[Louis O]

This has got to be the best thread I've seen.

This is what it's all about.

I have been listening to the Melvins Stoner Witch a lot lately, but not computer savvy to post the album cover.

Many thanks,
louis

[zybar]

This has got to be the best thread I've seen.

This is what it's all about.

I have been listening to the Melvins Stoner Witch a lot lately, but not computer savvy to post the album cover.

Many thanks,
louis

Here you go:




George

[Louis O]

Right on George.

Need to get Vinnie down here to teach me how to do this.

Thanks,
Louis

[zybar]

Right on George.

Need to get Vinnie down here to teach me how to do this.

Thanks,
Louis

I will be happy to tutor you for a pair of Deep Hemp subs.   

George

[Louis O]

Right on George,

You got your work cut out for you though.

Thanks,
Louis

[Airborn]

Here you go Louis....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=40968.0

[jsaliga]

Sarah Vaughan - Dreamy



I know I already recommended one Sarah Vaughan album, and I could probably go on to recommend every single album in her vast catalog.  There can be no overstating her importance to vocal jazz.  But truth be told, not everything she did is essential listening.  Vaughan did not always have the best slate of songs on her records, and even she was not capable of working miracles on awful material.  The same thing was true of the glorious Ella Fitzgerald during her very short stay at Capitol Records.  They had the bright idea of taking one of the greatest jazz singers and marrying her to some insipidly terrible pop tunes.  Fitzgerald sounded like a fish out of water, and even her marvelous voice could not rescue that god forsaken material from musical oblivion.  That aside, there are a number of pretty important vocal jazz recordings that are currently not available on the CD format.  This excellent recording is among them.  This outing has Vaughan singing to the light string arrangements of Jimmy Jones, her regular piano accompanyist.  The strings are recessed in the mix and Sarah Vaughan's wonderful voice takes center stage.  Essential listening if you can find a good vinyl copy.  My copy is a EMUS reissue from the early 1970s, and it was originally issued in 1960 on the Roulette label -- though good original pressings are getting pretty rare.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

The Band - The Band



This is arguably Robbie Robertson's finest moment as both a songwriter and a musician.  A slice of southern Americana, with rootsy vocals, articulate arrangements, and an uncanny musicianship that keeps the listener squarely focused on the music.  I'm happy to be able to say that this is one instance where a CD remaster is actually an improvement.  I usually avoid CD remasters like the plague, but in this case The Band remasters are very much worth buying and sound fantastic.

--Jerome

[Louis O]

Hi Airborn,

Thanks for the link. Now I can figure it out.

Hi Jerome,

Looks like I will be spending some cash on Amazon very soon.

Thanks,
Louis

[Canyoneagle]

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Lifeline


Recorded old-school style on analog gear, and it sounds fantastic - even on CD.  Very well recorded with a very natural sound and some fantastic songs.



Joan Osborne - Relish



I pulled this CD out of my cabinet and was quickly reminded of why it was one of my fave's more than 10 years ago.  Excellent recording (on most tracks) and wonderful musicianship coalesce to make for a wonderful listening experience.  "Pensacola" is particularly good.

[Canyoneagle]

.....And, this one needs little - if any - introduction.  Very enjoyable, with a "variations on a theme" thread tying many of the tracks together.

[jsaliga]

Drive-By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera



Some might argue that the band in general and this record in particular is little more than a cheap knock-off of Lynyrd Skynyrd.  But I beg to differ.  This double LP is a 90-minute ode to Southern rock and a homage to the aforementioned Lynyrd Skynyrd.  The songs are tightly woven into a tale of a young man who goes from a rock and roll fan in the deep south to rock star and then dies in a plane crash (sound familiar?).  But this is a story that is told through passionately played and sung music, and it works amazingly well.  The songcraft is outstanding, and the musicianship is completely in the service of the music while not over-powering the songs.  I was looking for some music to buy and happend upon this one more or less by accident.  After reading a short review I ordered it on vinyl (it's available on CD as well).  A must own for any fan of Southern rock and highly recommended for rock fans in general.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

Norman Blake - Home in Sulphur Springs



Norman Blake is a great bluegrass artist who has been making records since 1972 and is still at it, performing live and recording in the studio.  This record is his solo recording debut and features light instrumentation and arrangements, with only a solo acoustic guitar on most tracks.  On other songs the guitar is paired with a mandolin (also played by Blake).  While the arragements are somewhat spartan by bluegrass standards, this is truely spirited music played and sung in the great bluegrass tradition.  Blake also happens to be a virtuoso on the acoustic guitar, and his technical virtuosity is prominently on display throughout the record.  This record is also an example of the joys of vinyl.  I have owned this title on CD for many years, but recently found an original 1970s pressing (Rounder 0012) still sealed for $7 on eBay.  The record was spine tingling good with low surface noise as one would expect and not a pop or click to be found.  Even if bluegrass isn't your cup of tea, I still recommend you give this music a chance if you like acoustic guitar.  The rewards of listening are tremendous.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

The Who - Who's Next



When I started this thread I was determined not to fill it with a bunch of obvious choices.  You know, choices like Miles Davis' Kind of Blue for jazz listeners or something like The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East for rock fans.  Most people who haven't spent their lives in a cave and know a little something about music are in the know about the important recordings in the genres of music they follow.  And it is certainly true that people who frequent on-line communities such as this one know considerably more about music than the music buyer who thinks that Walmart is the best place to shop for music.  I think I have mostly done what I set out to do.  I tried to pick some recordings that are slightly off the beaten path, that most people might not think would be mentioned in a thread like this, or just a surprise or two to give my fellow music lovers something to investigate that they might not be too familiar with.  My tastes are all over the map but there are limits to what I will recommend in this thread...so I won't be discussing Throbbing Gristle here anytime soon (even though I have both the 24 Hours of Throbbing Gristle and TG+ boxed sets)  But darn it, I want to talk about Who's Next for a minute even though it is one of those "obvious choices."  Yeah, no self-respecting rock fan would be without this staple of hard rock.  But what's really to like about it?  Well, there are four things that immediately come to mind: Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon.  There are a other reasons.  I love the cover art.    And then there are the songs.  Yeah, that's it: the music.    This is really a ballsy record.  Pete Townshend brings keyboards into the mix and writes a memorable slate of songs that have been in motion picture soundtracks and have kept the CSI TV show franchise going for the past 12 years.  They're all winners, naturally, but my favorites are the obvious ones: Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Going Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes, and the album's signature tune Won't Get Fooled Again.  This is available in a 2CD Deluxe Edition and the sound quality is very good (though the extras are something of a let down).  But good news for vinylphiles is that original pressings of this album in great playing condition are plentiful and cheap.  Buy it if you don't have it...

--Jerome

[Canyoneagle]

Check thes guys out!

http://www.myspace.com/belakaroli

Their rendition of "summertime" is SUBLIME!!!!!!!

[DaveC113]

I'm surprised Bela Fleck and the Flecktones haven't come up:



Virtuoso musicians with Bela on electric banjo, its a fusion of bluegrass, jazz and a little bit of rock. Victor may be the best bass player ever (Les Claypool is the only other contender, IMO). There is a live album called "Live at the Quick" featuring unique instruments like a bassoon, a tuvan throat singer and more. I'd recommend that and their self titled album, but they're all good.

[DaveC113]

Also, Thievery Corporation deserves a mention:



Thievery is a eclectic mix blending electronica with reggae and latin beats, every album is quality material, but "The Mirror Conspiracy" is my top pick.   

[Canyoneagle]

OOOOH, Thievery Corp. is GREAT stuff.

Okay, back to this unbelievable rendition of 'Summertime'

The vocalist reminds me of 'Ekova'.

[jsaliga]

Tony Bennett - I Wanna Be Around



Tony Bennett is another artist that one could simply say buy everything the man ever recorded and be done with it.  In the thread where I discussed my experience with my MaxHemp/DeepHemp setup I said that if one could only buy one Tony Bennett album then you should go out and get Tony Bennett - Jazz.  But I am a jazz fan and therefore am admittedly biased.  Tony Bennett isn't a jazz singer, and he never really was one.  He is, rather, one of the finest singers of popular music standards to ever step into a recording studio.  So it seems appropriate to recommend a record that captures the essence of him as a pop standards icon.  A lot of his albums from the 1960s fit that bill.  Many will probably wonder why I am not suggesting his signature record, I Left My Heart In San Francisco.  Simply stated, while I love that record there are other albums in Bennett's catalog that I prefer over it because they have a stronger lineup of songs.  The album I Wanna Be Around is one of those records.  It is jam packed with great pop standards such as The Good Life, I Wanna Be Around, Let's Face the Music and Dance, Someone to Love, and the bossa nova tune Corcovado (Quite Nights of Quiet Stars).  This is essential listening for anyone who likes Tony Bennett or pop music standards of the 1950s and 1960s.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

Count Basie, Joe Williams - Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings



One of my favorite albums...period.  Count Basie found his big swing band declining in popularity ever since big blues shouter Jimmy Rushing left the Basie Orchestra as its featured vocalist in 1950.  Joe Williams, an enormously gifted vocalist with incredible range, was a great talent without a band to back him.  So they joined forces and the results could not be more delightful.  The signature song on this album is All Right, OK, You Win, but to my ears the song that brings down the house is Please Send Me Someone to Love, where Joe Williams puts on a magnificent display of vocal chops that will just knock your socks off.  Basie and the orchestra are in fine form, with Thad Jones on trumpet and that big Basie rhythm section that is truely great even if they are somewhat upstaged by the power of Williams' vocals.  A must buy for fans of big band swing and jazz vocals.

--Jerome