"Real" Oldies on eMusic

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 +

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

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

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

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

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

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.