misc goodies: reggae, indie, even alt-country!
hi all,here are some add'l goodies for this next week....of the five, the must-grab is the re-release of the 2nd/final disc from THE HIGHWAYMEN.....latest STROKES fails to fully deliver, but has some killer tunes.....PAUL WELLER's latest is fine......Putumayo offers up a kids' reggae disc called REGGAE PLAYGROUND, and JUNIOR KELLY, BOUNTY KILLER & CAPLETON join forces for what the promo materials call "a concept album for a virtual movie"......Ummm.........
Artist: v / a
Title: Reggae Playground
Label: Putumayo
Genre: reggae / kids’ music
Grade: B
Proof of the End Times abound: Reggae Children, I give you…reggae for (and sometimes featuring) children. Actually, Rita Marley’s 1987 nugget “Harambe” (12) is quite nice, and Alain Schneider’s “Le vieil elephant” (03) is charmingly playful. And reggae from Morocco, Indonesia, Brazil, et al is always worth a listen, right? Fans of the so-bad-it’s-good aesthetic might take a shot at covers of “Here Comes The Sun” (07) and “Take Me Home Country Roads” (13). On the whole, don’t be surprised to hear kids show up in the mix, and don’t be surprised to find yourself thinking that, well, maybe your niece would like it.
Reviewer: bjorn Ingvoldstad
Artist: Junior Kelly, Bounty Killer & Capleton
Title: The Good, the Bad & the Blazing
Label: Minor 7 Flat 5
Genre: reggae / “concept album for a virtual movie” (?!)
Grade: A- / B+
The latest from German reggae producer Andreas "Brotherman" Christophersen is a nicely conceptualized three-way combination featuring three of reggae's hottest 21st century talents: singjay Junior Kelly and DJs Capleton and Bounty Killer, whose styles have run the gamut collectively from the deepest slackness to the most exalted roots-and-culture preaching. Their voices cover quite a range as well, from Kelly's reedy tenor to Bounty Killer's gruff rockstone delivery; the rhythms themselves have been thoughtfully selected to bring out the best in each vocalist. “Hey Yo Yallo” (12) is atypical for the sound of the disc as a whole, but the breaks from drum-n-bass to reggae and back again are well worth a listen. (3 ½ stars)
Reviewer: Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
Artist: The Highwaymen
Title: The Road Goes On Forever (re-issue)
Label: Capitol
Genre: AAA / alt-country
Grade: A
Originally released in 1995, The Road was the second and final album bringing together Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson as The Highwaymen. The original album is solid enough, leading with a brilliant version of Steve Earle’s “The Devil’s Right Hand” (01) and never looking back. Extra tracks include several fine demos, including Johnny Cash’s even-more-poignant version of “Live Forever” (13) and Jennings’ rip of the Nashville scene on “I Ain’t Song” (14). This album is a treasure trove of material—do yourself a favor and check it out.
Reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
Artist: The Strokes
Title: First Impressions of Earth
Label: RCA
Genre: alt / indie
Grade: B+
One of 2006’s first disappointments. To be fair, First Impressions starts out strong. "You Only Live Once" (01) is everything a fan could want from a Strokes song, with a joyful melody, skipping rhythm, and cheerfully snotty lyrics. "Juicebox" (02), meanwhile, moves from a bassline nicked from the Peter Gunn theme to ragged grunge before landing on a soaring, plaintive chorus. Love it or hate it, the song has a boldness and creativity that is in short supply elsewhere. (3 stars)
Reviewer: Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Artist: Paul Weller
Title: As Is Now
Label: Yep Roc
Genre: alt / indie
Grade: A
If 2002's Illumination was a warm, laid-back record, Paul Weller's 2005 sequel, As Is Now is its flip side: a lean, hard-hitting soulful rock & roll album. As familiar as its sound is, though, it never sounds lazy; it's a tighter, better record than most of his late-'90s albums. The closest antecedent in Weller's solo catalog is Heavy Soul. Like that 1997 effort, this is a straightforward, no-frills record, heavy on rockers and with few pretensions. But where that album could drift, this is focused and exciting, boasting a stronger set of songs and livelier performances, plus a greater variety of colors and textures in the production. Those subtle differences wind up making a huge difference in the overall effect of As Is Now -- on the surface, it certainly sounds familiar to what came before, but thanks to Weller's muscular, memorable songs and musicianship, it stands apart as one of his more satisfying solo albums. (4 stars)
Reviewer: Steven Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
posted by Anonymous @ 4:57:00 PM
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