Category: CD QuickTakes (Page 113 of 149)

Dressy Bessy: Holler and Stomp

October 17, 2008 /

This sassy little outfit from Denver has been slugging away at the rock n’ roll game since ’96, and Holler and Stomp is the sixth full-length album Dressy Bessy has pumped out since then. Everything about it screams kitsch – from the cover art donned with pink graffiti and busted trash cans and vintage 1970s stereo equipment, to lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Tammy Ealom’s sometimes off-pitch but always spunky vocals that mix equal parts Debbie Harry and Joan Jett, to the Ramones-like punk blast of the music that comes straight out of “My Boyfriend’s Back” territory. They’re like the harder-edged second coming of the late D.C. combo Tuscadero, and “Automatic” almost sounds like it could have been written with that even more obscure band in mind. This isn’t important music, or even “great” music. But it’s damn fun for the little while that a party-time helium-suck lasts, and deflates the pressure one’s brain may be under after listening to too many political commentators or prog records. Save it for when your favorite cool rock chicks come over to play your old childhood board games… with shots of tequila. (Transdreamer 2008)

Dressy Bessy MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Punk

Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute to a Legend

October 17, 2008 /

It must have looked great on paper, and few musicians are more deserving of a tribute than Les Paul, but as misbegotten encomiums go, Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute to a Legend ranks somewhere near or below George Martin’s disastrous In My Life — and that album featured performances from Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, so you know you’re on dangerous ground here. Tribute is a hack job, from the shoddy artwork (which lists the tracks in the wrong order) to the songs themselves, a handful of which have been poached from the last Les Paul tribute album, 2005’s American Made World Played. What you end up with is a foul-smelling hash that has its high points (notably “The Good Luck You’re Having,” featuring guitar work from Paul, Hiram Bullock, and Joe Bonamassa), but also answers the question of what it would sound like if Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls covered U2 (answer: he’d make “All I Want Is You” sound vaguely like “Black Balloon”) and leaves room for Jeff Golub to add an inexplicable cover of Ace’s “How Long.” What does this have to do with Les Paul? In most cases, not much – in fact, Paul doesn’t even appear on some tracks. It has the look and feel of a shady licensing deal gone wrong, but even if you choose to believe the folks who put it together had the best intentions, there’s no reason to purchase this album. Pick up 2005’s The Best of the Capitol Masters: 90th Birthday Edition instead, and leave this to the truck stops and swap meets it deserves. (Immergent 2008)

Les Paul MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Josh Rouse: The Best of the Rykodisc Years

October 17, 2008 /

His sales have never quite caught up with the critical accolades his albums have piled up over the last decade, but for lovers of gently introspective singer/songwriter folk-pop, Josh Rouse has been one of the last decade’s most trustworthy artists. He’s been one of the most prolific, too, racking up an impressive eight “official” releases over the last 10 years, plus an array of EPs, digital collections, and other assorted goodies – which is why, even though you may have never heard of Rouse, this two-CD best-of both fills a need and serves a purpose. The first disc collects 18 tracks from Rouse’s five Ryko full-lengths and adds a song from his collaboration with Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner for good measure. The track listing leans slightly heavier on Rouse’s more recent stuff, which is a good thing, as it means more room is devoted to the sunny 1972 and stellar Nashville; meanwhile, on the second disc, fans are treated to the entirety of 2001’s rarities compilation, Bedroom Classics, Vol. 1, as well as a smattering of demos and outtakes. There probably isn’t much here that Rouse fanatics haven’t already found one way or another, but it’s still nice to get it all in one place – and as a primer for one of the most sweetly melodic artists of the genre, it’s just about flawless. (Rykodisc 2008)

Josh Rouse MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop

Elvin Bishop: The Blues Rolls On

October 17, 2008 /

The blues are about nothing if they aren’t about overcoming adversity, and Elvin Bishop has surmounted more obstacles than most – he is, after all, an Okie cracker whose biggest hit came packaged with a lead vocal from future Starship captain and professional sucktard Mickey Thomas. That hasn’t stopped Bishop from acquiring something like god status in the blues pantheon, however – or from enjoying a critical and commercial renaissance over the last 20 years, churning out a series of solid sides for Alligator and Blind Pig. The Blues Rolls On finds Bishop on a new label, Delta Groove, but he’s surrounded himself with some old friends, including B.B. King, Tommy Castro, James Cotton, George Thorogood, Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band. Yep, it’s one of those albums – a kinda-sorta tribute to a living legend, heavy on the special guests – and as you might expect, The Blues Rolls On is a decidedly uneven affair. Bishop is in strong form throughout, and all of his guests acquit themselves admirably (particularly the Homemade Jamz Band and their nine-year-old drummer), but the record is drawn from a wide array of sessions, with some guests laying down parts in completely different studios, and as a result, it’s lacking the live feel and cohesion it really needs. Still, it’s a fun listen, and some of these tracks (like “Struttin’ My Stuff,” recorded with Haynes and Trucks, or the solo “Oklahoma”) are among the best of Bishop’s late-period work. (Delta Groove Music 2008)

Elvin Bishop MySpace page

Blues, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere: Nudge It Up a Notch

October 17, 2008 /

Add all the right elements and you’ve got an effective formula…right? Especially when the combination includes guitarist Steve Cropper, singer/keyboard player Felix Cavaliere and a set list that mines the old Stax sound. Certainly you won’t find more impressive résumés – Cropper helped helm Booker T and the MGs, backed up Otis Redding and the Blues Brothers and wrote such soul standards as “Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour.” Cavaliere, as the voice of the Rascals – Young and otherwise – literally defined the concept of blue-eyed R&B. Yet for all its promise, Nudge It Up a Notch doesn’t quite live up to its title. Boasting all originals, including a handful of instrumentals, it offers an air of authenticity, but without the credence that implies conviction. Cropper remains a singular guitarist and Cavaliere clearly possesses one of the most emotive voices of all time, but these new songs pack neither the fire nor the magic of the material they’re emulating. Back in the day, “One of Those Days” and “If It Wasn’t For Loving You” might have fit the formula, but now they represent a recycled sound that long ago was played to perfection.

Ultimately it’s not surprising that Nudge It Up a Notch doesn’t fare better. After all, these songs recall templates that have been indelibly etched, making any attempt to raise that bar a daunting challenge at best. But where Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples and Al Green recently rekindled old glories with albums that moved them forward, Cropper and Cavaliere seem content to glance backwards and retrace well-trod terrain. Although an admirable attempt, it lacks a necessary quotient when it comes to daring and distinction.

Steve Cropper MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock, Soul

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