The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
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Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
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October 02, 2007
New Album Releases, 10-2-2007: Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Merle Haggard Bruce Springsteen is back with the E Street Band for only their second studio album together in 20 years for the highly anticipated Magic. Pretty many people are falling all over themselves about how great this album is. Chris Williamson at Entertainment Weekly says "Bruce Springsteen is back in the masterpiece business." Really?
I haven't heard most of the album, so I don't know, but I'm skeptical. For starters, the "Radio Nowhere" song that he leaked first is utterly indistinguished. Sounds like a middling album track from John Cafferty at best. It's far worse than bad: it's utterly mediocre. Was there a hook there, and I just missed it the half dozen times I made myself listen to this corporate music food product? He's going nowhere fast with me unless there are much better songs on the album than this.
His last album, the Seeger album, was actually one of Springsteen's three or four best. It reflects his best art, a personal statement of style and soul not much like anything else he's done - even if it was based on old folk songs in arrangements that were never going to play on commercial radio.
Whereas, the whole idea of Springsteen recording with the E Street Band at this point bears the stink of corporate whoredom - and make no mistake, Bruce Springsteen is one of the top all time champion corporate music whores. Some years ago now, Sting famously said that he was "bored" with the boss. That kind of sentiment would perfectly appropriate for something like this "Radio Nowhere," where you can see the pre-fab cookie cutter curves of the tired AOR radio formula.
This song and The Rising represent perfect examples of just the kind of anesthetizing corporate product that Elvis Costello famously protested in "Radio Radio." Or as the king put it a few years later, here comes the invasion hit parade.
Whereas Merle Haggard sounds much more like he's trying to push himself creatively in his dotage with The Bluegrass Sessions. This is his first foray into this style, and it's on the McCoury label besides. This appears to include a couple of re-arrangements of old Hag tunes and some new compositions - plus a Jimmie Rodgers medley, natch. I'd be interested in how "Mama's Hungry Eyes" comes out as a bluegrass song with harmony vocals by Alison Kraus.
John Fogerty has his first album in several years. Revival is currently the #3 album at Amazon, so ol' boy's still got some juice. Plus, I'm happy to see him making peace with his past, as this is his first new record since Creedence days on Fantasy records.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases, courtesy AMG:
Dashboard Confessional The Shade of Poison Trees Vagrant Emo, Indie Rock
Bob Dylan Dylan [2007 3CD Edition] Columbia/Legacy Album Rock, Folk-Rock, Political Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Country-Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop/Rock
John Fogerty Revival Fantasy American Trad Rock, Americana, Roots Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll
PJ Harvey White Chalk Universal/Island Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Bruce Springsteen Magic Sony Heartland Rock, Album Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll
5 Browns Browns in Blue RCA Red Seal Piano Ensemble Music
Ryan Bingham Mescalito Lost Highway Americana, Country-Folk
Boyz N da Hood Back Up N da Chevy Bad Boy Southern Rap, Gangsta Rap
Brooks & Dunn Cowboy Town Arista Contemporary Country, New Traditionalist, Neo-Traditionalist Country
Peabo Bryson Missing You Peak Adult Contemporary, Urban, Smooth Jazz
Cake B-Sides and Rarities Upbeat Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock
J.J. Cale Rewind: The Unreleased Recordings Time Life Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Country-Rock, Blues-Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary
Sarah Chang Vivaldi: The Four Seasons EMI Classics Baroque Violin Concertos
Chicago The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition Rhino Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Jazz-Rock
Clockcleaner Babylon Rules Load Noise-Rock, Goth Rock, Punk
The Cult Born into This Roadrunner Hard Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Karl Denson Lunar Orbit Bobby Ace Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Urban, Smooth Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
