Blog

Mon 29 Jun – Steely Dan

The setlist
I was writing this down on my phone during the gig as I always do, and during the penultimate song my phone decided to crash and lose the whole thing. Below is definitely the correct songs in a mostly correct order, but if anyone remembers different just drop a comment :-)

Reelin' In The Years
Time Out Of Mind
Show Biz Kids
My Old School
Aja
Bad Sneakers
Two Against Nature
Black Friday
Hey Nineteen
Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More
Parker's Band
Glamour Profession
Babylon Sisters
Deacon Blues
Josie
Peg

- - - - - (encore)
FM
Kid Charlemagne


Having nearly been put off by the ticket price, I'd been looking forward to this baby since I finally caved in and bought the tickets. I definitely hold no regrets - in fact, given my time again I wouldn't have dilly-dallied for so long and got better seats! Due to parking difficulties and extreme precipitation we arrived mid way through the half hour set of the Toon Roos Quartet, but from what I heard they sounded lively and musically qualified - certainly an apt support choice for the Dan.

The Steely Dan band (11 compentent musicians strong) took the stage at 8:20pm, playing a lengthy instrumental to showcase the diverse sound of what was to follow, before the audience warmly welcomed Donald Fagen & Walter Becker to the stage. One aspect I noted and enjoyed throughout the evening was the poetic licence Steely Dan took with their songs, and this was present from the very first song. Reelin' In The Years lacked the speed and the excitable guitars/saxophone found on the album, leaving a stripped back and mellow tune that was more dependent on backing singers. So radical were the changes that it had me stumped until the end of the first verse!

Elsewhere, the female backing singers were relieved of singing "lost wages" throughout Show Biz Kids, instead singing it occassionally (and more obviously), as well as shifting around the verses and chorus somewhat. Daddy Don't Live In That NYC also had it's main guitar lick played down significantly and saw Becker take the microphone for a very strong vocal performance. Hey Nineteen lost a number of it's perviest lines (can't think why...), and featured Becker giving a lengthy spoken intro the "Cuervo Gold" part whilst the band jammed, which was pretty awesome. The only change I didn't like was during Kid Charlemagne, Fagen decided not to hold the note on "Get along" during the chorus as he does on record, which I felt spoilt the catchiness and melody.

Some songs were altered less than others, in particular Parker's Band, which was performed as tightly to the record as possible, and was impressive for this reason alone. In general I thought the setlist was fantastic - a lot of gems here that I didn't expect and were great to hear live, whilst still packing in most of the classics. Obvious omissions were Do It Again and Rikki Don't Lose That Number, and given that they played 4 out of 7 tracks from Gaucho I was a little upset they didn't play my personal favourite the title track Gaucho, but never mind.

Quick shout out for the lighting as well, which was fantastic throughout. Perfectly in time with the music and gave great feeling to a lot of songs, for example, a darker and sinister edge during Josie.

In brief, Steely Dan are perfectionists, so I didn't expect anything less than perfection. 10/10

Das Jahr 2008 ist zu Ende - und ich mache mir mal Gedanken, welche Interpreten mein musikalisches Jahr bestimmt haben und welche Interpreten in der Jahresendabrechnung meine Favoriten sind:

ALBUM DES JAHRES - TOP 5

PLATZ 1: YOUNG KNIVES - SUPERABUNDANCE



Was hatte ich Schiß, das mit den Young Knives meine absolute Lieblings-Indie-Kapelle ihr zweites Album nach dem meisterhaften Debüt verpatzt - nichts davon ist eingetreten. Zwar etwas weniger punkig, aber textlich dennoch gewohnt bissig und musikalisch in der Summe nicht weniger messerscharf legen die Knives das Album vor, das mein Album des Jahres 2008 ist!

PLATZ 2: COLD WAR KIDS - LOYALTY TO LOYALTY



Ich habe die Cold War Kids überhaupt erst im vierten Quartal des Jahres entdeckt, als ich die Single "Something Is Not Right With Me" auf dem Sampler des Rolling Stone gehört habe - dann habe ich mir ein paar Gratis-Tracks (Link und dann runterscrollen) angehört. Seitdem sind die Jungs aus meiner Musiksammlung nicht mehr wegzudenken. Ein verdienter zweiter Platz!

PLATZ 3: WALTER BECKER - CIRCUS MONEY



Ok, Walter Becker (für mich ja wegen Steely Dan längst ein Gitarrengott!) bringt ein neues Album raus. Es war im Grunde sofort klar, das dieses Album in der Jahresendabrechnung gut abschneidet. Becker hat sich wieder das beste Personal zusammengesucht und eine lässige Scheibe eingespielt, die warscheinlich keiner so machen könnte - außer vielleicht Donald Fagen!

PLATZ 4: LAST SHADOW PUPPETS - THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT



Mit einem zumindest im Mainstream-Bereich einmaligen Konzept haben sicher nicht nur mich dieses Jahr die Last Shadow Puppets überrascht. Rockmusik mit klassischen Elementen und Sixties-Flair zu verbinden ist sicher nicht ganz neu - aber Alex Turner und Miles Kane haben da schon was eigenes draus gemacht, was es so noch nicht gegeben hat. Den Höreindruck habe ich jedenfalls. Platz 4.

PLATZ 5: DIRTY PRETTY THINGS - ROMANCE AT SHORT NOTICE



Das Debüt "Waterloo to Anywhere der Dirty Pretty Things war mein persönliches Album 2006 - trotz der Tatsache, das die Arctic Monkeys auch gerade ihr Debüt rausgehauen haben - die zweite etwas schwächere Scheibe wurde leider von der Nachricht überschattet, das Carl Barat die Band leider auflöst. Platz 5.

DIE SONGS DES JAHRES - TOP 20

01. Young Knives - Counters
02. Walter Becker - Circus Money
03. Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next To Me
04. Young Knives - Dyed In The Wool
05. Young Knives - Fit 4 U
06. Cold War Kids - Mexican Dogs
07. Last Shadow Puppets - Calm Like You
08. Dirty Pretty Things - Buzzards and Crows
09. Rooney - Are You Afraid?
10. The Raconteurs - You Don't Understand Me
11. Duffy - Warwick Avenue
12. Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
13. Walter Becker - Paging Audrey
14. Young Knives - Light Switch
15. Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me
16. Young Knives - Up All Night
17. Dirty Pretty Things - Plastic Hearts
18. Young Knives - Terra Firma
19. Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You
20. Cold War Kids - I've Seen Enough

ENTTÄUSCHUNG DES JAHRES

Die Enttäuschung des Jahres sind ziemlich deutlich die Kings Of Leon, leider. Ich liebe vor allem die ersten beiden Alben "Youth and Young Manhood" und "Aha Shake Heartbreak" - die erste Single "Sex On Fire" ließ vermuten, das da was Großes folgen würde - aber die Jungs schrammeln mir inzwischen leider zu wenig. Schade!

CLASSIC-ENTDECKUNG DES JAHRES

Die Entdeckung des Jahres im Bereich "Classic" sind eindeutig Blood, Sweat & Tears - was für eine perfekte Mischung aus Rock, Jazz, Blues, Funk und Soul. Alles drin. Das gleichnamige Album habe ich hoch und runter gehört und ich werde meine Sammlung auf jeden Fall noch um weitere Alben erweitern. Außerdem ganz groß dieses Jahr: der Shaft-Soundtrack von Isaac Hayes

AUSBLICK

Kaum erwarten kann ich natürlich die nächste Scheibe von den Young Knives, die schon Anfang des Jahres 2009 erscheinen soll, wenn man der englischen Wikipedia Glauben schenken darf. Ich freu mich drauf. Außerdem wird man sicherlich mal wieder was von den Arctic Monkeys hören dürfen. Ansonsten sind weitere Kandidaten auf eine Platzierung im nächsten Jahr noch nicht wirklich absehbar.

At the moment these lists are some kind of shift lists. It must be leading to my top 75 albums of all time, or maybe even to a Top 100 (not sure). New albums will be added after i listened to them and scrobbled them one by one. This all is just based on my CD collection. Vinyl i own i still didnt buy on CD's are not on this lists.
2009 albums are not yet included. Possible new albums from 2009 will be added at january 10th 2010, or somewehere like then.
17 september 2008 - 28 march 2009

(++) To the next round

ROUND 1
Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (++)
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin'
Bob Dylan - Hard Rain
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
The Band - Music From Big Pink (++)
The Band - The Band
The Band - The Last Walz
CSN&Y - Deja Vu (++)
Neil Young - Comes A Time (++)
Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young - Tonight's The Night
Neil Young - Live Rust
Neil Young - Living With War
Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills (++)
Graham Nash - Songs For beginners (++)
Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead (++)
Grateful Dead - Aoxomoxoa
Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky Is Crying (++)
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
Eagles - Hotel California (++)
Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti (++)
Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage (I,II&III)
Frank Zappa - Tinseltoewn Rebellion
Frank Zappa - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
REM - Document (++)
REM - Green
REM - Out Of Time
Johnny Cash - At San Quentin (++)
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
Johnny Cash - American V A Hundred Highways
Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas (++)
Queen - Queen I
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Queen - A Night At The Opera (++)
Queen - A Day At The Races
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of the Moon (++)
Pink Floyd - Animals
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Roger Waters - Amused To Death
Brilliant Trees - David Sylvian
Japan - Tin Drum
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (++)
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Genesis - Nursery Cryme
Genesis - Foxtrot
Phil Collins - Face Value
Peter Gabriel - 1
Peter Gabriel - 2
Peter Gabriel - 3 (++)
Camel - Nude
Camel - Mirage (++)
Camel - Moonmadness
Jethro Tull - This Was
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (++)
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
Fish - Sunsets On Empire
King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King (++)
UK - UK
John Wetton - Chasing The Dragon
Supertramp - Breakfast In America (++)
Supertramp - Crime Of The Century
Coheed And Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star Volume One From Fear Through The eyes Of Madness
Rush - Permanent Waves
Rush - Hemispheres (++)
Rush - 2112
Rush - Moving Pictures
Yes - Close To The Edge
Yes - Going For The One
Yes - The Yes Album (++)
Yes - Fragile
Yes - Drama
Jon Anderson - Olias Of Sunhillow
Pearl Jam - Riot Act
Pearl Jam - No Code
Pearl Jam - Vs.
Pearl Jam - Ten (++)
Soundgarden - Superunknown (++)
David Bowie - 'hours...'
David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust (++)
David Bowie - Let's Dance
David Bowie - 1. Outside
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
U2 - War
U2 - Boy (++)
U2 - October
Van Morrison - Poetic Champions Compose
Van Morrison - Down The Road
Van Morrison - Hymns To The Silence (++)
Van Morrison - The Philosopher's Stone
Van Morrison - Days Like This
The Rolling Stones - Flowers
The Rolling Stones - Singles Collection The London Years
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (++)
The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
The Beatles - The White Album
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Beatles - Let It Be
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (++)
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run (++)
Urban Dance Squad - Persona Non Grata
Queen + Paul Rodgers - The Cosmos Rocks
St German - Tourist
Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory
Live - Throwing Copper
Venice - Born And Raised
Counting Crows - August And Everything After (++)
16 Horsepower - Sackcloth 'n' Ashes (++)
The Verve - Urban Hymns
The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The Kooks - Konk
John Dear Mowing Club - John Dear Mowing Club (++)
Foo Fighters - The Colour And The Shape (++)
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform (++)
Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There To Come Back
Stereophonics - Performance And Cocktails
Weezer - Weezer (The Green Album) (++)
Shearwater - Rook
Starsailor - Love Is Here (++)
Feeder - Echo Park
Travis - The Invisible Band (++)
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever people Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (++)
Muse - Showbiz
Muse - Origin Of Symmetry (++)
Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
My Vitriol - Finelines (++)
Doves - Some Cities
Belle And Sebastian - "Tigermilk"
Kings Of Convenience - Quiet Is The New Loud (++)
The Wingdale Community Singers - The Wingdale Community Singers (++)
I Am Kloot - Natural History
Admiral Freebee - Admiral Freebee
The Magic Numbers -Those The Brokes
Bush - Sixteen Stone
Bush - Razorblade Suitcase (++)
The White Stripes - Elephant
The White Stripes - De Stijl
The White Stripes - The White Stripes (++)
The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely (++)
The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America (++)
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (++)
My Morning Jacket - At Dawn
Van Halen - Van Halen (++)
Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (++)
The Cult - Love (++)
Metallica - Metallica (++)
System Of A Down - Toxicity (151)
AC/DC - Let There Be Rock (++)
Rammstein - Mutter (++)
Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been
Tool - Lateralus
The John Spencer Blues Explosion - Now I Got Worry (++)
Teenage Fanclub - Thirteen
Boston - Boston (++)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina | The Machines Of God
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (++)
Nirvana - Nevermind (++)
Nirvana - In Utero
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment (++)
Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (++)
The Jayhawks - Tommorow The Green Grass
The Jayhawks - "Hollywood Town Hall" (++)
Radiohead - OK Computer (++)
Radiohead - The Bends
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Coldplay - Parachutes
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (++)
Eels - Beautiful Freak (++)
Eels - Electro-Shock Blues
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers - Know Your Enemy
Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (++)
Living Colour - Stain
Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf (++)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (++)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico #1
Lou Reed - Berlin (++)
Lou Reed - Transformer
Lou Reed - Set The Twilight Reeling
Lou Reed - Magic And Lost
Lou Reed & John Cale - Songs For Drella
Randy Newman - Good Old Boys
Randy Newman - Little Crimminals
Randy Newman - Sail Away (++)
Randy Newman - Harps And Angels
Sigur Ros - Med Sut I Eyrum Vit Spilum Endalaust
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (++) (196)
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (++)
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Blood & Chocolate
Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Armed Forces (++)
Joe Satriani - Crystal Planet
Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien
Joe Satriani - Flying In A Blue Dream
Joe Satriani - Not Of This Earth (++)
Steve Vai - Fire Garden
Steve Vai - Flex-Able
Steve Vai - Sex & Religion
Steve Vai - Passion And Warfare (++)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (++)
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams (++)
Jacob Dylan - Seeing Things (++)
Damien Rice - 9 (++)
Willy Mason - If The Ocean Gets Rough
Elliott Smith - XO (++)
Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
Tori Amos - From The Choirgirl Hotel
Tori Amos - Boys For Pele
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (++)
PJ Harvey - Is this Desire?
PJ Harvey - Story's From The City, Story's From The Sea
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love (++)
Grace Jones - Island Life (++)
Loreena McKennitt - To Drive The Cold Winter Away
Joanna Newsom - Ys
The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
Cat Power - What Would The Community Think
Kathleen Edwards - Failer (++)
Melissa Etheridge - Your Little Secret
Melissa Etheridge - Yes I Am (++)
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (++)
Duffy - Rockferry
Dayna Kurtz - Postcards From Downtown (++)
Linda Ronstadt - Simple Dreams (++)
Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions (++)
Nina Hagen Band - Nina Hagen Band (++)
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (++)
Finch - Glory Of The Innerforce
Gruppo Sportivo - 10 Mistakes (++) ##2
JW Roy - Laagstraat 443 (++)
Veldhuis & Kemper - Half Zo Echt
Steve Earle - Transcendental Blues
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade (++)
Steve Earle - El Corazon
ZZ Top - One Foot In The Blues
Various Artists - Song Of America (++)
Joe Jackson - I"m The Man
Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
Joe Jackson - Blaze Of Glory
Joe Jackson - Jumpin' Jive (++)
Sting - Songs From The Labyrinth
Sting - The Soul Cages
Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (++)
Sting - Nothing Like The Sun
Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth
Boeijen Hofstede Vrienten - Aardige Jongens
Various Artists - Dutch Rare Folk
Bram Vermeulen - Polonaise
Bram Vermeulen - Achter Mijn Ogen
Bram vermeulen - Tijd
Bram Vermeulen - Rode Wijn (++)
Fairport Convention - Nine
Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief (++)
Paul Simon - Songs From The Capeman
Paul Simon - Graceland (++)
Paul Simon - Paul Simon
Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Various Artists - O Brother Where Are Thou? (++)
Lucinda Williams - West
Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears (++)
Jolie Holland - Escandida
Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones (++)
Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing (++)
Doe Maar - Klaar
Doe Maar - Doris Day En Andere Stukken (++)
Spinvis - Goochelaars & Geesten (++)
De Dijk - Zevende Hemel
De Dijk - Niemand In De Stad (++)
De Dijk - De Blauwe Schuit
Huub van der Lubbe - Concordia
Acda en De Munnik - Naar Huis (++)
Acda en De Munnik - Hier Zijn
Acda en De Munnik - Acda en De Munnik
Johan - Pergola (++)
Dire Straits - Dire Straits (++)
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits - Communiqué
Dire Straits - Making Movies
Mike Oldfiled - Tubular Bells
Warren Zevon - Life ' LL Kill You (++)
Gerry Rafferty - City To City (++)
Led Zeppelin - IV (++)
Led Zeppelin - I
Robert Plant - The Principle Of Moments
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (++)
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (++)
Joan As Policewoman - To Survive
Kate Bush - The Kick Inside (++)
Little Feat - Little Feat (++)
Lowell George - Thanks I'll Eat It Here (++)
Jackson Browne - Saturate Before Using (++)
Jackson Browne - Looking East
The Jeff Healey Band - See The Light
Eric Clapton - [No reason To Cry]
Eric Clapton - From The Cradle
Eric Clapton - Reptile
Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard (++)
Los Lobos - Kiko (++)
Los Lobos - By The Light Of The Moon
Los Lobos - Colossal Head
Los Lobos - How Will The Wolf Survive?
The Black Crowes - Three Snakes And One Charm
The Black Crowes - Lions
The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion (++)
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel Of Love
Bruce Springsteen - The River (++)
Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA
Tom Waits - The Black Rider
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (++)
Tom Waits - Small Change
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (++)
Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat (++)
Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi
Philip Glass - Songs From Liquid Days (++)
Steely Dan - Katy Lied
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (++)
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Steely Dan - Aja
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly (++)
John Fogerty - Revival
John Fogerty - Blue Moon Swamp (++)
Ray Davies - Working Man's Café (++)
Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue (++)
Weather Report - Heavy Weather
Weather Report - Weather Report (++)
Weather Report - Procession
Wynton Marsalis - Blood On The Fields (++)
Talking Heads - 77 (++)
Talking Heads - Remain In Light
Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead (++)
Ry Cooder - Show Time
Ry Cooder - Into The Purple Valley
Ry Cooder - The Slide Area
Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (++)
Duran Duran - Rio
Men At Work - Business As Usual
The Pogues - The best Of The Pogues
Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (++)
Depeche Mode - Exciter
Depeche Mode - Ultra
Depeche Mode - Violator (++)
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (++)
Brian Wilson - Smile (++)
John Hiatt - Bring The Family (++)
Chris Rea - Auberge (++)
Chris Rea - King Of The Beach
Chris Rea - God's Great Banana Skin
J.J. Cale - Troubadour
J.J. Cale - Grasshopper (++)
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (++)
The Doors - L.A. Woman
The Doors - Waiting For The Sun
The Doors - Strange Days
The Doors - Morrison Hotel (++)
Ennio Morricone - Once Upon A Time In The West (++)
Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross
Mory Kanté - Akwaba Beach
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (++)
Simple Minds - Celebration
Simple Minds - Sparkle In The Rain
Prince - Sign 'O' The Times (++)
Level 42 - Level 42
The Blues Brothers - Original Soundtrack Recording (++)
The Alan Parsons Project - Tales Of Mystery And Imaginaton
The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid (++)
The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
Daniel Lanois - Acadie
Paul Weller - Heavy Soul
Paul Weller - Stanley Road
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams (++)
Fisher Z - Red Skies Over Paradise (++)
ABC - The Lexicon Of Love (++)
The B-52's - Cosmic Thing (++)
Miles Davis - Tutu
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (++)

ROUND 2
Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (++)
The Band - Music From Big Pink (++)
CSN&Y - Deja Vu (++)
Neil Young - Comes A Time (++)
Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills
Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners
Grateful Dead - Working Man's Dead (++)
Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky Is Crying (++)
Eagles - Hotel California (++)
Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti (++)
REM - Document (++)
Johnny Cash - At San Quentin (++)
Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas
Queen - A Night At The Opera (++)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of the Moon (++)
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (++)
Peter Gabriel - 3
Camel - Mirage
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (++)
Supertramp - Breakfast In America (++)
Rush - Hemispheres (++)
Yes - The Yes Album (++)
Pearl Jam - Ten (++)
Soundgarden - Superunknown (++)
David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust (++)
U2 - Boy (++)
Van Morrison - Hymns To The Silence (++)
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (++)
The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (++)
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run (++)
Counting Crows - August And Everything After
16 Horsepower - Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
John Dear Mowing Club - John Dear Mowing Club
Foo Fighters - The Colour And the Shape
Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform
Weezer - Weezer (Green)
Starsaylor - Love Is Here
Travis - The Invisible Band
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not (++)
Muse - Origin Of Symmetry (++)
My Vitrol - Finelines
Kings Of Convenience - Quiet Is The New Loud
The Wingdale Community Singers - The Wingdale Community Singers
Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
The White Stripes - The White Stripes
The Raconteurs - Consolers For The Lonely
The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Van Halen - Van Halen (++)
Guns 'N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
The Cult - Love (++)
Metalica - Metalica (++)
AC/DC - Let There be Rock (++)
Rammstein - Mutter
The John Spencer Blues Explosion - Now I Got Worry
Boston - Boston
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (++)
Nirvana - Nevermind (++)
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
The Jayhawks - "Hollywood Town Hall"
Radiohead - OK Computer (++)
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Eels - Beautiful Freak
Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Undergound & Nico ##1 (++)
Lou Reed - Berlin (++)
Randy Newman - Sail Away
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (71)
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (++)
Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Armed Forces
Joe Satriani - Not Of This Earth
Steve Vai - Passion And Warfare
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
Jacob Dylan - Seeing Things
Damien Rice - 9
Elliott Smith - XO
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
Grace Jones - Island Life
Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Melissa Etheridge - Yes I Am
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Dayna Kurtz - Postcards From Downtown
Linda Ronstadt - Simple Dreams
Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions
Nina Hagen Band - Nina Hagen Band (++)
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Gruppo Sportivo - 10 Mistakes ##2 (++)
JW Roy - Laagstraat 443
Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade
Song Of America - Various Artists
Joe Jackson - Jumin' Jive (++)
Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (++)
Bram vermeulen - Rode Wijn
Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief (++)
Paul Simon - Graceland (++)
Various Artists - O Brother Where Are Thou?
Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears
Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
Doe Maar - Doris Day En Andere Stukken
Spinvis - Goochelaars & Geesten
De Dijk - Niemand In De Stad
Acda en De Munnik - Naar Huis
Johan - Pergola
Dire Straits - Dire Straits (++)
Warren Zevon - Life 'LL Kill You
Gerry Rafferty - City To City
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (++)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (++)
Kate Bush - The Kick Inside (++)
Little Feat - Little Feat
Lowell George - Thanks I'll Eat It Here
Jackson Browne - Saturate Before Using
Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard (++)
Los Lobos - Kiko
The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion (++)
Bruce Springsteen - The River (++)
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (++)
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (++)
Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat
Philip Glass - Songs From Liquid Days
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (++)
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly (++)
John Fogerty - Blue Moon Swamp
Ray Davies - Working Man's Café
Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue (++)
Weather Report - Weather Report (++)
Wynton Marsalis - Blood On The Fields
Talking Heads - 77 (++)
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead
Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (++)
Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
Depeche Mode - Violator
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (++)
Brian Wilson - Smile
John Hiatt - Bring The Family
Chris Rea - Auberge
J.J. Cale - Grasshopper
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (++)
The Doors - Morrison Hotel (++)
Ennio Morricone - Once Upon A Time In The West (++)
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (++)
Prince - Sign 'O' The Times (++)
The Blues Brothers - Original Soundtrack Recording
The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
Fisher Z - Red Skies Over Paradise
ABC - The Lexicon Of Love
The B-52's - Cosmic Thing
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (++)

#1 Have this one as Peel Slowly And See Disc 2
##2 Have this one as Back To 19 Mistakes

ROUND 3 (under heavy construction)
1 The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967|2009|1
2 The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds 1966|2009|2
3 Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde 1966|2009|3
4 Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief 1969|2009|4
5 Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon 1973|2009|5
6 The Band - Music From Big Pink 1968|2009|6
7 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV 1971|2009|7
8 Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow 1967|2009|8
9 Neil Young - Comes a Time 1978|2009|9
10 Bruce Springsteen - The River 1980|2009|10
11 Radiohead - OK Computer 1997|2009|11
12 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu 1970|2009|12
13 Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti 1979|2009|13
14 Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones 1983|2009|14
15 Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
16Queen - A Night At The Opera 1975|2009|16
17 Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
18 Nirvana - Nevermind 1991|2009|18
19 Yes - The Yes Album 1971|2009|19
20 Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run 1973
21 David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars 1972
22 Paul Simon - Graceland 1986
23 Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead 1970
24 R.E.M. - Document 1987
25 Lou Reed - Berlin 1973
26 Jethro Tull - Aqualung 1971
27 U2 - Boy 1981
28 Rush - Hemispheres 1978
29 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
30 The Doors - Morrison Hotel
31 Johnny Cash - At San Quentin 1969
32 Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
33 Talking Heads - 77
34 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 1974
35 Donald Fagen - The Nightfly
36 Pearl Jam - Ten 1992
37 Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles
38 Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard
39 Nina Hagen Band - Nina Hagen Band
40 Dire Straits - Dire Straits
41 The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers 1971
42 Van Morrison - Hymns to the Silence 1991
43 Eagles - Hotel California 1976
44 Prince - Sign 'O' The Times
45 Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
46The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness 1995
47 The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
48 Muse - Origin Of Symmetry 2001
49 Soundgarden - Superunknown 1994
50 Supertramp - Breakfast in America 1979
51 The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico

Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club
The Cult - Love 1985
The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion 1992
Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky Is Crying 1991
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not 2006

Joe Jackson - Jumpin' Jive
Metallica - Metallica 1991
Weather Report - Weather Report
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Van Halen - Van Halen 1978
AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

Gruppo Sportivo - 10 Mistakes
Ennio Morricone - Once Upon a Time in the West

Wenn ich durch die Stadt gehe und mich cool fühlen will, dann hole ich meinen MP3-Player heraus und höre Boz Scaggs. Sicher es gibt auch schmalzige und langweilige Titel von Scaggs, doch in seinen besten Momenten schafft es niemand so wie Scaggs, durchaus romantische Texte in soviel Stil zu kleiden. Wenn er wie in Jojo gentle and soft singt, dann trägt das irgendwie auch ungewollt autobiographische Züge - Boz Scaggs ist cool, lässig - er hat es einfach drauf!

Zum ersten Mal in Erscheinung tritt Scaggs auf den ersten beiden Alben der Steve Miller Band (Children Of The Future und Sailor), wo er doch zumindest in meinem Gehörgang einen mehr als bleibenden Eindruck hinterlässt - aber wegen Streitigkeiten über die musikalische Ausrichtung verlässt er die Band nach den ersten beiden Platten und verpasst damit ihre kommerziell erfolgreichste Phase (die aber wohl auch nicht seinem Willen entsprechend gewesen wäre).

Sein größter Erfolg als Solo-Artist wird dann nach mehreren Platten das 1976 veröffentlichte Album Silk Degrees, bei dem er über weite Strecken von Jeff Porcaro (Drums) und David Paich (Keyboards, Songwriting) von Toto begleitet wird. Sein größter Hit wird die Singleauskopplung Lowdown (US #3) - einer der schmissigsten Titel, die ich je gehört habe. An der Stelle "You ain't got to be so bad, got to be so cold, This dog eat dog existence, sure is getting old" muß ich immer mitsingen. Weitere Highlights sind natürlich What Can I Say (US #42) mit einem traumhaften Saxophonsolo, das relaxte Harbor Lights und auch die Ballade Georgia, bei der ich zunächst dachte, es würde sich um eine Liebeserklärung an den gleichnamigen US-Bundesstaat handeln - doch der Text lässt jeden Zweifel verfliegen: "Georgia, I swear I never seen such a smile, Gorgeous enough to make an angel heart run wild" - das ist die ganz große Charme-Offensive mit Stil!

...

Dann will ich noch auf das Album Middle Man eingehen, auf dem Scaggs gewohnt cool mit Zigarre auf das netzgestrümpfte Bein einer Frau gelehnt abchillt. Ich kenne nur die beiden Titel Jojo (US #17) und das fröhliche Breakdown Dead Ahead (US #19), wo ich auch immer irgendwie mitsingen muß.

Was gibt es sonst noch zu Scaggs zu sagen? Ach ja, in den Neunzigern war er mit Donald Fagen von meiner Lieblingsband Steely Dan im Rahmen der New York Rock'n'Soul Revue unterwegs. Allein die Namen Jeff Porcaro und David Paich sollten auch den letzten Skeptikern die Möglichkeit geben, Boz Scaggs etwas mehr Beachtung zu schenken.

Und wen lobhudel ich im nächsten Teil? Weiß ich noch nicht ... !!

This is borrowed directly from a recent series of journals by JoeIsListening, wherein one takes 64 songs selected at random from one's playlist and puts them in an elimination tournament which I gather is based somewhat on basketball playoffs or something. I don't know from basketball, so I won't comment on that. To quote from Joe, "These will be divided into 32 musical face offs. Losers go away and the winners advance until 'there can only be one.'" I eliminated any under-1-minute tracks from the list, but didn't bother with a ten-minute-plus track or a number of 8-9 minute ones.

I am also borrowing Joe's Difficulty-O-Meter, which "gauges the degree of difficulty in deciding which song advances. The scale runs from * (no contest, no thought required) to ***** (pass the razor blades)".

Now, I've got close to 30,000 tracks in my system, many of which I could not hum even a snatch of upon seeing the title, so this could be interesting, or not as much. Let's see.

1. Lebanese Blonde (French mix) by Thievery Corporation
vs.
2. Relax (Come Fighting) by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Frankie
Comments: Both of them good grooving tracks, but I think "Relax" got the edge because of my greater familiarity with it, and perhaps it's a bit less laid-back and a little more forceful.

3. Broken Birds by Jane Siberry
vs.
4. 7 8 9 by Barenaked Ladies
Difficulty: *
Winner: The Ladies
Comments: Little contest here--a pretty much acoustic track from a past-her-prime Siberry doing a misguided album of songs she wrote as a teenager, versus a catchy children's song from Canada's top popsters.

5. Heat of the Moment by Willy DeVille
vs.
6. Dreamin' by Lou Reed
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Willy
Comments: Willy DeVille mostly wins by default, because the Lou Reed track, from his subdued "Magic & Loss", is just not very strong. We'll see how Willy does in the next round...

7. Hell in a Handbasket by Drywall
vs.
8. Framed by Saga
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Drywall
Comments: This is far from my favourite track from Stan Ridgway's "Drywall" project, but it's still at least distinctive enough to edge out a less-familiar prog-rock track from Saga.

9. Afterglow by Genesis
vs.
10. The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Difficulty: *
Winner: Flash
Comments: A weak track from a weak Genesis album against one of the classic songs of rap music? Okay, I'm not rap's biggest fan, but Grandmaster Flash nailed this one.

11. Slip Inside This House by The 13th Floor Elevators
vs.
12. Close But No Cigar by Weird Al Yankovic
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Al
Comments: A catchy, appealing tune from Weird Al's latest album, even if not one that stuck out on first listen, holds its own against Roky Erickson's eerie tune.

13. We're Just Temporary Ma'am by White Whale
vs.
14. The Warrior by Scandal
Difficulty: *****
Winner: The Whale
Comments: Okay, "The Warrior" is a classic of 80's pop-rock, where White Whale are just some obscure upstart indie-rock band, but "We're Just Temporary Ma'am" is catchy and has a great title, which won out over nostalgia by a hair.

15. Prayer Meeting by Chet Atkins
vs.
16. Ultraviolence by New Order
Difficulty: ***
Winner: The Order
Comments: While "Ultraviolence" is one of those tracks that I couldn't hum you a bar of right now, it still outdoes a Chet Atkins instrumental cover version from "Solid Gold '68". Or, at least, this particular one.

17. My Hippy Angel by Bob Geldof
vs.
18. The Luxury by The Tragically Hip
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Sir Bob
Comments: While the Tragically Hip have some great songs, I have trouble getting into a lot of their album tracks, while Geldof's song is a fun listen.

19. Rocket by Primitive Radio Gods
vs.
20. Take Me Away by Fefe Dobson
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Fefe
Comments: Though Dobson's Avrilesque charms are overly obvious, they nonetheless outweigh those of that PRG guy.

21. Stay Awake by Suzanne Vega
vs.
22. Streets of Banaras by Ann Mortifee
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Ann
Comments: This was an interesting pairing. I love Suzanne Vega's a cappella take on the Mary Poppins song, but somehow her quiet, deadpan song paled next to Ann Mortifee's intense, histrionic soprano workout.

23. Furry Old Lobster by Jonathan Coulton
vs.
24. The Last Word by Mary Chapin Carpenter
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Mary
Comments: Mary Chapin Carpenter wins out over Jonathan Coulton for having more clever lyrics, but this is admittedly one of Coulton's weaker numbers.

25. As Good as New by ABBA
vs.
26. The Nightfly by Donald Fagen
Difficulty: ***
Winner: BAAB
Comments: The throbbing disco beat and harmonies have it over Fagen's soft jazz and wry weary-radio-DJ lyrics.

27. Questions in a World of Blue by Julee Cruise
vs.
28. The Rhythm of the Heat by Peter Gabriel
Difficulty: **
Winner: Pete
Comments: Julee Cruise is just a little too wispy to take on the primal power of even the live version of one of Gabriel's best tracks.

29. Tomber by Laurence Jalbert
vs.
30. Tapestry by Carole King
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Laurence
Comments: Laurence Jalbert, who on this song strikes me as a sort of Francophone Melissa Etheridge, edges out Carole King on this one.

31. You Took My Heart by Chris Isaak
vs.
32. Junior by John Mellencamp
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Cougar
Comments: John Mellencamp's story was a little more compelling than Isaak's bouncy lament.

33. Chance (single version) by Big Country
vs.
34. Messages by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Difficulty: ***
Winner: BC
Comments: The OMD track just wasn't striking me, which left Big Country on top by default.

35. Animation by Jon Anderson
vs.
36. Foxglove by Bruce Cockburn
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Bruce
Comments: The Jon Anderson track just went on and on, leaving the field open for Cockburn's little guitar instrumental.

37. What If We Don't Get What We Want? by 13 Engines
vs.
38. Rooms on Fire by Stevie Nicks
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Lucky 13
Comments: An uncharacteristically low-key track from alt-rockers 13 Engines, which takes out past-her-prime Stevie.

39. Mermaid Smiled by XTC
vs.
40. Perfect World by Talking Heads
Difficulty: ****
Winner: XTC
Comments: I'm not that familiar with the XTC track, actually, but it manages to beat out one of my less-than-favourite Heads tracks.

41. Manto's Arrow and the Sphinx by Andreas Vollenweider
vs.
42. Eric's Theme by Vangelis
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Vangelis
Comments: Despite (or, perhaps, because of) what sounds like Lisa Gerrard wailing in the background, Andreas Vollenweider is unable to beat the majestic track of "Chariots of Fire".

43. Kissing Gate by Sam Brown
vs.
44. Fading Lights by Genesis
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Ms. Brown
Comments: Not my favourite Sam Brown track, but it's better than the dull and overlong Genesis song, at least.

45. What a Day That Was by David Byrne
vs.
46. There Won't Be Trumpets by Stephen Sondheim
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Mr. Sondheim
Comments: Perhaps if the Byrne song had been the "Stop Making Sense" version, it might have beaten out this minor Sondheim song from the "Side By Side By Sondheim" revue.

47. The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen
vs.
48. Pull Me Down by Skydiggers
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Echo
Comments: For a song I was unfamiliar with, the Skydiggers track was unexpectedly strong, but not enough to beat out the classic E&TB song.

49. So Serious by Electric Light Orchestra
vs.
50. Bus Stop by The Hollies
Difficulty: **
Winner: Holly
Comments: It'll take more than that silly ELO song to defeat one of the best pop songs of the 60's! I can see "Bus Stop" getting quite far in this competition, in fact...

51. Double Take by Blondie
vs.
52. Islands of the Future by Gentlemen Without Weapons
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Blondie
Comments: Oh, my. The Blondie song is pretty silly, and from their latter days, but what is it up against? While Gentlemen Without Weapons sounded more pop than new-age with their synthesizers filled with animal and natural sounds, this song contains a gagworthy voiceover from a young Fairuza Balk that eliminates it from this round.

53. Grimsby by Elton John
vs.
54. Nightswimming by R.E.M.
Difficulty: ***
Winner: REM
Comments: The Elton John song is okay, but not great, and the REM song has been growing on me lately.

55. Careful With That Axe, Eugene by Pink Floyd
vs.
56. The Horns of Rohan & The Battle of the Pelennor Fields by Bo Hansson
Difficulty: **
Winner: Floyd
Comments: Oh, please. There's no way that Hansson and his synthy Lord of The Rings soundtrack can compete with such an epic of prog. I mean, with screaming and everything!

57. Look Down by Claude-Michel Schönberg
vs.
58. Saskatchewan Sea by The SplendourBog
Difficulty: ****
Winner: Les Miz
Comments: The SplendourBog song is an interesting ode to Canada's flattest province, but it can't decide whether to be serious or jokey, so the Les Misérables track, not one of my favourites but decent enough, narrowly pulls ahead of it.

59. The Story of One Chord by Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
vs.
60. Lovers Anonymous by 10cc
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Mojo
Comments: The Mojo & Skid track is silly stuff, and so is the 10cc I suppose, but the 10cc track has the disadvantage of being pretty dull musically, so it drops out.

61. I Wanted Your Heart by Magazine
vs.
62. Love Don't Need No Tyranny by Tanita Tikaram
Difficulty: ***
Winner: Tanita
Comments: Neither of these are songs I'm that familiar with, but the Magazine track was grating on me a bit on this listen, so Tanita takes it through greater tunefulness.

63. Amelia by Joni Mitchell
vs.
64. Future Call by Jill Cunniff
Difficulty: **
Winner: Jill
Comments: While I like a number of Joni Mitchell songs, this isn't one of them. I mean, my favourite album of hers is "Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm", for heaven's sake. Jill Cunniff's isn't quite Luscious Jackson, but it's still a more fun listen.

Next week, or so, Round Two, where the 32 winners in this round duke it out with each other...

Дональд Фаген - один из двух перводвигателей группы Steely Dan.Третья его сольная пластинка появилась только в 2006 году. Перерыв между первым сольным альбомом The Nightfly и Morph The Cat без малого четверть века. Однако музыкальный материал остался на высоком уровне. Несмотря на несколько печальную обложку альбом содержит 9 вполне жизнерадостных треков в стиле джаз-рок. Мои любимые композиции - Morph The Cat, H Gang и Brite Nightgown. Оцениваю альбом на 7 с половиной баллов по десятибалльной шкале.
Donald Fagen

I discovered Alex & Sam through everyone's favorite Indie music blog, Aurgasm. Their short but sweet offering, Sounds Like This: Volume One, is a relaxing ride through a folksy, jazzy paradise evoking, at times, artists as diverse as The Beatles, Steely Dan, and of course, more recent indie-folk artists like Sufjan Stevens and Bright Eyes.

The album starts off strong with a duo of catchy jazz-infused folk songs with pleasantly surprising horn and electric guitar solos. The two Berklee-trained musicians quickly switch gears to the pure jazz track, Land of the Free, in which Alex Silverman all but channels Donald Fagen. They quickly return to folk however, with Buy Your Side, weaving intricate finger-picked guitar melodies that bring to mind Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. What follows is a quietly optimistic, nearly orchestral track that could brighten any day. In the final song, Central Park, Samantha Sidley declares, "we are strange, strange enough to play in key"; the song is played in a decidedly strange, but haunting key, and makes for a sublime ending to a journey worthy of any music lover's time.

For the past three decades (since he started recording solo in 1979) guitar great Albert Lee former sideman of Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, The Everly Brothers, and Bill Wyman) hasn’t cut a single mediocre album yet. To anyone who likes his crisp country and rockabilly style, all of his releases are required listening (IMHO).

Last year’s album by Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes (“In Between the Cracks”) has been particularly strong. And he even topped himself with the brand new “LIKE THIS” which hasn’t been officially released yet – I bought it during one of the concerts of his current tour.

I’ve had it on heavy rotation for about two weeks now, and my first impression during the initial listening session hasn’t changed: “Like This” probably is the strongest Albert Lee album ever. And that’s saying a lot!

He’s added some New Orleans flavour (“Two Step Too”, “Rad Gumbo”), a string section (“Skip Rope Song”), horns, and a sense of humour. In the second song, the 65-year old asks: “Can Your Grandpa Rock And Roll Like This?” – and then proves that your Grandpa probably doesn’t.

The track list:

1) Skip Rope Song (Jesse Winchester
2) Can Your Grandpa Rock And Roll Like This (Music: Elio Pace, Words: Elio Pace & Matthew Baker
3) Leave My Woman Alone (Ray Charles)
4) On The Verge (Hugh Prestwood)
5) I'm Comin' Home (Charlie Rich)
6) Runaway Train (John Stewart)
7) I'll Never Get Over You (John Hiatt)
8) Barnyard Boogie (Gray/Wilhelmina/Jordan)
9) Two Step Too (Delbert McClinton)
10) Why Me? (McClinton/Knobloch)
11) Pearl Of The Quarter (Donald Fagen/Walter Becker)
12) Breathless (Otis Blackwell)
13) Crying In The Rain (Greenfield/King)
14) Rad Gumbo (Barrere/Clayton/Gradney/Kibbee/Park/Payne)