SOUND CHECK.Byline: - Fred Shuster James Brown/``Dead on the Heavy Funk (1975-83)'' The latest chapter in the excellent James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3 1933[1][2] – December 25 2006), commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" and " anthology series An anthology series is a radio or television series that has a different story and a different set of characters in every episode. Typically, the only constant is the host, who introduces and concludes each program. focuses on a tough period when the Godfather of Soul was facing assault from disco and New Wave while his empire crumbled and his band went through changes. The surprising thing about these lost jams is their quality. Drawing from more than a dozen albums and rare material from the vault, nearly all the tracks on the double-disc ``Dead on the Heavy Funk (1975-83)'' (Polydor) appear on CD for the first time, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Brown's earlier triumphs. The best moments are many - full-length versions of the hits ``Get up Offa That Thing,'' ``Hot,'' ``Bodyheat'' and ``It's Too Funky in Here''; a 12-minute remake of ``Sex Machine,'' featuring JB's leader Fred Wesley; previously unreleased versions of ``Kiss in '77,'' ``The Spank'' and ``I Never, Never Will Forget''; and an unedited 12-minute reading of Brown's '80s classic ``Rapp Payback.'' This might've been the Godfather's last hurrah, but the proof is in these grooves. Three and One Half Stars. Miles Davis/``The Complete Birth of the Cool'' Miles' influential ``Birth of the Cool''-era nonet no·net n. 1. A combination of nine instruments or voices. 2. A composition written for such a combination. [Italian nonetto, from diminutive of nono, ninth aimed for gentle tones and lush arrangements, helping usher in the West Coast sound of the '50s. Utilizing forward-looking arrangements by Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis and others, ``The Complete Birth of the Cool'' (Capitol) still seems strikingly fresh, probably due to the ensemble's primary goal of retaining the immediacy of improvised music while combining a light tonality tonality (tōnăl`ĭtē), in music, quality by which all tones of a composition are heard in relation to a central tone called the keynote or tonic. and elements of bebop bebop or bop Jazz characterized by harmonic complexity, convoluted melodic lines, and frequent shifting of rhythmic accent. In the mid-1940s, a group of musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker, rejected the conventions of . Along with the dozen familiar studio tracks - ``Boplicity,'' ``Darn That Dream,'' ``Israel'' and ``Deception'' among them - this fine package includes the short-lived band's live sessions taped in 1948 at New York's Royal Roost club, complete with the famed Symphony Sid announcing the band. Three and One Half Stars - Fred Shuster Beastie Boys/``Hello Nasty'' ``We're losing the kids.'' The Beastie Boys' manager wasn't taking no for an answer. Dump that sample-silly conceptual approach, he might've said, or the Beasties will end up on the same slag heap as Dinosaur Jr. The band's answer: Run-DMC's greatest hits. Fifteen years after the Beasties' debut 12-inch comes ``Hello Nasty'' (Grand Royal/Capitol), the bratty brat·ty adj. brat·ti·er, brat·ti·est Characteristic of or being a brat; ill-mannered. brat  ti·ness n. trio's fond 22-track look back at the early days of New York New York, state, United StatesNew York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of hip-hop. It's a generally good-natured, densely packed affair boasting noisy, satisfying tunes that could appeal to more than just the already converted. Standouts here include album opener ``Super Disco Breakin','' the radio-friendly ``Intergalactic'' and ``Three MC's and One DJ.'' Three Stars - Fred Shuster Marc Ribot/``Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos'' Ribot, one of the most inventive guitarists around, offers songs associated with '40s and '50s Cuban big-band composer/leader Arsenio Rodriquez, famed for his skillful skill·ful adj. 1. Possessing or exercising skill; expert. See Synonyms at proficient. 2. Characterized by, exhibiting, or requiring skill. playing of the six-string guitar. On ``Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos'' (Atlantic), Ribot and his ``fake Cubans'' retool re·tool v. re·tooled, re·tool·ing, re·tools v.tr. 1. To fit out (a factory, for example) with a new set of machinery and tools for making a different product. 2. Rodriquez's orchestra arrangements for a raw, stripped-down combo. Often hard-swinging, the album finds Ribot shucking off the dissonant dis·so·nant adj. 1. Harsh and inharmonious in sound; discordant. 2. Being at variance; disagreeing. 3. Music Constituting or producing a dissonance. approach he's known for in favor of a more melodic instrumental sound. Fans of ``Buena Vista Social Club'' should check this effort out. Three Stars - Fred Shuster Jefferson Airplane/``Live at the Fillmore East'' Although there have been several live albums from Jefferson Airplane in years past, this newly released 30-year-old set just might be the best. ``Live at the Fillmore East'' (RCA See RCA connector and video/TV history. ) finds the quintessential San Francisco acid-rock band drawing material from their first four albums: ``Jefferson Airplane Takes Off,'' ``Surrealistic sur·re·al·is·tic adj. 1. Of or relating to surrealism. 2. Having an oddly dreamlike or unreal quality. sur·re Pillow,'' ``After Bathing at Baxter's'' and ``Crown of Creation.'' Everything was working well on this night, from the distinctive folk-rock vocal harmonies to the soaring rhythm section. Standouts: ``It's No Secret,'' ``White Rabbit,'' ``The Other Side of` This Life'' and ``Somebody to Love.'' Now, where did we put that headband? Three Stars - Fred Shuster Ben Neill/``Goldbug'' As curator of an avant-garde music program at the Kitchen in New York, programmer and keyboardist Neill helped develop a collaborative electronic music scene there. On his second album, the fascinating ``Goldbug'' (Antilles), Neill blurs the lines between pop, dub and experimental music, bringing in Helmet guitarist Page Hamilton, cellist Jane Scarpantoni and samples guru DJ Spooky. While most of the 10 tracks are rhythm-oriented, some pieces move from dub-reggae to ambient soundscapes to uptempo drum 'n' bass. ``Goldbug'' just may offer a glimpse of how records will be made in the future. Three Stars - Fred Shuster Wink/``Herehear'' Philly DJ-producer Josh Wink artfully incorporates a wide range of '90s dance music - house, techno, drum 'n' bass and electronic - on his sophomore effort, ``Herehear'' (Ovum/Columbia), Wink's first release for his own Ovum imprint. The album is mixed as a seamless whole divided into two parts - an impressionistic im·pres·sion·is·tic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or practicing impressionism. 2. Of, relating to, or predicated on impression as opposed to reason or fact: impressionistic memories of early childhood. , free-floating side that recalls ambient jazz-r&b efforts by Brian Eno and Jon Hassell, and a beat-centric DJ-friendly side that features high-energy tracks like ``Are You There'' and ``Ah, Git Up.'' It's a lush, smooth production job with cameos from This Mortal Coil For other uses, see Mortal coil (disambiguation). This Mortal Coil was a musical dream pop project of Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British 4AD Records label. The project brought together key 4AD artists, as well as others not signed to the label, under an umbrella name: diva Caroline Crawley, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Philly poet Ursula Rucker. Three Stars - Fred Shuster Cowboy Junkies/``Miles From Our Home'' The Junkies continue to slowly evolve, taking their sad songs and often making them a little better - and certainly different. On this, their sixth studio album, they layer vocal harmonies, textured guitar washes and opiated o·pi·ate n. 1. Any of various sedative narcotics containing opium or one or more of its natural or synthetic derivatives. 2. sonic landscapes that reflect producer John Leckie's Radiohead sensibilities. The fuller arrangements on ``Miles From Our Home'' (Geffen) often work beautifully (the title track and ``New Dawn Coming''), but sometimes obscure the band's primary strength - singer Mar`go Timmins' haunting voice. Still, hard-core Junkies will not be disappointed and the album's stronger pop sensibilities may win a few new fans. Three Stars - Glenn Whipp CAPTION(S): 5 Photos Photo: (1) The Beastie Boys look at the history of New York
New York, the "Empire State" has been at the center of American politics, finance, industry, transportation and culture since it was created hip-hop on ``Hello Nasty.'' (2--5) no caption (CD covers) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion