Record Reviews
18 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | MIKE BLOOMFIELD ~ IT`S NOT KILLING ME
ACADIA 8098 (Barcode: 805772809826) ~ USA ~ Blues-Rock
Recorded: 1969 Released: 2006
1st album by US most formidable white (and Jewish of course) Blues guitar hero Mike BloomfieldFind albums by this artist, who by the time this music was recorded has already established a legendary status among Blues aficionados and music lovers in general, following his remarkable work with Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, Paul Butterfield Blues BandFind albums by this artist, Electric FlagFind albums by this artist and Al KooperFind albums by this artist´s "Super SessionFind albums with this title" meetings. Considering his status, the album was a huge disappointment at the time of its release, as it didn´t follow the formula of extended solo guitar fireworks in the Blues vein, which everybody expected. Bloomfield decided to get away from that formula and record a much more relaxed album, surrounded by many of his faithful cohorts from years past, including his ex-Electric Flag buddies Mark NaftalinFind albums by this artist on keyboards and Nick GravenitesFind albums by this artist on backing vocals. Although a fair share of Blues material is present, Bloomfield also tackles Rhythm And Blues and even Country, with his soloing subdued and mighty guitar work kept in the background. He did however write 10 of the 11 tracks on the album, sticking to his own music rather than playing over Blues standards. If one has to criticize, the only poor decision here was Bloomfield handling the lead vocals, rather than leaving that part to much abler singers, like Gravenites (something that worked wonderfully on the singer´s debut solo album. But in retrospect every note played by Bloomfield is worthy of admiration and preservation, and considering this is the first reissue of that album on CD, this is a treat any way one looks at it. Definitely worth investigating!
| | Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | BLUES PROJECT ~ LAZARUS / THE BLUES PROJECT
ACADIA 8072 (Barcode: 805772807228) ~ USA ~ Blues-Rock
Recorded: 1971 - 1972 Released: 2004
5th and 6th albums by US group Blues ProjectFind albums by this artist, which fell apart soon after recording their three original albums, with keyboardist Al KooperFind albums by this artist and guitarist Steve KatzFind albums by this artist leaving to form the legendary Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist and bassist Andy KulbergFind albums by this artist and drummer Roy BlumenfeldFind albums by this artist creating SeatrainFind albums by this artist. Blues Project founder, guitarist Danny KalbFind albums by this artist, resurrected the band in 1971, first as a trio and later on as a quintet, with original band members Blumenfeld (who left Seatrain in the meantime) and singer Tommy FlandersFind albums by this artist. This band recorded two albums, the first of which was recorded in the UK and the second in the US, produced by the legendary Gabriel MeklerFind albums by this artist (who produced SteppenwolfFind albums by this artist among others) and who also guests on the album on keyboards. These two albums are quite different from the recordings by the original band, but still present fairly strong efforts by talented musicians, with occasional excursions into the Blues format, but mostly featuring original material written by the band. Considering the fact that these two albums have been out of circulation for ages, it´s great to see them available again.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | BLUES PROJECT ~ LIVE AT THE CAFÉ AU GO GO (EXPANDED EDITION)
ACADIA 8070 (Barcode: 805772807020) ~ USA ~ Blues-Rock
Recorded: 1965 - 1966 Released: 2004
1st album by US group Blues ProjectFind albums by this artist, formed in 1965 by blues fanatic Danny KalbFind albums by this artist and four other Jewish NY youngsters (well who else would play the Blues if not Jewish kids), including the legendary keyboardist Al KooperFind albums by this artist, freshly out of the first electric Bob DylanFind albums by this artist band. The Blues Project became the resident band at the NY club Café Au Go Go, drawing large crowds and swiftly becoming one of the most popular NY bands, with the Blues revival flourishing in the background and Blues-Rock being born. Therefore it´s hardly surprising that the band would record their debut album live at the club, which has become their place of residence, although starting off with a live album was hardly an acceptable norm. They were however always strongest live, as their future albums would prove. Although firmly based in the Blues tradition, the band played a strange amalgam of tunes, which included early Psychedelic adventures, Rock, Jazz and Rhythm And Blues, creating a unique sound and breaking new musical ground on the way. Kalb played some nifty guitar licks, Kooper was always brilliant on organ and electric piano and the other band members contributed their share, which all together sounded quite brilliant. The album includes 2 sessions, the first with the band´s lead singer Tommy FlandersFind albums by this artist, who left the band soon after, and the second without him. This new reissue includes all the tracks recorded during both these sessions, presenting the full document of the band at the time. In retrospect this is all not only great music, but a great trip down the memory lane – no one plays such honest music today. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | BOB DYLAN ~ 1970
COLUMBIA 194398564128 (Barcode: 194398564128) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2021
This is a sensational archive album by American prophet / singer / songwriter Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, which collects three and a half hours of unreleased studio recordings from sessions that took place between March and August of 1970. These two sessions produced two Dylan’s albums released the same year: “Self PortraitFind albums with this title” and “New MorningFind albums with this title”, which are dramatically different from each other, and as we can now hear, consisted of only small part of the music that was captured during these sessions. Dylan is accompanied by wonderful musicians, like organist Al KooperFind albums by this artist, guitarist David BrombergFind albums by this artist, bassist Harvey BrooksFind albums by this artist, drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist and others, but perhaps the most astonishing personal appearance on this album is that of George HarrisonFind albums by this artist, who plays guitar and sings on nine tracks during the May 1st session. The album presents a mixture of original songs by Dylan and songs by others, mostly American songwriters and one BeatlesFind albums by this artist song, as well as a bunch of folk songs. Most of the material written by others appeared on “Self Portrait”, whereas most of the original material appeared on “New Morning”.
There is no need to say much more about this music and try to be innovative, as Dylan and his music was already analyzed by so many music writers. As to the fact that his music has been archived more extensively than any other musician in history in an extensive series of the archival releases, most comprehensively on “The Bootleg SeriesFind albums with this title” (up to now in 15 volumes) and other Box Sets, has always kept me wondering how much of it is really historically necessary and revealing, and how much was just milking money in the process. History will most probably decide…
I have always been a great admirer of Dylan and he undoubtedly is one of the most influential artists in the Soundtrack of my Life, probably more as a poet, a rebel and a prophet than as a songwriter. But he did write some of the greatest songs of the 1960s, which live forever.
With Harrison on board, this album will probably rise more interest than most of the other archival material by Dylan, but nevertheless it is a wonderful time capsule, definitely worth revisiting.
| | Updated: 14/03/2021Posted: 14/03/2021 | CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | BOB DYLAN ~ THE ORIGINAL MONO RECORDINGS
SONY 886977610424 (Barcode: 886977610424) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1961 - 1967 Released: 2010
Half a century ago, in the early 1960s, music was going through a period of rapid and revolutionary change, a complete metamorphosis in fact, with brilliant new ideas and bold steps into the unknown and the unprecedented happening almost instantly, and new directions, genres and sounds being born on the fly. However, the sound technology, which was the tool used to capture and then reproduce music was moving at a much slower pace. It took almost a decade for the vinyl LP, which was introduced in 1948, to become the de facto industry standard. Similarly the stereo sound, initially introduced in 1958, also took almost a decade to become the industry standard.
Therefore, most of the music released in the early to mid 1960s was in fact recorded, mixed and manufactured in the mono format, with later recordings available in separate mono or stereo versions, until the mono format was eventually dropped completely. The original mono versions were later electronically transferred to stereo, creating the so called "fake stereo" effect. Now, half a century later, many music and sound connoisseurs wish to hear the music of that period as it was originally recorded and intended to be heard, i.e. in the mono format, which in turn gave birth to a new trend of original mono format reissues, which is quite popular among the "insiders" of the record collecting niche.
This magnificent Box Set is a result of the "mono craze", but of course it is much more than just a nostalgia trip. It includes the first eight albums recorded by singer / poet / prophet Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, who singlehandedly not only revolutionized music, as we know it, but also stirred up the American morality, shaking the often false foundations, upon it was based. Dylan "invented" Rock, by electrifying American Folk, for which he was bitterly criticized and treated as a "traitor". But the young generation, which was about to become "Flower Children" and later the angry, outraged post-Woodstock anti-establishment generation came into being because of his prophetic, bitter and profoundly accurate poetry, which is all heard here, on these albums. There is no other singular representative of the American People, who made such an intense impact on American culture and morality, as documented herein.
These eight albums, starting from the eponymous 1961 release and ending with the 1967 "John Wesley HardingFind albums with this title" are all masterpieces and together present a magnificent piece of history of human culture. They present a gradual development from the pure acoustic Folk music, which Dylan with his voice, guitar and harmonica brought to perfection, into a full electric Rock ensembles, which featured the genius of keyboardist Al KooperFind albums by this artist and guitarists Mike BloomfieldFind albums by this artist and Robbie RobertsonFind albums by this artist (the latter member of The BandFind albums by this artist, which was Dylan´s touring band at the time). This is music history in the making. But of course there are also the words, the lyrics, the poems, which at the time were cutting through the American (as well as World) conscience, rising questions never before asked. Many of these questions remain unanswered to this vey day…
I can not imagine any true Homo Sapiens not having these albums as part of his cultural diet. By hey, the world is moving on, getting stupider by the minute, so I suppose considerably fewer people listen to this music today than half a century ago. O tempora o mores!
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: | CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | DON ELLIS ~ AUTUMN
WOUNDED BIRD 9721 (Barcode: 664140972124) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1968 Released: 2007
Brilliant American trumpeter / composer / arranger / bandleader Don EllisFind albums by this artist led a superb Big Band, which was one of the most outstanding Jazz ensembles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Eons ahead of its time, Ellis´ fascination with uneven meters and World Music influences made his music truly revolutionary and fresh and the music lost nothing of its relevance over the years. He also had a rare talent to pick up the best musicians for his band, mostly forward-thinking individuals, ideally suited for his unusual approach to music and brilliant instrumentalists. Some of the musicians playing on this album are saxophonists Frank StrozierFind albums by this artist and John KlemmerFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Glen FerrisFind albums by this artist and many more outstanding musicians. The brilliant music was all composed by Ellis, except one Charlie ParkerFind albums by this artist standard. At its full might the orchestra sounds like nothing else before or since, with every instrument perfectly fulfilling its role. Two of the six tracks were recorded live and show the orchestra as one of the most exciting live acts at the time. It´s fascinating to read the album´s liner notes written by Al KooperFind albums by this artist, who was ColumbiaFind albums on this label´s A&R manager at the time, describing the Don Ellis experience at the time. This is an absolute must to and Big Band fan, but all music connoisseurs should find this music fascinating.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | JIMI HENDRIX ~ ELECTRIC LADYLAND (EXPANDED EDITION)
SONY 762164 (Barcode: 886976216429) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1968 Released: 2010
3rd and last album by the greatest guitar player that ever walked on the face of the earth, Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist, which continued to revolutionize the fate of Rock music as we know it. Following the release of the two stunning albums a year earlier ("Are You ExperiencedFind albums with this title" and "Axis: Bold As LoveFind albums with this title"), Hendrix and his British partners: Noel ReddingFind albums by this artist on bass and Mitch MitchellFind albums by this artist on drums, explored the unchartered territories of Rock beyond anything tried previously, even by the boldest explorers of the genre. In the meantime Hendrix also got exposed to many other musical explorations beyond Rock, mainly to the pioneering Jazz-Rock experimentations of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, which influenced him deeply and were supposed to culminate in actual cooperation, which sadly never materialized. In making this milestone recording, Hendrix fused together everything he knew up to this point of his musical development, the early Blues influences, the Psychedelic music of the British Underground Scene, the new Jazz feel and even Avant-Garde sound experimentation, producing what would become one of the true icons of musical achievement, a timeless tour de force, a magnum opus and a work of a genius. The album also marks the first time Hendrix involved other musicians apart from the trio, like Steve WinwoodFind albums by this artist, Al KooperFind albums by this artist and others. One could easily write a whole book just about this album, analyzing its musical values as well as its historical significance, but in all honesty listening to it is all that matters. I have been doing just that for the last 42 years since I got my sweaty hands on the shiny double LP for the first time. It´s been a faithful companion in bad times and good times, never letting me down. It still sounds prophetic, every time I listen to it. This new edition, newly remastered, adds a specially filmed DVD, which explores the process of creating this album. Need I say more?
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD+DVD 2 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | AL KOOPER ~ BLACK COFFEE
FAVORED NATIONS 2520 (Barcode: 690897252028) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005
US singer / keyboardist / composer / producer Al KooperFind albums by this artist has been one of my favorite musicians for nearly fifty years and everything he ever touched turned instantly into musical gold as far as I´m concerned. Kooper´s rare gift for composing non-trivial and yet highly melodic music, his incredible versatility and amazing feel for Rock, Blues and Jazz make him a Renaissance Musician. This, his latest (so far) release is his 7th solo album and an absolute gem in every respect. Including mostly his original songs it also presents a few beautiful arrangements of other people´s music. Kooper is supported by a superb team of players, which is able to back him up in any style, genre or mood, always with elegance and a great sense of humor. His vocal ability remains at top form, as does his keyboards technique, and the resulting album is simply top notch. I must admit that I´ve had a super-great time listening to this and enjoying every note and every second, and I hope you will find it equally gratifying. Pure gold!
| | | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | AL KOOPER ~ NEW YORK CITY (YOU`RE A WOMAN) (MILLENIUM EDITION)
COLUMBIA 516091 (Barcode: 5099751609124) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock
4th album from 1971. What a delight it is to be able to hear this wonderful music after so many years. Kooper`s superb songwriting comes out at its best here and he selected some of the best players on the scene (both from UK and the US) to deliver a perfectly executed album. Kooper is sad and funny, whimsical and lyrical - in short a true delight. One of the best US pop / rock albums of the era.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | AL KOOPER ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS
SONY 888750990723 (Barcode: 888750990723) ~ USA ~ Pop & Rock
Recorded: 1968 - 1972 Released: 2015
This Box Set collects five of the six albums recorded by iconic American singer / songwriter / bandleader / producer Al KooperFind albums by this artist and released between 1968 and 1973 on the ColumbiaFind albums on this label label. They are: his debut solo album "I Stand AloneFind albums with this title", the second "You Never Know Who Your Friends AreFind albums with this title", the third "Easy Does ItFind albums with this title", the fourth "New York City (You`re A Woman)Find albums with this title" and the sixth "Naked SongsFind albums with this title". His fifth album "A Possible Projection Of The Future / Childhood`s EndFind albums with this title" remains sadly in its obscurity.
It is hard to imagine the shape of American music without Al Kooper, starting from his contribution to Bob DylanFind albums by this artist´s revolutionary early electric era which led to the inception of Rock, via the initiation of Brass Jazz-Rock Fusion with Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist, Southern Rock with Lynyrd SkynyrdFind albums by this artist and hundreds of albums he either played on or produced. His exceptional gift for crafting memorable melodies, writing elaborate orchestral arrangements and singing his heart out; all those made him one of the absolute geniuses of the American popular music in the 20th Century.
His solo albums are all brilliant collections of superb songs, performed with elegance and zest, full of Kooper´s unique genius. The fact that it took over forty years for these albums to make it to CD, partly for the first time ever, is a sad, sad reminder of our era, where music understanding and appreciation is almost completely lost, giving place to stupidity and ignorance, fads and hypes.
I urge everybody to give those five albums a serious listen and discover their beauty, depth and above all musical genius. This is some of the best American music made during the Golden Decade, and the fact that it remains forgotten is a crying shame.
Side Note
The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty.
The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations.
In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!
| | Updated: 05/04/2024Posted: | CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | AL KOOPER / SHUGGIE OTIS ~ KOOPER SESSION
ACADIA 8135 (Barcode: 805772813526) ~ USA ~ Blues
Recorded: 1969 Released: 2007
This is the last album in the series of recordings made in the late 1960s by keyboardist / producer Al KooperFind albums by this artist with some of the greatest guitar players (mostly Blues oriented) like Mike BloomfieldFind albums by this artist, Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist, Carlos SantanaFind albums by this artist and Johnny WinterFind albums by this artist under the umbrella of the "Super SessionFind albums with this title" format, which allowed for a loosely defined jam session environment with a lot of on-the-spot improvised music to be recorded. This album features the talents of the Blues guitar prodigy Shuggie OtisFind albums by this artist, who was barely 15 years old at the time of this recording (son of Blues legend Johnny OtisFind albums by this artist). As usual for these sessions, Kooper assembled a rhythm session of seasoned studio musicians to accompany him and Otis. The session was divided into two parts, with one LP side containing more structured songs and the other lengthy jams, which allow Otis to play his heart out and display his guitar artistry at full. In retrospect this music lost nothing of its freshness and power, hitting the right notes time and again and for electric Blues fans this is still some of the best stuff ever recorded. Kooper´s magic touch just couldn´t go wrong and he kept the Blues flame burning. This is a great piece of music history and a much appreciated reissue of an album, which was lost for many years in the vaults.
| | | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | GARY MOORE ~ LIVE FROM LONDON
PROVOGUE 7605 (Barcode: 810020501032) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock
Recorded: 2009 Released: 2020
This is an archive album by British guitar virtuoso / vocalist / composer Gary MooreFind albums by this artist, recorded live in December 2009 just over a year before his untimely death in 2011. The album was recorded with keyboardist Vic MartinFind albums by this artist, bassist Peter ReesFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve DixonFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, some being his original compositions, which span his entire career, with an emphasis on Blues, which was always his favorite idiom despite the fact that his career covered a wide range of genres.
The tight band and the incredibly coherent choice of material make this album one of his best ever live recordings. The fire and virtuosity of his soloing fully justify his legendary status as a guitar hero and one of the very best axe man of his generation. The music includes such classic Blues anthems as John MayallFind albums by this artist’s “Have You Heard” and Al KooperFind albums by this artist’s “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”, which alone are the worth the price of the album in gold.
Overall this album is an instant classic, especially for Blues-Rock enthusiasts and a wonderful reminder of Moore’s genius. Although the market is pretty stuffed with live Moore material, this album is an absolute highlight and an essential part of any decent music collection. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 09/08/2021Posted: 09/08/2021 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | LENNY WHITE ~ THE ADVENTURES OF ASTRAL PIRATES
WOUNDED BIRD 6121 (Barcode: 664140612129) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1978 Released: 2002
3rd album by Lenny WhiteFind albums by this artist. This time without superstar guests, still White manages to creat one of the quintessential Fusion albums, with excellent playing all over and music that never rests for a second to keep you awake. This is also a concept album, based somewhat on the `Star Wars` like theme of cosmic battles, etc. There are some world music elements here as well, so truly never a dull moment. Produced by the genious Al KooperFind albums by this artist! Essential stuff!
| | | CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend |
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