Category: CD Reviews (Page 208 of 399)

Classic Albums: Duran Duran, Rio

October 20, 2008 /

Man, do we love this series. Eagle gets away from their classic rock leanings and brings in four of the Fab Five – Andy Taylor, having left the band once again, does not participate – to dissect Duran Duran’s 1982 worldwide breakthrough album Rio, and while it doesn’t contain any of the bizarro production stories that were revealed in the episode dedicated to Def Leppard’s Hysteria, it is still a very entertaining and informative analysis of one of the biggest albums of the ‘80s. Nick Rhodes describes the origins of the opening sound on the album’s title track, and talks about how he remodeled “The Chauffeur” into an electronic track from its origins as an acoustic number. They even recruited David Kershenbaum to talk about remixing several Rio tracks to make them more “American” (smart move, that). John Taylor pulls out his bass and plays a few riffs, and reveals that he had to switch from his fingers to a pick and back on “Hold Back the Rain.” Russell Mulcahy is on hand to talk about the videos he shot in Sri Lanka (three videos in three days, yikes), and Bob Geldof is on hand to rave about the record, too. It’s a fine addition to an excellent series. May we suggest ABC’s The Lexicon of Love as a future candidate? (Eagle Vision)

Click to buy Classic Albums: Duran Duran, Rio

DVD Quicktakes, External Music, Pop, Rock

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

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