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Showing posts with label 2000's Pop Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2000's Pop Rock. Show all posts

28.3.14

Joe Jackson Band


Joe Jackson Band - Volume 4 - 2003 - Rykodisc

Volume 4 was an album released in 2003 by British musician Joe Jackson. It was the first album to feature the Joe Jackson Band since the 1980 release, Beat Crazy, and it was Jackson's first rock 'n' roll album since Laughter and Lust, which was released in 1991. As before, the Joe Jackson Band consisted of Jackson, Graham Maby, David Houghton and Gary Sanford. It was released to moderately positive reviews. Rolling Stone rated it 3/5, stating that it was less visceral than his early-1980s music, but that "when it comes to edgy, sensitive-guy rock, he proves on Volume 4 that he still is the man." AllMusic rated it 3.5/5, stating that "Volume 4 isn't as lively or vital as his first five albums, but it's also more satisfying as a pop record than anything he's done since Body & Soul, which is more than enough to make it a worthy comeback.” The album was followed by a lengthy tour. - Wikipedia

Twenty-five years after his pissed-off debut, Look Sharp!, Joe Jackson has reassembled his original band and put aside his jazz-composer aspirations, for the moment. Emotionally, not much has changed for Jackson: He is still disgusted by the world and still standing around watching the pretty women pass by him with the gorillas, as in "Awkward Age," when he complains that now "I get into the parties/But I hate them 'cause I'm shy."Volume 4 is certainly more crafty and less visceral than Jackson's early-Eighties music, but that doesn't mean it is less rewarding. On songs such as "Bright Grey" and the poignant "Chrome," Jackson's added sophistication pays off by replacing adolescent self-pity with nuance. Only on the petty "Thugs 'r' Us" -- a too obvious dig at suburban wanna-be's who irritate old Joe with their dang "Snoop and Dre" -- does Jackson misfire completely and come off as merely cranky. Jackson may have gone from angry young man to bitter old man, but when it comes to edgy, sensitive-guy rock, he proves on Volume 4 that he still is the man. © RICHARD ABOWITZ (From RS 920, April 17, 2003) © 2009 Rolling Stone http://web.archive.org/web/20090715045353/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/joejackson/albums/album/272398/review/5944847/volume_4

It only took two albums before Joe Jackson got restless, pushing away from the nervy, high-octane, well-crafted punk-pop of Look Sharp! and I'm the Man toward the ska leanings of Beat Crazy, before abandoning the Joe Jackson Bandaltogether. Without them, he roamed wild, laying the groundwork for neo-swing with Jumpin' Jive and etching out sophisti-pop on his Cole Porter/George Gershwin-flavored Night and Day, before expanding into symphonic compositions and other increasingly esoteric stylistic exercises, whittling his audience down to just the dedicated in the process. Even among those dedicated fans, the first two Jackson albums were cherished, and Jackson acknowledged that on occasion by appropriating the sound, as on 1991's Laughter & Lust. Still, it took him a full 23 years to reunite his original band, an event celebrated by the release of Volume 4 (the title indicating that this is the fourth go-round for this band, kind of like how Van Halen III kicked off the third incarnation of the band). It would be inaccurate to say that this captures the bristling energy or spitting vitriol of the first two records, though Volume 4 certainly follows a similar template and often feels similar in form, if not in substance, to that pair. It also recalls Night and Day in parts (ironically, moreso than the explicit 2000 sequel Night and Day II), which means it winds up being a revival of the classic Joe Jackson sound instead of the Joe Jackson Band. Frankly, that's not a problem; if this is going to be a nostalgia exercise, at least in part, it should be about the overarching idea of Jackson as much as the particulars. Plus, it's a good record -- his best pure pop in at least a decade. It's a little front-loaded and, at times, it may seem a little labored or self-conscious, but usually it sounds relaxed and tuneful, as if Jackson is relieved to just be cutting a record of pop tunes instead of worrying about a grand concept or symphonic movements. And while the band certainly has mellowed with age, they still bring his music to life better than any other outfit he's worked with, giving it definition and muscle. It may be true that Volume 4 isn't as lively or vital as his first five albums, but it's also more satisfying as a pop record than anything he's done since Body & Soul, which is more than enough to make it a worthy comeback. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/volume-4-mw0000022950

What could have been a colossal self-indulgence proves a startlingly vital album. Volume IV is faithful to the ethos of early Joe Jackson hits like "One More Time" and "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" Built around clattering drums, jarring guitar, hyperactive keyboards, snarling vocals, and lyrics riddled with puns and double-entendres, it harkens back to the early 1970s and late ‘80s, when Jackson peddled a wordy and venomous strain of new wave pop. But Jackson is too clever to get suckered by nostalgia. Here he wryly contemplates his middle-aged present from inside his old clothes. The best of the resulting songs, "Blue Flame" and "Still Alive," are as good as anything he’s done. Volume IV is where Jackson completes his circuit, reuniting with his original band and reacquainting himself with his original live-to-tape recording methods. © Andrew Mueller © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Volume-4-Joe-Band-Jackson/dp/B00008J2F7

The ridiculously talented songwriter and musician Joe Jackson has a reputation for being a grumpy and difficult artist. However, any musician who can write and play like Joe can easily be forgiven for their idiosyncrasies . Yours truly forgave Don Fagen many moons ago! LOL. This double CD album is an excellent mix of old favourites and new songs played by a musical genius backed by three very accomplished musicians. Listen to the superb bass work of Graham Maby. This limited edition CD includes a bonus live CD recorded at the Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, England on the 23rd/24th September and the Marquee, London on Sept 26th 2002. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Joe’s classic “Night And Day” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 161 Mb]

TRACKS CD 1

Take It Like a Man – 3:24
Still Alive – 3:42
Awkward Age – 3:22
Chrome – 4:21
Love at First Light – 4:08
Fairy Dust – 3:47
Little Bit Stupid – 3:28
Blue Flame – 5:23
Dirty Martini – 4:51
Thugz 'R' Us – 3:23
Bright Grey – 4:17

TRACKS CD 2

One More Time [live] – 3:15
Is She Really Going Out with Him? [live] – 4:12
On Your Radio [live] – 5:15
Got the Time [live] – 3:47
It's Different for Girls [live] – 4:15
I'm the Man [live] – 4:21

All songs composed by Joe Jackson

MUSICIANS

Joe Jackson – Organ, Piano, Electric Piano, Melodica, Vocals
Gary Sanford – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Graham Maby – Bass, Backing Vocals
David Houghton – Drums, Backing Vocals

BIO

In his 1999 memoir, A Cure for Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage, Joe Jackson writes approvingly of George Gershwin as a musician who kept one foot in the popular and one in the classical realms of music. Like Gershwin, Jackson possesses a restless musical imagination that has found him straddling musical genres unapologetically, disinclined to pick one style and stick to it. The word "chameleon" often crops up in descriptions of him, but Jackson prefers to be thought of as "eclectic." Is he the Joe Jackson he appeared to be upon his popular emergence in 1979, a new wave singer/songwriter with a belligerent attitude derisively asking, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" The reggae-influenced Joe Jackson of 1980's Beat Crazy? The jump blues revivalist of 1981's Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive? The New York salsa-styled singer of 1982's "Steppin' Out"? The R&B/jazz-inflected Jackson of 1984's Body & Soul? Or is he David Ian Jackson, L.R.A.M. (Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music), who composes and conducts instrumental albums of contemporary classical music such as 1987's Will Power and 1999's Grammy-winning Symphony No. 1? He is all of these, Jackson himself no doubt would reply, and a few others besides. The roots of that eclecticism lie in the conflicts of his youth. He was born David Ian Jackson on August 11, 1954 (not 1955, as some references mistakenly state) in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. His parents had met when his father was in the Navy and his mother was working in her family's pub in Portsmouth on the south coast of England. They initially settled in his father's hometown, Swadlincote, on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, but when Jackson was a year old, they moved back to his mother's hometown, and he was raised in Portsmouth and nearby Gosport. His father, Ronald Jackson, became a plasterer. Growing up in working-class poverty, Jackson was a sickly child, afflicted with asthma, first diagnosed when he was three and producing attacks that lasted into his twenties. Prevented from playing sports, he turned to books and eventually music. At 11, he began taking violin lessons, later studying timpani and oboe at school. His parents got him a secondhand piano when he was in his early teens, and he began taking lessons, soon deciding that he wanted to be a composer when he grew up. He played percussion in a citywide student orchestra. But his social milieu was more accepting of different forms of popular music than it was of the classics, and he developed a taste for that, too. Becoming interested in jazz, he formed a trio and, at the age of 16, began playing piano in a pub, his first professional gig. By the early '70s, Jackson, who had paid little attention to rock before, became a fan of progressive rock, notably such British groups as Soft Machine. Meanwhile, in 1972, he passed an advanced "S" level exam in music that entitled him to a grant to study music, and he was accepted at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Rather than moving to the city, he spent his grant money on equipment and commuted several days a week to attend classes while continuing to live at home and play pop music locally. He switched from writing classical compositions to pop songs. Invited to join an established band called the Misty Set, he sang his first lead vocal on-stage. He moved to another established band called Edward Bear (the name taken from a character in Winnie the Pooh, not to be confused with the Canadian band of the same name that recorded for Capitol Records in the early '70s). Deciding that he resembled the title character on a television puppet show called Joe 90, his bandmates began calling him "Joe," and it stuck. After six months, the two principals in Edward Bear decided to retire from music, and with their permission he took over the name and the group's bookings and brought in a couple of his friends, lead singer/guitarist Mark Andrews (later of Mark Andrews & the Gents) and bassist Graham Maby. Jackson continued to attend the Royal Academy, where he studied composition, orchestration, and piano while majoring in percussion. He also occasionally played piano in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He graduated from the academy after three years in 1975. By then, Edward Bear (forced to change its name to Edwin Bear because of the more successful Canadian band, and then to Arms & Legs) were attracting more attention and acquired management, which in turn signed the band to MAM Records. In April 1976, MAM released the first Arms & Legs single, with Andrews' "Janie" on the A-side and Jackson's "She'll Surprise You" on the B-side. Second and third singles followed in August and February 1977, but the records did not sell. Meanwhile, in October 1976, Jackson quit the band to become pianist and musical director at the Playboy Club in Portsmouth. He was determined to save enough money to record his own album and release it himself. In August 1977, he played his first gigs as the leader of the Joe Jackson Band, singing and playing keyboards, backed by Andrews (sitting in temporarily and soon replaced by Gary Sanford), Maby, and drummer Dave Houghton. At the same time, he quit the Playboy Club job to become pianist/musical director for a cabaret act, Koffee 'n' Kream, that was beginning a national tour in the wake of their triumph on the TV amateur show Opportunity Knocks. Jackson toured with Koffee 'n' Kream from the fall of 1977 to the spring of 1978, and the money he made enabled him to move to London in January 1978 and continue recording his album in a Portsmouth studio. He began shopping demo tapes to record labels in London without success until he was heard by American producer David Kershenbaum. Kershenbaum was scouting for talent on behalf of A&M Records, and he arranged for Jackson to be signed to A&M on August 9, 1978, after which they immediately re-recorded Jackson's album. They completed it quickly, and at the end of the month the Joe Jackson Band embarked on an extensive national tour. Despite his classical education and background playing many types of pop music in pubs and clubs, Jackson had become genuinely enamored of the punk/new wave movement of the late '70s in England, especially attracted by the energy and simplicity of the music and the angry, aggressive tone of the lyrics. He had no trouble incorporating these elements into his own music, and if he was, to an extent, using the new wave label as a flag of convenience, the style nevertheless was a valid vehicle of expression for him. Of course, first impressions can be lasting, and to many people he would, ever after, be an angry new wave singer/songwriter, no matter what else he did. In October 1978, A&M released the first Joe Jackson single, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?," a rhythmic ballad in which the singer ponders why "pretty women" are attracted to "gorillas" and worries about his own inadequacy. The record failed to chart, but Jackson and his band continued to tour around the U.K. and began to attract press attention. Look Sharp!, his debut album, followed in January 1979, again, to no significant sales at first. The LP contained more songs in the vein of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?," many of them uptempo rockers with strong melodies and lyrics full of romantic disappointment and social criticism, bitterly expressed and with more than a touch of self-deprecation. (One, "Got the Time," was sufficiently raucous to be covered by heavy metal band Anthrax in essentially the same arrangement on their Persistence of Time album in 1990.) A&M released "Sunday Papers," an attack on the salaciousness of tabloid newspapers, as a single in February, again without reaction. But in March, Look Sharp! finally broke into the charts, eventually peaking at the bottom of the Top 40. The same month, A&M released the album in the U.S., and it quickly charted, reaching the Top 20 after "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was released as a single in May (while Jackson toured North America) and became a Top 40 hit; in September, the LP was certified gold in the U.S. In the U.K., "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was re-released in July and charted in August, making the Top 20. Jackson was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, for the single. Meanwhile, Jackson toured more or less continually, playing dates in Continental Europe in June and then back in the U.K. through August before returning to North America. But he had found the time and inspiration to craft a quick follow-up to Look Sharp!, and his second LP, I'm the Man, was released on October 5. That was a little too soon for the U.S. market, where Look Sharp! had not yet exhausted its run, and while the album made the Top 40, it was a relative sales disappointment, with the single "It's Different for Girls" failing to enter the Hot 100. The story was different in the U.K., however, where I'm the Man made the Top 20 and "It's Different for Girls" reached the Top Five. Critically, the album was considered a continuation of Look Sharp!, an opinion shared by Jackson himself. The first blush of his emergence fading, Jackson was beginning to be viewed by critics as the third in a line of angry British singer/songwriters starting with Graham Parker and continuing with Elvis Costello, and his commercial success created resentment, especially because he was not as forthcoming with the media as the garrulous Costello. The U.S. tour ran into November, followed by more shows in the U.K. in November and December. Jackson went back on the road in February 1980 with a few U.S. dates, followed by some U.K. shows and a European tour that ran from March to May. Like other punk/new wave acts, he had used reggae rhythms on occasion, notably on "Fools in Love" on Look Sharp! and "Geraldine and John" on I'm the Man. In May, he released an EP in the U.K. including a cover of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come." In acknowledgment of his group's importance to his sound, the disc was billed to the Joe Jackson Band. After dates in the U.K. in May and June, the Joe Jackson Band returned to North America for a tour that lasted into August; they finally took a break after a few more shows at the end of the month. Beat Crazy, released in October, also was billed to the Joe Jackson Band. The album featured less of the frantic punk sound of its predecessors, instead absorbing the dub-reggae and ska influences that were topping the British charts just then in the music of bands like the Specials and the English Beat. But it was a relative disappointment commercially, peaking in the 40s in both the U.S. and U.K., with its singles failing to chart. One reason for the reduced sales in America may have been that the group did not tour to support it there. the Joe Jackson Band played a monthlong tour from October to November in the U.K., followed by a month in Europe from November to December, after which it split up, according to Jackson because Houghton no longer wanted to tour. Sanford became a session musician, while Maby stuck with Jackson. Jackson, in ill health following more than two years of continual touring, retreated to his family home, where he became increasingly immersed in the jump blues of 1940s star Louis Jordan. He organized a new band in the style of Jordan's Tympany 5 featuring three horn players (Pete Thomas on alto saxophone, Raul Oliveria on trumpet, and David Bitelli on tenor saxophone and clarinet) along with pianist Nick Weldon and drummer Larry Tolfree, plus Maby and Jackson himself, who played vibes and sang. The group, dubbed Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive, played a collection of swing and jump blues standards such as "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid," "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," and "Tuxedo Junction." The resulting Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive LP, released in June 1981, was a hit in Britain, where it reached the Top 20. In the U.S., the album was not so much 35 years behind the times as 15 years ahead of them; had it appeared in the mid-'90s, it would have fit right in with releases by the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy as part of the neo-swing movement. As it was, America circa 1981 was baffled, but Jackson's core audience was sufficiently curious to push the album into the Top 50 while he toured the country with the band in July in between British dates in June and from August to September. Jackson went through more personal changes over the next year. He and his wife divorced, and he moved to New York City, where, true to form, he began to immerse himself in new musical genres, particularly attracted to salsa and the classic songwriting styles of Gershwin and Cole Porter. The result was Night and Day, released in June 1982, Jackson's first album to put his keyboard playing at the center of his music, with percussionist Sue Hadjopoulas also given prominence. Jackson seemed to have abandoned new wave rock for a catchy pop-jazz-salsa-dance hybrid, and he backed the release with a yearlong world tour as A&M put considerable promotional muscle behind the LP. "Steppin' Out" became a multi-format hit, earning airplay on album-oriented rock (AOR) radio before spreading to the pop and adult contemporary charts, placing in the Top Ten all around and eventually earning Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. With that stimulus, the album reached the Top Ten and went gold, spawning a second Top 20 single in "Breaking Us in Two." Jackson finished the Night and Day tour in May 1983. He had been asked to contribute a song to Mike's Murder, a film written and directed by James Bridges (The China Syndrome, Urban Cowboy) and starring Debra Winger (Urban Cowboy, An Officer and a Gentleman). He ended up writing both a handful of songs and a few instrumental pieces that were released on a soundtrack album in September. Unfortunately, the film itself was not ready for release then, since it was the subject of a dispute between Bridges and the movie studio that had financed it, the result being reshooting and re-editing, such that the film did not open until March 1984, by which time it had a score by John Barry and only a little of Jackson's music remaining, and then it earned only one million dollars during a few weeks of theatrical showings, making it a disastrous flop. The orphaned soundtrack album, however, managed to get into the Top 100 and even spawned a chart single in the Jackson composition "Memphis," while "Breakdown" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Jackson returned to the studio and emerged in March 1984 with Body & Soul, an album with a cover photograph showing him clutching a saxophone in the style of the 1950s LP covers of Blue Note Records. The disc inside was a follow-up to Night and Day in style, however, with a bit more of an R&B tilt, and it was another commercial success, if a more modest one, reaching the Top 20 and spawning a Top 20 single in "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)." After the four-month Body & Soul world tour concluded in July 1984, Jackson retreated. The tour had been, he later wrote, "the hardest I ever did; it came too soon after the last one, and by the end of it I was so burned out I swore I'd never tour again." He re-emerged after 18 months in January 1986 for a series of live recording sessions at the Roundabout Theatre in New York conducted for his next album. Audiences were invited to attend, but instructed to hold their applause as the performances were cut direct to a two-track tape recorder. The resulting album, Big World, released in March, had a one-hour running time, making it an ideal length for the new CD format, though it had to be pressed on two LPs with the second side of the second LP left blank. Press reaction to these two aspects of the album tended to overshadow consideration of the material, which ranged from politically charged rockers like "Right or Wrong," a direct challenge to the Reagan administration, to heartfelt ballads like "Home Town," a reflection on memory and loss. Jackson undertook another extensive tour lasting from May to December (one he reported enjoying much more than the last one), and the album spent six months in the charts, but only peaked in the Top 40. In the winter of 1985, Jackson had been commissioned to write a 20-minute score for a Japanese film, Shijin No Ie (House of the Poet), and the orchestral piece was recorded with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. He adapted it into "Symphony in One Movement" and added a few other instrumental pieces to create his next album, Will Power, his first disc to reflect his classical background. A&M gave the LP a surprising promotional push that included releasing the title track as a single, and Jackson fans were sufficiently intrigued to push the album into the lower reaches of the pop chart upon its release in April 1987. But his increasing desire to include classical elements in his popular work and to issue outright "serious" compositions tended to put him in a no man's land where reviewers were concerned, since rock critics were for the most part incapable of judging such works and preferred that he stick to rock-based music, while classical critics simply ignored him. Had they been paying attention, however, they might not have approved of what they heard, anyway. An unrepentant Beethoven fan, Jackson had disliked his exposure to serial music and other contemporary trends in classical music when he encountered them in college; his serious compositions tended to reflect his taste for conventional concert music of the romantic and classical periods. While staying off the road, Jackson had two albums in release in 1988. In May, he issued the double-disc set Live 1980/86, chronicling his tours over the years. It reached the Top 100. In August came his swing-styled soundtrack to the Francis Ford Coppola film Tucker: The Man and His Dream, an effort that probably would have attracted more attention if the film had been more successful (it grossed less than $20 million). Nevertheless, the album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV. His next LP, released in April 1989, was Blaze of Glory, another modest seller with a peak only in the Top 100 despite radio play for the single "Nineteen Forever." Jackson, who felt the album was one of his best efforts and toured to support it with an 11-piece band in the U.S. and Europe from June to November, was disappointed with both the commercial reaction and his record company's lack of support. He parted ways with A&M, which promptly released the 1990 compilation Steppin' Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson, a Top Ten hit in the U.K. Jackson wrote his third movie score for 1991's Queens Logic; no soundtrack album was issued. Signing to Virgin Records, he released his next album, Laughter & Lust, in April 1991. Here, he expressed some of his frustration with the record business in the appropriately catchy, '60s-styled "Hit Single," while the socially conscious "Obvious Song" and a percussion-filled cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" attracted radio attention. But the album continued his gradual sales decline, failing to reach the Top 100 in the U.S. Another world tour stretched from May to September, after which Jackson was not heard from on record for three years. In the interim, he wrote music for two movies, the interactive film I'm Your Man (1992) and the feature Three of Hearts (1993), neither of which produced soundtrack albums featuring his music. He reappeared in record stores in October 1994 with Night Music, a low-key album that attempted to fuse his pop and classical styles, including instrumentals and guest vocals by Máire Brennan of Clannad. The album, which did not chart, was supported with a world tour that ran from November to May 1995. After it, Jackson left Virgin and signed to Sony Classical, a label more accepting of his musical ambitions. In September 1997, it released Heaven & Hell, a song cycle depicting the seven deadly sins, billed to Joe Jackson & Friends; the friends included such guest vocalists as folk-pop singers Jane Siberry and Suzanne Vega and opera singer Dawn Upshaw. The album reached number three in Billboard's Classical Crossover chart. A tour ran from November to April 1998. Jackson worked on two projects in the late '90s, both of which appeared in October 1999. Sony Classical issued his Symphony No. 1, which was played not by an orchestra, but by a band of jazz and rock musicians including guitarist Steve Vai and trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and it won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. And publishers PublicAffairs came out with Jackson's book, A Cure for Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage, in which he wrote about his love of all kinds of music and recounted his life from his birth up to the point of his emergence as a public figure in the late '70s. Bringing his story up to date, he wrote, "So I'm still making music, no longer a pop star -- if I ever really was -- but just a composer, which is what I wanted to be in the first place." Having released only semi-classical works on his last three recordings, Jackson was thought to have abandoned pop/rock music completely, but that proved not to be true. The early years of the 21st century found him in a flurry of activity, much of it returning him to the pop music realm. In June 2000, Sony Classical, through Jackson's imprint, Manticore, issued Summer in the City: Live in New York, an album drawn from an August 1999 concert that featured him playing piano and singing, backed only by Maby and drummer Gary Burke, performing some of his old songs along with covers of tunes by the Lovin' Spoonful, Duke Ellington, and the Beatles, among others. Four months later came Night and Day II, a new set of songs in the spirit of his most popular recording. Touring to promote the album in Europe and North America from November to April 2001, Jackson recorded the concert CD Two Rainy Nights: Live in the Northwest (The Official Bootleg), released in January 2002 on his own Great Big Island label through his website, www.joejackson.com. (The album was reissued to retail by Koch in 2004.) Later in 2002, Jackson surprised longtime fans by reuniting with the original members of the Joe Jackson Band, Graham Maby, Gary Sanford, and Dave Houghton, to record a new studio album, Volume 4 © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

6.2.14

Doris Brendel


Doris Brendel - The Last Adventure - 2010 - Sky-Rocket Records

''The Last Adventure'' sees a welcome return to Doris Brendel writing and recording with a full complement of musicians. Though keeping within a rock framework, ''The Last Adventure'' features many varied influences, which has become one of her trademarks. Once again some tracks feature the flageolet, so prominent in the ''Violet Hour'' and ''If'', lending a Celtic slant to the music, though by no means dominating it. Though eclectic, this marks one of the most cohesive albums since ''the Fire Sermon''. © http://www.dorisbrendel.com/#/shop/4561500111

Female singer/songwriter Doris Brendel on her Last Adventure? (music-wise). Nope, surely not, there's plenty of more great stories to come from this lovely, bluesy, U.K. powerhouse vocalist (ex-The Violet Hour). Using some of the musicians Doris has been working with extensively over the last few years, along with Dave Beeson, who also produced her last album DB Driving, the brand new "The Last Adventure" was recorded in the old-fashioned way — no sequencers or click tracks — giving the album a retro feel in today's digital age. Nevertheless, there are hints of more modern influences too, but more importantly, it's basically a perfect display of diversity as you can find everything from classic Prog-Rock to Classic Rock, Opera/Pomp, Beatle-esque pop, Art-Rock, Skunk Anansie, Funk, and mere hints of the old celtic too. Geez... it's a full platter in other words and the arrangements will constantly keep you up on your toes. Great schtuff! © Urban 'Wally' Wallstrom 15 August 2010, © 2010 RockUnited.Com

An eclectic album with folk, pop, progressive rock and a Celtic touch. The album has a retro feel but the songs are original, and very well written and sung by Doris and her great backing musicians. Doz is not a great fan of using samples or sequencers but this does not lessen the impact of this album in any way. “Doris has become known to satisfy music connoisseurs and individuals who don't like being dictated to by the music industry by providing a highly emotive, cross-genre collection of songs loosely described as progressive pop”. That has got to be a good thing in the “music” scene today. Doris has admitted to being influenced by artists like James Brown, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the early Free, Sam Brown, Skin, Alanis Morissette, Muse, and Radiohead. Very diverse stuff which is reflected in Doris’ musical mix. Buy Doris Brendel & Lee Dunham’s great “Not Utopia” album which has been described as “progressive pop and even Lady Gaga meets Alice In Wonderland”. A weird and cryptic description, but Doris Brendel’s music is definitely in a class of it’s own and “The Last Adventure” is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Watch Doris singing “Southern Man” @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD9fokL8Uiw and read an interview with the lady @ http://www.rockunited.com/dorisbrendel.htm [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 95.3 Mb]

TRACKS

1 What Are You Saying
2 The Last Adventure
3 I'm Not Old I'm Experienced
4 Latest Fantasy
5 What Have I Done
6 Work In Progress
7 Get A Life
8 You're Almost Perfect
9 Be My Guitar
10 Why Are You Still Here
11 My Town
12 Memory

All tracks composed by Doris Brendel except Track 10 by Doris Brendel, Andre Harewood, & Dave Beeson

MUSICIANS

Doris Brendel - Lead & Backing Vocals, Fiddle, Flageolet
Dave Beeson - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Andre Harewood - Bass, Backing Vocals
Mark Wesson - Keyboards
Steve Clark - Drums & Percussion
Aitch McRobbie, Julie Harrington, Julie Winchester, Lynne Butler, Jo Maloney, Mark Dalton - Backing Vocals

ABOUT DORIS

Doris Brendel, a singer of rare talent and pedigree, released her latest album, Not Utopia, in September 2012 on Sky-rocket Records recorded in conjunction with producer and multi-instrumentalist Lee Dunham. The daughter of famed classical pianist Alfred Brendel, her distinctive vocals were the driving force behind 1990s alt-rockers The Violet Hour, who were signed to Sony when they released their now revered, classic album ‘The Fire Sermon’ in 1991. After the highly acclaimed album 'The Last Adventure' which was released in 2010, Brendel has forged ahead with the next chapter, once again reflecting her multi-faceted personality with an eclectic collection of songs popularly described as 'Progressive Pop','Not Utopia' spans pop, rock, prog and acoustic styles, confronting happy and sad topics with a humorous, angst-ridden style, blending them into a cocktail of sound and meaning. Think Janis Joplin or Skunk Anansie getting down with the Beatles and Muse. ‘Not Utopia' marks Doris Brendel’s 7th album and 2013 has seen a series of acoustic concerts featuring guitars, piano,double-bass, cello… and bottles along with a few full band festival shows.Throughout her career she has toured with bands including Marillion, Nils Lofgren and John Farnham; has done countless session work including Sam Brown; and has even sung and fronted for dance records with deals with Virgin and London Records. With several thousands of gigs under her belt, Doris Brendel is one of the most accomplished live singers on the scene. She is currently working on album number 8! © 2014 Myspace LLC. All rights reserved. https://myspace.com/dbdriving/bio

20.9.13

Laurence Juber


Laurence Juber - Different Times - 2001 - Solid Air Records

Memorable melodies delivered with skill and passion - Dirty Linen magzine
Stunning Fretwork - Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine

Magazines and music publications have always conducted polls to decide the "All Time Greatest Guitarists", and "Best Guitarists Of All Time". Laurence's name may not always be on these lists, but his technical skills are on a par with guitarists like Jan Akkerman, Larry Coryell, or any great guitarist you can think of. Laurence was a young working musician in London in the '70's when Paul McCartney asked him to become Wings’ lead guitarist. Laurence spent three years with Wings, in that time he won a Best Rock Instrumental Grammy for "Rockestra" from Wings' Back To The Egg album. After Wings split in 1981, Laurence began a new career as a solo artist, composer and arranger. He is now acknowledged as one of the world's most accomplished top finger-style acoustic players and guitar virtuosos, being voted No.1 by Fingerstyle Guitar magazine. He is also a highly sought after session musician. His guitar technique is amazing, and his melodic flourishes, and even the way he plays single notes are totally unique. His "LJ Plays the Beatles" was voted one of Acoustic Guitar magazine’s top 10 all-time acoustic albums. He has several other extraordinary albums on release like his ""PCH" album, and his "Groovemasters" album with Preston Reed. He regularly tours with the great Al Stewart, and can be heard on Al's "Between The Wars" album. "Different Times" is a sublime collection of thirteen acoustic tracks by a master of his instrument. Eleven of the thirteen tracks were composed by either LJ or with his wife, Hope. It would be unusual if LJ didn’t cover a Beatles or Macca tune, and he covers Paul & Linda’s beautiful “”My Love” on the album. The other cover is a great version of Smokey Robinson and Ronald White’s classic “My Girl”, a huge hit for The Temptations back in 1965. All LJ’s albums are HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy his "Guitar Noir" album, and check out his "PCH", “Laurence Juber Plays The Beatles”, “LJ Plays the Beatles, Vol. 2” albums on this blog. For another magnificent acoustic guitar album, check out the incredibly talented Stephen Bennett's "Beatles Acoustic Guitar Solos" [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 89.3 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Leaning Post - Laurence Juber 4:16
2 The Spider Shuffle - Laurence Juber & Hope Juber 2:22
3 Just Out of Reach - Laurence Juber 3:34
4 My, My, My - Laurence Juber 3:53
5 Different Times - Laurence Juber 3:02
6 My Love - Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney 3:48
7 Dancing on Streams - Laurence Juber 4:12
8 Gate 43 - Laurence Juber 4:55
9 My Girl - Smokey Robinson & Ronald White 2:38
10 You're the Only One - Laurence Juber & Hope Juber 4:06
11 Casaglia - Laurence Juber & Hope Juber 4:27
12 Off the Leash - Laurence Juber 3:47
13 Vine Street Blues - Laurence Juber 3:44

MUSICIANS

Laurence Juber - Electric & Acoustic Guitar
John Pisano - Acoustic Guitar
Dominic Genova - Upright Bass
Peter Erskine - Drums, Percussion

SHORT BIO

Acoustic guitarist, composer, and producer Laurence Juber, known by many of his fans simply as "LJ," was born and raised in London. By the time he was 13, he began to earn money by performing at local get-togethers. A couple of years later he took up the study of classical guitar and then went on to earn a music degree from the London University, Goldsmith College. He also performed as a soloist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Around the mid-'70s, Juber found work as a session player. He perfected his skills as a variable guitarist along the way and earned a respected name for himself in the profession. In 1978 he joined the Paul McCartney group Wings as lead guitarist, where he spent the next two years. During this time Juber won a Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental for the tune "Rockestra" off the album Back to the Egg. In the early '80s Juber left his homeland behind and moved to Los Angeles. He easily slipped back into session work. He did a lot of work for hit television shows like Home Improvement, Seventh Heaven, Boy Meets World, and Roseanne, as well as noted movies such as Dirty Dancing, Splash, Doc Hollywood, Pocahontas, Snow Day, Good Will Hunting, and many others. In 1990 Juber signed with the Beachwood Records label, which belonged to fellow artist and friend James Lee Stanley. That very year Juber recorded his solo debut album, Solo Flight. It was followed three years later by Naked Guitar, and then by Winter Guitar in 1998. In 1999 Juber was named as the number one Fingerstyle Guitarist of the Year. In between numerous tours, he released three new albums for 2000 -- LJ Plays the Beatles, Naked Solos, and The Collection -- each recorded under the Solid Air Records label. © Charlotte Dillon © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/laurence-juber-p26582/biography

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

By his own account, Juber began playing guitar the week that "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles was released. Beginning on a cheap acoustic guitar, he learned to read music early, figuring out the system of music notation for himself. He began to earn money playing the guitar at 13, and began to study classical guitar at the age of 15. Enraptured by the sounds on records of the mid- to late-60's, he set his sights on becoming a session guitarist in London's music studios. He earned his music degree at London University (Goldsmith College) where he expanded his horizons playing the lute. Upon graduation, he immediately began work as a session guitarist, working on his first project with producer George Martin on an album for Cleo Laine. Juber gave up a lucrative and highly successful studio career when invited to join Paul McCartney and Wings. He played on recordings that were to become Back to the Egg, as well as the subsequent tour. From these sessions he garnered his first Grammy Award, winning Best Rock Instrumental for the track "Rockestra Theme" from Back to the Egg. He was miscredited as Lawrence Tuber on the album sleeve. From this period dates his first solo album Standard Time (only released on vinyl). Ex-fellow Wings members Paul McCartney and Denny Laine played along on the track Maisie. When Wings disbanded, Juber moved to the United States of America. In New York City he met his future wife, Hope, and soon moved to her native California. He subsequently resumed work as a studio musician and played guitar for numerous television shows, including Happy Days and Family Ties, and for movies, perhaps most famously playing the James Bond theme for the movie The Spy Who Loved Me. In 1990, he released his second solo album, Solo Flight. During the next decade he would begin to explore altered tunings. In 2000, Juber released the solo album LJ plays the Beatles and The Collection and in 2003 the album Guitarist was released to critical acclaim. Juber's credentials as a top-tier fingerstyle guitarist continue to grow. Having been voted "Guitarist of the Year" by readers of Fingerstyle Guitar magazine as well as one of the top acoustic players of all time by Acoustic Guitar magazine, Juber is an ambassador for his instrument as well as his own music. He has released nineteen critically acclaimed CD's to date, and has earned a second Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental for his solo guitar arrangement of "The Pink Panther Theme" on the CD Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar. Juber has also released a series of instructional CD's that teach basic music theory and arrangement techniques for guitarists. In addition to his own recording and performances, Laurence Juber has produced and played on Al Stewart's albums Between the Wars (1995), Down in the Cellar (2000), A Beach Full of Shells (2005) and Sparks of Ancient Light (2008), and occasionally performs with Stewart

29.4.13

Sharon Robinson


Sharon Robinson - Everybody Knows - 2008 Sharon Robinson Songs

A gorgeous, soulful alto that envelopes hooks and harmonies; a musically gifted mind that collaborates with Leonard Cohen; a pop sensibility that earns a GRAMMY Award with Patti LaBelle (“New Attitude”)--that’s Sharon Robinson: singer, songwriter, producer and now artist, with the release of her debut solo recording effort, Everybody Knows. In April 2009, UK-based Freeworld Records distributed by Universal licensed the album for release in that country and continental Europe. The set--which Cohen calls “a masterful work”--includes three songs co-written with the legendary artist: the classics “Everybody Knows” and “Summertime” along with “Alexandra Leaving” from Ten New Songs, the critically acclaimed 2001 Cohen album which Robinson produced. The seductive electronic production of Ten New Songs is a through-line for Everybody Knows linking memorable melodies and complex emotional themes on the five new compositions and five favorite existing songs. While the inclusion of the Cohen songs may draw inevitable comparison to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer’s work, Robinson’s creative signature is immediately evident in the sensuous rhythms and haunting aura of the album’s opening track “Invisible Tattoo” and the gothic-soul anthem “Party for the Lonely.” Intertwining electronica beats with soulful bass grooves and moody, jazzy textures sculpted on guitar and piano, synth and Fender Rhodes, its enrapturing blend of instrumentation provides the perfect sonic bed for her inviting, sultry voice, which evokes feelings of hope, romance and sorrow all in the same breath. Robinson notes, “I created most of the record by layering parts one at a time, similarly to the way I did Ten New Songs. I wanted it to have an edgy and contemplative vibe, so I stayed away from the idea of tracking with studio musicians. I needed the freedom to find what I was looking for--a sound that was uniquely mine--before bringing in players for overdubs to add color, scope and dimension.” Although Everybody Knows comes in the third decade of her career, Robinson’s talent and versatility behind the scenes as a music producer, songwriter and background vocalist have allowed her to work with a diverse roster of notable artists including Stevie Nicks, Aaron Neville, Morris Day, Robbie Kreiger, Thelma Houston, Brenda Russell, Jennifer Warnes, Randy Crawford, Hamish Stuart and Matthew Wilder. Her co-write of the Top 10 hit “New Attitude” for Patti LaBelle led to three GRAMMY Award nominations and a win for Best Soundtrack Album (Beverly Hills Cop) in 1985. Her original compositions have also been featured in films such as Wonder Boys, Natural Born Killers, Pump Up The Volume, Stakeout and Wim Wenders’ Land of Plenty. But regardless of what project she’s involved with, her long-time friend and collaborator Cohen is never far out of the picture. This year, Robinson will be a featured background vocalist on his upcoming spring/summer international tour, his first run of live performances since 1993. The set list for the show includes five songs she co-wrote with Cohen, and showcases her arrangements on these co-written works. It’s not surprising that Robinson has worked with such diverse personalities and in so many genres. Her affinity for all kinds of music developed at an early age. Born in San Francisco, her family moved to Los Angeles when she was five. A year later she began studying classical piano, and at age 12 started writing and recording her own songs. As a teenager, she devoured a steady diet of Motown and Atlantic radio hits while working at the family restaurant, and while at home, she listened to such greats as Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Stan Getz and Joni Mitchell. The influence of this musical stew led to Robinson recording a demo at the age of 16, which landed her a recording contract with a label that folded before her album was made. But there was a silver lining. The backing band for her demo was the Jazz Crusaders; and its legendary leader Joe Sample witnessed her ability, encouraging her to continue writing. While she would eventually heed that advice, Robinson excelled in school as well and as a National Merit semi-finalist she earned a scholarship to Salem College in West Virginia. Halfway to her degree, money and music proved a stronger draw, so she left school to front a touring Top 40 band for several years. Burnout on the road brought her back to college; this time to the prestigious California Institute of the Arts to study music. A year later, she went pro again as a session singer and then singer/dancer for Ann-Margret’s Las Vegas revue. Those countless sessions proved fruitful when a recommendation from a fellow singer led to Cohen hiring her as a background vocalist for the famous 1979 “Field Commander Cohen Tour.” Cohen himself dubbed it his best trek ever. While on the road together, he and Robinson co-wrote “Summertime,” a song subsequently recorded by both Diana Ross and Roberta Flack. It was with this composition that she had suddenly elevated herself to the level Sample had envisioned years earlier…officially joining the auteur club that created lasting art beyond fleeting recordings and live shows. When you’re good at what you do, and you do it for others, their success becomes your reward, your place in the mix. It can be a great place to be. For Sharon Robinson, it has been both gratifying and fun. With Everybody Knows, she’s going to another place—out in front. “Writing for other people over the years, there's been an increasing sense of an underlying style or voice in my work,” Robinson notes. “This album gave me the chance to explore that voice and find out more about it. It’s been very fulfilling, and I'm looking forward to taking it further with future projects as well.” And with her extensive list of achievements and eclectic experiences, Robinson has a pretty good head start on this next artistic journey. : - [This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.] © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Robinson/e/B003UZ0DEU/ref=ac_dtp_sa_bio/185-1590195-4297115

Four Stars. We’re talking major talent here. Robinson is a sensuous singer, a real lights-down-low performer who picks up where Sade left off. - Fred Dellar, Mojo (UK)

Five Stars. Packs a big emotional punch. - Andy Gill, The Independent (UK)

Classy Stuff. With a deliciously insinuating delivery, Robinson pours her voice atop a warm bed of sultry beats, tasteful backing vocals and a sensual, introspective groove. David Pulizzi, Jazziz -Mojo/The Independent (UK)/Jazziz
An album that begs to be listened to on a pair of headphones...Fans of her production work on Cohen s past two releases (Ten New Songs and Dear Heather) will love Everybody Knows as it is steeped in the same provocative and seductive blend of easygoing electronic beats. - Jason Gladu, Popjournalism.ca

Everybody should know about Sharon Robinson...Endowed with a rich, soulful alto - landing somewhere between Roberta Flack, Cassandra Wilson, and Sade Adu - Robinson breathes immeasurable levels of misty-eyed longing and downhearted reflection into her songs, thus delivering far more than simply a gorgeous voice floating above subtle electronic textures. Fans of the lights-down-low atmospherics and mellow-soul of Zero 7 should find themselves similarly engrossed by this disc. - Todd Lavoie, San Francisco Bay Guardian - Popjournalism/SF Bay Guardian

If I could turn you on to one new artist this year it would be Sharon Robinson...Imagine a combination of Sade but with deeper, more expressive voice and Joni Mitchell in her jazzy period, then add the trance-y feel of Everything But The Girl...[and] the lyrical insight and poetic sense of Leonard Cohen...It's smart, accessible and delivered by a gifted, original, and mature artist. It is full of melodies that manage to sound fresh and familiar at the same time and lyrics that perfectly nail the emotions and situations we go through as we gain more experience in life and love. - Shannon West, Smoothviews - Smoothviews

She may not be a household name, but Sharon Robinson has been an established songwriter, vocalist, and producer for numerous artists. She’s collaborated with Leonard Cohen for over thirty years but could easily have had a very successful solo career. Amazingly, this album is her only solo release after over 35 years in the business. Sharon composed seven of the songs and co-wrote three with Leonard Cohen. “Everybody Knows” is an exceptional album of ten beautifully written and melodic songs with a wonderful jazz, soul and folk flavour. The tracks have electronica-based arrangements and the entire album is bursting with creative energy. Many people are under the mistaken impression that Sharon’s music has been controlled in some strange Svengali-like manner by Leonard Cohen. The truth is that she has co-written with Leonard some of his best songs and has arguably not received full credit for her input into the great man’s music. “Everybody Knows” is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Albums like this are very rare these days among all the trash out there masquerading as music. Buy this album and support a real musical talent. BTW: Has it really been seven years since Joni Mitchell’s last studio album? [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 105 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Invisible Tattoo 4:26
2 Party For The Lonely 3:40
3 Everybody Knows 5:26
4 The Train 3:45
5 Secondhand 3:40
6 Forever In A Kiss 4:04
7 The High Road 4:09
8 Sustenance 4:03
9 Alexandra Leaving 5:06
10 Summertime 3:51

All songs composed by Sharon Robinson except Tracks 3,9,10 by Sharon Robinson & Leonard Cohen

MUSICIANS

Sharon Robinson – Synthesizer, Vocals
Christopher Bruce – Guitar
James Harrah – Guitar on Track 7
Nate Wood – Additional Guitar, Drums, Keyboards
Bob Glaub – Bass on Track 7
Patrick Warren – Additional Synths. & Colors
Jay Bellerose – Drums & Percussion
Joey Waronker – Percussion
Mike Turk – Harmonica on Track 4
Michael Cold – Bridge Vocal on Track 2

6.2.13

Steve Harley with Jim Cregan and Guests


Steve Harley with Jim Cregan and GuestsAcoustic and Pure LIVE - 2002-  Comeuppance Discs

Some really talented and genuine bands and artists were caught up in the notorious "Glam Rock" net in Britain in the mid seventies. Many of these bands were overnight sensations, or one hit wonders, and many were studio manufactured. Some of these bands were also hugely successful, due to clever management and by recording songs written by top class songwriters. It is well known that many of these artists couldn't play, or sing, (the perfect recipe for success in the glitzy seventies, and now it seems in the 2000's!). However, some of these artists had predated the "Glam Rock" era, and were hugely talented. Just to name a few - T.Rex, David Bowie, Mott The Hoople, Abba, Elton John, Roy Wood & Wizzard, and Roxy Music. All these artists could sing, play, write brilliant songs, and they would have made the grade regardless of the ridiculous studio trickery that went into other "Glam Rock" bands that eventually fell by the wayside..... "You can fool some of the people, etc, etc....". Anyway, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel were one of THE great "Glam Rock" bands, and without a doubt, one of the most talented bands to emerge in the seventies. You may not like Rod Stewart's later music, but some of his 70's work with the Faces was terrific rock 'n' roll. He penned some great songs, and he remains a very respected artist. Rod said that Steve Harley was "one of the finest lyricists the UK has ever produced". Very true, but Steve is also a great musical composer, and his music included some of the best pop rock songs ever to come out of the UK. His songs included "Make Me Smile", "Judy Teen", "Mr. Raffles", "Mr. Soft", "The Best Years Of Our Lives", and "Psychomodo". Steve confesses the effects of his childhood polio still haunt him. “As you know, I’m never going to run the marathon. I can’t walk very far these days and have to go at my own pace. Joni Mitchell won’t fly anywhere and that’s because she too had polio. One of her legs was affected. She said ten years ago that there’s something called ‘secondary polio’ and that kind of depressed me. As I’m getting older I don’t feel any worse but I can’t walk as well as I did ten years ago. It doesn’t stop me going on stage but when the weather is bad I just can’t walk in the snow and ice because I’m afraid of slipping. What I most enjoy is going on the road and performing with the band which has my old Cockney Rebel pal Stuart Elliott on drums. It’s just like the old days.” "Acoustic and Pure LIVE" is a great album with a unique folk-pop/soul sound from the legendary Cockney Rebel main man, and is one of his best albums. All the tracks were selected from Steve's Autumn 2002 concerts and includes the great Jim Cregan on all lead guitar parts. Steve Harley was, and still is a superb songwriter, singer, and showman who retains a loyal and enthusiastic international following and could teach some of todays "pop" stars a few valuable tricks. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 158 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Nothing Is Sacred
2. Two Damn'd Lies
3. Mr. Soft
4. Audience With The Man
5. The Last Time I Saw You
6. Sweet Dreams
7. Psychomodo
8. All In A Life's Work
9. Riding The Waves (For Virginia Woolf)
10. Tumbling Down
11. A Friend For Life
12. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
13. The Last Feast *

All songs composed by Steve Harley except "A Friend For Life" by Steve Harley & Jim Cregan: * Track is an un-retouched mini-disc recording

MUSICIANS

Steve Harley - Guitar, Harmonica
Jim Cregan - All Lead Guitar Parts
Barry Wickens - Guitar On Track 13: Guitar/Violin on tracks 3,4,11: Violin On Track 10
Lincoln Anderson - Bass On Track 13
James Lascelles - Percussion & Melodica On Tracks 3,4,11: Percussion on track 13
Stuart Elliott - Drums On Track 13

SHORT BIO

British rocker Steve Harley was born Steven Nice in London on February 27, 1951; the son of a jazz singer, he was stricken with polio at age two and spent the better part of his adolescence in and out of hospitals. After trying his hand at journalism, by the early '70s Harley was busking throughout London, forming the band Cockney Rebel in 1973 with guitarist Jean Paul Crocker, bassist Paul Jeffreys, keyboardist Milton Reame James, and drummer Stuart Elliott. Signing to EMI, the group debuted with The Human Menagerie; the single "Judy Teen" followed in early in 1974, becoming Cockney Rebel's first hit. Psychomodo was also a success, but as Harley's combative relationship with the press worsened he dissolved the group soon after. A Harley solo single, "Big Big Deal, " preceded the formation of a new Cockney Rebel lineup, which again featured drummer Stuart Elliott in addition to new guitarist Jim Cregan, bassist George Ford and keyboardist Duncan McKay. 1975's The Best Years of Our Lives generated Harley's first U.K. chart-topper, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), " on its way to selling over a million copies; the follow-up Love's a Prima Donna also launched a Top Ten hit with its cover of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun." But in the wake of 1977's Face to Face -- A Live Recording, Harley again disbanded Cockney Rebel and relocated to the U.S., recording the better part of Hobo With a Grin in Los Angeles before returning to Britain. 1979's The Candidate failed to restore his commercial lustre, and with the exception of a minor 1983 hit "Ballerina (Prima Donna)" he spent the better part of the '80s removed from the pop scene. When his recording of "Mr. Soft" experienced a rebirth thanks to its use in a television commercial, Harley assembled a hits collection of the same name. Soon after he formed a new incarnation of Cockney Rebel and regularly toured into the following decade. 1999's Stripped to Bare Bones documents an acoustic set recorded the year previous. Yes You Can was issued in summer 2000. © Jason Ankeny © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-harley-p84327/biography

1.1.13

Charlotte Martin

LINK
Charlotte Martin - Dancing On Needles - 2011 - Test-Drive Records

Charlotte Martin has certainly suffered for her music, and the resulting album, Dancing on Needles, is a masterpiece because of it. The Los Angeles singer-songwriter overcame a nerve disorder called intercostal neuralgia developed after supporting the weight of her baby son Ronen. Incapacitated for much of a year, Charlotte poured every bit of that harrowing experience into her new music, and she crafted a piano-driven journey that's simultaneously poetic, poignant, and powerful. Delivering each note with palpable emotion, it's impossible not to feel Charlotte as she explores the dreamy darkness of "Volcano" or gives a lilting send-off on "Weird Goodbye." Produced by her husband alternative icon Ken Andrews [Beck, Pete Yorn], Dancing On Needles is a delicate and elegant triumph of the human heart. It's also bound to be remembered as one of the most special albums of 2011 when it drops on February 1st. - from "Charlotte Martin Talks "Dancing On Needles," Overcoming Pain and More" Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:31:29 © 1997 - 2012 Rogue Digital, LLC. All Rights Reserved http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/charlotte-martin-talks-dancing-on-needles-overcoming-pain-and-more/8441982 Read a full interview with Charlotte at that url

It’s safe to say that Charlotte Martin’s latest album Dancing On Needles wasn’t an easy record to make. In the past year, Charlotte endured what was perhaps the most traumatic time of her life when she was diagnosed with a nerve disorder that prohibited her from playing piano to even holding her young son. But with help and support from those around her, Charlotte bounced back victoriously. In March 2011, she gave birth to her second child, and just a month before she became a mother again, Dancing on Needles dropped along with a brand-new official fan club. Inspired by the events of the last year, Charlotte’s latest musical offerings to listeners is a painstakingly revealing collection of her infliction and the natural responses conjured from such torment. The first track “Any Minute Now” is Charlotte’s confession, slightly informing listeners of what’s to come, raising her voice slowly as if her story is bubbling to the surface. Her account finally makes its grand entrance in the dreamy “Volcano”, which happens to be the first single from the album. From first listen, the childlike keyboard melody evokes a sense of innocence as if Charlotte was unaware of the extent of the tough road ahead. But paying close attention to the lyrics confirms that the artist was already struggling with the extremities of her condition. The album does an outstanding job as far as track order is concerned, providing a see-sawing mix of electronica-woven songs and piano ballads. Not only that, the tracklist plays perfectly like a novel with its main character descending into darkness before finally reaching the light again. With that said, Charlotte drops to a rather melancholy state halfway through the album. “Life Vest” is perhaps the most emotive song on the record, depicting her personal struggles and her despair as she holds tightly on to what matters most. “Great ideas/God, I had great ideas”, she sings sadly. “Complications” follows suit on this vibe but in a more apologetic manner. The studio version of “Tremble” picks up the pace after “Life Vest” featuring a great combination of accompanied instruments that adds a lot of pizzazz, but an earlier acoustic version can be found on YouTube featuring only Charlotte and her piano. The simplicity works just as well. Dancing On Needles truly radiates during its more theatrical tracks. “Ready For a Flight” bounces back and forth between Charlotte’s soft vocal repose and fierce growling. If there’s anything negative to say about “Ready For a Flight”, it’s that the song isn’t as long as I would like it to be. The title track, despite its obvious lyricism chronicling her physical pain, reaches a rather spirited (and dare I say danceable) high by the end, proving that beauty can be created from unhappy circumstances. The second to last track, “Language of God”, could be the twin to “Dancing On Needles” – the otherworldly production is reminiscent of Kate Bush and Cocteau Twins, and Charlotte’s free-spirited choral chanting creates an awesome and positive epicenter for the entire disc. The closing song, entitled “Weird Goodbye”, plays like a summarization of the other (eleven) tracks. Despite her trials, Martin still manages to hold her head high as she repeats “It won’t get me down.” Dancing On Needles is the tale of a woman constrained and her journey to break free from all the hurting, whether it be physical or emotional. As a CharMar fan, I’m thankful that she has crossed the finish line, sharing her personal accounts so honestly and creatively, emerging with her finest work to date. By & © Miss Coolsville April 13, 2011 http://coolsville.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/album-review-charlotte-martin-dancing-on-needles/

Some artists just seem to never make a poor album and one of those is Charlotte Martin. From leaping from piano based melodies to synth rock anthems from her previous albums, Martin’s latest “Dancing on Needles” carefully merges the organic with the synthetic and makes one hell of a rocking album seeping emotion from start to finish. Opening with “Any Minute Now” Charlotte’s piano and vocal delivery are harsh and bold in this ever twisting tense and taut track. The ever present rumblings of low pianos are joined by guitars and pounding drums as Charlotte’s vocal layering pushes to the fore in a great opener. Single “Volcano” swaps sides from organic rock to heavily processed drum samples and etheral electric pianos yet the underlining current is one of pain, grit and detirmination. Even through its spacious angelic chorus (with a fantastic riff may I add) nothing ever feels settled and its this pinprick edge that carries the album and elevates it further. “Truth Cerium” returns to the band sound with a strong pounding track showcasing Martin’s penchant for sticking an slightly detuned chord in her riffs that give a certain rush to the brain. It’s great to see this side of Martin’s music because it shows she’s a master of all different genres of music and I can see this being a great live track. Title track “Dancing on Needles” has a fantastic funky bassline while the backbeat thumps away like a ticking clock while all kinds of atmospherics swirl around – this is the album footstomper arm waver anthem as it continues to evolve and build. This leads effeortlessly into “Animal” which is an absolutely stunning track. Full of drama, intrigue and an epic chorus – the verses chart their course the crawl inside your veins and then coupled with Charlotte’s quivering vocals, the choruses just steal your pulse away. The album hits a quieter period which starts off with the devastingly beautiful “Life Vest” which is the first piano/vocal led track. Charlotte’s high singing register against the piano easily brings you to tears of emotion in what is a heart wrenching performance. You can hear every nuance and second of pain in her every word. “Tremble” is not so much quiet all the way through but its as equally emotive as instrument upon instrument is slowly added into the mix until we reach the final hurrah where the electric guitars, pianos and vocals all whail together with a marching drum beat pulsing through your body and its almost like hitting a state of euphoria. The songs construction is fantastic and is a perfect juxtaposition to the solo version available on youtube. “Starlight” has a beautiful synth piano sound much like someone has crossbred a steel pan and an electric piano. This electro-rock ballad is beautiful for its constantly flowing with different raising chords that feel slightly eastern but quite gritty too. It’s quite a unique sound and stands out because of it. “Ready for a Flight” is a dark track with a full on growling chorus which comes across like a gigantic stand off in a bull arena with stimping drums and grizzly bass backing her up as the dischordant piano rumbles behind them all. The most abstract song on the album is the most hair raising. “Complications” is another lighter waver rock ballad and its here where the electronic and acoustic collide 50/50 and combined with excellent songwriting the merger of most of Martin’s backcatalogue is sewn together seemlessly. If this song doesn’t becomes a romance movie ballad then a crime has been made against humanity. “Language of God” is the big rocking finale on the album with pounding toms and all kinds of fun synths bursting out in the middle. Throughout the album the vocal layers are core but here they also form part of the background hum of music – almost like a background chant. The middle eight is like an electro-Eden. The album closes with “Weird Goodbye” which is an emotional piano/vocal track that doesn’t just tug on the heart strings, it rips them out and jumps up and down on them and is classic early Char Mar. “Dancing on Needles” is mindblowingly fantastic. From the opening note to the closing whimper you can feel every emotion, every word and every teardrop of pain and there’s nothing quite like it. Easily the first must have album of 2011 and early contender for album of the year. It’ll leave you breathless. © http://higherplainmusic.com/2011/01/13/charlotte-martin-dancing-on-needles-review/JANUARY 13, 2011

Buy Charlotte's "Stromata" album. Also check out Thea Gilmore's great "Murphy's Heart" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 114 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Any Minute Now 2:53
2 Volcano 3:57
3 Truth Cerium 3:26
4 Dancing On Needles 4:28
5 Animal 4:39
6 Life Vest 4:10
7 Tremble 5:22
8 Starlight 4:02
9 Ready For A Flight 3:15
10 Complications 3:59
11 Language Of God 4:58
12 Weird Goodbye 4:43

All songs composed by Charlotte Martin except "Complications" by Charlotte Martin & Tommy Walter

MUSICIANS

Charlotte Martin - Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Ken Andrews - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Programmer for Keyboards, Orchestra & Horns, Backing Vocals
Justin Meldal-Johnsen - Bass Guitar
Fernando Sanchez - Drums
Tommy Walter - Additional Vocals on "Complications"

BIO

Creamy, bittersweet, hypnotic, intimate—such is the sound of DANCING ON NEEDLES, the stunning new album from critically acclaimed indie singer-songwriter CHARLOTTE MARTIN. Produced by Ken Andrews (Pete Yorn, Beck), the rapturous album traces Martin's heartbreaking struggle with intercostal neuralgia, a nerve disorder that left her incapacitated for much of the past year. “It was the most difficult period of my life,” says Martin. “The pain was excruciating. I saw countless doctors, was misdiagnosed countless times and prescribed countless medications. Nothing seemed to help. Forget about not being able to work; getting out of bed was a major undertaking. Worst of all, I couldn’t nurse, or even lift, my baby. As a new mother, that was devastating.” Unable to stand or sit at the piano for extended periods of time, Martin was forced to write and record the album in pieces over the course of a year. Despite the arduous process, she managed to craft a beautifully warm album of faith, hope and love. Released on Martin's own Test-Drive Records, DANCING ON NEEDLES feels like entries from a journal, with Martin staring down the darkness to come out the other side. Musically, each track is wrapped in gorgeous, swirling melodies and soft, dreamy textures. And of all the gentle pleasures that unfold within the album’s grooves, the most remarkable are the perpetually enraptured vocals of Martin, an emotive singer whose ethereal voice alternately conveys feelings of love and fear, yearning and regret, and hope and longing. She shines on songs like “Volcano,” “Truth Cerium,” and “Starlight.” The initial stages of Martin’s affliction can be traced back to the fall of 2009. At the time, she was between albums—since her third full-length, Stromata (2006), she had released a covers album, Reproductions (2007), and a collection of B-sides, Orphans (2008)—and just getting back into the groove of recording and performing since the birth of her son in 2008. Motherhood had caused something of an identity crisis for Charlotte, as she struggled to find the artist in the mother she had become. And she wondered if she could, in fact, be both. While balancing family and work, Charlotte put her songwriting talent to work for others, including Tiesto, BT and Crystal Method, among others. As 2008 came to a close, she started working on her own music again and logged a small tour with her son in tow; she also began experiencing sporadic numbness in parts of her body. By fall 2009, Charlotte was in constant pain. Adding to the hurt was the fact that Charlotte and her husband wanted to have another baby, but couldn't because of her rapidly declining health. Thus began a harrowing year of doctor visits; second, third, and fourth opinions; misdiagnoses; and failed treatments. At the same time, Charlotte also learned that her father was suffering from heart failure, with grim prospects for the future. As close as any daughter can be to her parents, Charlotte was devastated. With stress bearing down on her from all sides, she turned to music for salvation. Charlotte picked up work on the album; though still struggling physically, she could write only in short spurts. As a result, she leaned heavily on her husband, producer Ken Andrews, who built out the tracks from Charlotte’s rough piano and vocal sketches, adding all additional instrumentation and production. The final product is classic Charlotte Martin—lush, densely textured piano-based tracks with alternately soaring and delicate vocals. Her health improving every day, Martin is looking forward to touring, though she admits that the new material is emotionally difficult to perform. For the few shows that she will play in support of DANCING ON NEEDLES, she hopes that the support of her fans will get her through—as well as the support of her father, who has fortunately (if not miraculously) made a full recovery. Charlotte is grateful to be alive and finds comfort in her family, which (also miraculously) is soon to expand: she's pregnant with a baby girl due this spring. Over the course of her career, Martin has recorded both major label and independent releases, performed sold-out shows to audiences around the world and shared stages with the likes of Liz Phair, Pete Yorn, Damien Rice, Jason Mraz, and many others. Her music has been licensed for a plethora of television shows, including “So You Think You Can Dance,” which regularly features her song “The Dance” during the show’s open. Details magazine called her “a seductive performer” and “a skilled lyricist who writes with surgical precision” and Performing Songwriter praised Martin as “a born storyteller and affecting vocalist.” © 2011 CHARLOTTE MARTIN. all rights reserved. http://charlottemartin.com/don/bio.html

19.5.12

Paul Rose



Paul Rose - The Learning Curve - 2005 - Paul Rose

"Paul Rose is without doubt one of the most unique and talented guitarists in the world today and to his fans, 'The Best Guitarist in The World!'Never a performance goes by where audience members don't comment that Paul is the best guitarist they have ever seen". © 2009 Webjam http://www.webjam.com/atomraymusic/artists

"A craftsman, producing masterpieces of guitarmanship...CLASS personified!" “To try and describe the level of skill he possesses, would be as easy as spotting a dropped stitch in the Bayeaux tapestry. In sets which bridge the acoustic guitar, with the Classical John Williams, the Blues of Tommy Emmanuel and the Rock of Jimi Hendrix, he creates a guitar master class which transfixed the audiences with performances not just to be remembered, but to be savoured.” Leeds Music Review

Who is Paul Rose? Paul Rose is a unique and hugely talented guitarist born in Newcastle, England in July 1966. He is fundamentally an electric rock guitarist, but he also plays wonderful acoustic blues, country, jazz and folk. Paul has over ten albums and an instructional DVD to his credit. He has appeared with many great artists including Brian May, Yngwie Malmstein, Hank Marvin and the legendary Peter Green. In 1991, the late, great Rory Gallagher awarded Paul a Fender ’62 Reissue Strat in a competition sponsored by Fender. Guitarists from all over the UK were videotaped using the guitar and the tapes were shown to Rory at a later date. Out of 1000 entrants, Rory picked Paul as the winner and called him as “a hot player with a hot future.” In 1995, Paul won Guitarist Magazine's “Guitarist of the Year” award. Paul has toured and appeared at festivals all over Europe, including the famous German Rockpalast TV show. The programme broadcast on Sky TV to millions of viewers was a special tribute to Rory Gallagher and featured Gerry McAvoy, Brendan O'Neil, Brian Robertson, Robby McIntosh, Lou Martin, and Mark Feltham. "The Learning Curve" is a beautifully played, mainly acoustic guitar album with an innovative rock/blues country style and some great jazz licks. There are nine Rose originals and a cover of Kosma & Mercer's classic Autumn Leaves. Listen to Paul's "Late Show" album and buy his "Ten" album. Promote this guy! You can download free "The Paul Rose Band Live at the Broken Doll" album @ http://www.paulrose.co.uk/shop_brokendoll.html For more great acoustic guitar, check out Stephen Bennett and Laurence Juber on this blog. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 102 Mb]

TRACKS

1 The Learning Curve 2:57
2 Autumn Leaves - Kosma, Mercer 4:32
3 Call Me the Breeze 7:23
4 Test of Time 1:24
5 More or Less 5:43
6 State of the Nation 3:19
7 Easy Blues 2:42
8 Lies 6:30
9 Close 6:03
10 Same Old Reality 6:27

All tracks composed by Paul Rose except Autumn Leaves by Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert & Joseph Kosma, and "Call Me the Breeze" by J.J. Cale

BIO

Paul Rose is without doubt one of the most unique and talented guitarists in the world today. Fundamentally a rock guitarist, his extraordinary playing style touches on blues, country, jazz and folk, blended together into a style that is entirely his own. Never a gig goes by where audience members don't comment that Paul is the best guitarist they've seen and heard. Born in Newcastle, north east England in July 1966, Paul's natural gift shone through at an early age. He was already being hailed as one of the best guitarists in the region by the age of 16, playing regularly on the Newcastle live scene with the most popular local bands of the day. Rory Gallagher awarded Paul a Fender '62 Reissue Strat, with a Vox AC30, in a Fender- sponsored competition that invited guitarists from all over the UK to appear in local music shops. Entrants were required to play in front of a video camera using the guitar and amp in question, without any pedals, to be edited and shown to Rory at a later date. Out of 1000 guitarists, Rory selected Paul as the winner and described him as "a hot player with a hot future." Having also won "Guitarist of the Year" in Guitarist Magazine a couple of years later, it is plainly obvious that Paul is a force to be reckoned with. Since then Paul has continued to go from strength to strength, having released a total of ten solo albums to date, selling worldwide to an ever increasing circle of fans. Coupled with his stunning live shows built on 25 years of tough performing experience, Paul is now gaining the worldwide recognition he deserves. Recognised as an electric guitarist, Paul has recently been playing many solo gigs with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a sample pedal to promote his first ever acoustic CD "The Learning Curve." These gigs have been very well received indeed, with one reviewer writing "this is a truly world class guitarist at the very top of his game." This is not to say Paul has totally turned his back on the Fender guitars he loves so well, in fact quite the contrary. Having just released "The Best of Paul Rose" this remarkable album features sixteen tracks that reflect on an extraordinary and unique 20 year period. With this, Paul is now breaking into the German market, having played several highly successful tours there, with upcoming interviews and features with several important music magazines and websites. He is fully endorsed by Steinberg, IKmultimedia, GHS strings and the legendary pickup makers Seymour Duncan. With an eleventh album in production, 12 including the "Best Of," Paul is facing a future just as spectacular as his musical gift. © http://www.paulrose.co.uk/biography.html

6.2.12

Dwight Twilley (Beatles Related)



Dwight Twilley - The Beatles [Deluxe Edition] - 2009 - Gigatone

An obscure 19 track collection of Beatles’ tunes from the underrated "power pop" specialist, Dwight Twilley. Dwight was never a "here today, gone tomorrow" "pop" artist, and certainly not an overnight sensation releasing mundane and commercial "dime-a-dozen" pop records that nobody will remember in 5 years time. He is a very good songwriter and musician, and deserves more exposure. Dwight's sound has been described as a "luscious synthesis of British and American influences". This is not a "power pop" release as you might expect. Dwight has always been strongly influenced by the Beatles music, and he doesn't mess up anything here. Eight tracks are from The White Album. The covers are very close to the Beatles' originals, and Dwight does a really good job on these classic tracks. Listen to Dwight's "Live from Agora" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 135 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Come Together 2:53
2. Dear Prudence 3:57
3. In My Life 3:43
4. Helter Skelter 4:37
5. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey 4:19
6. I'll Be Back 2:40
7. Blackbird 2:14
8. Hello Goodbye 3:19
9. It's Only Love 1:55
10. Why Don't We Do It in the Road 2:11
11. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill 3:27
12. I Will 1:54
13. Drive My Car 2:35
14. You're Gonna Lose That Girl 3:51
15. Taxman 3:25
16. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away 4:32
17. Run For Your Life 2:38
18. Yer Blues 3:47
19. Tomorrow Never Knows 3:44

All songs by John Lennon & Paul McCartney except "Taxman" by George Harrison

Dwight Twilley - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Instrumentation, Keyboards, Vocals. Information on other artists who played on this album would be welcome

BIO

Though the Dwight Twilley Band only had one hit (Twilley had another on his own), Twilley and partner Phil Seymour created an enduring and highly memorable brand of power pop that blended Beatlesque pop and Sun rockabilly "slapback" echo. Only a fraction of the band's early output was made available at the time, but these records are highly revered by power pop aficionados. According to the legend, Dwight Twilley met Phil Seymour in 1967 at a theater where they had gone to see the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night. After the film they immediately went to Twilley's house to start writing and recording. The two continued the partnership over the next several years, calling themselves Oister and recruiting another part-time member, Bill Pitcock IV, on lead guitar. After developing their sound in their homemade studio, "the Shop," they decided to take a stab at professional recording and headed out to Nashville, though they ended up stopping first at the legendary Sun Studios. Jerry Phillips (Sam's son) was impressed enough to team them up with former Sun artist Ray Harris, who introduced them to "the Sun sound," roughing up their Beatles-obsessed style a bit and creating a unique and endearing sound. The two signed to Shelter Records in 1974. Their first single, "I'm on Fire," became a national hit in 1975, peaking at number 16, with relatively no promotion. During an appearance on American Bandstand, the band previewed what was to be the follow-up single, "Shark," an equally infectious, hit-worthy rocker. The success of the film Jaws caused the label to reject the single, however, to keep them from becoming perceived as a cash-in novelty act. This was just the beginning of bad luck that would plague the group from that point on. Their follow-up single and completed album went unreleased for 18 months due to label problems, and a second album recorded in England was left unreleased altogether, creating a myth around the band in some circles while the general public quickly lost interest. The belated follow-up single, "You Were So Warm," ended up failing due to distribution problems. Predictably, when the album Sincerely was finally released, it failed as well. Seymour and Twilley befriended the like-minded Tom Petty and contributed backing vocals on several tracks. Petty repaid the favor for their second album, Twilley Don't Mind, for Arista in 1977. Despite the once again unquestionably high quality of songs, the album stiffed as well. Seymour left the band the following year, pursuing a brief solo career before lymphoma cut his life short in 1993. Twilley carried on as a solo act, releasing Twilley for Arista in 1979 and Scuba Divers for EMI America in 1982, and found success again with Jungle in 1984, when he scored his second hit with "Girls." Wild Dogs went unnoticed on its 1986 release by CBS Associated Records. In addition, Twilley recorded an album in 1980, Blueprint, that remains unreleased and contributed one track to the 1992 Wayne's World soundtrack, "Why You Want to Break My Heart." In 1993, DCC released The Great Lost Twilley Album, which collected a fraction of the "hundreds" of unreleased songs Twilley and Seymour recorded in the early, ill-fated days. Two newly recorded songs appeared on the best-of collection XXI (The Right Stuff) in 1996, and in 1999, Twilley released both another rarities collection, Between the Cracks, Vol. 1 (Not Lame Archives), and his first new album in 13 years, Tulsa (Copper). In 2001, Twilley released The Luck (Big Oak), an album he had actually completed in 1994. The seasonal EP Have a Twilley Christmas (DMI) appeared in 2004, followed by Twilley's ninth studio album, 47 Moons, in 2005. In 2007 he signed to Gigatone Records and a deluge of Twilley releases followed, including reissues of Tulsa and 47 Moons (with bonus tracks), seven volumes of Rarities discs, and a compilation of tracks recorded after Twilley left CBS, Northridge to Tulsa. In 2009 he released an album of Beatles covers titled simply The Beatles and followed it with an album of originals in 2010 titled Green Blimp. After Twilley moved to the Varèse Sarabande label, his 11th album, Soundtrack, was issued in late 2011. © Chris Woodstra © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dwight-twilley-p5718/biography

1.1.12

Bartron Tyler Group (Beatles Related)



Bartron Tyler Group - Yesterday Never Knows - 2009 - Hardwood Music

Mashing up bits of Beatles tunes into new sonic concoctions is nothing new, with George and Giles Martin's celebrated "Love" being the foremost example. But on Yesterday Never Knows (Hardwood), the Bartron Tyler Group crafted guitar-driven instrumental arrangements that also mess with the fundamental song structures, such as setting "Eleanor Rigby" to a Latin-inflected 6/8 groove and arranging "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" for Duane and Dickey- like harmonized guitars. "Every song had to have some sort of angle to it" explains John Bartron. "Setting a tune in a different groove or meter allowed us to make these versions our own". For this album, Bartron deployed an arsenal of guitars that included a Lowden Acoustic, a Godin Multiac through a Roland GR-33, and a Wechter Pathmaker, and conjured Beatle-esque effects from a Line6 PODxt. Mike Tyler opted for a Parker Fly and an early-70's Gibson Les Paul Deluxe through a Boss GT-3 and a Vox Valvetronix amp, but also played an Epiphone Riviera 12-string and Oahu Diana lap-steel. "Most of the time we weren't concerned with duplicating the tones on the albums because our arrangements were so different for the originals", explains Tyler. "Instead, we would try to evoke the sounds that have become associated with the Beatles, such as an electric 12-string or a guitar through a Leslie." However they were arrived at, Yesterday Never Knows is chockablock with great tones and groovy guitar work, including gorgeous side work by Tyler. The album opens with "I'll Follow the Sun", the melody of which is played over the "Taxman" groove. "We tried several different settings. the only constant being Mike's phrasing of the melody on slide," recalls Bartron. "We tried a half-time groove with a Luau feel, Travis picking the chords to 'Julia'- But nothing was clicking. Then, 'Taxman' came on the radio on the drive home, and when I hummed the melody along with it I knew we had it. We added the #9 punches, and for the beginning bassist Joey Fabian suggested a King Crimson-like variation, with Mike playing the intro riff in 6/8 on 12-string while I played it in 5/8 on acoustic". Tyler took the first solo playing slide on the Parker, Bartron added the warbling echo to his Lesile sound for the second solo, and the third solo Tyler played slide on the Epi 12-string. "The fourth solo has three different guitars with reverse delay, and the second bridge morphs into the acoustic environment of 'And I Love Her'", says Bartron. "For the finale we return to the Crimson arpeggios played an octave higher, while drummer John Hasty pounds out the solo from 'The End'- and the final chord just had to a major 6th." The remaining arrangements are equally inventive, employing dropped-C tuning, bowed piano, solos tracked at half-speed to produce mandolin-like sounds, ambient recordings, and sampled Mellotron. "We were able to convey our obvious love and respect for the material while at the same time displaying a playfulness and spirit of experimentation that seemed appropriate for the tunes," says Tyler. "To me, the Beatles' willingness to explore any style of music that caught their fancy is one of the most enduring qualities of their legacy". - from "BTG reconstructs the Beatles" - © BARRY CLEVELAND , © GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE

"BTG's "Yesterday Never Knows," — is smart, highly listenable and way off the scales with jaw-dropping musical acumen. It raises the bar on how to pay tribute to the most influential band of all time with reverence, adherence to historical detail and yet complete originality." © SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

"BTG's Yesterday Never Knows is chock-full of inventive, irreverent, thoroughly modernized instrumental reworkings of Beatles classics that would make any fan smile and nod in appreciation. Imagine "I'll Follow The Sun" arranged with the rhythm section groove of "Taxman," an Americana-flavored, Bill Frisell-ish guitar soundscape, and a drum break borrowed from "The End," and you've got just the opening track of this highly enjoyable album." © BRYAN BELLER , bassist for Steve Vai, Mike Keneally, Z (Dweezil & Ahmet Zappa).

Talking about Yesterday Never Knows... "These masterful renditions really surprised me. Interesting, beautiful, unique, and not like anything you would expect. The BTG slant on these tunes makes what is old, new again. This is really wonderful music expertly arranged and played!" © ANDY WEST, original bassist with the DIXIE DREGS.

If you think that the Beatles have been covered to death, then listen to this album. Read detailed info about this wonderful album @ http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tylerbgroup5 Check out the detailed session notes for the album @ http://btgmusic.com/YNK%20session%20notes.html Buy the group's "Like A Metaphor" album [Tracks @ 224-320 Kbps: File size = 73.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1 I'll Follow The Sun 3:29
2 Nowhere Man 3:04
3 Eleanor Rigby 5:50
4 Because 2:59
5 Blackbird 4:54
6 Boy Meets Girl (Mother Nature's Son/Girl) 5:32
7 In My Life 3:18
8 Flying 6:26
9 I Don't Want To Spoil The Party 6:43
10 Goodbye 2:45
11 Don't Let Me Down 4:42

All songs composed by Lennon & McCartney except "Flying" by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starkey

BAND

John Bartron - Guitars and Guitar Synthesizer
Mike Tyler - Guitars
Joey Fabian - Bass
John Hasty - Drums

BIO

The Bartron Tyler Group (featuring guitarists John Bartron and Mike Tyler, John Hasty on drums and multi-percussion, and Joey Fabian on electric and acoustic basses), is a band that reaches beyond the confines of any single musical category. Drawing from a broad scope of influences, their sound is an undeniably unique and potent mixture of one quart of progressive rock, a pint of acid jazz fusion, a dash of Afro Cuban and Celtic, and a twist of blues. Their purely instrumental sound interweaves strong melodies and intricate rhythms with seamless fluidity, while constantly teetering on the improvisational edge. With such eclectic influences the band can often shift their approach from the clock like precision of a classic progressive rock group to the intuitive explorations of the Grateful Dead influenced "jam bands". The band coined the term Hardwood Music to describe their unusual hybrid of rich acoustic guitars and percussive instruments fused with the latest in electronic effects, giving them a powerful outlet that dazzles, while still maintaining the subtlety and integrity of their individual voices. Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, both Bartron and Tyler started playing guitar when they were eight years old. "Like so many others, I was swept away by the Beatles in the 60s, "explains Bartron, "and started taking guitar lessons when I was eight. In the fifth grade, my teacher recommended to my parents that I take drum lessons because I was banging on the desk incessantly throughout class. Music was always there." In high school, he studied with Jazz/rock guitarist Rich Healy, and later with Jay Jordan who both instilled in him a love for learning and supported him in developing his own musical identity. With a rich source of influences, ranging from Yes, Genesis, and Pete Townsend, to John McLaughlin and Beethoven, he developed a love for lyrical music and a musical flair that is fiery and inventive, yet precise. "I like theme and variation," he explains, "I like music that tells a story, that's lyrical even though it's instrumental." After graduating from Serra High School in San Mateo, California in 1978, he enrolled in the music department at the College of San Mateo, with the desire to refine his improvisational talents with music theory and ear training. It was at this time that he met Mike Tyler who was also seeking a suitable environment to develop his own innate musical talents. Like Bartron, Tyler grew up during the guitar explosion of the 60s. "I remember every block having a garage band," he explains, "and that's where I got my first experience improvising. I think that prepared me for a lot of the stuff were doing now." A rock guitarist at heart, he was also drawn to progressive rockers like Genesis and Yes, and later influenced by rock-jazz fusion pioneers like Jeff Beck and Chick Corea. Over the years, he studied with Robben Ford and Joe Satriani. It is not surprising that he has developed a distinct style that is as versatile as it is precise; a sound that is charged with power and subtlety. After graduating from Terra Nova High School in Pacifica, California, he enrolled in the music department at CSM and started playing straight ahead rock guitar with Quiet Hands. He then met Bartron in an improv class where the two recognized shared musical tastes. After graduating college they decided to explore their unique sound and desire to write more challenging and diverse music. After experimenting with different line-ups they formed a three-piece acoustic-rock band, The Civilians, (with Brad James on vocals) and enjoyed a long string of gigs around the San Francisco Bay Area. During this time, Bartron and Tyler continued to expand their original repertoire while refining their intuitive and improvisational sensibilities. After deciding to return to a pure instrumental sound, Bartron and Tyler went out on their own in 1990, this time looking for a drummer who could provide a rich percussive palette to support their dynamic arrangements. They hooked up with John Hasty, who at the time was playing with an acoustic outfit called Medicine Bow, and had played with progressive rockers Moscow and also the Madd Brothers, and who had a reputation for playing both a kit and hand drums (along with the kitchen sink). Hasty started playing piano at five but found that drums better suited his love for rhythm. "I was lucky to get a really good drum teacher right from the start (he was ten at the time) who instilled a sense of joy and fun in playing. He taught us to reach inside ourselves and move through the music and convey that feeling to other people." His musical influences included the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Tower of Power, and Booker T. and the M.G.s, because the music was based around a strong groove. Later, more earthy, tribal sounds sparked his interest in exploring Afro-Cuban rhythms and more organic hand drums. It wasn't until he joined the Bartron Tyler Group that he was able to fuse the two together. "His kit really developed out of necessity," explains Tyler. "Because of the dynamics of the music we were writing, we really needed the nice, warm, woody tones of the hand drums with the more aggressive feel of a kit." 1993 saw the release of the band's self-titled debut album recorded at The Loft in Nashville. They've performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area, headlining their own concerts or opening shows for major acts. A favorite show had them playing to a full house before Bill Bruford's Earthworks at the Great American Music Hall. Street fairs and festivals have been their specialty. Over the years they've played at over sixty fairs, including Fillmore Street, North Beach, Union Street, Palo Alto, and many others. 1994 saw the release of their second CD, "Fillmore Street", a live album which captures the spirit and dynamic interplay of the band. Just about everywhere they played, they brought down the house as they displayed remarkable musical gymnastics, interfusing rolling arpeggios and sustained, lyrical guitar licks with whimsical rhythmic overtones. They were invited to San Francisco's KALW and Cupertino's KKUP radio stations for exclusive interviews and in-studio performances and were also mainstays on San Francisco's KFOG. They appeared numerous times on Cable Access TV (Pacifica) Bruce Latimer Show as guests in his variety show. They were invited (and accepted) to film the pilot of a new show for A & E called "Guitar Kulture." Their tune,"(I Won't) Hold My Breath" was featured on the DiscMakers 1996 Super Sampler compilation CD. In 1997 they selected "Sunlight Through the Clouds" for the more exclusive DiscMakers Independent Music WorldSeries," Northern California Heavy Hitters" CD, where they were the only instrumental band recognized. The song was from their third album of all original tunes entitled "Leap Day". The album, featuring 10 of their most potent compositions offers lyrical, intuitive music where improvisation and technique meet with uncanny precision. To perform this music live they enlisted the low frequency talents of bassist Joey Fabian on five-string fretted and fretless electric basses and acoustic bass. Joey began his music career in Atlanta playing and recording with several prominent bands, including members of the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Sea Level, and the Glenn Phillips Band. Since Arriving in the Bay Area in 1991, he has performed almost every concievable genre of music from Soukous to Samba-Reggae, Blues to Bluegrass. Some of the amazing musicians he has had the pleasure of recording and/or performing with include Alana Davis, Hershel Yatovich, Will Ray, Celso Alberti, Mike Vanderhule, Mumblefinger, Chris Rossbach, Paolo Baldi, Taylor Collins, Scott Matthews, James Armstrong, John Cabán, Drew Youngs, Jack Chernos, Bryant Mills, Mike Emerson, Garth Webber and Nir Z. Joey has been the electric bass instructor at Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, CA since 1994, and runs a small production studio called The Tomato Farm. He drinks a lot of coffee and eats a lot of vegetables. His extra-musical interests include his bicycle, physics and cosmology, cooking and a lovely woman named Lisa. Now a full time quartet, John and Mike were happy to relinquish their bass pedal duties and concentrate on their quest to write and perform music that could combine more and more styles and confound more and more music critics. So successful were they in this task that they were never even offered the chance to sell out, tone down and become another smooth-jazz super-star. Meanwhile, "Leap Day" began getting airplay (most notably the song "Hit The Ground Running" in regular rotation on KFOG's Acoustic Sunrise), and some steady Internet sales ("Leap Day" was voted the favorite album of Amazon.com employees). Sales at live performance however were phenomenal. Wherever and whenever they played people would snatch up their CDs keeping the bands musical fires stoked. August of 2001 found them back at Parvin Studios to put down on tape some of the tunes they had been honing at concerts, clubs and festivals. And TAPE they did. In this age of fully automated digital hard drive recording offering unlimited virtual tracks, BTg chose to go Old School:16 tracks of 2" analog tape whizzing by at 30 IPS. FAT! Released in June of 2002 BTg's 4th album, "Like A Metaphor" (clever eh?) expresses the bands musical ideal: compositions that are clean and clear, orchestrated yet alive, individual performances combining to create a rich melodic stew. Featuring a painting by Mike Tyler on it's cover and the compositional debut of percussionist John Hasty (Zuzu's Petals) "Like A Metaphor" is an album that dazzles your ears on first listen with it's intricate guitar interplay, yet keeps you coming back with it's solid grooves and cool tunes. Shortly after “Metaphor” was released both Mike and Joey invested in ProTools recording setups and sessions began (at home) for what would become their next release. Summer of 2006 saw the completion of “Just About Almost There”. A favorite of the band, this CD is probably their most eclectic release to date. From the straight ahead rock of “Smokes Like A Fish”, the fusion of Afro/Caribbean rhythms and synth guitar in “Comp Day”, the deep groove and soulful, soaring electric guitar of “Model T” to the Sunday morning acoustic groove of “Ignorant (By) Design, “Just About Almost There” is an album that touches down in many musical geographies while keeping a coherent focus on listenability. With five predominately original eclectic recording projects under the band’s belt, BTg decided to re-pave a more familiar path for their 2009 release “Yesterday Never Knows”. This collection of interpretive arrangements of Beatles’ tunes was two years in the making and presents these players tackling some of rock’s most recognizable melodies. They approached this challenge with a Fab-like zeal and the resulting music got immediate attention upon its release. John and Mike realized a long time dream by being interviewed for a feature article about the tones and arrangements they utilized on “YNK” for the January 2010 issue of Guitar Player magazine. © http://btgmusic.com/btgbio.html