Record Reviews
📝 2096 reviews| Artist | Title | Review |
|---|---|---|
| John Farnham | Chain Reaction | |
| John Farnham | Full House | |
| Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | The Last Prophet | |
| Bryan Ferry | In Your Mind | |
| Bryan Ferry | The Bride Stripped Bare | |
| Neil Finn | Try Whistling This | <p>In retrospect, <i>Try Whistling This</i>, Neil Finn's solo debut, seems like a conscious effort to distance himself from Crowded House. Filled with studio trickery, distorted microphones, and trendy vague trip-hop beats, the album was a deliberate move to establish himself as a separate, more adventurous entity from Crowded House — yet one that remained a gifted, melodic songwriter. This is all put into sharp relief by his second solo album, <i>One Nil</i>, a record that finds him returning to solid ground, delivering his most straightforward album since Crowded House's <i>Woodface</i>. Curiously, for an album that plays to his strengths, a good portion is the result of a fruitful collaboration with Wendy & Lisa, plus a production pairing with Tchad Blake and numerous cameo spots, including Sheryl Crow, Lisa Germano, and Mitchell Froom. For all the guests and star power, the record is surprisingly subtle, lacking the knockout punches of <i>Try Whistling This</i>, where the singles leapt out of the grooves. This time around, the songs are gently insinuating, slowly working their way into the subconscious. Even the songs with the biggest hooks, such as the first single "Rest of the Day Off," aren't as immediate as "She Will Have Her Way." Yet, on repeated plays, the record begins to gel, revealing itself as a reliably solid effort from Finn. There may not be any new revelations, yet the little details — the turns of phrase, the gently persuasive melodies, the slyly detailed productions — all confirm his status as a gifted craftsman. </p>— <b>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</b> |
| Neil Finn | One Nil | |
| Neil Finn | 7 Worlds Collide (DVD) | |
| Julia Fischer | J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas For Solo Violin, BWV 1001-10 | |
| Roberta Flack | Chapter Two | |
| Fleetwood Mac | Collection Gold | <p>Comprised of songs from the early, hard-edged blues-based Fleetwood Mac, before they morphed into the polished rock act for which they will forever be known, Collection Gold is an excellent overview of the group's roots and the vision of guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer. The raw groove of one of Green's most famous compositions, "Black Magic Woman," the beautiful atmospherics of "Albatross," and the shuffling cover of the Howlin' Wolf tune "No Place to Go" certainly highlight the early days of Fleetwood Mac and serve to document a fascinating group who commanded as much importance in the British psychedelic blues scene as much as the American pop scene.</p><p>—<strong>Gregory McIntosh</strong></p> |
| Fleetwood Mac | Then Play On | <p>This Peter Green-led edition of the Mac isn't just an important transition between their initial blues-based incarnation and the mega-pop band they became, it's also their most vital, exciting version. The addition of Danny Kirwan as second guitarist and songwriter foreshadows not only the soft-rock terrain of "Bare Trees" and "Kiln House" with Christine Perfect-McVie, but also predicts Rumours. That only pertains to roughly half of the also excellent material here, though; the rest is quintessential Green. The immortal "Oh Well," with its hard-edged, thickly layered guitars and chamber-like sections, is perhaps the band's most enduring progressive composition. "Rattlesnake Shake" is another familiar number, a down-and-dirty, even-paced funk, with clean, wall-of-sound guitars. Choogling drums and Green's fiery improvisations power "Searching for Madge," perhaps Mac's most inspired work save "Green Manalishi," and leads into an unlikely symphonic interlude and the similar, lighter boogie "Fighting for Madge." A hot Afro-Cuban rhythm with beautiful guitars from Kirwan and Green on "Coming Your Way" not only defines the Mac's sound, but the rock aesthetic of the day. Of the songs with Kirwan's stamp on them, "Closing My Eyes" is a mysterious waltz love song; haunting guitars approach surf music on the instrumental "My Dream"; while "Although the Sun Is Shining" is the ultimate pre-Rumours number someone should revisit. Blues roots still crop up on the spatial, loose, Hendrix-tinged "Underway," the folky "Like Crying," and the final outcry of the ever-poignant "Show Biz Blues," with Green moaning "do you really give a damn for me?" Then Play On is a reminder of how pervasive and powerful Green's influence was on Mac's originality and individual stance beyond his involvement. Still highly recommended and a must-buy after all these years, it remains their magnum opus.</p><p>—<strong>Michael G. Nastos</strong></p> |
| Fleetwood Mac | Green Shadows | |
| Fleetwood Mac | The Original | <p>As far as odds and ends packages go, Original Fleetwood Mac (1971) is an undeniably strong collection culled primarily from the band's first incarnation, featuring John McVie (bass/guitar), Mick Fleetwood (drums), Peter Green (guitar/vocals), and Jeremy Spencer (guitar/piano/vocals). As evidenced by the material, this quartet are an unmistakably blues-based combo. Early on they distinguished themselves as not only interpreters of traditional fare, but skilled composers, especially Green, who penned the vast majority of these selections. While their entire output during this era can be found on the six-disc Complete Blue Horizon Sessions: 1967-1969 (1999), the best of those secondary sides are contained within this disc. Green's total envelopment of the blues, coupled with equally inspired guitar craft, illuminate the traditional "Drifting" and "First Train Home," as well as an adventurous, hopped-up cover of Muddy Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'," titled "Rambling Pony No. 2." "Watch Out" reveals Fleetwood Mac's decidedly jazzier visage. While the driving upbeat rhythm is deeply rooted in a Chicago-style delivery, Green's fretwork is undeniably fresh, giving the outing fuel for the combo's fiery contributions. "A Fool No More" is another notable variation and possible harbinger of their later psychedelic ventures. The instrumental "Fleetwood Mac" sounds as if it may have been taken from a jam session already in progress. The adaptation of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "Mean Old Fireman" offers an acoustic pseudo-slide lead from Green, but ultimately it fails to truly ignite. B.B. King's "Worried Dream" is an interesting choice that would show up later in the band's concurrent concert repertoire.</p><p>—<strong>Lindsay Planer</strong></p> |
| Flying Burrito Brothers | Close Up The Honky Tonks | |
| Flying Burrito Brothers | Live In Amsterdam | |
| Dan Fogelberg | Netherlands | |
| Dan Fogelberg | Twin Sons Of Different Mothers | |
| Dan Fogelberg | The Innocent Age | |
| John Fogerty | Blue Ridge Rangers |
Showing 601–620 of 2096 reviews
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