The Black Crowes - Amorica (1994)

"Amorica" is the third album by The Black Crowes. It was released in late 1994 on American Recordings. The album cover's depiction of pubic hair, from a 1976 United States Bicentennial issue of Hustler magazine, caused controversy. The record company ended up putting out an alternative cover that blacked out the offending image

On "Amorica", the Black Crowes finally come into their own, taking their cue from the most relaxed, groove-oriented tracks on their previous album. While the album contains no immediately obvious singles, the songs are the best the band has ever written, stretching out into a hard, jam-oriented, funky blues-rock. the Black Crowes' influences are still discernible  no band celebrates the glory days of rock culture quite as enthusiastically but they use the music of the Stones, the Faces, and Little Feat much the same way the Stones used the music of Chuck Berry: it's a starting point that leads the band into a new direction, incorporating different musical genres, and making the music original. That sense of reinterpretation is what keeps "Amorica" fresh.

At their best, as on the southern flavored jams of "Wiser Time," and the funky lascivious "She Gave Good Sunflower," the band evokes a powerful roots rock feel, with plenty of solo space for the guitars to stretch out. But on more laid back fare, such as the down home "Downtown Money" and the poignant "Ballad In Urgency," The Black Crowe's lyrics convey an enigmatic brand of romanticism that is more song-like than many of their arrangements.

 

01.  "Gone" - 5:08

02.  "A Conspiracy"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  -  4:46

03.  "High Head Blues"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 4:01

04.  "Cursed Diamond"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 5:56

05.  "Nonfiction"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 4:16

06.  "She Gave Good Sunflower"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 5:48

07.  "P.25 London"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 3:38

08.  "Ballad in Urgency"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 5:39

09.  "Wiser Time"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 5:33

10.  "Downtown Money Waster"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 3:40

11.  "Descending"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  - 5:42

12.  "Song of the Flesh"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  (Bonus Track)   - 3:45

13.  "Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  (Bonus Track)  - 2:46

14.  "Tied Up and Swallowed"  (Chris & Rich Robinson)  (Bonus Track)  - 4:16

Released:  November 1, 1994

Recorded at:  Sound City, Van Nuys & Conway Studios, Los Angeles, California

Genre:  Blues Rock, Southern Rock

Length:  54:13

Label:  American

Producer:  Jack Joseph Puig

Personnel

Chris Robinson - vocals

Rich Robinson - guitar

Marc Ford - guitar

Eddie Harsch - keyboards

Johnny Colt - bass guitar

Steve Gorman - drums

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant - No Quarter (1994)

"No Quarter" is a live album by Page and Plant, both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released by Atlantic Records on 14 October 1994. The long awaited reunion between Jimmy Page and Robert Plant occurred on a 90 minute "UnLedded" MTV project, recorded in Morocco, Wales, and London, which rated highly on network television. It was not a reunion of Led Zeppelin, however, as former bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones was not present. In fact, Jones was not even told about the reunion by his former band mates. He later commented that he was unhappy about Plant and Page naming the album after "No Quarter", a Led Zeppelin song which was largely his work. In addition to acoustic numbers, the album features a reworking of Led Zeppelin classics, along with four Middle-Eastern and Moroccan-influenced songs: "City Don't Cry", "Yallah", (or "The Truth Explodes") "Wonderful One", and "Wah Wah". This might not be what some diehards were expecting from a reunion, but it was a gutsy move from Page & Plant, and the ensuing album, No Quarter, has aged remarkably well. That's not to say that it's timeless music, or a latter-day comeback on the level of Bob Dylan's Love and Theft, but this is ambitiously atmospheric, restless music by musicians not content to rest on their laurels. They do draw heavily from their past, but these new versions of classic Led Zeppelin songs sound reinvigorated in these new arrangements. At times, this means that the songs are given rather drastic reinterpretations  "Nobody's Fault but Mine" brings the brooding undercurrent of the original to the surface, "Four Sticks" sounds livelier in this spare setting while other tunes sound similar to the recorded versions but are given spirited readings ("That's the Way," "The Battle of Evermore," "Gallows Pole"). Between these revived Zeppelin numbers are a few new songs, all ambitious and solid, fitting right into the vibe of the album; even if they don't match the older tunes, they're respectable and gain strength upon repeated listens.

01.  "Nobody's Fault but Mine"  (Page, Plant)  – 4:06

02.  "Thank You"  (Page, Plant)  – 5:47

03.  "No Quarter"  (Jones, Page, Plant)  – 3:45

04.  "Friends"  (Page, Plant)  – 4:37

05.  "Yallah"  (Page, Plant)  – 4:59

06.  "City Don't Cry"  (Page, Plant)  – 6:08

07.  "Since I've Been Loving You"  (Jones, Page, Plant)  – 7:29

08.  "The Battle of Evermore"  (Page, Plant)  – 6:41

09.  "Wonderful One"  (Page, Plant)  – 4:57

10.  "That's the Way"  (Page, Plant)  – 5:35

11.  "Gallows Pole"  (Page, Plant)  – 4:09

12.  "Four Sticks"  (Page, Plant)  – 4:52

13.  "Kashmir"  (Page, Plant, Bonham)  – 12:27

Released:  November 8, 1994

Genre:  Rock

Length:  79:32

Label:  Atlantic/Fontana

Producer:  Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

Personnel

Jimmy Page - Guitars, mandolin, vocals

Robert Plant - Vocals

Charlie Jones - Bass guitar, percussion

Michael Lee - Drums, percussion

Ed Shearmur - Keyboards, organ, piano

Porl Thompson - Guitars, banjo

Nigel Eaton - Hurdy gurdy

Jim Sutherland - Mandolin, bodhrán

Waeil Abu Bakr - Violin soloist

Abdel Salam Kheir - Oud

Ibrahim Abdel Khaliq - Percussion

Hossam Ramzy - Percussion

Farouk El Safi - Daf, bendir

Najma Akhtar - Backing vocals

Amin Abdelazeem, Bashir Abdel Al Nay - Strings

Ian Humphries, David Juritz, Elizabeth Layton, Pauline Lowbury, Rita Manning, Mark Berrow, Ed Coxon, Harriet Davies, Rosemary Furness, Perry Montague-Mason, David Ogden - Violin

Janet Atkins, Andrew Brown, Rusen Gunes, Bill Hawkes - Viola

Caroline Dale, Ben Chappell, Cathy Giles, Stephen Milne - Cello

Sandy Lawson, Storme Watson - Didjeridu

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Out In L.A. (1994)

"Out In L.A." is a compilation of rare tracks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers released November 1, 1994 on EMI. The tracks contained are varied with the inclusion of four remixes, live cover songs by Jimi Hendrix and Thelonious Monk ("F.U." is a joke lyric over the melody of "Bemsha Swing"), the band's first demos and joke songs. The 1988 outtake, "Blues for Meister", which was the first song sung by Flea that the band released, was the only song released or recorded with then guitarist DeWayne McKnight and drummer D.H. Peligro. Both would soon be replaced by John Frusciante and Chad Smith that same year. Singer Anthony Kiedis doesn't appear on the track because he was going through a brief stint in drug rehab.

The songs "Stranded" and "Flea Fly" are two of the band's earliest recordings from 1983 when they went under the name Tony Flow And The Miraculously Majestic Masters Of Mahyem. The other demo recordings included come from the band's first demo tape are the first the band made and are described in Anthony Kiedis' autobiography Scar Tissue as being the most prolific sessions the band ever had. The demo recording was produced by Spit Stix, Flea's then bandmate in the legendary punk band, Fear. Four of these songs were recorded with Jack Sherman and Cliff Martinez on the band's first album. However, these early versions are said to be the preferred ones as they capture the original vibe intended. Hillel Slovak's and Jack Irons's playing are instrumental to this. Many of these tracks were included in the remastered versions of the band's first two albums and it was these demos that eventually got the band their first shows and eventually a recording contract with EMI.

 

01.  "Higher Ground"  (12" Vocal Mix)  – 5:18

02.  "Hollywood (Africa)"  (Extended Dance Mix)  – 6:33

03.  "If You Want Me to Stay"  (Pink Mustang Mix)  – 7:03

04.  "Behind the Sun"  (Ben Grosse Remix)  – 4:43

05.  "Castles Made of Sand"  (Live)  – 3:18

06.  "Special Secret Song Inside"  (Live)  – 3:12

07.  "F.U."  (Live)  – 1:17

08.  "Get Up and Jump"  (Demo Version)  – 2:37

09.  "Out in L.A."  (Demo Version)  – 1:56

10.  "Green Heaven"  (Demo Version)  – 3:50

11.  "Police Helicopter"  (Demo Version)  – 1:12

12.  "Nevermind"  (Demo Version)  – 2:09

13.  "Sex Rap"  (Demo Version)  – 1:35

14.  "Blues for Meister"  – 2:54

15.  "You Always Sing the Same  (Demo Version)"  – 0:16

16.  "Stranded"  – 0:24

17.  "Flea Fly"  – 0:39

18.  "What It Is"  – 4:03

19.  "Deck the Halls"  – 1:02

Released:  November 1, 1994

Recorded:  1983-1990

Genre:  Funk Rock

Length:  54:12 

Label:  EMI/Capitol

Producer:  Various

Personnel

Anthony Kiedis - vocals

Flea - bass

John Frusciante - guitar

Jack Irons - drums

DeWayne McKnight - guitar

Cliff Martinez - drums

D.H. Peligro - drums

Hillel Slovak - guitar

Chad Smith - drums

Keith Barry - backing vocals

Frank Sinatra - Duets (1993)

"Duets" is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1993. Recorded near the end of Sinatra's career, it consists of duets between Sinatra and other guest star singers from various genres; Sinatra personally chose the performers. It was advertised as “The Recording Event of The Decade.” As a marketing concept, Frank Sinatra's comeback album "Duets" was a complete success. A collection of Sinatra standards produced by Phil Ramone, the record wasn't a duets album in the conventional sense Sinatra never recorded in the studio with his partners. Instead, the other singers recorded their tracks separately, sometimes in different studios, and the two tracks were pasted together to create the illusion of a duet. In the case of several duet partners, including Bono and Barbara Streisand, this means they rely on camp as a way of making their performances interesting. Sinatra, meanwhile, is oblivious to all of the vocal grandstanding, simply because he recorded his tracks well in advance of their contributions. The result is a mess. Not only do the vocalists never mesh, but the orchestrations are ham-fisted and overblown, relying more on bombast than showmanship. Furthermore, Sinatra's performance is uneven; occasionally his voice is remarkable, but just as often it is thin and worn. Nevertheless, "Duets" was a gigantic hit, selling over two million copies and becoming Sinatra's single most commercially successful record, though it's easily the worst he released during his lengthy career. The album was promoted as a piece of nostalgia, primarily to baby boomers but also to Generation X as a piece of kitsch. Both approaches ignore the emotional core of Sinatra's music, which is evident on only one track  "One for My Baby," which was essentially a solo performance introduced by an instrumental from saxophonist Kenny G. Perhaps if "Duets" remained true to the essence of Sinatra's music, it would have been more effective, but as it stands, the album is only admirable as a piece of product, not a piece of music.

 

01. "The Lady Is a Tramp"  (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) (with Luther Vandross)  – 3:24

02. "What Now My Love"  (Gilbert Becaud, Carl Sigman, Pierre Leroyer) (with Aretha Franklin)  – 3:15

03. "I've Got a Crush on You"  (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) (with Barbra Streisand)  – 3:23

04. "Summer Wind"  (Heinz Meier, Hans Bradtke, Johnny Mercer) (with Julio Iglesias)  – 2:32

05. "Come Rain or Come Shine"  (Harold Arlen, Mercer) (with Gloria Estefan)  – 4:04

06. "New York, New York"  (Fred Ebb, John Kander) (with Tony Bennett)  – 3:30

07. "They Can't Take That Away From Me"  (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) (with Natalie Cole)  – 3:11

08. "You Make Me Feel So Young"  (Mack Gordon, Josef Myrow) (with Charles Aznavour)  – 3:05

09. "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry"/"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"  (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)/(Bob Hilliard, David Mann) (with Carly Simon)  – 3:57

10. "I've Got the World on a String"  (Arlen, Ted Koehler) (with Liza Minnelli)  – 2:18

11. "Witchcraft"  (Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman) (with Anita Baker)  – 3:22

12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"  (Cole Porter) (with Bono)  – 3:32

13. "All the Way"/"One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)"  (Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen)/(Arlen, Mercer) (with Kenny G)  – 6:03

Released:  November 2, 1993

Genre:  Vocal jazz, Traditional pop

Length:  45:44

Label:  Capitol

Producer:  Phil Ramone, Hank Cattaneo

Personnel

Frank Sinatra

Barbra Streisand

Aretha Franklin

Anita Baker

Natalie Cole

Carly Simon

Luther Vandross

Julio Iglesias

Gloria Estefan

Tony Bennett

Charles Aznavour

Liza Minnelli

Bono

Kenny G

Tom Waits - The Black Rider (1993)

"The Black Rider" is an album by Tom Waits, released in 1993 on Island Records, featuring studio versions of songs Waits wrote for the play "The Black Rider", directed by Robert Wilson and co-written by William S. Burroughs. The play is based on the German folktale Der Freischütz, which had previously been made into an opera by Carl Maria von Weber.  "The Black Rider" contains Waits' versions of the songs he wrote for the Robert Wilson play of the same name. Wilson has worked with everyone from Philip Glass to Lou Reed, so he's just the kind of left-of-center visionary to accommodate Waits' offbeat musical style. From "Nighthawks At The Diner" to "Frank´s Wild Years", Waits has always been a concept man, and you don't get more conceptual than supplying songs for this semi-mythological narrative of passion and death. "The Black Rider" is somewhat similar in style to the twisted cabaret/blues of Waits' mid-80s work, but with a pronounced European artsong flavor. Accordingly, Waits is accompanied by a mix of his U.S. cronies (Joe Gore, Greg Cohen, etc.) and the musicians from the original "Black Rider" production. The presence of William Burroughs as lyricist on a couple of tunes represents the closing of a circle that includes the heavy influence of the '50s beat writers on Waits' early work. Less visceral and more cerebral then Waits' previous work, "The Black Rider" is nevertheless full of masterful compositions and inventive, idiosyncratic arrangements.

 

01.  "Lucky Day (Overture)"  (Tom Waits)  - 2:27

02.  "The Black Rider"  (Tom Waits)  - 3:21

03.  "November"  (Tom Waits)  - 2:53

04.  "Just the Right Bullets"  (Tom Waits)  - 3:35

05.  "Black Box Theme" (instrumental)  (Tom Waits)  - 2:42

06.  "'T' Ain't No Sin"  (Walter Donaldson, Edgar Leslie)  - 2:25

07.  "Flash Pan Hunter/Intro" (instrumental)  (Tom Waits)  - 1:10

08.  "That's the Way"  (Tom Waits, William S.Burroughs)  - 1:07

09.  "The Briar and the Rose"  (Tom Waits)  - 3:50

10.  "Russian Dance" (instrumental)  (Tom Waits)  - 3:12

11.  "Gospel Train/Orchestra" (instrumental)  (Tom Waits)  - 2:33

12.  "I'll Shoot the Moon"  (Tom Waits)  - 3:51

13.  "Flash Pan Hunter"  (Tom Waits, William S.Burroughs)  - 3:10

14.  "Crossroads"  (Tom Waits, William S.Burroughs)  - 2:43

15.  "Gospel Train"  (Tom Waits)  - 4:43

16.  "Interlude"  (instrumental)  (Greg Cohen)  - 0:18

17.  "Oily Night" (Featuring "The Boners")  (Tom Waits)  - 4:23

18.  "Lucky Day"  (Tom Waits)  - 3:42

19.  "The Last Rose of Summer"  (Tom Waits)  - 2:07

20.  "Carnival" (instrumental)  (Tom Waits)  - 1:15

Released:  September 1993

Recorded at:  Music Factory, Hamburg, Germany; Prairie Sun Studios, Cotati, CA.

Genre:  Rock, Experimental

Length:  56:08

Label:  Island

Producer:  Tom Waits

Personnel

Tom Waits - vocals, organ, keyboards, marimba, calliope, percussion

Wiliam Burroughs - vocals

Greg Cohen - various instruments

Joe Gore - guitar, banjo

Henning Stoll - viola, bassoon

Linda Deluca - viola

Gerd Bessler - viola

Matt Brubeck - cello

Volker Hemken - clarinet

Ralph Carney - bass clarinet, saxophone

Larry Rhodes - bassoon

Nick Phelps - french horn

Kevin Porter - trombone

Hans-Jorn Braudenberg - organ

Francis Thumm - organ

Bill Douglas - bass

Stefan Schafer - bass

Kenny Wollesen - percussion, marimba

Don Neely - musical saw

Kathleen Brennan - boots

Clive Butters - boots

Joe Marquez - boots

Vanessa Paradis - Vanessa Paradis (1992)

Vanessa Paradis is the self-titled third album and English debut by popular French singer Vanessa Paradis. It was released in 1992 and contains the singles "Be My Baby" and "Sunday Mondays".Lenny Kravitz, who was dating Paradis at the time, produced and co-wrote the album The album was one of her most successful and most critically acclaimed, proving to be both popular in France and the UK. It spawned several successful singles, including one of her most recognisable songs "Be My Baby". The album is also noted for being the first time Paradis took creative control over her music. The album is noted for being extremely innovative in its use of instruments, and for its replication of the 1960s soundscape on virtually every song. One of the biggest hits from the CD was "Sunday Mondays". Vanessa's own personal favorite off this record was Track 10, "Just as Long as you are There", which she often performs live in concerts. Producer Lenny Kravitz gives Vanessa Paradis some of his best songs and she really can carry a tune with her breathy little-girl vocals. The highlights of the record are many, but the songs that will have you smiling like a fool at the sheer poptasticness of it all are the gliding funk with orchestra of "Natural High;" the strutting girl group of "Be My Baby;" the sweet-as-sugar sunshine pop of "Sunday Mondays;" the psych-soul of "Your Love Has Got a Handle on My Mind" (which features Paradis' most assured vocal and a nice background assist from Kravitz); and the sweet soul of "Just as Long as You Are There." Even her cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man" works wonders. It really shouldn't, but the propulsive beat and Paradis' sexy vocals somehow do the trick. The only song that falls flat is the autumnal folk of "Silver and Gold," as the ultra-serious lyrics and tone are painfully out of step with the glitter and groove of the rest of the record. Kravitz should be praised for his wonderful production. He rarely makes a wrong move and provides wonderful settings for Paradis to shine.

 

01.  "Natural High"  (Lenny Kravitz)  - 3:21

02.  "I'm Waiting for the Man"  (Lou Reed)  - 3:25

03.  "Silver and Gold"  (Kravitz)  - 2:43

04.  "Be My Baby"  (Gerry DeVeaux, Kravitz)  - 3:41

05.  "Lonely Rainbows"  (Henry Hirsch, Kravitz) -  2:33

06.  "Sunday Mondays"  (Hirsch, Kravitz, Vanessa Paradis)  - 3:56

07.  "Your Love Has Got a Handle on My Mind"  (Kravitz)  - 3:56

08.  "The Future Song"  (Kravitz)  - 4:55

09.  "Paradis"  (Kravitz)  - 3:03

10.  "Just as Long as You Are There"  (Hirsch, Kravitz) -  3:24

11.  "Gotta Have It"  (Hirsch, Kravitz, Craig Ross) (Bonus Track)  - 2:17

Released:  September 21, 1992

Recorded at:  Waterfront Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey

Genre:  Pop, rock

Label:  Remark Records, PolyGram, Polydor

Length:  35:34

Producer:  Lenny Kravitz

Personnel

Vanessa Paradis - vocals, tambourine

Tony Breit - bass guitar

Debbe Cole - backing vocals

Jamal Haines - trombone

Henry Hirsch - bass guitar, harpsichord, organ, piano, string arrangement & Wurlitzer

Judith Hobson-Mitchell - backing vocals

Michael Hunter - trumpet

Lenny Kravitz - backing vocals, bass guitar, drums, Fender Rhodes, guitar, harmonica, horn arrangement, Mellotron, sitar, string arrangement, tambourine & vocal arrangement

Richard Mitchell - backing vocals

B.J. Nelson - backing vocals

Antoine Roney - saxophone

Craig Ross - guitar

Angie Stone - backing vocals

Eric Delente - violin

Soye Kim - violin

Sarah Adams - viola

Allen Whear - cello

John Whitfield - cello

INXS - Live Baby Live (1991)

"Live Baby Live" is Australian rock band INXS's first live album. It was released on 11 November 1991 and features tracks recorded during their Summer XS Tour in Paris, New York, Chicago, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Spain, Switzerland, Melbourne, Sydney, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. The album provided a single, "Shining Star". Recorded during their international 1990 tour, "Live Baby Live" is a lifeless live album. INXS sounds professional, they never miss a note and that's part of the problem. All of the performances sound like the studio versions, stripped of their excitement and savvy productions, which were essential factors in making the songs hit singles.  On "Live Baby Live", there are 15 live numbers and one studio song. The live songs are divided among five Inxs albums with an emphasis on the latter works: "Shabooh Shoobah" (1 song), "The Swing" (1 song), "Listen Like Thieves" (3 songs), "Kick" (6 songs), and "X" (4 songs). There is also one very good studio song - "Shining Star". "Live Baby Live" is produced by Mark Opitz. There are some great highlights. Inxs getting the crowd to sing along with "Mystify" is amazing. They included live versions of some underrated songs like "The Stairs", "Mediate" (they do this as a follow-up to "Need You Tonight"), "Hear that Sound", "One x One", and "Burn For You". The strongest performances are "The Stairs" (Hutchence goes to the crowd - "How ya doing"), "Hear That Sound", and "Need You Tonight". Thought "Need You Tonight" was an average song, but the live version blows you away.

 

01.  "New Sensation"   - 4:42

02.  "Guns in the Sky"   - 3:14

03.  "Mystify"   - 3:11

04.  "By My Side"   - 3:15

05.  "Shining Star"   - 3:52

06.  "Need You Tonight"   - 2:58

07.  "Mediate"   - 4:29

08.  "One x One"   - 2:58

09.  "Burn for You"   - 4:43

10.  "The One Thing"   - 3:21

11.  "This Time"   - 3:06

12.  "The Stairs"   - 5:07

13.  "Suicide Blonde"   - 4:36

14.  "Hear That Sound"   - 3:38

15.  "Never Tear Us Apart"   - 4:13

16.  "What You Need"   - 6:16

Released:  11 November 1991 

Recorded in:  Paris, New York, Toronto, Chicago, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Spain, Switzerland, Melbourne, Sydney, Philadelphia, Las Vegas.

"Shining Star" recorded at Metropolis Studios, London.

Genre:  Rock

Length:  63:40

Label:  Atlantic Records

Producer:  Mark Opitz, INXS

Personnel

Michael Hutchence - vocals

Andrew Farriss - keyboards, guitar

Tim Farriss - guitar

Kirk Pengilly - saxophone, guitar, vocals

Garry Gary Beers - bass, vocals

Jon Farriss - drums

Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble - The Sky Is Crying (1991)

Stephen "Stevie" Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In spite of a short-lived mainstream career spanning seven years, he is widely considered one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of blues music, and one of the most important figures in the revival of blues in the 1980s. AllMusic describes him as "a rocking powerhouse of a guitarist who gave blues a burst of momentum in the '80s, with influence still felt long after his tragic death."
The Sky Is Crying is the fifth and final studio album containing performances spanning most of the career of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Released about one year after Vaughan's death in 1990, the album features ten previously unreleased tracks, originally recorded between 1984 and 1989. Only one title, "Empty Arms" (complete reprisal), appeared on any of the group's previous albums. The tracks were compiled by Vaughan's brother, Jimmie Vaughan, in an effort to release the title track.
The Sky Is Crying illustrates many of Vaughan's musical influences, including songs in the style of traditional Delta blues, Texas blues, Chicago blues, jump blues, jazz blues, and Jimi Hendrix's blues-rock. The album's tone alternates primarily between uptempo pieces and gritty, slow blues. The album includes a Grammy-winning extended instrumental cover version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing"; "Chitlins con Carne", a jazz instrumental; and, "Life by the Drop", a song written by Vaughan's friend Doyle Bramhall and played on a twelve-string acoustic guitar. This song is not about Vaughan's struggle with drug abuse, as many think, but actually about Vaughan's friendship with Doyle Bramhall from Bramhall's perspective.

Track listing

01.  "Boot Hill"  – 2:15
02.  "The Sky Is Crying"  (Elmore James, Morris Levy, Clarence Lewis)  – 4:36
03.  "Empty Arms"  (Stevie Ray Vaughan)  – 3:29
04.  "Little Wing"  (Jimi Hendrix)  – 6:49
05.  "Wham"  (Lonnie Mack)  – 2:25
06.  "May I Have a Talk with You"  (Howlin' Wolf)  – 5:49
07.  "Close to You"  (Willie Dixon)  – 3:10
08.  "Chitlins con Carne"  (Kenny Burrell)  – 3:57
09.  "So Excited"  (Vaughan)  – 3:30
10.  "Life by the Drop"  (Doyle Bramhall, Barbara Logan)  – 2:28

Credits
Guitar, Vocals – Stevie Ray Vaughan
Bass - Tommy Shannon
Keyboards – Reese Wynans
Bass – Tommy Shannon
Drums – Chris Layton
Art Direction – Arnold Levine, Mark Burdett
Coordinator [Production Coordination] – Mark Proct, Mark Rutledge, Roger Klein
Liner Notes – Dan Forte
Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
Other [Special Thanks] – Dave Glew And Everyone At Epic
Photography By – William Snyder
Photography By [Band Photo] – Alan Messer
Photography By [Inside Photo] – Stephanie Chernakowski
Engineer [Assistant] – Jeff Powell, Bob Eaton), Ron Cote
Engineer, Mixed By – Richard Mullen
Producer – Chris Layton, Jim Capfer, Richard Mullen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stevie Ray Vaughan/Double Trouble, Tommy Shannon
Producer [Additional], Compiled By – Jimmie Vaughan

Notes
Compilation and Production Studio: Ardent Recordings, Memphis TN
Mastered at Masterdisk, NY
Release date:  November 5, 1991
Genre:  Texas blues, Blues-Rock
Length:  38:28

Label - Epic Records

Roch Voisine - On The Outside (1990)

Joseph Armand Roch Voisine, OC ONB better known as Roch Voisine, (born 26 March 1963) is a Canadian Acadian singer-songwriter, actor, and radio and television host who lives in Montreal, Quebec and Paris, France. He writes and performs material in both English and French.
Voisine's musical breakthrough came with his 1989 album Hélène which sold three million copies and became a major hit not only in Quebec but also in France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Over the years, he has continued alternating between recording both French and English-language albums. His French language work and concert tours have continued to enjoy success in Europe (especially France) and Quebec, while his English-language recordings are a frequent mainstay of Canadian adult contemporary radio. He also enjoys huge success internationally.
Roch Voisine (also known as On the Outside as per the first track on the album) is a 1990 album by Canadian singer Roch Voisine.
It has the same content as the English tracks of his bilingual French / English double album entitled Double released the same year. It provided two singles in France, which achieved moderate success in comparison with the singer's previous singles : "On the Outside" and "Waiting".

Track listing

01. "On the Outside"  (Campbell, Voisine)  - 4:03
02. "Waiting"  (Voisine)  - 3:28
03. "Mountain Girl"  (Lessard, Voisine)  - 3:37
04. "A Fishing Day"  (Voisine)  - 4:09
05. "My Fairy Tale"  (Campbell, Voisine)  - 2:58
06. "She Had a Dream"  (Voisine)  - 3:32
07. "Until Death Do Us Part"  (Francis Cabrel, Campbell, Voisine)  - 3:17
08. "Jamie's Girl"  (Campbell, Voisine)  - 2:25
09. "Pretty Face"  (Voisine)  - 3:16
10. "Helen" (English version)  (Lessard, Voisine)  - 3:43
11. "All Wired Up"  (Voisine)  - 4:00

Credits
Roch Voisine - Vocals, Guitar
Denis Labrosse, Bernard Paganotti, Pierre Duchesne, Sylvain Bolduc - Bass
Alain Aubut - Cello
Paul Picard, Marc Chantereau, Denis Benarrosh - Percussion
Denis Toupin - Drums, Percussion 
Richard Provençal, Dominique Messier, Denis Toupin - Drums
Christian Péloquin, James Campbell, Réjean Bouchard, Jean-Marie Benoit, Christian Leroux, Denis Forcier, Carl Katz, Michael Pucci - Guitar
Rick Haworth - Guitar, Harmonica
Marc Beaulieu - Keyboards, Piano
Gérard Daigle - Strings [Alto]
La Philharmonie De Paris - Strings
Christian Prévost, Stéphane Allard - Violin
Luc Gilbert - Keyboards
Backing Vocals – Sembele Assitan, James Campbell, Kim Richardson, Elise Duguay, Carole Frédericks, Janiece Jamison, Georges Costa, Kathleen Dyson, Norman Groulx, Richard Groulx
Producer:  André Di Cesare, Roch Voisine

Notes
Released: 1990
Recorded at: Studio Intersession (Montréal), Studio Victor (Montréal) and Studio Palais des Congrès (Paris)
Mixed at: Le Studio Palais des Congrès (Paris)
Genre:  Pop
Length:  38:41

Label - BMG Ariola

Freudiana - Freudiana (1990)

"Freudiana" is the 11th and final album by The Alan Parsons Project, and the only album of the Project that would be a rock opera. Eric Woolfson hit upon the idea of researching the life and works of Sigmund Freud with a view to their musical potential after he finished the tenth Alan Parsons Project album ‘Gaudi’. He retraced Freud’s footsteps and explored his realms through his homes in London and Vienna (both now museums) as well as literary sources including Freud’s classic cases whose real identities he concealed by use of names such as Wolfman, Ratman, Dora, Little Hans and Schreber, the Judge. In addition, Freud’s writings on his discovery of the ‘unconscious’, his well known theories such as the ‘Oedipus Complex’, the ‘Ego’ and the ‘Id’ and perhaps his best known masterpiece, ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ all served as springboards for musical ideas. While recording the album, Brian Brolly entered the picture and he helped steer the album in a new direction. About halfway through the recording process, Eric was approached to develop the concept still further into a musical. With Brolly's help, Eric Woolfson was able to turn Freudiana into a stage musical. The musical had a successful run, and it was hoped that the show would open in other cities. Further plans were put on hold when a lawsuit broke out between Brolly and Woolfson, each fighting for control of the project. In the end, Brolly won, but the album remained under the Project's name. This album was released in two versions: The "White Album" and the "Black Album". The white album was released in 1990 through EMI records and is questionably still available. This album includes 18 tracks with lead vocal performances from Leo Sayer, The Flying Pickets, Kiki Dee, Marti Webb, Eric Stewart, Frankie Howard, and Gary Howard, as well as Project regulars Chris Rainbow, John Miles, Graham Dye, and Woolfson. Alan Parsons only wrote one track, but he made musical contributions to the album as well as producing it, like he had with the rest of the Project albums. The "Black Album" features a double-length cast disc and is currently out of print. It contains material from the rock opera. The Black album was the first album credited to Eric Woolfson as a solo artist. Freudiana gave Eric a taste of musical theatre and he chose to continue in that end of the business. Parsons on the other hand moved on to a solo music career.

 

01.  "The Nirvana Principle"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:44

02.  "Freudiana"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 6:20

03.  "I Am a Mirror"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 4:06

04.  "Little Hans"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:15

05.  "Dora"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:51

06.  "Funny You Should Say That"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 4:36

07.  "You're On Your Own"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:54

08.  "Far Away From Home"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:11

09.  "Let Yourself Go"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 5:26

10.  "Beyond the Pleasure Principle"  (Alan Parsons)  – 3:13

11.  "The Ring"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 4:22

12.  "Sects Therapy"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:40

13.  "No One Can Love You Better Than Me"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 5:40

14.  "Don't Let the Moment Pass"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:40

15.  "Upper Me"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 5:16

16.  "Freudiana"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 3:43

17.  "Destiny"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 0:51

18.  "There But For the Grace of God"  (Eric Woolfson)  – 5:56

Released:  October 11, 1990

Genre:  Symphonic Rock

Length:  75:32

Label:  EMI

Producer:  Alan Parsons

Personnel

Eric Woolfson – keyboards, lead vocal

Alan Parsons – producer, additional keyboards

Laurie Cottle – bass

Stuart Elliott – drums, percussion

Ian Bairnson – guitar

Richard Cottle – synthesizer, saxophone

Leo Sayer – lead vocal

Graham Dye – lead vocal

The Flying Pickets – lead vocals

Kiki Dee – lead vocal

Eric Stewart – lead vocal

Frankie Howerd – lead vocal

Marti Webb – lead vocal

Gary Howard – lead vocal

Chris Rainbow – lead vocal

John Miles – lead vocal

Eric Clapton - Journeyman (1989)

"Journeyman" is the eleventh studio album by blues/rock musician Eric Clapton, released in 1989.

The album was heralded as a return to form for Clapton, who had struggled with alcohol addiction throughout the mid-1980s and had recently found sobriety. Much of it has an electronic sound, mostly influenced by the 1980s rock scene, but it also includes blues songs like "Before You Accuse Me," "Running On Faith," and "Hard Times." The strongest single commercially from this album was "Bad Love," which earned him the 1990 Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Grammy Awards, and reached the #1 position on the Album Rock Chart. "Pretending" had also reached the #1 position on the Album Rock Chart. For most of the '80s, Eric Clapton seemed rather lost, uncertain of whether he should return to his blues roots or pander to AOR radio. By the mid-'80s, he appeared to have made the decision to revamp himself as a glossy mainstream rocker, working with synthesizers and drum machines. Instead of expanding his audience, it only reduced it. Then came the career retrospective "Crossroads", which helped revitalize his career, not only commercially, but also creatively, as "Journeyman" the first album he recorded after the success of "Crossroads"  proved. Although "Journeyman" still suffers from an overly slick production, Clapton sounds more convincing than he has since the early '70s. Not only is his guitar playing muscular and forceful, his singing is soulful and gritty. Furthermore, the songwriting is consistently strong, alternating between fine mainstream rock originals "Pretending" and covers "Before You Accuse Me," "Hound Dog". Like any of Clapton's best albums, there is no grandstanding to be found on "Journeyman it's simply a laid-back and thoroughly engaging display of Clapton's virtuosity.

 

01.  "Pretending"  (Jerry Lynn Williams)  – 4:48

02.  "Anything for Your Love"  (Williams)  – 4:16

03.  "Bad Love " (Eric Clapton, Mick Jones)  – 5:11

04.  "Running on Faith"  (Williams)  – 5:27

05.  "Hard Times"  (Ray Charles)  – 3:00

06.  "Hound Dog"  (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)  – 2:26

07.  "No Alibis"  (Williams)  – 5:32

08.  "Run So Far"  (George Harrison)  – 4:06

09.  "Old Love"  (Clapton, Robert Cray)  – 6:25

10.  "Breaking Point"  (Marty Grebb, Williams)  – 5:37

11.  "Lead Me On"  (Cecil Womack, Linda Womack)  – 5:52

12.  "Before You Accuse Me"  (Ellas McDaniel)  – 3:55

Released:  November 7, 1989

Genre:  Blues Rock

Length:  56:35

Label:  Duck / Reprise

Producer:  Jill Dell'Abate, Russ Titelman

Personnel

Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals, Dobro, design

Phil Collins - drums, background & harmony vocals

David Sanborn - alto saxophone

Robert Cray - guitar (solo on Old Love and Before You Accuse Me)

Phil Palmer - guitar

John Tropea - rhythm guitar

George Harrison - guitar & harmony vocals

Cecil Womack - acoustic guitar, vocals

Jerry Williams - guitar, background & harmony vocals

Nathan East - bass, background vocals

Pino Palladino - bass

Darryl Jones - bass

Gary Burton - vibraphone

Hank Crawford - alto saxophone

Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone

David "Fathead" Newman - tenor saxophone

Jon Faddis - trumpet & horn

Lew Soloff - trumpet

Steve Ferrone - drums & Hi Hat

Jim Keltner - percussion, drums, tambourine, drum programming

Jeff Bova - synthesizer, programming, drum programming, synthesizer horn

Jimmy Bralower - drum programming

Alan Clark - synthesizer, keyboards, Hammond organ, sequencing

Robbie Kondor - synthesizer, harmonica, keyboards, vocoder, drum programming

Rob Mounsey - synthesizer

Robby Kilgore - synthesizer

Greg Phillinganes - synthesizer, piano, keyboards, background vocals

Richard Tee - piano, Fender Rhodes

Carol Steele - percussion, conga, tambourine

Arif Mardin - arranger, string arrangements

Linda Womack - vocals

Daryl Hall - harmony vocals

Tawatha Agee - background vocals

Lani Groves - background vocals

Chaka Khan - background vocals

Tessa Niles - background vocals

Vaneese Thomas - background vocals