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August music reviews

Jackson Browne: The Very Best of Jackson Browne

Elektra/Asylum

Somehow I missed most Jackson Browne the first time round. Sure I heard the celebrated RunningOnEmpty, but never really clicked first time round. My loss, as rehearing tracks from this and other early Jackson Browne releases with the benefit of a truly superb re-mastering and informative notes including full artist listing, gives an excellent overview of a previously underrated (underexposed) artist in my collection. I confess I kept hearing many of the Californian sounds/influences you would expect but was left wondering just who influenced who. I can’t recall a previous compilation of this nature, which makes this a timely and effective reminder of a consummate recording artist that belongs in any collection. A 2CD set that will surprise the uninitiated while being self-recommending to the faithful. Well worth the plunge. Allan McFarlane

The Corrs: Borrowed Heaven

Atlantic

Sugar and spice – and too much that’s too nice. How far can the formula go? Sure, there’s all that you would expect: the lush harmonies, artfully-crafted tunes, baleful choruses, and slick production. The Corrs do their best to sound sincere and unified in the pursuit of telling those Gaelic yarns of yearning. Yet, for all the crafted gasps and semi- swoons, it’s hard to escape the suspicion that these so-familiar debonair faces are incapable of transcending the piped Easy Listening merry-go-round.  Where is the adventure here? Some sense of exploration with the vocal arrangement, or use of solos, or (especially, please) lyric risk would deliver us.  So, it’s next time or probably never.  Meanwhile: treading water music.  Paul Green

Bob Dylan: MTV Unplugged

Columbia DVD

On the recently released double CD The Bootleg Series Volume 6: The Royal Philharmonic Concert, taped in 1964, one hears the soloist comment, “I’ve got my Bob Dylan mask on.”

His mask slips twice during this 73-minute show, reminding me of the banter and grins from Bob at the end of the “Play, Lady, Play” episode of Dharma and Greg. During the opening strums for the penultimate song Like A Rolling Stone, bassist Tony Garnier -Dylan’s musical director for more than a decade now and easily his longest-serving sideman - peers across the stage to catch the eye of guitarist John Jackson as if something is amiss. The intro breaks down, Bob cracks a smile at Tony and says “You guys are way ahead of me... should tune your instruments as well.” And there’s an off-mic exchange between Bob and Tony as the end credits roll, which causes them both to crack up.

These are the fun bits in an otherwise bog-standard concert, taped over two nights in November 1994 at the Sony Studios in New York during the MTV Unplugged craze. We have the sweeping camera shots, the gaudily-lit stage, inscrutable Bob having an ongoing battle with his barstool and between-song shots of the audience when I’d rather be watching the musicians interacting. It all screams “product!” - and a shoddy one at that. The packaging is skimpy and nothing has been added to the video release of the same title: I Want You was also performed but remains missing in action.

Of passing interest is that the setlist includes the seldom-played John Brown, the 1962 original of which surfaced recently on the 5CD Best of Broadside set where, for contractual reasons, it’s credited to Blind Boy Grunt.

It’s as if Dylan and his label are throwing us a few very ordinary crumbs for which we must be grateful, while we turn to bootleggers to get movies of Newport 1965 and Eat The Document. My guess is that these recordings are being heavily guarded and will only see the light of day after Dylan’s retirement or death. Cynical, sure, but witness the same record company’s handling of Miles Davis’s back catalogue and how RCA has found “new” Elvis recordings to release every year since 1977. Fred Muller

Ella Fitzgerald: The Cole Porter Songbook

Verve

Thinking about reviewing this album brings back that mighty cry from Wayne's World - "We're not worthy, we're not worthy." There's no artist that I've ever heard that can better the purity of tone and pitch, the interpretive gifts, the swing, just the entire package that Ella brings to whatever she sings. It was once said that she could sing the phone book and people would pay to listen, well I'm certainly not going to dispute that.

However if you really want Ella to shine give her songs with the whit, intelligence and variety of Cole Porters accumulated works. In this the first of the great Songbook collections, legendary producer Norman Granz selected Porter's work to give maximum impact right from the start. If this had failed then the rest of the Songbooks may never have seen the light of day, and what a disaster that would have been.

Most of the well known works are here, Night and Day, I Love Paris, Begin The Beguine, I've Got You Under My Skin, etc but then there are other great songs that Ella applies her formidable talents to. From I'm Always True To You in My Fashion to the lovely Do I Love You Ella's talent is shown in the consistent quality throughout. There's no going through the motions here as each songs different mood is perfectly realised and presented for your enjoyment.

Certainly Ella needs no further recommendations so why bother to review such a well know and popular artist? Well I think there're some who haven't really tapped the rich vein of music that she's left behind. Perhaps this might just be the little push they need to try some of the greatest interpretations of these classic songs that will ever be produced. To me Ella had the best jazz/pop voice ever to grace this earth and I doubt I'll ever hear her bettered. Yes I'm an unabashed fan but when you listen to these 35 tracks I think you'll see why. Craig Fenemor

Angelique Kidjo: Oyaya

Columbia

Anjelique’s Oyaya is not something to be dismissed under the generic rubric of ‘world music’. She heralds from the African country of Benin. No, I had never heard of it either! This CD, however, is in a variety of languages including French, Fon and Yoruba. Even her music is difficult to characterize as it swings from Afro-funk, reggae, samba, salsa, gospel, jazz and rumba.

What holds this music together is a strong sense of joyful soul. The title Oyaya even means ‘joy’ in the Yoruba language. The album is technically the third in a trilogy that traces the roots of African music through the slave trade. Angelique’s travels to Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica have given this album a strong Latin American/ Caribbean flavour.

It is foot tapping good and the sort of music to give you a lift on a dull winter day. You don’t have to understand the words. The simple translations include simple thoughts such as ‘My soul is searching for joy and laughter. It costs nothing and everyone can find it.’ The music however says it all in a universal uplifting and affirming way.

Angelique’s voice is strong, clear, confident and expressive. This is the sound of a singer coming fully into her craft. We have not heard the last of her yet and when we combine the music with a clear and uncluttered production; then is certainly an album to pop in your shopping basket. John Groom

Lucky Jim: Our Troubles End Tonight

Skint

Beguiling debut from Brighton-based duo singer/guitarist Gordon Graham and drummer/producer Ben Townsend.  Recently dubbed “equal parts record boy heaven and FM perfection” by Q magazine, their Dylan/Air-style sound is poised, convincing and replete with interesting instrumentation and lyrical strength. From an atmospherically-produced guitar/keyboard/rhythm platform, the poetry flows – love, loss, longing, darkness, joy.  As catching and potentially big as Travis or Idlewild but with a hundred times the depth according to X-Ray magazine.  This album will open up many frontiers; their next could be vintage.  Paul Green