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
September 01, 2009
New CD Album Releases, 9-1-2009: Whitney Houston, Black Crowes, Juliette Lewis Whitney Houston is back after a half dozen years of the tabloid crapola with I Look to You. Frankly, I never saw what the big deal was about her in the first place. She was second only to Mariah Carey as someone whose music would cause me to change the radio station.
I'm seeing a lot of comments around Amazon about this album showing that her voice is shot, or such. I can't really tell it myself. I guess maybe she had some little special vocal tricks that she used to be able to do or something, but they were just attached to such generic and souless songs that I didn't notice them. But from what I can hear here, she's perfectly well carrying the tunes - though they are if anything more generic and less distinguished than her old stuff. Look, if you're into Whitney, you'll probably dig this.
Probably the best thing to take a flyer on this week is Before the Frost/Until the Freeze from the Black Crowes. It was recorded live in front of a small audience in Levon Helms' barn/studio. The parts I've heard do sound like a band pushing itself creatively. I don't know if there's anything here up to "She Talks to Angels," but it'll be at least halfway worth hearing a time or two. Plus, they're also giving out code in the CDs for a free download of a second studio album recorded in the same sessions.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases:
The Black Crowes Before the Frost/Until the Freeze Silver Arrow/Angelus American Trad Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
Drive-By Truckers Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008 New West Alternative Country-Rock, Southern Rock, Hard Rock
Whitney Houston I Look to You Arista Adult Contemporary R&B, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Urban
Andrew W.K. 55 Cadillac Skyscraper Music Maker Instrumental Rock, Experimental Rock, Structured Improvisation
The Apples in Stereo #1 Hits Explosion Yep Roc Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Vladimir Ashkenazy Works for Two Pianos by Debussy & Ravel Decca Modern Music for Two Pianos
Susana Baca Seis Poemas Luaka Bop Afro Peruvian, Latin Folk, Worldbeat
Banner Pilot Collapser Fat Wreck Chord Punk Revival, Punk-Pop
A.A. Bondy When the Devil's Loose Fat Possum Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Folk
Chevelle Sci-Fi Crimes Epic Alternative Metal
Rick Danko Live at Dylan's Cafe, Washington D.C., December 1987 Bear Folk-Rock, Country-Rock, Rock & Roll
Rick Danko & Richard Manuel Live at O'Toole's Tavern, Scranton, PA, December 1985 Bear Country-Rock, Folk-Rock, Rock & Roll
Speech Debelle Speech Therapy Big Dada British Rap, Underground Rap
Dr. Dre The Chronic [Re-Lit and From the Vault] Wideawake/Death Row West Coast Rap, G-Funk, Gangsta Rap
Emerson, Lake & Palmer The Essential Emerson, Lake & Palmer [Limited Edition 3.0] Shout! Factory Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Album Rock
Emmy the Great First Love Close Harbour Alternative Folk
Liam Finn + Eliza Jane Champagne in Seashells Yep Roc Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Claus Peter Flor Josef Suk: Asrael Symphony Bis Romantic Symphony
Karina Gauvin Nicola Porpora: Arias Atma Classique Baroque Vocal Music
Robin Guthrie Carousel Darla Experimental Ambient, Ambient
Haydn Trio Eisenstadt Dedicated to Haydn Capriccio Contemporary Chamber Music
John Lee Hooker Live at Soledad Prison/Never Get Out of These Blues Alive Beat Goes On Blues Revival, Electric Delta Blues, Acoustic Blues
David Russell Hulme Edward German: Tom Jones Naxos Post-Romantic Opera
Juliette Lewis Terra Incognita The End Alternative Pop/Rock
Richard Lloyd The Jamie Neverts Story Parasol Indie Rock
Lullabye Arkestra Threats/Worship Vice Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Deborah Lurie/Danny Elfman 9 [Soundtrack] E1 Entertainment/Focus Featur Original Score, Film Music
The Marshall Tucker Band The Essential Marshall Tucker Band [Limited Edition 3.0] Shout! Factory Boogie Rock, Southern Rock, Country-Rock
Mr. Scruff Keep It Unreal [10th Anniversary Edition] Ninja Tune Ambient Techno, Trip-Hop, Electronica
Original Soundtrack Sorority Row [Soundtrack] E1 New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Pop, Hardcore Rap, Film Music, Soundtracks, Dance-Pop, Hip-Hop
Ozzy Osbourne Essential Ozzy Osbourne [Limited Edition 3.0] Epic/Legacy Album Rock, British Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Neo-Classical Metal
Pitbull Rebelution J-Records Pop-Rap, Latin Rap
Reverend Horton Heat Laughin' & Cryin' with Reverend Horton Heat Yep Roc Roots Rock, Rockabilly Revival, Psychobilly
Brandi Shearer Love Don't Make You Juliet Vinyl Tiger Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Contemporary, Vocal Jazz
Susanna & the Magical Orchestra 3 Rune Grammaphon Ambient Pop, Vocal Jazz, Chamber Pop
These United States Everything Touches Everything United Interests Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Rock
Those Bastard Souls Twentieth Century Chemical [Bonus Tracks] Darla Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Used Artwork [Limited Edition] [CD/DVD] Reprise Emo, Screamo, Post-Hardcore, Punk Revival
Various Artists Definitive Jux Presents, Vol. 4 Definitive Jux Underground Rap, Alternative Rap
Various Artists The Roots of Led Zeppelin Great American Music Folk-Blues, Country Blues, British Invasion, Blues-Rock, Electric Blues, Acoustic Blues, Early R&B
Derek Webb Stockholm Syndrome INO/Columbia Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Alternative CCM
Chris Young The Man I Want to Be RCA Contemporary Country
Whitney Houston is back after a half dozen years of the tabloid crapola with I Look to You. Frankly, I never saw what the big deal was about her in the first place. She was second only to Mariah Carey as someone whose music would cause me to change the radio station.