Hey cool cats, what are you listening to these days? Last time I was at Cousin Patty's house a few weeks back we spent a few beers and hours introducing each other to new music. So when her comment to my Buildin' Them Chops post included a music reference, I knew it was time for another edition of WAYLT.It was hard to narrow the choices down to 10 albums (and really there's eleven if you count both the Paul Gilbert ones). But it's been a while since we did one of these which gave me ample time to acquire new music all over the place. So here's what has been reverberating at my place lately:
10. Frank Gambale-Natural Selection. Starting off with a little jazz-rock fusion by the incredible Frank Gambale. I pretty much have to listen to this alone. Mrs. Dog is not a big fusion fan and I need the solitude to concentrate on what is going on. This stuff is fairly complex and although I know I don't "get" all of it, it's not for lack of trying. I thought the album cover was rather poignant too. Natural Selection, and you got a blue chameleon on a yellow & red & green flower. Not blending in at all. What else was Frank gonna use for a graphic? A beaver who chopped a tree down on top of himself? Natural Selection at work!
9. Hamilton Loomis-Live In England. I was very pleasantly surprised when I first heard this album. I had read a short bio on Hamilton Loomis in Blues Revue magazine which said he was one of the young "up and coming" blues guitarists of the next decade. But I take the Blues Revue stories with a grain of salt. They strive to be objective. But at the end of the day they're struggling to stay afloat like most paper publications these days and record company advertising is what keeps them in business. So I'm always suspicious of a bias. But they were right with this one. Loomis is very entertaining and can really play. The energy of the live performance is captured nicely. Check this dude out, he's legit.
8. Pat Travers-Fidelis. Pat Travers is widely known as a blues-rocker yet I am shamefully unfamiliar with much of his music. So with his new album in my mitts, I decided to find out. And I really like like it. Flaming, screeching, screaming, growling, crying guitar spitting out blues riffs over top of rocking boogie. What's not to like? All I can ask is "What took me so long?" Plus, again he has a perfect album cover. There is no more loyal breed of dog than the dalmatian. So for "Fidelis" the choice was perfect. I've been known to dump a wife here or there. But not a single one of my dalmatians. They stay for life.
7. Vargas Blues Band-Chill Latin Blues. This is what's playing right this second in the "Media Room." The latin flavor with outstanding blues guitar is refreshing to say the least. Javier Vargas IS blues in Spain, although he grew up in South America in both Argentina and Venezuela. Part flamenco, part bossa nova, a tiny bit hip-hop part jazz, and part blues. A tasty combination. In this case, the album cover kinda looks like Mrs. Dog's patio tablecloth don't it? This is what I'd like to think Carlos Santana's music would sound like if he was left to be an artist instead of a money making machine for record company executives.
6. Smokin' Joe Kubek & B'nois King- Have Blues Will Travel. I don't know why I like Smokin' Joe Kubek so much. I have about a dozen of his albums, and to a large degree the guitar riffs all start to run together into one style. Can't say as there is anything new on this one you haven't heard before if you are familiar with Smokin' Joe's style. But I like it anyway. He's a solid pro slinging that Texas blues at ya. If you like that stuff this is a good album. If not, pick up one of his earlier releases such as Chain Smokin' Texas Style instead. As for me I'm listening to this one... for now.
5. Jason Elmore & HooDoo Witch-Upside Your Head. I guess this band is kinda new. Well, they're new to me anyway. A friend highly recommended this album to me. I know this guy's taste pretty well and he knows what I like for the most part too. So I wasn't surprised when I heard it. I thought it was terrific. Even Mrs. Dog says she likes it and I don't trust her taste in music near as much. This is just good old American blues rock with the emphasis on blues. Slide guitar flying around everywhere on this record. These guys hail from Texahoma, which is to say North Texas/Southern Oklahoma. So you know what brand of blues they be playin'! Rory Gallagher meets Joe Bonamassa is how I've seen them described. Can't say I disagree or disapprove.
4. Sonny Criss-CrissCraft. I'm pretty sure I've included other Sonny Criss albums on WAYTL before so you may already be aware that Criss was a jazz saxophonist extraordinaire. I think this was one of the few of his recordings which had eluded me. I knew it was widely regarded as one of his best albums. But I just couldn't find it anywhere for the longest time. I do not believe it is currently in print in any medium. What I have is a high quality digital rip from vinyl source. Anyway, it's as good as advertised. Glad I've lived long enough to experience the "other" music that was being made in 1975 in addition to what I was into back then (Allman Bros, ELP, Ten Years After, Jeff Beck, and the new Southern bands, ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd).
3a & 3b. Paul Gilbert-Flying Dog 
& Burning Organ. Paul Gilbert is a shred-metal-jazz-fusion-rock guitarist of the first degree. He's another superbly talented guy who I am just discovering. I think the Burning Organ album is the better of the two but Flying Dog was my introduction to his music. Whatever. If all form of pyrotechnic guitar is your cup of tea. Have some Paul Gilbert. He'll blow your head off.
2. Rick Wakeman-Always With You. You all know Rick Wakeman as the original keyboardist in Yes. But this album is so far from Yes, so far from all the others I've listed before this that it's mind boggling. Always With You is a brand new release and it is just Wakeman at the piano. The songs are all classics and come from all sorts of sources including classical composers and even Lutheran hymnbooks. You will recognize many songs but you will actually know the titles of very few. My recommendation for this recording is to prepare a candlelight dinner for someone you love and play this music. It will soothe the soul. A terrific album.
And the #1 album at my house for almost a month now is:Joe Satriani-Live In Paris:I Just Wanna Rock. Satch is in superb form on this double-live CD recorded last year. He showcases why he is fast becoming the acknowledged master of rock guitar... even by his prodigious colleagues, virtuosos in their own right. When guys like Paul Gilbert seek him out to take lessons from him, that says it all for me. My son wants to listen to this every time he comes to my house ever since I first played it for him a few weeks back. Guess I'll need to hook him up with a copy!! Do yourself a favor, get a copy for yourselves too. If you know and love Satriani you'll think this is great. If you just want to check him out, this is as good a place to start as any.
Update from last WAYLT. The top group/album last time was Caribbean Jazz Project-Afro Bop Alliance. I did not realize that much of that album was recorded with the CJP backed by a band from Washington DC called Afro Bop Alliance, hence the name of the album. In two weeks I am going to see Afro Bop Alliance play at the Gettysburg Jazz Festival. I'll let you know how it goes.
3 comments:
I went to a few yardsales last weekend and I picked up 7 cds for $7. Not one of them did I ever consider buying before the opportunity arose for $1. I have to say, if the price was $2 I would have probably passed, but I got them for $7, ripped them and they are now on the pile to sell back to secondspin.com when I get enough of them. I will add them here to your post if I can remember them all.
1. Peter Frampton - Frampton COmes Alive II. I'll never forget as a kid going into record stores and seeing FCA lined up on every shelf in every store. If you were a certain age you owned this record. I think the first LP I purchased that everybody had was Fleetwood Mac, Rumors.
2. Blues Traveler - Four. This disc has a few hits on it most noteably Run Around which is damn catchy to say the least but I got tired of it when it was out.
3. Blues Traveler - from the same sale. But Anyway is on this and even though it was relased years before Four, this song wasnt a hit until after Four came and went.
4. Gene Loves Jezebel - House of Dolls. I didn't know much about this band but I remember them vaguely from the late 80's but they were actually recording before that. I was really into The Cure, Depeche Mode, Psychodelic Furs and stuff like that so I thought this would be right up my alley. I may need to give it a second chance.
5. Neil Young - After The Goldrush. This may garner the most cash on secondspin.com as it's from 1970 and who knows how many were made when it came out on cd. You have to be in the right mood for Neil, and I haven't listened to it yet.
6. The Fugees - The Score. This has the version of Killing Me Softly that launched Lauryn Hill. Nothing else on the disc attracted my attention. Everything seems to have the same beat.
7. Reality Bites Soundtrack A few decent tracks. It has Stay by Lisa Loeb. I always think about the damn cab driver from MTV when I hear that song. He did a hilarious version.
8. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience. This had the hits "Hey Jealousy" and "I found out about You". I've played with some guys messing around in bands and we played both of these. Nothing says 90's wuss rock like the Gin Blossoms. Allison Road is also on it. This will be worth a shiny dime on secondspin as it's probably considered a big record club album. Trust me, I know the type.
While tiling and grouting the bathroom I typically put the iPod on a party mix I have and then put it on shuffle - but I do take it off shuffle occassionally to shuffle a particular artist. Depending on my mood and the pace of work I want to put out I've recently shuffled Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Rage Against The Machine, Korn, Mississippi Fred, RL Burnside, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf, Lightning Slim, AC/DC and Rush.
Funny story, I had RL Burnside's An Ass Pocket of Whiskey cranked the f up one particular Saturday. I like to sing along (loudly) with stuff I know, even singing out guitar solos on the rock stuff. Working in the bathroom it sounds like a locker room with all the tile and its all closed up. I dont know any RL lyrics, but he sings one song where there are a powerful amount of "YEAH"'s and "UH-HUH"'s and "WOO"'s throughout the songs. For the first half of the song I didn't answer any hollers. Then, Mrs. Fan needed me and was coming to ask me something. Just as she stepped into the bathroom and I was out of her site in the shower....I answered a "YEAH" twice as loud as RL's. I apparently scared her. Her reply hurt my feelings a little..."I don't understand how you can listen to that". See, she can hear RL, but she can't feel RL.
The ones of those I have are the Neil Young After The Gold Rush and Framptom Comes Alive II. FCA II is pretty good. The Neil Young one is REAL good. And I would imagine it might garner the most $$ due to it's popularity to begin with.
Never was a fan of Blues Traveller and John Popper so you're on your own with those. Gin Blossoms are OK but I never liked them enough to seek them out.
Ahh, I get the "stupid" look all the time for singing and whistling song lyrics and guitar solos around the house. RL is not one of my favorite bluesmen. And I know you like him far more than me. But man his music is all about feeling. What it lacks in melodic design is made up for in passionate singing. If you can't feel RL, you mus' got no soul!
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