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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All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
October 21, 2008
New CD Album Releases, 10-21-2008: AC/DC, TSOP, High School Musical, Lee Ann Womack The big deal this week is the Wal-Mart exclusive Black Ice, the first new AC/DC album in seven years. I've listened to it now a couple of times, and I'm somewhat less unimpressed than I would have expected. When my high school classmates were losing their minds over Back in Black, I was knee deep in Elvis Costello. Still, that was a classic album, and I wouldn't deny "Highway to Hell" or Dirty Deeds. There were some real actual songs under some of that crunch.
But they're a steady state band, and they've been making the same album for most of 30 years now. I cannot tell one of these songs apart from the other. Each one sounds like almost every song they've made. Still, this sounds a little sharper and more energetic to my ears than anything recently. It's re-assuring to a rock fan my age to see them carrying on credibly. You'd think that Brian Johnson's throat would be LONG gone, but he's shredding as good as ever. God bless AC/DC.
Love Train: The Ultimate Sound of Philadelphia is an AWESOME four CD set with extensive liner notes from the Philly International label. In the 60s and 70s, writer-producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff made their label competitive artistically and commercially even to Motown and the mighty Stax. This right here is about five hours of back to back awesomeness. Plus, hearing these various artists and styles all together creates an extra layer of meaning and cohesion from the also awesome joy of randomly hearing these songs scattered around the radio.
Now if you have multiple albums apiece from the Spinners, the O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, Harold Melvin, the Delfonics, Jerry Butler and the Stylistics, you might could get away without this set. But even at that, it includes groovy things like a rare side credited to Leon Huff his bad self, "I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin."
Even if you're a youngun born after all these things were recorded, you most likely know a third of these songs or more, cause quality lasts. Your life is just incomplete if you don't know "Back Stabbers" and "It's a Shame" and a bunch of these other songs and hold them close to your heart. Plus, this has extensive history and liner notes to further your proper appreciation. You probably need this collection in your life. In fact, I'ma make a note to put Gamble and Huff on my Thanksgiving gratitude list this year.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
AC/DC Black Ice Columbia Aussie Rock, Album Rock, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Arena Rock
The Dears Missiles Dangerbird Post-Rock/Experimental, Indie Rock
Of Montreal Skeletal Lamping Polyvinyl Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Original Soundtrack High School Musical 3: Senior Year Walt Disney Teen Pop, Original Score, Musicals, Pop/Rock
Wilbert Aerts Violin Faces Fuga Libera Modern and Contemporary Music for Violin
Pierre-Laurent Aimard Hommage a Messiaen Deutsche Grammophon Modern Music for Piano
Roy Ayers Ubiquity Change Up the Groove Verve Soul-Jazz, Instrumental Pop
Azymuth Butterfly Far Out UK Brazilian Jazz, Fusion, Jazz-Funk
Ray Barretto Jazz Universal Afro-Cuban Jazz, Latin Jazz, New York Salsa, Salsa
Anthony Braxton The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton Mosaic Structured Improvisation, Creative Orchestra, Experimental Big Band, Avant-Garde Jazz
Camerata Berolinensis Johann Stamitz, Christoph Willibald Gluck: Sinfonie a tre Musikmanufaktur Berlin Classical Orchestral and Chamber Music
Dead Trees King of Rosa Milan Indie Rock, American Trad Rock
Brett Dennen Hope for the Hopeless Dualtone Contemporary Folk, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Folk-Rock
The big deal this week is the Wal-Mart exclusive Black Ice, the first new AC/DC album in seven years. I've listened to it now a couple of times, and I'm somewhat less unimpressed than I would have expected. When my high school classmates were losing their minds over Back in Black, I was knee deep in Elvis Costello. Still, that was a classic album, and I wouldn't deny "Highway to Hell" or Dirty Deeds. There were some real actual songs under some of that crunch.
Love Train: The Ultimate Sound of Philadelphia is an AWESOME four CD set with extensive liner notes from the Philly International label. In the 60s and 70s, writer-producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff made their label competitive artistically and commercially even to Motown and the mighty Stax. This right here is about five hours of back to back awesomeness. Plus, hearing these various artists and styles all together creates an extra layer of meaning and cohesion from the also awesome joy of randomly hearing these songs scattered around the radio.
groovy things like a rare side credited to Leon Huff his bad self, "I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin."
AC/DC
Brett Dennen
Sebastien Grainger
Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins
Various Artists
Luniculaire