My eMusic Blog, and maybe bikes and baseball

"Real" Oldies on eMusic

2009-02-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, eMusic has a lot of poorly made remakes of oldies masquerading as the real thing. Sometimes it's hard to tell until you download and really listen to realize they are remakes.

But here are a few oldies in their original release on eMusic. These are the fun kind of oldies, and while I downloaded them because I thought my daughter might like them, I found I liked singing along with them.

Stampeders - Sweet City Woman, you can find it here. This is one of the great forgotten songs from the early 70s. This has the scorching banjo, a terrific vocal, and it's great fun. I haven't downloaded the other tracks on the album, but I'm going to sample a few and check it out.

George McCrae - Rock Your Baby, The Very Best Of George McCrae, you can find it here. Another great forgotten single from the 70s. An irresistible beat, a great vocal with a falsetto trill, and you've got another songs that makes you smile. I did download 'It's Been So Long', and it's a fine track also.

Bobby Sherman - All Time Greatest Hits, you can find it here. This is bubblegum music at it's finest(?). But I really enjoyed singing along with 'Little Woman', 'Julie Do You Love Me?', and 'Easy Come, Easy Go'. If you like nostalgia from the 60s, get this, it's fun.

The Cufflinks - Tracy, you can find it here. I didn't grab any of the other songs here, but 'Tracy' is nice sing-along song. Ron Dante was the force behind this, as he was with the next entry.

The Archies - Greatest Hits, you can find it here. Does your heart still go 'Bang-Shang-A-Lang'? Your teeth may dissolve from this, but I'll bet you know all the words to these.

Mary Wells - All The Best Of Mary Wells, you can find it here. Warning, the recording quality of these are very low, but these are the originals.

Jill Scott - Experience 826 +

2009-02-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

You can find it here.

Jill Scott really has a way with a song. It's obvious from this release that she comes alive performing. She literally makes love to the audience, and you can hear the appreciation. Every song comes from the heart, and she can convey emotion as well as anyone does. The standout tracks in this release are 'A Long Walk', 'Love Rain', 'Gettin' In The Way', 'It's Love', 'He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)', but everything here is just expertly performed. She has a sensuality that comes through in her singing, but she also never tries to be anything that what she is.

Guys, play this for your woman some time. You'll thank me.

5 out of 5 stars
Will I listen to this again? Absolutely, I love it.

Albert King - I'm In A Phone Booth, Baby

2009-02-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

You can find it here.

Great straight up blues from Albert King. His original versions of 'The Sky Is Crying', done masterfully by SRV, and 'Phone Booth', scorched by Robert Cray, are typical of King's working man style. His vocals are good but never get in the way of the real treat, which is King's guitar playing. His stinging guitar style is put to great effect here, and it never disappoints.

The standouts here are pretty much every track, simply because they don't deviate from the style that made King famous. You can hear the influence King's style had on Stevie Ray Vaughan, although SRV played with a lot more rock influence. King's style is classic electric blues, and he never backs down.

4 out of 5 stars
Will I listen to it again? It will be part of my regular blues rotation.

Al Wilson - Show and Tell: The Best Of Al Wilson

2009-01-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

You can find it here.

He had the one big hit on the pop charts, 'Show and Tell', and it's a dandy. But get this and you won't be disappointed. Other standout songs include, 'La La La La Peace Song', 'Willoughby Brook Road', 'Queen Of The Ghetto', and a scorching version of the CCR hit 'Born On The Bayou'.

Wilson's voice is classic soul, evoking Sam Cooke in some parts and Lou Rawls in others. Everything is listenable and recommended.

I often wonder how this guy wasn't wildly famous like Al Green was.

5 out of 5 stars
Will I listen to it again? Yes. This is a normal selection of my music rotation.

Showdown! - Collins, Copeland, and Cray

2009-01-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

Find it here: Showdown! - Collins, Copeland, and Cray

This might be the best thing on eMusic, and it's a recent release on the site. Blues fans or just fans of old-fashioned guitar music will love this. All three artists shine here, but Cray's contributions stand out. This was recorded in 1987, won a Grammy, and is still awesome today.

The standout songs are pretty much the entire album, but Copeland's 'Black Cat Bone', Collins' 'Blackjack', and Cray's 'The Dream' are the cream. The track 'T-Bone Shuffle' features all 3 guitarists with great results.

5 out of 5 stars
Will I listen to this again? I've owned this album for years, and it's still a go to listen. Actually, when I want to introduce someone to the blues, I play this and say, "Pretty awesome, huh?".

Nat King Cole Trio - Mid Fifties

2009-01-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

You can find it here. This release is much better then 'Central Avenue Breakdown'. Cole's vocals are in fine form and the recording quality is good. He also shows off his always great jazz pianist chops, with great results.

But the reason to listen to this is the singing. There are few vocalists as instantly recognizable as Cole, and this release features 'Route 66', 'It Could Happen To You', 'I Was A Little Too Lonely', and 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head'. Everything here is worthwhile and enjoyable.

4 stars out of 5
Will I listen to it again? Definitely.

Nat King Cole - Central Avenue Breakdown

2009-01-06T11:02:00.001-08:00

You can find it here. This is more jazzy than I expected. Nat King Cole was always a fine jazz pianist, and it shows here. The recording quality is not up to snuff, Cole's vocals get lost in the mix and frankly he sounds like a dozen other guys in these recordings.

2 stars out of 5
Will I listen to it again? Not likely.

Levon Helm and the RCO Allstars - Live at the Palladium in NYC, New Years '77

2009-01-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my revised blog. I'm going to write about songs I get monthly from my download service, eMusic.com. eMusic is a place for independent artists, although there is a lot of mainstream stuff or more obscure releases from known artists. For instance, Levon Helm, better known as the drummer for The Band and he played Loretta Lynn's father in "Coal Miners Daughter".

Levon Helm and the RCO Allstars - Live at the Palladium in NYC, New Years '77.
You can find it here. This is a good release by Levon Helm (on drums and vocals), featuring Duck Dunn on bass, Lou Marini on sax, Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack) on keyboards and vocals, Paul Butterfield on harp and vocals, and Steve Cropper and Fred Carter, Jr on guitar. All the songs are strong, although I'd be hard pressed to point to a standout. The pure genre is blues, but it sounds kind of funky like Memphis soul in a lot of parts. I find myself really enjoying the harp contributions from Butterfield.
4 stars out of 5.

General Update: November 4th 2008

2008-11-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

Been a while between posts. I want to see if this generates tags that are searchable, so I will talk about my bike ride today.

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 roundtrip. I was kind of writing a song which sounded a lot like "Love On A Two Way Street" by the Emotions.

Big gear workout today, was burning off the Starbucks coffee I had this morning after voting.

Bike Ride: Monday, August 25, 2008

2008-08-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Took it easy, just tried to spin easy circles. Felt tired during ride, not a good sign. Need to be more consistent about riding.

Bike Ride: Thursday, August 21 2008

2008-08-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. It rained, it stopped, it was wet, it was dry, kind of a weird ride. Did a cadence ride in a big gear with the wind at my back, and in a small gear with the wind in my face. Good ride, legs feel like they're coming around.

Song in head: "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frank Sinatra.

Bike Ride: Wednesday, August 20 2008

2008-08-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Worked at home, so I rode to the tip of Anna Maria and back. I'm guessing it's about 18 miles, it took me an hour. Did a cadence ride in 53x18. Spun fast, got heart rate up, legs felt good.

Don't remember what the song was in my head.

Bike Ride: Tuesday, August 19 2008

2008-08-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Was going to ride at Flatwoods, but it was closed due to the storm. So I rode up to Cross Creek and did an out-and-back. Tough going out due to wind, but had wind with me coming back. Did big gear workout, felt good mostly.

Song in head: "So Tired Of Being Alone" by Al Green.

Bike Ride: Saturday, August 16 2008

2008-08-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Did 50 miles or so, no computer on the Lemond, so it's best guess.

Rode over to DeSoto, then the Barn Loop, then the Anna Maria / Longboat Key ride. Up and down the beach, always a good ride. Had a bit of rain, but nothing major. Got a bit more tired than usual, but I haven't been logging miles so I'm probably just out of riding shape. Also, that gut is looking up at me again, need to get rid of that.

Song in head: "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" by The Spinners

No ride on Sunday, but did mow lawn.

Bike Ride: Wednesday, August 13 2008

2008-08-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Legs not feeling good yet, so just did a cadence ride rather than short intervals. Got my heart rate up for entire ride and focused on endurance and breathing.

Song in head: 'La La Peace Song' by Al Wilson

Bike Ride: Tuesday, August 12 2008

2008-08-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Worked at home, so did the short beach loop. 15 mile round trip on Lemond bike. This is one awesome bike, I need to ride it more. Did big gear workout, got heart rate up, but legs didn't hurt.

Good ride, felt good afterwards.

Bike Ride: Monday, August 11 2008

2008-08-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile roundtrip. Did stomps, 8 sets of these. Good workout, but I felt like I couldn't get my legs going hard enough. I haven't ridden a lot lately, so perhaps that's why.

Didn't ride over the weekend, I felt weak for some reason and slept a lot. I was barely able to get the lawn mowed. I feel better now so I hope it was just a passing thing.

Flick: 'A Hard Day's Night'

2008-08-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

5 out of 5 stars

This flick still holds up after all these years. The best way to describe this is by saying, "well, it the Beatles, and it's kind of like an old Marx Brothers movie". Just great fun, and my kids even liked it. The camera angles were innovative for the time, and what I remember then still held true now: it made the Beatles seem more human because you were seeing them "from all angles". The hardest part of watching this was trying to explain to my children how wildly popular the Beatles were.

One other thing I'll mention here. Ringo Starr gets no respect as a drummer. No, he's not an innovator or a power drummer. He is a thorough professional, a minimalist (good for a drummer), and has a super steady beat. He was probably the perfect drummer for the Beatles, in that he never overshadowed anyone else. Perhaps he stumbled into the gig of a lifetime, but he was a talented drummer.

Flick: 'Movin' With Nancy'

2008-08-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

3 stars out of 5

I enjoyed this movie, but not that much.

Nancy's singing is, well, somewhat flat, but she manages a few pleasant numbers. Her outfits are totally 60s, which is fun. She comes off kind of appealing, which is fun too.

One thing you simply should not miss, her version of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" is interesting in a "spectator at a traffic accident" kind of way (with Sammy Davis, Jr. as the hippie photographer). It's a howl, but I don't think that was the intent.

The highlights of this are Frank Sinatra doing "Younger Than Springtime", and Dean Martin singing "Just Bummin' Around". Rent this to watch with friends who enjoy 60s pop and who might enjoy poking fun at the times.

Flick: 'The Blair Witch Project'

2008-08-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

For me, it was a mixed bag.

I thought the film worked as a "real life" thing, I honestly felt what happened in the movie was happening to the actors. However, the flick just didn't grab me. On one hand, the characters were pretty much too annoying to care about. Another is where it feels as if you're always waiting for something else to happen. In good and great films, interesting things happen, you don't need to wait. Too many dead (no pun intended) spots for me.

The film definitely worked as far as building suspense, and it had a feel of creepiness that's hard to describe to others. A love it or hate it movie? Can't say, but it's not a movie I would recommend to friends.

I would recommend seeing it for it's impact on popular culture. Think about how many spoofs have been done of this flick.

Blues: Chris Thomas King

2008-08-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

With Keb' Mo' and Shemekia Copeland, CTK is one of my favorite blues artists performing today. He just released an EP of live selections, 'Live On Beale Street', where he mixes rock, blues, and rap. He's done this before on studio releases, but it really works in the live environment. He also has a standout version of the blues classic, 'I'll Play The Blues For You'.

His previous studio release, 'Rise', is just about the best blues album I've heard in years. 'What Would Jesus Do' is a song written about the Katrina tragedy, and it's first rate. It includes a couplet, "standing outside the Walgreens, with a stone in my hand, standing outside with a stone in my hand, I ask myself 'would Jesus understand?'", which perfectly describes the moral dilemma decent, law-abiding citizens had to face every day during that time. 'Faith' is another terrific song, and 'Baptized In Dirty Water' has outstanding guitar work by CTK. There are a few covers there too, 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'St James Infirmary Blues', and 'What A Wonderful World', all done well. There is a lot of despair depicted, but overall there is a hopeful tone to the album.

Another outstanding release is 'Red Mud', which is much more traditional. The title cut is outstanding, and the rest follows suit.

His earlier stuff is good, but a bit inconsistent, especially where he tries to be a bit too 'pop'.

Blues: Shemekia Copeland

2008-08-08T07:54:00.002-07:00

Shemekia Copeland is a great blues singer, a belter like few are. She is simply fantastic live, as I've never seen her where she didn't absolutely give her all. Try to catch her perform, even if you don't know her music, you'll be entertained. She's the daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Copeland, but she definitely has her own style and chops.

But her music is top notch contemporary blues. I first discovered her by happening upon a free track from her, 'Whole Lotta Water' off of her initial release, 'Turn The Heat Up'. I loved the power in her voice, and even better loved her 'old school' sound. After hearing a few more samples, I bought the CD and loved it. I also bought her next release, 'Wicked', and loved that. Now I buy everything by her and even got the last 2 releases autographed.

My least favorite release of hers is 'Talking To Strangers'. It was produced by New Orleans bluesman Dr. John (aka Mac Rebbenack). It feels restrained to me, he doesn't appear to let Shemekia loose. Indeed, in interviews regarding the release Shemekia mentions that Rebbenack requested her to reign in her vocals. This is a big mistake in my opinion, although the release features several good songs, such as 'Talking To Strangers', 'Sholanda's', and 'Don't Whisper I Love You'.

Her first release 'Turn The Heat Up' features the title cut, 'Married To The Blues', and her father's 'Ghetto Child'. She also sings the living crap out of 'Ghetto Child' live. I mean that sincerely, I got chills when she sings of the part where the girl has no shoes. Everything on the 'Turn The Heat Up' release is very good, so get it.

Her next release 'Wicked' rocks out a bit more. Standout cuts here are 'Wild Wild Woman' (she also does this terrific live), '3 AM', and 'Miss Hy Ciditty', but all are quite good and worth a listen.

My favorite release of hers is 'The Soul Truth', produced by Steve Cropper. This sounds a lot like an old Stax / Volt release and it's simply excellent. Stand out cuts here are 'Who Stole My Radio?', 'Honey Do That Voo Doo', but everything here is first rate.

If you love old school soul and blues, you'll love her. Here's her website: http://www.shemekiacopeland.com .

Flick: 'Oceans Twelve'

2008-08-08T07:54:00.001-07:00

I didn't think I would like this movie that much. I figured it would suffer from 'sequel-itis', meaning it would have too many elements of the original movie. It did to some degree, with all the main actors reprising their roles and the creation of an expected but plausible premise.

But halfway through the movie, there is a twist which just really works. So I ended up enjoying this movie pretty well. Still, the filmmakers only made this flick to make money, not to tell a good story. Julia Roberts is especially likeable, she truly has a presence on screen, and I think she steals this movie. Bruce Willis plays himself for laughs, and quite frankly, Catherine Zeta-Jones is gorgeous. This is a star movie, and it works, mostly.

3 out of 5 stars, but if you like the actors in the flick, you'll like it.

Blues: Lizz Fields

2008-08-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

Lizz Fields is not precisely a blues singer, but she puts her heart and soul into everything she sings, so that's blues for me.

Her latest release 'Pleasureville' is first rate stuff. Her style is more jazz-inflected pop, although this release by her is more urban sounding. Her first release, 'By Day By Night', was definitely in an old school soul style.

All the tracks on 'Pleasureville' a worth a listen, but the standout tracks are the title track, 'Brooklyn Flowers', 'I'm Waiting', and 'Sugah'. 'Sugah' is pop radio fare and while I didn't like it too much at first, it's infectious and I'm loving it now. On 'I'm Waiting' she successfully conveys a foot-tapping mood, all with the nuance of her voice.

Check her out, she's great. Her myspace page has samples, give 'em a listen: myspace.com/misslizzfields .

Flick: 'Hell On Wheels'

2008-08-08T07:52:00.001-07:00

4 stars out of 5.

I liked this a lot better than I expected to. This documentary was filmed during the 2003 Tour de France, where the eventual winner was Lance Armstrong. But the primary focus of the filming was on the lesser riders and how they have to sacrifice themselves for their team leaders, but yet they still have some chances at glory.

This is something I had been wondering about for many years. Sure, it's easy to admire the winning riders, but there are so many domestique type riders where they are simply part of the team, but just as important to the overall team focus.

The reason I didn't think I would like it is because I've seen other cycling movies and they are just not well edited or well documented. 'Stars and Watercarriers' comes to mind, which I liked, but there were so many dead spots. In this flick, one really got the sense of how difficult the ordinary rider's job is, and the filmmakers made us care about the riders.

Flick: 'Mr and Mrs Smith'

2008-08-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

3 out of 5 stars

If you like the stars in this movie, you'll like this. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are interesting, attractive, clever, and adversaries, even though (or perhaps due to) they are married to each other. This is entirely predictable, but it's a decent ride.

I didn't love this, but there are a lot of blow-em-up scenes.

Blues: Paul Thorn

2008-08-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this guy after seeing him perform at the Snowbird Rock and Blues festival in Utah this past weekend. His web page: Paul Thorn, his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/paulthorn

I bought his CD 'A Long Way From Tupelo' at the festival, which he signed. It's all quite good, in the vein of American swamp blues. Think John Fogerty with a bit more country feel. His myspace page has samples, good stuff. He has a fantastic drummer in his band, completely in the pocket.

At the Snowbird Blues festival I also saw Buckwheat Zydeco and Keb' Mo', but Paul Thorn had the best set of the 3 of them, and I am a big Keb' Mo' fan.

Flick: 'Swing Vote' with Kevin Costner

2008-08-07T12:23:00.001-07:00

3 1/2 stars out of 5.

This was surprisingly good, even if it was a little predictable. Kevin Costner plays Bud Johnson, a guy barely existing, more liking beer than his job or his daughter. His daughter repeatedly tries to get him to care about something, perhaps anything, but always failing. As it turns out, Bud is the guy who will decide a presidential election. In the movie, it's not as implausible as it sounds.

Of course, Bud at first loves the attention, is easily gullible, and proceeds to piss away his chance at truly making a difference. But as movies often go, he undergoes a character arc where he is able to redeem himself, especially so in his daughter's eyes.

I know, it sounds cheesy, but it worked for me. Probably because I love my own daughters so much, and a sweet relationship was depicted between Bud and his daughter.

Bike Ride: Wednesday and Thursday, August 6 and 7 2008

2008-08-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wed August 6: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Did big gear workout. Went fine considering the week's layoff. Had a great vacation in SLC, saw Buckwheat Zydeco and Keb Mo at the Snowbird Rock and Blues festival. Best performer of the night was a guy named Paul Thorn, and bought his CD, 'A Long Way From Tupelo'.

Thur August 7: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Did cadence ride in a medium gear. Good workout, but my legs need some time to come around. Can't remember a song in head, although I know there was one.