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Album of the Week - Opinion/Samples

Okay - a thread along the lines of "What are You Listening to Lately". Hopefully this won't get out of hand, but - my thoughts are for thread participants to recommend (on a weekly basis) a single album/CD from their stacks, make a few personal comments, and add a link so people can hear some of the album. Keeping it to a once a week basis should let the pleasure extend indefinitely...

To link - add a mark-up tag to an Amazon page that has a "Listen to Samples" selection.

I'm sure everyone here has GREAT musical taste, and probably know quite a few hidden gems/personal treasures that have yet to hit mainstream consciousness ...

Starting out from my collection, I'm going to dust off the jacket and select:

The Blue Nile - Hats

The Blue Nile puts out an album about once every six years, and god knows I wish they were more prolific. Their first two albums - A Walk In the Rain and Hats from the mid-late 80's - are tone poems more than anything. I'd probably describe these two as "Impressionistic rock" or "smoky cabaret rock". It's sort of haunting and uplifting at the same time, with mournful horns - synthesized beats/keyboards - yearning vocals with a Scots burr. And the lyrics are poetry of an everyman ...

Last heard from with 1996's "Peace at Last". A little less atmospheric than the other two - but still great.

Hoping they release at least once more in my lifetime, because they are so damned good. I assume they were bigger in the UK - but are little known over here. Unfortunately "Hats" and "A Walk In The Rain" only appear to be on import labels now, but they are worth forking over the dough for...
regiolanthe
pmkalby
130 posts
 
David Vest and the Willing Victims-- Way Down Here.

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00009ZYB8/qid=1065213329/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-6316972-6201553?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

The guitarist's tube amp buzzes a bit through this sparsely recorded live set. Buy it anyhow. I bought it and about wore it out, rested it for a week or so, brought it back out last night. Phenomenal blues set-- from piano heavy boogie woogie blues to some more traditional stuff. Paul Delay on harmonica and backup vocals-- his trigger work on track 3 is amazing, and Vest's lyrics show his gift for political commentary (whether you agree with him or not) as evident from his writing available on line if you visit http://www.rebelangel.com

You can buy the CD off his rebelangel site, too if you don't like to support Amazon.
pmkalby
130 posts
 
Great thread- let's see some more contribution --

Sorry I forgot to make my link clickable. If you can't handle the cut-n-paste--

David Vest & the Willing Victims featuring Paul Delay

Oh, and by the way, Vest plays with Paul Delay's usual band now at Paul's gigs, having replaced their departed horn player-- they played my wedding reception. Yes, I am gifted with both excellent taste and good luck, but that's not the point. The point is, Book them from Paul Delay's website http://www.pauldelay.com and you'll get Vest's piano work on Paul Delay favorites AND they play most of the material off of "Way Down Here", too-- it's like 2 for 1 and their cost to play a gig in the NW is remarkably low for the level of talent (Vest, + the greatest living harp player Delay + a great guitarist Pete Damann- they already shared a bass player). Can't reccommend them highly enough for any function where you might want a killer live band.

* I am in no way affiliated with any of these guys. Just love their work.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I recently completed my collection of The Can by winning two auctions from one seller "Soundtracks" and "Unlimited Eddition" 2lp.
I have near all their albums. For more info on this band visit www.spoon.com
ben_campbell
1,169 posts
 
Regiolanthe-well I buy an awful lot of music-I'm usually digesting so much I hardly have time to post about it though I make an effort to give a review of the year.
The new Bowie (Reality) seems good-not earth shattering possibly more concise than Heathen but I think both these albums are his strongest work(at least in parts) for a long time.......a list of what I'm listening to is never ending.
Well hopefully for while yet...
danvetc
527 posts
 
Here is one that many of you would enjoy:

Dr. John, Duke Elegant

http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1811825

This is not a new album, (2000,) but is a great New Orleans funkified salute to Duke Ellington. A great way to get a taste of jazz without getting out of your comfort level. (If the shoe fits...)

See what you think,

Charlie
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