SOUND CHECK.Byline: Fred Shuster Bob Marley/``The Complete Wailers (1967-72) Part 1'' It's surprising how little new material has been unearthed Unearthed is the name of a Triple J project to find and "dig up" (hence the name) hidden talent in regional Australia. Unearthed has had three incarnations - they first visited each region of Australia where Triple J had a transmitter - 41 regions in all. in the 17 years since Marley's death. However, this solidly entertaining triple-CD box, which collects 47 tracks, including 28 previously unreleased takes, makes up for the lack. The five-year stretch in question was an especially fertile period fertile period n. The period in the menstrual cycle during which conception is most likely to occur, usually 10 to 18 days after the onset of menstruation. for the Wailers, who were cutting innovative singles for Jamaica-only release and hadn't yet been signed to Island for worldwide distribution. The first disc contains material aimed squarely at the U.S. r&b market, and the influence of Curtis Mayfield is felt on many of these delightful 16 tracks from 1968. The second disc offers such previously hidden gems as the awesome Rasta spiritual ``Selassie Is the Chapel,'' plus pop-reggae, rock-steady tunes and covers of James Brown's ``(Say It Loud) I'm Black and I'm Proud'' and the Box Tops' ``The Letter.'' The excellent third disc, ``Best of the Wailers,'' is the oft-bootlegged lost Wailers album produced by Chinese-American reggae producer/label owner Leslie Kong Leslie Kong (1933–August 9, 1971) was a Chinese Jamaican reggae record producer. Leslie Kong and his brothers (Fats and Cecil) used to run a restaurant, ice-cream parlour and record shop named Beverley's in Orange street, Kingston. . Here, Peter Tosh Peter Tosh (October 19, 1944 – September 11, 1987[1]) was the guitarist in the original Wailing Wailers, a pioneer reggae musician, and a trailblazer for the Rastafari movement. takes vocal lead on four tracks, Marley and wife Rita deliver a soulful duet, and early dub platters are on display. Due Tuesday. three and a half stars Jimmy Ray/``Jimmy Ray'' As this young Brit rockabilly/hip-hop singer's single ``Are You Jimmy Ray?'' climbs the top 10, his often equally pleasurable debut album hits stores. The sound is a sort of hybrid of '50s and '90s styles, with gleaming Wham!-type dance beats and plenty of liquored-up tremelo guitar in the tank. Ray has a pleasant-enough voice, and the production is tops, but not every track is up to the high standards of the single. Yet, goodies like ``Sex for Beginners,'' ``Let It Go'' and ``I Got Rolled'' seem destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to propel the record into the fashion show and boutique strata. two and a half stars Ali/``Crucial'' Brit crooner and Al Green sound-alike Alistair Tennant's debut is rich in melody, silky songcraft and tight musicianship. Like nuevo-soulsters Erykah Badu and Maxwell, Ali keeps it real by going for the emotion invested in each of the 14 tracks here. While Ali resembles Green at times, the music never mimics the pungent grooves of the '70s sound of Memphis. Instead, with strings, lush harmonies and gentle acoustic guitar throughout, ``Crucial'' targets the essence of sweet Philly soul. three stars Swamp Boogie Queen/``Ill Gotten Booty'' Like Stone the Crows Stone the Crows was a band formed in Glasgow in 1970. History The band was formed after Maggie Bell was introduced to Les Harvey by his older brother, Alex Harvey. and Humble Pie humble pie n. A pie formerly made from the edible organs of a deer or hog. Idiom: eat humble pie To be forced to apologize abjectly or admit one's faults in humiliating circumstances. in years past, local retro-rock quintet Swamp Boogie Queen makes a gutsy noise designed for dancing, drinking or just plain listening. Driven by the strong voice and presence of Abigail Lenz, the popular club act's debut uncorks a potent set of songs destined to delight fans of alt-rock, classic rock or just plain rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll: see rock music. . Kudos to M. Todd Bishop for sturdy lead work and to SBQ's equally adept rhythm section Noun 1. rhythm section - the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments percussion section, percussion section - a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class . Standout originals include album opener ``Ease My Mind,'' ``Evil Ways'' and ``Suffern Street,'' plus a nifty cover of the Band's ``The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,'' which closes the disc. two and a half stars Various/``From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music'' This superb triple-CD box explores the fascinating ways in which African-American artists have contributed to country music and been influenced by it. Disc one examines the prewar era when country influences often co-existed with blues, ragtime ragtime: see jazz. ragtime U.S. popular music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries distinguished by its heavily syncopated rhythm. Ragtime found its characteristic expression in formally structured piano compositions, the accented left-hand and other styles within the repertoire of African-American artists such as Peg Leg Howell Joshua Barnes Howell, known as Peg Leg Howell (March 5, 1888 - August 11, 1966), was an African American blues singer and guitarist who connected early country blues and the later 12-bar style. , Charlie McCoy, the Memphis Sheiks and Leadbelly. Disc two consists of r&b renditions of country songs, including Wynonie Harris' ``Bloodshot blood·shot adj. Red and inflamed as a result of locally congested blood vessels, as of the eyes. bloodshot Vox populi adjective Eyes,'' the Orioles' ``Crying in the Chapel,'' Solomon Burke's ``Just Out of Reach,'' Esther Phillips' ``Release Me'' and Dorothy Moore's gorgeous ``Misty Blue.'' The final CD tracks the development of African-American country music in the modern era, starting with Charley Pride's rise and continuing with tracks by the Pointer Sisters, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Dobie Gray, Aaron Neville and Venice Beach busker Ted Hawkins. Unfortunately, the producers couldn't score the rights to as much of Ray Charles' country material as needed as needed prn. See prn order. . three and a half stars Robbie Robertson/``Contact From the Underworld of Redboy'' On his 1994 soundtrack album, ``Music for `The Native Americans,' '' and his compelling new effort, Robertson recalls summers spent on an Indian reservation with his mother, who is of Mohawk descent. While Robertson has apparently turned his back, for the time being anyway, on the rootsy rock he made with the Band and on his first two solo albums, he invests these atmospheric meditations with modern textures, electronic beats and dazzling effects that include samples of American Indian field recordings and a conversation with jailed activist Leonard Peltier. Ultimately, ``Redboy'' is an adventurous and rewarding disc. three stars All Saints/``All Saints'' All Saints, a grittier and far more soulful Spice Girls, brings a streetwise street·wise adj. Having the shrewd awareness, experience, and resourcefulness needed for survival in a difficult, often dangerous urban environment. international mix to the pop/hip-hop formula. The material, which boasts more depth than the Spice song list, bears repeated listening, while songs such as ``Bootie Call,'' ``I Know Where It's At'' (which utilizes a sample of Steely Dan's ``The Fez'') and ``Never Ever'' seem aimed straight at the charts. A terrific version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' overexposed o·ver·ex·pose tr.v. o·ver·ex·posed, o·ver·ex·pos·ing, o·ver·ex·pos·es 1. To expose too long or too much: Don't overexpose the children to television. 2. ``Under the Bridge'' invests the song with more feeling than the original. Extra credit on the album must go to the production crew, which includes sharpies Sharpies (also known as Sharps) were members of suburban youth gangs in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in Melbourne, but also in Sydney and Perth to a lesser extent. The term comes from their focus on looking sharp. Nellee Hooper (Madonna, Bjork), Cameron McVey (Massive Attack) and Johnny Douglas (George Michael). three stars Izzy Stradlin/``117 degrees'' Thought by many to represent the heart and soul of Guns N' Roses, guitarist-singer Stradlin has been mostly quiet since walking away from the superstar group in 1991. Still taken with ``Exile on Main Street''-era Stones, Stradlin has put together a rough 'n' ready collection of bluesy rockers, acoustic ballads and swampy covers of Chuck Berry and Ronnie Dawson that ensure his bad reputation remains intact. Fans of loose and lively rock 'n' roll will eat this one up. three stars CAPTION(S): 6 Photos PHOTO (1) Britain's Ali takes a melody- and strings-heavy approach to Philly soul on ``Crucial.'' (2 -- 6) no captions (CD covers) |
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