Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last Of A Dyin' Breed (2012)

“Last Of A Dyin' Breed” is the fourteenth studio album by American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Defiance runs deep in Lynyrd Skynyrd's DNA but 2012's Last of a Dyin' Breed finds the veteran Southern rockers hunkering down, emphasizing their old-fashioned outlaw ways. All the recognizable redneck rebel sentiments are here it's all god, guns, Southern girls, and sweet tea but Skynyrd's signature sound is absent. In this, their third act, the kings of Southern rock have cut out the country and boogie, leaving behind a heavy-booted blues grind and churning hard rock  sounds that signify the modern South even if they're not classically Southern rock.
And that fits for this incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd. They may flirt with fleeting references to their past -- the first verse of "Good Teacher" recalling "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," the soaring soul-speckled ballad "Ready to Fly" a distant cousin of "Freebird" but Johnny Van Zant, Gary Rossington, and Rickey Medlocke aren't in this game just to revive past glories; they're engaging with the modern world, co-opting the leaden stripper rock of Nickelback for "Homegrown," once again bringing back former Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 for a cameo, and writing a Tea Party anthem in "Nothing Comes Easy." Certainly, Skynyrd are making sturdy, old-time rock & roll for an audience that's likely peppered with Tea Partiers, the kind of Middle American worried that the world they knew is slipping away, and "Last of a Dyin' Breed" provides a bit of a rallying point for them: it's true to their roots but living in the moment. If Skynyrd sound a little less nimble than they used to, chalk it up not to age but to the conscious decision to play everything heavier than before; without elements of the backwoods, they're dogged rockers, happy to carry the torch they lit nearly four decades ago even if it doesn't burn as bright as it once did.

Track listing

01.  "Last of a Dyin' Breed"   (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark Matejka, Dan Serafini, Bob Marlette)  - 3:51
02.  "One Day at a Time"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, Marlon Young)  - 3:46
03.  "Homegrown"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, Blair Daly)  - 3:41
04.  "Ready to Fly"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, Audley Freed)  - 5:26
05.  "Mississippi Blood"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, Jaren Johnston)  - 2:57
06.  "Good Teacher"   (J. Van Zant, Donnie Van Zant, Tom Hambridge, Daly)  - 3:07
07.  "Something to Live For"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, John Lowery, Marlette)  - 4:29
08.  "Life's Twisted"   (Daly, Jon Lawhon, Chris Robertson)  - 4:33
09.  "Nothing Comes Easy"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, Hambridge)  - 4:13
10.  "Honey Hole"   (Rossington, J. Van Zant, Medlocke, Hambridge)  - 4:35
11.  "Start Livin' Life Again"   (J. Van Zant, D. Van Zant, Marlette, Lowery)  - 4:23

Credits
Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals
Gary Rossington – guitars
Rickey Medlocke – guitars
Michael Cartellone – drums
Johnny Colt – bass
Mark Matejka – guitars
Peter Keys – keyboards
John Lowery aka "John 5" – additional guitar
Engineer, Mixed By – Bob Marlette
Producer - Bob Marlette

Notes
Recorded at: Blackbird Studios, Woodland Hills, CA.
Genre: Southern Rock
Length: 45:01

© 2012 Roadrunner Records/Loud and Proud Records

Fitz And The Tantrums - Pickin' Up The Pieces (2010)

“Pickin' Up the Pieces” is the debut studio album by American band Fitz and The Tantrums, released on August 24, 2010.
The band drew inspiration from various musical tastes, including Motown records and soul music, and recorded the album in vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick's living room, which he dubbed Dillon Street Studios. It was produced by Fitzpatrick and Chris Seefried.
The first full-length album from Fitz & the Tantrums finds this L.A.-based sextet breaking out big time within the soul revival underground, though for a band that plays heavily on their D.I.Y. cred as their press materials frequently note, this album was primarily recorded in lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick's living room  these songs find them playing to the polished and poppier end of the R&B spectrum. Principle songwriter Fitzpatrick and Tantrums' arranger James King (who also plays sax) lean to the more refined sounds of classic-era Motown, and the East Coast and Chicago styles that informed Northern soul, rather than the grittier Southern soul artists who recorded for Stax or Goldwax, and while these songs show a strong and obvious influence of classic ‘60s soul, there's more than a dash of contemporary pop in the way the hooks make themselves felt, the stylish layers of backing vocals, and the occasional use of drum loops. This is soul from the upscale night spot rather than the juke joint, but it's a club that's well worth the cover charge; Fitzpatrick is a significantly better than the average blue-eyed soul crooner, his vocal partner Noelle Scaggs is good enough that one wishes she got more space in the spotlight, and under King's direction, the band cuts an impressive groove without cluttering up the arrangements or depending too strongly on their influences to convincingly conjure the sound of the classic era of soul. Fitz & the Tantrums may lack some of the sweaty muscle of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, the current titans of the retro-soul scene, but this band is clearly going for a different approach, and on their own terms they've made a solid album that fuses past and present and creates a space that's a cool place to be.

Track listing

01.  "Breakin' the Chains of Love"  (Fitzpatrick)  - 2:51
02.  "Dear Mr. President"   (Michael Fitzpatrick, Chris Seefried)  - 2:59
03.  "Pickin' Up the Pieces"  (Fitzpatrick, Noelle Scaggs)  - 2:45
04.  "MoneyGrabber"   (Michael Fitzpatrick, Chris Seefried)  - 3:09
05.  "L.O.V."   (Michael Fitzpatrick, Chris Seefried)  - 3:40
06.  "News 4 U"  (Fitzpatrick, Seefried, Jeremy Ruzumna)  - 3:57
07.  "Don't Gotta Work It Out"   (Michael Fitzpatrick, Chris Seefried)  - 4:09
08.  "Rich Girls"   (Michael Fitzpatrick, Chris Seefried)  - 3:14
09.  "Winds of Change"  (Michael Fitzpatrick, Chris Seefried)  - 4:09
10.  "Tighter"  (Fitzpatrick, Seefried, Ruzumna, James King, John Wicks, Ethan Philips) -  4:56

Credits
Michael Fitzpatrick – vocals, keyboards, percussion, production, engineering
Noelle Scaggs – vocals, percussion
James King – saxophone, flute
Ethan Philips – bass guitar
Jeremy Ruzumna – keyboards
John Wicks – drums, percussion
Maya Azucena – backing vocals
Sebastian Steinberg – bass guitar
Matt Cooker – cello
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – violin
Stewart Cole – Trumpet
Josh Brauchhausen – drums
Scott Ellis – drums
Jen Kuhn – cello
Maya Sykes – backing vocals
Tay Strathairn – piano
Chris Seefried – guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards
Stephen Kaye – mixing
David Benitez – Additional engineering on "Rich Girls" and "Tighter"
Bernie Grundman – mastering
Producer - Chris Seefried, Michael Fitzpatrick

Notes
Recorded at: Culver City Music Factory, Dillon Street Studios, Los Angeles[1]
Genre: Soul, Pop
Length: 36:13

© 2010 Dangerbird Records

Perry Farrell - Song Yet To Be Sung (2001)

“Song Yet to Be Sung” is an album by Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell, released on July 16, 2001, on Virgin Records. The album features collaborations from Farrell's former bandmates Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Martyn LeNoble. It was originally titled “The Diamond Jubilee”.
Even though Perry Farrell didn't disappear in the latter half of the '90s, it sure felt like he had. Lollapalooza dried up not long after he left, his follow-up festival was stillborn, Porno for Pyros never achieved the high profile or respect of Jane's Addiction  and when Jane's did reunite in 1997, its companion album and tour were a distant memory a year later. So, he seized the opportunity of silence by laying low, developing a new sound for a new project namely, a solo career. During his self-imposed exile he, like many members of the alt-rock generation, became convinced that electronica was the next bold step forward, so he absorbed the sounds and learned how to make it himself, crossing it with worldbeat and new age spirituality for his ambitious comeback record, “Song Yet to Be Sung”. Part of the problem of working in isolation for a prolonged period of time which he essentially was, even if he worked with a number of different collaborators  is that the end product feels somewhat hermetic whenever it's released.
This can be a good thing, since it can help protect an individual vision, which is somewhat true of Song. Farrell certainly has his own brand of mysticism, globe-spanning electronica, and he keeps his focus throughout the record, letting the moods change slowly with the flow of the rhythms. It's easily the most consistent record he's cut since Ritual de lo Habitual, and it has a generous spirit that's brand new to Farrell's music. This all makes for an interesting listen and, if you're coming from a similar vantage, it could be quite compelling. Yet despite the idiosyncratic, individual vision Farrell displays throughout the record, it isn't exactly visionary, especially compared to records released during his prolonged absence from music-making.
No matter its accomplishments, it sounds strangely dated, sharing more with Andrew Weatherall productions from the early '90s than such late-'90s rock-electronica hallmarks as Homogenic. This doesn't discount what Farrell's accomplished here, since this holds its own against Jane's Addiction far more than any Porno for Pyros record, but it feels more like a product of the '90s than a new millennium.
The title track,"Song Yet to Be Sung" was the official song for trailers of the series premiere of Smallville.

Track listing

01.  "Happy Birthday Jubilee"  (Perry Farrell, Brendan Hawkins, Karl Leiker)  - 4:39
02.  "Song Yet to Be Sung"  (Perry Farrell, Stephen Perkins)  - 4:54
03.  "Did You Forget"  (Perry Farrell)  - 4:10
04.  "Shekina"  (Perry Farrell)  - 4:53
05.  "Our Song"  (Perry Farrell)  - 4:21
06.  "Say Something"  (Perry Farrell, Brendan Hawkins)  - 3:45
07.  "Seeds"  (Perry Farrell)  - 3:48
08.  "King Z"  (Perry Farrell)  - 3:31
09.  "To Me"  (Perry Farrell, Karl Leiker)  - 2:59
10.  "Nua Nua"  (Perry Farrell, Brendan Hawkins, Karl Leiker, Stephen Perkins)  - 4:37
11.  "Admit I"  (Perry Farrell, Karl Leiker, Stephen Perkins)  - 4:23
12.  "Happy Birthday Jubilee (reprise)"  (Perry Farrell, Brendan Hawkins, Karl Leiker)  - 2:40

Credits
Perry Farrell - vocals, guitar, harp, drums, keyboard programming
Alex Brown - vocals, background vocals
Max Lavilla, Ray McVeigh, Joel Shearer, Noko, Jennifer Turner - guitar
Dave Aron, Michael Mattioli, Willie Waldman, Maurice Spears - horns
Lonnie Jordan - piano
Patrick Warren - organ, chamberlin
Karl Leiker - drums, programming, keyboard programming
Brendan Hawkins - drums, keyboard programming
Stephen Perkins - drums
DJ Garth, Eric James, Alexis Smith, Marius de Vries, Thomas Johnson - programming
Mad Professor, Maxi Anderson, Monalisa Young - background vocals
Audio Mixers: DJ Garth; Eric James; Greg Collins ; Brendan Hawkins; Alan Moulder; Mad Professor; Perry Farrell; Carmen Rizzo.
Producer Perry Farrell, Krish Sharma, Brenden Hawkins, Marius DeVries, Mad Professor, Karl Leiker

Notes
Recording information: Blue Barn, England; Golden Robot Studios, Beverly Hills, CA.Battery Studios; Grayhound Studios, El Cerrito, CA; Henson Recording, Hollywood, CA; Moutn Moriah Studios, Venice, CA; Record Planet, Sausalito, CA; Village Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Yobel's Way, Venice, CA. Photographer: David LaChapelle. Arranger: Brendan Hawkins. Personnel includes: Perry Farrell (vocals, harp, keyboards, programming); Dave Navarro, Dave Marlot, Noko (guitar); Willie Waldman (horns); Lonnie Jordan (piano); Patrick Warren (Chamberlain, organ); Karl Leiker, Bikki Johnson (bass); JuJu (percussion); Brenden Hawkins, Steve Pagan (programming); Mad Professor (background vocals). Producers: Krish Sharma, Marius De Vries, Mad Professor.
Genre:  Alternative Rock, Electronic
Length: 48:34

© 2001 Virgin Records

The Dynamic Superiors - Pure Pleasure (1975)

The Dynamic Superiors are a Motown group from Washington, D.C., United States.
The group formed in 1963 with members Tony Washington (lead), George Spann (1st tenor), George Peterback, Jr. (2nd tenor), Michael McCalpin (baritone), and Maurice Washington (bass). After a ten year wait, they received their first recording contract in 1974. They recorded with moderate success throughout the 1970s. One of their best selling hits was "Shoe Shoe Shine" in 1975. They were unique in that Tony Washington was openly homosexual, and sometimes dressed in drag onstage.
Although the Dynamic Superiors recorded five albums for Motown in the mid- to late '70s, virtually everyone would agree that the most interesting of these were the first two. Both were produced by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who also wrote almost all of the material.
“Pure Pleasure” is the second album from The Dynamic Superiors on Motown Records. It was released in 1975.
This album went much more for danceable disco sounds, with "Face the Music" reaching number six on the disco chart. Often harmony-oriented soul vocal groups declined when they bowed to disco trends, but Pure Pleasure is more or less an exception to that syndrome, as Washington, the rest of the group, and Ashford & Simpson sound pretty at ease with the style. In addition, the act's strength as soul balladeers wasn't neglected, with a few cuts (such as "Feeling Mellow" and "A Better Way") emphasizing their more song-oriented sensitive side, and "Pleasure" proving they could handle an upbeat funky groove without ladling on the disco beats.

Track listing

01.  "Deception"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 4:49 
02.  "Pleasure"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 3:19 
03.  "Nobody's Gonna Change Me"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson) -  5:30 
04.  "Feeling Mellow"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 4:13 
05.  "Face The Music"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 3:08 
06.  "Hit And Run Lovers"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 4:06 
07.  "A Better Way"  (Bobby Gene Hall, Raymond Simpson)  - 3:38 
08.  "Don't Give Up On Me Baby"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 3:03 
09.  "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing"  (Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)  - 4:13

Credits
Tony Washington - lead
George Spann - 1st tenor
George Peterback Jr. - 2nd tenor
Michael McCalpin - baritone
Maurice Washington - bass
Art Direction – Frank Mulvey
Design [And Album Concept] – Snyder And Butler Advertising
Directed By [Direction] – Guy Draper
Engineer – Elliot Scheiner
Engineer [Associate] – Glenn Burger
Management – Guy Draper
Arranged By – Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, Horace Ott
Mixed By [Additional Mixing] – Art Stewart
Photography By [Back Cover] – Jim Britt
Photography By [Front Cover] – Olivier Ferrand
Producer - Ashford & Simpson

Notes
Recorded at A & R Recording Inc., New York, New York
Genre:  Soul, Funk
Length: 35:59

© 1975 Tamla Motown Records

The Eleventh House with Larry Coryell - Level One (1975)

“Level One” is The Eleventh House's second album released 1975 for the Arista label.
This was the follow-up to the legendary “Introducing the Eleventh House” recording. While it never achieved the classic status of its predecessor, it is an excellent follow-up that captures the band at their creative and technical peak. From the whimsical "Diedra" to the intense "Nyctophobia," Coryell leads his group with an understated refrain. He has always been at his best when acting as an equal within a group's space rather than as the centerpiece. His one indulgence here is the pretty, acoustic guitar solo "Eyes of Love." Of particular interest on this recording is the ferocious drumming of Alponse Mouzon, who displays a style of speed and power that rivals that of Billy Cobham. This is a forgotten gem from the fusion era. This is one of the favourite Jazz Fusion recordings, by one of the favourite Jazz Fusion groups. Imagine a cross between Ian Carr's Nucleus and early Mahavishnu and this is what you get. Coryell found his Jan Hammer- esque counterpart in amazing blind keyboardist Mike Mandel and Alphonse Mouzon is as close to a Cobham-style drummer as it is possible to find. Mike Lawrence on trumpet is just as electric and maybe even spacier than Jerry Goodman. His style mirrors that of Miles Davis during that period. Likewise bandleader Coryell really pushed the limits of both his playing and composing with this band configuration and subsequent release.
However, the individual who deserves special merit, and really propels this intensely awesome record in a super-mahavishnu way is unheralded-til-now bassist John Lee. His raucous thundering pushes Larry's sound in a very satisfying way, and Coryell's power here is a direct result of John's pulsing support. This is not Funk in any way, though this record has a certain funkiness to it, and that is mostly Lee's doing.
Every song stands strong with repeated listenings. The album is actually entitled Level One, but if you ask me this is one of the highest levels of fusion attainable. This is a must-have for any fan of furious fusion.

Track listing

01. "Level one"  (Mike Mandell)  - 3:02
02. "The other side"  (Michael Lawrence)  - 4:35
03. "Diedra"  (Mandell)  - 3:56
04. "Some greasy stuff"  (Alphonze Mouzon)  - 3:30
05. "Nyctaphobia"  (Mouzon)  - 4:04
06. "Suite"  (Larry Coryell)  - 5:32
        A. Entrance
        B. Repose
        C. Exit
07. "Eyes of love"  (Coryell)  - 2:25
08. "Struttin' with sunshine"  (Coryell)  - 3:20
09. "That's the joint"  (John Lee)  - 4:03

Credits
Larry Coryell – guitar
Michael Lawrence – flugelhorn, trumpet
Mike Mandel – keyboards
Alphonse Mouzon – drums, percussion
John Lee – bass guitar
Steve Khan – 12 string guitar on "Level one"
ProductionEd Caraeff – photography
Bob Heimall – design
Ralph Moss – recording engineer
Producer - Skip Drikwater,
Executive Producer - Vince Cirrincione and Tom Tom Paine

Notes
Recorded at Electric Lady Land Studios, New York City
Genre: Jazz, Jazz fusion
Length: 34:42
© 1975 Arista Records

8th Day - 8th Day (1971)

8th Day was an American R&B group from Detroit, Michigan.
The Holland–Dozier–Holland (HDH) songwriting team had scored hits in 1970 with the group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul). When the latter's song "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed" became a hit, radio stations also began playing the tune "She's Not Just Another Woman". HDH wanted to release the song as another single, but did not want to hurt the sales of "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed", so they released "She's Not Just Another Woman" on Invictus Records under the name 8th Day in 1971. The song, written by HDH under the pseudonyms C. Wilson and Ronald Dunbar, became a hit, peaking at #11 in the U.S. chart.
A second song released under the 8th Day name, "You've Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)", also hit the charts later that year
8th Day's membership remains a mystery. Were the members interchangeable with 100 Proof (Aged in Soul)? Three of these tracks are on 100 Proofs' debut album: "I've Come to Save You," "Too Many Cooks," and "She's Not Just Another Woman" the same identical tracks and vocals. A Melvin Davis solo release, "I'm Worried," also appears here. "She's Not Just Another Woman," with its passionate singing and jerky beat, assaulted the charts; their next release, "You've Got to Crawl Before You Walk," features a thick funky groove. A good album with a few outstanding tracks and no weak ones.
The group name was resurrected in 1983 for a Brian Holland and Harold Beatty production featuring Tyrone Douglas, formerly of The Undisputed Truth.

Track listing

01.  "She's Not Just Another Woman"   (Ronald Dunbar, Clyde Wilson)  - 3:13   
02.  "You've Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)"  (Angelo Bond, Ronald Dunbar, General Johnson, Greg Perry)  - 2:55   
03.  "Too Many Cooks"  (Angelo Bond, Ronald Dunbar)  - 2:40   
04.  "La-De-Dah" (Ronald Dunbar)  - 2:50   
05.  "Enny-Meeny-Miny-Mo (Three's a Crowd)"  (Angelo Bond, Ronald Dunbar)  - 2:20   
06.  "Just as Long"  (Ronald Dunbar, Ron Stringer)  - 7:29   
07.  "I Can't Fool Myself"  (Angelo Bond, Gary "Gazza" Johnson, Greg Perry)  - 3:26   
08.  "I'm Worried"  (Ronald Dunbar)  - 8:24   
09.  "I've Come to Save You"  (Clyde Wilson)  - 2:54 

Credits
Melvin Davis - vocals
Antonio "Tony" Newton - bass
Lyman Woodard - Organ, Keyboards
Larry Hutchison - Guitar
Ron Bykowski
Michael Anthony - guitar
Bruce Nazarian - guitar, vocals
Jerry Paul - percussion
Lynn Harter
Carole Stallings - violin
Anita Sherman - vibraphone
Arranged By – McKinley Jackson, Tony Camillo
Engineer – Barney Perkins, Lawrence Horn
Producer – Ronald Dunbar

Notes
Genre: Funk, Soul
Length: 36:05

© 1971 Invictus Records

The Dream Syndicate - Medicine Show (1984)

The Dream Syndicate is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1981 to 1989. The band is associated with the Paisley Underground music movement; of the bands in that movement, according to the Los Angeles Times, it "rocked with the highest degree of unbridled passion and conviction". Though never commercially successful it met with considerable acclaim, especially for its songwriting and guitar playing.
After waves of positive press, A&M Records signed the Dream Syndicate and they went into the studio with producer Sandy Pearlman, who spent five months in the studio guiding the band through their second LP.
Given their sudden rise to success, the Dream Syndicate probably would have dealt with a certain amount of critical backlash no matter how their sophomore effort turned out, but “Medicine Show” was greeted with openly hostile reviews, largely because it sounded practically nothing like the album that sent tongues wagging two years earlier. Where The Days of Wine and Roses was a raw but passionate fusion of Highway 61-era Bob Dylan and the Velvet Underground at their most primal, Medicine Show sounded big and polished, but also dusty and weathered, with the terse, nose-thumbing lyrics of the debut replaced with dark, complex narratives full of bad luck and bad blood backed with booming drums and roaring guitars that were significantly more rockist than what Steve Wynn and Karl Precoda brought to their earlier recordings.
Viewed in the context of Wynn's career, Medicine Show marks the spot where the lyrical themes and musical approach of his later work would first come into focus, but it still doesn't bear much resemblance to what the Dream Syndicate would create on their subsequent albums in its grand, doomy tone and obsessive but curiously unobtrusive production style. Medicine Show isn't a grand failure as its initial detractors claimed, but it isn't the triumph some revisionist fans imagine it to be, either; there are a few great songs scattered throughout (especially "Merrittville" and "Armed with an Empty Gun"), and once it works its way in, the 8:48 of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues" is as potent a guitar workout as anything this band would ever release. But in most respects, this finds Wynn and his bandmates reaching for something they couldn't quite grasp, and Tom Zvoncheck's keyboards, for all their drama, never really find their way into the music. Lots of bands let loose with a major-label budget for the first time have made lavish records that didn't quite work, but unlike most of them, “Medicine Show” doesn't sound like a grandiose waste of money. Instead, it's a widescreen guitar spectacle with the soul of a Jim Thompson paperback, and if it doesn't always work, enough of it does to make it worthy of serious reappraisal.

Track listing

01. "Still Holding on to You"  (Steve Wynn)  - 3:39
02. "Daddy's Girl"  (Steve Wynn)  - 3:02
03. "Burn"  (Steve Wynn)  - 5:34
04. "Armed with an Empty Gun"  (Steve Wynn)  - 3:56
05. "Bullet with My Name on It"  (Karl Precoda)  - 6:20
06. "The Medicine Show"  (Steve Wynn)  - 6:29
07. "John Coltrane Stereo Blues"  (Dennis Duck, Dave Provost)  - 8:48
08. "Merritville"  (Steve Wynn)  - 7:20

Credits
Steve Wynn - guitar, vocals
Karl Precoda - lead, rhythm guitars
Dennis Duck - drums
Dave Provost - bass
Tom Zvoncheck - piano, Hammond B3 organ
Sid Griffin - background vocals
Stephen McCarthy - background vocals
Paul Mandl - background vocals
Gavin Blair - background vocals
Mastered By - George Marino
Mixed By - Dave Wittman
Engineer - Eric Van Soest, Ken Huncovsky, Paul Mandl, Rod O'Brien
Producer - Sandy Pearlman

Notes
Recorded at Time Enough and World Enough Studios, S.F., CA, except for drum tracks recorded at The Automatt, S.F., CA. Mixed at The Automatt, S.F., CA. Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York, N.Y.
Recorded By - Paul Mandl
Recorded By [Drum Tracks] - Rod O'Brien
Genre:  American Underground, Alternative rock
Length: 45:08

© 1984 A&M Records

Fever Ray - Fever Ray (2009)

“Fever Ray” is the debut solo album by Fever Ray, an alias of Karin Dreijer Andersson of Swedish electronic music duo The Knife.
At first, it's a little difficult to determine where the Knife ends and Fever Ray begins. On paper, it's clear the Knife is the project of Karin Dreijer and her brother Olof, while Fever Ray is Karin with co-producers Christoffer Berg, Van Rivers, and the Subliminal Kid but the differences aren't as distinct when listening to Fever Ray the first few times. Initially, the album's dark, frosty atmosphere feels like a continuation of the Knife's brilliant Silent Shout, and the oddly bouncy rhythms on songs like "Triangle Walks" and "Coconut" recall the duo's exotic-yet-frozen Nordic/Caribbean fusion. Eventually, though, Fever Ray reveals itself as far darker and more intimate than anything by the Knife. the Knife's spooky impulses are usually tempered by vivid pop instincts that Fever Ray replaces with a consistently eerie mood, particularly on "Concrete Walls," which feels like an even grimmer cousin of Silent Shout's "From Off to On." However, Fever Ray's mix of confessional lyrics and chilly, blatantly synthetic and often harsh sounds make this album as successful an electronic singer/songwriter album as Björk's Homogenic. These are some of the most alluring and disturbing songs Dreijer has been involved in making: the excellent album opener "If I Had a Heart" explores possibly inhuman need with a churning, almost subliminal synth and murky bass driving Dreijer's pitch-shifted vocals (which sound more like a different part of her psyche than a different character in the song); when her untreated voice comes in, keening "will I ever ever reach the floor?" she sounds even more frail and desperate by comparison. The rest of Fever Ray follows suit, offering fragile portraits and sketches that walk the fine line between intimate and insular. Dreijer further expands on the storytelling skills she developed on Silent Shout: the characters in her songs feel even more resonant and unique, especially on "When I Grow Up," which is as fascinatingly fragmented as a child's train of thought, skipping from sentiments like "I'm very good with plants" to "I've never liked that sad look by someone who wants to be loved by you." She also has an eye for unusual details, as on "Seven"'s "November smoke/And your toes go numb." It all comes together on the haunting "Now's the Only Time I Know," where the low end of Dreijer's voice sounds especially vulnerable and the lyrics fill in just enough to be tantalizing. At times, Fever Ray threatens to become a little too mysterious, but it never sounds less than intriguing, from the layers of claps and castanets that make up the beat on "I'm Not Done" to "Keep the Streets Empty for Me"'s almost imperceptible guitars. With almost tangible textures and a striking mood of isolation and singularity, Fever Ray is a truly strange but riveting album.
The album produced four singles "If I Had a Heart", "When I Grow Up", "Triangle Walks" and "Seven". "Stranger Than Kindness" and "Keep the Streets Empty for Me" were released as promotional singles.

Track listing

01.  "If I Had a Heart"   (Fever Ray)  - 3:49
02.  "When I Grow Up"   (Fever Ray)  - 4:31
03.  "Dry and Dusty"   (Fever Ray)  - 3:45
04.  "Seven"   (Fever Ray)  - 5:10
05.  "Triangle Walks"   (Fever Ray)  - 4:23
06.  "Concrete Walls"   (Fever Ray)  - 5:40
07.  "Now's the Only Time I Know"   (Fever Ray)  - 3:59
08.  "I'm Not Done"   (Fever Ray)  - 4:20
09.  "Keep the Streets Empty for Me"  (Fever Ray, Cecilia Nordlund)  - 5:40
10.  "Coconut"   (Fever Ray)  - 6:48

Credits
Fever Ray – vocals, engineer, mixing
Hampus Lundgren – double bass
Cecilia Nordlund – vocals
Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid – engineer, mixing
Christoffer Berg – engineer, mixing
Henrik Jonsson – mastering
Martin Ander – cover design
Producer - Christoffer Berg, Fever Ray, Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid

Notes
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Genre: Electronic, Ambient
Length: 48:05

© 2009 Rabid Records

Dread Zeppelin - Un-Led-Ed (1990)

“Un-Led-Ed” is the debut album by Dread Zeppelin. Released in 1990.
Despite singer Tortelvis' reputed propensity for gas, there is no denying that, initially, Dread Zeppelin was a breath of fresh air in a stale music scene which oftentimes took itself way too seriously. Anyone jaded enough to think they had seen it all in rock & roll was forced to think again when faced with the band's improbable reggae renditions of Led Zeppelin classics, performed by an overweight caricature of the King himself, the aforementioned Tortelvis. Together, these disparate elements provided an aural and visual cocktail of Spinal Tap proportions but in this case, it was all for real. Of course, none of it could possibly have worked had it not been so cleverly well thought out in advance, and then expertly executed. Make no mistake, behind the sextet's comedic façade lies a highly competent group, featuring solid musicianship, great arranging talent, and, face it sheer balls and audacity. Having said that, the sextet's first album, 1990s “Un-Led-Ed”, is a gag-infested tour de force where almost every dubious musical moment is safeguarded by a healthy dose of humor and vice versa. Instantly catchy, and often hilarious renditions of such Zeppelin staples as "Black Dog" and "Heartbreaker" (cleverly spliced with "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" for added flavor) are, for the most part, perfectly valid interpretations from a musical standpoint. (Just listen to guitar player Carl Jah as he peels off scorching leads that would make Jimmy Page proud during "Whole lotta Love" for further proof.) And ultimately, what greater endorsement could one hope for, then the one bestowed by Zep vocal legend Robert Plant, who claimed that he actually preferred Dread Zeppelin's take on "You're Time Is Gonna Come" over the original. In the end, there is a very fine line between "sexy clever" and "sexy stupid," and though they would soon cross that line never to regain their way, at least with Un-Led-Ed, Tortelvis and company were taking care of business.
The album received a public endorsement by Led Zeppelin vocalist, Robert Plant, who claimed he preferred Dread Zep's version of "Your Time Is Gonna Come" to Led Zeppelin's original.

Track listing

01. "Black Dog"  (John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant)/Hound Dog (Leiber, Stoller)  - 5:21
02. "Heartbreaker (At the End of Lonely Street)"  (John Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant)/Heartbreak Hotel  (Axton, Dursden, Presley)  - 4:46
03. "Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's Just A Woman)"  (Page, Plant)  - 3:45
04. "Your Time Is Gonna Come"  (Jones, Page)  - 5:09
05. "Bring It On Home"  (Page, Plant)  - 4:34
06. "Whole Lotta Love"  (Bonham, Willie Dixon, Jones, Page, Plant)  - 4:34
07. "Black Mountain Side"  (Page)  - 2:01
08. "I Can't Quit You Baby"  (Willie Dixon)  - 6:02
09. "Immigrant Song"  (Page, Plant)  - 2:53
10. "Moby Dick"  (Bonham, Jones, Page)  - 4:19

Credits
Carl Jah - Guitars, Maharishi and Background Vocals
Jah Paul Jo - Guitars, Keyboard and Background Vocals
Put-Mon - Bass and Background Vocals
Tortelvis - Lead Vocals and Drums on "Moby Dick"
Ed Zeppelin - Conga, Percussion & Toast
Cheese - Drums and Percussion
Fresh Cheese 'n' Cheese - Drums on "Black Dog"
I-Lar-E Treadwell - Telephone Harmonic Convergence On “Black Dog”
"Colonel” Ron Kane - Spoken Introduction to “Moby Dick”
Bun-E Slopes - Blues Harp on “Bring It On Home”
The Memphis Hornies (Saxwell, Raji And Spam Acid) - Horn Section on "Black Dog"
The Dreadettes - Background Vocals
Michael Jordanaires - Background Vocals
Producers - Jah Paul Jo, Rasta Li-Mon
Engineer - Rasta Li-Mon
Mastered - Plant 'n' Paige at Love Cave

Notes
Art Direction: Bryant Fernandez (Birdcage Records), Hugh Brown (I.R.S. Records)
Photography: Bruce Fernandez, Andy Castro, Fred Davis
Charlie Haj is the man who hands Tortelvis his water and towels on stage.
Genre: Hard rock, reggae rock
Length: 43:24

© 1990 I.R.S. Records

Waylon - After All (2011)

Het tweede album van Waylon “After All” is de opvolger van de debuutplaat “Wicked
Waylon nam de tijd voor het tweede album, hij bezocht meerdere landen en studio’s. "Op het moment dat je in de aandacht komt zijn er ook ineens veel mensen die met je willen werken. Ik wilde zoveel mogelijk mensen leren kennen. Het heeft daarbij ook wel te maken met het psychologische aspect van een tweede album. Als je helemaal op nul begint, zoals ik ben begonnen, heb je alleen maar te winnen. Je mag lekker gaan reizen, mag een plaat gaan maken en mag gaan optreden."
"Eigenlijk is alles wat je die eerste twee à drie jaar doet winst. Nu moest ik iets creëren waardoor je in de picture blijft. Dat is hard werken, maar ik geloof dat je vooral moet vasthouden aan je eigen muziek en eigen ideeën." Bij het samenstellen van de plaat heeft de zanger niet gedacht aan de commerciële potentie van nummers vertelde hij in de uitzending: "Bij ‘Wicked Ways’ hield ik toch een beetje rekening met wat mensen verwachten. Dat doe je onbewust. Dat heb ik bij dit album los proberen te laten. Er zijn bijvoorbeeld drie of vier liedjes niet op gekomen, terwijl dat naar mijn mening gegarandeerd radiohits waren geworden. Ik voelde dat de nummers niet bij het album pasten. Ik vind dat je dan jezelf tekort doet. Het is echt mijn album geworden met mijn muziek."
In Amerika, daar moet het gebeuren voor Waylon en zijn band. Daar moest zijn nieuwe plaat opgenomen worden. Na wat afspraken kwam hij daar in een studio terecht en vond hij zichzelf teveel als een nummer gebruikt. Dus hij stapte op, op zoek naar een nieuwe plaats op het album op te nemen. Dat werd Volendam. Different world, maar wel de rust om goede muziek te maken. Want goede muziek maken kan deze man zeker. Dat bewijst hij keer op keer met zijn energieke, uitstekende live-optredens. Herkenbare stem, mooie rasp, een podiumdier, alles om het klusje te klaren. Maar daarin wel meer dan 100% geven. Prima.
"After All" wordt onder het Motown-labletje uitgebracht. Elk nummer wordt volledig door zijn goede stem gedragen en hij weet goed hoe hij er gebruik van moeten maken.
We horen verschillende stijlen voorbij komen. Dat Waylon naast soul ook erg van country houdt dat wisten we al, maar dat laat hij ook nog eens zelf horen. Prima zet, want die nummers zoals “Jealousy”,  bevallen prima. Ook is er plaats voor ballads “Speed of Love” en pop “Lose It”. “Lucky Night” valt op als een nummer dat een hoog meezinggehalte heeft en perfect bij Waylon’s stem past. Of gaan we meer voor het soulvolle “Need a Little Time”. Op dit nummer horen we perfect die fijne rasp in zijn stem en is de soulgeluid goed te horen (ik zeg orgeltje!). Swingen kan ook op dit album, neem daarvoor het groovende “The Satisfier”.     http://www.bing.com/translator/

Track listing

01.  "The Escapist"   (Andreas Olsson, Andy Platts, Martin Terefe)  - 3:45
02.  "Lucky Night"   (Chris Busek, Nikolaj Juel Christiansen, Kristoffer Sonne, Waylon)  - 3:20
03.  "After All"  - 3:19
04.  "Need a Little Time"   (Monty Byrom, David Neuhauser, Waylon)  - 4:21
05.  "Jealousy"   (Nikolaj Juel Christiansen, Kristoffer Sonne, Waylon)  - 2:28
06.  "Lose It"   (Jamie Hartman, Guy Sebastian, Andy Stochansky)  - 3:25
07.  "Desperate Situation"   (Ivy Jo Hunter, Pamela Sawyer)  - 3:11
08.  "Speed of Love (Can't Sleep)"   (Sean Barry, Monty Byrom, David Neuhauser, Waylon)  - 4:01
09.  "The Satisfier"   (Monty Byrom, David Neuhauser, Waylon)  - 3:13
10.  "Time for Us"   (Monty Byrom, David Neuhauser, Waylon)  - 3:14
11.  "Unfaithful"  - 2:58

Credits
Waylon
Andy Platts 
Sean Barry 
Chris Busek 
Monty Byrom 
Nikolaj Juel Christiansen 
Jamie Hartman
Ivy Jo Hunter 
David Neuhauser 
Andreas Olsson
Pamela Sawyer 
Guy Sebastian 
Kristoffer Sonne  
Andy Stochansky  
Martin Terefe 

Notes
Genre: Funk, Soul, Pop
Lenght: 37:15

© 2011 Universal Music

David + David - Boomtown (1986)

David + David was an American rock duo composed of Los Angeles-based studio musicians David Baerwald and David Ricketts. They are best known for their debut single “Welcome to the Boomtown” from the album “Boomtown”.
David + David’s “Boomtown” is a hard look at urban life in the 1980s, a time when many were fulfilling the American Dream of financial success and upward mobility. It is not an easy album to listen to, as the characters depicted in the songs are often dealing with major problems such as drugs and domestic violence. But it is an artful record, full of poetry and convincing stories of the hard times that many silently endured. At times the record is full of pop hooks, and at other stages a more bleak sound dominates. The vocals of David + David are also effective in telling the tales, as often there is a shrill, despondent quality that complements what is being related to the listener. In particular, the drums have kind of a hushed sound to them, and the guitars often purvey sounds of doom through distortion or other means. “Welcome to the Boomtown” is the hit off the album, and is one of various cuts that convincingly detail the many trials of the characters such as Kevin, who “deals dope out of Denny’s keeps a table in the back.” Although there are often hints of hope and seemingly a sense of compassion toward the subjects in the songs, it is not apparent that most will eventually pull themselves out of their predicaments. One may not want to listen to this record to lift the spirit, but it is a strong reminder of difficult situations faced during what can be perceived by many as the best of times
David & David disbanded shortly after “Boomtown”, and Baerwald and Ricketts continued to work with other musicians. They both collaborated with Sheryl Crow on her debut LP, “Tuesday Night Music Club”.

Track listing

01.  “Welcome to the Boomtown”  - 5:31
02.  “Swallowed by the Cracks”  - 4:16
03.  “Ain’t So Easy”  - 4:51
04.  “Being Alone Together”  - 5:31
05.  “A Rock for the Forgotten”  - 4:26
06.  “River’s Gonna Rise”  - 4:29
07.  “Swimming in the Ocean”  - 4:00
08.  “All Alone in the Big City”  - 4:42
09.  “Heroes”  - 3:10

Credits
David + David – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, dobro, piano, drums, keyboards, harmonica, lap steel guitar
Toni Childs – additional vocals
Noland Void – additional vocals
Camille Henry – additional vocals
Judy Clapp – assistant engineering
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Ed Greene – drums
Bernie Grundman – mastering
John Beverly Jones – engineering, mixing, recording
Melanie Nissen – photography, design, art direction
John Philip Shenale – programming
Davitt Sigerson – production
Chuck Beeson – art direction

Notes
All songs written by David Baerwald and David Ricketts. “Heroes” Written by David Baerwald
Recorded 1986 at Skyline, A&M, Mad Hatter and Capitol Studios.
Genre: Pop rock
Length: 40:56

© 1986 A&M Records

Jane’s Addiction - Strays (2003)

Jane's_Addiction-Strays“Strays” is the fourth album, and third full studio album by American alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction, released on July 22, 2003 on Capitol Records. “Strays” is the first album to feature bassist Chris Chaney. Regarding the decision to record a new studio album after such a long hiatus, drummer Stephen Perkins stated that the band had already completed two reunion tours performing old material, and that Jane’s was ready for “a new challenge. Vocalist Perry Farrell states that the band “went into the studio thinking fast, hard, modern and to the point.”

The last time that Jane’s Addiction headlined Lollapalooza behind a high-profile album was, of course, 1991. Much changed in 12 years, though, and the declining fortunes of Perry Farrell’s breakthrough festival during the summer of 2003 were matched by a desultory return from three-fourths of the original Jane’s Addiction lineup on its third full album, “Strays”. Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Eric Avery (who declined his reunion invitation) had been a vision of ’80s musical heaven since their studio debut, 1988’s Nothing’s Shocking. Farrell’s art-school intelligence and originality made the band interesting, while Navarro’s and Perkins’ background in heavy metal (they’re both significantly younger than Farrell) gave the band punch, adding the melodicism of power pop and the constant riffing of thrash. Though “Strays” possesses all these characteristics it’s undeniably a Jane’s Addiction record, and a powerful one at that it also illustrates that the group’s formidable musical talents have been subsumed by an apparent quest to save its legacy. For “Strays” is, most of all, a safe record. Farrell’s regal, echo-laden vocals are intact (and out in front like never before), as are Navarro’s ragged, lyrical guitar solos, but the songs lag far behind. In fact, they never even approach the level of any Jane’s material from their two proper albums. This isn’t a record that would allow a throwaway stunner like “Been Caught Stealing” (the tossed-off jam that became the band’s biggest hit) or the majestic ten-minute epic “Three Days.” In their place is a set of majestic jams influenced by Farrell’s second Porno for Pyros LP, “Good God’s Urge”, a mystical mishmash of musical feelings and textures, not songs. The allure of Jane’s Addiction is undiminished by “Strays” (this is still a band creating music unlike any other group on earth).

Track listing

01.  “True Nature”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble)  - 3:49
02.  “Strays”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Aaron Embry, David J)  - 4:32)
03.  “Just Because”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney)  - 3:51
04.  “Price I Pay”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney)  - 5:27
05.  “The Riches”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry, LeNoble)  - 5:44
06.  “Superhero”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry)  - 3:58
07.  “Wrong Girl”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney)  - 4:32
08.  “Everybody’s Friend”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin)  - 3:18
09.  “Suffer Some”    (Farrell,Navarro,Perkins, LeNoble, Ezrin)  - 4:14
10.  “Hypersonic”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble)  - 3:32
11.  “To Match the Sun”    (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble)  - 5:25

Credits
Perry Farrell – lead vocals, programming
Dave Navarro – guitars, piano
Stephen Perkins – drums, percussion
Chris Chaney – bass
Bob Ezrin – mixing, additional keyboards, percussion, orchestral arrangements
Dionna Brooks-Jackson – backing vocals
Scott Page – saxophones
John Shanks – mandolin
Mike Finnegan – organ
Aaron Embry – keyboards, kalimba
Zack Ray – keyboards
Kim Hill – backing vocals
Brian Virtue – engineer, mixing, programming
Alex Gibson, James Murray – additional engineering
Brian Humphrey, Alex Uychocde – assistant engineer
Joe Bishara – programming
Brenden Hawkins, James Murray – additional programming
Leanna Sterios – orchestral arrangements
Brian Gardner – mastering
Producer – Bob Ezrin and Brian Virtue

Notes
Recorded - 2002–03 at Henson Recording Studios
Genre - Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Length - 48:22

© 2003 Capitol Records