|
|
 |
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Musical
Profile Index
Welcome to our summary page of musical artists that
we profile. This is our high level snapshot. Many of the bands
mentioned on the page we have more detailed profiles, which include
topics ranging from reviews, commentary, discography, cd recommendations,
photos, and related subjects.
We're always adding new recommendations so stop
back frequently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band
overviews
The Band |[ Michael Bloomfield ] [ David Bowie ] [ Boris Garcia ] [ Roy Buchanan ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Original Bad Company
Anthology |
Paul Rodgers: Live in Glasgow
DVD |
| Bad
Company hit the pavement running fast with a stunning debut.
They are not a legendary band, but they have plenty of
excellent material. Notably their
self-titled
debut and Straight
Shooter albums.
Their double disc compilation, Original Bad Company
Anthology, release includes all one
would need in a Bad Company collection. It even includes a
handful of key outtakes that are not available elsewhere.
The Paul Rodgers DVD includes his band performing
a number of classic Bad Company songs, along with other material
including the Free hit "All Right Now."
|
|
|
|
|
Hard Rock Live
CD/DVD |
Blue-Ray |
Product Description
Live reunion tour concert from Bad Company, featuring Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke & Mick
Ralphs performing a one night only sold-out show at The Hard Rock Live in Hollywood,
Florida on August 8, 2008.
Featuring 17 hit songs:
Bad Company, Honeychild, Sweet Lil'
Sister, Burnin' Sky, Gone Gone Gone, Pack, Live For The Music, Seagull, Feel Like
Makin', Movin' On, Simple Man, Rock Steady, Shooting Star, Can't Get Enough, R & R
Fantasy, Ready 4 Love, Good Lovin' Gone Bad. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Band Greatest Hits |
A Musical History
|
|
The Band
has lots of excellent material. I recommend not only the
studio versions, but their live albums as supplements. In both
cases, be sure to get the remastered material from 2000 and 2001. There are some older compilations, but they may
not sound as good as the remastered releases that we've noted. I
have To Kingdom Come and the sonics are noticeably inferior.
1. Studio choices can be accomplished
through either a greatest hits, their box set, A Musical History,
or the CD's themselves.
The Band's Greatest Hits is an
excellent low price introduction to their studio
material. The box-set A
Musical History is an excellent package. There is a singe
disc and two disc CD/DVD excerpt available of The
Musical History.
2. Live essentials - Both Rock
of Ages, with the horn supplements, and The
Last Waltz, featuring the legendary guest performances
are excellent and essential.
3. With Bob Dylan - If you are a fan of Bob Dylan, you may want to pick up one
or all of the Bob Dylan live
or studio albums
where The Band back him. There's very little
overlap.
Our favorite songs: "Rag Mama Rag," "Up on Cripple Creek,"
"The Night
They Drove Old Dixie Down," "The Weight," and the
cover "Don't Do It."
The Band vary the singers. I like sound of Rick
Danko's voice best, but Levon sings my favorite songs.
Additional content about The Band
The Band Profile
Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, and The Band
Videos
|
|
|
| The Band
live
There are basically four ways to hear
The Band live.
1. With guests - The Last Waltz - In our view,
the best performance and sound quality of any live
release.
2. Backing Bob Dylan - See the Bob Dylan and The Band
section.
3. Rock of Ages - Double disc with horns on about
a dozen songs, Dylan on four - Rock of Ages for Dec 28 - 31,
1971. Digital re-master 24 bit.
4. Just The Band. Surprising with all of The Band live
releases, there isn't a solid release of, just them.
There are large portions on The Last Waltz, Rock of Ages,
and Before the Flood, and a good compliment to
those is Live at Watkins Glen.
The Last Waltz has stunning
sound. You can't go wrong with the DVD, two disc audio,
or four disc box set audio. |
| DVD |
Blu-Ray |
Audio |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Dylan with
The Band - Below are the main releases with Bob Dylan
and The Band. Further, there are tidbits throughout the
releases. There is a summarization of a large chunk in
our overview
of The Band.
Compile the six songs from The Last
Waltz (1976), the four from Rock of Ages (1971),
and the four from Dylan's Self-Portrait (1969), and
you'd have a pretty good companion to Before the Flood
(1974) and Bob Dylan Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (1966).
Before the Flood - Solo Bob
Dylan, electric Dylan with The Band, and as well as The
Band plating their own hits.
Bob Dylan Bootleg Series Vol. 4
- Solo Bob Dylan, and electric Dylan with The Band.
Planet Waves - Dylan studio
album with The Band backing him.
The Basement Tapes - The Dylan songs were recorded in Woodstock, New York in 1967. These are supplemented by compositions by The Band recorded between 1967 and 1975.
|
Before The Flood
('74 ) |
Bob Dylan Bootleg Series Vol. 4 ('66) |
Planet Waves |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rock of Ages - Double disc with horns
on about a dozen songs, Dylan on four - Rock of Ages for Dec 28 - 31,
1971. Digital re-master 24 bit.
Regarding Live at Watkins Glen; it
emphasizes lesser known songs rather than all of the
hits. Watkins is also rumored to use two studio tracks
from the Moondog Matinee reissue, "Back to
Memphis" and "Endless Highway," and some
of the release is from the sound check. The sonics of Watkins are
moderate.
|
Rock of Ages
1971 |
Live at Watkins Glen
1973 |
Book |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The first two Band
albums are classics, and the third is no slouch. Their
second album is by far my favorite. |
Music From the Big Pink
1968 |
The Band (The Brown album)
1969 |
Stage Fright
1970 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cahoots
1971 |
Moondog Matinee
1973 |
Northern Lights-Southern Cross
1975 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| I added a few
Ronnie Hawkins choices. The twofer Mojo Man/Arkansas Rockpile
offers the largest dose Ronnie and The Hawks with
The Band as the backing unit.
For fans of Hank Williams, Levon plans
drums with some of the great Nashville Session
musicians on Sings the Songs of Hank Williams.
Ronnie Hawkins (vocals), Harold Bradley (guitar), Hank Garland (guitar), Floyd Cramer (piano), Owen Bradley (piano), Bob Moore (bass), Levon Helm (drums), Anita Kerr Singers (chorus). |
Islands
1977 |
Mojo Man/Arkansas Rockpile |
Mr. Dynamo / Sings the Songs of Hank Williams |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Beatles Stereo Box Set |
The Beatles 1 |
| In Sept. 2009, the
Beatles albums are being re-issued in remastered format.
The
Beatles Stereo Box Set
Product
Description
*CDs packaged in three panel digi-pak with digital mini documentaries
* Remastered by Guy Massey, Steve
Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee
All 13 Studio remasters plus
Past Masters (digi packaging with digital mini documentaries)
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles
Yellow Submarine
Abbey Road
Let It Be
- and
Past Masters
DVD of all 13 mini-documentaries
(Running time: 40 minutes)
The Beatles 1 is a economical way to pick up a 27 great Beatles songs. |
|
|
| We tend
to be more of a latter era Beatles fan. Our three favorites
releases are: |
| The Beatles (The White Album) |
Abbey Road |
Let It Be
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Beatles Anthology |
| Anthology 1 |
Anthology 2 |
Anthology 3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Best of Beck |
Truth |
|
Jeff Beck is clearly a brilliant guitarist; starting out emphasizing
the
blues and moving to instrumental rock fusion.
Jeff Beck offers a good one disc
compilation that highlights his solo career. The song
selection can not be faulted, but the poor non-chronological
sequence should be criminal. The live version of "Blue
Wind" lacks some fidelity and the studio version would
have been the wiser choice.
Beck's more expansive three disc box set, Beckology,
has lots of
early material dating back to the Yardbirds and
even earlier.
In October 2006, The Jeff Beck's
first two solo albums were reissued w/ bonus tracks - Truth
, Beck-Ola.
This
classic line-up included Rod Stewart, Nicky Hopkins, Ron Wood,
within the personnel. I recently listened to Beck-Ola.
I was expecting a little better sound, but the music is good,
especially if you like Beck's guitar playing. While I enjoy
this music a great deal, it is a Jeff Beck purchase. Also
check out Rod Stewart with the The Faces and his
early
career, Ron Wood is in The
Faces and The Rolling Stones, and Nicky Hopkins
with The Rolling Stones. Liner notes by Charles
Shaar Murray include interview excerpts with Beck, credits,
and photos.
|
|
|
|
Beckology |
Five album
package |
Additional Jeff Beck content
Rock: Guitar and
piano
Instrumental
Below we've referenced the Performing This Week: Live at Ronnie Scott's.
In 2007 Jeff Beck performed a series of concerts at the renowned Ronnie Scott's club in London.
I had an opportunity to watch it. The recording quality is
awesome, a nice selection of material, Clapton joins him for
the encore. I really enjoyed the instrumental take of the
Beatles classic "A Day in the Life." |
|
|
| Audio |
Standard
DVD |
Blu-Ray |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The classic
early instrumental Jeff Beck releases |
| Blow By Blow |
Wired |
Three Pack |
|
|
|
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
|
Ultimate Chuck Berry |
Blues |
|
Chuck Berry is often credited as the father of
Rock 'n Roll. In many ways he bridged the gap between blues
and rock. He had some of the best blues musicians backing him
on his records including Willie Dixon on bass, Johnny Johnson, and Otis Spann
on piano, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, and Hubert Sumlin
on guitar among others. We think the best way to collect Chuck Berry
is through one of his compilations. They have been so
many that you can become dizzy considering your options. In
2007 there was a release entitled, Ultimate Chuck Berry, 56
songs. It runs neck and neck with Gold 50, songs,
offering the best value. I like Ultimate better because
it has the Christmas songs, "Merry Christmas Baby," and
"Run Rudolph Run," which are on the box set, but seem to
be left off of all of the other compilations. Note: Gold has the same
songs as the Chess release Anthology, but is less
expensive. Below we listed a single, double and triple
disc release.
Additional Chuck Berry content
Rock: Guitar and
piano
|
|
|
| The Definitive Collection |
Gold |
The Chess Box: Chuck Berry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny B. Goode: His Complete '50s Chess Recordings
1955 to 1959 |
You Never Can Tell: The Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966 |
Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band
overviews
The Band |[ Michael Bloomfield ] [ David Bowie ] [ Boris Garcia ] [ Roy Buchanan ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Very Best of Dickey Betts: 1973-1988 Bougainvilleas Call |
Great Southern / Atlanta Burning |
Great Southern / Atlanta Burning
Product Description
Digitally remastered two-fer containing a pair of albums from the Southern Rock legend on one disc: Dickey Betts & Great Southern (1977) and Atlanta's Burning Down (1978). With the revived interest is all things "Southern" and the fast expanding "Jam Band" scene this timely re-issue illustrates what a superb guitarist Betts is. He has just announced that he has retired from the road after all these years and these two albums remain fine testament to the mans outstanding guitar skills. 15 tracks.
Great Southern Track List
1. Out To Get Me
2. Run Gypsy Run
3. Sweet Virginia
4. The Way Love Goes
5. Nothing You Can Do
6. California Blues
7. Bougainvillea
Atlanta Burning Track List
1. Good Time Feeling
2. Atlanta's Burning Down
3. Leavin' Me Again
4. Back On The Road Again
5. Dealin' With The Devil
6. Shady Streets
7. You Can Have Her (I Don't Want Her)
8. Mr. Blues Man
Allman
Brothers Band Overview
|
|
|
Rockpalast: 30 Years of Southern Rock
|
Rockpalast: 30 Years of Southern Rock
DVD |
Rockpalast: 30 Years of Southern Rock
CD |
DVD Product Description
Rockpalast 1978: (Filmed March 4, 1978) The line-up:
Dickey Betts - guitar/vocals
Dan Toler - guitar
Michael Workman - Keyboards
David Godflies - Bass
David Toler - Drums/percussion
Dani Sharbono - Drums/percussion
Rockpalast 1978 the song set:
1.Rockpalast Caption
2.Run Gypsy Run
3.You Can Have Her/Leavin' Me Again
4.You Can Have Her
5.Back on the Road
6.In Memory of Elisabeth Reed
7.Good Time Feelin'
8.Dealin' With The Devil
9.Jessica
10.High Falls (includes Drum Solo)
11.Ramblin' Man
Rockpalast 2008 (Filmed July 19, 2008) The Line-up Consists of the Following:
Dickey Betts - guitar, lead vocals
Duane Betts (Dickey's son) - guitar
Frankie Lombardi - Drums, backing vocals
Michael Kach - Organ, lead vocals
Pedro Arevalo - bass
James Vanardo - Drums
Andy Aledort - guitar
Rockpalast Concert 2008: The song set is as follows:
1.Statesboro Blues
2.Nothing You Can Do
3.Blue Sky
4.Get Away
5.One Way Out
6.Jessica
7.Havin' A Good Time
8.In Memory of Elisabeth Reed
9.No One to Run With
10.Ramblin' Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Symptom of the
Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978 |
The Dio
Years |
|
Black Sabbath borders on the
edge of hard rock and heavy metal.
Black Sabbath's album Paranoid is one the
best albums in this genre. Any album that includes three
classics, "War Pigs," "Paranoid," and "Iron
Man" deserves high ranks. In addition, most of the album is
strong hitting elements of blues, jazz, and even psychedelic
inferences.
For a casual fan, Black Sabbath's two-disc
compilation Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black
Sabbath 1970-1978 is a superb choice.
Additional Black Sabbath content
Hard Rock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blind Faith |
Deluxe
edition |
|
Eric Clapton short lived pairing with Steve
Winwood in the super group Blind Faith has some great moments
mixed in with good material.
Clapton's long career has so many different facets,
and we would rank the Blind Faith stint as average,
compared to what he recorded throughout his career. When we reach for Eric Clapton it is seldom
to hear Blind Faith. For many listeners, if you have a few
songs from a collection that is satisfactory. Picking up
Clapton's box set Crossroads includes plenty of material from
this period.
Blind Faith:
Deluxe is a two disc collection that
includes the
remastered original album
loads of extra songs and jam sessions, for the serious
collector.
|
|
|
 
|
Live from Madison Square Garden
|
London Hyde Park 1969 by Blind Faith (DVD - 2006)
|
|
See also our Eric
Clapton section for the re-union tour featuring Clapton and
Winwood, a 2009 release of their 2008 performances tour is available in both audio and
video.
Additional Blind Faith content
Eric Clapton profile
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Once More into the Bliss |
Mother's
Finest |
| Once
More Into Bliss, is Boris Garcia's third release and a great introduction to
these hot Philadelphia based musicians.
Reviewing Once More Into Bliss was the first I heard Boris Garcia. Not being
familiar with the voices and their style, it takes a bit to get used the
sound before an accurate review can be made. In these cases,
sometimes the music
isn't to my liking and turns out to be a waste of time, other times some new great
sounds are discovered. So which of those camps does the
Boris Garcia's third release, Once More Into Bliss, fall
into? ...review
continues here
Additional
Boris content
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Live
Adventures Of Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper
|
Fillmore
East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68 |
| Michael
Bloomfield's short life from 1943 - 1981 left behind some
outstanding treasures of music, primarily blues. Much of the material
is under other artists name such as his work in Paul Butterfield's band,
his formation of The Electric Flag, or the truly essential albums,
Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, and Muddy Waters' Fathers and
Sons. If you prefer the longer jams his work with Al Kooper is
the place to look, whether with the studio Super Sessions or
a live selection....
Additional Michael
Bloomfield content
|
|
|
| Live
at Bill Graham's Fillmore West: 1969 |
Live
at the Old Waldorf |
Highway
61 Revisited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band
overviews
The Band |[ Michael Bloomfield ] [ David Bowie ] [ Boris Garcia ] [ Roy Buchanan ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Bowie Stage
Review |
Best of David Bowie |
|
Wow!!! Oh my!! (insert other exclamations as
needed) But you're probably wondering "What the
---?", and rightly so: STAGE was a live album released in
1978, scoring no hits, and dismissed at the time in favor of
DAVID LIVE, which had been released four years earlier and was
better mixed & more focused in style.
And yet .... continued
Additional David Bowie content
David Bowie
Our two favorite Bowie albums are Ziggy Stardust
and Hunky Dory. The Best of David Bowie is a
good value collection, note, there are some single versions on
the collection.
|
|
|
| Ziggy Stardust |
Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture
DVD |
Hunky Dory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Roy
Buchanan |
Sweet Dreams: The Anthology |
Deluxe Edition |
|
Roy
Buchanan's is one of the most innovative guitar players that I've heard. I was fortunate to see him perform live twice in the 1970's.
Amazing! He generally plays with a blues or rock attitude, though he
does
stretch into different genres like surf, or country. So while Roy isn't not a strictly blues
performer, but when he goes for that approach he's clearly one of a
kind. From Second Album, "Tribute To Elmore James"
is a great example of him playing the blues. Why that song gets
left off of so many Roy Buchanan compilations should be criminal, there is room
for those three and half minutes of bliss.
Buchanan's playing offers the guitar sustain
that Carlos Santana mastered, the phasing of David Gilmour (particularly
like he demonstrated on Animals), the natural blues flow of Stevie Ray
Vaughan, all rolled into one. Perhaps most important or at a minimum
impressive, is that Buchanan's playing is so unique and
original.
There is a superb career retrospective
entitled Sweet Dreams: The Anthology, which includes six live tracks (blistering), and an assortment
of his best songs from his albums.
Some of the best material
from Sweet Dreams was previously unreleased such as "Dual
Soliloquy," a twelve minute solo guitar piece recorded in
1972, and two live covers songs, "Hey Joe," and
"C.
C. Ryder." Buchanan's version of Joe Walsh's track
"Turn to Stone" is very David Gilmour like.
Buchanan's compilation Deluxe Edition that
covers material from his last three albums with Alligator
records; Dancing on the
Edge, Hot
Wires, and
When a Guitar Plays the Blues.
Additional Roy Buchanan content
Profile and discography
Instrumental
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| James
Burton
|
The Guitar Sounds of James Burton |
James Burton & Ralph Mooney
Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin'
|
|
James Burton is best known for his work in Elvis
Presley's TCB (Taking Care of Business) Band. James Burton's resume is
too extensive for this page, so we're highlighting a few select
items. Also
of note, Burton played with Merle
Haggard. who is listed separately on this page.
We highlighted two instrumental releases first.
They are The Guitar Sounds of James Burton and another album by James Burton & pedal steel guitarist Ralph Mooney
called Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin'.
Below we noted some of James Burton's work with
Gram Parsons.
|
|
|
| Gram
Parsons |
G.P./Grievous Angel |
The Complete Reprise Sessions |
|
James
Burton sweet Telecaster guitar riffs beautifully filled up Gram
Parsons two solo albums, G. P. and Grievous Angel. The
basic personnel was Elvis' TCB backing band, along with Gram Parsons,
and of course, Emmylou Harris.
There are
only two albums with this line-up and they are magical. They
are available as a two-fer, or as a box set with alternate takes and
slightly better sound. I upgraded to the box-set and am sure glad I
did, but casual fans will be more than satisfied with the original
two albums without the alternate tracks.
Our
website features much more about Gram
Parsons, these releases, along with the other bands that he
played in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Neil
Young Archives - June 2009 release |
|
| Audio |
Standard
DVD |
Blu-Ray |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
