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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July 15, 2008
New CD Album Releases, 7-15-2008: Passing Strange cast album, Randy Travis, John Mellencamp, Dark Knight soundtrack The big deal this week for cool folks comes from the most distinguished composer Stew, The Negro Problem incarnate - and now a Tony award winning Broadway composer and star. The original Broadway cast recording of Passing Strange is out this week. Did I mention that Stew won a Tony for this musical, and was nominated for six others? Spike Lee is filming the show for some kind of movie presentation.
It is an autobiographical tale of the young middle-class boho tripping across Europe. There are fairly many artsy pop music styles here, but early on I'm particularly taken with "We Just Had Sex." It's some kind of light samba or mambo or such, a very catchy and carefully non-chalant by-the-way about how it's no big deal that the characters have just had three way sex.
Brother Stew is one of the greatest songwriters working today. If you don't know Stew, you don't know jack. Download "The Big Game", one of his best songs for free.
Also, here are a couple more outstanding recent Stew songs: DOWNLOAD: Pastry Shop An excellent melody informing a particularly good and understated anti-war sentiment DOWNLOAD: Black Men Ski An outstanding arty pop song
Randy Travis has Around the Bend. That voice is as good as ever. He makes a nice, light fiddle hoedown out of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." Hearing his delivery here made me notice what a surprisingly nimble and bouncy touch he can get out of that deep voice.
Life Death Love and Freedom is the newest from our Hoosier hometown hero John Mellencamp. Love the homeboy, but the Little Bastard really hasn't written a song that anyone really needs to hear in at least a decade. The fading of talent isn't so awful. He wrote "Lonely Ol' Night" and "Love and Happiness" if he never wrote another song. But even as one of his biggest fans, I get more disgusted by the year with his increasingly dishonest self-righteous malice in dumb crap like this slanderous "Jena" song.
The less interesting his tunesmithing gets, the more supposedly profound his lyrics become, and the more pronounced his need to establish his cheap sense of righteous superiority over his neighbors. Nothing I'm hearing on this album does anything to change that outlook.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
David Banner The Greatest Story Ever Told SRC/Universal Motown Dirty South, Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap
Dirty Pretty Things Romance at Short Notice Mercury Indie Rock
The Hold Steady Stay Positive Vagrant Indie Rock, American Trad Rock, Rock & Roll
Nas Nas Def Jam Political Rap, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop
Claudio Abbado Marches and Dances Deutsche Grammophon Marches and Dances for Orchestra
Bajofondo Mar Dulce Vibra Electronica, Tango
Don Braden Gentle Storm Highnote Post-Bop, Modern Creative
Daedelus Love to Make Music To Ninja Tune Indie Electronic, Experimental Techno
Foreigner No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner Atlantic/Rhino Album Rock, Arena Rock, Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons The Motown Years Hip-O Select Pop, Doo Wop
Delta Goodrem Delta Decca Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Gossip Rework It Backyard Indie Rock, Garage Punk, Lo-Fi
The Grascals Keep on Walkin' Rounder Contemporary Bluegrass, Progressive Bluegrass
Honeybus Story Deram Psychedelic Pop, British Psychedelia
The Imagined Village The Imagined Village Real World Neo-Traditional Folk, Alternative Folk, Worldbeat
Jet Black Stare In This Life Island Post-Grunge, Hard Rock
Gunar Letzbor Wenzel Ludwig Edler von Radolt: Viennese Lute Concertos Challenge Classics Baroque Music for Lute and Ensemble
John Mellencamp Life Death Love and Freedom Hear Music Pop/Rock, Roots Rock
The Music Strength in Numbers Polydor Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Trio Wanderer Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du Temps Harmonia Mundi Modern Chamber Music
Original Soundtrack American Teen Almost Gold Soundtracks, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Singer/Songwriter
Original Soundtrack The Dark Knight [#1] Warner Bros. Original Score, Soundtracks
The big deal this week for cool folks comes from the most distinguished composer 
Randy Travis has Around the Bend. That voice is as good as ever. He makes a nice, light fiddle hoedown out of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." Hearing his delivery here made me notice what a surprisingly nimble and bouncy touch he can get out of that deep voice.
Original Soundtrack
Randy Travis