Booker T. And The M.G.s - Green Onions

These reviews are under construction.

Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music

These reviews are under construction.

Bill Evans - Sunday At The Village Vanguard

These reviews are under construction.

Muddy Waters Review / The Doors Preview (Album 33)

More of this free-form jazz / big band music is not a bad thing. I liked this one less than the jazz album right before it (Album 31) but hey. They are both very different and should be treated as such. This Muddy Waters guy, knows how to play a mean guitar. Seriously mean, angry even. It's got that Louisianan / Southern vibe to it. Big fan of the dancey sound that music like this produces.

Favorite Songs:
     I've Got My Mojo Working
     I Got My Brand On You

Album: Morrison Hotel

Artist: The Doors

Release Year: 1970

"...This was a muscular R&B-inspired offering, betraying the group's roots. The chugging, ballsy "Roadhouse Blues" makes most immediate impact, featuring hitmaker Lonnie Mack on bass and The Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian ("G Puglese") on harmonica. (It was subsequently covered by acs as diverse as Blue Oyster Cult and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.)...The Doors were back on course again." - John Tobler

[This is the original set of tracks.]

01 - Roadhouse Blues

02 - Waiting For The Sun

03 - You Make Me Real

04 - Peace Frog

05 - Blue Sunday

06 - Ship Of Fools

[Side B]

07 - Land Ho!

08 - The Spy

09 - Queen Of The Highway

10 - Indian Summer

11 - Maggie M'Gill

Stream: Radio3.net

iTunes: The Doors

Spotify: Morrison Hotel

I do love me some 70s rock, I think it's the greatest generation for rock 'n roll. Especially if it has some good harmonica and keys. 

~mfm

Duke Elligton Review / Muddy Waters Preview (Album 32)

This was some seriously good jazz music. At least that is the label I would give it; some combination of jazz and big band. Anyways, it was really good. It was hard to tell exactly what was Duke Ellington, but on some of those songs the horns get blazin'. The trumpet and clarinet and trombone is so amazing, they don't make music like this anymore folks. My favorite song was the one where the showcase a bunch of the muscians in one song are wonderful. And there is aparently one of the best solos of all time on this album, by one Paul Gonsalves on the saxaphone. I hope it's the solo on Festival Junction, because that song is amazing.

Favorite Songs:
     Festival Junction

Album: Muddy Waters at Newport

Artist: Muddy Waters

Release Year: 1960

"If this album simply represented the moment when live blues invited itself into suburban homes, it would still be remembered. If it were only the album that acquainted the likes of Jimmy Paige and Eric Clapton with America's urban sound, it would be a landmark. But after 45 years of consistent sales, Muddy Waters at Newport is, at its essence, a testament to the magnetism and soulfulness of raw blues at it's best." - Matthew Oshinsky

(This is, again, the remastered 2001 version tracklist)

01 - I Got My Brand On You

02 - (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man

03 - Baby, Please Don't Go

04 - Soon Forgotten

05 - Tiger In Your Tank

06 - I Feel So Good

07 - Got My Mojo Workin'

08 - Got My Mojo Workin' (Part 2)

09 - Goodbye Newport Blues

10 - I Got My Brand On You

11 - Soon Forgotten

12 - Tiger In Your Tank

13 - Meanest Woman

Stream: Radio3.net

iTunes: Muddy Waters

Spotify: Muddy Waters at Newport

Skip forward 6 years and you have another one of the biggest names in jazz and blues shakin things up yet again. 

~mfm

Jimmy Smith Review / Black Sabbath Preview (Album 27)

This is probably actually my least favorite part of the blog. Saying what I did or did not like about something. It's very hard to articulate what you are trying to say sometimes. Especially if you are trying to say it in a unique way. Anyways. Jimmy Smith. This is, without a doubt, the smoothest album I have ever listened too. When people say jazz, this is the kind of music that I think of. Downbeat, there are a couple of people keeping the beat and rhythm, while they take turns improvising. Jazz. It's very calming and fun and upbeat at the same time. If it were a movie soundtrack, it would be the part in the movie where we are down in a club in the 40s, just watching the club, and we see in the background Humphrey Bogart walk down the stairs as he enters and orders a drink as he looks around checkin' out the ladies. Then chaos ensues during a fist fight or a shootout and we need a different sound for that. The book sums this album up perfectly: 'Relentlessly groovy.'

Favorite Songs:
     Back At The Chicken Shack
     Honestly I like them all, but Back At The Chicken Shack stands out to me the most.

Album: Black Sabbath

Artist: Black Sabbath

Release Year:1970

"On the list for its enormous influence rather than its scintillating musical qualities, Black Sabbath's debut album is weighty in reputation as it is in sonic depth. With its opening, eponymous song routinely hailed as the unholy-trinity anthem ("Black Sabbath" on Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath) that kickstarted heavy metal, the dark, dark sleeve art and the sludgy production seeping all over the basic, bludgeoning songs, the record still sounds supremely evil today." - Joel McIver

01 - Black Sabbath

02 - The Wizard

03 - Behind The Wall Of Sleep

04 - N.I.B.

05 - Evil Woman

06 - Sleeping Village

07 - Warning

08 - Wicked World

*This is the European release set of songs. 

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: Black Sabbath

Spotify: Black Sabbath

My dad has this album in vinyl. So pops if you read this, give it a spin for me.

~mfm

Fats Review / Jimmy Smith Preview (Album 26)

Fats Domino was not was I was assuming. It was pretty good. It was this combination of Frank Sinatra with more soul and less sad. But that's cool. I can dig it. All of the songs were really short. Which doesn't bother me, in fact it shouldn't even be a problem. I think that we expect songs to be between 3:30 and 4:00. If it's any longer our 'short attention spans' fail us and we lose the song or change the radio station. If it's too long we don't want to listen to because it doesn't say what it has to say soon enough. Or something like that. Anyways, I liked Fats. I thought he would sound less mature than he did. He sounded older than the picture that they show of him in the book:

Just a cheery looking baby-fat-having gentleman. But he sounded way more exciting than that. it was good.

Favorite Songs:
     Honey Chile
     La-La
     The Fat Man's Hop

Album: Back At The Chicken Shack

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Release Year:: 1960

"Back At The Chicken Shack is arguably Smith's greatest album, relentlessly grooving, harmonically sophisticated, and earthy as the Delta mud... Smith transformed the organ's lamentable image with his soulful synthesis of bebop, blues, and gospel, creating a powerfully grooving new sound. He spawned a new style of music - soul jazz - and a host of disciples who took up the Hammond B3 [compact organ] and formed combos." - Andrew Gilbert

01 - Back At The Chicken Shack

02 - When I Grow Too Old To Dream

03 - Minor Chant

04 - Messy Bessie

05 - On The Sunny Side Of The Street*

*Apparently, this song was not part of the original album, but released with the album as part of the CD later.

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: Jimmy Smith

Spotify: Back At The Chicken Shack

Only 5 songs long, I expect to have the next one up rather soon.

~mfm

The Everly Brothers Review / Spirit Preview (Album 21)

(Everly Brothers preview here) So The Everly Brothers was probably what I was expecting. Sounds like early Beach Boys and  Simon & Garfunkel  and other vocalists like that. After a brief look around the internet, I don't think that their other stuff sounds like this. This album comes from before they turned into a "country-influenced rock and roll" performance. But that's alright. Maybe we will see some more of them in the future. I doubt that any of this will be staying on my iPod. Maybe I'll make my grandpa sit down and listen to it and see if he knows it. That would be cool.

Favorite Songs:
     Made To Love
     Baby What Do You Want Me To Do

Album: Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

Artist: Spirit

Release Year: 1970

"Feelins could not have been worse when Spirit recorded Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus. Luckily, David Briggs [producer], who worked with Neol Young, managed to harness all the animosity into Spirit's masterwork. The album was enriched with meaty horn arrangements ("Morning Will Come"), imaginative vocal harmonies ("Nothin' To Hide") and a structured approach to psychedelic studio trickery such as stereo panning and tapes run backwards...Oh, and "Dr. Sardonicus?" It is the nickname Spirit coined for the mixing desk at the studio." - Jamie Gonzalo

 01 - Prelude - Nothin' To Hide

02 - Nature's Way

03 - Animal Zoo

04 - Love Has Found A Way

05 - Why Can't I Be Free

06 - Mr. Skin

07 - Space Child

08 - When I Touch You

09 - Street Worm

10 - Life Has Just Begun

11 - Morning Will Come

12 - Soldier

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: Spirit

Spotify: Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

This sounds pretty cool. I've never heard of them before, but here's to hoping.

~mfm

Louis Prima Review / The Everly Brothers Preview (Album 20)

(Louis Prima preview here) Jazz jazz jazz jazz jazz...It's so silly. I like jazz, but I don't think that I will ever be able to rap my head around it. Especially if there doesn't seem to be a cohesive sound or melody or tempo. It's all very confusing. Anyways, that's mostly what I feel about Louis Prima. Skills: yes. My understanding of his creative venture: no. A couple of his songs reminded me of The Jungle Book, and when Baloo seems to go all be-bop.

Favorite Songs:
     Melody: Basin Street Blues - When It's Sleepy Time Down South

Album: A Date With The Everly Brothers

Artist: The Everly Brothers

Release Year: 1960

"It would have been reasonable to expect the cupboard to be bare, and the first tracks recorded, "Lucille" and "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do," suggest that material was in short supply. But the radical reinterpretations showed the Everly harmonies could refresh the most familiar songs." - David Hucheon

01 - Made To Love

02 - That's Just Too Much

03 - Stick With Me Baby

04 - Baby What Do You Want Me To Do

05 - Sigh, Cry, Almost Die

06 - Always It's You

07 - Love Hurts

08 - Lucille

09 - So How Come (No One Loves Me)

10 - Donna, Donna

11 - A Change Of Heart

12 - Cathy's Clown

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: A Date With The Everly Brothers

Spotify: The Everly Brothers

This looks like a 60s version of a boy band. Also it's weird, in the book they usually have strange pictures (at least not what seems to be the most common picture) for an album. Weird Britts.

~mfm

Miriam Makeba Review / The Louvin Brothers Preview (Album 14)

(Mariam preview here) Wow. That was a very interesting listen. I was absolutely blown away by the click song. When she opens the song, she starts with explaining that the song isn't really called "The Click Song", but that is what the "white people called it" because they couldn't pronounce...the name of the song. That is the kind of language that is going to some day be lost to the world, it wasn't meant for being written down, and it is being eradicated because people are being pushed to change their way of life. It makes me glad that we have this music recorded. But enough politics. One song sounded very very familiar to what I know as the opening scene of The Lion King. Disney seems to know what they are doing (Simba, means lion in Swahili I'm pretty sure), and may have used that same exact sound for their movie. If it was stealing or not, I don't know. But it's recognizable enough. Fun album. I like the renditions of House Of The Rising Sun. The song "Naughty Little Flea" actually creeped me out. During this song, which sounded like it was about a lady losing her husband, there is a dude laughing in the background. Huh? Just weird. Anyways, probably not an album I will listen to often, but great for expanding horizons.

Favorite Songs:
     The Click Song
     Mbube
     The Naughty Little Flea
     House Of The Rising Sun

Whoops. Turns out I skipped the 50s this time around. Let's go back a little and do that one...

Album: Tragic Songs Of Life

Artist: The Louvin Brothers

(Footnote: I couldn't find a good image of the album art the book used)

Release Year: 1956

"You don't have to be mad murderous, drunken, driven, lonesome, ornery, or blue to sing country music... but it sure helps. This, their first full album, remains one of country's essential bedrock releases. Charlies baritone and Ira's pure high tenor trade and fuse with lilting style and beauteous grace. It is gospel-fired bluegrass shot straight from the heart." - Ross Fortune

01 - Kentucky

02 - I'll Be All Smiles Tonght

03 - Let Her Go God Bless You

04 - What Is Home Without Love

05 - A Tiny Broken Heart

07 - Alabama

08 - Katie Dear

09 - My Brother's Will

10 - Knoxville Girl

11 - Take The News To Mother

12 - Mary Of The Wild Moor

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: Louvin Brothers

Spotify: Louvin Brothers

Country music...

~mfm

Air Review / Miriam Makeba Preview (Album 13)

(Air preview here) So. This album album is really cool. Sadly, I didn't watch it with the movie, which would greatly improve it I'm sure. I still plan on watching it. Listening to it was interesting, and I definitively could see how it would greatly improve everything with the movie. The songs are all pretty short, considering they are all just for the movie and probably used over and over again. The songs are also really cool, with their strings and their vocals being used as sounds, there are a couple with really really cool crescendos that I can imagine hearing during the apex of the movie. Pretty sweet stuff.

Favorite Songs:
     Playground Love
     Clouds Up
     Ghost Song
     Dead Bodies (Awesome crescendo)

Back around the horn...

Album: Miriam Makeba

Artist: Miriam Makeba

Release Year: 1960

"Traditional Xhosa wedding songs swing into airy African jazz moods, mellifluous Indoneasian lullabies, and infectious Calypso romps - myriad influences and styles working to enormous effect." - Miles Keylock

I don't know what half of those words mean, but I am willing to find out.

01 - The Retreat Song

02 - Sullram

03 - The Click Song

04 - Umhome

05 - Olilili

06 - Lakutshn, Ilanga

07 - Mbube

08 - The Naughty Little Flea

09 - Where Does It Lead

10 - Nomeva

11 - House Of The Rising Sun

12 - Saduva

13 - One More Dance

14 - Iya Guduza

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: iTunes

Spotify: Spotify

Sounds worldly....

~mfm

Elvis Review / Derek And The Dominos Preview (Album 9)

(Elvis preview here) So, more Elvis. I like Elvis. This man have a voice. He is the King Of Rock. this album, however, is a little different than some of his other songs. That seems to happen often. There is one almost a cappella song, and there are some songs lyrically that sounded more like they should be in a new-school metal song than a 60s "classic rock" pop song. (In 'Dirty, Dirty Feeling': "I hear you're pretty good at runnin / but pretty soon you'll slip and fall / that's when I'll drag you home with me girl / I'm gonna chain you to the wall"). It's interesting. A lot of the songs sound like you would expect Elvis, singing about love and ladies lost; The Girl Of My Best Friend, Thrill Of Your Love, It Feels So Right. There are also a couple of war-themed songs - I believe that this is because Elvis just returned from the service (I think...). This is interesting, because this generation is almost gone and this time of the world continues to disappear from our view. It's a little sad. Elvis and his group of crooners help to you imagine what it was like to have love during the 1960s.

Favorite songs:

     Girl Of My Best Friend

     Soldier Boy

     Such A Night

Album: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Artist: Derek And The Dominos

Release Year: 1970

"An almost fictitious group ended up making a double vinyl album that, though it bombed at the time, has since been re-evaluated as a rock classic thanks to its title track's single success. The Derek in question was Eric Clapton who, after stints with The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and (briefly) Blind Faith, recruited a band and created this, his first solo gem." - Michael Heatley

01 - I Looked Away

02 - Bell Bottom Blues

03 - Keep On Growing 

04 - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

05 - I Am Yours

06 - Anyday

07 - Key To The Highway

08 - Tell The Truth

09 - Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad

10 - Have You Ever Loved A Woman

11 - Little Wing

12 - It's Too Late

13 - Layla

14 - Thorn Tree In The Garden

Here again is the website you can listen to the whole album on: Radio3.net

Also Spotify: iTunes

Also iTunes: Spotify

Gosh, the 70s is going to be my favorite decade.

~mfm

Elvis Review / Elvis Preview (Album 8)

(Elvis preview here) Wow sorry, it's been a while. Elvis. The King of Rock and Roll. I only really like the songs here that were his famous songs; Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti, Blue Moon. The album is actually thrown together from a bunch of different recordings, which makes for a bunch of changing sounds. Not bad, just an interesting fact. The songs go from slow and acoustic to rock-a-billy and upbeat. It's fun. A fun album indeed.

Favorite Songs:
     Blue Suede Shoes
     Blue Moon
     Tutti Frutti

Back to the 60s...WAIT WHAT.

Album: Elvis Is Back!

Artist: Elvis Presley

Release Year: 1960

"Starved of material for nearly two years, RCA were desperate to record Elvis the moment he left the army. Presley's manager wanted to keep them hungry, so he retained the upper hand in negotiations. It proved to be one of the rare occasions on which the colonel did not get his way." - David Hutcheon

01 - Make Me Know It

02 - Fever

03 - The Girl Of My Best Friend

04 - I Will Be Home Again

05 - Dirty, Dirty Feeling

06 - The Thrill Of Your Love

07 - Soldier Boy

08 - Such A Night

09 - It Feels So Right

10 - Girl Next Door Went A'Walkin

11 - Like A Baby

12 - Reconsider Baby

You can listen to the whole book on this website: Radio3.net

More Elvis, more awesome.

~mfm

Joan Baez Review / Creedence Clearwater Preview (Album 3)

(Joan Baez preview here) In the Book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", the writer of the Joan Baez album review said that Joan Baez has "the voice of an angel". He is very right. Joan Baez has a beautiful voice. Personally though, I don't enjoy folk music. I listened to her album without any ideas like that in my head, but this just doesn't do it for me. Her songs remind me a lot of protest songs and songs that you would hear in the 50's and 60's (which makes sense, since this album is from 1960). I liked it, but I don't think that I will be listening to it much more.

Favorite Songs:
     House Of The Rising Sun (yes, it's a cover)
     Henry Martin (for her guitar playing)

And now, for the first album from the 1970s:

Album: Cosmo's Factory

Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Release Year: 1970

"It is quintessential Creedence. A glorious distillation of their distinctive, Southern-style mix of choogling swamp boogie and prime, blistering pop. Eschewing the druggy psychedelic excess of many of their San Francisco peers, the album includes both sides of their three recent hit singles, to which they added covers of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Bo Diddley..." - Ross Fortune

01 - Ramble Tamble

02 - Before You Accuse Me

03 - Travelin' Band

04 - Ooby Dooby

05 - Lookin' Out My Back Door

06 - Run Through The Jungle

07 - Up Around The Bend

08 - My Baby Left Me

09 - Who'll Stop The Rain

10 - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

11 - Long As I Can See The Light

iTunes: Cosmo's Factory (Remastered)

Spotify: Cosmo's Factory

~mfm

Sinatra Review / Joan Baez Preview (Album 2)

(Elvis preview here) Hello again both of you. To start things off we have the In the Wee Small Hours review.

It's too bad that music like this is lost on my generations and the generations that are coming after. This is really quality music. Suffice to say, the whole album (and I mean the whole album) is sad. Like that quote said, this is a man alone. There didn't seem to be any really outstanding songs singles wise, but this was a time before singles when people listened to the whole album. Musically it's really smooth swing, but mostly just background to Franky's voice. If all the songs weren't so sad, this would be good baby-making music. But alas.

Favorite songs:
     I Get Along Without You Very Well
     What Is This Thing Called Love
     Last Night When We Were Young

The next album I'll be listening to:

Album: Joan Baez

Artist: Joan Baez

Release Year: 1960

"She [Baez] released 17 records through Vanguard, and while she later was to become known as "Queen" to Bob Dylan's "King Of Folk Music" (Dylan was in awe of Baez at first), her name was not connected with Dylan's until her thrid album, on which she first began performing contemporary material...Although her place at the forefront of the protest movement was still around the corner, Baez's strength, compassion, and courage were apparent on this initial release, which did much to revitalize folk music for a new generation."

 - Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

01 - Silver Dagger

02 - fare Thee Well (10,000) Miles

03 - House Of The Rising Sun

04 - All My Trails

05 - Wildwood Flowers

06 - Donna Donna

07 - John Riley

08 - Rake And Rambling Boy

09 - Little Moses

10 - Mary Hamilton

11 - Henry Martin

12 - El Preson Numero Nueve

Looks like folk / protest music possibly for album 2. Let me know what you thoughts are.

~mfm