What haven't you listened to in a long time, but..


Every so often I grab a cd or album that I haven't listened to in a long time, and realize just how good it still is. This afternoon I played East West by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. A 1964 Chicago blues group featuring Paul Butterfield vocals and blues harmonica, Mike Bloomfield-lead guitar, Elvin Bishop-guitar, Mark Naftalin-piano, Jerome Arnold-bass, and Billy Davenport-drums. I have the original album that was released in 1966, and a cd that was produced in 1987 through Denon Records. They both sound great, and the cd is excellently produced. Bloomfield's guitaring is in a class by itself, especially considering it was 1966. I remember seeing a free concert in Tompkins Square Park in the east village featuring a battle of the bands: The Blues Project (Al Kooper's band) vs. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. AND IT WAS FREE!

Those were the days...

So what have you heard lately, that you haven't heard in a long time?
rosstaman
I've been importing my entire CD collection (probably around 400-500 CD's) to a hard drive so I've been listening to a whole lot of music I haven't heard in a while (I let the music play while I'm importing so usually only get to hear a few cuts). Kate Rusby's Little Lights was one that caught me by surprise today. What a beautiful voice! I had just seen her in a movie I recently watched at home which was not very notable except for her music and cameo performance singing in a pub. Wonderful stuff, even if you're not necessarily a fan of folk music.

Marco
Seandtaylor99, Queen II is now available on a Jap. remastered CD. I've also got to find my vinyl on this one [the CD is next up on my player...thanks for the suggestion!] The "Black Queen" side is a trip!
Led Zep II. I got my kids electric guitars last year, and now they both want to be Jimmy Page.
Wow what a great album that is, and it still sounds good!
Freddie's voice on Queen II is amazing. Thanks for the Jap remaster suggestion ... is it really much better than the standard CD ? I have the hollywood remaster of "News of the World" and it sounds pretty good to me.
Foreigner 4. Probably one of my first 10 CDs. I almost forgot that these guys used to rock. Even the pointing-to-the-adult-contemporary-future tune "I've been waiting for a girl like you" sounded fresh. Lou Gramm was an awesome vocalist.
I've listened to two old favorites lately, String Driven Thing's "The Machine That Cried" a violin based rock album/cd and Small Faces' "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake". Geez louise, love 'em both!!!
Its been Mike Bloomfield, an Anthology cd, Electic Flag, and If You Leave These Blues Play 'em As You Please. Coincidence Rosstaman? And Gordus, yeah, String Driven Thing! Also, any psychedelia I pick up, lately Trader Horne and Music Emporium.
Coincidence happens! I pulled out my Electric Flag album after I listened to East West. Haven't played it yet, but it's by the turntable. When I first moved to San Francisco (1973), Bloomfield would occasionally show up at a couple of the blues clubs and jam with the band. Another great tragedy in the world of rock-n-roll when he OD'd around 1980. John Hammond Sr. discovered him.
Johnny Winter And "Live". My old copy is so bad I have not tried to listen in years. Found a new vinyl copy at Manifest last week. No 180gm reissue, but it is good enough to enjoy and it was only $4.99! This is one hot live set recorded at the Filmore, if you dont know Winters' guitar work, cue up side one. Great straight up rock and on the blues cut "Its My Own Fault" he shows them all how its done. This is a classic.
I pulled Joy of Cooking's first record out of the collection a few weeks ago and was floored anew by how great Terry Garthwaite is. Joy of Cooking was a late 60's early 70's San Francisco area band that played a fine stew of blues, rock and jazz. They would have been fairly pedestrian, though, without Terry. Her voice shares characteristics with Janis Joplin, but without the immense power. Instead, she uses her sophisticated phrasing to propel the song. Truly an awesome talent.
Yea, that East/West is a good un. I actually gave my copy to a fellow awhile bach and, for variuos reasons, wish I had kept it.

I've recently broekn out a bunch of Soul LP's. "Round 2" by the Stylistics is just a flat-out must, if yer inta that!
Its A Beautiful Day. I read about it here and remembered that I used to listen to this album quite a lot one summer a hundred years ago. I loved the vocals on White Bird and used to play that song quite a lot, to the point my housemates wanted to see me free to die.Anyway, an occation arrived and I was asked what I wanted, and the cd version of this album was found. It is not what I remembered at all! The Girl With No Eyes reminds of a short story Id read called the yellow wallpaper-surreal, and interesting and funny and telling, and a little hokey. How I draw lines like this is my own sort of genius, and I am not certain anyone else would see it. Regardless- I love it! I agree with the person who wrote here that a person who are familar with bands like The Dead Can Dance could see similarities in style here.
It's a Big Bad Beautiful Day. My sister had that album 69 or 70 maybe, haven't heard it since. What a find.
I listened to the Counting crow's "August and everything after", not that old,,,but a great all around album