Members Weekly Music Recommendations-July 2

[thebes]

Ah, the 4th! Outdoor barbecues, fireworks and friends. Growing up there would always be a radio tuned to the local top 40 station. Usually a mixture of pop, the hits of the moment and quite often some great soul singer belting out a tune.

Although I can't reclaim my youth, I can still grab a little of that soul.

Ryan Shaw, "This is Ryan Shaw", cd, soul baby. This is old school soul sung by a 26 year old former gospel singer who is channeling the old greats with a mixture of new and old songs. A few new tunes mixed in with standards and dance tunes like Wilson Pickett's "I Found a Love", "Mish Mash" by the Combo Kings, "I do the Jerk" and "Do the 45" among others. Great voice that fits the era and good recoding values.

So groove on down because it's all right brothers.

So what do you have to share this week?

[synthfreek]

Phil Lynott-The Phil Lynott Album(CD-1982). Thin Lizzy frontman/poet delivered a crazy varied record that probably had fans scratching their heads. Some of the supporting cast are: Mark Knopfler(Dire Straits), Jimmy Bain(Dio & Rainbow), Brian Downey(Thin Lizzy), Mel Collins(Camel & King Crimson), Scott Gorham(Thin Lizzy), Huey Lewis?!, Pierre Moerlen(Gong), Midge Ure(Ultravox, Visage & Thin Lizzy) & Darren Wharton(Them w/ Van Morrisson & Thin Lizzy). The songs run the gamut from sentimental ballads to weird electronic/primitive sampling stuff. I've been wanting this for a few years and could never find one used so I ordered a new one and it was worth the wait.

[synthfreek]

Dennis Coffey-Big City Funk(CD-1971-1974). Fantastic(and overdue) compilation of some of Dennis Coffey's fuzziest guitar jams. Here's a little bio from allmusic in case you have no idea:

Biography

by Jason Ankeny

Dennis Coffey remains an unsung hero from the halcyon era of Detroit soul, contributing guitar to landmark records issued on the Motown, Ric-Tic, and Revilot labels in addition to cutting a series of efforts under his own name, most notably the cult classic blaxploitation soundtrack Black Belt Jones. Born and raised in the Motor City, Coffey learned to play guitar at age 13 while visiting relatives in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Though a fan of country music throughout adolescence, while attending Detroit's McKenzie High he also immersed himself in rock & roll, jazz, and blues, drawing inspiration from guitarists from Chuck Berry to Scotty Moore to Wes Montgomery. Coffey made his studio debut backing little-known rockabilly cat Vic Gallon on "I'm Gone," issued on the singer's own Gondola label. From there he played in a rockabilly duo with vocalist Durwood Hutto, eventually signing a recording contract with Jackie Wilson's manager, Nat Tarnopol. Through Tarnopol, Coffey met Motown owner Berry Gordy, Jr., but he nevertheless established his reputation as a session player under the aegis of Ed Wingate's Ric Tic label, contributing to records including Edwin Starr's "S.O.S. (Stop Her on Sight)," J.J. Barnes' "Real Humdinger," and the San Remo Strings' "Hungry for Love." From the mid-to-late '60s, Coffey was a Detroit session fixture, appearing on such mainstream hits and cult classics as Darrell Banks' monumental "Open the Door to Your Heart," Carl Carlton's "Competition Ain't Nothing," and Tobi Lark's "Happiness Is Here." His inventive playing is the tissue that connects an untold number of crowd favorites within Britain's Northern soul club culture. Around 1968 Coffey also began working steadily at Motown, beginning with the Temptations' gritty "I Wish It Would Rain." He went on to appear on the group's landmark efforts "Cloud Nine" and "Ball of Confusion," pushing the Motown sound into increasingly funky territory with his ingenious use of a wah-wah pedal, one of several technological innovations he introduced to tweak The Sound of Young America. Beginning with Jack Montgomery's Scepter release "Dearly Beloved," Coffey concurrently added arranging and producing to his slate, teaming with local session drummer Mike Theodore to found their own production firm, Theo-Coff. The duo quickly hit paydirt helming a demo tape for the blue-eyed psych-soul combo the Sunliners, landing a production deal with MGM's Maverick subsidiary. Six months later, Maverick also signed Coffey to a solo contract, releasing his psych-funk classic Hair & Thangs and scoring a Midwestern smash in 1969 with his fuzz-laden instrumental reading of the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing." MGM shut down Maverick in late 1969. While the Sunliners renamed themselves Rare Earth, signing to Motown for a series of hits, Coffey resumed his session career, appearing on classics including Edwin Starr's "War" and Freda Payne's "Band of Gold." In 1971 he landed with former Maverick head Clarence Avant's new Sussex label as an artist and as a staff producer, scoring a Top Ten hit with the single "Scorpio," a now-classic funk effort renowned for its much-sampled drum breaks. Its follow-up, "Taurus," was also a commercial success, while LPs including Evolution and Goin' for Myself generated familiar samples for acts spanning from Public Enemy to the Beastie Boys to LL Cool J. As a producer, Coffey is probably best remembered for Gallery's 1972 soft rock smash "Nice to Be with You." In collaboration with Theodore, he also helmed a series of disco hits after jumping to the Westbound label in 1974, most notably CJ and Co.'s "We Got Our Own Thing" and the Tempest Trio's "Love Machine." For Westbound Coffey scored the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Belt Jones, although his solo records from the label have aged poorly in comparison to his Sussex efforts. After the label dissolved in 1980, he again returned to session work before resurfacing in 1989 with the lite-jazz outing Under the Moonlight. In 2004 Coffey published the memoir Guitars, Bars and Motown Superstars.

[seti]

Wow Gong now there is a band I have not heard in a very long time.... Interesting.

[theryugobuddy]

I've had this since it came out, and listened to it yesterday -- 2 CDs of amazing rock riffs and great songwriting that apparently Pearl Jam had kept under wraps for a reason--

Pearl Jam "Lost Dogs - Rarities and B-sides"

I like it more than "10"--

Interesting article from allmusic.com -- check the last line:

Review

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

At the peak of alt-rock in the '90s, Pearl Jam were the biggest band in the world. Nirvana may have kick-started the alt-rock explosion, but not long after Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous off the top of the charts, Pearl Jam overtook their fellow Seattleites, selling many more copies of Ten than Nevermind, as the album achieved saturation play on radio and MTV, thereby setting off a wave of imitators, ranging from Stone Temple Pilots to Seven Mary Three and scores of bands that have been lost to time. They defined the sound of the decade, at least in terms of mainstream alt-rock. But, like all their fellow grunge rockers (though not like Smashing Pumpkins), they bristled at the notion of stardom, and ducked the spotlight. After following Ten with the effectively scattershot Vs. in 1993, each subsequent record played to a smaller audience, partially because the group decided to follow an idiosyncratic muse while shutting out the outside world by doing few videos and interviews and then sinking into a long rather futile battle with Ticketmaster that sapped their strength, as well as their popularity. By the end of the decade, they were selling far fewer records and they had the occasional hit such as the fluke Top Ten "Last Kiss" (included on Lost Dogs) but they were a far cry from being the biggest band in the world, even if they retained a passionate following. The shift from world's biggest band to world's biggest cult band was a deliberate move, of course, one that came about through their precisely crafted, often humorless, deliberately idiosyncratic records that came after Vs.. If a song didn't fit the specific mood of an album, it was shelved. This meant that there was a lot of material that was never heard (apart from the occasional concert or bootleg, naturally), or some of it drifted out on singles released through their fan club. Then, it being the '90s, the golden age of the multipart international single and benefit compilation albums, there were a number of officially released songs that never made it to a proper Pearl Jam album. These two things meant that a Pearl Jam rarities collection was necessary, and when they reached the end of their contract with Epic ten years after Ten, the group assembled the double-disc, 30-track set Lost Dogs. Completists, who likely have much of this material anyway, should note that this is not a complete collection of B-sides and non-LP tracks there's nothing from the Singles soundtrack, the Merkinball EP is absent, scores of live B-sides are thankfully left behind. Instead, this is a selection of the best B-sides, stray singles, and compilation tracks, enhanced by no less than 11 previously unreleased cuts and presented in a non-chronological sequence. This approach has a considerable benefit for the band, since, for one, it doesn't play like a dumping ground for rarities; like all Pearl Jam albums, it follows its own internal logic and has its own flow. Better still, the album benefits from what it chronicles: the loosest, hardest-rocking, most relaxed, and most intimate music the band cut. Since their proper albums are so somber and tightly controlled, it seemed as if the band didn't have a sense of humor, or even gave themselves a chance to breathe. These songs not only prove that assertion false; they capture what the band sounded like at its peak they capture their passion, their open-heartedness, their stance as true believers. This spirit was damped on the albums since they deliberately shied away from it and obscured it with ventures into experimentalism, but here, they not only sound committed but also eclectic and alive. This is where the nonchronological sequencing is a plus everything here sounds like it could date from their heyday of the first of the '90s, even though much of it dates from later. This is further proof that Pearl Jam consciously turned away from the big, anthemic sound and spirit that won them a mass audience with Ten they still had the songs and sound, they just chose to bury it. Lost Dogs crackles with that passion and it has another advantage: unlike most of Pearl Jam's album, it's a fun, compulsive listen. More than any other album in its catalog, Lost Dogs captures what Pearl Jam stood for and what it felt like at their peak. It may not have any of their defining songs apart from concert favorite "Yellow Ledbetter," that is but it does define their spirit, which is why, against all odds, it's the best album Pearl Jam has yet released.

[oldbuckster]

Having a hard time focussing on music, after Levon the other night, it's been hard for me to listen to music, but as I aimlessly stumbled through my CD's, found this, threw it on, and BINGO...right choice...So, I guess I should share..nothing new, 70's stuff warmed over, but what can I tell ya'?

JETHRO TULL.: A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC...................CD..................1992.............

This is a LIVE recording of Concerts Tull did around the world, not just one performance, but a series, strung together to make this most enjoyable disc. Some Tull Classics in a different light, an almost Stripped Down, if you will , Tull line-up. Of Course Mr. Tull himself, Ian Anderson, vocals, flute. and other instruments, Martin Barre, guitars electric and acoustical, David Pegg, bass guitar, and David Mattacks on drum set. As you can see, that's it, a Four piece band,no extra's that Tull in known for. Anderson and Barre had been a team for years, and this disc is no exception, and David Pegg, in and out of Tull for over 25 years, and quite a Bassist,and David Mattacks, not real familar with him, but solid job here.A lot of great rendidtions to Tull classics here, and I find Tull's verision of John Barleycorn, to be, oh well, Ian Anderson has a way adding to a song. Still no one, I mean no one blows his flute like this guy. Have said it before, A blues band with a flute. If one is not familar with Tull, this might be a good starting point, but to the ture fan, this is a nice change of pace. Relaxed, easy, non agressive choice to their music. Makes for great listening, when you don't want, loud, blaring tones assualting you, just nice paced,actually, kinda' mellow music to smooth out a busy day.So grab a copy, buy it, bortrow it, whatever, hope you enjoy it, and remember, It's A New Day Yesterday................................EH !!!!!!!!!

[hammertop]

Mid week and the 4th ta boot. Here's one I have just learned about from the wife. We were just listening one evening and mom goes "put this one on."

Wow was I impressed!!!!!

"JONNY LANG" "Wandering the Land" (1998 cd)

21 years old when he put down the 12 tracks. Excellent studio work, separation "Awesome" uses all 2ch bass, mid, highs clean and clear. After a little digin he has 2 more realeased and yes ordered both. Will let ya known down the road my take on his newer stuff.

Well worth a listen!

Enjoy

[seti]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Sparrow

http://www.mightysparrow.com/biopage.htm

Mighty Sparrow is the King Of Calypso and I can not get his song Congo Man out of my head. This song is great and hilarious ahh canibalism..... I have only heard one 78 by him but I will be looking for more 1950s-1960s Calypso. I am not that familiar with Calypso but I like some of what I have heard.