Monday, June 26, 2006
Michael Bolton Sings Sinatra...no he doesn't...at least well.
I'm willing to give almost anything a second listen before condemnation...except in this case. Trust me, you'll rather hear cats cry! Invest in the real thing; there are plenty of Sinatra "best of" collections to try.
Now, onto something old and new and GREAT...
BILLY JOEL
12 GARDENS LIVE
Bill-E JOE-L as the British pronouce it, has done it again. He's gotten me to buy the same music all over again, and love it! It is so nice to hear an established artist do the hits, and do them well...well into shall we say the third act of the play we are all in.
I'm gonna let a secret about this set out here...in case you didn't leave the 2nd CD play after the last cut...do so...and you'll be treated to a "secret encore" not listed on the CD jacket ("It's Still Rock & Roll To Me"). Don't miss it.
I wish I had seen at least one of these Madison Square Garden performances, but having the best of twelve on CD is the next best thing.
Bottom Line for Joel's latest live gig: 5/5 stars; a real buy!
Zeph, out
I'm willing to give almost anything a second listen before condemnation...except in this case. Trust me, you'll rather hear cats cry! Invest in the real thing; there are plenty of Sinatra "best of" collections to try.
Now, onto something old and new and GREAT...
BILLY JOEL
12 GARDENS LIVE
Bill-E JOE-L as the British pronouce it, has done it again. He's gotten me to buy the same music all over again, and love it! It is so nice to hear an established artist do the hits, and do them well...well into shall we say the third act of the play we are all in.
I'm gonna let a secret about this set out here...in case you didn't leave the 2nd CD play after the last cut...do so...and you'll be treated to a "secret encore" not listed on the CD jacket ("It's Still Rock & Roll To Me"). Don't miss it.
I wish I had seen at least one of these Madison Square Garden performances, but having the best of twelve on CD is the next best thing.
Bottom Line for Joel's latest live gig: 5/5 stars; a real buy!
Zeph, out
Thursday, June 08, 2006
CHEAP TRICK CHEAP TRICK
ROCKFORD ROCKFORD
IS A TRIUMPH TRIUMPH
OK, you’ve read soooooo much about STADIUM ARCADIUM by RHCP (Red Hot Chili
Peppers for those asleep at the disc); it’s great, I mean really great,
buy it. Nuff written.
But pluh-eeze, don’t ignore the new CHEAP TRICK album “ROCKFORD,” it is a
masterpiece upon first listen…really. If I were waking from a 30 year
coma, realizing it’s 2006 and not knowing about the demise of the Beatles,
I would have thought the Fab Four had updated their sound with slamming
power chords and deeper bass thumpin’ and Ringo was hitting the skins
harder than ever and of course the John/Paul (non-papal) harmonies were as
slick as ever…
If anyone from Cheap Trick is reading this, do take the Beatles reference
as the HIGHEST cudos one can give a band. Cheap Trick is delivering a
full and whole album (quite the non eye-tunes concept) of gems. There are
even clever fade-outs and fade-overs from song to song that make this disc
mandatory whole-disc-listening…thank me later.
It’s only around 40 minutes (of power-pop sonic heaven), but when was the
last time you finished hearing a new CD, and was upset there was no
“encore,” on the disc? Can’t remember? Me, too. Cheap Trick has had a
good few shows where entire albums were performed live…this one makes
perfectly for their next such incarnation.
Not a stinker or clinker on the disc, at least to my tympanic membranes,
the slightly hyped “Perfect Stranger,” written and produced with/by Linda
Perry (hitmaker galore), is the weakest cut on the project, and is still
killer.
If anyone from Letterman or Leno or Conan or Craig or Jimmy or SNL is
reading this, how about inviting the boys to do a tune or 2 from ROCKFORD?
BOTTOM LINE 5/5 stars, remarkably on first listen. Long Live Cheap
Trick…and rest in peace Billy Preston, God Bless You For A Life Of
Wonderful Music, we will miss you, friend!
Zeph, out
ROCKFORD ROCKFORD
IS A TRIUMPH TRIUMPH
OK, you’ve read soooooo much about STADIUM ARCADIUM by RHCP (Red Hot Chili
Peppers for those asleep at the disc); it’s great, I mean really great,
buy it. Nuff written.
But pluh-eeze, don’t ignore the new CHEAP TRICK album “ROCKFORD,” it is a
masterpiece upon first listen…really. If I were waking from a 30 year
coma, realizing it’s 2006 and not knowing about the demise of the Beatles,
I would have thought the Fab Four had updated their sound with slamming
power chords and deeper bass thumpin’ and Ringo was hitting the skins
harder than ever and of course the John/Paul (non-papal) harmonies were as
slick as ever…
If anyone from Cheap Trick is reading this, do take the Beatles reference
as the HIGHEST cudos one can give a band. Cheap Trick is delivering a
full and whole album (quite the non eye-tunes concept) of gems. There are
even clever fade-outs and fade-overs from song to song that make this disc
mandatory whole-disc-listening…thank me later.
It’s only around 40 minutes (of power-pop sonic heaven), but when was the
last time you finished hearing a new CD, and was upset there was no
“encore,” on the disc? Can’t remember? Me, too. Cheap Trick has had a
good few shows where entire albums were performed live…this one makes
perfectly for their next such incarnation.
Not a stinker or clinker on the disc, at least to my tympanic membranes,
the slightly hyped “Perfect Stranger,” written and produced with/by Linda
Perry (hitmaker galore), is the weakest cut on the project, and is still
killer.
If anyone from Letterman or Leno or Conan or Craig or Jimmy or SNL is
reading this, how about inviting the boys to do a tune or 2 from ROCKFORD?
BOTTOM LINE 5/5 stars, remarkably on first listen. Long Live Cheap
Trick…and rest in peace Billy Preston, God Bless You For A Life Of
Wonderful Music, we will miss you, friend!
Zeph, out
