Leonard Cohen: Ten
New Songs
Sony 85953
| Musical Performance |
  |
| Recording Quality |
|
| Overall Enjoyment |
|
 At least Sharon
Robinson got her face on the album cover, because she wuz robbed when it came to equal
billing. She shares equal vocal time with Cohen and she programmed all the music
(there's no real back-up band to speak of -- it's pretty much all electronic) and
she shares songwriting credit and is probably responsible for Cohen getting this
album out at all (he hasn’t released much in the last decade), but it’s still
called a Leonard Cohen album! Nevertheless, this Cohen/Robinson collaboration sounds
gorgeous. Sparse, haunting arrangements surround the main attraction here -- the singers'
voices. Cohen’s low-pitched monotone can get, well, monotonous if featured
exclusively for a full album, but with Robinson’s smooth, soulful voice prodding,
supporting and harmonizing with him, the songs groove and sway with a sense of ease
I’ve never heard on a Cohen album before. The disc's sound is exceedingly rich and
serves to heighten the almost dream-like mood it conveys. A late-night easy-listening gem.
Peter Gabriel: Ovo: Millennium Show
Real World 615062
| Musical Performance |
 |
| Recording Quality |
|
| Overall Enjoyment |
|
 Ovo is no
episodic collection of three-minute tunes relying on the short-lived effect of superficial
hooks. It’s epic storytelling, which succeeds by pulling drama and emotion from
musical influences drawn from around the world. Originally intended to complement a stage
production in the Millennium Dome, Ovo most resembles Peter Gabriel’s last
great musical interpretation of a visual medium: Passion. This time the story deals
with the evolution of man rather than the life of Christ, but like Passion, Ovo
demonstrates the vision and talent of one of my generation's most-talented musicians. From
the bittersweet texture of "Low Light" and "The Time of the Turning"
to the grandeur and desperation of "Make Tomorrow," Ovo is an album meant
to be enjoyed in the calm of darkness, over the resolution of a capable stereo system. For
those looking for an emotional journey, Ovo may prove to be Gabriel’s most
thoughtful work to date.
Faithless: Outrospective
Arista 14713-2
| Musical Performance |
|
| Recording Quality |
|
| Overall Enjoyment |
|
 While I'm no lover of dance music or hip-hop, Faithless has become
one of my favorite new discoveries. Catchy, melodic, and, at times, quite beautiful, this
trio's music has shown me that rap and dance can be enjoyable, given the right
arrangement. Rapper Maxi Jazz, mix-master Rollo, and vocal-diva Sister Bliss compose music
that doesn't beat the listener up with monotonous looping. Instead, it pulls the listener
into a dense atmosphere of sound. Leveraging everything from gyrating bass to synth
strings, this is one rap/dance band that actually has a concept of changing harmony!
Pointing to specific standouts on this album is difficult, but "One Step Too
Far," "Evergreen," "Giving Myself Away," and
"Liontamer" all stand out -- although every track here is worth hearing. The
good recording is also an improvement over common bump-and-grind muzak, which complements
Faithless' musical creativity and performance skills.
Stevie Ray Vaughn and
Double Trouble: Couldn't Stand the Weather
Epic/Legacy 65871
| Musical Performance |
|
| Recording Quality |
|
| Overall Enjoyment |
|
 From the opening
guitar volley on "Scuttle Buttin’," you know this quintessential SRV studio
recording is something special -- both musically and sonically. Thanks to a first-rate
remastering effort, Weather has never sounded more alive. "Tin Pan
Alley," which has always enjoyed exceptional sonics, is even better this time out,
particularly the full-bodied stutter of the numerous drum rolls. "Voodoo Chile
(Slight Return)" takes on a life all its own as the most honest cover of this Jimi
Hendrix classic. Throughout all eight original tracks there’s a consistent sonic
realism to the intensity of the electric guitar, the drumming's speed and focus, and the
deep solid electric bass lines. Equally impressive is the overall mix, in which every
sonic detail blends into the gestalt with incredible clarity. Plus, you get four
previously unreleased studio tracks. Rock/Blues has never been better than this.
Ben Folds : Rockin' the Suburbs
Sony/Epic 61610
| Musical Performance |
|
| Recording Quality |
|
| Overall Enjoyment |
|
 It pains me that this CD wasn’t as rewarding as I had hoped.
Having first gotten hooked on the music of Ben Folds via MP3, I quickly became a devotee
of this accomplished pianist’s music and purchased many of his albums. Upbeat one
minute and melancholy the next, the angst-ridden lyrics of Folds coupled with his expert
piano playing made "Brick," "Selfless, Cold and Composed" and
"Don’t Change Your Plans" infinitely enjoyable classics. Now solo, Folds
once again uses the magic of multi-track recording -- this time, unfortunately -- to
create what I found to be a rather dull album. Technically the music is well done, but
emotionally, and despite clever lyrics, Rockin’ the Suburbs passed through my
headphones without stirring much emotion. Multiple repeats later the album still fails to
pique my interest save "Fred Jones Part 2" and the "Ascent of Stan."
While tracks from Reinhold Messner and Whatever and Ever Amen have me
tappin’ and singin' with a smile.
|
