WOW..FANTASTIC RADIO….SUPERB CHOICES http://emms.podbean.com/
Archive for October, 2012
“When it gets to the part, when the band starts to swing, then you know everything, Cause you were Born To Sing”
Heck, Ray Charles would be smiling if he heard Van Morrison’s new album Born to Sing No Plan B.
The reason is simple.
It’s a great band playing behind Morrison’s sophisticated but simple songwriting R & B/Jazz/Soul structures.
It’s a natural groove that will charm listeners.
The title track is a prime example of how radio music used to be.
No boundaries. A simple song, great melody and emotion
Sounds easy, but that’s the trick.
Morrison has always had great bands.
This studio band of Bassist Paul Moore, drummer Jeff Lardner, guitarist Dave Keary, Paul Moran (who really shines on piano,/organ) Alistar White on trombone, Chris White tenor saxophone (check out Retreat and View, If In Money We Trust, and many others) and Morrison himself are eager to show their chops
The band is contemporary yet play with feel and emotion.
Elsewhere, Morrison gives up striking vocal work on Goin Down to Monte Carlo, Mystic of the East (think Bring it On Home) and the John Lee Hooker influenced Pagan Heart.
Each of these songs shows that Van still loves to phrase his vocals so that they sit at the heart of what the band is playing.
Very nice work, and yes I will be playing a lot of this on future radio episodes
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist, songwriter/musican and radio host http://emms.podbean.com/
Ritchie Sambora’s life and musicanship is evolving from the inside out and on his new album Aftermath of the Lowdown Sambora lays it all on the line with an authentic gutsy performance.
Folks, this is what rock albums are supposed to sound like.
On anthemic rockers like Nowadays, the ripping Burn That Candle Down, Learning How To Fly With a Broken Wing and the mid tempo burn of Taking A Chance On The Wind Sambora sings his ass off backed by a studio band that simply kills.
Basically it sounds like Sambora pulls it from the inside, the band feels it, works their chops and you press the record button.
Elsewhere on Seven Years Gone, You Can Only Get So High and the gorgeous Every Road Leads Home to You Sambora ups the ante lets you inside to his private thoughts and world. The crushing feelings he exposes on these songs is at once redemptive and fulfilling.
There is a new committment Sambora displays on Aftermath of the Lowdown and with solid conviction he has made a career defining album.
This album will make my top ten list in 2012
Sambora and his great band play Toronto this upcoming Saturday night October 20th. Watch for a searing performance.
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist Hosts his own roots, rock radio show http://emms.podbean.com/ John has fun with his hard rockin’ blues/roots band THE SHAFTMEN www.theshaftmen.com
WOW..GREAT NEW EPISODE http://emms.podbean.com/
the best roots rock radio………………….SUPERB SONG CHOICES..http://emms.podbean.com/
This is a fun and revealing part of Beatles history.
Most of us bought the album and were knocked out with the songs such as the title track and I Am A Walrus without ever seeing the movie.
Now you have your chance.
In fact my 11 year old grandson wants to see The Beatles Magcial Mystery Tour movie after viewing the trailer.
The extra sections of the DVD is where you get “the goods”
Paul McCartney and especially Ringo Starr offer glimpes into their own feelings about the movie and how and why the movie was shot.
Most importantly this is Beatles history.
The 5.1 soundtrack for Your Mother Should Know, Blue Jay Way and The
Fool on the Hill with new edits is impressive.
I turned it up loud and it filled the room. You can purchase this DVD for the sound alone
It’s not the multi-camera big budget work on the Help and Hard Days Nights movies.
It’s the Beatles small scale. It’s a 53 minute experimental film that owes to the times (1967)
There is a deluxe blu-ray version available
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist who also hosts his own radio show http://emms.podbean.com/ John rocks out with his musical friends THE SHAFTMEN www.theshaftmen.com The band is working on their third origjnal CD
Rarities albums in most cases are for hard core fans.
However, on Who Cares Iommi and Gillan offer up commerical potential as well as inspired chops.
And they are not alone. They are joined by Glenn Hughes who hits it out of the park on Slip Away and the gutsy Let It Down Easy both rare tracks from the Fused Sessions.
Iommi is indeed at the top of his game on both tracks.
Elsewhere Ian Paice and Roger Glover join Iommi and Gillan (who sings his butt off) with a scorching version of Trashed from the Gillan’s Inn cd back in 2007.
This my friends is just the tip of the iceberg
In addition the sheer muscianship that Nicko McBrain, Jason Newsted and the late and great Jon Lord bring to Iommi and Gillan on the albums’ main singles Out of My Mind and Holy Water is downright dangerous.
Gillan lowers the tempo on Don’t Hold Me Back a solo track from 1991’s Toolbox featuring the superb guitar work of Steve Morris and gets funky on She Thinks It’s a Crime an outake from his superb One Eye To Morocco release.
Fans will also relish the inclusion of a great Tony Martin vocal on Black Sabbath’s TYR track Anna Mundi.
On the commercial side Gillan’s Hole In My Vest, Get Away with Michalis Rakintzis and a standout New Orleans R & B jumper Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave Me with Dr John captured live in the studio by the excellent engineering of Nick Blagona will have you smiling from ear to ear.
The late Ronnie James Dio belts it out with Gillan and Deep Purple on Smoke On The Water from the 1999 live take with the London Symphony Orchestra.
It is a killer take.
With a 14 page Deluxe Booklet, and money being donated to rebuild a music school in Gyumri Armenia as well as the superb song selection purchasing this double cd should be a no brainer.
Excellent Job!!
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist, radio host http://emms.podbean.com/ and has fun blues rockin’ with THE SHAFTMEN www.theshaftmen.com