Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners

These reviews are under construction.

Pretty Lights

The purpose of this is to get the cover of Pretty Light's new album - A Color Map of the Sun - disk 2, Live Studio Sessions, on Google. I couldn't find it. It measures 1000x1000 Here:

Pretty Lights; A Color Map of the Sun is something that you should listen too. You can get it for free from prettylightsmusic.com You can also support the artist by donating or buying the CD.

Pretty Lights A Color Map of the Sun Live Studio Sessions, Disk 2.

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

M.J. Cole Review / Duke Ellington Preview (Album 31)

I don't know where the term 'house music' came from. It must have something to do with the 80s and the music was made 'in-house' so to speak. Like they had their own DJ up there mixing beats up in Studio 54 or something. Anyways, it's an interesting sound. If you don't mind the same thing...for almost an hour. Each song on it's own is good. But it's all the songs together that kind of wear on you a little bit. Each song it probably over 4 minutes each too...which doesn't really help anything. Anyways, some of the beats are good. Some are ok, some are meh.

Favorite Songs:
     Slum King
     Sincere
     Hold On To Me

Album: Ellington At Newport

Artist: Duke Ellington

Release Year: 1956

"After a spell in the doldrums when swing bands went out of fashion, Duke Ellington's performance at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 7, 1956, heralded a dramatic resurgence in his popularity...The resulting album is a patched together-fusion of live recordings, studio retakes, and canned applause. It became the biggest selling record of Duke's career." - Will Fulford-Jones

(You may notice right away that there are 2 very different versions of this album: the original 1956 version, and the updated 1999 version. The only real difference is that the new version is cleaner and has filler tracks of him talking and whatnot. Anyways, I will be listening to the new updated version.)

Disc 1

01 - The Star Spangled Banner

02 - Black and Tan Fantasy

03 - Tea for Two

04 - Take the 'A' Train

05 - Part I - Festival Junction

06 - Part II - Blues to Be There

07 - Part III - Newport Up

08 - Sophisticated Lady

09 - Day In, Day Out

10 - Diminuendo In Blue and Crescendo In Blue

Disc 2

01 - I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)

02 - Jeep's Blues

03 - Tulip or Turnip

04 - Skin Deep

05 - Mood Indigo

06 - Part I - Festival Junction

07 - Part II - Blues To Be There

08 - Part III - Newport Up

09 - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

10 - Jeep's Blues

Stream: Radio3.net

iTunes: Duke Ellington

Spotify: Ellingnton At Newport (This is the old version, they don't have the new version.)

Your tracks won't be the same, I took out all the in-between parts when I listed the tracks. Still though, it's the same essentially.

~mfm

The Black Crowes Review / M. J. Cole Preview (Album 30)

So, this whole album was great. Really, it's amazing that this could ever ever be a debut album. It sounds like a perfect crossover between Led Zeppelin and Creedance Clearwater Revival. People don't make music like they used to, and this is a warp to the music that used to move people. I really enjoyed it. Really did. The musicallity of it all combined with the guys almost soft AC/DC-style voice really lends to an album that will hopefully continue to inspire and be played. I had never heard of these guys before, except perhaps for the song Jealous Again.

Favorite Songs:
     Twice As Hard
     Jealous Again
     Hard To Handle
     She Talks To Angels

Album: Sincere

Artist: M. J. Cole

Release Year: 2000

"Mainly it is Cole's musicality that shines on the album, which came out after his debut single "Sincere" became the first UK garage tune to hit the UK charts. Cole's insistence on composing on live instruments may explain the three years it took before the album was finished. The tone is set on the introduction - a cascading piano gives way to a punishing bassline." - David Crawford

01 - Introduction

02 - Tired Games 

03 - Attitude

04 - Bandelero Desperado

05 - MJ FM Interlude

06 - Crazy Love

07 - Sanctuary

08 - I See

09 - Sincere

10 - Strung Out

11 - Rough Out Here

12 - Slum King

13 - Radio Interlude

14 - Hold On To Me

15 - Free My Mind
16 - Crazy Love (Radio Edit)
17 - Sincere (Mig's Petalpusher Vocal)

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: M. J. Cole 

Spotify: Sincere

Sounds interesting. Like pre- pre- drum and bass or something. interesting.

~mfm

Dead Kennedys Review / The Black Crowes Preview (Album 29)

I heard somewhere that the Dead Kennedys set up punk, or were the kings of punk, or blazed the trail for punk. Or something like that. Somewhere. Anyways, for good or bad, it's the truth. I don't really like this album, I'll be honest. I don't like the songs, I don't really like the sound of the Dead Kennedys, and I guess that's mostly it. But that's kind of a big deal. The super short songs and strange song matter don't appeal to me. I see how they may have, being something entirely different than had basically ever been heard before. I really only like Holiday in Cambodia because it was an actual song in my ears, not the quick little spaz on the drums like the rest of the songs. That and Guitar Hero.

Favorite Songs:
     Holiday in Cambodia
     Viva Las Vegas

Album: Shake Your Money Maker

Artist: The Black Crowes

Release Year: 1990

"The record stayed on the U.S. charts for 18 months. It was not groundbreaking stuff, but when the music was as funky and punchy as this, it did not need to be. The recording career of The Black Crowes has since followed a somewhat erratic trail, but then their reputation was already assured with this remarkably assured debut." - Lino Portela Gutierrez

01 - Twice As Hard

02 - Jealous Again

03 - Sister Luck

04 - Could I've Been So Blind

05 - Seeing Things

06 - Hard To Handle

07 - Thick 'N' Thin

08 - She Talks To Angels

09 - Struttin' Blues

10 - Stare It Cold

Streaming: Radio3.net 

iTunes: The Black Crowes

Spotify: Shake Your Money Maker

And here I thought 'shake your money maker' was strictly a hip-hop term. Silly me. I apologize for not being on in a long time. I'm going to school. So that takes up most of my time. Looking forward to this album.

~mfm