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

Black Sabbath Review / Dead Kennedys Preview (Album 28)

So for being the first 'metal' album of all time, it doesn't surprise that it pales in metalic-ness versus new albums that share the same genre. One thing that stood out to me, was the harmonica in the second song, 'The Wizard.' That was awesome. To me it felt like any 80s or 70s rock album, except the lyrics - which seem to be the defining 'metal' point - were much darker than most other of the time. Certainly there are other dark points to the album. The cover and some of the guitar riffs. I really like the album. I would certainly listen to it again. Especially some of the songs with harmonica and excellent solos.

Favorite Songs:
     The Wizard
     Sleeping Village
   

Album: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

Artist: Dead Kennedys

Release Year: 1980

"Dead Kennedys initially took inspiration from the original wave of UK punks such as the Sex Pistols, but became disenchanted with their anarchic posturing, so they created their own take on the movement." - Seth Jacobson

01 - Kill The Poor

02 - Forward To Death

03 - When Ya Get Drafted

04 - Let's Lynch The Landlord

05 - Drug Me

06 - Your Emotions

07 - Chemical Warfare

08 - California Uber Alles

09 - I Kill Children

10 - Stealing People's Mail

11 - Funland At The Beach

12 - Ill In The Head

13 - Holiday In Cambodia

14 - Viva Las Vegas

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: Dead Kennedys

Spotify: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

Punk music. When I hear new punk music I can only think about how all the songs sound the same. Listen to Rise Against or New Wave or Strung Out for some new school examples. Anyways, I can tell you already that I know Holiday In Cambodia. Maybe Viva Las Vegas, if it's the song I think it is. Enjoy.

~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

Bebel Gilberto Review / Fats Domino Preview (Album 25)

(Bebel preview here) What an interesting album. It was more jazz-samba then I was expecting, but it was still good. It sounds like the kind of music that you would hear in a movie during a rainy love-making scene. In Mexico, obviously. She has a very pretty calm voice, and it goes very well with the slight drums and guitar and such. I like it, but its something that I would only listen to while I was trying to nap or seduce someone... I think that it may be early in a scene in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith (musically similar to this, but not the same: Mr. & Mrs. Smith Mondo Bongo Dance ).

Favorite Songs:
     Samba Da Bancao
     So Nice (Summer Samba)
     Close Your Eyes

Album: This Is Fats

Artist: Fats Domino

Release Year: 1956

"While selling some 65 millino records in the decade [50s], Domino was arguably the man most responsible for bridging the gam between R&B and rock, although Little Richard might despute that claim. What is beyond debate is the influence of the singer's 1950s work, which has run and spread through popular music and influenced everyone from Pat Boone to The Beatles. This Is Fats, the singer's third full-length album on Impereal, was released at the height of Domino's career and remains the most powerful portrait of his artistry thanks to such boogie-woogie beasts as "Blue Monday" and "Honey Chile" and such mournful masterpieces as "So Long" and "Poor Poor Me." - Jim Harrington

01 - Blueberry Hill

02 - Honey Chile

03 - What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You)

04 - Blue Monday

05 - So Long

06 - La-La

07 - Troubles Of My Own

08 - You Done Me Wrong

09 - Reelin' And Rockin'

10 - The Fat Man's Hop

11 - Poor, Poor Me

12 - Trust In Me

Streaming: Radio3.net

iTunes: Fats Domino

I couldn't find him on Spotify, but I found this instead: Playlist

Looking at some more 50s grove. I'm excited to hear Fats. He is a name that I have always heard but never listened too.

~mfm