Released 03/08/2013
First off, I'm a huge Bowie fan of his studio output from "The Man Who Sold the World" (1970) through "Heros" (1977). I consider "Hunky Dory", "...Ziggy Stardust", "Station to Station" and "Low" as classics. Much of his output in the later years I found somewhat spotty with the occasional good track. But the excitement of his early work...that pleasure we get listening to a favorite artists work was missing.
Happily, a decade after his last studio album, we get "The Next Day" and the joy seems to be back for this listener. Referencing his great 70s work throughout, each track has it's own identity. Even though this is basically the same band from his last studio album in 2003, the sound overall is much more (should I say) retro with a millennium feel. You could merge varied tracks on "The Next Day" onto specific 70's Bowie albums and they would align perfectly.
Some would say this shows a lack of originality. I say that with an artist like Bowie in the later stages of his career, what better time than now to look back and assess your past (and your potential future)?
It also helps that he delivers. A mature, career spanning work.
Released 02/05/2013
I always found it interesting that when rock musicians are asked to name their favorite guitarists, Richard Thompson is usually among the group of usual suspects. He's truly a musician's musician. Acoustic or electric, his work stands out. Not only instrumentally but vocally (hard to miss his distinctive British inflection), Thompson is unique.
Then there's his song construction. Always interesting, when he hits the mark the tunes deliver. "Good Things Happen to Bad People" on "Electric" is a prime example. A great song with a chorus that refuses to leave your head. When a track is this good one would like all the rest to be as on the mark. That's hard to do. He comes close on this album with tunes like "Stony Ground" and "Straight and Narrow". No throwaways here.
A very good album with excellent sound (recorded at a home studion in Nashville) and a lot more "Electric" than recent albums. Good place to start (or go back to "Mock Tudor" or "Rumour and Sigh").
An artist you can't go wrong with.
Released 01/18/2013
Take a whole bunch of classic do-woop tunes, a smooth toned singer named Aaron Neville, add Keith Richards on guitar and Benmont Tench on keyboards, put Keith and Don Was in charge of production and you have as sure a thing as possible. To coin a phrase, true that for "My True Story".
This album pays respectful tribute to the songs with a tasteful band and the mellow tones of Mr. Neville. Vocal backup includes members of the Jive 5 (Eugene Pitt), Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (Bobby Jay) and the Del Vikings (Dickie Harmon).
Aaron, Keith and Don were big fans of the Jive 5 version of "My True Story" and stayed true to the original. For Leiber and Stroller's "Ruby Baby" they combined both the Drifters and the Dion versions. Aaron admits a huge Curtis Mayfield influence so "Gypsy Woman" was a no-brainer. "Money Honey", "Be My Baby", "Little Bitty Pretty One", "Under the Boardwalk", "Work With Me Annie", "This Magic Moment"...the list goes on and on. Magic in these tracks.
Word is that 23 tracks were cut for this album and only 12 were released. One only hopes that a second release is forthcoming.
True that.
