Record Reviews
📝 2096 reviews| Artist | Title | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Johnson | Fast And Funky | |
| Robert Johnson | The Complete Recordings | <p>A double-disc box set containing everything Robert Johnson ever recorded, <em>The Complete Recordings</em> is essential listening, but it is also slightly problematic. The problems aren't in the music itself, of course, which is stunning and the fidelity of the recordings is the best it ever has been or ever will be. Instead, it's in the track sequencing. As the title implies, <em>The Complete Recordings</em> contains all of Johnson's recorded material, including a generous selection of alternate takes. All of the alternates are sequenced directly after the master, which can make listening to the album a little intimidating and tedious for novices. Certainly, the alternates can be programmed out with a CD player, but the set would have been more palatable if the alternate takes were presented on a separate disc. Nevertheless, this is a minor complaint — Robert Johnson's music retains its power no matter what context it is presented in. He, without question, deserves this kind of deluxe box-set treatment.</p><p>— <strong>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</strong></p> |
| Robert Johnson | Red Hot Blues | |
| Robert Johnson | King Of The Delta Blues Vol. 2 | <p>A wonderful follow-up to the first compilation (King of the Delta Blues Singers) of Robert Johnson's small library of recorded work. This album boasts the first album appearance of "Love in Vain," as well as a number of other blues classics penned by the artist. "Sweet Home Chicago," "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom," "They're Red Hot," and "Malted Milk" are all present (and all covered by a multitude of artists — the Blues Brothers, Elmore James, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Eric Clapton, respectively). As is generally the practice with Robert Johnson albums, a painting stands in for the cover (there are only two known photographs of the artist in the first place, and every other album released uses one of them). The music is certainly impeccable — the self-accompanying bassline boogie was one of Johnson's greatest contributions to the blues, and it's displayed in all its beauty here. To top this, there's the beauty of his melodic work, and the interplay with his semi-gruff voice that help to make his songs memorable. He is the true legend of the blues, and anyone with even the slightest curiosity in that genre or rock needs to own both this album and its predecessor, or else the box set released in 1990 that covers both of them.</p><p>— <strong>Adam Greenberg</strong></p> |
| Robert Johnson | King Of The Delta Blues | |
| Robert Johnson | Legendary Robert Johnson | |
| Robert Johnson | Robert Johnson | |
| Robert Johnson | King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol.1 | <p>Reading about the power inherent in Robert Johnson's music is one thing, but actually experiencing it is another matter entirely. The official 1998 edition of the original 1961 album was certainly worth the wait, remastered off the best-quality original 78s available, of far superior quality to any of the source materials used on even the 1991 box set. Johnson's guitar takes on a fullness never heard on previous reissues, and except for a nagging hiss in spots on "Terraplane Blues" (the equalization on this disc is extreme to even sport some minute turntable rumble in the low end), this really brings his music alive. If there is such a thing as a greatest-hits package available on Johnson, this landmark album, which jump-started the whole '60s blues revival, would certainly be the one. The majority of Johnson's best-known tunes, the ones that made the legend, are all aboard: "Crossroads," "Walkin' Blues," "Me & The Devil Blues," "Come On In My Kitchen," and the apocalyptic visions contained in "Hellhound On My Trail" are the blues at its finest, the lyrics sheer poetry. And making its first appearance anywhere is a newly discovered-in-1998 alternate take of "Traveling Riverside Blues" that's appended to the original 16-track lineup. If you are starting your blues collection from the ground up, be sure to make this your very first purchase.</p>— <b>Cub Koda</b> |
| Robert Johnson | The Complete Recordings (SBM) | <p>A double-disc set containing everything Robert Johnson ever recorded, The Complete Recordings is essential listening, but it is also slightly problematic. The problems aren't in the music itself, of course, which is stunning and the fidelity of the recordings is the best it ever has been or ever will be. Instead, it's in the track sequencing. As the title implies, The Complete Recordings contains all of Johnson's recorded material, including a generous selection of alternate takes. All of the alternates are sequenced directly after the master, which can make listening to the album a little intimidating and tedious for novices. Certainly, the alternates can be programmed out with a CD player or mp3 player, but the set would have been more palatable if the alternate takes were presented on a separate disc. Nevertheless, this is a minor complaint — Johnson's music retains its power no matter what context it is presented in. He, without question, deserves this kind of deluxe box set treatment.</p><p>— <strong>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</strong></p> |
| Robert Johnson | Complete Recordings: The Centennial Collection | <p>In practical terms, there's not much need for Robert Johnson's The Complete Recordings: The Centennial Collection. There are no undiscovered master or alternate takes, new remastering can only improve the original acetates and 78s so much, and apart from the sequencing of alternate takes after the masters, a debatable merit for listenability, the original 1990 box set The Complete Recordings did everything right. So, The Centennial Collection exists to celebrate Johnson's 100th birthday, and to offer improved sequencing and sound, both of which are evident on the double-disc set that provides the foundation for this entire reissue project. As strong as this compilation is, what's really noteworthy in this centennial celebration is the box set designed for the very wealthy among us, a handsome, lavish fetish object for collectors coming complete with a hardcover book containing 45-rpm replicas of the original 78-rpm singles; a double disc of Johnson's originals; a double disc of Rarities from the Vault that places Johnson into the context of his times by offering a disc of blues cut between 1928-1932 and a disc of Texas country, folk, and Mexican music; and then a DVD documentary of Johnson's legacy. Naturally, this luxurious item is more attractive and interesting than its bare-bones companion, but it doesn't necessarily offer greater musical insight than its slimmer cousin. Johnson's legacy can fit onto a mere two discs, so the rest of the set is essentially well-dressed extras, with the two CDs of contemporary blues, country, and folk offering a nice sampling of Johnson's peers even if they're by no means extensive. And when you spring for a set of this magnitude, what matters isn't the content so much as the presentation — and in that regard, the four-disc set is impeccable.</p><p>— <strong>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</strong></p> |
| Tom Johnston | Everything You've Heard Is True | |
| Stanley Jordon | Standards Vol. 1 | |
| Juicy Lucy | Lie Back And Enjoy It | |
| John Kane | Take Your Pick | |
| Paul Kelly | Live, May 1992 | |
| Paul Kelly | Summer In The City (Ep) | |
| Paul Kelly | Making Gravy | |
| Nigel Kennedy | The Four Seasons | |
| Nigel Kennedy | Classic Kennedy | |
| Keorner, Ray And Glover | The Return Of |
Showing 901–920 of 2096 reviews
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