Al Wilson ‎- Searching For The Dolphins (1968)

Al Wilson was an American soul singer, also remembered for his Northern soul anthem, "The Snake".

Though "Searching For The Dolphins" was the title of Al Wilson's first album (in 1968). As such, it's the definitive document of the first phase of this minor but interesting soul star's career. The Searching for the Dolphins material is good but a little unnerving in its stylistic inconsistency, including rather lush Jimmy Webb/Johnny Rivers/Fred Neil covers, as well as a version of the MOR standard "This Guy's in Love with You." Yet it was the peculiar, fetching swamp rock-soul of "The Snake" that gave Wilson his first big hit, and a funky cover of jazzman Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Brother, Where Are You" also demonstrated the singer's harder edge. Though none of the non-LP singles were big hits, generally these too went into slightly eccentric pop-soul-rock territory, Wilson's delivery in particular showing more of a rootsy rock edge than most soul singers. His small hit cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lodi" is a highlight, and also a general indication of the unusual non-soul influences Wilson admitted to his music, though these also included orchestrated pop, jazz, bluesy Southern funk, and a even a bit of period psychedelia. The 1971 single "Sugar Cane Girl" is surprisingly close to a decent soul-shaded CCR imitation, in fact, and a track from the same year ("Falling in Love with You") verges on funky hard rock. In retrospect, it's easy to hear why Wilson didn't have much commercial success during this era, as both his material and stylistic approach was too erratic. However, those very qualities are also what, in retrospect, make this material rather interesting, as it's certainly not run-of-the-mill production line late-'60s/early-'70s soul.

 

01.  "The Dolphins"  - 3:41  

02.  "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"  - 3:15  

03.  "I Stand Accused"  - 3:30  

04.  "Summer Rain"  - 3:42  

05.  "Do What You Gotta Do"  - 3:34  

06.  "The Snake"  - 3:32  

07.  "Who Could Be Lovin' You (Other Than Me)"  - 3:05  

08.  "Poor Side Of Town"  - 3:52  

09.  "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"  - 3:13  

10.  "This Guy's In Love With You"  - 4:13  

11.  "Brother, Where Are You"  - 3:42 

Release:  1968

Label:  Soul City/Liberty

Genre:  Rhythm & Blues, Soul

Length:  39:25

Producer:  Johnny Rivers

Engineer, Edited By:  Armin Steiner

Credits

Al Wilson - Vocals

Joe Osborne - Bass, Guitar

Hal Blaine - Drums, Percussion

Jim Gordon - Drums, Percussion

Jim Horn  - Flute, Recorder

Keyboards - Larry Knechtel

Gene Page -  Strings & Horns 

Marty Paich - Strings & Horns

Player - Spies Of Life (1982)

Player is an American rock band that made their mark during the late 1970s.

Player were formed in Los Angeles in 1977 by singer/guitarist Peter Beckett (formerly of the U.K. group Skyband), bassist Ronn Moss, and guitarist/keyboardist J.C. Crowley. After adding drummer John Friesen, Player signed to impresario Robert Stigwood's RSO label and issued "Baby Come Back," which sat atop the pop singles chart for three weeks in early 1978; their self-titled debut LP appeared that same year, as did the follow-up, "Danger Zone". Crowley exited Player soon after, later enjoying a solo career as a country artist; the remaining trio issued "Room With A View" in 1980 before Moss and Friesen both departed as well. Beckett, the lone remaining founding member, continued the group for one final LP, 1982's "Spies Of Life", One should never try to compare one album with another, for it can't work that way. Every work should be good, yet different, as is the case with "Spies Of Life". "If Looks Could Kill" starts the album off and is very good with powerfull vocals, Should have been a single in my book. "My Minds Made Up" is another catchy tune with strong vocals in the Player style. The album ends with a diddy type of song called "In Like Flynn" poking at Errol Flynn, an old movie star many might not remember. This song is actually quite cute in lyrics: "I wanna be like Errol Flynn, I'd wear a thin mustache, and wavy hair, I'd face the world without a care" and the tune is catchy. Before retiring the Player name to mount a career as a songwriter and solo performer. Moss, meanwhile, joined the cast of the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987; he and Beckett re-formed Player in 1995, soon thereafter issuing the reunion LP "Lost in Reality".

 

01.  "If Looks Could Kill"  (Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett)  - 3:36  

02.  "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid"  (Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett)  - 3:25  

03.  "Thank You For The Use Of Your Love"  (Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett)  - 3:59  

04.  "It Only Hurts When I Breathe"  (Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett)  - 3:32  

05.  "My Mind's Made Up"  (Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett)  - 4:08  

06.  "I'd Rather Be Gone"  (Dennis Lambert, J.C. Crowley)  - 2:55  

07.  "Take Me Back"  (Peter Beckett)  - 3:51   

08.  "My Survival"  (Peter Beckett)  - 4:36  

09.  "Born To Be With You"  (Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett)  - 3:48  

10.  "In Like Flynn"  (Peter Beckett)  - 2:54

Release:  1982

Label:  RCA

Genre:  Soft Rock

Length:  36:39

Producer:  Dennis Lambert

Mixed By:  Jay Lewis

Credits

Peter Beckett - Guitar, Vocals

Rusty Buchanan - Bass, Vocals

Steve Forman - Percussion

John Friesen - Drums

Tommy Funderburk - Vocals

Miles Joseph - Guitar, Vocals

Gabriel Katona - Synthesizer, Keyboards

Tom Kelly - Vocals

Dennis Lambert - Synthesizer

Jay Lewis - Guitar, Guitar (Steel)

Gary Wright - Synthesizer

Diamond Reo - Diamond Reo (1975)

 Diamond Reo was a rock group formed in Pittsburg, led by Bob McKeag and Frank Czuriburg.

Franki Cruzi, Bubs McKeg, Norman Nardini, Robbie Johns formed the band Diamond Reo in 1974.  Bubs and Cruzi had been band mates in an earlier band called the Igniters that had release a single on Atlantic records in 1968.  When the Igniters broke up in 1970 Bubs joined the Navy and Frankie Cruzi joined the Jaggerz.  Fresh from his Navy gig in 1974 Bugs was ready to rock again.  Working with producer Tom Cossie Diamond Reo recorded a demo tape at East Liberty's Red Fox Studio and sent it off to Atlantic Records.  The Atlantic subsidiary Big Tree Records released Diamond Reo’s first album “Diamond Reo” in 1975.  Scoring a top 40 hit with a version of the Marvin Gaye song, "Ain't That Peculiar" the band launched a national tour. They appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" and performed with Kiss, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Frank Zappa, Kansas, Ian Hunter, Blue Oyster Cult, and Canned Heat. Adding guitarist Warren King to the band Diamond Reo released the "Dirty Diamonds" album in 1976 on Kama Sutra.  Nardini, Czuri, and Warren King, co-wrote most of the music on that release.  Diamond Reo recorded their last album "Ruff Cuts" on the Piccadilly label in 1978.  The group disbanded later 1978 as punk and new wave were emerging. Frank Czuri in 1979 joined with Warren King, drummer Ron "Byrd" Foster from the Igniters, bass guitarist Mike Pela, and keyboard player Dennis Takos to form the Silencers.  Working with producer Tom Cossie, the released two album releases on the CBS Precision label.  Norm Nardini formed his own band “Norm Nardini and the Tigers” and landed a deal with CBS Records.

 

01.  "Rock and Roll Till I Die"  - 3:28

02.  "I Want You"  - 3:41

03.  "Work Hard Labor"  - 3:02

04.  "Thing for You"  - 3:10

05.  "Nowhere to Run"  - 3:15

06.  "Ain't That Peculiar"  - 2:48

07.  "Lover in the Sky" - 3:16

08.  "It's Gonna Be Alright"  - 3:53

09.  "Sittin' on Top of the Blues " - 3:20

10.  "I'm Movin' On"  - 4:18

Release:  1975

Label:  Big Tree Records

Genre:  Rock

Length:  34:11

Producer:  Dave Shaffer

Mixed By [Mixing Engineer]:  Dave Shaffer

Engineer, Producer [Assistant]:  Mike Hayson

Executive Producer:  Tom Cossie

Credits

Norm Nardini - Bass, Guitar, Vocals

Bob McKeag - Guitar, Vocals 

Rob Johns - Percussion, Vocals

Frank Zuri - Vocals, Keyboards

Dennis Coffey - Finger Lickin Good (1975)

Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.

Dennis Coffey (born November 11, 1940, Detroit, Michigan) is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings. Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City. In 1955, as a fifteen year-old sophomore at Detroit's Mackenzie High School, Dennis played his first record session - backing Vic Gallon in "I'm Gone", on the Gondola record label. In the early 1960s he joined The Royaltones who had had hits with "Poor Boy" in 1958 and "Flamingo Express" in 1961. The Royaltones played sessions with other artists including Del Shannon. By the late 1960s as a member of the Funk Brothers studio band, Coffey played on dozens of recordings for Motown Records, and introduced a hard rock guitar sound to Motown record producer Norman Whitfield's recordings, including distortion, Echoplex tape-loop delay, and wah-wah; most notably heard on "Cloud Nine", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" and "Psychedelic Shack" by The Temptations. He played on numerous other hit records of the era including #1 singles like Edwin Starr's "War" and Diana Ross & The Supremes "Someday We'll Be Together" and Freda Payne's #3 hit "Band of Gold". In addition, Coffey scored the blaxploitation film, Black Belt Jones. "Finger Lickin Good" was one of Coffey’s later LPs so you get those bad 70s influences. "If You Can’t Dance To This You Got No Business Havin Feet" is a perfect example with its dance style drum break intro that leads into a neo-disco song with strings, horns and a female chorus. There’s also a 4 count break on "El Tigre" and "Some Like It Hot" has 2 party dance breaks with drums and congas. The best song is probably "Wild Child" that has elements of "Scorpio" and Coffey’s earlier sound to it.

 

01.  "If You Can't Dance To This You Got No Business Havin-Feet"   - 3:48  

02.  "Finger Lickin Good"  - 3:18  

03.  "I've Got A Real Good Feeling" -  3:29  

04.  "Honky Tonk"  - 3:40  

05.  "El Tigre"  - 2:52  

06.  "Live Wire"  - 3:25  

07.  "Some Like It Hot"  - 5:10  

08.  "Fame"  - 3:47  

09.  "Wild Child"  - 3:10

Release:  1975

Label:  Westbound Records

Genre:  Funk, Soul, Jazz, Fusion

Length:  32:37

Producer:   Mike Theodore And Dennis Coffey

Credits

Dennis Coffey - Guitar

Detroit - Detroit (1971)

Produced by Bob Ezrin and recorded in Toronto, Detroit was a fine example of the "High Energy" bands coming out of Michigan, like MC5, the Stooges or Frost. Formed by Mitch Ryder and his stalwart drummer John Badanjek, with Phillips and Cook (both ex Catfish), Steve Hunter and Dirty Ed, their music was a powerful mix of hard rock and Rhythm and Blues. Their material ranged from original cuts penned by Ryder and Badanjek, to covers of Let It Rock, Lou Reed's Rock 'n' Roll and Wilson Pickett's I Found A Love. Erzin and Steve Hunter would later work with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.

Great rock n' roll album, featuring the classic vocals of Mitch Ryder and the killer guitar of Steve Hunter. Great cover versions of "Rock and Roll","Gimme Shelter" and "Let It Rock" and great originals"I Found a Love". Detroit was a spinoff of famous rock group, The Detroit Wheels. This revised version of that band was formed by Mitch Ryder as a successor to The Wheels in 1970. The only original Wheel in the group was the drummer John Badanjek; other members were guitarists Steve Hunter and Brett Tuggle, organist Harry Phillips, and bassist W.R. Cooke. A single album was released by this grouping, a 1971 self-titled LP issued on Paramount Records. They had a hit with their version of the Lou Reed - penned song "Rock & Roll", which Reed liked enough to ask Steve Hunter to join his backing band. Ryder quit the group because of voice problems in 1972, and Detroit vocalist Rusty Day took over his spot; without Ryder, the group floundered, and broke up in 1974.

 

01.  "Long Neck Goose"  (Ezrin, Ryder)  - 3:13

02.  "Is It You (Or Is It Me)"  (Bee, Ryder)  - 4:05

03.  "Box of Old Roses"  (Cooke)  - 2:45

04.  "It Ain't Easy"  (Davies)  - 3:22

05.  "Rock & Roll"  (Reed)  - 6:10

06.  "Let It Rock"  (Anderson)  - 3:25

07.  "Drink"  (Manko, Optner)  - 5:41

08.  "Gimme Shelter"  (Jagger) -  4:58

Release:  1972

Recorded at:  Manta Sound, Toronto, Canada

Label:  Paramount Records

Genre:  Hard Rock

Length:  35:51

Producer:  Bob Ezrin

Personnel

Mitch Ryder - vocals

John Badanjek - drums

Steve Hunter - guitar

Brett Tuggle - guitar

W.R. Cooke - bass

Harry Phillips - organ

Eugene Wilde - Eugene Wilde (1984)

Eugene Wilde (born Ronald Eugene Broomfield, December 6, 1961) is an American R&B singer and songwriter, who had two #1 hits on the US R&B charts in the 1980s.

Ron Broomfield, aka Eugene Wilde, seemed ready to become a megastar in the mid-'80s. The Miami-based vocalist, who had formerly been with Life, had a resonant, authoritative voice and very confident manner.

Broomfield was born in West Palm Beach, Florida and raised in Miami. He grew up as part of a family group, La Voyage, playing in local clubs. In the 1970s, the group became Tight Connection, and was later known as Simplicious. Broomfield also recorded an album with Curtom Records in 1979 as a member of Today, "Tomorrow, Forever". On learning Broomfield's middle name was Eugene, his manager insisted that he go by that name professionally; the last name was inspired by Broomfield seeing an advertisement for a New York club named Wildflower's. In 1984, Eugene Wilde joined Philly World Records, and released his selftitled album, with  his first hit, "Gotta Get You Home Tonight", which were lyrically predictable, but expertly produced and sang with plenty of suggestiveness and sentimental appeal.

 

01.  "Lately"  (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 6:48

02.  "Gotta Get You Home Tonight"  (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 5:17

03.  "Let Her Feel It"  (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 6:25

04.  "Chey Chey Kulé"   (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 3:31

05.  "Rainbow" (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 3:40

06.  "Just Be Good to Me"  (Ronald Broomfield)  - 4:36

07.  "Personality"  (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 3:38

08.  "Gold"  (Ronald Broomfield, McKinley Horton)  - 5:30

Release:  1984

Label:  Island Records

Genre:  Soul

Length:  40:58

Producer (s):  Donald Robinson, Michael Forte, Bunny Sigler

Personnel

Eugene Wilde - Vocals

Dan Baird - Love Songs For The Hearing Impaired (1991)

It's too bad that Dan Baird's always going be remembered as that gap-toothed guy singing "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" from the back of a pickup truck on a primitive Georgia Satellites video. Always a great a live band, it's unfortunate that the band never quite got it together on the album front. Although they made some good records, they would never come close to capturing their in-concert abandon on tape. On his first solo effort, Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired, Satellite frontman Dan Baird finally managed to cut loose and assemble a string of first-rate tunes highlighted by the tongue in cheek radio hit "I Love You Period." Brilliantly produced by ex-Satellite Brendan O'Brien, Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired gets off to a rip-roaring start with the call and response of "The One I Am." Baird admits, "I can't afford to buy you no four star dinner/but by god, my love's a winner." And heck, how could you not believe him? As the singer bows in with his next tale of down-home, dysfunctional romance (and pregnancy) on "Julie + Lucky," his acute sense of the English vocabulary allows him to juxtapose a series of serious themes spinning them into some not so serious ones. The celebratory, singalong of "Look at What you Started" once again examines themes of disillusionment and communication breakdown. Bolstered by some great boogie-woogie piano courtesy of Tom Petty-man Benmont Tech, the track eventually explodes into a full on Faces romp with some Jerry Lee Lewis barroom smugness thrown in for good measure absolutely riveting. After the very Georgia Satellites-like "Seriously Gone" (quick, four on the floor drums, boogie-woogie keys -- yes, rock & roll made simple, ladies and gentlemen), the album proceeds to kick into high gear with the stellar "Pick Up the Knife." Almost "Rockin' in the Free World"- ish, it is a straight up rocker which shifts into its imaginative pre-chorus before diving into a deceptively simple chorus. "Knocked Up," another hilarious Chuck Berry inspired rip-off is next. Full of double-entendre, "Knocked Up" is, again, another wonderful tale of teenage pregnancy (must be a pattern or something), highlighted by an astonishing chorus: "you got knocked up/and I got locked up/I guess you can say that we both got screwed/you got locked out and I got knocked out/I guess you're going to miss a lot of school." The album is rounded out by "Baby Talk," the rollicking "Lost Highway," and "Dixie Beauxdorant." Although far from perfect, Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired is a joyous and vibrant effort that never gets too caught up in its sometimes obvious musical references and counterpoints.

 

01.  "The One I Am"  (Terry Anderson, Dan Baird)  - 3:57    

02.  "Julie + Lucky"  (Dan Baird)  - 4:57    

03.  "I Love You Period"  (Terry Anderson)  - 4:24    

04.  "Look at What You Started"  (Terry Anderson, Dan Baird)  - 5:10    

05.  "Seriously Gone"  (Dan Baird)  - 2:52    

06.  "Pick up the Knife"  (Dan Baird)  - 4:29    

07.  "Knocked Up"  (Terry Anderson, Dan Baird)  - 3:08    

08.  "Baby Talk"  (Dan Baird)  - 3:54    

09.  "Lost Highway"  (Dan Baird)  - 3:49    

10.  "Dixie Beauxderaunt"  (Terry Anderson, Dan Baird)  - 4:42 

Release:  October, 1991

Recorded at:  American Recording, Woodland Hills, CA; Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, CA; Sound Emporium Studios, Nashville, TN

Label:  Warner Bros.

Genre:  Pop, Rock

Length:  41:22

Producer:  Brendan O'Brien

Executive Producer:  Rick Rubin

Mixed:  Brendan O'Brien

Engineer:  Nick "Danger" Didia

Engineer [Additional]:  Russ Fowler, Tommy Cooper

Mastered By:  Howie Weinberg

Personnel:

Dan Baird - vocals, guitar, slide guitar

Mauro Magellan - drums

Brendan O'Brien - guitar, piano, organ, background vocals

Benmont Tench - piano

George D. - organ

Keith Christopher - bass

Patrick Buchanon - background vocals

Terry Anderson - background vocals

Pat Buchanon - background vocals

Eric Clapton - Rush (Soundtrack) (1992)

"Rush" is a soundtrack album to the movie of the same name written and performed by Eric Clapton. The album features the acoustic rock ballad "Tears in Heaven", which won three Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1993.

"Rush" is an excellent dark blues score written by Eric Clapton (with help on the three songs) and performed by an augmented version of his band. This soundtrack album produced one big hit for Clapton with "Tears in Heaven," but it's a wonderfully intense piece of work all the way through, with some terrific guitar work from Clapton himself. Buddy Guy turns up to add lead vocals and guitar on the 11-minute version of Willie Dixon's "Don't Know Which Way to Go," and that's more than all right too. There's a very good chance that the dark intensity of this music was as much informed by the tragedies in Clapton's life ("Tears in Heaven" is about his son) as the film itself. Whatever the cause, this album has far more impact than you might expect from the score to a movie there's a sense of the music here working something out in Clapton's heart, a sense given a lot of power thanks to the intense, heart-wrenching passion invoked by some of the turns taken here. At its best, Clapton's music can speak of the pain he feels and Clapton has rarely been better than he is here.

 

01. "New Recruit"  (Eric Clapton)  - 1:30

02. "Tracks and Lines"  (Eric Clapton)  - 3:00

03. "Realization"  (Eric Clapton)  - 2:41

04. "Kristen and Jim"  (Eric Clapton)  - 3:38

05. "Preludin Fugue"  (Eric Clapton)  - 3:19

06. "Cold Turkey"  (Eric Clapton)  - 2:21

07. "Will Gaines"  (Eric Clapton)  - 3:46

08. "Help Me Up"  (Clapton, Will Jennings)  - 5:50

09. "Don't Know Which Way to Go" (Buddy Guy on lead vocals)  (Willie Dixon, Al Perkins)  - 10:46

10. "Tears in Heaven"  (Clapton, Jennings)  - 4:30

Released:  14 January 1992

Label:  Duck / Reprise

Genre:  Original Score, Soundtrack, Rock

Length:  41:40

Producer:  Russ Titelman

Engineers:  Ed Cherney, Jeff DeMorris

Conductor:  Randy Kerber

Personnel:

Eric Clapton - vocals, guitar, dobro

Buddy Guy - vocals, guitar

Jaydee Maness - pedal steel

Gayle Levant - celtic harp

Greg Phillinganes - piano, organ

Chuck Leavell - piano, organ

Randy Kerber - organ, keyboards, synthesizer

Robbie Kondor - synthesizer

Nathan East - bass

Tim Drummond - bass

Steve Ferrone - drums

Lenny Castro - percussion

David Frank - horn programming

Jimmy Bralower - drum programming

Bill Champlin, Vaneese Thomas, Jenni Muldaur, Lani Groves - background vocals

Tony Joe White - Closer To The Truth (1991)

"Closer To The Truth" which marked Tony Joe White's stunning return to form after a difficult 1980s period.

You'll recognise the wonderful Steamy Windows (covered by good friend Tina Turner with TJW backing her) but the awesome opening track Tunica Motel which tells of Tony Joe's return to his blues roots sets the stage for the whole album. Tunica Motel has it all - strong hooks and TJW's strong songwriting which starts as a song about getting away from it all, and becomes, gradually, a gut-spilling account. "I'm so tired of fighting with myself..." confesses TJW. Later, when he's contemplating his musical direction, he "sees the ghost of Robert Johnson" and for me the line brings an involunatary tingle down my spine every time I hear it, which is often. Tony Joe is Back! On this album he reintroduces us to his warm Stratocaster blues in gorgeous tracks: Ain't Going Down This Time and You're Gonna Look in Blues. In some ways these marked a new sound that he'd develop on subsequent albums - moving us closer to his use of Spanish guitar. And while he gives us several top swampy blues workouts on tracks like Biyo Rhythm and Love MD ("I need a love doctor," he wails) Tony Joe White also returns us to the world view he shared in his earlier, still excellent album Home made Iceceam which featured gentle ecological laments in tracks like "Ol mother Earth." Tracks such as the powerful "Other Side" written soon after the massacre of Tiannemen Square display his trademark sense of justice and his feelings towards poverty and racism - and on recent listening I was surprised how the track still resonates strongly in the wake of Katrina. The title track, "Closer To The Truth" is a longer track, less overt in its politics and anthem-like in its arrangement: a reflection on a world gone to hell.

When the album appeared in 1991 it was a welcome return for Tony Joe White. It put the uncertainty of the 1980s, and his wrangles with various record companies behind him. Tony Joe White had refound his path of the decent groove and this album marked the new golden age of this superb talent.

 

01.  "Tunica Motel"  (Tony Joe White)  - 4:17

02.  "Ain't Going Down This Time"  (Tony Joe White)  - 5:06

03.  "Steamy Windows"  (Tony Joe White)  - 3:54

04.  "(You're Gonna Look)  Good in Blues"  (Tony Joe White)  - 5:10

05.  "Love M.D."  (Leann White, Tony Joe White)  - 3:34

06.  "The Other Side"  (Tony Joe White)  -  5:50

07.  "Bi-Yo Rhythm"  (Tony Joe White)  - 5:15

08.  "Cool Town Woman"  (Tony Joe White)  - 4:16

09.  "Bare Necessities"  (Tony Joe White)  - 3:47

10.  "Undercover Agent for the Blues"  (Leann White, Tony Joe White)  - 4:44

11.  "Main Squeeze"  (Tony Joe White)  - 4:16

12.  "Closer to the Truth"  (Leann White, Tony Joe White)  - 6:33)

Released:  1991

Recorded at:  Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Alabama

Genre:  Swamp Rock, Blues, Soul

Length:  58:03

Label:  Remark (U.S.), Festival (Aus/N.Z.)

Producer:  Tony Joe White

Mixing:  Chris Lord-Alge

Engineering:  Steve Melton

Personnel

Tony Joe White - Guitars, Harmonica, Whomper, Swamp Box

David Hood - Bass

Roger Hawkins - Drums

Steve Nathan - Keyboards

Spooner Oldham - Wurlitzer piano

Harvey Thompson - Horns

Mickey Buckins - Percussion

Roger McGuinn - Back From Rio (1991)

"Back From Rio" is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of The Byrds Roger McGuinn. It was released in January 1991, more than a decade after McGuinn's previous solo album, "Thunderbyrd".  Roger McGuinn is still the king of melody, class, and folk-rock amalgams. "Back From Rio" is relevant, smart, crisply arranged, written, and recorded.

First, the songcraft is superb as befits an artist of McGuinn's status. "Somebody to Love", "King of the Hill", "Without Your Love", "The Trees Are All Gone" any of these could be a modern Byrds classic. (Byrds comparisons are inevitable, given that McGuinn provided that band with most of its spirit and musical signature) McGuinn's singing is assured and expressive, while retaining the shaky quality that's distinguished it since the verse to "Mr. Tambourine Man" blared out of radios back in the '60s. Now it's an engagingly shaky voice, endearing but also pregnant with narrative power. The album was issued following the release of the The Byrds box set and musically it leans on the sound of The Byrds thanks to McGuinn's ringing 12-string electric guitar and vocal contributions from ex-Byrds members David Crosby and Chris Hillman. Also prominent on the album are Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with Petty co-authoring and duetting with McGuinn on the album's lead single "King Of The Hill". In addition, several members of the Heartbreakers provide musical backing on a number of the album's tracks. Other prominent songwriters on the album besides McGuinn and his wife Camilla are Elvis Costello, Jules Shear and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.

 

01. "Someone to Love"  (Roger McGuinn, Camilla McGuinn)  - 3:32

02. "Car Phone"  (Mike Campbell, R. McGuinn)  - 4:33

03. "You Bowed Down"  (Elvis Costello)  - 3:52

04. "Suddenly Blue"  (Scott Cutler, R. McGuinn, D. Morgan)  - 3:49

05. "The Trees Are All Gone"  (R. McGuinn, C. McGuinn)  - 3:51

06. "King of The Hill" (duet with Tom Petty)  (R. McGuinn, Tom Petty)  - 5:27

07. "Without Your Love"  (R. McGuinn, C. McGuinn)  - 3:59

08. "The Time Has Come"  (Scott Cutler, R. McGuinn)  - 3:45

09. "Your Love Is a Gold Mine"  (R. McGuinn, Dave Stewart)  - 4:06

10. "If We Never Meet Again"  (Jules Shear)  - 4:28

Released:  January 1991

Recorded at:  Capitol Studios, Los Angeles

Genre:  Country Rock

Length:  41:44

Label:  Arista

Producer:  David Cole, Roger McGuinn

Personnel

Roger McGuinn - lead vocals, background vocals, 12 string electric guitar, 12 string acoustic guitar

George Hawkins - bass guitar

John Jorgenson - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, saxophone, bass guitar, mandolin

Michael Thompson - electric guitar, acoustic guitar

Stan Lynch - drums, percussion

Mike Campbell - electric guitar, slide guitar, baritone guitar

Benmont Tench - organ, keyboards, Hammond B-3

David Cole - percussion, piano, acoustic guitar, MPC-60

Dan Higgins - saxophone

Tom Petty - lead vocals, background vocals

Elvis Costello - background vocals

Michael Penn - background vocals, 12 string acoustic guitar

David Crosby - vocals, background vocals

Chris Hillman - vocals, background vocals

J. Steven Soles - background vocals

Timothy B. Schmit - background vocals

Kimmy Robertson - telephone voice

Stan Ridgway - telephone voice

Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings (1990)

"The Complete Recordings" is a compilation album by American blues musician Robert Johnson, released August 28, 1990 on Columbia Records. The album's recordings were recorded in two sessions in Dallas and San Antonio, Texas for the American Record Company (ARC) during 1936 and 1937. Most of the songs were first released on 78rpm records in 1937. "The Complete Recordings" contains every recording Johnson is known to have made, with the exception of an alternate take of "Travelling Riverside Blues".

Prior to his death in 1938, through the help of H. C. Speir Johnson recorded 29 songs for the American Record Company (ARC). His complete canon of recordings includes these 29 masters, plus 13 surviving alternate takes, all recorded at two ARC sessions held in San Antonio and Dallas, Texas. The Mississippi Delta two hundred miles of fertile lowlands stretching from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south was one of the primary locales in which the blues originated and developed. He is said to have been heavily influenced by early blues artists like Skip James, who was recorded in 1931, around the same time that Johnson amazed his elders with his mastery of the guitar. James's eerie, distinctive style is reflected throughout Johnson's recordings, most notably in "32-20 Blues," which he adapted from James's "22-20 Blues." "The Complete Recordings" has sold more than a million copies, and won a Grammy Award in 1991 for "Best Historical Album."In 1992, the Blues Foundation inducted the album into the Blues Hall of Fame. It also was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2003. The board selects recordings in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Disc one

01.  "Kind Hearted Woman Blues"  - 2:49

02.  "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" (alternate take) - 2:31

03.  "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom"  - 2:56

04.  "Sweet Home Chicago"  - 2:59

05.  "Ramblin' on My Mind" (alternate take) - 2:51

06.  "Ramblin' on My Mind"  - 2:20

07.  "When You Got a Good Friend"  - 2:37

08.  "When You Got a Good Friend" (alternate take) - 2:50

09.  "Come On in My Kitchen" (alternate take) - 2:47

10.  "Come On in My Kitchen"  - 2:35

11.  "Terraplane Blues"  - 3:00

12.  "Phonograph Blues"  - 2:37

13.  "Phonograph Blues" (alternate take) - 2:35

14.  "32-20 Blues"  - 2:51

15.  "They're Red Hot"  - 2:56

16.  "Dead Shrimp Blues"  - 2:30

17.  "Cross Road Blues"  - 2:39

18.  "Cross Road Blues" (alternate take) - 2:29

19.  "Walkin' Blues"  - 2:28

20.  "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"  - 2:39

Disc two

01.  "Preaching Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)"  - 2:50

02.  "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day"  - 2:34

03.  "Stones in My Passway"  - 2:27

04.  "I'm a Steady Rollin' Man"  - 2:35

05.  "From Four Till Late"  - 2:23

06.  "Hellhound on My Trail"  - 2:35

07.  "Little Queen of Spades"  - 2:11

08.  "Little Queen of Spades" (alternate take) - 2:15

09.  "Malted Milk"  - 2:17

10.  "Drunken Hearted Man"  - 2:24

11.  "Drunken Hearted Man" (alternate take) - 2:19

12.  "Me and the Devil Blues"  - 2:37

13.  "Me and the Devil Blues" (alternate take) - 2:29

14.  "Stop Breakin' Down Blues" (alternate take) - 2:16

15.  "Stop Breakin' Down Blues"  - 2:21

16.  "Traveling Riverside Blues"  - 2:47

17.  "Honeymoon Blues"  - 2:16

18.  "Love in Vain" (alternate take) - 2:28

19.  "Love in Vain"  - 2:19

20.  "Milkcow's Calf Blues" (alternate take) - 2:14

21.  "Milkcow's Calf Blues"  - 2:20

Released:  August 28, 1990

Recorded:  November 1936 and June 1937

Genre:  Blues

Length:  104:53

Label:  Columbia

Producer:  Beryl Cohen Porter (original recordings), Don Law(compilation), Frank Driggs(Reissue Producer)

Personnel

Robert Johnson – acoustic guitar, vocals