Members Weekly Music Recommendations-Feb. 26

[thebes]

Not a huge sports fan but the juices start flowing around this time of the year over Big East hoop and my favorite team the Syracuse Orange playing those (booo!) bums from Georgetown. It's halftime so I will keep this short.

Format's simple: Name of artist or group, name of album, type of music
as best you can (rock, blues etc.), and recording format (cd, lp etc.)











As usual I'll start it off with:

The Crusaders, "Royal Jam", lp, blues, jazz. anybody ever heard of Joe Sample, if not then you're missing out.. Ever heard of BB King, of course you have. This is a live album featured the Crusaders, The royal Philharmonic Orchestra and BB King at the peak of his powers.

BB Kings version of "Street Life" with (I think) Josie James on vocals is the finest version of this song I have ever heard, bar none and for this song alone it's worth the price of admission. Check it out and very well recorded.

So what do you have to share this week?

[Klipsched with Yamahas]

Uh oh, I smell trouble in the house! The Big East stinks this year, except for maybe Georgetown and the former (now ACC) Boston College. I've always been a big Syracuse and UConn fan. Of course Maryland is my #1

Thebes must have the "Blues" in mind today. I've listened to quite a bit this past weekend, but nothing that I can recommend. Did pickup the Boney James CD "Shine", but kinda dissappointed me. I also thought I'd broaden my horizons w/Allison Krauss and DIDO.

Eh, OK I guess! Not what I expected, so ZERO recommendations this week unless you want to consider the 1973 "Overnight Sensation" by Frank Zappa and the Mothers, featuring Montana, and Dina Moe Hum. You must admit ole' Frank was pretty clever to get around those CENSORS of that era.

Who in their right mind would name their children Blue Moon and Dweezel? Now if you really want to take a walk on the wild side........maybe I would recommend Lou Reed's "Rock n' Roll Animal" (1966), featuring Sweet Jane

[oldbuckster]

OK, I am also a Big East Fan, don't like what they have done to it with Teams coming and going, but no one listens to me anyway, and don't forget, Florida has the same team back that won it all last year...............MARCH MADNESS IS NEAR......................

So I take it Blues is the feature this week, good choice any week........jump out of the 70's and join me in the 80's................

STRONG PERSUADER : ROBERT CRAY................................CD............................1986..................................

The first time I heard this guy I knew he was special. Roberts soulful vocals are smooth as silk, his guitar is a sweet as honey, it's almost Sweet Souled Blues. No one sounds like this guy............no one. Often, at first anyway, they said he was like Hendrix, yes and no. He plays the Blues close to Jimi's style, but he's not a Guitar Slinger, he's a player............His voice is soulful, but even, where Jimi's was uneven, of course Jimi never really liked to sing, but no one could sing his songs good enough for him. This disc is his first, and if my memory serves me well, was played alot on the FM Radio scene. A basic line-up, Guitar, Bass Drums and Keyboards, and just alittle help from the Memphis Horns. Great songs, typical blues, my woman done me wrong type stuff, sung with Roberts smooth style, and then you listen to that FENDER guitar, oh my, the lad can play. This guy is so under-rated as a guitarist. I could carry-on longer singing his praises, but I won't.............heres the song list...................

1. Smoking Gun

2. I Guess I Showed Her

3. Right next door

4. Nothin' But A Woman

5. Still Around

6. More Than I Could Stand

7. Foul Play

8. I Wonder

9. Fanatasized

10. New Blood

Ten solid, well crafted songs..............soulfull vocals, fine Guitar playing.....It's all here. Funny, ever notice on Big Events, look on the stage, and somewhere along the line there he is, Robert Cray, right there with the best of them. Never see him mentioned on this forum much, sorta' over looked around here. When I see these BEST GUITARIST threads, I have to laugh, he's never mentioned. You want to talk BLUES, you want to talk Guitar, it's simple, Robert Cray........give him a listen........Sweet Stuff.......let's call it SOULFUL BLUES, no one does it better..........................

[Klipsched with Yamahas]

BIG EAST foo-pah! Just when I put Geo on the pedastal, they blow it big time @ Syr (go figure)........so I eat a little crow.

Robert Cray, good choice, and I've been having a craving for David Sanborn and Dave Brubeck for some reason here lately.

[merkin]

OB

Loved that Robert Cray. Nothin but a women!!!!!!!!!!, I was front row for that tour and got a couple of guitar picks of his to put in my CD case.

[theryugobuddy]

I've revisited Elvis Costello this week-- I don't get his later stuff, but the albums "Armed Forces", "Get Happy" "Trust', and "This Year's Model" are classics . He and the Attractions are having a ball --this stuff reaks with attitude--and that's good.

I'd call it punk New Wave pop --from the late 70s and early 80s

[oldbuckster]

Guys, I jumped on the Robert Cray wagon when I first heard Strong Persuader...........Love his Guitar playing, very under-rated, soft, smooth approach to the Blues, like I said SOULFUL BLUES........not many do this style of Blues..............Young Man to boot............