad & Lonesome - Homesick James
8. Blues Medley - Johnny B. Moore
9. Dust My Broom - Hound Dog Taylor
10. That's All Right - Louis Myers
11. Sweet Home Chicago - Honey Boy Edwards
12. Hipshakin' - Maynard Silva
13. Cryin' Won't Help Me - Houston Stackhouse
14. Take Five - Cub Koda
15. Happily Endlessly - Lil' Ed Williams

Average customer rating:

Conqueroo William Lee Ellis Manufacturer: Yellow Dog Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Memphis Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: God's Tattoos I Watched the Devil Die Leave the Light On ASIN: B0000C8AU4 Release Date: 2003-08-26

Tracks:

1. She Conquered The Conqueroo
2. My Religion Too
3. Where Would I Go
4. How The Mighty Have Fallen
5. Never Be The Child
6. Northern Lights
7. Everything Changes But You
8. King Of The Mountain
9. Maybellene
10. Honey Take Your Time
11. Rider On Your Soul
12. Black Sea Blues
13. Rose Hill

Album Description

From acclaimed Americana/Blues guitarist William Lee Ellis, godson and namesake of legendary bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, comes "Conqueroo", a song cycle steeped in the musical language of Appalachia and the Delta.

Ellis's most personal record to date, "Conqueroo" is also his most eclectic, a place where a cappella gospel, mountain balladry and rockabilly rhythms intertwine with Big Star-like melancholy, pristine country melodies and song structures that create a new language from old archetypes.

Accompanied by longtime pal Larry Nager, Memphis soul group the Masqueraders, vocalists Susan Marshall and Reba Russell, and his internationally renowned father, Tony Ellis, William Lee Ellis lays out 13 elegant, eloquent tunes, ranging from the soulful ("How the Mighty Have Fallen") to the heartfelt ("King of the Mountain"), while touching on every emotion in between. On "Conqueroo", Ellis is the vanquisher, the gentle master in control of his own musical destiny.

Average customer rating: Short but sweet. Excellent selection and sound quality 12-string work Lead Belly Lite Absolutely disappointing

Absolutely the Best Leadbelly Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Best of Lead Belly The Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson Where Did You Sleep Last Night: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 1 Bourgeois Blues: Leadbelly Legacy, Vol. 2 Avalon Blues : Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings ASIN: B00004YWVX Release Date: 2000-10-03

Tracks:

1. In New Orleans (House Of The Rising Sun)
2. The Bourgeois Blues
3. Goodnight, Irene
4. Looky, Looky Yonder/Black Betty/Yellow Women's Doorbells
5. Borrow Love And Go
6. De Kalb Blues
7. John Hardy
8. How Long
9. Roberta
10. Pretty Flower In Your Backyard
11. The Gallis Pole
12. Where Did You Sleep Last Night
13. Midnight Special
14. John Hardy (Version 2)
15. When I Was A Cowboy

Customer Reviews:

Short but sweet........2005-09-09

If you're just getting into Lead Belly, this collection isn't a bad place to start. Included are strong and tuneful renditions of Huddie's most popular songs, including "In New Orleans," "The Bourgeois Blues," "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," "Midnight Special," and of course, the immortal "Goodnight Irene." Also, the sound quality is pretty good, or at least better than some of the other Lead Belly compilations out there. My only complaint is that they included TWO versions of "John Hardy," when such standards as "Boll Weevil," "Yellow Gal," "Blue-Tailed Fly" and "Pick a Bale of Cotton" were left out. The music itself is flawless though. Five stars and then some.

Excellent selection and sound quality.......2004-06-29

This CD deserves a good rating, so I'm coming to its rescue. John Hardy is a crucial element in the Americana songlist, and both versions are individually worthwhile and unique. I enjoy this CD every time I hear it, and I can't say that for many historical compilations. Leadbelly's vocals and sense of rhythm impress on every track.

12-string work.......2004-06-22

The recording was not, I'll admit, as good of clarity as the Last Sessions CD, but was better than most Highly reccomended for an intro to Leadbelly's work.

Lead Belly Lite.......2004-02-15

This CD is sort of OK. It has some of the songs that Lead Belly is known for (i.e., "Goodnight Irene," "House of the Rising Sun"), but they aren't portrayed in a manner that says "Yes! This is a blues artist that could have inspired generations of folk, blues, and rock artists!"

It's sort of 12-string guitar thing, folky and strummy, and it lacks the guts that you expect in a good blues recording. But, hey, Lead Belly played 12-string guitar, you say? Darn right, and he played it better on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (Smithsonian Folkways), for example.

The recording quality here is pretty good. There's some noise, but it's better than you might expect of recordings from this era. It's the performance that suffers. Lead Belly's material is timeless, but the renditions that we have here fall short of sounding inspiring. Great artist. Check elsewhere for his great stuff.

Absolutely disappointing.......2003-10-16

Lead Belly wrote over one hundred songs and yet only a scant 15 are collected here over only 46 minutes. The collection bores us with 2 versions of John Hardy and misses the most famous Lead Belly song of all, Cotton Fields, a song almost every child knows.

Average customer rating: We've heard it all before ... and it's a CDR not a CD ... with a paper label Technically Amazing but... Marvelous guitar work on Beatles Faves

Fab 4 on 6 Manufacturer: Crescent Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Fab 4 on 6 vol. 2 Beatles Acoustic Guitar Solos lisa lauren loves the beatles Yesterday, A Tribute to John Lennon & Paul McCartney One Wing ASIN: B0006OA87A Release Date: 2004-10-10

Tracks:

1. Blackbird (1968)
2. And I Love Her (1964)
3. Nowhere Man (1968)
4. Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
5. Fool On the Hill (1967)
6. Let It Be (1970)
7. Mother Natures Son (1968)
8. Michelle (1965)
9. With a Little Help From My Friends (1967)
10. Something (1969) George Harrison
11. Till There Was You - (1950) Meredith Willson
12. Norwegian Wood (1965)
13. Yesterday (1965)
14. I Will (1968)

Album Description

I started arranging Beatles music for guitar many years ago. I can't remember exactly when nor can I remember the first song I arranged. Beginning in January of 2003 I began exploring more of the music written by Lennon and McCartney, perhaps because my son is now discovering just how timeless and infectious the music is. It seems each generation goes through a process of discovery with the music of the Beatles. So here is a collection of my favorite Beatles songs. They're all played on an acoustic guitar that has been tuned down quite a bit from a normal guitar. This is a solo guitar project; stark, raw and unfiltered.

Customer Reviews:

We've heard it all before ... and it's a CDR not a CD ... with a paper label.......2006-08-04

This is a very pleasant album, but as a collector with hundreds of Beatles cover albums, I would say it brings nothing new to the genre except a clever title. And I was extremely disappointed to find out that it was a CDR not a CD, with a glued on paper label to boot. Who knows if it will even be playable in 10 years?! CDR sellers ought to at least warn potential buyers that it's not a pressed CD ... which is really what it was advertised as. And how expensive is it to print on CDRs directly these days anyway?

Technically Amazing but..........2005-06-12

OK, there's no question this guy can play the heck out of the guitar. And taking on a song like "Magical Mystery Tour" on solo guitar? That's ambitious. Latarski does some very nifty arranging work on "Norwegian Wood" and his versions of "Let It Be" and "With a Little Help From My Friends" are so full you'll hardly notice the lack of vocals. But doesn't every jazz guitarist play "Blackbird" just to show off? One star off for that and the obligatory cover of "Yesterday" - a song we've all heard just too many versions of already.

Marvelous guitar work on Beatles Faves.......2005-02-21

My first review of an album, this is just plain awesome. The selections are great and hearing them on an acoustic guitar is wonderful. Every song on the CD is really good. I would highly reccomend it to any Beatles fan (who isn't?) or anyone interested in artful acoustic guitar pieces. The tuned down guitar is an exceptional fit to these songs.

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