Florida's Mofro know you don't need a studio full of fancy effects to make a funky record. The act's debut CD spins tales from the Blackwater region around "front-porch soul," a stripped-down collection of bottom-heavy beats and hip-shaking rhythms. This is the kind of record G. Love should be making, a flawlessly tight package of funk, gospel, blues, and rock & roll fronted by singer/songwriter J.J. Grey. Although there are a number of instruments filling out the songs--slide guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards, sax, and percussion--the arrangements all feel sparse enough to create an organic, authentic, easygoing vibe throughout the record. From the early Rolling Stones-esque blues of "Brighter Days" to the mouthwatering funk of "Ho Cake," Blackwater pays the highest respects to this area of northern Florida, both musically and lyrically. --Jennifer Maerz
Product Description
FRONT PORCH SOUL & LIVE "JOOKHOUSE" FUNK from the Blackwater region of North Florida...
MOFRO is led by singer / songwriter JJ Grey who grew up outside Jacksonville, developing a taste for raw grooves and living a life to inspire his soulful lyrics. Blackwater, Mofro's debut release on Fog City Records, maintains the label's focus on musicianship, fat tones and good times, deepened by insights into a place and culture that is slipping away with Florida's steady march to "progress".
Guest drummer George Sluppick (on loan from Robert Walters 20th Congress) says: I feel like we've connected with each other on a very deep level... it's funky and groovin', like fried catfish and turnip greens... it's uplifting and spiritual, like grits and bacon... it's Southern to the core. My peoples!
Special guest: Robert Walter (Fog City recording artist and founding member of The Greyboy Allstars)
Recommended side dish: Pan fried Cracker Meal shrimp with hush puppies.
This is an ENHANCED CD: In addition to more than an hour of boombox-optimized barbeque soul, this CD can also be placed in the CD-ROM drive of most computers for a multimedia experience that includes a full screen video (recorded in studio during the Blackwater sessions), "hands on" interactive mixer, virtual reality studio tour and bonus audio tracks on CDROM... it's got soul, and it's superbad!
Blackwater [Enhanced]
Blackwater,Mofro,Fog Records,Alternative Country-Rock,American Trad Rock,Pop,Rock,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues
Average customer rating:
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Blackwater Park
Opeth Manufacturer: Koch Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000068QVZ Release Date: 2002-07-23 |
Tracks:
- Leper Affinity
- Bleak
- Harvest
- Drapery Falls
- Dirge for November
- Funeral Portrait
- Patterns in the Ivy
- Blackwater Park
Tracks:
- Still Day Beneath the Sun
- Patterns in the Ivy II
- Harvest [Multimedia Track]
Customer Reviews:
The "Devil's Diaphragm" SUX and ruins everything it touches!!.......2007-04-21
But Opeth is different!! The music is GREAT, they have a LOT of talent and the guy obviously can sing when he wants to so I really don't get it. When I first heard this CD I wondered if he was "in character" or something but, now having heard several other Opeth CDs, every Opeth CD is like this (except one, so I read...might have to check that one out). In fact, if the music wasn't so magnificent I probably would have sold the CD and never listened to them again.
Bottom line, if it wasn't for "The Devil's Diaphragm" I would have given this 5 stars, the music alone certainly deserves it, but the vocals are so annoying to me that it knocks off not just one, but 2 stars!!! But...if you like well made heavy music....by all means check it out and decide for yourself!!
Masterpiece!.......2007-04-09
Good stuff - extra tracks worth it.......2007-04-05
Opeth Perfects Themselves.......2007-02-06
My favorite is BLEAK,this experiments with the mediterranean style and such wonderful guitar on it. On most of the songs,there are like songs within songs and complex time-changes and tempo boosts that one who does not like the "growl",like me,will find themselves so engulfed with the music that everything else is secondary. I truly believe that,that's what Opeth is all about,making complex music to its extreme nature,pushing the limits of metal in prog.you've gotta respect that.
Metal Rules ! \0/
opeth, as usual..........2007-02-02
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Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise
Robert Bradley Manufacturer: © 1996 BMG Entertainment / RCA Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002WZ1 Release Date: 1996-09-17 |
Tracks:
- Bellybone
- Comin' Down
- California
- Shake It Off
- Once Upon A Time
- Trouble Brother
- Way Back
- Governor
- Burn
- After Your Love
- For The Night
Amazon.com
The former members of the Detroit alternative rock band Second Self were working on demos for a new record deal in 1992 when they stumbled across a blind street singer a few blocks from their studio. The young musicians were so struck by the older man's raspy, booming, soulful voice that they invited him into the studio to record a few tracks. The resultant quintet, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise is named after the veteran busker and is dominated by his anachronistic, bluesy growl and his eccentric songwriting. Like the late street-singer-turned-major-label artist Ted Hawkins, Bradley is not a blues traditionalist. He loves the soul music of the '60s and '70s, but the experience of playing that material on an acoustic guitar on sidewalks created a hybrid sound that's neither old folk nor new pop. And when he started writing his own songs in this weird genre, he came up with arrestingly personal testimony, like his plea to the "Governor" to turn his electricity back on before the singer's woman walks out on him. Or his memories of his youth "Once Upon a Time" when Marvin Gaye sang and the world was full of dreams that slipped through our hands. Because Bradley's bandmates come out of a different tradition, they avoid the usual R&B clichés. They also provide surprisingly sympathetic, admirably restrained backing to his peculiar vision. --Geoffrey HimesCustomer Reviews:
Blues/Rock fusion at its finest........2002-07-16
Didn't this used to be the Motown sound?.......2001-01-08
Awesome--10-5-00.......2000-10-06
Wow!.......2000-09-14
Never heard of these guys before, but their GRRRREAT!.......2000-07-09
Average customer rating:
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Blackwater Park
Opeth Manufacturer: Koch Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000584V3 Release Date: 2001-03-13 |
Tracks:
- The Leper Affinity
- Bleak
- Harvest
- The Drapery Falls
- Drige For November
- The Funeral Portrait
- Patterns In The Ivy
- Blackwater Park
Customer Reviews:
Great musical achievment!.......2007-07-01
"The Leper Affinity"
I could not have hoped for a better track to start off the album, truly showing the brutality Opeth is capable of. Cutting right to the chase after the eerie intro, "The Leper Affinity" pummels the listener with awesome riffs that can't help but send shivers down the spine. The guitar solo is very fitting for the song as well, nothing too over the top, but it captures the mood. Then, just as we get used to the harsh side of Opeth, the guitar takes a very harmonic route into the beauty that Opeth is known for. The listener is then given the pleasure of an incredibly beautiful little passage featuring Mikael Akerfeldt's clean vocals. Last but not least the song ends with a solo piano piece; they could not have ended the song any better!
"Bleak"
At first, this track did not impress me too much, but it is now one of my favorites. As many have said before, the song gives off a very Middle-Eastern vibe, and in my opinion, Akerfeldt's growls could not have been better placed. The ghostly guitar work in the background is just perfect as well. After the creepy beginning, the song turns into my favorite aspect of Opeth; the discordant guitar riffs. This is truly awesome because it takes a lot to turn a seemingly ugly riff into something that is not only listenable, but surprisingly stunning. Then the song fades into a more accoustic-driven portion accompanied again by the eerie guitar feedback. This soothing passage soon comes to a harsh end and the song doesn't take any time bringing you back to the visciousness that it had at the start. The song comes to a fitting end with the guitar playing alone.
"Harvest"
As Mikael Akerfeldt describes it, the most beautiful display of guitar follows directly behind the most obscure display. I could not agree more. As if Opeth has not already proven that they are more than just a death metal band, they show us why they are different than all of the other death metal bands out there. Harvest is still my definition of what atmospheric music is. The song always reminds me of Autmn or Winter when I'm listening to it. It is so easy for anybody to get lost in the melodies of this song; truly a great track.
"The Drapery Falls"
I've always thought this was the centerpiece of the album, but maybe that is just because this is the first Opeth song I was introduced to. The opening is so delightfully melancholy and depressing and doesn't lose that feeling when the vocals kick in. The chords strummed through the accoustic guitar project the utmost feeling of sadness. After the depressing verse portion, the song turns into a turbulent ode of anger and agression. This will probably be one of the favorites on the album for new listeners.
"The Dirge for November"
Not one of the most memorable but I still love the track. The whole song is not dissimilar to a lullaby, the intro always has stricken me as the beginning of a story about a long sad quest. When the electric guitars come in is where the song really starts speaking. If Jimi Hendrix was the first person to make a guitar cry, then Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren were the first people to make the guitar utterly weep; they prove beautifully that their are no boundaries to what a guitar can do.
"The Funeral Portrait"
Oh I adore this song! The ethereal accoustic guitar opening gives the listener the feeling that something is coming right around the corner; and indeed this is proven true with the extremely catchy riff that soon follows. I love all the riffing in this song especially at about two minutes into the song, that riff always gives me chills! I also love that this song is pretty harsh all the way through, it doesn't ever really break in the intensity. The outro in this song is probably the highlight, I always feel like the song is going in a downward spiral and then ending (and that is not meant to be a negative thing).
"Patterns in the Ivy"
This short accoustic guitar and piano duet is just awesome and is sort of like an appetizer for the title track, but still its own song. The piano adds perfectly to the accoustic guitar; this is a very enjoyable little track.
"Blackwater Park"
Ah yes, the twelve minute title track. This song encompasses all that is Opeth, from its beautiful melodies to harsh vocals. The song starts off with a riff that almost requires you to nod your head to the beat. Then the song starts to get harder and suddenly drops into a very mellow clean guitar passage that lasts for a couple of minutes; some say that it gets too repetitive but I think it is very fitting to the song and does not drag on to me at all. Then we are launched right back into the heaviness that started out the song. The guitar solo in this song is also very good, Opeth seems to have a knack for making guitar solos fit the song really well.
Overall I would say this album is easily in my top ten. I hoped I helped to convince you, because this album is awesome!
This Is The Band's Most Comprehensive Effort.......2007-04-04
Out of my league.......2007-02-01
Dark, symphonically constructed, metal masterpiece.......2007-01-24
If you listen enough times, you even get used to Akerfeld's growling, almost blending organically with the bass. Hints of Opeth's primary influence, Led Zeppelin, abound in Blackwater Park, but Akerfeld's voice falls at the opposite end of the spectrum of the talented Robert Plant. Like his Zep predecessor, Akerfeld can stop growling or screaming and sing quite nicely when he chooses to. ("A Fair Judgment" on the album "Deliverance" is ample evidence of this.) If you think you hate death metal, make sure to listen to this album the entire way through and see if you can hang on to that opinion. My friend who introduced me to Opeth calls them the "gateway band" for non-metal fans. Sure, my standards for metal bands are quite high - I expect a band the caliber of Opeth, or I'm not too interested - but true to my friend's description, these Swedish guys have opened my mind to an entire genre that I had previously, and far too quickly, closed off.
"And you are just like them all...".......2006-11-23
The Leper Infinity opens up with some very hushed piano chords, but then everyone's instruments kick in, and they create a very dark atmosphere for the song. Then, Mikael's demonic, yet comphrehendible, roar comes shattering through with "We entered winter once again!!!" I believe this song is about dying from a blizzard. Around the 5-minute mark, it quiets down with acoustic guitars, and we experience how Mikael can switch from a death metal growl to a prog rock voice. After a few verses of that, the song gets heavier and Mike sings away until the whole song collapses on itself, leaving some quiet piano chords to play, different from the ones played in the beginning. My 2nd favorite off the CD.
At first, I didn't really see the genius in Bleak. But after a few more listens, it grew into possibly my favorite song off the whole album. The guitars are at possibly their best here, with Mike shredding away on lead. I also love the lyrics. I can't really explain why I like them so much (other than that they're just really dark, which I LOVE in my music), but somethingg about them sends chills down my spine. And I love how, um, "bleak" the song ends, too. Even though it ends very dark, the lyrics around the end give you some sort of hope, if that makes sense.
Harvest is the first song that fully explores Opeth's progressive roots. It's completely out of acoustic guitars, with the exception of an electric guitar that is quietly wailing away, and Mikael's singing is very clean. The calm atmosphere of the song is really haunting. Ehy? I can't say why, but something about it can chill you....
After that prog rock epic, the album gets heavier with The Drapery Falls. My only complaint with this song is that the opening and the ending are a little longer than they need to be. Other than that, this is an amazing song. There are death metal growls in it, but this song is mostly overtaken with Mikael's clean singing. He even sings the opening lyrics, "Please remedy my confusion," in clean vocals. I guess you could think of this song as a heavier version of Harvest with a little bit of death metal growls, which aren't used until the end of the song.
Dirge For November has the least amount of lyrics out of the songs on this album that have lyrics, but that doesn't matter. The real brilliance of this song is the music. This is possibly Opeth's best music performance on this album. Mike's clean voice and an acoustic guitar hit the song at the same time until it gets heavier with awe-inspiring musicianship. Unfortunately, I feel it isn't as strong as the previous tracks. Still, quite an excellent piece of work.
The Funeral Portrait opens up with some creepy acoustic guitar chords which give you the hint that it's definitely building up to something HEAVY. And heavy it is. It has the darkest lyrics, and the way Mikael mixes his clean singing with heavy musicianship near the end is brilliant in the best sense of the word.
Patterns In The Ivy is a quiet piano/acoustic guitar interlude that fits in the album perfectly. Umm, since this is the song I listen to the least, I can't really say much more about it.
The title track is my 3rd favorite song off the album. Other than the quiet intro, it's HEAVY, and the heaviest song here. It's the only one that doesn't have any clean vocals, and, along with Harvest, it's the song where Martin's bass is at its most audible (his bass is still audible, but those are the 2 songs where it's the most audible). And you gotta love the closing lyrics of "The sun sets forever over Blackwater PAAAAAARRRK!!!!!"
This is an amazing album, and one of the best metal albums I've heard, let alone one of the best albums period. These guys really are geniuses, and this album shows it. This album has a very dark mood and dark lyrics, yet at the same time, it's beautiful in every sense of the word. It's the best album of 2001 (along with Radiohead's Amnesiac and Children of Bodom's Follow The Reaper), and possibly the best metal album of the decade.
All 'n' all, I STRONGLY recommend Blackwater Park along with Ghost Reveries.
Long live Opeth!!!!!!
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Blackwater
Mofro Manufacturer: Fog Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005AVKH Release Date: 2001-04-24 |
Tracks:
- Blackwater
- Ho Cake
- Air
- Jookhouse
- Nare Sugar
- Free
- Florida
- Cracka Break
- Lazy Fo Acre
- Santa Claus True Love & Freedom
- Frog Giggin'
- Whitehouse
- Brighter Days
- DATA TRACK (Enhanced CD)
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Florida's Mofro know you don't need a studio full of fancy effects to make a funky record. The act's debut CD spins tales from the Blackwater region around "front-porch soul," a stripped-down collection of bottom-heavy beats and hip-shaking rhythms. This is the kind of record G. Love should be making, a flawlessly tight package of funk, gospel, blues, and rock & roll fronted by singer/songwriter J.J. Grey. Although there are a number of instruments filling out the songs--slide guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards, sax, and percussion--the arrangements all feel sparse enough to create an organic, authentic, easygoing vibe throughout the record. From the early Rolling Stones-esque blues of "Brighter Days" to the mouthwatering funk of "Ho Cake," Blackwater pays the highest respects to this area of northern Florida, both musically and lyrically. --Jennifer MaerzAlbum Description
FRONT PORCH SOUL & LIVE "JOOKHOUSE" FUNK from the Blackwater region of North Florida...MOFRO is led by singer / songwriter JJ Grey who grew up outside Jacksonville, developing a taste for raw grooves and living a life to inspire his soulful lyrics. Blackwater, Mofro's debut release on Fog City Records, maintains the label's focus on musicianship, fat tones and good times, deepened by insights into a place and culture that is slipping away with Florida's steady march to "progress".
Guest drummer George Sluppick (on loan from Robert Walter's 20th Congress) says: I feel like we've connected with each other on a very deep level... it's funky and groovin', like fried catfish and turnip greens... it's uplifting and spiritual, like grits and bacon... it's Southern to the core. My peoples!
Special guest: Robert Walter (Fog City recording artist and founding member of The Greyboy Allstars)
Recommended side dish: Pan fried Cracker Meal shrimp with hush puppies.
This is an ENHANCED CD: In addition to more than an hour of boombox-optimized barbeque soul, this CD can also be placed in the CD-ROM drive of most computers for a multimedia experience that includes a full screen video (recorded in studio during the Blackwater sessions), "hands on" interactive mixer, virtual reality studio tour and bonus audio tracks on CDROM... it's got soul, and it's superbad!
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2007-07-13
great but Lochloosa is better.......2006-08-17
Blackwater is a throaty, hammond organ Allman brother type slow tune. Ho-Cakes is a funked out jam ode to the joys of southern cooking. Air, Free and FLorida are laid back grooves. Jookhouse a Meters type of jam that works great in concert.
As a southerner, I love this band. Topical lyrics, funky danceable grooves and good musicianship define this band.
The only reason that I did not give this cd 5 stars is b/c Lachaloosa is better. Otherwise, I give it a thumbs up real high.
Catch this band live if you can, they are excellent and will make you appreciate the recorded works ever more
mofro comments.......2006-04-10
Great album, but not as good as Lochloosa.......2005-09-29
good.......2005-08-03
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It'll Come To You: The Songs of John Hiatt
Various Artists Manufacturer: Vanguard Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00008QXJO Release Date: 2003-05-13 |
Tracks:
- Thing Called Love - Bonnie Raitt
- The Most Unoriginal Sin - Willie Nelson
- She Loves The Jerk - Rodney Crowell
- The Way We Make A Broken Heart - Rosanne Cash
- When We Ran - Linda Ronstadt
- Riding With The King - Eric Clapton/B.B. King
- Icy Blue Heart - Emmylou Harris
- She Don't Love Nobody - Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit
- Across The Borderline - Freddy Fender
- Feels Like Rain - Buddy Guy
- Take It Down - Patty Griffin
- It'll Come To You - Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise
- Paper Thin - Buddy & Julie Miller
Customer Reviews:
Higher and Hiatt.......2005-11-24
Eclectic compilation.......2003-11-11
Hit and Miss...but pretty good........2003-09-25
-Patty Griffin's "Take it Down" is definitely the standout here....it's almost good enough to rival the original.
-Clapton/King's "Riding With the King"
-Emmylou Harris is great on "Icy Blue Heart"
This disc is for the die-hard Hiatt fans who already have all of Hiatt's stuff....new folks should go for "Slow Turning" "Walk On" or "..Gruff Exterior"
A mixed bag, but good overall........2003-08-19
The album starts badly with Buddy and Julie Miller proving they can't get close to the electrifying original of 'Paper Thin'. The title track is another let down, and Buddy Guy's 'Feels Like Rain' fails to live up to Hiatt's own version. Can't blame them all for trying though.
Bonnie Raitt's stonking remake of 'Thing Called Love' is so good you can forgive its inclusion while wishing that more of the album was Hiatt's obscurer songs like Patty Griffin's lovely 'Take it Down' and Roseanne Cash's 'This is the Way We Make a Broken Heart'. Hiatt's well-known songs are well-known because he did such a great version. Trying to improve on them is a waste of time, though Rodney Crowell has a good stab at it on 'She Loves the Jerk'.
It's an interesting album for Hiatt fans, but one that will probably have them backtracking to the originals to hear the songs done properly, for the most part.
A solid tribute effort reminds you how good Hiatt is.......2003-07-02
The usual suspects are here--from Bonnie Raitt's rollicking remake of Thing Called Love (the best remake of a Hiatt tune I've heard outside of the King/Clapton collaboration Riding with the King). Raitt's remake is--pardon the gender confusion--the King of all the remakes here.Rodney Crowell's She Loves the Jerk and Emmylou's Icy Blue Heart are the Court Jester and Queen of this deck of Hiatt cards.
There are other treasures here as well including Buddy & Julie Miller's unexpected remake of Paper Thin. Freddie Fender's cover of Across the Border brings class to the entire collection. It's nicely done tribute to a talented artist who deserved one a long, long time ago.
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Blackwater
Altan Manufacturer: Narada ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000000WAU Release Date: 1996-06-11 |
Tracks:
- Johnny Boyle's/King Of The Pipers
- Dark Haired Lass/Biddy From Muckross
- Stor, A Stor, A Ghra
- Strathspey/Con McGinley's
- Ta Me 'Mo Shui
- An Gasur Mor/Bunker Hill
- Molly Na Gcuach Ni Chuilleanain
- Farewell To Leitrim/Jenny Picking Cockles
- Ar Bhruaach Na Carriage Baine
- The Dance Of The Honeybees
- Blackwaterside
- A Tune For Frankie
Amazon.com
After much soul searching following the death of flutist Frankie Kennedy in 1994, Altan founding member Máiréad Ní Mhaonaigh finally decided to keep Altan going but without a new flutist. Instead she promoted accordionist Dermot Byrne from part-time session guest to full-fledged member. "Blackwater" begins as if nothing much as changed except the substitution of Byrne's reedy squeezebox for Kennedy's mellow wooden flute. The tunes mostly come from the northwestern County Donegal, a place where Irish and Scottish traditions mix more easily than anywhere else. The twin fiddles soar above the driving rhythms of guitarist Daithi Sproule and bouzouki player Ciaran Curran. Hints of the band's sorrowful loss make themselves felt, however. Ní Mhaonaigh sings both the Gaelic love song, "Tá Mé 'Mo Shui," and the English love song, "Blackwaterside," in a pure soprano filled with a harrowing sense of loss. And the album concludes with the instrumental, "A Tune for Frankie," which features a slow fiddle part that seems to hover between mourning and fond affection. --Geoffrey HimesCustomer Reviews:
Wonderful traditional Irish music!.......2007-01-12
A pleasure.......2004-08-24
Ní Mhaonaigh's singing is the aspect of Altan that most divides opinions, some fans of Altan being fans precisely because of it, others calling her voice shrill and her technique amateurish. Personally I belong to neither group, finding the instrumental pieces Altan's strongest point but considering Ní Maonaigh's voice, although often girlish and technically far from perfect, also quite pretty and, more importantly, suitable for the songs that she performs. In Blackwater her voice is certainly at its best; not merely pretty but with great character and expression.
What I, personally, sometimes find disturbing about Altan's songs is that it is in them, rather than the instrumental pieces, that Altan has experimented with arrangements and styles that are less traditional or more "pop" than their instrumental music. That having been said, I must point out that this album includes some of Altan's finest songs, and not least because of some great instrumental arrangements such as those of "Stor, A Stor, A Ghra" and track 9 (better I don't even try to spell the title of that one!). "Molly Na Cuach Ni Chuilleanain" (...or something to that effect!) with its synthesizer sounds is an example of those less traditional arrangements that I mentioned above; nevertheless, I can't deny that the result is fresh and pretty, and that the tune is one of the most "catchy" Altan songs. As for "Blackwaterside", this must be one of the most beautiful songs that Altan has ever recorded - and, as is pointed out in the album cover, exceptional in that it is written from a female point of view:
"But there's not a girl in this whole wide world
As easily lead as I.
And when fishes can fly
And the seas run dry,
It is then that you'll marry I."
Altan Reborn.......2000-04-13
I was in a traditional Celtic band for a few years in Michigan, and this album comes as close to a perfect performance (albeit studio) set as any other Celtic recording I know. I am a great Frankie Kennedy fan, and Dermot Byrne is a truly inspired replacement. His featured pieces are certainly among the high points of current Altan concerts.
One minor wish -- Ciaran Curran on the bouzouki could have beeen brought out more in the mix, as he is in the early and pre-Altan recordings and the most recent album (I apire to his talent), but maybe the seamlessness and selflessness of this recording is what makes it so strong. This is Altan diving back in with renewed energy and spirituality after what must have been a deeply emotional low point.
Eyes Opened.......2000-03-06
Interested in finding out if this were just a fluke, or something of deeper significance, I sought out a full CD by Altan. Not finding any locally, I looked on Amazon.com to see what the customer reviews were like: and as they were unanimously glowing, I ordered two of them, paying with a credit card (which I never do).
I had previously been only vaguely aware of Celtic music, but after hearing Blackwater, my eyes have been opened -- as it were. I have never heard anything like it. First, I have not before heard the voice used as a musical instrument with such precision. And the songs in English are beautiful, it is true, yet not more beautiful than other traditional folk songs I have heard (such as the Finnish "Taivas on Sininen ja Valkoinen"). But the ones done by Altan in the Celtic language are something else: the music, lyrics, and the language itself forming an intense union producing an impression of surpassing potency. It is as though I have never heard real music before.
I see now that here we have a tradition of minstrelsy that goes back thousands of years, and Altan is among its heirs. These Celtic songs seem almost living things, not least because there still, still is an audience that can understand them directly, without the aid of subtitles or translations. And it has consequently been borne in upon me that I have the wrong mother tongue (missing it by two or three generations).
These songs are a treasure. Blackwater: buy it, hear it, and weep.
Excellent.......1999-09-30
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What About That: New Year's Eve In Bloomington
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise Manufacturer: KUFALA Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000ELJ3K8 Release Date: 2006-03-14 |
Tracks:
- Higher
- Trouble Brother
- Still Lovin You (Robert solo)
- Once Upon A Time
- Way Back
- For The Night
- Ride
- Once Upon A Time (acoustic)
- New Orleans
- What About The Man
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken (a capella)
Product Description
An immediate must-have for fans of Detroit-based soul-man Robert Bradley, the two-disc What About That: New Year's Eve in Bloomington spans the blind, growly voiced singers career, while also featuring several previously unreleased tracks, including an infectious cover of Joe Souths Games People Play, a stunning a cappella rendering of Will the Circle Be Unbroken and the moving original What About the Man two of five solo and acoustic tracks recorded during soundcheck and collected on disc two. (Also included in that batch is an acoustic version of Once Upon a Time and New Orleans an ode to the Crescent City that Robert wrote some 10 years before Katrina). Finding the 56-year-old Bradley taking his Bloomington faithful to church on electrifying versions of Once Upon a Time and Comin' Down What About That: New Year's Eve in Bloomington features an expanded version of the Blackwater Surprise (augmented by backing vocalists, a second guitarist and percussionists) and a cover of Elmore James' Something Inside Me."Customer Reviews:
Don't walk, run to get this!.......2006-09-22
I cannot recommend this more. You'll hear the soul and sensibilities of artists like the Staples Singers and Bill Withers. You'll hear tight blues, you'll hear gospel, you'll hear another time of your life when you were younger and in a very hopeful and bright tone. Thank you Robert Bradley and your Blackwater Surprise. You made me wish I was in Bloomington again studying Anthropology and having gyros at the Trojan Horse!
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Still Lovin' You
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise Manufacturer: Vanguard Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000DJZCE Release Date: 2003-11-11 |
Tracks:
- All I Wanna Do
- I Thank You
- Still Lovin' You
- When You Love Something
- Pretender
- Anna
- Virginia
- Don't Take Your Love Away
- Work It Out
- Hollywood
Customer Reviews:
Robert Bradley: Love him or not?.......2007-01-11
Average customer rating:
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Time to Discover
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004RCXU Release Date: 2000-03-21 |
Tracks:
- Higher
- Ride
- Baby
- Gambler
- You & Me
- Take Love And Receive It
- Time To Discover
- Ultimate Sacrifice
- Mr. Tony
- Tramp 2
- Uncle John
- Bonus Track 1
Customer Reviews:
RBBS...what more can I say?.......2005-03-07
Buy all of Robert Bradley's releases and listen...really listen. He is awesome.
Yes, it is time.......2004-11-03
incredible.......2003-02-22
Perfect make-out record.......2002-05-15
But what music do you play? Do you bust out the old copy of Master of Puppets? Bad idea. Marley? Yeah, it's good, but everybody makes out to Bob Marley. Even your parents have, and that's a horrifying thought. Do you play easy listening, like Kenny G? No, because no man would be caught dead with garbage like that in his CD collection. How about Radiohead? That would probably make her jump out the window. You could do the Stones, but you may want to save that in case you make some real progress.
So that leaves you with two options. You can play Lenny Kravitz, which is just fine. But really, what you want to play is a little Blackwater Surprise. Time to Discover is a perfect record for seduction. It's not too loud, not boring, and everyone who hears it likes it. The first two songs, "Higher," and "Ride," are hard edged blues that keep the atmosphere lively (so you can finish a drink, or six). But by the third track "Baby," the album practically cues you to start your romancin'. The album stays mellow and warm from that point on, and suddenly you've become a regular casanova.
And here's the best part. While you're scoring some liplocks, she'll pipe up and ask, "Hey, what's this?" Then you tell her what it is, and she'll say, "Hey, it's pretty good." Congrats. You're officially a good kisser AND you have good taste. It works like a charm, every time. Don't forget to thank the band for a successful evening, you lady-killer, you.
TIME IS JUST WHAT WE NEED.......2002-04-19
Average customer rating:
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Earth Rhythms: Spirit of the Drum
Blackwater Manufacturer: Red Feather ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000FDEUCQ Release Date: 2006-07-18 |
Tracks:
- Spirit of the Drum
- Land of Dreams
- Awakening
- Earth Dance
- Ya-Ney-Hi
- Shaman's Chant
- Gathering Storm
- Earth Rhythm
- In a Distant Place
Customer Reviews:
I think you will like it!.......2006-08-03
Christian Music:
- Brothers Four - Greatest Hits [Import]
- Candi/Music Speaks Louder Than Words
- Collection [Import]
- Confessions/My Boo, Pt. 1 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
- Cry to Me [Original recording remastered] [Import]
- Detroit Emeralds - Greatest Hits [Import]
- Do Me Right//You Want It You Got It
- Down & Out: The Sad Soul of the Black South [Import]
- Dr. Dolittle (1998 Film) [Soundtrack]
- Dynamite [Import]
Christian Music
Lightnin' Hopkins & The Blues Summit
I Heard Myself In You [Import]
Hold Me to This: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead