|
Finally
available legitimately, this famous bootleg made best-of-the-year
lists -- it ranked #9 in CDnow staffers' Favorite
40 of 1998
-- more than three decades after it was recorded. The electric
half of the show (on disc 2) attracted all the attention, with
Dylan, accompanied by The
Band,
scandalizing folk-music fans as Robbie
Robertson
whipped off amazing guitar leads. The acoustic half is on disc
1, with Dylan energized and in top early form. |
One
of a 3-volume
set
Rhino released in tribute to the unknowns who paved the way for
the "alternative" revolution. The hair on your neck
will stand on end as you listen to the Chills'
eerie "Pink Frost." You'll gyrate to Mission
of Burma's
"Academy Fight Song" and relive the club days with
Joy
Division
and New
Order.
For those too young to remember the first time around, this is
an opportunity to start building your CDnow wish list.
Rich Masio |
Are the Cherry Poppin' Daddies a ska band that
swings? Or are they a swing band that... um... skas? The appropriate
taxonomy may vary from song to song, but the Eugene, Oregon,
band is pushing ska in a fun and unique new direction, at a moment
when cookie-cutter ska-punk bands are starting to proliferate.
The Daddies' music basically de-Anglicizes ska, ripping it from
its rocksteady and proto-punk moorings, instead taking it farther
back in time to the swing and big-band sounds of the `40s and
early `50s, without lapsing into historical reverence. A few
songs maintain that characteristic ska double-time bounce underneath
the blaring horns and juke-joint piano, but most fall into slinkier
and jazzier grooves. Even there, the energy level stays manic-depending
on your preferences, Zoot Suit Riot will have you either pogoing
or jitterbugging the night away, leaving you little strength
to object to (non-Journey guy) Steve Perry's reedy vocals and
limp sexual braggadocio. Zoot Suit Riot is a fine accessory to
go with your plaid jacket, whether that jacket connotes shaved
heads and Vespa scooters or martinis and finger-snapping. Now
if they could just do something about that band name...
David Jarman |
Getting Garth Brooks' appropriately titled seventh
album out has been like ropin' the wind, but Sevens was
worth the wait. A rich, spirited affair, it finds Brooks retrenching
his country roots a bit, fortifying his familiar folk-pop hybrid
with a little more fiddle and pedal steel, and boasts contributions
from some of Nashville's key songwriters and players, along with
faithful producer Allen Reynolds. "Longneck Bottle,"
the first single and opening track, sounds like it came straight
off any roadhouse jukebox in Kentucky, while "Cowboy Cadillac"
mines the faithful theme of a man's car as his best girlfriend.
But Brooks, who co-wrote six of the songs here, still casts his
visions well beyond Nashville's city limits. "Two Pina Coladas"
is a sea chantey straight out of Margaritaville, and "Belleau
Wood," a collaboration with indie-rock singer-songwriter
Joe Henry, presents a haunting battlefield narrative set at Christmas.
"When There's No One Around" even offers a Celtic waltz
with a wicked electric guitar solo. Sevens doesn't skip
on the "event" factor, either: The album includes Brooks'
hit duet with Trisha Yearwood on "In Another's Eyes,"
and his rocking remake of the New Grass Revival's "Do What
You Gotta Do" reunites that band's members--Bela Fleck,
Sam Bush, John Cowan, and Pat Flynn. For all its merits, it's
still hard to call Sevens another Ropin' the Wind or No
Fences; those early-decade blockbusters enjoyed the element
of surprise for a mainstream pop audience that hadn't viewed
country as accessible since Urban Cowboy. But Sevens showcases
Brooks as a skilled songsmith, both in his writing and in his
performance. With country's commercial fortunes on the wane and
new faces (Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes) at the top of its charts,
this at least reminds us that Brooks' vision for the breadth
the genre can attain is still valid
Gary Graff/WOS |
|
Ranging
from deep introspection ("Distant Lover") to bold celebration
(the explicit title track), Let's Get It On covers every
emotion to which a fool in love might succumb. The soulful soundtrack
to any relationship, this album continued to break new ground
for Marvin Gaye after his release of 1971's wildly popular What's
Going On?. At a time when all the men of soul were fighting
for the "Lover Man" sobriquet, Marvin Gaye proved here
to be the undisputed master. Check out more Valentine's
Day gift ideas here. |
Rapper/producer
Tricky is the most innovative figure on the hip-hop scene since
Public
Enemy.
His 3 albums since leaving Massive
Attack
have all been challenging, complex masterpieces. Angels with
Dirty Faces is a musically and lyrically dark exploration
of interpersonal relationships. His edgy, quietly menacing trip-hop
production lays down cool grooves full of sonic surprises. A
big favorite around our hip office, it ranked #32 in CDnow staffers'
Favorite
40 of 1998.
Steve Holtje |
Sound Clips:
