Friday, April 15, 2005

Joe Vig Top 40 for May

1. MOONDOG
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jojweae74xd7


Reviewby Joe Viglione

This deluxe double-disc box from Germany's Roof Music contains a collection of Louis Thomas Hardin's music recorded from 1977-1999 entitled The German Years as well as a second disc, The Last Concert, Mimi-Festival 1999. 44 pages of liner notes lovingly put the complex music into as much perspective as possible, though it is up to the listener to diligently explore this creative and unique individual's lifeswork. "High On A Rocky Ledge" could be John Cale in his sixth decade and is a highlight. It, along with "Do Your Thing", "I'm This I'm That" and "Pygmy Pig", culled from 1979's H'art Songs album, one of seven different sources utilized comprising the music on disc 1. The performances are as delightfully diverse as the titles and keeps one's attention as the parade of ideas unfold. "Heimdall Fanfare" is a completely different outing from "Fujiyama 2 (Lovesong)" while "Do Your Thing" could certainly have found some kind of commercial success had some publisher got it into a film soundtrack - or had Janis Joplin lived long enough to cover more of Moondog's compositions. The concert on disc 2 flows seamlessly from disc 1 and is so perfect it sounds like a studio recording except for the applause. Performed on August 1, 1999, five weeks before his passing on September 8th, it is an amazing "bookend" to this compilation. Berthold Klostermann's 13 page biography is combined with a chronology, six pages on the music from CD1, Moondog discussing his work as well as other essays on the pages inside making this a real treasure chest of photographs and information. The detailed liners along with the two hours plus of listening housed in a beautiful hard cardboard package make for an extraordinary work of art.

Releases
Year
Type
Label
Catalog #
2004 CD Roof 2433221

2)Death By Fame


3)Blackasia Volume 1

4)Satch Kerans


5)Strawberry Letter #23 Johnson Brothers DVD

6)Holcombe Waller

7)Geography

8)Tokyo Tramps

9)Tommy James SWEET CHERRY WINE

http://shop.mtv.com/Hold-the-Fire-Pop_stcVVproductId5222216VVcatId421046VVviewprod.htm


This site sponsored by http://stores.ebay.com/Var-International-Records

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Top 40 for April

1)Prince Of Darkness - Ozzy Osborne (Epic)
"All The Young Dudes" Ozzy & Ian Hunter
(See Review below)

2)Jim Morrison - author Stephen Davis (Gotham Books)
(taped for Visual Radio April 7, 2005)

3)Ian Hunter's Strings Attached DVD (Sanctuary)
Give a listen to "23A Swan Hill"
"You ain't beautiful/and I don't fancy you".

4)Hal Lifson's Sex And The '60s
Jackie DeShannon's former manager compiles an
amazing selection of 60's music - the original 45
of Shirley Bassey's GOLDFINGER, The Bob Crewe
Generation's "Barbarella" (which is actually Moogy
Klingman's Glitterhouse in disguise!)

5)"A Natural Man" - Ron Sunshine
Ron performs in NY at The Rainbow at Rockefeller
Plaza. His rendition of Bobby Hebb's classic is
tremendous

6)This Land Is Jeffland - Jeff Mastroberti
The second spoken word CD from Jeffland.

7)Kaleidoscope: The Sidekicks Sessions 1964-1967
Alchemy Entertainment's release of Kaleidoscope's
acetates is brilliant.

8)Jimi Hendrix THE RAINBOW BRIDGE CONCERT
This double CD has been stuck in my computer -
though I have had the yellow vinyl Maui vinyl
disc from 1971 or so the concert in its entirety is
an absolute treasure.

9)Hubert Sumlin About Them Shoes

The great Rob Fraboni has produced a classic blues
album with help from Blondie "Sail On Sailor" Chaplin,
David Johansen, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards
Levon Helm and, oh yes, Hubert Sumlin! Hopefully this
disc will put Hubert in the spotlight where he
belongs.


10)Sweet Cherry Wine - Tommy James
This CD Single is Tommy James with The Kootz.
The song was in pre-production for the forthcoming
COUNT album - no kidding - because of the "war"
in Iraq. Great minds think alike - Tommy hits
a home run with one of his finest tunes.

11)Legends Of Winter Hill - Jay Atkinson (Crown Books)
This book talks about the good guys

12)Rainy Day Soul - Bruce Sudano
"Eagle In The Sky" - terrific!

Bruce Sudano was in Brooklyn Dreams who hit with
Donna Summer (his wife) on "Heaven Knows".
He also co-wrote another of my all-time favorite
Tommy James tunes - "Ball Of Fire", and was
produced by Tommy for Alive 'n' Kicking's
sublime "Tighter Tighter".
http://www.brucesudano.com



13)Steven Mark DISTRACTION
http://www.stevenmarkmusic.com Great stuff.

14)Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love -
Jonathan Richman

15)Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Just For A Thrill
Jimmy Miller would be proud!

-----------------------------------------------------

Title: Prince Of Darkness

Artist: Osbourne, Ozzy

Label: Epic

Catalog# E4K 92960


Reissue producer Bruce Dickinson (not to be confused
with the Bruce Dickinson who sings lead for Iron
Maiden and appeared with Godspeed on the Nativity In
Black tribute) had compiled a totally different boxed
set for {$Ozzy Osbourne}, one which debated including
the great song "Bombers" -one of two tracks the Oz
recorded for Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo
disc - "Ward One Along The Way". The compilation
originally proposed also would have included Black
Sabbath material and more rarities, but they opted for
what is now known as the {^Prince Of Darkness} 4 cd
collection - a marvelous retrospective chock full of
familiar tunes from Osbourne's catalog as well as a
disc of duets and a disc of covers. For those who
already have the music from the albums Tribute,
Blizzard Of Oz, Diary Of A Madman, The Ultimate Sin,
Bark At The Moon, No More Tears, No Rest For The
Wicked and Ozzmosis there are the obligatory (and
welcome) B sides, demos and even live takes from The
Ultimate Ozzy video. That material is spread over two
discs while the third and fourth compile an amazing
amalgam of familiar tunes that have the stamp of Oz's
distinctive vocal style and sound. It is impossible
to duplicate The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's
wonderfully manic "Fire", though Brown's drummer, Carl
Palmer, gave a very sterile remake on The Return of
The Manticore boxed set from Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Status Quo's "Picture's Of Matchstick Men" and the
Jimi Hendrix classic "Purple Haze" seem like perfect
choices for the man whose version of Crow's 1969
classic "Evil Woman" was one of the few chances fans
got to hear of Ozzy decimating Top 40 fare. Though the
duets with Miss Piggy on "Born To Be Wild" and Dweezil
Zappa on The Bee Gees' "Stayin Alive" are hokey
parodies the rendition of "All The Young Dudes" is
stunningly masterful. It demands one crank the
speakers to 11, even if you're an original Sab fan now
over 50 and not prone to dancing around the room
anymore. Ian Hunter's contributions are a sheer
delight - the perfect foil to Ozzy racing "the cat" to
bed. Simply stunning, especially the new arrangement
bringing the T Rex verse back for a reprise. And if
you thought Mississippi Queen and For What It's Worth
should be put out to pasture, Oz somehow found a way
to reinvent them
(keeping Leslie West involved with a guitar solo!)
This is Ozzy Osbourne having a blast, not being
mistaken for Mike Osborne of The Magic Lanterns -
playing their one hit- "Shame Shame", or his alleged
reincarnation (Mike's, not Ozzy's) as "Oz Osborne" of
Coven with their hit "One Tin Soldier"(or the fact
that they also recorded a track called "Black Sabbath"
about a black mass). Maybe the real Oz should've done
songs from those two bands to really confuse people -
urban legend (and eBay) continuing to perpetuate the
myth. "Sympathy For The Devil" has menacing
guitarwork, something legendary producer Jimmy Miller
would've certainly enjoyed. His wife was aghast when
she heard this writer play Brian Ferry's cover of The
Rolling Stones classic. King Crimson's "21st Century
Schizoid Man" is custom made for Ozzy, as is John
Lennon's "Working Class Hero", all superb renditions.
The production work from Ringo Starr producer Mark
Hudson (of The Hudson Brothers) is stellar, a
treatment of
The Animals' "Good Times" proving Ozzy's pop
sensibilities are perfectly on target decades after he
helped define heavy metal. Contributions from Sarah
Hudson, Mark's daughter, and engineer Dave Frangioni
are noteworthy, as is the 40 page booklet describing
all the goodies inside.

16)Essential Kerry Kearney Band

17)Jimi Hendrix Isle Of Wight DVD
This is the original release, now on DVD. The same concert you'll find on
Blue Wild Angel, but different camera angles and selections.

18)Muller & Patton "Life Preserver" Track 6
The Hudson Brothers of 2005 - this stuff is phenomenal!
Great pop music that The Rutles, Oasis, Klaatu, and others hinted at!

19)Nature - Dave's True Story
Exquisite jazz played to perfection - drove around for days with this in the
car stereo

20)Dance To The Music - Remix Sly & The Family Stone
from Club Epic: A Collection Of Classic Dance Mixes Vol. 3

21)Blackasia Volume 1

22)Mirage - John Kalishes
The late John Kalishes was known as "Little Leslie West" in the Boston Rock
scene of the 1970s. His brother, Vin, sent "Mirage", the final disc from
the lead guitarist of the band SUSAN, and music director of The Ben Orr Band.

23)Mountain - Eruption
Recorded Live in New York (Disc 1) and live in Europe (Disc 2)
2 versions of Nantucket Sleighride, Theme From An Imaginary Western,
Mississippi Queen - Leslie is back.

24)Holcombe Waller - Troubled Times

25)Ray Cepeda - The Neo Maya Experience

26)Professor Louie & The Crowmatic - Century Of The Blues

27)Tim Burgess - I Believe

28)Moondog - The German Years 1977-1999 (Trocadero Records)

29)Geography Life In B1nary
Punk Lives! http://www.pittpunk.com/punk_article-38-thread-0-0.html

30)The Many Sides of Chris Campbell
Produced by the great Jerry Ross of Keith, Bobby Hebb, Spanky & Our Gang fame

31)El Matrimonio del Sol y Luna Ray Cepeda
Ray does Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" en espanol!

32)Standing In The Shadows Of Motown

33)Joe Stump - Speed Metal Messiah - Lion Music

34)Gypsy Blood - Jimi Hendrix Tribute
Mark Doyle of Andy Pratt fame.

35)Spencer Davis Group Live In Manchester 2002 Angel Aire

36)Michael Falzarano - The King James Sessions

37)Tim Booth

38)BILLY JOEL: The Life & Times Of An Angry Young Man - Hank Bordowitz
Finally, a book that will drive you to drink and send you to detox, where you
can actually meet the star that drove you there - if he hasn't smashed into
the Bette Ford Clinic with his Porsche.

Billboard Books

39)After All - Janie Cribbs

40)Carole King - The Early Years
Picked it up on eBay - it's tremendous.


Check out this website with THE FIFTH ESTATE on it!
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/lstcls6.html

Gary Sohmers Roar's Back March 8 with Collectibles Show, To Jah Nature Ellis, Tom Hambridge New CD, Keith Richards Waiting for the Man, Sean Walshe American Son, Clive Davis with Anthony DeCurtis

Top 10 1)Gary Sohmers 2)Tom Hambridge 3)Nature Ellis  4)Keith Richards "Waiting for the Man" Lou Reed's Birthday 5)Sean Walshe...