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October music reviews

Lee Dorsey: Yes We Can/Night People

Raven

Two allegedly classic soul/R&B albums from either end of the '70s, which commemorate both the 'voice of everyman' skills of Dorsey and the maestro touch of Allen Toussaint who produced, arranged and wrote all of the two dozen songs assembled here, (bar Joe South's Games People Play). Nostalgic sleeve notes make predicatable self-justifying assertions about 'milestone' recordings, citing Toussaint's melding of artist and material at the right time in the right place, plus the tight as power of   house band The Meters whose influence on the emerging funk scene is claimed to be as potent as James Brown's. There are original versions of Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, Riverboat and Yes We Can, though you might have fonder recollections of covers by Robert Palmer, Van Dyke Parks and The Pointer Sisters. On Your Way Down, however, with its measured control of mood and beat, reminds us of the debt owed by Little Feat to Toussaint and co.

Night People has the svelte expansiveness of '78 soul - Toussaint and The Meters having spent the bulk of the intervening years working with many of the superstars of the era (The Band, Stones, Paul Simon, McCartney); Dorsey meanwhile had been back on his 'day job' as a body and fender man, but he sounds anything but rusty. Songs like Say It Again, Soul Mine and the poised and luminous Thank You showcase a voice of sincerity and wise experience. But the good stuff alternates with the perilously-close-to-slushy (Can I Be The One etc) and an unfortunately over-zealous gospel funk number God Must Have Blessed America (with its clamorous cringe hook-line "We've got it all!") A pre-programmed edited version of this double combo may be the advised way to consume. Paul Green

Eagles: Farewell 1 Tour

Warner Vision

It looks as if Hell is still frozen over for the Eagles, as they continue to tour to expensive, but sold out concerts around the world. Labeled their "farewell 1 tour" they point out that numbers 2, 3 and onwards in a range of farewell tours are likely. They've lost guitarist Don Felder on the way, not by Felder's choice by the sound of things, and the beneficiaries are most likely to be the lawyers. His hired hand replacement is a superb guitarist.

And given the quality of performances on this DVD, it's easy to see why they keep going and why audiences still flock to their performances. The recorded concert is some 2-1/2 hours long, featuring most of the Eagles classics. There are also two new songs, one (One Day At A Time) about Joe Walsh's recovery from alcoholism, the second from Glenn Frey.

There's also plenty of solo hits: The Boys of Summer, You Belong To The City, the well-received Joe Walsh song Life's Been Good, and All She Wants To Do Is Dance, among others.

Picture quality is superb, better than Hell Freezes Over. Sound quality is great in PCM stereo, but a bit ping-pong for my liking - andnot as good sounding - in DTS surround. Michael Jones

Electric Light Orchestra: All Over The World - The very best of

Epic

You could never accuse Jeff Lynne of writing songs that are deep, yet he's managed to create and sustain a career of more than 30 years. The reasons are demonstrated here: Lynne's ability to produce hook-filled songs that attract public attention. All Over the World is the latest ELO compilation (and, I believe, the start of a major ELO remastering and reissue program). On the CD are 20 songs, most of which you probably already know. Curiously absent is the US top ten hit Can't Get It Out Of My Head, but all other major hits are here. The booklet has plenty of pictures of Lynne, yet curiously barely mentions the band. Also absent is any notes about the songs themselves, something I think always belongs on a compilation. My complaining aside, this is a great ELO compilation. Michael Jones

Brian Eno: Another Day on Earth

Opal

Some artists defy classification and so it is with Eno. Some would call it art rock, Eno calls it generative music. Labels tend to stigmatise an artist and viewing Eno's body of work he surely defies simple classification.

Another Day on Earth is his first solo album in twenty five years and it has been a long time between drinks. The album opens with the powerful and catchy track This. My first thoughts being that this could be a single (from an Eno album?)! Then the album develops nicely into what you would expect from Eno, not exactly ambient but poetic and absorbing, from the atonal Going Unconscious to the more melodic Caught Between . More conventional tracks such as Bottomliners comment on the material minded to the shocking Bonebomb that finishes the album, Eno has created a personal snapshot of the world in this pseudo concept album.

It may have been twenty five years between drinks but I am now quenched and Eno has produced another masterpiece, or whatever you want to call it. Richard Nelson

Renee Fleming: Haunted Heart

Decca

I think it is best if you are to kick a sacred cow that you wear fast running shoes. This is my own wisdom in reviewing Renee Fleming's latest offer. On the one hand here we have the 'best classical soprano voice in America' (and probably the world.) On the other hand this album just doesn't do it for me. I had a similar problem with our own dear Kiri as I really tried to like some of her more popular offerings. Apparently originally Renee wanted to be a jazz singer; if you wanted to be generous then you would argue that she is returning to her roots. Certainly by dropping her voice an octave and close miking she has a mellow intimate sound that puts her breath right into the speakers. This approach is well suited to such tracks as When did you leave Heaven, In my Life and River.

The accompaniment with Fred Hersch on piano and Bill Frisell on guitar is minimal, expressive and exquisite. It is beautifully recorded and there are moments of subdued life when a kind of Southern Gospel sound tries to emerge. At the end of the day she is no Jimmy Scott whose passion carried his singing for half a century. For all of her sophistication and purity, for late night listening I would prefer to cuddle up with Nora. It is as though Renee never really lets herself go. Bland would be too hard a word but there is a sameness comes through the album where 14 tracks becomes a bit tedious. Approach with caution. John Groom

Corey Harris: Daily Bread

Rounder

For a blues-man Corey is ridiculously young – born 1969. Already boasting a discography of strong recordings there is a something quite special about this new release. Having done the research of where the blues is from, Harris is refreshingly not at all afraid to embellish this research with his own heritage and a lifetime of exposure to all sorts of other music. The result is an album without a single weak track, a hugely refreshing combination of West African, Delta acoustic and Reggae roots music. He has managed to find the roots of the music he loves so much and at the same time, give it a gentle nudge forward. For a bonus he is joined by Olu Dara on a couple of tracks, the Hammond organ makes an appearance as does the sublime fiddle playing of one Morweena Lasko, and the production is faultless. With the sun peaking around the corner this could well be your surprise favourite to chill out to this summer. Enjoy. Allan McFarlane

Emmylou Harris: The very best of - Heartaches & Highways

Rhino/Warner

This well-filled (20 track, 75 minutes) compilation chronicles 30 years of Emmylou's recordings, from Love Hurts (a duet with Gram Parsons from 1974) through to Here I Am from 2003's Stumble Into Grace album. Plus the obligatory new track to lure in the completists.

Concentrating largely on the 1970s and early 1980s, this is an excellent one-disc introduction to the career of Emmylou Harris. The sound is a bit bright and chromium-plated at times, which may put off some people. Michael Jones

Jack Johnson: In Between Dreams

Brushfire Records

Dear Mr Johnson, I hate you and every particle of your being. In a life of just 28 years you have achieved success as a professional surfer, a filmmaker and now as a musician. Not just a processed and packaged pop-product either, a real musician who writes his own songs and everything. It's just not fair.

Damn. That bitter, inner voice of middle-aged disappointment can be really, really loud sometimes.

In Between Dreams is the third album from Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter Jack Johnson; an album of cheerful, carefree songs that articulate a life unsullied by the drudgery of too many years. You'll doubtless be familiar with the style: infectious melodies, bouncy rhythms and quirky lyrics. A voice, an acoustic guitar and subtle reinforcement from a few friends.

This is easily Jack Johnson's most accessible album to date (not that either of the others were difficult). I really wanted to dismiss In Between Dreams as the product of yet another focus group. Instead I found myself warming to the relaxed and engaging performance. There's a sense of joy throughout; the soul that Jack bares seems remarkably untroubled. There is mild cynicism (Good People) and frustration too (Sitting, Waiting, Wishing), but nothing with the faint shadow of darkness found in Taylor (from On and On, his first album). He comes close in Crying Shame but it ends up as an exercise in appearing to be concerned, yet somehow missing the point. By way of counterpoint there are odd moments of longing present; moments that brought Jack back into the land of real people. Nowhere more so than the tiny filler track on side two, Belle, for me the stand-out piece.

So why is a year-old album being reviewed here? Well, the answer is in two letters - LP. Like all of Jack Johnson's albums , In Between Dreams is available on vinyl. It's a class production too (for a mass-market, contemporary artist). The medium suits the intimacy of the music very well and someone at Brushfire Records clearly cares about vinyl production. They've created not only a fine album of songs to accompany Sunday lunchtime in the garden, but also the perfect demo disc to show off your turntable to people who really don't care. Even the bitterest cynic's mouth will curl into a reluctant smile, and that's why it will stay on my turntable for a long time to come. Matthew Masters

Kraftwerk: Minimum - Maximum

EMI

Many of generation "dance-pill" will not be familiar with the roots of techno muzac; here then is a chance to meet the grand-wizards of electronic rock. Kraftwerk do not tolerate acoustic instruments and generate a band totally from synthesisers. Their unique and singular vision is of the person as an extension of the synthesiser, a walking, talking, singing robot. Some might argue that electronica has no place on a live stage and until this album I would have agreed with them. But this album retains the excitement of a live concert while maintaining a strict Germanic metronomic beat.

This double live album recorded from last years tour covers all the main tracks such as The Model, Trans Europe Express and Computer World. Highlights include the funky Vitamin and the modified Numbers. While many of the electronic artists of the time were producing ethereal 15 minute epics with no beat, Kraftwerk maintained the pop ethos of simple beats (electronic of course) and classic pop structure.

This album is a great way for dinosaurs like me to re-explore on CD what many only have on vinyl, but it also an opportunity to view techno, dub and trance, etc, in a different light. The recording is expertly mixed and will not disappoint. So forget the herbal highs and plug into some good old fashioned electronica. Richard Nelson

Shelby Lynne: Suit Yourself

Capital

It’s one of those labeling matters that plague the music industry. Give a women a piano and she’s a jazz artist (Norah Jones), give her an acoustic guitar and she’s country. Well there is no doubting where Shelby Lynne lies. A Texan drawl adds to the authenticity, but above all Lynne is an excellent songwriter, capable of songs with a directness that rewards with a refreshing honesty and a simple and uncomplicated production. This is not an album that makes an immediate impact but will repay repeated listening. Songs like Where Am I Now, I Won't Die Alone, Johnny Met June, You Don't Have a Heart and Sleep go right to the heart, and soul, of the matter. To see if it’s for you try and sample the cover of Rainy Night In Georgia – given the familiarity of the material you’ll get an idea if this is for you once you get to know the rest of the set. It works for me. Allan McFarlane

Shannon McNally: Geronimo

EMI

Second album from outlaw/visionary-inspired Irish American 32 year old. Derivative (what isn't?), but often lovely or lively or both. Her opening The Worst Part of a Broken Heart is sung with the tonality and presence of Lucinda and played out with the unfolding grace of Summer Lawns-era Joni. It's bar-room rhythm and blues next: strident flexing guitars and Ms McN's voice strutting and swinging along full tilt with the band as they rip and roll their way through.

There's plenty of US country roots and folk sympathies in the likes of Sweet Forgiveness and Tennessee Blues, with the lady's accomplished c&w croon ridin' high in the saddle. And the heart and soul are certainly there: she can deliver her lines ("Won every battle/ But I lost the war") like she truly knows what it felt like - a serene voice with a rough diamond consciousness. She knows how to build a song, too - Pale Moon is gorgeously steered and unravelled over five wistful minutes. Equally, she can loudly and lyrically lament, leading like Dylan with indignant rhyme over an animated undercurrent of guitar sound. The EMI blurb cites influences like Johnny Cash, Billie Holiday and the Cowboy Junkies; if that combination warms your heart, this will be a promising purchase. Paul Green

Joni Mitchell: Songs Of A Prairie Girl

Warner

Canadian born Joni Mitchell has been releasing a series of compilations of previously recorded material, including this set, for a very good reason. Her voice is apparently shot. For this particular compilation she has selected a number of tracks that reference her growing yeas in the province of Saskatchewan, designed as her tribute to mark the centenary of the prairie state.

Having had the pleasure of recently hugely enjoying this vast slice of the planet the occasional geographical and climatic reference now makes a lot of sense. However, as always, the stories that Mitchell tells with her peerless song writing could mostly have sprung from just about anywhere.

Having a discography over thirty year to plunder, a compilation of this type naturally brings a huge variety. To me that is the strength of this release. You spring from the folk simplicity of Urge For Growing, to the full studio band performing a relatively complicated track The Tea Leaf Prophecy, to the full orchestral version of Cherokee Louise. And that’s just the first three tracks. Add such tracks as the previously un-issued remix of Paprika Plains with Jaco Pastorious (bass), and Wayne Shorter (sax) filling out orchestration and the variety just grows.

If the individual albums have left you wondering what all the fuss is about due to a lack of variety then this could well be the release for you. Personally I love it, and while the Mitchell fan base can quite rightfully complain that there is almost nothing new on offer, I can assure the interested that here is a well thought out journey into the vaults of one of the most influential - and therefore important - of all artists of the twentieth century. Highly recommended. Allan McFarlane

Morcheeba: The Antidote

Echo

The café set have many different tastes, and so it is Morcheeba. Ross and Paul Godfrey have teamed up with new vocalist Daisy Martey to take Morcheeba's fifth album in new directions. With an emphasis on the vocal performance these songs sound like they have been taken from a musical. As always the tracks are lit with the theatrical illumination of Paul Godfrey's synth.

From the first song, Wonders Never Cease, the sultry voice of Daisy Martey invites you on a journey. Sounding like a James Bond theme, Everybody Loves a Loser is a change from their usual chill-out style. Sometimes the statement and reply phrasing of the lyrics can become tiresome as in Living Hell, but this album seduces and has you coming back for more. The use of brass in Lighten Up gives a warm lift and the chorus is one of the most catchy this year. Golden Horse would be proud of this one.

Some fans of Morcheeba will be disappointed by the change in direction but I think the new Morcheeba album is well worth a listen.   Infused with positive sentiment it makes the perfect partner to a soy decaf cappuccino, with a sprinkle of cinnamon, of course. Richard Nelson

Pina: Guess You Got It

Virgin

Another young face staring out from the album cover - chic, musing, provocative. Another budding voice, bidding for profile. It's mostly the angst warble, somewhere between Lauper 'just wanna have fun' squeal and the menace of Alanis. The net effect sounds sometimes like a hastier version of the honeyed lamenting tones of Stevie Nicks (though without that edge of knowingness), but more often it's erring disconcertingly close to syrupy wheedling - despite no doubt noble intentions. The production lets her down as well: insufficient differentiation between instruments, and too often muddled into a general fussy backing noise. And then there's the arrangement...a few implausible transitions of rhythm or texture, passages over-urgently acc- or decelerated, the apparently upbeat ducking too rapidly into a brooding minor key. She might well have something to say, but it's not so easy to listen. Paul Green

KT Tunstall: Eye To The Telescope

EMI

This fulfils conventional demands that a debut should signal self-assurance and serious potential - KT can cut it compellingly enough in a variety of solo singer/writer forms. You can hear the passion and sterling Scots tenacity in grungier passages of songs like Suddenly I See ("...this is what I want to be") (all Young Woman Fire Power, driven a la Pretenders Don't Get Me Wrong ), but she can slide into tenderness, within a bar or two if necessary, and voice the pain or joy convincingly as well. Indeed, she's at her most fluent in more solitary moments with sparing accompaniment and a sincere lyric to impart.

And she has stories to tell, most addressed to that indeterminate elusive You , though the direction of the messages is not always coherent and you suspect that the need to rhyme sometimes precedes the need for meaning. But then again who cares (?!) when a poignant mood is conjured and you hear a balance of voice and instruments that for a few minutes appears to have caught something timeless, and a reverently breathed "feels like home" seems more than enough as a crafted footnote.

Yes, as claimed, she's 'strong, soulful, sexy', posing pensive and pretty in the cover booklet photos, and backing her versatile self in the studio. Auspicious opening of the account. Paul Green

Various: Memories are Made of This, Volume Two

EMI

One advantage to being the resident BOF (boring old fart) is that the publisher draws my attention to recordings from the 50s. This is another great collection from EMI as a valid follow up to their original very successful Memories album (which I reviewed here earlier.) These were the sounds filling NZ homes by valve radio in 1955-1961 years. Prepare yourself to time travel back to such wonderfull melodies as Johnny Angel, I've Told Every Little Star, My Heart Is An Open Book and I Will Follow Him. The artists are as varied as Connie Francis, Doris Day, Ricky Nelson and Pat Boone.

This is simple, foot tapping music where you can follow the melody and sing along. This is a great album for us bathroom baritones or if you don't want to drive the family crazy, then use it to vacuum the house by and the household chores will just fly away. The quality of these recordings varies (as you would expect for anything of this vintage) however most of the recordings are surprisingly good and many of these tracks are not currently available on CD. You do have to remember that stereo records were introduced in 1958. Don't just sit there, go and buy this album and get on with the spring-cleaning. John Groom

Various: Putumayo presents Swing Around The World

Putumayo

Subtitled 'A global swing dance party that's fun for the whole family' - and therein lies the potential problem for this compilation of contemporary retro swing from Zimbabwe to Hawaii via (too much of) the USA. Fine, if what you're after is largely lightweight family frivolity; there's plenty of harmless prancing and enthusiastic participation, brisk upright rhythms and hotel foyer fiddle solos. But too much polite restraint, too much convention compliance.

If you're inclined to find Django and Grapelli- style jazz irritatingly glib at times, most of this may elicit MOR screen-out response. Whether it's being sung in Mauritian Creole, Italian or scat, mundane is still mundane whatever the language. There's one priceless exception: the New Orleans Jazz Vipers' recording of the 1932 Washboard Rhythm Kings song Blue Drag; with a beautifully loose cohesive style (sans drums) and languidly eloquent trombone and sax solos, it embodies a swing essence that transcends everything else on this collection. Paul Green