Record Reviews

ARETHA FRANKLIN ~ TAKE A LOOK - THE COMPLETE ON COLUMBIA SONY 886979313125 (Barcode: 886979313125) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1960 - 1966 Released: 2011 American singer Aretha FranklinFind albums by this artist, one of the true divas of the music scene and the Queen of Soul, as she was crowned in the late 1960s, is mostly known for her legendary recordings on the AtlanticFind albums by this artist label, where the majority of her great hit singles and albums were released during her peak decade (1967-1976). However, before she signed with Atlantic, she spent seven years with ColumbiaFind albums by this artist records (1960-1966), where her initial career was shaped. She recorded eleven fabulous albums for Columbia, one of which was actually never released and sees the light of day for the first time in this Box Set. Columbia envisaged Franklin primarily as a Jazz singer, and the entire production, arrangements and choice of repertoire for her albums was aimed at that direction, at least initially blind to her potential as a Rhythm And Blues and Soul genius she truly was. But Franklin was always a superb singer with extraordinary sensitivity and amazing talent and the Columbia recordings are all absolute gems, which sound even better in retrospect. Accompanied by the best Jazz players of the period (the list of credits reads as the who´s who of the Jazz scene at the time), both in combo and orchestra formats, she performs beautifully singing Jazz, Blues, Gospel and some early (for her) Pop and Soul material, with the successive albums clearly showing the slow metamorphosis of her musical persona towards her true vocation. Produced by some of the most legendary music producers of the time, such as the John HammondFind albums by this artist, Clyde OtisFind albums by this artist and others, these are true gems, which prove to be absolutely timeless. This wonderful Box Set includes all the eleven albums Franklin recorded for Columbia, remastered and expanded with a plethora of bonus tracks. It also includes a DVD with Franklin´s 1964 TV show and a beautifully researched and designed booklet. It is an individually numbered limited edition release. This is a wonderful piece of music history, which should make any owner of a serious music collection proud. Hopefully all these sets will find good homes, as they surely don´t make music like this any more. Respect!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD+DVD 12 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

LED ZEPPELIN ~ CELEBRATION DAY (DELUXE EDITION) ATLANTIC 081227968823 (Barcode: 081227968823) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2007 Released: 2012 On December 10, 2007 Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist, the greatest Rock band of all times, reunited for a one-time performance at the 02 Arena in London, with original members Robert PlantFind albums by this artist (vocals), Jimmy PageFind albums by this artist (guitar) and John Paul JonesFind albums by this artist (bass and keyboards) and with their original drummer John BonhamFind albums by this artist (who died in 1980) replaced by his son Jason BonhamFind albums by this artist. At the time of the concert they were 59, 63, 61 and 41 years old respectively. 20 million people entered the on-line lottery to win the opportunity to buy tickets for this concert, with black market prices eventually reaching astronomical sums. The concert lasted for just over two hours (without any breaks) with the band performing 16 songs (including two encores). Exactly five years later the sound and video recordings of this concert were finally released on CD and DVD, with this edition comprising of two CDs and two DVDs. The second DVD is a one-camera shot of the band´s rehearsal, which took place on December 6, 2007, and contains the same sequence and content as the actual concert recording. The concert was officially called the "Ahmet ErtegunFind albums by this artist Tribute Concert", dedicated to the memory of the legendary president of AtlanticFind albums by this artist Records, Led Zeppelin´s record label, who died a year earlier (December 14, 2006), but of course the Led Zeppelin concert was above all a tribute to Led Zeppelin. Time, as people my age get to experience, is ruthless and for Rock musicians that reality is even crueler than for most other performers, simply for the reason that Rock is after all so much about energy and physical effort. Therefore many Rock dinosaurs cross the line of no return becoming a caricature of their earlier selves without realizing it. It happens to the best. It did not happen this time to Led Zeppelin, but it was damn close… Of course they can still sing and play; but even a less trained ear can easily hear the limitations of Plant´s voice, who stays safely in the mid range and does not dear scream and whine as he used to do so magnificently, the lack of fluidity and exploration in Page´s solos, and so on. Jones is as solid as he always was and looks much younger than his mates, easily winning the title of the best preserved Zep around. Bonham, two decades younger than his cohorts is the true backbone of this entire show, imaginative, precise and as powerful as his late father; a living proof or reincarnation… (Or genetics?) The sound quality of the recording is a bit mushy and the video, although well done technically, lacks imagination and eventually becomes a bit boring. The rehearsal DVD is a complete waste of time visually but the sound and some of the performances are actually better that those during the concert. So what do we have here? Two hours of Led Zeppelin playing the music they played in the good old days and metaphorically performing a sermon in memoriam. Is it worth hearing? Of course it is; people who grew up with Led Zeppelin´s music in their veins will love every second of it, but please, PLEASE, don´t do it again! Let´s not ruin the memory… Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice Thanks for the painfully honest review!

2CD+2DVD 4 Digipak Box Set Recommend To A Friend

TRANSATLANTIC ~ BRIDGE ACROSS FOREVER METAL BLADE 414382 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock 3rd album from 2001. Again they manage to create an exciting and momentous Prog epic, full of great melodies and stunning instrumental work. Two of the four works included here are well over 20 minutes long - in the best Prog tradition. The talent and professionalism of those musicians is nothing short of stunning and amazing. Just put this on the player and get lost in the sounds!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

TRANSATLANTIC ~ LIVE IN AMERICA INSIDEOUT 074 (Barcode: 4001617415122) ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001 2nd album. In between their debut album and the follow up 2nd studio album the group toured the US extensively and this album brings out the best of those live performances. The material includes much of the sebut album, but of course the tunes are expanded and include ad-hoc improvisations. Additional material includes tributes to past influences, among those Genesis and even the Beatles. Brilliant all the way!

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

TRANSATLANTIC ~ SMPT:E METAL BLADE 414290 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock 1st album from 2000. Transatlantic are the first Prog Supergroup as it really is a gathering of members from some of the best Prog groups in existence: Roine Stolt comes from The Flower Kings, Neal Morse from Spock`s Beard, Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater and Pete Trewavas from Marillion. With such legacy on their shoulders the expectations were high but luckily the group mamages to live up to the promises. The create some of the most exciting Prog and Fusion there is. This is really exciting!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

TRANSATLANTIC ~ SMPT:E THE ROINE STOLT MIXES RADIANT 013 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1999 Released: 2003 This is the same ephonymous debut album by Transatantic, but mixed completely differently by the group`s guitarist. The result is quite surprisingly different from the offical version of the album and goes to prove how important and often decisive the mixing process can be in reference to the originally recorded material. This version is much more mellow and relaxed then the official release and many Transatlantic fans prefer it. Definitely worth having.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

RADEK WOSKO / ATLANTIC QUARTET ~ ATLANTIC MULTICULTI MPJ 018 (Barcode: 5907796319819) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Radek WoskoFind albums by this artist and his new Atlantic QuartetFind albums by this artist, which also includes Israeli guitarists Gilad HekselmanFind albums by this artist, Danish pianist Soren GemmerFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight pieces, seven of which are original compositions by Wosko and one is by the late Polish violinist Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist. It seems that Wosko finally found the perfect formula for his music, which is presented here by this quartet, i.e. a melodic Jazz-Rock Fusion, which does full justice to his compositions. Coupled with beautiful execution by all the quartet members, this album guarantees a pleasurable listening experience, without lowering the musical standards. The album is dominated by the enchanting sound of Hekselman´s guitar, with virtuosic phrasing and crystal clear sound bringing on immediately fond memories of early Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist, but definitely presenting a unique and personal approach. Gemmer offers a wonderfully sensitive accompaniment, but sadly does not play too much solo. The rhythm section moves the music forward amicably, playing exactly what is needed in such environment. Although Wosko states in the liner notes that this music represents the meeting of European and American influences, as symbolized by it´s title, personally I find it to be almost completely dominated by contemporary American Jazz approach, with very little of the European aesthetics left, which of course does not diminish its quality. Overall this is a wonderfully crafted Jazz-Rock Fusion album, perfectly executed by the musicians on board and accessible to a very wide range of music lovers, which hopefully will result in at least some commercial success.

Updated: 21/02/2017Posted: 21/02/2017

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

RADEK WOSKO / ATLANTIC QUARTET ~ SURGE MULTIKULTI MPJ 025 (Barcode: 5903068683329) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the second album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Radek WoskoFind albums by this artist and his Atlantic QuartetFind albums by this artist, which includes Norwegian (resident in Copenhagen) guitarist Stian SwenssonFind albums by this artist (who replaced Israeli Gilad HekselmanFind albums by this artist who played on the debut), Danish pianist Soren GemmerFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, eight composed by Wosko and three co-composed by all four members of the quartet. The music, although sonically continuing the guitar dominated Fusion ambience of the debut, is way more open and offers significant proximity to European Jazz elements, including the Nordic loftiness and Polish lyricism, two of the most powerful ingredients of modern European Jazz. It is great to find Wosko finally approaching his "natural" elements in his music, which combined with his maturity and experience accumulated over time and his excellent compositions come all together on this album. The playing is also excellent all the way, with the two Scandinavian melody weavers leading the way with confidence and finesse. Swensson is a wonderful surprise (sadly I failed to hear his debut album so far) and steps easily into Hekselman´s shoes with complete confidence. His playing is the most significant color of the music, but he respectfully leaves space for his cohorts to have their say. He can be firm and decisive but also delicate and considerate, showing great sensitivity. Gemmer is a superbly lyrical player and his sense of melody and atmospheric vistas are simply hair-rising. Prasniewski offers both a solid bottom filling to the quartet´s sound and a significant rhythmic drive. Wosko offers inventive and supportive drumming parts, especially significant during the open / almost free compositions, but does not dominate the music, staying respectfully in-line with the other quartet members. The album is a wonderful example of the ideal balance between melody and order and freedom and open space, which is always so difficult to achieve without pulling the music one way or another; one could almost say that it is case study of such vague and evasive musical phenomenon. Overall this is a beautiful and superbly executed album, for me definitely the best recording by Wosko so far and a gate of hope for his future endeavors. This quartet is a formidable team, which exemplifies the best there is in contemporary, still young but already mature European Jazz. Well done!

Updated: 08/12/2019Posted: 08/12/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend