int'l (5) + mainstream (1)
hi all (?),here are some new int'l discs coming in on saturday....CHARO isn't nearly as funny as I'd hoped, which in retrospect is both a good and a bad thing.....ANOUSHKA SHANKAR goes the remix route......Putumayo offers up a CARRIBEAN sampler.....and in the battle royale of South African choral groups, both LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO and the SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR are out with new discs....didn't they both do this last january, too? hmmm......
and in mainstream rock news, the LIVE 8 SAMPLER has some nice tracks.....Where did our copy of the latest U2 ever run off to, anyhow?!.....
Artist: Charo
Title: Charo and Guitar
Label: Universal Wave
Genre: int’l / instrumental latin guitar
Grade: B / B+
OK, I admit it: after revisiting the Shatner/Nimoy catalogue this winter, I figured Charo and Guitar was going to be a howler. Truth is, the disc is pleasantly bland in the vein of a certain Euro-oldies instrumental night I used to listen to in Lithuania. It’s not clear how much fretwork here is actually Charo, but she did study with Segovia and nab a Latin Grammy (before they even called it that) in 1995 for best female pop album. Besides, you know you just want to hear yourself say: “Coming up next on WFHB….Charo!”
Reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
Date: 23 Jan 2006
Artist: Soweto Gospel Choir
Label: Shanachie
Title: Blessed
Genre: int’l / South African choral
Grade: A-
The SGC return with a generous, 18-track sophomore release that….well, works just a tad too hard to please. Certainly tracks like the opening “Shewane” (01) are the real deal, showcasing the beauty of the South African choral tradition. I can see the weaving in of Peter Gabriel’s “Biko” with Johnny Clegg’s “Asimbonanga” (02) as a way to reach out to English-speaking audiences—but factor in “Khumbaya” (17) and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (15) and it all seems a bit forced. Still, you can discreetly ignore the clunkers and partake of the riches to be found elsewhere on Blessed.
Reviewer: bjorn Ingvoldstad
Artist: Anoushka Shankar
Title: Rise Remixes
Label: Angel
Genre: int’l / global dance
Grade: A-
This five-track EP in fact offers only three remixes along with the two original reference tracks that appeared on Shankar’s Rise (2005). Thievery Corporation’s version of “Beloved” (01) slips in a trance beat while keeping the length radio-friendly, whereas the Karsh Kale mix (03) is blippier, bouncier, and decidedly longer. Kale’s take on “Naked” (04) is more laid back, letting the vibe control the beat, rather than vice versa.
Reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
Artist: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Title: Long Road to Freedom
Label: Heads Up
Genre: int’l
Grade: B / B+
Ray Charles, Blind Boys, BB King…and now Ladysmith: all doomed to have label-packaged discs featuring “interesting” guests in their career’s fifth act. (Ever wondered what “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” [03] might sound like with Melissa Etheridge? Now you’ll know!) If you can’t avoid the duets, try the South African summit “Shosholoza” (11) (Dube! Masekela! Mahlasela!). You’ll be best served by “Nomathemba” (01), the group’s first hit, originally recorded in 1973, or the history-heavy “God Bless Africa” (09). Don’t miss Joseph Shabalala’s gorgeous solo turn at the end of the disc with the improv lulabye “Thula Thula” (13).
Reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
Artist: v / a
Title: The Caribbean
Label: Putumayo
Genre: int’l
Grade: A- / B+
“Hot & Groovy” is the name of the last track on this latest Putumayo compilation—wishful thinking! Still, there’s enough here though to merit some digging about on your part. For starters: Stanley Beckford (02) goes way-old-school Jamaican roots, vocalist Diana Emeréncia sparkles on a track by Claudius Philips (03), and the Skatalites (09) are the Skatalites. Truth is, there’s wider range of Latin pop styles on hand here than we normally can get our hands on.
Reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
Artist: v / a
Title: One Day, One Concert, One World:
Live 8 Sampler
Label: Capitol
Genre: mainstream
Grade: A- / B+
On the heels of last month’s Africa Unite sampler, here’s six tracks from the Live 8 main stages. U2’s “Vertigo” (01) and Green Day’s “American Idiot” (04) are both on form. It’s nice to hear Richard Ashcroft revisiting “Bittersweet Symphony” (03), though he sounds a bit sluggish. The Killers (05) left me indifferent, but the biggest clunker is offered up by Madonna (02) who drags “Music” out wayyy too long. Jay-Z & Lincoln Park (06) drop an f-bomb early, so fade appropriately.
Note: Fade “American Idiot” at 3:00, before the obligatory call/response, to avoid an f-bomb! Similarly, bring up “Numb” after early swearing to keep the FCC happy.
Reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
posted by Anonymous @ 9:57:00 AM
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