Sunday, August 03, 2003
Having just returned home after ten days in San Diego, I’m beginning to realize that I’m already looking forward to retirement. Of course, many of my so-called friends would say that I could retire much sooner if I stopped spending so much money on CDs and beer and similar frivolous pursuits. While that may be true, I agreed with the Grateful Dead when they sang “I may be going to hell in a bucket…but at least I’m enjoying the ride”, a great line that is of dubious relevance here. I did pick up a few CDs while dragging my father-in-law through some seedy music stores on Garnet Avenue, and as always I managed to sample many of the local San Diego microbrews. I highly recommend the Karl Strauss Amber, best consumed in large quantities.
Enough babbling. Here’s what’s currently loaded in my CD player:
1) Bryan Ferry – Frantic
Singer Bryan Ferry will likely never match the successes of his former band (Roxy Music’s “Avalon” album remains a personal favorite 20 years after it’s debut), but this latest release showcases his strengths as a vocalist quite nicely. The diverse album includes two Bob Dylan covers, Leadbelly’s “Goodnight Irene”, a few songs written with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, several Ferry penned originals, and some guitar fireworks by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood. Ferry is a rarity in that he’s aged very gracefully in an industry that seldom rewards longevity.
2) Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers
3) Fountains Of Wayne – Utopia Parkway
New Jersey based Fountains Of Wayne play a quirky and catchy flavor of disposable guitar pop. “Welcome Interstate Managers” is their third and arguably strongest release; a great summertime pop album. While this stuff has a very short shelf life, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. I enjoyed the new album so much that I ran out and picked up “Utopia Parkway”, their second album circa 1999. I like their latest one best.
4) Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera (Disc One)
5) Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera (Disc Two)
This double CD by up-and-comers the Drive-By Truckers is a concept album that serves as a nostalgic tribute/eulogy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a well as an interesting commentary on growing up in the South in the seventies. The hard-rocking band features a three-guitar lineup playing an updated version of southern rock. Pretty cool stuff.
6) Joe Jackson – Volume Four
After dabbling in classical music for most of past 15 years, Joe Jackson gathered up his original band-mates circa 1980 to release this pop album. No longer the angry young man he once was, this is a pretty good album nonetheless.
TURNTABLE CORNER: Believe it or not, I still have a turntable. These are the most recent albums to cross it.
Wayne Shorter-Phantom Navigator
Though this may be one of the worst albums the jazz stalwart and ex-Weather Report saxophonist ever released, I still like it somewhat. Admittedly, the mostly electronic backing doesn’t suit him well, and his art peaked with Weather Report long before this album was released in 1986.
Darol Anger & Barbara Higbie - Tideline
Violinist Anger joined pianist Higbie for this all instrumental new-age album released on the Windam Hill label in 1982. Though best described as background music, I find that I play this record as much as any vinyl I own. I’m not sure why.
Thanks to all of you that have e-mailed using the link at the top of this page. Keep the e-mails coming, as it makes me feel like this is somewhat less of a waste of time.
Kedves egeszsegere (that’s “cheers” in Hungarian)!
Enough babbling. Here’s what’s currently loaded in my CD player:
1) Bryan Ferry – Frantic
Singer Bryan Ferry will likely never match the successes of his former band (Roxy Music’s “Avalon” album remains a personal favorite 20 years after it’s debut), but this latest release showcases his strengths as a vocalist quite nicely. The diverse album includes two Bob Dylan covers, Leadbelly’s “Goodnight Irene”, a few songs written with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, several Ferry penned originals, and some guitar fireworks by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood. Ferry is a rarity in that he’s aged very gracefully in an industry that seldom rewards longevity.
2) Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers
3) Fountains Of Wayne – Utopia Parkway
New Jersey based Fountains Of Wayne play a quirky and catchy flavor of disposable guitar pop. “Welcome Interstate Managers” is their third and arguably strongest release; a great summertime pop album. While this stuff has a very short shelf life, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. I enjoyed the new album so much that I ran out and picked up “Utopia Parkway”, their second album circa 1999. I like their latest one best.
4) Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera (Disc One)
5) Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera (Disc Two)
This double CD by up-and-comers the Drive-By Truckers is a concept album that serves as a nostalgic tribute/eulogy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a well as an interesting commentary on growing up in the South in the seventies. The hard-rocking band features a three-guitar lineup playing an updated version of southern rock. Pretty cool stuff.
6) Joe Jackson – Volume Four
After dabbling in classical music for most of past 15 years, Joe Jackson gathered up his original band-mates circa 1980 to release this pop album. No longer the angry young man he once was, this is a pretty good album nonetheless.
TURNTABLE CORNER: Believe it or not, I still have a turntable. These are the most recent albums to cross it.
Wayne Shorter-Phantom Navigator
Though this may be one of the worst albums the jazz stalwart and ex-Weather Report saxophonist ever released, I still like it somewhat. Admittedly, the mostly electronic backing doesn’t suit him well, and his art peaked with Weather Report long before this album was released in 1986.
Darol Anger & Barbara Higbie - Tideline
Violinist Anger joined pianist Higbie for this all instrumental new-age album released on the Windam Hill label in 1982. Though best described as background music, I find that I play this record as much as any vinyl I own. I’m not sure why.
Thanks to all of you that have e-mailed using the link at the top of this page. Keep the e-mails coming, as it makes me feel like this is somewhat less of a waste of time.
Kedves egeszsegere (that’s “cheers” in Hungarian)!
