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Here If You Listen
Between 1971 and 1993, David Crosby released three solo albums. Between 2014 and 2018, Crosby released four, with the three following 2014's Croz recorded in conjunction with Michael League, the impresario behind the adventurous jazzbos Snarky Puppy. Along with League, Crosby collaborated with Michelle Willis and Becca Stevens in a group that became informally known as the "Lighthouse Band," as this collective was first debuted on the 2016 album Lighthouse. Here If You Listen is the third in this series, following 2017's Sky Trails by a year, and while it certainly the work of the same group, it feels distinctly different than its predecessors. Chalk that up to the Lighthouse Band interacting like a band here, collaborating on the writing and trading off lead vocals as they glide into lush, shimmering harmonies. Here If You Listen flows elegantly, as it's not only the individual voices that mesh: it's the individual styles as well. This means the album isn't quite as melancholy or meditative as Lighthouse, even with explicit mentions to Buddhism and Crosby contemplating "I've been thinking about dying/How to do it well" on "Your Own Ride." Crosby may have mortality on his mind but he's consumed with life, particularly the life that League, Willis, and Stevens give him. There's a palpable sense of joy to Here If You Listen, an emotion that's evident in the harmonies but also in the liquid, quicksilver transitions between open-string drones, jazz changes, and even trace hints of funk. At its best, which it often is, Here If You Listen plays like a hybrid of Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, and CSN, a combination that is soothing and surprising in equal measure. It's an album that confirms Crosby is at an unexpected and satisfying latter-day creative peak. In his eighth decade, David Crosby is not only surviving, but also thriving personally and creatively. Including this album, he has released four new solo albums since 2014. His last, Sky Trails, won acclaim from many in the music press.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Imagine - The Ultimate Mixes
After the harrowing Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon returned to calmer, more conventional territory with Imagine. While the album had a softer surface, it was only marginally less confessional than its predecessor. Underneath the sweet strings of "Jealous Guy" lies a broken and scared man, the jaunty "Crippled Inside" is a mocking assault at an acquaintance, and "Imagine" is a paean for peace in a world with no gods, possessions, or classes, where everyone is equal. And Lennon doesn't shy away from the hard rockers -- "How Do You Sleep" is a scathing attack on Paul McCartney, "I Don't Want to Be a Soldier" is a hypnotic antiwar song, and "Give Me Some Truth" is bitter hard rock. If Imagine doesn't have the thematic sweep of Plastic Ono Band, it is nevertheless a remarkable collection of songs that Lennon would never be able to better again.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Anthem of the Peaceful Army
Greta Van Fleet hail from Frankenmuth, Michigan, home of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, the store that keeps the holiday spirit alive nearly every day of the year. Living with the specter of Santa is bound to keep a young man residing in a fantasy land, and so it is with Greta Van Fleet: They inhabit a world they never experienced, namely the '70s. Every member of Greta Van Fleet -- which consists of a heap of brothers called Kiszka and a drummer named Danny Wagner, all born too late to witness either Kingdom Come or Jimmy Page & Robert Plant's Unledded reunion -- act as if the earth stopped turning in 1974, the year when Led Zeppelin still traded in myths learned from J.R.R. Tolkien and strode the earth like golden gods. Try as they may -- and, lordy, do they try -- Greta Van Fleet never seem immortal on Anthem of the Peaceful Army, the 2018 album billed as their debut (From the Fires, a record that is only 12 minutes shorter than Anthem, is apparently a double-EP). Blame it on GVF's desperate desire to hit their marks precisely. The group is so intent on recapturing the majestic lumber of Zeppelin at their peak, they dare not miss a step, letting the riffs pile up so they suggest epics. Sometimes, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner do work up a head of drama -- no swing, of course, because it's harder to replicate John Bonham's beat than approximate Jimmy Page's guitar army -- but they're undone by Jake Kiszka, a singer who is intent on singing with velocity that he can't muster. Jake may be the weak link, but he merely reveals how the whole band seem to have learned their moves from watching late-night concerts on Palladium while buying pre-worn vintage-styled T's at Urban Outfitters. For the band and audience alike, Greta Van Fleet is nothing more than cosplay of the highest order.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Eclipse Sessions
John Hiatt's best work often comes when he seems to be looking inward and baring a bit of his soul, as he did on his 1987 masterpiece, Bring the Family. Of course, most folks have only so many demons to reveal to their public, and by all accounts Hiatt is far from the reprobate he was in his younger days. But he seems to remember the long shadows of his past with clarity, and on 2018's The Eclipse Sessions, he appears to be taking a look into the more unforgiving parts of his nature and trying to make sense of it all. "Poor Imitation of God" and "Nothing in My Heart" are plainspoken meditations on his failings as a partner and as a man, "Over the Hill" has less to do with age than his distance from the people in his life, "Hide Your Tears" contemplates the pain that comes from his misdeeds, and "Robber's Highway" is sung in the voice of a man at the end of his life with more regrets than blessings to show for a life spent on the road. Only Hiatt can know just how autobiographical any of these tunes may be, but even if they're all fiction, The Eclipse Sessions rings true as the work of someone who has been thinking a lot about human frailty and the consequences of the choices we all must make. Hiatt is too smart to pretend he has answers to any of the emotional puzzles he's working in these tunes, but he sounds fearlessly honest as he ponders it all, and the grain in his voice gives the right texture to his contemplative delivery. And the arrangements and production on The Eclipse Sessions are well matched to the material; Hiatt's band (Yates McKendree on guitar, Patrick O'Hearn on bass, Kenneth Blevins on drums, Kevin McKendree on keys) lays a lean but eloquent groove behind his performances, and the audio is rich and clear. One hopes for his sake that John Hiatt's life is happier than The Eclipse Sessions may suggest, but either way he's given us a dark night of the soul that's compelling and beautifully crafted.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Mark Deming
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Confessin' The Blues
Curated and compiled by the Rolling Stones in conjunction with BMG and Universal, the double-disc collection Confessin' the Blues is designed as a benefit for Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation, but for most listeners it'll be an excellent primer on the blues. The 42-track collection leans heavily on electric blues, particularly blues that came out of Chicago, but that's not a big surprise coming from the Stones. Then again, Confessin' the Blues isn't meant to surprise, nor is it designed for blues connoisseurs. Instead, it's a way of spreading the gospel of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Magic Sam, Jimmy Reed, and Robert Johnson, along with several other names of that caliber. For neophytes, this thoughtful collection of blues giants is bound to spark a long love affair with the blues.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Songs for Judy
Neil Young had a turbulent 1976. Still digging himself out of the dark period that produced his "Ditch Trilogy" -- the weird, gnarled records he made when he decided to steer away from the middle of the road that was a possible tributary from the success of "Heart of Gold" -- Young began to see a new dawn on Zuma, a 1975 reunion with Crazy Horse. Not long after its release, Young reunited with his old Buffalo Springfield bandmate Stephen Stills to record Long May You Run, an album credited to the Stills-Young Band, but this union proved to be short-lived. Young ditched Stills a month into their tour, headed back to California to record an acoustic album called Hitchhiker, which he decided not to release. Instead, he took Crazy Horse out that November, acting as his own opening act via an acoustic set that preceded the electric blowout.
Released 42 years after that November jaunt, Songs for Judy collects 23 highlights curated by journalist Cameron Crowe and photographer Joel Bernstein, who tagged along on the tour. Bernstein recorded the concerts for his own pleasure and that provides the source material for Songs for Judy. What's striking about these performances is how loose and relaxed -- even happy -- Young seems. A far crime from the haunted, hazy Hitchhiker, Songs for Judy is spry and sly, the songs sounding charged and muscular even when they're sung with no greater support than an acoustic guitar (and, on occasion, an organ). Young cracks jokes and sings with vigor, alternating between staples form his songbooks and test-driving new tunes. Among the latter is "White Line," which later showed up on 1990's Ragged Glory, and "No One Seems to Know," which sees its first official release on this album. That alone makes Songs for Judy of interest for Young diehards, but what really makes this collection worthwhile is how these robust performances put the lie to the notion that acoustic Neil is sad, sensitive Neil.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Discovering: The Classical String Trio, Volume 2
Although it doesn’t say as much on the cover, this is actually the second volume in an ongoing series titled Discovering the Classical String Trio. It may seem strange for this repertoire to be championed by a group called the Vivaldi Project, but one of the ensemble’s stated purposes is to demonstrate the eighteenth-century string trio’s “relationship to the earlier baroque trio sonata (as exemplified by Vivaldi and his contemporaries) and of its role as an important genre in its own right, side-by-side with the emerging string quartet.” To that end, the group presents works by such eminent composers of the period as Haydn, Gossec, and J.C. Bach, as well as delightful obscurities from the likes of Johann Ignaz Klausek and Jean-Baptiste Bréval. And the program ends with a trio sonata by Vivaldi. The playing (on period instruments) is delightful and this disc, like its predecessor, would be a welcome addition to any library collection.
-- Rick Anderson, CD HotList
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True Meanings
Consider True Meanings Paul Weller's comedown from a combustive, creative decade begun with 22 Dreams. That 2008 double album was co-produced with Simon Dine, who proved to be such a vital collaborator for Weller that the singer/songwriter found it difficult to shake off the producer's influence after the two parted ways acrimoniously in 2012. Weller's initial reaction to the split was to follow the straight and narrow on 2017's appealing A Kind Revolution but True Meanings, delivered just a year later, finds him mellowing and entering a reflective groove. No amplifiers are cranked on True Meanings: the entire enterprise is anchored on folky finger-picking and strumming, which is in turn dressed in elegant orchestrations. Often, the lush strings and gentle horns are reminiscent of the orchestrations Robert Kirby arranged for Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, yet True Meaningsdoesn't carry a melancholy undercurrent. Weller is in a sober mood but he's not brooding, he's reflecting. Thoughts of mortality drift across his mind -- such as in "Bowie," a tribute that's more elliptical than its title suggests -- but Weller seems settled and comfortable, more mindful than sad. The stateliness of the orchestral arrangements prevents True Meanings from slipping into a hazy folk netherworld. All the strings and brass not only accentuate the songs, highlighting the jazzy changes of "Soul Searchers" or the light swing of "Gravity," they help frame this measured song cycle, directing attention to how Wellerisn't wallowing, he's meditating upon love, loss, and hope as he enters his sixties.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Rough Guide to Scottish Folk
Part of the Rough Guides series. With its wonderfully rich and diverse heritage, Scottish folk music is constantly evolving while remaining deeply rooted in the past. From pioneering revivalists Battlefield Band and Karen Matheson to today’s leading voices including Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, this handpicked selection reflects a golden age in this living tradition.
--MidWest Tape
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The Duets
Duets, an album released on the eve of Ronnie Milsap's 76th birthday, kicks off with something unexpected: a heavy, clanking blues stomp assisted by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, who is only too happy to salute "Southern Boys and Detroit Wheels" with the country singer. The pairing may be slightly unexpected -- Milsap is pure honey, Gibbons a hard patch of gravel -- and the song may not be well-known, but that's what gives the cut a kick that's not often heard elsewhere on Duets. Frequently throughout the album, Milsap and his partners favor the smooth and familiar, playing such big hits as "Stranger in My House," "Happy Happy Birthday," "Lost in the Fifties," or "Smokey Mountain Rain." The latter is distinguished by a game appearance by Dolly Parton, who hits the sweet spot between crowd-pleasing and interpretation. Kacey Musgraves hits that too with "No Getting Over Me" -- hearing her on this simmering, soulful piece of country-pop, it's clear that Golden Hour is indebted to the golden era of yacht-country -- but a lot of the other highlights find Milsap connecting with straight roots of some sort: singing hardcore country with George Strait on "Houston Solution," skipping through the twilight with Willie Nelson on a "A Woman's Love," and getting down and dirty with Leon Russell on "Misery Loves Company." The presence of Russell suggests many of the cuts on Duets may have been sitting around for a while -- he died in 2016, a little over two years prior to this release -- but that doesn't affect how the album plays. Listened to as a whole, without sweating the sources, Duets is an amiable, enjoyable testament to the many different facets of Ronnie Milsap.
-- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Signs
Signs, the fourth studio album by the Tedeschi Trucks Band, poignantly addresses some of the major changes this 12-piece group has been through over the last couple of years. That said, it's hardly steeped in sadness, but acknowledges reckoning and acceptance while leaning on hope. In November 2016, longtime friend Leon Russell died. In January, Derek's uncle Butch Trucks committed suicide. In May, mentor Col. Bruce Hampton (to whom Signs is dedicated) suffered a fatal coronary on-stage during his 70th birthday celebration (which Trucks and Tedeschi witnessed). The same month, Gregg Allman died after a years-long battle with liver cancer. And in June, keyboardist Kofi Burbridge suffered a heart attack that required emergency surgery. These events had an obvious impact on Signs, but it results in their most musically diverse offering yet. Sonically it remains in the band's trademark stew of blues, soul, rock, gospel, and improv, but also showcases a new songwriting sophistication and arranging skills.
-- AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek
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As the World Turns
Although technically a harmony trio in the same mold as the Meditations and the Mighty Diamonds, the classic lineup of Black Uhuru was different from their peers in at least two ways: first, a deeply dread lyrical worldview that wasted no time on love songs or nice-up-the-dance rhetoric; second, the presence of a woman in the group. Although the band began recording in the 1970s, it really made its mark beginning in 1980, with three blockbuster albums released in quick succession: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (previously issued as Showcase), Sinsemilla and Red. Lead singer Michael Rose left shortly thereafter to pursue a solo career, and Puma Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to leave the group as well. Three decades and lots of changes later, baritone vocalist Duckie Simpson is the only remaining original member, but he continues to carry the torch and to do so quite capably. As the World Turns is the first Black Uhuru album in 15 years, and it’s solid if not world-changing. Backing vocalist Nikki Hurt provides an echo of the band’s sound from the Puma Jones days, but Duckie is wise enough to embrace his own unique voice rather than trying to channel Michael Rose (as Junior Reid did when he took over the lead-vocalist chair in 1986). The songs remain strictly conscious and are finely crafted–though Simpson’s decision to base his arrangement of “Police and Thieves” more on the Clash’s version than the Junior Murvin original is kind of curious. Recommended.
-- Rick Anderson, CD HotList
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Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The worry with reworking the classic Carpenters recordings of the '60s and '70s is simply one of ruining a good thing. Why mess with songs that are largely considered to be perfect just as they are? This, especially in light of Karen Carpenter's tragic death in 1983. Thankfully, all of these worries are put to rest on 2018's lovingly constructed Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Produced and recorded by Richard Carpenter at London's famed Abbey Road Studios, the album features many of the pop duo's biggest hits reworked with added arrangements by the illustrious British orchestral institution. As one would hope, Carpenter oversaw all of the album's production process from the arrangements to the recording, and yes, even to some very subtle and well-done pro-tools work to address minor inconsistencies in the original tracks that always irked him. Thankfully, none of this work mars any of the magic of original tracks, or gets in the way of his sister's crystal clear vocals, or their trademark multi-tracked harmonies. Part of the beauty of this project is that the Carpenters were always an orchestral-minded band, and songs like "Yesterday Once More," "Rainy Days and Mondays," and "I Need to Be in Love," already featured lush arrangements. Here, as on "Hurting Each Other" and "We've Only Just Begun," Richard expands the arrangements, adding extended orchestral introductions that reframe the original song with a welcome pomp and wistful gravitas. Of course, none of this would matter if weren't for Karen's voice, which remains the grounding focus of the Carpenters' sound. To some degree, her vocals have a cleaner, more immediate sound here, which works nicely with the added orchestral sheen. The Royal Philharmonic versions simply offer a way for Richard to present these songs in a fresh way that honors his sister, without losing any of the AM pop studio aesthetic that made them so compelling the first time around.
-- AllMusic Review by Matt Collar
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Freegal MusicGet three free mp3 downloads per week and listen to 3 hours of streaming per day with your library card. Available via the Freegal Music app or the Freegal website.
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hooplaSet-up a hoopla account with your library card to use the hoopla app and website to stream music. You can borrow full albums for one week, up to five per month.
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Mercer County Library System 2751 Brunswick Pike Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 882-9246 E-mail: nrsupprt@mcl.org |
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