Record Reviews
📝 2096 reviews| Artist | Title | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Roxy Music | The High Road | |
| Miklos Rozsa | Eye Of The Needle | |
| Todd Rundgren | Runt | |
| Todd Rundgren | Something / Anything | <P>Others had recorded one-man albums before Todd Rundgren, most notably Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, but with Something/Anything? he captured the homemade ambience of McCartney with the visionary feel of Music of My Mind, adding an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music from Gilbert & Sullivan through Jimi Hendrix, plus the crazed zeal of a pioneer. Listening to Something/Anything? is a mind-altering trip in itself, no matter how many shamelessly accessible pop songs are scattered throughout the album, since each side of the double-record is a concept unto itself. The first is "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies"; side two is "the cerebral side"; on side three "the kid gets heavy"; side four is his mock pop operetta, recorded with a full band including the Sales Brothers. It gallops through everything -- Carole King tributes ("I Saw the Light"), classic ballads ("Hello It's Me," "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"), Motown ("Wolfman Jack"), blinding power pop ("Couldn't I Just Tell You"), psychedelic hard rock ("Black Maria"), pure weirdness ("I Went to the Mirror"), blue-eyed soul ("Dust in the Wind"), and scores of brilliant songs that don't fall into any particular style ("Cold Morning Light," "It Takes Two to Tango"). It's an amazing journey that's remarkably unpretentious. Rundgren peppers his writing with self-aware, self-deprecating asides, indulging his bizarre sense of humor with gross-outs ("Piss Aaron") and sheer quirkiness, such as an aural tour of the studio at the beginning of side two. There are a ton of loose ends throughout Something/Anything?, plenty of studio tricks, slight songs (but no filler), snippets of dialogue, and purposely botched beginnings, but all these throwaways simply add context -- they're what makes the album into a kaleidoscopic odyssey through the mind of an insanely gifted pop music obsessive.</P><P>— <B>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</B></P> |
| Otis Rush | Double Trouble | |
| Otis Rush | I Can't Quit You Baby | |
| Tom Rush | Classic Rush | |
| Tom Rush | Wrong End Of The Rainbow | |
| Tom Rush | Ladies Love Outlaws | |
| Leon Russell | Hank Wilsons Back | |
| Mike Rutherford | Acting Very Strange | |
| Ross Ryan | A Poem You Can Keep | |
| Ross Ryan | After The Applause | |
| Terje Rypdal | Odyssey | <p>A magnificant effort that combines crushingly powerful rock/jazz ("Over Bierkerot" is a killer) with long, brooding electric ruminations, it was originally a double album; one track has been left off the CD.</p>—<b>Michael P. Dawson</b> |
| Terje Rypdal | Blue | <p>Terje Rypdal's recordings offer the listener an astounding array of styles - ranging from straight-ahead jazz played in small-combo settings to solo outings to mind-bending improvisations to orchestral compositions, and all points in between. His composition and playing and arranging are always tasteful and excellent, and the musicians he selects to execute his works are consistently first-rate. BLUE is no exception, falling into a trio of albums featuring roughly the same personnel, The Chasers - Terje on electric guitar (also adding some keyboard touches on this recordings), Bjørn Kjellemyr on electric and acoustic basses, and Audun Kleive on drums and percussion. The same players appear on Terje's previous album, CHASER, and on THE SINGLES COLLECTION (with the addition of Allan Dangerfield on keyboards). This is one of those delightful instances of musicians being so sensitively attuned to each other that they literally perform as a unit, delivering some astonishingly powerful and well-executed performances.Opening with the short intro track 'The curse', then moving deftly into the powerful 'Kompet Går', the set takes the listener through a breathtaking experience featuring both hard-edged and gently beautiful arrangements. Terje's guitar is the only 'lead' instrument in a traditional sense, but the basses and drums of his bandmates are equally in play here. Listen to the funk-driven string-snapping and sliding chords produced by Kjellemyr on 'Kompet Går', and the incredibly precise percussive bursts from Kleive on the same track - they set the stage nicely for Terje's entrance. His playing, as always, is stunning - listen to his trademark attack-muting, as well as his amazing innate melodic sensibilities...and turn it right up! This is an album that deserves extra volume - not to blast the neighbors, but to experience the dynamic subtleties involved.</p><p>As I mentioned, Terje has produced a lot of variations during his long and distinguished career - this is a great straight-ahead album to initiate new listeners, as well as (speaking as a long-time fan of ALL of his work) one of my overall favorites in his catalogue. Also check out (besides the other two with this band, mentioned above), ODYSSEY and WHENEVER I SEEM TO BE FAR AWAY (great early works), AFTER THE RAIN (a solo effort, where Terje plays everything), WAVES and DESCENDRE (his earliest work with frequent collaborator, trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg), EOS (an incredible duet album with cellist David Darling) and LUX AETERNA (his latest, one of his orchestral outings). His catalogue, almost entirely on Manfred Eicher's ECM label, is (thankfully) large and varied - and all of it very, very good.</p> |
| Terje Rypdal | If Mountains Could Sing | |
| Terje Rypdal | Skywards | <p>With over 20 records under his own name and countless more as a collaborator, band member, or guest, guitarist Terje Rypdal has written and performed virtually in all styles of music that emanate from classical or jazz. As an improviser he is a brilliant thinker and spontaneous composer. As a proper composer he has written everything from pop singles to symphonies. Skywards is a return to jazz proper for Rypdal. He surrounds himself with familiar faces for this date, including cellist David Darling, bassist Palle Mikkelborg, Jon Christensen on drums, and Terje Tønnesen on violin. Also employed are Christian Eggen on piano and electronic keyboards and the additional drumming and percussion talents of Paolo Vinaccia. Rypdal's signature guitar sound, present in every moment of his solo breaks, has a soaring, piercing kind of emotional reach. It is indeed "skyward" in its sound. On this date he marries postmodern jazz (which sometimes harks back to its swinging past) with European improvisation, his own take on classical music (which sounds more like a Norwegian Morricone than Sibelius), and rock music, to create -- if this is possible -- a newly textured instrumental music that is free of all trappings. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Out of This World (Sinfonietta)," where the post-bop jazz in the first movement bleeds into a place where Darling's cello is allowed to break free of its traditional constraints and climb to the heavens along with Rypdal's burning guitar lines, which come as much from Jimi Hendrix as from John McLaughlin. About halfway through, the work moves into the territory of free improvising, before Rypdal brings it back to a processional, theatrical close. What follows are gorgeous, textured ambient balladry, precise salon music, and more free jazz/rock workouts. Skywards is Rypdal's most openly schizophrenic yet satisfyingly ambitious work in many years.</p>— <b>Thom Jurek</b> |
| Doug Sahm | Doug Sahm And Band | <p>Doug Sahm began his solo career in 1972, after the Sir Douglas Quintet finished its contract with Smash/Mercury and after Atlantic Records co-owner/producer Jerry Wexler convinced him to sign to his label. Wexler gave the Texas maverick the chance to cut a star-studded, big-budget album, shuffling him off to New York where Wexler and Arif Mardin helmed a series of sessions with an ever-revolving cast of musicians featuring Bob Dylan, Dr. John, David "Fathead" Newman, David Bromberg, and Flaco Jimenez, in addition to such Sir Doug stalwarts as Augie Meyers and the rhythm section of bassist Jack Barber and drummer George Rains (all but the latter were in the last incarnation of the Quintet, raising the question of whether the group was indeed finished or not, but such is the nature of Sahm's discography). This group cut a lot of material, which was whittled down to the 12-track album Doug Sahm and Band, released in early 1973. At the time, the record received a push from the label and was generally disparaged because of those very all-stars on whose back it was sold, but the years have been kind indeed to the album, and it stands among Sahm's best. Indeed, the heart of the album is not at all far removed from those latter-day Sir Douglas Quintet albums on Mercury, which isn't much of a stretch since Sahm never really strayed from his signature blend of rock & roll, blues, country, and Tejano, but the bigger band and bigger production give the music a different feel -- one that's as loose as the best Quintet material, but off-handedly accomplished and slyly freewheeling. Original reviews noted that there was an overtly country direction on And Band, but that's not really true on an album that has Western swing and rambling country-rock like "Blues Stay Away from Me" and the anthemic "(Is Anybody Going To) San Antone" jutting up against pure blues in "Your Friends" and "Papa Ain't Salty," let alone loose-limbed rockers like "Dealer's Blues" and "I Get Off" or the skipping Tejano "Poison Love," fueled by Jimenez's addictive accordion.</p><p>These are all convincing arguments that the larger band allowed Sahm to indulge in all of his passions, to the extent of devoting full tracks to each of his favorite sounds -- something that was a bit different than the Quintet records, which usually mixed it all up so it was impossible to tell where one influence ended and another began. That's still true on And Band -- for instance, witness the brilliant cover of Willie Nelson's "Me and Paul," a country song goosed by soulful horns and delivered in a delirious drawl from Sir Doug -- but much of the album finds that signature Sahm sprawl being punctuated by style-specific detours where Sahm seizes the opportunity to stretch out as much as his guests seize the opportunity to jam with this American musical visionary. These are all characteristics of a jam session, which these sessions essentially were -- after all, on this album he only penned three out of the 12 songs -- but relying on covers also points out how Doug Sahm sounds so much like himself, he makes other people's tunes sound as if he wrote them himself. Again, that's something that was true throughout his career, but here it is in sharper relief than most of his records due to the nature of the sessions. And while it's arguable whether this is better than latter-day Sir Douglas Quintet albums -- or such mid-'70s records as Groover's Paradise or Texas Rock for Country Rollers for that matter -- there's no question that this is music that is vividly, excitedly alive and captures Sahm at a peak. It's pretty much irresistible.</p><p>—<strong>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</strong></p><hr/><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="2" data-line-end="3"><a id="A1_Is_Anybody_Going_To_San_Antone_2"></a>A1 (Is Anybody Going To) San Antone</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="4" data-line-end="8">Fiddle [Twin] — Doug Sahm, Ken Kosek*.<br/>Steel Guitar — Charlie Owens*.<br/>Vocals — Bob Dylan, Doug Sahm.<br/>Written-By — Dave Kirby*, Glen Martin*.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="9" data-line-end="10"><a id="A2_Its_Gonna_Be_Easy_9"></a>A2 It's Gonna Be Easy</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="11" data-line-end="15">Backing Vocals — Doug*, Jack*.<br/>Lead Vocals — Atwood*, Doug*.<br/>Steel Guitar — Charlie Owens*.<br/>Written-By — Atwood Allen.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="16" data-line-end="17"><a id="A3_Your_Friends_16"></a>A3 Your Friends</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="18" data-line-end="24">Baritone Saxophone — Willie Bridges.<br/>Electric Piano — Arif Mardin.<br/>Lead Guitar — Doug Sahm.<br/>Tenor Saxophone — Fathead*.<br/>Trumpet — Wayne Jackson.<br/>Written-By — Deadric Malone.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="25" data-line-end="26"><a id="A4_Poison_Love_25"></a>A4 Poison Love</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="27" data-line-end="34">Accordion — Flaco Jimenez.<br/>Dobro — David Bromberg.<br/>Harmony Vocals — Atwood*.<br/>Lead Vocals — Doug*.<br/>Mandolin — Andy Statman.<br/>Piano — Augie Meyer*.<br/>Written-By — Elmer Laird.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="35" data-line-end="36"><a id="A5_Wallflower_35"></a>A5 Wallflower</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="37" data-line-end="42">Dobro — Dave Bromberg*.<br/>Lead Guitar — Bob Dylan.<br/>Organ — Dr. John.<br/>Vocals — Bob*, Doug*.<br/>Written-By — Bob Dylan.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="43" data-line-end="44"><a id="A6_Dealers_Blues_43"></a>A6 Dealer's Blues</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="45" data-line-end="49">Horns — Jack Walrath, Martin Fierro, Mel Martin.<br/>Lead Guitar — Doug Sahm.<br/>Soloist, Tenor Saxophone — David “Fathead” Newman.<br/>Written-By — Doug Sahm.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="50" data-line-end="51"><a id="B1_Faded_Love_50"></a>B1 Faded Love</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="52" data-line-end="56">Fiddle [Twin] — Doug Sahm, Ken Kosek*.<br/>Steel Guitar — Charlie*.<br/>Vocals — Atwood*, Doug*.<br/>Written-By — B. Wills*, J. Wills*.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="57" data-line-end="58"><a id="B2_Blues_Stay_Away_From_Me_57"></a>B2 Blues Stay Away From Me</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="59" data-line-end="64">Dobro — David Bromberg.<br/>Soloist, Accordion — Flaco*.<br/>Soloist, Guitar — Bob Dylan.<br/>Vocals — Bobby*, Douglas*.<br/>Written-By — Alton Delmore, Henry Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="65" data-line-end="66"><a id="B3_Papa_Aint_Salty_65"></a>B3 Papa Ain't Salty</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="67" data-line-end="72">Horns — Fathead*, Wayne*, Willie*.<br/>Lead Guitar — Doug Sahm.<br/>Piano — Augie Meyer*.<br/>Soloist, Tenor Saxophone — Fathead*.<br/>Written-By — Grover McDaniel, T-Bone Walker.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="73" data-line-end="74"><a id="B4_Me_And_Paul_73"></a>B4 Me And Paul</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="75" data-line-end="82">Arranged By [Horns] — Wayne Jackson.<br/>Dobro — Bromberg*.<br/>Harp — Bob Dylan.<br/>Horns — Fathead*, Wayne*.<br/>Soloist, Piano — Augie*.<br/>Vocals — Doug Sahm.<br/>Written-By — Willie Nelson.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="84" data-line-end="85"><a id="B5_Dont_Turn_Around_84"></a>B5 Don't Turn Around</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="86" data-line-end="92">Baritone Saxophone — Mel*.<br/>Bass, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals — Doug*.<br/>Drums — George Rains.<br/>Soloist, Tenor Saxophone — David “Fathead” Newman.<br/>Tenor Saxophone — Martin*.<br/>Written-By — Doug Sahm.<br/></p><h4 class="code-line" data-line-start="94" data-line-end="95"><a id="B6_I_Get_Off_94"></a>B6 I Get Off</h4><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="96" data-line-end="101">Baritone Saxophone — Mel Martin.<br/>Organ — Mac*.<br/>Tenor Saxophone — Martin Fierro.<br/>Trumpet — Jack Walrath.<br/>Written-By — Doug Sahm.<br/></p><h3 class="code-line" data-line-start="102" data-line-end="103"><a id="Credits_102"></a>Credits</h3><p class="has-line-data" data-line-start="104" data-line-end="122">Accordion — Flaco Jimenez.<br/>Baritone Saxophone — Mel Martin, Willie Bridges.<br/>Bass, Vocals — Jack Barber.<br/>Dobro, Slide Guitar — David Bromberg.<br/>Drums — George Rains.<br/>Engineer — Jim Gaines (tracks: B5), Jimmy Douglass (tracks: A1 to B4, B6), Ken Hopkins (tracks: B5).<br/>Fiddle [Twin] — Ken Kosek*.<br/>Fiddle [Twin], Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Electric Guitar [Rhythm], Acoustic Guitar, Bajo Sexto, Bass, Organ, Piano, Remix, Producer — Doug Sahm.<br/>Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano — Augie Meyer*.<br/>Mandolin — Andy Statman.<br/>Organ, Piano — Dr. John.<br/>Producer — Jerry Wexler.<br/>Producer, Remix, Electric Piano — Arif Mardin.<br/>Steel Guitar — Charlie Owens*.<br/>Tenor Saxophone — David Fathead Newman*, Martin Fierro.<br/>Trumpet — Jack Walrath, Wayne Jackson.<br/>Vocals, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic Guitar [Rhythm] — Atwood Allen.<br/>Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Guitar, Harp, Organ [Hammond & Vox] — Bob Dylan.<br/></p> |
| David Sancious | The Bridge | |
| Santana | Abraxis | <p>The San Francisco Bay Area rock scene of the late '60s was one that encouraged radical experimentation and discouraged the type of mindless conformity that's often plagued corporate rock. When one considers just how different Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, and the Grateful Dead sounded, it becomes obvious just how much it was encouraged. In the mid-'90s, an album as eclectic as Abraxas would be considered a marketing exec's worst nightmare. But at the dawn of the 1970s, this unorthodox mix of rock, jazz, salsa, and blues proved quite successful. Whether adding rock elements to salsa king Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va," embracing instrumental jazz-rock on "Incident at Neshabur" and "Samba Pa Ti," or tackling moody blues-rock on Fleetwood Mac's "Black Magic Woman," the band keeps things unpredictable yet cohesive. Many of the Santana albums that came out in the '70s are worth acquiring, but for novices, Abraxas is an excellent place to start.</p>— <b>Alex Henderson</b> |
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