Monday, 1 June 2026

The Highwomen - The Highwomen (2019)

The Highwomen is the debut studio album by country music supergroup the Highwomen, made up of band members Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. It was released on September 6, 2019, by Elektra Records.
The album opens with "Highwomen", a re-written version of the Jimmy Webb–penned classic "Highwayman". 
The song was re-written by Carlile and Shires — with Webb's blessing and assistance — as a response song reflecting how women throughout history often sacrifice themselves for a greater good, illustrating this with a Honduran immigrant who dies getting her children over the border (sung by Carlile), a healer executed for witchcraft (Shires), a freedom rider (guest vocals from Yola), and a preacher (Hemby); Sheryl Crow also provided backing vocals.
The album's second track, and lead single, is "Redesigning Women". 
It was written by band member Natalie Hemby with Rodney Clawson. Rolling Stone said that the song "puts a woman’s experience front and center, with just enough punch to make it smart, self-deprecating, and sarcastic all at once." 
The third track, "Loose Change", written by band member Maren Morris with Maggie Chapman and Daniel Layus of the band Augustana, is filled with clever wordplay and a heavy dose of Texas swagger. 
"Crowded Table", the fourth track and second single, was written by band members Hemby and Carlile with Lori McKenna. Rolling Stone called the song the band's mission statement and said it's about "looking for a world where everyone is given a chance to fit in. 
This isn’t about leaning in or fighting for the top chair. It’s about making room."
Track five, "My Name Can't Be Mama", was written by Carlile, Morris, and Shires. 
It is an inclusive song about motherhood and parenting. 
The three women in the song all have their own definition of being a mother and each have their own reason for needing a break. 
For Carlile, it's a hard morning after a night of no sleep; for Shires, it's trying to find a career; and for Morris, it's a break from society's expectation to have children by a certain age (with an allusion to Carlile's "The Mother"). 
"If She Ever Leaves Me", the album's sixth track, was written by band member Amanda Shires with her husband Jason Isbell and Chris Tompkins. Isbell said that he came up with the idea while exercising and realized that if Carlile sang it they could have a singular "gay country song" moment. 
Rolling Stone called it "a love song that transcends sexuality while not ignoring it."
Track seven, "Old Soul", penned by Morris with Luke Dick and Laura Veltz, is an intimate look at the burdens of having to grow up too fast. The eighth track, "Don't Call Me", written by Shires and Peter Levin, is a reminder to not pick up the phone the next time an ex calls. 
"My Only Child", the album's ninth track, was written by members Hemby and Shires with Miranda Lambert. 
It is about the love a mother has for her child and her disappointment that her family ended up smaller than she had once dreamed it would. The album's tenth track, "Heaven Is a Honky Tonk", was written by members Carlile and Hemby with Ray LaMontagne, and features Sheryl Crow and background vocals by Yola. 
Track eleven, "Cocktail and a Song", is a solo composition from Shires about mortality and life's inevitabilities. 
The album closes with "The Wheels of Laredo", a song written by Carlile with Tim and Phil Hanseroth for Tanya Tucker's 2019 album, While I'm Livin'.


Track listing

1.  Highwomen - 3:32
2.  Redesigning women - 2:54
3.  Loose change - 2:22
4.  Crowded table - 3:29
5.  My name can't be mama - 2:30
6.  If she ever leaves me - 3:13
7.  Old Soul - 5:45
8.  Don't call me - 3:36
9.  My only child - 3:53
10. Heaven is a honky tonk - 3:54
11. Cocktail and a song - 3:37
12. Wheels of Laredo - 3:14


The Highwomen


Musicians
  • Dave Cobb – producer, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Phil Hanseroth – background vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, tictac bass
  • Tim Hanseroth – background vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Jason Isbell – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Peter Levin – keyboards, Mellotron, piano, strings, Wurlitzer
  • Chris Powell – drums, percussion

Guest vocalists
  • Sheryl Crow – guest vocals, background vocals, bass
  • Yola – guest vocals, background vocals

Additional personnel
  • Daniel Bacigalupi – mastering assistant
  • Brandon Bell – engineering
  • Nicki Fletcher – graphic design
  • Alysse Gafkjen – photography
  • Tony Hulbert – engineering assistant
  • Gena Johnson – engineering assistant
  • Colin Lott – engineering assistant
  • Pete Lyman – mastering

Companies, etc.

Notes
Released:  September 6, 2019
Recorded:  March 2019 Studio RCA Studio A (Nashville) / Southern Ground (Nashville) / Blackbird (Nashville)
Genre:  Country
Length:  42:59
Producer:  Dave Cobb
Label:  Elektra

No comments:
Labels:

Donny Osmond - Eyes Don't Lie (1990)

“Eyes Don't Lie” is a full-length album by Donny Osmond, issued in 1990 on Capitol Records. 
One of the 80's most unlikely comebacks was that of Donny Osmond, who must have been really annoyed to hear the same kind of pop he and his brothers pioneered in the 70's being re-popularized by the likes of George Michael and the New Kids On The Block.
This album might not be one of his best or what fans remember from his childhood career, but it is worth a listen. 
His voice doesn't fail. After fading away through most of the '80s, Osmond reappeared in 1989. 
He soon began touring and recording again. “Eyes Don't Lie” did land him a Top 40 hit with the song "My Love Is a Fire." It was a tiny foretelling of what was still to come for the childhood music star who had grown up. 
Two years later he won the starring role in the Broadway show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. 
A soundtrack he did for the musical went quadruple-platinum, proving that Donny Osmond hadn't been forgotten nor had he lost his talents, and that some things didn't change with the passing of time.  
While "Eyes Don't Lie" also sounds very much of its time, it is certainly no embarrassment. 
The first single, "My Love is a Fire," has a Princely-pulse and dance-floor chants, giving those new kids a show of how to do it. Even more impressive was how Donny got to control a great deal of this album, as he co-wrote eight of the ten songs here. 
Of these, the ballad "Love Will Survive" is the song that most deserved to become a hit. The peppy "Take Another Try," which cheekily samples "One Bad Apple" was also a lost shot at a hot. 
Sadly, once the comeback novelty has become old news, radio went back to treating Donny's new songs as old news. 
The thing is, this album has held up as well as many albums from the period. Donny's voice is still supple and rich, belying his three decades of music making. 
The album featured three singles: "My Love Is A Fire, "Sure Lookin' and "Love Will Survive".


Track listing
  1. "My Love Is a Fire" (Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) – 4:28
  2. "Eyes Don't Lie" (Donny Osmond, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) – 4:24
  3. "Love Will Survive" (Donny Osmond, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) – 5:27
  4. "Sure Lookin'" (Donny Osmond, David Gamson, Tony LeMans) – 4:22
  5. "Private Affair" (Diane Warren) – 3:49
  6. "Take Another Try (At Love)" (Donny Osmond, David Gamson, Tony LeMans) – 4:27
  7. "Make It Last Forever" (Donny Osmond, Mark Holding, Mark Mancina) – 5:25
  8. "Never Too Late For Love" (Donny Osmond, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) – 5:26
  9. "Just Between You and Me" (Donny Osmond, Duane Hitchings, Alan Hewitt) – 3:46
  10. "Before It's Too Late" (Donny Osmond, Oliver Leiber, David Gamson) – 5:18

Production and personnel
  • Tracks 1–3 and 8 produced by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. Track 1 engineered by Al Hemburger and Matt Noble; Tracks 2, 3 and 8 engineered by Al Hemburger, Matt Noble and Acar Key. Engineering assistance on all tracks by Ed Murphy. Mixed by Steve Peck of Electric Lady Studios.
    • All instruments on tracks 1 and 8 by Carl Sturken.
    • Musicians on tracks 2 and 3: Carl Sturken: guitars, keyboards; John "Noodle" Nevin: bass; Dave Koz: saxophone on track 3
  • Tracks 4, 6, 7 and 10 produced by David Gamson. Tracks 4 and 6 engineered by Stephen Shelton, Ryan Dorn and Ray Bardani. Tracks 7 and 10 engineered by Ryan Dorn and Ray Bardani. Mixed by Ray Bardani and Ryan Dorn.
    • David Gamson: keyboards and drum programming; Paul Jackson, Jr.: Guitars (tracks 7 and 10); Paulinho da Costa: percussion (track 10); Cornelius Mims: bass (track 6); Oliver Leiber: additional drum programming (track 10); Michael Brecker: saxophone (track 6); DJ Aladdin: scratching (track 6)
  • Track 5 produced by Ric Wake; arranged by Ric Wake and Rich Tancredi. Engineered and mixed by Bob Cadway, with assistance from Dan Hetzel and Tom Yezzi.
    • Rich Tancredi: Keyboards; Joe Franco: Drums, Percussion; Billy T. Scott, Jamillah Muhammed and Shelly Peiken: Vocal Backing
  • Track 9 arranged and produced by Ric Wake and Donny Osmond. Engineered and mixed by Bob Cadway and Ryan Dorn.
  • Strings on track 10 arranged and conducted by Jeremy Lubbock; contracted by Jules Chalkin.
    • Violin: Bruce Dukov, Debra Price, Arnold Belnick, Isabelle Daskoff, Joel Derouin, Henry Ferber, Reg Hill, Brian Leonard, Gordon Marron, Don Palmer, Haim Shtrum, Bob Sushel, Mari Tsumura, Shari Zippert
    • Viola: Sam Boghossian, Ken Burward-Hoy, Myra Kestenbaum, Dan Neufeld
    • Cello: Fred Seykora, Ron Cooper, Larry Corbett, Ernie Ehrhradt, Dennis Karmazyn, Suzie Katayama
  • Album mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Lacquer, Los Angeles

Strings
Leader – Jeremy Lubbock (Tracks 7, 10)
Cello – Fred Seykora, Ron Cooper, Larry Corbett, Ernie Ehrhardt, Dennis Karmazyn, Suzie Katayama (Tracks 7, 10)
Viola – Sam Boghossian, Ken Burward-Hoy, Myra Kestenbaum, Dan Neufeld (Tracks 7, 10)
Violin – Bruce Dukov, Debra Price, Arnold Belnick, Isabelle Daskoff, Joel DeRovin, Henry Ferber, Reg Hill, Brian Leonard, Gordon Marron, Don Palmer, Haim Shtrum, Bob Sushel, Mari Tsumura, Shari Zippert (Tracks 7, 10)


Liner Notes
Producer – Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 8)
Producer – David Gamson (Tracks 4, 6, 7, 10)
Producer – Rick Wake (Tracks 5, 9)
Producer – Donny Osmond (Track 9)
Producer (Executive) – Donny Osmond
Arranged By – Rick Wake, Rich Tancredi (Tracks 5, 9)
Arranged By (Strings) – Jeremy Lubbock (Tracks 7, 10)
Engineer – Ray Bardani, Ryan Dorn (Track 7)
Engineer (Assistant) – Dan Hetzel, Tom Yezzi (Track 5)
Engineer (Assistant) – Ed Murphy (Tracks 7, 8)
Mastered By – Stephen Marcussen
Mixed By – Steve Peck (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 8)
Mixed By – Ray Bardani (Tracks 4, 5, 6, 7, 10)
Mixed By – Ryan Dorn (Tracks 4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Mixed By – Bob Cadway (Tracks 5, 9)
Mixed By (Assistant) – Ryan Dorn
Recorded By – Al Hemberger, Matt Noble (Tracks 1, 2, 3)
Recorded By – Acar Key (Tracks 2, 3)
Recorded By – Ray Bardani (Tracks 4, 6, 8, 10)
Recorded By – Stephen Shelton (Tracks 4, 6, 8)
Recorded By – Ryan Dorn (Tracks 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 )
Recorded By – Bob Cadway (Tracks 5, 9)

Art Direction – Jeffery Fey, Tommy Steele
Design – Jeffery Fey
Photography – Wayne Maser

Mixed At Summa Music Group Studios, LA
Mixed At The Music Palace, Long Island, NY
Mixed At The Music Palace, Long Island, NY
Mixed At Aire LA Studios, LA
Recorded At The Loft Recording Studio, Bronxville, NY
Recorded At Minot Sound, White Plains, NY
Recorded At Mad Hatter Studio, LA
Recorded At Cove City Sound Studios, Long Island, NY
Recorded At Aire LA Studios, LA
Recorded At Monit, White Plains, NY
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording, LA
Phonographic Copyright Capitol Records Inc
Copyright Capitol Records Inc


Notes
Release: 1990
Genre:  Pop, Soft Rock, Funk
Length:  46:53
Producer: Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers, David Gamson, Ric Wake, Donny Osmond 
Label:  Capitol Records

listen
No comments:
Labels:

Sunday, 31 May 2026

Baltimora - Tarzan Boy The World Of Baltimora (2010)

Baltimora was an Italian music project from Milan, active from 1984 to 1987. 
They are best known for their 1985 single "Tarzan Boy" and are often considered a one-hit wonder in the United Kingdom and the United States. 
In other European countries, including their native Italy, Baltimora scored a follow-up hit "Woody Boogie" the same year.
In early 1984, Maurizio Bassi, a music producer and musician from Milan, met Jimmy McShane, a native of Derry, Northern Ireland. 
They decided to form an act fronted by McShane, a trained singer, dancer and actor, who had previously tried to break into the West End theatre scene and toured with Dee D. Jackson. 
McShane and Bassi chose the name Baltimora when, one evening together, McShane took a map of the United States, closed his eyes and happened to place his finger on Baltimore. 
They changed the final letter to an 'a' to make the name more in keeping with the act's Italian roots.
Bassi recruited prominent Italian sessionmen to record their first album, including Giorgio Cocilovo on guitar and Gabriele "Lele" Melotti on drums. 
Fellow Italo disco producer Tom Hooker has claimed that Baltimora's lead vocals were performed by Maurizio Bassi, as he'd done with Carrara, with McShane sometimes providing the backing vocals. 
The bulk of Baltimora's song writing fell on Bassi and American lyricist Naimy Hackett, though McShane wrote the lyrics to their track "Survivor in Love".
Baltimora's first single, "Tarzan Boy", was released in April 1985, and became a huge European success, peaking at No. 6 on the Italian single chart and entering the top 5 in numerous European countries. 
"Tarzan Boy" was released in Canada in October 1985 and peaked on the Canadian charts at No. 5 by the end of the year. However, it took a while for the single to enter the Hot 100 single chart in the United States (where it was released on EMI). 
When it did, it remained on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six months, peaking at No. 13 in February 1986. 
Baltimora performed on the American TV show Solid Gold, which helped further their success in America. 
The second single, "Woody Boogie", which also gained notable success, entered the top 20 in West Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
Baltimora's first album, Living in the Background, was released in Europe at the end of 1985 and in United States in 1986. Despite the success of "Tarzan Boy", Living in the Background only charted moderately, entering the top 20 album charts only in a few countries in Europe, including Sweden, reaching the no. 49 spot on the US charts.
When Baltimora's second album, Survivor in Love (1987) and the single "Key Key Karimba" failed to match the success of previous releases, Baltimora lost label support and Bassi decided to disband.


Track listing

1.  Tarzan Boy (Single Version) - 3:50
2.  Woody Boogie - 5:50
3.  Juke Box Boy (Maxi) - 5:53
4.  Key Key Karimba - 6:02
5.  Living In The Background - 6:06
6.  Global Love  (Featuring – Linda Wesley) - 4:40
7.  Running For Your Love - 5:50
8.  Call Me In The Heart Of The Night - 4:55
9.  Chinese Restaurant - 5:14
10.  Set Me Free - 4:45
11.  Pull The Wires - 4:46
12.  Come On Strike - 4:47
13.  Jimmy's Guitar - 3:57
14.  Survivor In Love - 5:02
15.  Tarzan Boy (Summer Version) - 6:45


Companies, etc.

Credits

Notes
Released:  Nov 26, 2010
Genre:  Italo-Disco, Synth-pop
Runtime: 1:18:22
Label:  EMI 

No comments:
Labels:

Yusuf - Roadsinger (2009)

Yusuf Islam's (formerly Cat Stevens) previous recording, 2006's An Other Cup was a mostly enjoyable lighter weight -- and yes, sometimes preachy -- extension of the latter albums in his previous incarnation. 
An Other Cup captured the more stretched melodic frames of albums such as Foreigner, Buddha and the Chocolate Box, and even Back to Earth. 
The compositional sense here, on the far more satisfying Roadsinger, is much more direct, laid-back, earthy, and yet elegant. 
And while it definitely points forward, Roadsinger looks back to excellent recordings such as Catch Bull at Four and Teaser and the Firecat: on the intro to "Be What You Must" he even quotes "Sitting"! 
The voice here is immediately recognizable as that of the man who gave us so many beautiful, direct songs about living, searching, observing, and waiting. 
It has been deepened a bit by age, but somehow that adds to its quality. 
Certainly most, if not quite all, of these songs deal with spiritual themes, and yes, they discuss how one can be happy and whole by embracing a spiritual way of life, but the manner in which they do so is gentle, more attraction that promotion, and the compositions themselves stand up to the past while furthering a musical vision that is at the heart of who this artist always was. 
The songs are low intensity, mostly hummable, and always rooted in the strumming or fingerpicking of an acoustic guitar even as strings, electric guitars, wispy percussion, and sometimes horns wind their way in without digging as deeply into the pop-conscious productions of An Other Cup. 
The set was co-produced with Martin Terefe, who has also worked with Martha Wainwright and James Morrison.
The album fits like a glove onto Stevens' former identity, with some songs as gloriously rich and beautiful as anything he's ever written. 
With its lithe string arrangement and guitar work by Yogi Lonich, the title track asks a central question: "...Where do you go/When the world turns dark/And the light of the truth is blown out/And all the roads are blocked..." "Dream On" is a gauzy, small wonder of a track with a gorgeous saxophone part that stands as an accompaniment to the repetitive vocal. "All Kinds of Roses" is a hymn to tolerance despite one's own beliefs; its metaphors are artfully layered. 
The opener, "Welcome Home," feels like Stevens never exited the stage -- though we all know he did for nearly three decades -- with its strummed acoustic and that opening baritone offering ever so gently the lines "On the path, all seekers this way...carried down to the marketplace/No one knew my face/Then a stranger sang, with a voice like the wind/Then the hills began to sing, 'welcome in.'" 
"Shamsia," the disc closer, is a haunting piano and string instrumental dedicated to a young Afghan girl who defied the Taliban and attended school even though she was blinded as punishment. 
Even the cover, with its peace sign-bearing VW microbus standing in a square with Islam playing and singing under a street lamp, signifies that this is a return, and that the two paths he kept separate for so long, that of a pilgrim and that of an artist and traveling musician, have merged on one all-embracing road. 
Roadsinger is an utterly solid catalog entry under either his adopted spiritual name or his former one. 
Longtime fans will not be disappointed, and the rest of us should take note, too, because this kind of songcraft is seldom come by anymore. 

Track listing

  1. "Welcome Home" – 4:23
  2. "Thinking 'Bout You" – 2:31
  3. "Everytime I Dream" – 3:09
  4. "The Rain" – 3:26
  5. "World o' Darkness" – 2:23
  6. "Be What You Must" – 3:25
  7. "This Glass World" – 2:02
  8. "Roadsinger" – 4:09
  9. "All Kinds of Roses" – 2:38
  10. "Dream On (Until...)" – 1:56
  11. "Shamsia" – 1:29
  12. "Boots and Sand" (iTunes bonus track, featuring Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton)
  13. "Peace Train Blues" (iTunes bonus track)

All songs are written by Yusuf.


Companies, etc.


Notes
Released:  1 May 2009
Recorded:  2008
Genre:  Folk rock
Length: 31:37
Producer: Yusuf, Martin Terefe
Label: Ya/Island 

No comments:
Labels:

Ram Jam - Thank You Mam (1995)


 














Tracklist

1.  Ram Jam Thank You Mam - 3:03
2.  Do The Nasty - 3:43
3.  Roxy Roller - 3:05
4.  Lonely Days - 3:20
5.  Sex Love And Dynamite - 3:28
6.  Turn Me On - 3:04
7.  Come And Get It - 3:13
8.  Help Me - 3:30
9.  Lock Me Up - 3:21
10.  Don't Turn Me On - 3:07
11.  Break It Down - 2:47
12.  Down And Dirty - 4:03
13.  Get It On - 4:10
14.  Hanging On - 2:56
15.  Black Betty '95 - 3:08
16.  Rock Hard - 3:23


 Companies, etc.

Credits

Notes
Released:  1995
Format:  CD, Album, Reissue
Genre:  Rock
Style:  Classic Rock, Hard Rock
Runtime: 
Label:  Bud Music

No comments:
Labels:

Thursday, 28 May 2026

Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince - Greatest Hits (1998)

















Tracklist: International edition

  1. "Boom! Shake the Room" (Album Version) – 3:48
  2. "Summertime" (Album Version) – 4:31
  3. "Men in Black" (Album Version) – 3:45
  4. "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" (1988 Extended Remix) – 4:48
  5. "Twinkle, Twinkle (I'm Not a Star)" (UK Flavour Radio Edit) – 4:10
  6. "The Things That U Do" (Hula Radio Remix) – 4:09
  7. "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" (Album Version) – 4:48
  8. "Just Cruisin'" (Album Version) – 3:59
  9. "Ring My Bell" (Mr. Lee's Radio Mix) – 4:04
  10. "I Wanna Rock" (Radio Edit) – 4:18
  11. "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Single Edit) – 5:13
  12. "I'm Looking for the One (To Be with Me)" (Video Version) – 3:40
  13. "A Nightmare on My Street" (Single Version) – 4:53
  14. "Can't Wait to Be with You" (Brixton Flavour Radio Mix) – 3:51
  15. "Brand New Funk" (Album Version) – 4:04
  16. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Theme)" – 2:56

Bonus tracks (previously unreleased)

  1. "Lovely Daze" (Candyhill Mix) – 4:13
  2. "Megamix" (Clean Radio Edit) – 3:42

Companies, etc.

Notes
Released:  May 19, 1998
Recorded: 1985–1997
Genre:  Hip-hop
Runtime:  1:17:37
Label:  Jive

No comments:
Labels:

Saturday, 23 May 2026

Soul II Soul - The Club Mix Hits (1998)

















Tracklist

1.  A Dreams A Dream  (Club Dub) - 4:28
     Featuring – Victoria Wilson-James
2.  Fairplay  (Freestyle Horns) - 6:07
     Featuring – Rose Windross
3.  Get A Life  (Club Mix) - 4:32
4.  Jazzie's Groove  (New Version) - 5:04
     Featuring – Marcia Lewis
     Vocals – Jazzie 
5.  I Care (Soul II Soul)  (12" Master) - 5:40
     Featuring – Charlotte
6.  Joy  (Club Mix - 7" Edit) - 3:50
     Featuring – Richie Stephens
7.  Just Right (Club Mix) - 5:53
     Remix – Funki Dreds
8.  Love Enuff  (Todd Terry House Mix Edit) - 3:39
     Featuring – Penny Ford
     Remix – Todd Terry
9.  Move Me No Mountain  (Club Mix) - 4:24
     Featuring – Kofi
10.  Wish  (Juni Mix) - 4:26
       Featuring – Melissa Bell
11.  Missing You  (The Healer Mix) - 4:53
       Featuring – Kym Mazelle
12.  Feel Free  (12") - 5:03
       Featuring – Do'Reen
13.  Back To Life  (Accapella) - 3:46
       Featuring – Caron Wheeler
    

Companies, etc.
                                   
Credits

Notes
Released:  Oct 5, 1998
Genre:  Funk / Soul
Style:  House, Acid Jazz, Downtempo, Afrobeat
Runtime: 1:01:53
Label:  Virgin 

No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)