Paul Weller

Paul Weller - Catch-Flame! - Live At The Alexandra Palace - 2006 - V2

Another year, another live album. Paul Weller has turned out to be as predictable as the Rolling Stones in how he follows a new set of material with a live album, following every album since Wild Wood with a live record. Because of this it's hard not to superficially see 2006's Catch-Flame! Live at the Alexandra Palace as just another live album, but take the time to listen to Catch-Flame! and it soon reveals itself as a surprise every bit as bracing as Weller's 2005 studio album As Is Now: a record that doesn't sound all that different from its predecessor, at least on the surface, but underneath that surface, it's apparent that Weller's fire is again burning intensely. There's a vigor and vitality to this performance that eclipses all his other live solo albums; it's as kinetic as early Jam, but without abandoning the Traffic-inspired, jam-heavy aesthetic that marked his solo work. As such, it's satisfying both as an exciting, energetic live album and as one to savor, to really enjoy the interplay between the musicians, and it makes Catch-Flame! something far more than another Weller live album; indeed, it makes it closer to being the live Weller album instead of just another live record. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/catch-flame%21-mw0000443355

Catch-Flame! was recorded at London’s Alexandra Palace on 5th December 2005, the last date of Paul Weller’s 2005 UK tour and is his third live solo album. The album includes songs from Paul’s days with The Jam and The Style Council as well as many popular tracks from his solo albums. It has never been easy to categorize Paul Weller’s music. In his earlier days he was influenced by artists like Otis Redding, Dr Feelgood, The Who and the Sex Pistols. In more recent times, Paul fundamentally plays English modern soul rock, but he has always introduced folk, blues, soul, bluebeat, rock, ska, and modern jazz into his music. A brilliant musician and songwriter, this album captures the moment, and confirms the greatness of this unique British musician. Check out a BBC podcast of Paul’s favourite music @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/34730ec9#b008gh41 Check out http://www.paulweller.com/ and listen to his “Heliocentric” and “22 Dreams” albums. He has never made a duff album. The Jam’s “All Mod Cons” is another classic album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 244 Mb (2 Discs)]

TRACKS

CD 1

1 The Weaver
2 Out of the Sinking
3 Blink and You'll Miss It
4 Paper Smile
5 Peacock Suit
6 From the Floorboards Up
7 The Changingman
8 Savages
9 Going Places
10 Up in Suzes' Room
11 Porcelain Gods/I Walk On Gilded Splinters

CD 2

1 In the Crowd
2 Come On/Let's Go
3 Foot of the Mountain
4 You Do Something to Me
5 Wishing on a Star
6 Wild Wood
7 The Pebble & The Boy
8 That's Entertainment
9 Broken Stones
10 Long Hot Summer
11 Shout to the Top
12 Town Called Malice

All tracks composed by Paul Weller except "The Changingman" by Paul Weller & Brendan Lynch, "Porcelain Gods/I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Paul Weller & John Creaux and "Wishing on a Star" by Billie Rae Calvin

MUSICIANS

Paul Weller - Guitar, Vocals
Steve Cradock - Guitar
Damon Minchella - Bass
Seamus Beaghan - Keyboards
Steve White - Drums, Percussion

BIO

As the leader of the Jam, Paul Weller fronted the most popular British band of the punk era, influencing legions of English rockers ranging from his mod revival contemporaries to the Smiths in the '80s and Oasis in the '90s. During the final days of the Jam, he developed a fascination with Motown and soul, which led him to form the sophisti-pop group the Style Council in 1983. As the Style Council's career progressed, Weller's interest in soul developed into an infatuation with jazz-pop and house music, which eventually led to gradual erosion of his audience -- by 1990, he couldn't get a record contract in the U.K., where he had previously been worshiped as a demigod. As a solo artist, Weller returned to soul music as an inspiration, cutting it with the progressive, hippie tendencies of Traffic. Weller's solo records were more organic and rootsier than the Style Council's, which helped him regain his popularity within Britain. By the mid-'90s, he had released three successful albums that were both critically acclaimed and massively popular in England, where contemporary bands like Ocean Colour Scene were citing him as an influence. Just as importantly, many observers, while occasionally criticizing the trad rock nature of his music, acknowledged that Weller was one of the few rock veterans who had managed to stay vital within the second decade of his career. Weller's climb back to the top of the charts was not easy. After Polydor rejected the Style Council's fifth, house-influenced album in 1989, Weller broke up the group and lost both his record contract and his publishing deal. Over the next two years, he was in seclusion as he revamped his music. In 1991, he formed the Paul Weller Movement and released "Into Tomorrow" on his own independent label, Freedom High Records. A soulful, gritty neo-psychedelic song that represented a clear break from the Style Council, "Into Tomorrow" reached the U.K. Top 40 that spring, and he supported the single with an international tour, where he worked out the material that comprised his eponymous 1992 solo debut. Recorded with producer Brendan Lynch, Paul Weller was a joyous, soulful return to form that was recorded with several members of the Young Disciples, former Blow Monkey Dr. Robert, and Weller's then-wife, Dee C. Lee. The album debuted at number eight on the U.K. charts, and was received with positive reviews. Wild Wood, Weller's second solo album, confirmed that the success of his solo debut was no fluke. Recorded with Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock, Wild Wood was a more eclectic and ambitious effort than its predecessor, and it was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, entering the charts at number two upon its fall 1993 release. The album would win the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection the following year. Weller supported the album with an extensive tour that featured Cradock as the group's leader; the guitarist's exposure on Wild Wood helped him successfully relaunch Ocean Colour Scene in 1995. At the end of the tour, Weller released the live album Live Wood late in 1994. Preceded by "The Changingman," which became his 17th Top Ten hit, 1995's Stanley Road was his most successful album since the Jam, entering the charts at number one and eventually selling nearly a million copies in the U.K. By this point, Weller decided to stop attempting to break into the United States market and canceled his North American tour. Of course, he was doing so well in the England that he didn't need to set his sights outside of the U.K. Stanley Road may have been greeted with mixed reviews, but Weller had been re-elevated to his status as an idol, with the press claiming that he was the father of the thriving Brit-pop movement, and artists like Noel Gallagher of Oasis singing his praises. In fact, while neither artist released a new album in 1996, Weller's and Gallagher's influence was felt throughout the British music scene, as '60s roots-oriented bands like Ocean Colour Scene, Cast, and Kula Shaker became the most popular groups in the U.K. Weller returned in the summer of 1997 with Heavy Soul. Modern Classics: Greatest Hits followed a year later. Heliocentric -- which at the time of its release he claimed was his final studio effort -- appeared in the spring of 2000. The live record Days of Speed followed in 2001, and he released his sixth studio album, Illumination, in 2002. A collection of covers called Studio 150 appeared in 2004, followed by an all-new studio release, As Is Now, in October of 2005 on Yep Roc. Released in 2006, Catch-Flame! Live at the Alexandra Palace preceded Yep Roc’s mammoth Hit Parade box set. It was followed in 2008 by 22 Dreams, a two-disc studio epic that managed to touch on all of Weller’s myriad influences. His tenth solo album, Wake Up The Nation, was released in 2010 and it proved another success, earning a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. Weller's next album, Sonik Kicks, arrived in the spring of 2012. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-weller-mn0000029791/biography

The New Mastersounds

The New Mastersounds - 102% - 2007 - One Note Records

It won't take long -- maybe ten seconds into the first cut -- to know that the Meters are a primary influence on the U.K.'s New Mastersounds. The opening title track is such a ringer for "Cissy Strut" that you may check your CD sleeve to see if the discs weren't accidentally swapped. As the album unwinds, though, the all-instrumental quartet reveals more of its own identity: a sort of acid jazz mixed with crisp early-'70s funk grabbed from New Orleans' finest. Certainly drummer Simon Allen has been practicing to his Zigaboo Modeliste records, and it's his attack that principally drives the sound. The interplay between organ and Eddie Roberts' guitar carries the melody, but this band's motor is powered by its formidable rhythm section. Despite the Meters fixation, the New Mastersounds marry a somewhat retro approach with a contemporary spin that makes this fusion perfect for Austin Powers lovers. There is no denying that these guys bring the Southern funk, but the mix of their Brit jazz sensibilities and chops fine-tuned for maximum danceability spins the music in a unique direction. There's also more than a little Booker T. & the MG's here, especially in guitarist Roberts' sparse, choppy leads that echo those of Steve Cropper. What's most impressive, though, is how the band locks together. No member hogs the spotlight as these 14 tightly arranged zingers, most of them hovering just over three minutes, trim off the fatty jam tendencies that often sink similar combos by concentrating on compressed licks that kick out of the speakers with terse precision. The group shifts into pseudo psychedelics on the closing "Paranoid (Is It Any Wonder?)" as Roberts approximates a Cream-era Clapton-styled distortion that doesn't entirely resonate but at least shows a willingness to experiment and push boundaries. A few stabs at a lounge style also come up rather short, but the snappy funk is never more than a track away. Guest reedman Rob Lavers adds some old Crusaders-type horn work on a few songs, assisting a band that's already as in the pocket as they come. © Hal Horowitz © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/102-mr0001685730

The New Mastersounds are four chaps with some serious funk chops. Hailing from Leeds in the UK, they revel in the soulful music that has long been all the rage in Northern England. Having rightfully gained a reputation for out-Metering The Meters, their latest effort, 102% is another retro-fueled funkathon that sees the band expanding its range into previously unexplored territory. Of course, funk is still the bread and butter of this band, and 102% delivers a heavy diet of it. A serious groove is laid down in "33 (A Fine Year to Die)," with Bob Birch dropping in the perfect accents on his bubbling Hammond B-3. Pete Shand's nimble bassline locks in perfectly with Eddie Roberts’ greasy guitar to give "Give Me a Minute (Pt 2)" the nastiness it needs. And the title track delivers the killer Meters-like strut we’ve come to expect from The New Mastersounds. Similar sentiments are also echoed by the deep pocket of Return to Gijón which relies heavily upon Simon Allen’s pulsating backbeat to create an intoxicating rhythm that will have hips grinding and appendages flailing. Not content to stay stuck in the funk zone, 102% dips its toes into a couple of other related pools. On the prime soul jazz of "Carrot Juice," Roberts' ripping guitar would make Grant Green, Jr. blush, while Shand's nimble bass and Allen's superkinetic drums combine for a rock solid rhythm section. Toss in some hyperactive organ from Birch and you got yourself one of the best tracks on the album. The dance party continues with hip-shaking aplomb on Talk Is Cheap, a jazzy number that employs some excellent breakbeats and cool sax solos from guest Rob Lavers. Afrobeat filtered through a lens of Curtis Mayfield is on the docket as Hey Fela! pays tribute to Fela Kuti while sounding as if the tune belonged on the soundtrack to a 1970s blaxploitation film. The album concludes with two space-age, trippy numbers, L.A. Root Down (Dub Side of The Pier) and Paranoid (Is It Any Wonder?). The former is a chilled-out bopper that features Birch experimenting with off-kilter effects and figures on his Fender Rhodes, and the latter is an intense head-spinner that swirls with washes and plenty of weirdness. Most of the tracks on 102% are upbeat cuts with very danceable grooves, making this an excellent party album. Even the more experimental songs still have a familiar and addictive beat, and it’s on these numbers that The New Mastersounds set themselves apart from other bands. While many would be content to crank out discs full of mere retrofunk, The New Mastersounds are not interested in re-creating the past; rather they are taking vintage sounds and attitudes and merging them with modern ideas. The result is an addictive blend that has one foot in the past, one foot in the present, and both eyes on the future. © Brian Ferdman - Jambase.com - February 2007

Great heavy soul/acid jazz funk, with a retro psychedelic rock flavour from a great British soul funk band. Listen to TNM’ “Live at San Francisco” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 125 Mb]

TRACKS

1 102% 3:01
2 Witness 5:25
3 Carrot Juice 6:02
4 Thirty Three 3:15
5 Colorado Sun (Jesse's Backyard) 4:33
6 Give Me a Minute, Pt. 2 3:20
7 Rope-A-Dope 2:13
8 Hey Fela! 5:27
9 Bus Stop No. 5 3:16
10 Return to Gijón 3:21
11 Forgiveness 3:13
12 Talk Is Cheap 3:27
13 L.A. Root Down (Dub Side of the Pier) 2:50
14 Paranoid (Is It Any Wonder?) 6:09

All tracks composed by Bob Birch, Eddie Roberts, Pete Shand, and Simon Allen except “Give Me A Minute (Pt 2)” by Birch, Roberts, Shand, Allen, & C. Gutjahr, and “Witness” composed by Rodney Smith

MUSICIANS

Eddie Roberts – Guitar, Tambourine
Pete Shand - Bass Guitar
Bob Birch - Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes
Simon Allen - Drums
Rob Lavers - Saxophone, Flute
Richard Formby - Tape Effects

BIO

One of the cornerstone acts of the U.K. retro-soul scene, the New Mastersounds play taut old-school instrumental funk with a contemporary energy and enthusiasm that has earned them rave reviews and led them to collaborate with a number of major acts in Britain and the United States. the New Mastersounds were formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Roberts, who was DJ'ing at a weekly club night in Leeds devoted to classic soul and funk. When the event moved to a new venue that covered two floors, Roberts saw the opportunity to add a live band to the mix, and he recruited drummer Simon Allen, who had previously played with Roberts in a band called the Mastersounds. With the addition of Pete Shand on bass and Bob Birch on piano and organ, the new act was complete and in tribute to their old group, Roberts and Allen dubbed the combo the New Mastersounds. It didn't take long for word about the New Mastersounds to spread, and in 2000 they released a pair of 7" singles on Blow It Hard Records drawn from early rehearsal tapes. In 2001, they recorded their first full-length album, Keb Darge Presents: The New Mastersounds, which was issued on Darge's Deep Funk label; the album earned enthusiastic reviews and top DJs such as Cut Chemist, Pete Rock, and DJ Shadow sampled their grooves. Their second LP, 2003's Be Yourself, included guest vocals from Corinne Bailey Rae, and following a third studio set, 2005's This Is What We Do, the band documented the sound of its fabled live sets on 2006's Live at La Cova, recorded at a club gig in Spain. In 2006, the New Mastersounds briefly expanded to a five-piece with the addition of Rob Lavers on sax and flute (a number of guest horn players have recorded and toured with the group over the years), but he parted ways with them in 2007, the same year Bob Birch left the lineup, making way for new keyboard man Joe Tatton. As the New Mastersounds toured clubs and festivals around the world, they continued to attract new fans, including American funk legends Art Neville of the Neville Brothers, Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley of James Brown's J.B.'s, and George Porter Jr. of the Meters, all of whom have jammed with the combo on-stage. In 2008, they collaborated with vocalist Dionne Charles on the album Plug & Play, and in 2009 they celebrated their tenth anniversary with the appropriately titled Ten Years On, which included guest spots from Grace Potter, Chip Wickham, and Skerik. Having established a strong fan base in the U.K., Europe, and Japan, in 2011 the New Mastersounds began looking to the United States; during a stay in Texas they cut the album Breaks from the Border, which featured vocals from the group members for the first time. © Mark Deming © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-new-mastersounds-mn0000951908/biography

Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs - Memphis - 2013 - 429 Records

On Memphis, Boz Scaggs pays tribute to the city's magnificent soul tradition, Al Green, and producer Willie Mitchell and his Royal Recordings studio, whose location and personnel were used to cut it in three days. Produced by drummer Steve Jordan, the core band includes the singer and Ray Parker, Jr. on guitars, and bassist Willie Weeks, augmented by the Royal Horns & Strings, a small backing chorus, sidemen, and guests. Green's influence is celebrated in the opener, Scaggs' "Gone Baby Gone." Its wafting B-3, Rhodes, fluid electric guitars, and a tight backbeat underscore his baritone croon to excellent effect. If there were doubts about the quality of his voice at this juncture, they're immediately dispelled when his sweet falsetto emerges. In his cover of Green's "So Good to Be Here," Scaggs references him but digs deeper into his own trick bag with more rounded, earthier highlights. Then Scaggs begins to move the recording off the ledge a bit. His take on Willy DeVille's "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" reveals just how deep the late New York rocker's R&B roots really ran as a songwriter. He furthers that notion in covering Moon Martin's "Cadillac Walk," a tune that was a minor hit for DeVille. Scaggs lets raucous, electric roadhouse blues hold sway. These songs draw attention to an under-celebrated singer, songwriter, and performer. Scaggs has always loved the seam where roadhouse blues and R&B meet. The nasty readings of Jimmy Reed's "You Got Me Cryin'" and the Meters' "Dry Spell" attest to that. The latter features a scorching electric dobro solo by Keb' Mo'. Blues are reconstructed in the gorgeous version of "Corrina Corrina." While it is recorded somewhat nearer to its traditional folk origins, Spooner Oldham's Wurlitzer ghosts in from the margins and ushers it in from history to the present era. In Scaggs' smooth voice, the passage of time blurs; it stretches and ultimately ceases to matter. Motown gets the Royal Studios treatment in the glorious reading of Sylvia Robinson's "Love on a Two-Way Street," which features Funk Brother Jack Ashford on vibes. In a real twist, Steely Dan's "Pearl of the Quarter" proves a real set highlight, as early rock & roll, doo wop, Memphis soul, New Orleans R&B, and jazz all come flowing through the band's presentation and Lester Snell's string arrangement. They buoy Scaggs, whose trademark phrasing and emotional honesty offer immediacy and closeness. His own "Sunny Gone" closes it. His lower register is drenched in a meld of R&B, jazz, and his own classic pop balladry -- à la "Harbor Lights" -- carry his delivery which sends Memphis whispering off with a touch of melancholy elegance. This set is a stunner. Scaggs is in full possession of that iconic voice; he delivers songs with an endemic empathy and intimacy that make them sound like living, breathing stories. © Thom Jurek ©2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/memphis-mw0002484784

Many people only associate Boz Scaggs with his famous mid '70's disco soul funk classic album, "Silk Degrees" and his hits "Lowdown", "Lido Shuffle", and "What Can I Say", but the man has been around since the mid sixties, and recorded many great albums which always seem to be overshadowed by "Silk Degrees". “Memphis” is a really great soul album with funk, R&B, jazz and New Orleans influences and is as good as anything Boz has ever recorded. Only two of the twelve tracks are Boz Scaggs originals, but his covers of tracks like Willy DeVille’s “Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl”, Al Green’s “So Good To Be Here”, Tony Joe White’s “Rainy Night In Georgia”, and Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s “Pearl of the Quarter” are beautiful and inspirational. There is not a dud track on this album which is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Boz’s wonderful “Fade Into Light” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 110 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl - Willy DeVille 3:44
2 Gone Baby Gone - Boz Scaggs 3:35
3 So Good To Be Here - Michael Allen / Al Green 3:15
4 Cadillac Walk - Moon Martin 4:27
5 Rainy Night In Georgia - Tony Joe White 4:34
6 Love On a Two Way Street - BB Keyes / Sylvia Robinson 3:36
7 Pearl of the Quarter - Walter Becker / Donald Fagen 3:28
8 Corrina, Corrina - Traditional 3:45
9 Can I Change My Mind - Barry Despenza / Carl Wolfolk 4:19
10 Dry Spell - Jack "Applejack" Walroth 3:24
11 You Got Me Cryin - Ewart Abner / Jimmy Reed 4:55
12 Sunny Gone - Boz Scaggs 4:32

MUSICIANS

Boz Scaggs - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vocals, Background Vocals
Ray Parker Jr. - Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Rick Vito, Eddie Willis - Guitar
Willie Weeks - Electric & Upright Bass
David Hungate - Bass
Keb' Mo' - Slide Dobro
Jim Cox - Fender Rhodes, Organ, Piano, Wurlitzer Piano
Charles Hodges - Organ, Wurlitzer Piano
Spooner Oldham - Organ, Piano, Wurlitzer Piano
Lester Snell - Wurlitzer Piano, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Jack Ashford - Vibraphone
Charlie Musselwhite - Harmonica
Steve Jordan - Drums, Horn Arrangements, Percussion, String Arrangements, Background Vocals
Shannon Forrest - Drums
Lannie McMillan - Tenor Sax
Jim Horn - Baritone Sax
Ben Cauley - Trumpet
Jack Hale - Trombone
Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell - Horn, Percussion, Strings
Royal Horns - Horns
Barrie Cooper, Jessie Munson, Wen-Yih You - Violin
Beth Luscome, Jennifer Puckett - Viola
Jonathan Kirkscey, Mark Wallace - Cello
Royal Strings - Strings
Willie Mitchell - String Arrangements
Claytoven Richardson - Background Vocals
Monet Owens - Background Vocals, Spoken Word

BIO

After first finding acclaim as a member of the Steve Miller Band, singer/songwriter Boz Scaggs went on to enjoy considerable solo success in the 1970s. Born William Royce Scaggs in Ohio on June 8, 1944, he was raised in Oklahoma and Texas, and while attending prep school in Dallas met guitarist Steve Miller. Scaggs joined Miller's group the Marksmen as a vocalist in 1959, and the pair later attended the University of Wisconsin together, where they played in blues bands like the Ardells and the Fabulous Knight Trains. Scaggs returned to Dallas alone in 1963, fronting an R&B unit dubbed the Wigs; after relocating to England, the group promptly disbanded, and two of its members -- John Andrews and Bob Arthur -- soon formed Mother Earth. Scaggs remained in Europe, singing on street corners. He also recorded a failed solo LP in Sweden, 1965's Boz, before returning to the U.S. two years later. Upon settling in San Francisco, he reunited with Miller, joining the fledgling Steve Miller Band; after recording two acclaimed albums with the group, Children of the Future and Sailor, Scaggs exited in 1968 to mount a solo career. With the aid of Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner, Scaggs next secured a contract with Atlantic. Sporting a cameo from Duane Allman, 1968's soulful Boz Scaggs failed to find an audience despite winning critical favor, and the track "Loan Me a Dime" later became the subject of a court battle when bluesman Fenton Robinson sued (successfully) for composer credit. After signing to Columbia, Scaggs teamed with producer Glyn Johns to record 1971's Moments, a skillful blend of rock and R&B which, like its predecessor, failed to make much of an impression on the charts. Scaggs remained a critics' darling over the course of LPs like 1972's My Time and 1974's Slow Dancer, but he did not achieve a commercial breakthrough until 1976's Silk Degrees, which reached number two on the album charts while spawning the Top Three single "Lowdown," as well as the smash "Lido Shuffle." Released in 1977, Down Two Then Left was also a success, and 1980's Middle Man reached the Top Ten on the strength of the singles "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jo Jo." However, Scaggs spent much of the '80s in retirement, owning and operating the San Francisco nightclub Slim's and limiting his performances primarily to the club's annual black-tie New Year's Eve concerts. Finally, he resurfaced in 1988 with the album Other Roads, followed three years later by a tour with Donald Fagen's Rock and Soul Revue. The solo effort Some Change appeared in 1994, with Come on Home and My Time: The Anthology (1969-1997) both released in 1997. The newly energized Scaggs spent the next few years consistently releasing new material, including Here's the Low Down, Fade Into Light, Dig, and a collection of standards called But Beautiful. An expanded reissue of Silk Degrees and Runnin' Blue (a recording of a 1974 performance) appeared in 2007, and Speak Low saw him reinterpreting a number of jazz standards in 2008. Scaggs toured as a member of the Dukes of September in 2012; the group's other principals included Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen. Scaggs emerged from his recorded silence in March of 2013 with the Steve Jordan-produced Memphis, a collection of original and cover tunes. Recorded at Willie Mitchell's Royal Studio in the city, the album was meant to reflect the heritage of the Southern soul tradition in the 21st century. © Jason Ankeny © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/boz-scaggs-mn0000096964

Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald ‎- Soul Speak - 2008 - Universal

What's left for Michael McDonald after two albums of Motown covers? Plenty of soul standards that weren't recorded for Motown, plus several other songs that are "soulful" but not strictly soul, and that's just what he offers on Soul Speak, his 2008 sequel to his Motown sequel, 2004's Motown Two. Soul Speak shares the same basic sound and feel as the two Motown records -- it's all sleek, glassy grooves powered by pros -- and if it lacks the hint of looseness that made Two a superior record to its big brother, that's because Soul Speak isn't designed to be a party record like the Motown albums. As the covers of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" suggest, Soul Speak is a bit moodier and more contemplative than either of its Motown cousins, but that's a relative term: there are still plenty of sprightly, classy pop-soul grooves here, nice versions of "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" and Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" and "For Once In My Life" that keep Soul Speak moving. But where these brightly elegant grooves dominated on the Motown albums, they're used for coloring here, shading the covers of Cohen, Marley, and Van Morrison ("Into the Mystic") and three solid new originals from McDonald ("Only God Can Help Me Now," "Enemy Within," "Still Not Over You (Getting Over Me)"). Despite the soul in the title, this album recalls the warm soft rock that was his specialty in the early '80s as much as it does his recent soul, particularly because it does rely a little bit more on soft ballads (such as the excellent closer of the standard "You Don't Know Me"), and that is not a bad thing at all. Indeed, it could be argued that of his albums of the new millennium, Soul Speak comes the closest to capturing the sound and feel of Michael McDonald at his peak, all without ever sounding like a conscious re-creation of that time. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-speak-mw0000503861

Beautiful blue eyed soul from one of the greatest soul vocalists on the planet, and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Mike's "If That's What It Takes" album [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 110 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - Dennis W. Morgan, Simon Crispin Climie 4:03
2 Living For The City - Stevie Wonder 4:59
3 Love T.K.O. - Cecil Womack, Gip Noble Jr., Linda Womack 4:59
4 Walk On By - Burt Bacharach, Hal David 2:47
5 Still Not Over You (Getting Over Me) - Dennis Morgan, Michael McDonald, Simon Climie 3:57
6 For Once In My Life - Orlando Murden, Ronald Norman Miller 3:40
7 Into The Mystic - Van Morrison 4:11
8 Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen 4:59
9 Enemy Within - Michael McDonald, Simon Climie 4:05
10 (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher - Carl William Smith, Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner 3:02
11 Only God Can Help Me Now - Michael McDonald 5:00
12 Baby Can I Change My Mind - Barry Despenza, Carl Wolfolk 3:43
13 Redemption Song - Bob Marley 3:56
14 You Don't Know Me - Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold 3:11

MUSICIANS

Michael McDonald - Keyboards on Tracks 4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,14, Piano on Tracks 1,8, Guitar on Track 7, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals on Tracks 3,4
Michael Thompson - Guitar on Tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,10,11,12,13,14, Sitar on Track 5
Doyle Bramhall II - Guitar on Tracks 1,7,8,9,10,12
Nathan East - Bass Guitar
Toby Baker - Keyboards on Tracks 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13,14, Synthesizer on Track 3, Synth. Programming on Track 4
Tim Carmen - Organ, Piano on Track 10
Abe Laboriel Jr. - Drums on Tracks 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12,13,14, Nicky Shaw on Tracks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14, Vinnie Colaiuta on Tracks 7,9
Nicky Shaw - Percussion on Tracks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14
The Kick Horns - Brass on Tracks 6, 7, 10
Tim Lauer - Accordion on Track 7
Stevie Wonder - Harmonica on Track 6
Nick Ingman - String Arrangements on Tracks 3,6
Isobel Griffiths - Orchestra Contractor
Backing Vocals – Audrey Martells on Tracks: 4,5,11, Calvin Nowell on Tracks 3,6, Debi Selby on Track 3, Denise Allen on Tracks 3,6, Drea Rhenee on Tracks 1,2,3,5,6,10,13), Michelle John on Tracks 1,2,5,6,10,12,13, Out For Souls Choir on Tracks 1,2,5,10, Rachel Oteh on Tracks 1,2,10,13, Rian Peters on Track 6, Sharon White on Tracks 1,2,5,6,10,12,13

BIO

With his husky, soulful baritone, Michael McDonald became one of the most distinctive and popular vocalists to emerge from the laid-back California pop/rock scene of the late '70s. McDonald found the middle ground between blue-eyed soul and smooth soft rock, a sound that made him a star. He initially essayed his signature style with the Doobie Brothers, ushering in the group's most popular period with hits like "What a Fool Believes" and "Taking It to the Streets." McDonald disbanded the group in 1982 to pursue a solo career, which was initially quite successful, but by the end of the decade his popularity had faded away, since he was reluctant to work regularly and hesitant to update his sound to suit shifting popular tastes. After singing backup on several Steely Dan albums in the mid-'70s, Michael McDonald joined the Doobie Brothers in 1977. He was largely responsible for moving the group away from boogie rock and toward polished, jazzy blue-eyed soul. Prior to the Doobies' farewell tour in 1982, he sang harmony on several hit singles, including tracks by Donna Summer, Toto, Kenny Loggins, and Christopher Cross. As it turned out, McDonald's solo work was a cross between the Doobie Brothers' white-bread soul and Cross' adult contemporary ballads. McDonald released his solo debut, If That's What It Takes, in 1982. The record climbed to number six on the strength of the number four single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)," which also crossed over into the R&B Top Ten. In 1983, he had another Top 20 pop hit (and a Top Ten R&B hit) with his duet with James Ingram, "Yah Mo B There." McDonald didn't deliver his second solo album, No Lookin' Back, until 1985. The record wasn't as successful as its predecessor, producing only one moderate hit in its title track. He bounced back the following year, when his duet with Patti LaBelle, "On My Own," shot to number one and "Sweet Freedom," his theme for the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines comedy Running Scared, climbed into the Top Ten. Instead of capitalizing on his revitalized success, McDonald didn't release another album until 1990. The resulting Take It to Heart was a bomb, peaking at number 110. Two years later, his fortunes were revived somewhat when he sang on Aretha Franklin's minor hit "Ever Changing Times" and toured with Donald Fagen's New York Rock and Soul Revue. The following year, he released Blink of an Eye, which was ignored. In 1994, "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" was sampled heavily in Warren G's smash hit "Regulate." By 1996, McDonald had returned to the Doobie Brothers, touring the oldies circuit with the reunited group. The following year, McDonald released Blue Obsession, his first album of new material in three years. He released a Christmas album (In the Spirit: A Christmas Album) in 2001, and began a series of recordings devoted to the Motown catalog with 2003's Motown. Motown Two and Soul Speak followed in 2004 and 2008 respectively. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-mcdonald-mn0000459616

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - Live Tros Muziek Cafe, Amsterdam (11.7.09) - 2009 - nolabel

A great Dutch FM radio broadcast, presented by Bert Haandrikman on 11/7/09 from Tros Muziek Cafe, Amsterdam, and featuring the great British soul singer, Paul Carrack, singing nine of his best known songs. More band info would be greatly appreciated. Search this blog for more Paul Carrack and Ace releases.

TRACKS

1 How Long
2 Tempted
3 It ain't easy to love Somebody
4 Eyes of Blue
5 Satisfy My Soul
6 Just for Tonight
7 Love thicker than Water
8 No doubt about It
9 Over my Shoulder
10 Interview 1
11 Interview 2

A little album info -

Chris Garfield - Guitar
Paul Copley - Lead Vocals on "Love thicker than Water"

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - I Know That Name - 2008 - Absolute

Surely, the very words I Know That Name have been uttered about Paul Carrack on more than one occasion, just as the words "I Know That Voice" have been said about this blue-eyed soul singer, who was the lead on hits for Ace, Squeeze and Mike & The Mechanics. There's a friendly familiarity to the title of this, his twelfth proper studio album, that carries over to the very sound of the album, a sound that's as soft and comfortable as a well-worn robe. The newest wrinkle for Carrack here is a slight emphasis on elastic reggae grooves, congregated toward the back stretch of the album, but other than that I Know That Name glides by on a mellow, soulful groove that never gets too heated, nor does it ever get too cool. It''s easy-rolling and even-handed, offering no surprises but plenty of comfort if you've ever been a fan of any of Carrack's work over the years. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

Good album from Paul Carrack. His name may be unfaniliar to many, but his great soulful voice is one of the most recognizable voices in the rock business. He has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well. His distinctive voice shows up on some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits, two of the most memorable being "How Long" with Ace, and "Tempted" with Squeeze. "I Know That Name" is not Paul's strongest album, but as usual, his great voice strengthens some of the weaker songs. Arguably, the reggae influenced tracks here are not really suited to Paul's soulful voice, but leaving that aspect side, the album is well worth hearing. Paul's best solo album is probably "It Ain't Over". If you want to hear the best of Paul Carrack's voice, and songwriting talents, that is the album to buy. Paul's "Satisfy My Soul" album can be found @ PCK/SMS and check out Ace's "Five-A-Side" album @ ACE/5AS For music in the same vein, listen to Michael McDonald's classic "If That's What It Takes" album, and Daryl Hall and John Oates' (Hall & Oates) outstanding "Voices" album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City - Walsh, Dan/Price, Michael
2 I Don't Want To Hear Anymore
3 It Ain't Easy (To Love Somebody)
4 No Doubt About It
5 I Don't Want Your (I Need Your Love)
6 Stay Awake (I'm Coming Home) - Carrack, Paul/Difford, Chris
7 Just 4 Tonite
8 Love is Thicker Than Water - Carrack, Paul/Difford, Chris
9 If I Didn't Love You
10 Who Am I?
11 Eyes of Blue
12 Am I In That Dream? - Carrack, Paul/Difford, Chris

All songs composed by Paul Carrack, except where stated

MUSICIANS

Paul Carrack (vocals, various instruments)
J.T. Corenflos (guitar)
Craig Young (bass guitar)
Mike Rojas (Clavinet, Hammond b-3 organ)
Brian Pruitt (drums)
Steve Beighton (saxophone)
Ed Collins (trumpet)
Don Henley/Timothy B. Schmit (vocals on Track 2)

BIO

Paul Carrack was pop music's ultimate journeyman. A vocalist and keyboardist who enjoyed considerable success over the course of his lengthy career while in the service of bands ranging from Ace to Squeeze to Mike + the Mechanics, his finest work often came at the expense of his own identity as a performer; indeed, of the many big hits on which the unassuming singer was prominently featured, only one, 1987's "Don't Shed a Tear," bore his own name. Carrack was born April 22, 1951, in Sheffield, England; he joined the pub rock group Ace in 1972, eventually writing and singing their debut single, "How Long." After reaching the Top 20 in the group's native Britain, the record hit the number-three position in the U.S.; however, after subsequent material failed to match the success of "How Long," Ace disbanded in 1977, and Carrack signed on with country artist Frankie Miller. He soon resurfaced in Roxy Music, appearing on the LPs Manifesto and Flesh and Blood before releasing his solo debut, Nightbird, in 1980. Carrack next joined Squeeze, replacing keyboardist Jools Holland; in addition to contributing to the group's 1981 creative pinnacle East Side Story, he also assumed lead vocal duties on the single "Tempted," their best-remembered hit. However, Carrack's stay in Squeeze was brief, and after working with Nick Lowe he again attempted to forge a solo career with the 1982 LP Suburban Voodoo, cracking the U.S. Top 40 with the single "I Need You." A tenure as a sideman with Eric Clapton followed, and in 1985 he joined Genesis' Mike Rutherford in his side project Mike + the Mechanics. Their hits include "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle." While remaining a rather anonymous figure at home, Carrack achieved a higher level of visibility in America as a result of Mike + the Mechanics' success; subsequently, his third solo album, One Good Reason, proved to be by far his most popular effort to date, with the single "Don't Shed a Tear" reaching the Top Ten. Another tenure with the Mechanics followed, and with the title track of 1988's The Living Years, the group scored their first number-one hit. After the 1989 Carrack solo LP Groove Approved, Mike + the Mechanics issued 1991's Word of Mouth, which failed to repeat the chart performance of its predecessors; by 1993, Carrack was again a member of Squeeze, appearing on the album Some Fantastic Place and also resuming lead chores for a re-recording of "Tempted." However, he was once again back in the Mechanics' fold for 1995's Beggar on a Beach of Gold; the solo Blue Views was issued the next year, followed in 1997 by Beautiful World. Satisfy My Soul was issued in 2000, his first album for Compass Records. © Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

MORE ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

After years spent bringing a little soul to artists as diverse as Mike & The Mechanics, Nick Lowe, and Squeeze, singer's singer Paul Carrack makes his most persuasive play so far with the release of his stunning new album Satisfy My Soul. Recorded with minimal outside assistance at his Hertfordshire home studio, the album represents a quantum leap beyond Paul's previous work, showcasing his songwriting abilities and allowing his natural soul qualities to shine through with a new clarity and power. In the past, he's often tended to let others mould and direct his considerable talents, but Satisfy My Soul serves to re-establish Paul Carrack as a major solo artist, with both the vision and the capabilities to take control of his own career, and the musical instinct to know which direction it should take. A lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by this latest chapter in the life of one of pop music's most distinctive voices. Paul was first bitten by the music bug as a small child back in his native Sheffield, where he would bash away at a home-made drumkit up in his parents' attic, playing along with an old wind-up gramophone. By the time he reached his teens, the Mersey Boom was in full swing, and the young Carrack proceeded to swindle his way into a series of local bands, learning to play the organ and following the gig circuit to Germany, where he underwent the obligatory Hamburg nightclub baptism, as pioneered by such as The Beatles. In the early '70s, his progressive rock outfit Warm Dust released a few albums, but it was only when his pub-rock band Ace had a huge global hit with his song How Long that Paul's career really started to take off. Immediately, the band was catapulted from the British college circuit into huge American arenas, as How Long soared into the US singles chart, eventually reaching #1. When Ace broke up toward the end of the '70s, Paul found himself wrong-footed by the punk-rock boom, but secured some session work, playing on albums by Frankie Miller and Roxy Music, and touring with Roxy, an experience which gave him a taste for the big time. Paul's 1980 solo debut, Nightbird, failed to establish him as an artist in his own right, so he continued playing sessions, biding his time, and honing his talents as a musician and songwriter. As the '80s proceeded, Paul reached a rapprochement with the new-wave scene, playing on albums by The Undertones, The Smiths, and The Pretenders, and joining Squeeze for their masterwork East Side Story, helping redefine the group's profile with his soulful vocal on the hit single Tempted. After leaving Squeeze, obstensibly to pursue a solo career, he hooked up with Nick Lowe, an association which, though resolutely out of step with public taste and radio formats, would nevertheless generate five albums for Lowe and another for Paul, 1982's Suburban Voodoo. Though largely ignored in the UK, the album was a critical success in the US, where it was cited as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 20 Albums of the Year. I Need You, a Carrack composition lifted from the album, provided him with another US Top 40 hit, and was subsequently covered by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville. The biggest break in Carrack's career came in 1985 when he was invited to contribute vocals to a solo album being recorded by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. Despite the apparent differences in their musical styles, the very first track Paul sang on, Silent Running, became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Encouraged by such instant success, Mike & The Mechanics developed into more of a group, touring America extensively and securing a string of hit albums and singles over the next decade. Before they could produce a follow-up album, however, Paul found time to sing and play on Roger Waters' Radio KAOS album and record another solo album of his own, 1987's One Good Reason, scoring another couple of hits through the title track and Don't Shed a Tear, which again broke into the US Top Ten, staying on Billboard's Hot 100 for nearly half a year. Even better was to come when Mike & The Mechanics resumed recording. Sung by Paul, the title-track of their second LP The Living Years was a huge worldwide hit, peaking at number one in America, and hoisting the band to megastar status. Further touring was followed by another Carrack solo album, 1989's Groove Approved, whose standout track - the Motown-flavoured Carrack / Lowe composition Battlefield - was later covered by Diana Ross. The following year, Paul was co-opted to perform at Roger Waters' grandiose presentation of The Wall in Berlin, where he sang Hey You in front of over 250,000 people. A third Mike & The Mechanics album, 1991's Word of Mouth, saw Carrack's creative input increasing, with four songwriting credits; and also donated a performance of Ain't That Peculiar recorded with Paul Shaffer's house band on Late Night with David Letterman to Nobody's Child, a charity album for Romanian orphans. Between tours again, in 1993 Paul busied himself with Spin 1ne 2wo, a classic rock covers collaboration with Rupert Hine, Tony Levin, and Steve Ferrone, and rejoined Squeeze for their Some Fantastic Place album. The next year was spent touring the world with Squeeze, working on an ultimately abortive band project with Don Felder, Timothy Schmidt, and Joe Walsh of The Eagles (which nevertheless garnered Paul an award for the most played song in America that year, when the reformed Eagles covered Love Will Keep us Alive, a song he co-wrote with Peter Vale and Jim Capaldi), and recording another Mike & The Mechanics album, Beggar on A Beach of Gold. This contained another couple of Carrack co-compositions, including his collaboration with Mike Rutherford, the hit single Over my Shoulder, which revived the band's flagging fortunes in the UK and Europe, paving the way for a subsequent Greatest Hits compilation. Paul's fifth solo album, Blue Views, appeared in 1995, and despite problems occasioned by the collapse of the record label, it was still highly successful in Europe, earning him a gold disc in Spain. When it was finally released a couple of years later in America on another label, the single For Once in Our Lives became a Top Five hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, cementing Carrack's growing reputation as a singer-songwriter of class and distinction. He was also developing a parallel reputation as an able and accomplished sideman to the stars, playing keyboards on albums by Eric Clapton, BB King, Simply Red, Mark Knopfler and Elton John, and being invited by Elton to play on Something About the Way You Look Tonight, which, as the B-side of "Candle in the Wind '97," is officially the biggest-selling single ever. Unfortunately, a management change at EMI resulted in his next album, Beautiful World failing to get the promotional push it deserved, and a bitterly dissillusioned Paul elected to take matters more into his own hands. After years spent biding his time, contributing to other musicians' projects and allowing outside producers to impose their designs on his material, it was a long overdue move, and one which reflected Paul's growing belief in himself as a singer-songwriter. Accordingly, he recorded his new album, "Satisfy My Soul" at his home studio, relying on his own musical instincts and playing everything himself, with the exception of the sax parts (which are by Steve Beighton), some backing vocals (by Lindsay Dracass) and some of the drum parts (by Ian Thomas or Paul's old chum Andy Newmark, the former Sly & The Family Stone sticksman.) Steeped in the classic and funk sounds of the '60s and '70s, but with an ear firmly trained on the future, Satisfy My Soul is clearly a labour of love, and features some of Carrack's most accomplished songwriting, with three tracks being co-written by Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford. Carrack's journey to make a record that truly does satisfy his soul has come full circle. "I've been doing this a long time, and I've often made it quite difficult for myself, one way or another, but I'm at the point now where I just want to enjoy my musicality, and I have the technical resources and the stability to be able to follow my instincts more confidently. Alot of the time, I've gone against my own instincts, but I'm not fighting them any more, I'm doing what comes naturally now. I'll be happy just to reach the people who already like what I do, but who knows, by making a more personal record, I might reach more people anyway." Satisfy My Soul brings Carrack to Compass Records, also the American home to other British popsters Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Clive Gregson. © 2003-2008 Compass Records. All Rights Reserved