Record Reviews
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  | CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG ~ DÉJÀ VU
ATLANTIC 075678264924 (Barcode: 075678264924) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1969 - 1970 Released: 1994
This is the debut album by the iconic Classic Rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist, considered as one of the most important and pivotal Rock albums of all time. The group combined four young (at the time) Rock stars: the hippie dreamer David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, the folksy / bluesy Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist, the elegant, intellectual and romantic Brit Graham NashFind albums by this artist and the tough rocker Neil YoungFind albums by this artist, all four blessed with extraordinary voices and sublime songwriting talents. This unique combination of musical personalities already tested and perfected within the Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist framework was simply matchless by any contemporary Rock group at the time. This highly anticipated album, following the instant fame and glory of the group due to their stellar Woodstock Festival appearance proved to be everything that might have been expected and more. Assisted by bassist Greg ReevesFind albums by this artist and drummer Dallas TaylorFind albums by this artist (and a brief contributions by Jerry GarciaFind albums by this artist and John SebastianFind albums by this artist) they recorded nine original songs (two by each of the group members and one co-written by Stills and Young) and the cherry on top in the form of the Woodstock Generation anthem, the Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist song "Woodstock" inspired by the festival´s events.
The music is a prefect blend of vocal harmonies and instrumental work, which renders sublimely the beauty and the depth of the compositions. The clever and meaningful lyrics add another layer to the musical framework, creating a set of songs, which in time became anthems not only in the long and successful career of the group and its individual members, but more importantly reached a legendary status of Anthems of a Generation, which firmly stands to this very day.
It is very difficult to understand what makes this album to stand out from thousands of other recordings of the period. Beyond the above mentioned objective reasons, which contribute to its success, there are also additional factors, historical, social, psychological and even philosophical. This album defines a specific moment in American history, in which the "American Values" were seriously questioned, perhaps for the first time. The anguish and the confusion of the young generation (in America, but also in the entire world for that matter) were perfectly echoed in the songs by the Classic Rock Artists, who were the bards and often the prophets of their generation, continuing the process initiated in the 1950s by the Beat Generation and continued by the Protest Poets of the 1960 (Woody GuthrieFind albums by this artist, Bob DylanFind albums by this artist). Sadly that poignant moment of American history proved to be brief, and tragically insignificant in retrospect. The mass media and political / social processes proved to be most successful in turning the American public into a mindless mob.
Now, almost fifty years after it´s release, this is still a sublime piece of music, which deserves to be cherished, remembered and repeatedly re-visited by every sensitive, open-minded cultural person on this planet.
| | Updated: 21/01/2019Posted: 21/01/2019 | CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | FRANK ZAPPA ~ BROADWAY THE HARD WAY
ZAPPA 3879 (Barcode: 824302387924) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1988 Released: 2012
This is a reissue / remaster of the 53rd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1988. The album presents seventeen tracks, which include mostly original songs by Zappa, but also some covers including one song by The PoliceFind albums by this artist on which StingFind albums by this artist sings lead vocals. The music was recorded live during Zappa’s 1988 tour, which was sadly his last. It is one of three live albums recorded during this tour, together with “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your LifeFind albums with this title” and “Make A Jazz Noise HereFind albums with this title”.
The lineup that recorded the music includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, guitarists Ike WillisFind albums by this artist and Mike KeneallyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Robert MartinFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ed MannFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Walt FowlerFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Paul CarmanFind albums by this artist, Albert WingFind albums by this artist and Kurt McGettrickFind albums by this artist, bassist Scott ThunesFind albums by this artist and drummer Chad WackermanFind albums by this artist. It reflects Zappa’s love of orchestral arrangements, which of course were meticulously conceived and brilliantly executed by this excellent team. The undertones of a Broadway show, which this album presents, are a pinnacle of Zappa’s mastery and a cruel twist.
With passing time, Zappa’s cynicism and radical criticism of American politics, organized religion, show business and general stupidity became more bitter and plain painful at times. His idea to shake his audiences, had sadly little effect, as we can see with the world getting worse and stupider consistently. The absurdity of the beautiful melodic songs crafted by Zappa, which were accompanied by his toxic lyrics is absolutely amazing. However, as we all know, protest songs never managed to make a dent in the way our world is being conducted, especially so in America – Woody GuthrieFind albums by this artist, Pete SeegerFind albums by this artist, Bob DylanFind albums by this artist and eventually Zappa, all failed miserably – a magnificent failure it was indeed!
Overall, although thirty-three years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.
Side Note
Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well.
Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.
| | Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 05/12/2021 | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | FRANK ZAPPA ~ MAKE A JAZZ NOISE HERE
ZAPPA 3883 (Barcode: 824302388327) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1988 Released: 2012
This is a reissue / remaster of the 57th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1991. The 2CD album presents twenty-five tracks, which include mostly original songs by Zappa, except for a couple of arrangements of Classical Music pieces by Igor StravinskyFind albums by this artist and Bela BartokFind albums by this artist, which is relatively a rare event on Zappa’s albums. The music was recorded live during Zappa’s 1988 tour, which was sadly his last. It is one of four live albums recorded during this tour, together with “Broadway The Hard WayFind albums with this title”, “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your LifeFind albums with this title” and “Zappa `88: The Last U.S. ShowFind albums with this title”.
The lineup that recorded the music includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, guitarists Ike WillisFind albums by this artist and Mike KeneallyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Robert MartinFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ed MannFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Walt FowlerFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Paul CarmanFind albums by this artist, Albert WingFind albums by this artist and Kurt McGettrickFind albums by this artist, bassist Scott ThunesFind albums by this artist and drummer Chad WackermanFind albums by this artist. It reflects Zappa’s love of orchestral arrangements, which of course were meticulously conceived and brilliantly executed by this excellent team. The undertones of a Broadway show, which this album presents, are a pinnacle of Zappa’s mastery and a cruel twist.
With passing time, Zappa’s cynicism and radical criticism of American politics, organized religion, show business and general stupidity became more bitter and plain painful at times. His idea to shake his audiences, had sadly little effect, as we can see with the world getting worse and stupider consistently. The absurdity of the beautiful melodic songs crafted by Zappa, which were accompanied by his toxic lyrics is absolutely amazing. However, as we all know, protest songs never managed to make a dent in the way our world is being conducted, especially so in America – Woody GuthrieFind albums by this artist, Pete SeegerFind albums by this artist, Bob DylanFind albums by this artist and eventually Zappa, all failed miserably – a magnificent failure it was indeed!
Overall, although over thirty years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.
Side Note
Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well.
Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.
| | Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 13/03/2022 | CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | FRANK ZAPPA ~ THE BEST BAND YOU NEVER HEARD IN YOUR LIFE
ZAPPA 3881 (Barcode: 824302388129) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1988 Released: 2012
This is a reissue / remaster of the 55th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1991. The 2CD album presents twenty-eight tracks, which include mostly original songs by Zappa, but also several covers of classic Rock songs, including “Stairway To Heaven” (Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist), “Purple Haze” (Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist), “Sunshine of Your Life” (CreamFind albums by this artist) and others, which is relatively a rare event on Zappa’s albums. The music was recorded live during Zappa’s 1988 tour, which was sadly his last. It is one of three live albums recorded during this tour, together with “Broadway The Hard WayFind albums with this title” and “Make A Jazz Noise HereFind albums with this title”.
The lineup that recorded the music includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, guitarists Ike WillisFind albums by this artist and Mike KeneallyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Robert MartinFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ed MannFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Walt FowlerFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Paul CarmanFind albums by this artist, Albert WingFind albums by this artist and Kurt McGettrickFind albums by this artist, bassist Scott ThunesFind albums by this artist and drummer Chad WackermanFind albums by this artist. It reflects Zappa’s love of orchestral arrangements, which of course were meticulously conceived and brilliantly executed by this excellent team. The undertones of a Broadway show, which this album presents, are a pinnacle of Zappa’s mastery and a cruel twist.
With passing time, Zappa’s cynicism and radical criticism of American politics, organized religion, show business and general stupidity became more bitter and plain painful at times. His idea to shake his audiences, had sadly little effect, as we can see with the world getting worse and stupider consistently. The absurdity of the beautiful melodic songs crafted by Zappa, which were accompanied by his toxic lyrics is absolutely amazing. However, as we all know, protest songs never managed to make a dent in the way our world is being conducted, especially so in America – Woody GuthrieFind albums by this artist, Pete SeegerFind albums by this artist, Bob DylanFind albums by this artist and eventually Zappa, all failed miserably – a magnificent failure it was indeed!
Overall, although thirty-three years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.
Side Note
Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well.
Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.
| | Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 10/12/2021 | CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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