Hard Times

Hard Times

Track Listings

1. Bifemale

2. MWM

3. Fading Away

4. Hunger for Lust

5. Look What I've Got

6. Blackleather Clown

7. Trip to Hell

8. Let's Lynch

9. Work All Night

10. On My Own '96

11. Call Me Tarzan

12. Pullman Affair

13. Say!

14. Silicon Beach

15. Limbless Love

Tracks:

1B
Misty Moonlight Waltz
Hard Times Come Again No More
Indecision
Limerock
Benjamin
Fisher's Hornpipe
Duet for Cello and Bass
Emily's Reel
Cloverfoot Reel
Poem For Carlita
Caprice For Three
Second Time Around
Slumber My Darling
Vistas

Amazon.com

With the help of some friends (James Taylor and Alison Krauss lend some vocal support), the trio of Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor have created yet another fascinating hybrid of chamber music and bluegrass. This follow-up to 1996's Appalachia Waltz is filled with highly lyrical string passages, a homage or two to Copland, and plenty of tracks where Meyer's bass vamps with the best of them. This is reflective (and relaxing) music, lacking the intricate structure of classical music and the rough edges of folk. But, boy, is it catchy! Yo-Yo Ma fans may be disappointed to hear that--aside from the gorgeous "Duet for Cello and Bass"--the cellist takes more of a supportive role on this disc. Still, this is fun music, more intimate than Short Trip Home (Meyer's other crossover project for Sony), but still lively (just check out "1B" or "Caprice for Three"). --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Best on the Planet!.......2006-03-24

These are flawless preformances of great music by some of the most talented artists on the planet. Slumber My Darling will leave you so relaxed you'll have to remember to breathe. The reels will bring you to your feet. This music reaches the soul as well as the ear.

Stilted.......2005-12-15

I suppose you will enjoy this if you really like Yo-Yo Ma at his most boring. This is glorified elevator music and about as interesting.

Walking the trail.......2005-08-07

I actually heard this cd while having a root canal done at the dentist's office. I find the music so wonderful and the vocal segments are great. It does make you feel like you are walking the Appalachian Trail...and makes a root canal painless!

Superb concert.......2005-08-02

I have bought two copies of this disc -- one for my car. The music is wonderful, and the performances are memorable. There's a DVD version, which is equally good. The performers obviously loved working together, and that's fully evident.

Too Studied.......2005-06-22

Two of my favorite CDs in the last couple of years were "Obrigado Brazil" and "In Full Swing" by Yo Yo Ma and Mark O'Connor respectively. I found both of those CDs to be fine examples of genre-busting joyful music making. So when I saw these guys paired here, I snapped it up. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

The music throughout most of the CD sounds too labored, too studied. It is, frankly, not that inspiring. The playing throughout is, of course, of the highest calibre and the recorded sound excellent. But there is no hint of the exhuberance of Folk or Bluegrass which is the supposed inspiration for the disc. The guest spots by James Taylor and Alison Krauss are good but they sound like outtakes from their own CDs, these songs are out of context here. (But note how many other Amazon reviews reference their contributions as reasons for loving the CD. Perhaps so many five star ratings because these people need broader musical exposure?)

Too many critics over intellectualize. I base my ratings on one simple criterion: How much did the music move me? In this case, not much.

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason

Average customer rating:

It's Dreamy
My Favorite Composer of all time
An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears
OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!
It's simply lovely

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason
Thomas Hampson , Jay Ungar , Molly Mason , Garrison Keillor , David Alpher , Mark Rust , Michael Parloff , Peter Ecklund , John Kirk , Arnold Kinsella , and Stephen Foster
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Song of Home
Song of America
Harvest Home
Civil War Classics
Stephen Foster Song Book

ASIN: B000002SK7
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Opening Solo Violin
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Hard Times Come Again No More
The Voice Of Bygone Days
Foster Favorites Medley (Ring, Ring The Banjo (1851) Oh! Susanna (1848) Camptown Races (1850)
Open Thy Lattice, Love (1844)
Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
That's What's The Matter
Old Home Medley (Old Folks at Home (1851) My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night (1853)
Molly! Do You Love Me? (1850)
Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair (1851)
Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me (1855)
Dancing On The River (Nelly Bly (1850) The Glendy Burk (1860) Angelina Baker (1850)
My Wife Is A Most Knowing Woman (1863)
Gentle Annie (1856)
Linger In Blissful Repose (1858)
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway (1850)

Customer Reviews:

It's Dreamy.......2007-01-10

This is a very wonderful recording of Stephen Foster by a master singer.
Foster's songs are of a more innocent and naive time in the American psyche, a time that it would not hurt us to remember, given the wretched brutality of American culture today (something you'll appreciate after listening to this recording).

The songs are beautifully sung by Mr. Hamspon, and the musical accompaniment with piano, mandolin, tuba, banjo, etc. seems a perfect setting for this period music. I enjoyed the musical interludes of Foster songs (not sung by Mr. Hampson), such as "Oh, Suzanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races." They are foot-stompin' and finger-snappin' good in a non-syncopated way.

Mr. Hampson's voice is so beautiful, and he has done such a wonderful job with these song's you'll just have to hear it, and when you do, tell me that you're not dreaming.

I remember reading a quote by John Phillip Sousa that decried the use of syncopation in American popular music. I never understood it until listening to this recording. The richness and intensity of American popular music (as experienced in the work of Stephen Foster) has been lost.
Everything has to be so cool today, thanks to syncopation, and "cool" really means no emotion.

If emotion is what you want, emotion is what you'll get with Stephen Foster's songs. It was a time when the death of loved ones (especially those who died in their youth) was experienced more often (see "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Gentle Annie"). And we were not protected from the vicissitudes of fate by myriad government programs, modern medicine and universal prosperity (see "Hard Times").
Husbands and wives had their differences then, as today, (see the amusing song "My Wife is a Most Knowin' Woman") The passion of the Civil War (Foster was a Unionist),is reflected in a wonderful, fun song, "That's What's the Matter."

If you love good music, and you have heart which can be stirred, and you love your country, this is for you.

I love this recording. It has opened up the door to my "beautiful dreams," dreams of bygone days, lost love, and whatever else we pine for.

I wanted to buy several copies for my friends, but somehow I felt that the impact of this recording was so personal, that it could not be shared with others. Not that they couldn't enjoy it, but that I could not begin to share the intense emotion and reverie stirred in my heart by these beautiful songs.

My Favorite Composer of all time.......2006-08-20

Growing up playing his stuff on piano, I love the instrumentality of this CD..the violins give off that wail that he speaks of..I am not sure what it is about Stephen Foster but these verses..grab me like no other..there is so much sensitivity to it..

I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair
Born like a vapor on the summer air
I see her tripping where the bright streams play
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour

but the violins in this CD make this CD the best out there..
FYI should you be into astrology Stephen Foster is definition of Cancer...Sun and Moon conjunct in Cancer with mars in Scorpio..i love his lyrics..almost to the point of obsession..

An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears.......2006-07-17

Stephen Foster was the greatest American composer of sentimental parlor ballads--he so perfectly imitated folk songs that his music wound up turning into them. In an age of home music-making and later of families sitting around the radio, Foster's songs were a staple, often performed by crossover artists from opera like Lawrence Tibbett. Those were plump, ripe styles of singing, highly flavored by church hymns.

In this 1992 collection of 17 Foster favorites, plus a few rareties, Hampson drops the platform manner and goes straight for heartfelt sincerity. His tone is plain yet sweet, his expression intimate. He is accompanied by instruments redolent of the Victorian drawing room (guitar, fiddle, upright piano), and the mood they create brings tears and smiles of remembrance. This music is embedded in America's genes, and it's wonderful to realize that every note is still alive and throbbing with feeling.

OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!.......2005-11-25

Simply one word, WOW!!!
Thomas Hampson's voice is simply fantasic. His voice is very different from regular operatic baritone voice, very sweet, and rich. I really cant believe an operatic baritone can sing folk song like THIS good, in my opinion he sounds even better than his opera works in this album. His voice and the background music matches perfectly, the outcome would move u to tears, and u can feel the origin of MUSIC. This album really shows what the word MUSIC means, and the songs simply just ALL beautiful. I like his "beautiful dreamer", "my life is well knowing woman", and "jeanie with the light brown hair" the most. When I listen the songs I would just imagine that I am in the world of past USA, and I can feel the life of the ppl in the past USA~ just like watching an old classic movie, it would touch ur heart and fall in love with this album.

It's simply lovely.......2004-12-14

I didn't know Stephen Foster (I thought): wrong: Oh Susanna, etc, I knew, but had no idea who the composer was.

This CD is a revelation. The melodies are so beautiful, as are the poems, and Thomas Hampson just brings them to life as wonderfully as ever. I especially love "Beautiful Dreamer" - it gives me butterflies - and "My wife is a most knowing woman" - the way he makes the voices and the indignation is just brilliant. If one needed reminding what a brilliant singer Mr Hampson is - this disk does it.

Average customer rating:

Sublime and ridiculous
Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww
Better than I thought it would be
Brava Renee
Art is always new.

Haunted Heart
Paul McCartney , Gustav Mahler , Joni Mitchell , Emile Paladilhe , Arthur Schwartz , James ("Jimmy") Van Heusen , Various Composers , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Jimmy Webb , Richard A. Whiting , Stevie Wonder , Guy Wood , Bill Frisell , Fred Hersch , and Renée Fleming
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sacred Songs
Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Renée Fleming
Handel
Renee Fleming: By Request

ASIN: B0007Z9QUS
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

Haunted Heart
River
When Did You Leave Heaven?
You've Changed
Answer Me
My Cherie Amour
In My Life
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Wozzeck/The Midnight Sun
Liebst du um Schit
My One And Only Love/This Is Always
Can do Amor
Psych
Hard Times Come Again No More

Amazon.com

While countless fans flock to see soprano Renee Fleming's performances of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro because she's got the voice and the dramatic ability to handle such meaty roles, the versatile singer throws her fans a curveball on Haunted Heart, singing popular standards and ballads as well as a few altered classical pieces. In her liner notes, Fleming calls this album a "look back at the road not taken" -- she played a weekly gig in a jazz club while in school. Nonetheless, her feel for the material here is undeniable. Interestingly, she drops her voice a full octave from her usual tessitura, and the change reveals a robust gospel-oriented approach filled with dramatic breaths and moans. The lyrical Fred Hersch (piano) and the idiosyncratic Bill Frisell (guitar) provide support, and both are adventurous jazz players who create subtle and uniquely haunting backdrops. It adds up to an interesting cross-section of ideas well carried off by the generous talents of all involved. --Tad Hendrickson

Interview with Renee Fleming
Renee Fleming speaks about recent projects, including her memoir The Inner Voice and her recent Handel CD, in our interview.

Customer Reviews:

Sublime and ridiculous.......2007-06-13

The sublime: much of the artistry of this recording is about sound, and the subtle blending/responding of voice with guitar sounds and / or piano sounds. It is in the sensitive musical interplay between the artists where this effort shines. Definitely not recommended for road trips!

The ridiculous: Fleming ended the majority of most phrases in most of the songs with a guttural of some sort which for me becomes irritating to the point of distraction. These punctuations are mostly quite awful: really tasteless, clumsy, and overused big time and I'm amazed at how this ever got released. Without these ersatz testifyin' noises this CD would be stunning.

So, if you have the ability and inclination to edit out this garbage from your perception as you listen I think you'll be glad you experienced these artists at work together. (Unfortunately I'm not up to it).

Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww.......2007-06-06

Ugh. Like a manufactured home vs. a stick-built house, Fleming's manufactured (aka "training and technique") blues voice compares unfavorably to other jazz/blues singers/lounge acts. Would not, COULD not, listen to this recording straight through--one big long, breathy, minor key train wreck in the making. Took the CD on a road trip and had to pull over and remove from queue--either that or drive into a wall.

Better than I thought it would be.......2007-04-10

I have to admit, Haunted Heart was a lot better than I thought it would be,especially her recordings of "River", "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress, "My Cherie Amour" and "In my life".
I think this is the most artistically successful recording of Pop/Jazz by a classical singer. I enjoyed it even better than the Anna Sophie Von Otter'/ Elvis Costello CD.
The perspective I am coming from is that of a classical singer who started out as a pop singer/songwriter. I perform and teach cross-genre but love a world class instrument such as Flemming's
I wanted to get the perspective of a friend who used to sing jingles and is also a trained singer but is usually critical of any attempts that opera singers make at crossing -over.
My friend is very familiar with Flemming's voice, but did not recognise it in this context when I played the CD for her. Her reaction was very complimentary, although she did comment that the diction was a bit strange.
She then played it for her brother a well known jazz singer and arranger who had a somewhat negative reaction.He found the singing to be overly dark and round. He prefers a cleaner more 'spoken' approach to this style of singing. I understand this perspective and therefore personally prefer Ella to Sarah as well, but let's not get too picky. Obviously, Rene Flemming is of the Sarah Vaghan School of jazz singing, which is not too shabby.

I will continue to enjoy this CD and will wait for another opera diva to top this one. But, somehow I think the next really good CD of Pop/ jazz from an opera star will also come from Rene.

To those who have been unreasonably mean and negative towards her, I can only say you are not fit to polish her shoes!

Brava Renee.......2007-04-09

This talented woman can sing anything. I really enjoyed this cd with the lights turned down and a glass of wine to relax after a very stressful day at work. Renee could definitely have another singing career outside of opera should she choose. Hearing her drop that gorgeous voice down one octave rivals the best chanteuses in the business - Cassandra Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Regina Belle, Sarah Vaughan, etc. This cd of different musical styles reminds me of Nina Simone and Cassandra Wilson, two great singers whom could interpret any song genre and make their versions special. I loved all the songs and the standouts here are "Haunted Heart", "River", "My One and Only Love", "My Cherie Amour", "Cancao do Amor", and Beatles "In My Life", and "Hard Times Come Again No More".
I hope Renee keeps recording whatever catches her fancy because I'll certainly always listen.

Art is always new. .......2007-03-10

Renee Fleming is an artist bringing us something new, and beautiful. The poor will always be with us as manifest in those who resent other's movement from their established zones. Renee Fleming is a great female voice with accomplishments her detractors will never have, but in their dreams.

I welcome Renee's elan demonstrated with her recent recordings, Love sublime with Brad Mehldau, and Haunted Heart with Fred Hersch and Bill Frissell. Bravery, fun, and talent combined by artists and for people who are listening. Hearing long time favorites Mehldau, Hersch, and Frissell is all the more sublime.

The History of Blue Cheer: Good Times are So Hard to Find

Average customer rating:

One of the best "greatest hits" compilations in all of rock.
Psychedelic Proto Metal Legends!
split down the middle
psychedelic band's finest
60s rock 'n' roll bombast at its finest

The History of Blue Cheer: Good Times are So Hard to Find
Blue Cheer
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Light and Heavy: The Best of Iron Butterfly
Frijid Pink
Vincebus Eruptum
Psychedelic Sundae: The Best of Vanilla Fudge
Cactology: The Cactus Collection

ASIN: B000001FNQ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Summertime Blues
Out Of Focus
Parchment Farm
Feathers From Your Tree
The Hunter
Babylon
Peace Of Mind
Fruit And Icebergs
Fool
Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham
Saturday Freedom
Good Times Are So Hard To Find
Pilot
Preacher
Hiway Man
I'm The Light

Customer Reviews:

One of the best "greatest hits" compilations in all of rock........2004-10-03

...From a band that only had one hit!!
First of all, this album is aptly titled: "The History of Blue Cheer". For a band who was only around for 4 years the first time, I don't think there is another group in rock history who went through more changes in such a short period. Listening to this CD in chronological order, as all compilation CD's "should" be, from "Summertime Blues" back in early '68, all the way through to "I'm the Light" in '71, you would have thought this band had been around for 10 years, as much as their music had changed during that short amount of time.
The most interesting thing about Blue Cheer is that every album they made was like a different era, with slight personnel changes each time contributing something, and making a difference in the sound of the band each time. From the grunge of "Vincebus Eruptum", to the psychedelic/metal and playful atmosphere on "Outside/Inside", the un-togetherness with some guitar-driven bright spots on "New Improved", the hippie-fun and re-invention on "Blue Cheer", right down to the relaxed feeling of the last two albums, "The Original Human Being" and "Oh, Pleasant Hope", this compilation takes the best and most well-represented 2 or 3 songs from all those albums--again, in chronolgical order, and brilliantly profiles those changes in their best light. This is exactly the way all greatest hits compilations should be put together.
Of course, the "average" Blue Cheer fan is most familiar with, and usually prefers, the first two albums, when the band was a "heavy metal" power trio with Leigh Stephens on guitar, and the first six songs here represent that era. But little is known by many about the rest of their output, and this set does a nice job of presenting "the best of the rest".
Being a mostly-guitar driven band, each new guitar player that stepped in to the group, brought not only his own guitar style, but also his own songwriting, and even singing, to the mix--pretty much reducing Bassist Dickie Petersen's role to back-up singer, if that--the last song he even takes a 'lead' on is "Hello L.A/Bye-Bye Birmingham" from the 4th album. If you were divide them up into eras, you might say, "The Leigh Stephens era"(1968), "The Randy Holden era"(1969), "The Bruce Stephens era"(1969), and "The Gary Yoder era"(1969-1971).
To me, the best songs here are from the "Randy Holden era"--"Peace of Mind" and "Fruit&Icebergs". Even though he only lasted through one side of probably their worst and most fragmented album, "New Improved Blue Cheer", Holden probably brought to the group, not only their best guitar playing, but also their best songwriting and singing--from a man in Randy Holden who never had to sing lead in a group before, perhaps because Dickie Petersen ahd pretty much given up trying to sing. But "Peace of Mind" and "Fruit&Icebergs" were both very well-written, probably two of the best songs of 1969 that no one had ever heard of, from one of the greatest guitarists of the 1960s, Randy Holden, who no one had ever heard of. Holden was a guitarist who spent much of his musical career on a quest for the "ultimate" guitar sounds, and both "Peace of Mind" and "Fruit&Icebergs" not only feature excellent guitar solos from Mr. Holden, but also some of the "fattest" guitar tone of that era, outside of people like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Worlds removed from the aimless, whammy-bar wanderings of his predecessor Leigh Stephens, and the Garcia-like folkiness of the men who would replace him, Bruce Stephens and Gary Yoder, Randy Holden was a man poised to take Blue Cheer to the next level, and make the name of the album, "New Improved Blue Cheer" mean something. If only he had band members like Dickie Petersen agree to go in the same direction he was going. But because he couldn't, Holden had to quit, and Blue Cheer began to meander-off into quiet, drug-induced mediocrity for the rest of their career, and that's pretty much what the reaminder of this album is, after "Fruit&Icebergs". But "Peace of Mind" and "Fruit&Icebergs" are definitely the high points for me on this collection, from the Jimmy Page-like rock visionary, Randy Holden--who, unlike his English counterpart, could actually sing with great character in his voice, as he did on those two songs. That's not to say that after Holden left, Blue Cheer didn't have some great moments--the Bruce Stephens/Gary Yoder-led group had a great song, "Saturday Freedom"--a nice up-beat hippie anthem for the summer of '69 that should have been a hit, as well as the song, "Good Times, are So Hard to Find". But the rest of the stuff from the Yoder-era on is pretty much bland, generic--Pink Floyd/Doors/Eagles/Grateful Dead/Stones-type, countrified, folkified, tripped-out, mellow, out-of-it-ness. If the goal at that point was to make the band more "mainstream", and fit-in more with the times, rather than be ahead of their times, as they were with Leigh Stephens and Randy Holden, they fell flat on their face--and then they broke up.
I suppose the best I could say is that this album has something for everyone, and probably captures the best examples of the latter music, that you probably wouldn't want to waste your time looking for, or your money buying, say, "The Original Human Being" or "Oh, Pleasant Hope", because their isn't much else redeemable about those two albums, anyway. And if you were to buy this disc strictly on an "objective" level, rather than a "subjective" level, it's a great buy--if nothing else, but for a history lesson about a group like a "hot rod", speeding down the highway, passing all the other cars, before finally running out of gas at the end. Again, I consider this a "model" compilation, in spite of the fact that it is not a "greatest hits"-set. (Many of the songs here are probably "would've been" hits, perhaps if the group had been marketed better at the time.) But this is the story of a band who had so many people come-and-go, each time trying to hold the group together and re-make it in their own style, before the group finally fell apart for good. And if a rock music collection could ever be called, "an audio history book", this is probably the best one I could think of.

Psychedelic Proto Metal Legends!.......2003-02-23

Blue Cheer were a legendary 1960's California band renowned for being one of the loudest live bands ever. They even open for Jimi Hendrix a few times and were favorites of the Hell's Angles. However, this tag is not really representative as the band had so much turnover that their sound mellowed after the bombastic sludgefests of the first two albums. Bassist/vocalist Dickie Peterson was the only continuous member until the band called it quits the first time. The original band featured on the first two albums feature Leigh Stephens on guitar and Paul Whaley ex-Oxford Circle on drums. This incarnation of the band recorded their biggest hit, a bludgeoning cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues". Other notable cuts from this incarnation of the band include a cover of Mose Allison's "Parchment Farm", the great "Out Of Focus" and "Babylon". Stephens quit at this point and their next album featured two guitarists. The legendary Randy Holden ex-Other Half was featured on the great cuts included here "Piece of Mind" and "Fruit and Icebergs" which were more jam oriented and psychedelic. Holden quit halfway through the album sessions and was replaced by Bruce Stephens. With the next album drummer Whaley threw in the towel and was replaced by Norman Mayell and Ralph Burns Kellogg was added on keyboards. "Saturday Freedom" and a laid back cover of "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham" date from this period. Bruce Stephens then quit and was replaced by ex-drummer Whaley's friend from Oxford Circle Gary L. Yoder on guitar and harmonica. The music at this point had become more mellow and blues oriented. Two albums followed by this line up before they called it quits. The catchy "Good Times Are So Hard To Find" and "Pilot" are two of the better cuts by this version of the band.

While this set is representative by featuring cuts from all the albums, a number of my favorites are not included. The disk is about 74 minutes so another song or two could have been added. Their second album "Outsideinside" is has come excellent cuts not included here like "Just A Little Bit", "Come And Get It", the interestingly titled instrumental "Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger" and a sledgehammer version of the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction". Some of these cuts were included on the old vinyl Blue Cheer compilation I used to have called "Louder Than God". This is the reason I am only rating this four stars instead of five. The sound is also thin in some places and a remastered anthology featuring my suggestions would be a welcome idea. However, since this is the only compact disk studio anthology of Blue Cheer available it is a worthwhile purchase. Fans of early hard rock and the California psychedelic scene will enjoy this release.

split down the middle.......2000-05-06

I must admit the fast & loud stuff they do was the reason I bought this cd.I wasn't willing to sit through the "lighter" second half of the disc.But listening to it now (particularly "Saturday Freedom") I can hear that the second half may contain their better work.The last two cuts move dangerously close to Eagles territory.Interesting stuff for collectors of the famous-yet-obscure.

psychedelic band's finest.......2000-05-03

Perhaps the only rock and roll band to have a type of lsd named in their honor, Blue Cheer were obviously never the most talented bunch, but they certainly helped pave the way for many psychedelic and heavy metal bands who followed. The band went through several incarnations from the earliest, heaviest phase with Leigh Stephens on lead recording their best known track a cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" a thudding 3:45 slab of proto-metal, thru the Randy Holden and Bruce Stephens years, ending with Gary Yoder and Norman Mayell sharing guitar/sitar duties. As the band's recording career progressed their sound became more melodic and accessible, which, unfortunately alienated them from their original audience while failing to create a new audience of adequate size, resulting in consistently falling record sales. While later tracks such as "I'm the Light" "Pilot" and "Good Times Are So Hard To Find" have aged much more gracefully than the early better selling "Parchment Farm" "Summertime Blues" and the like, they were almost completely ignored by the record buying public. This 74 minute, 16 track anthology, released in 1988, is the definitive statement regarding one of the definitive heavy pseudo-psychedelic proto-metal bands of the late 60s which evolved into a much tastier psychedelic band in the early 70s, but lost its original audience and never acquired a new one. Bottom line, this anthology is as uneven as the band's sound was inconsistent, but it is a seminal work in the body of heavy metal's development, and is essential to the collection of fans of 1960s rock and roll. 5 Stars for historical significance, not for musical talent.

60s rock 'n' roll bombast at its finest.......2000-03-16

I hazily remember my parents coming home one day in the late 60's and telling me about this record a friend of their's daughter had played for them. The word that stands out in my mind from their review is "bombastic." As I turn more and more into my parents, I find that word ringing more and more in my head as I listen to the first 6 tracks on this 16 track (*74* minute) compilation.

These first 6 tracks, taken from Blue Cheer's first two LP's ("Vincebus Eruptum" and "Outsideinside") are lacking in subtlety and dynamics (unless you consider "LOUD" to be dynamic), and mostly entertaining only as a novelty (and then only for a few minutes).

Once past these initial two LP's, and with the departure of guitarist/vocalist Leigh Stephens, and the arrival of Randy Holden (and later Gary Yoder), Blue Cheer began to show a lot more range and taste. The single joke act of their first two LP's gave way to a slightly more polished sound, arranged with a nice electric blues edge. Unlike the earlier aural assaults, the later tracks actually have some dynamic range, and feature a more varied instrumental approach (including harmonica, organ, piano, etc.).

It's really hard to see this as one band, since the shift in sound is so radical after Stephens' departure. By the last three albums, only one of the three original members remained. The later tracks, feature some nice stretched out guitar solos and instrumental passages.

Tracks:

The Glendy Burke
Nelly Was A Lady
Melinda May
The Soree Polka
The Moustache Song
O Willie, Is It You, Dear?
Mr. & Mrs. Brown
Gem From Lucia No.1
Wilt Thou Be Gone?
The Voices That Are Gone
Ole Black Joe
Maggie By My Side
Camptown Ladies
Hard Times
Gems From Lucia No.2, No.3
The Shanghai Chicken
Beautiful Dreamer
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Away
Nelly Bly
I Dream Of Jeannie
O Susannah & Some Folks

Customer Reviews:

Amid fine work, a new star!.......2004-09-28

Baird, Russell and Van Buskirk give fine performances in a splendid
program, but tenor Frederick Urrey [his Foster recording debut?] is a sensation! A glorious voice, with a perfect command of style in
operatic, ballad, ensemble and even comic scenes, his Melinda May is breathtaking, his Beautiful Dreamer is the best on records, his
duets charm and his drunken husband is a gas! He has it all!! In my 25 years of total immersion in Foster and his era, I have never
even dreamt of hearing an artist of such stature. Foster was said to have a fine voice and to sing his music better than any other.
I pray we now hear more of SF's songs as he must have sung them!

Stephen Foster Would Be Proud.......2004-02-26

Linda Russell is a remarkable woman. I have every CD she has done and I've never been disappointed in the high quality recordings she releases. I consider her every bit of an historian as the authors of history books.
This collection of Stephen Foster tunes, one of two that Russell has partaken in, is a rousing collection of the musical sounds of the mid-19th century. Soprano Julianne Baird and tenor Frederick Urrey join in with Ms. Russell's alto vocals to make a truly remarkable ensemble (including the musicians playing the mountain dulcimer, fortepiano, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, recorder, and accordion - all on authentic antique instruments). All combined show off the genius that Stephen Foster was - the 19th century's top songwriter who wrote music for ALL time, not just his time.
But if it wasn't for the musical reenactors (on CD at least) of Russell and company many of these long lost gems might have stayed hidden, sadly unheard. Some choral music, a feel of opera, a bit of traditional folk all mixed together to make what I feel is an authentic piece of musical history.
Here's hoping that Linda Russell and friends continue in the making of traditional music - Christmas and popular.
Ms. Russell, do you ever tour? We'd love to see you here in Michigan!

Foster at his simple best.......2002-01-22

What a delicious surprise this little album is, and from the ..... date, it appears to have been around for a few seasons, but is utterly new to me. I am a Julianne Baird fan from the get-go, but was pleasantly taken aback at her appearance on an album of American songs with folk balladeer Linda Russell (who plays dulcimers, mountain fiddles and all manner of country instruments and sings with the earthy texture of Judy Collins). But as usual Baird finds a way to integrate her own exquisite sensibilities and artistry into the assignment and makes a touching case for the simple and heart-rending Foster tunes--this is, after all, "early music" in which she excels--American "Early Music." Tenor Fred Urrey is another find and he likewise blends wonderfully into the surroundings. In fact, the three diverse artists hit their stride in a haunting trio rendition of Old Black Joe. Keyboard and string instruments have a ghostly and authentic ring to them as well. indeed, after the pompous and overblown Foster CDs of better-known opera singers in the bins today, this is so welcome. A treasure!
Get it today.

Well-rounded and convincing.......2000-10-27

This is an excellent rendition of Stephen Foster's songs, capitalizing on the duality inherent in the repertoire: the beautiful parlor ballads and the rowdy folk-inspired tunes. Especially remarkable is the fact that the performers bring to the music the "early music" sensibility (Julianne Baird is renowned as a performer of Elizabethan lutesongs)--this sensibility urges the performers to be as historically accurate as possible, performing on original/reproduction instruments. Also of note is the fact that it is a collaboration between classical and folk musicians: soprano, alto, tenor, fortepiano, fiddle, mountain and hammered dulcimers, harmonica, recorder, and accordian. Linda Russell (alto, mountain dulcimer) is lyrical and moving with her "folkie" voice, perfectly complementing the other "cultivated" voices and grounding them on the occasions they come together in poignant harmony.

Tracks:

Beauty Way
Hard Times In Babylon
Highway
Coast
Engineer Bill
Persephone
Baby's Waking
Twisted
Flatline
In My Dreams
Walk Away From Love
Sanctuary

Customer Reviews:

Making Music on the Beauty Way.......2007-03-18

Eliza Gilkyson comes from a musical family. Her father wrote both pop hits and Disney movie tunes, while her brother Tony played in an incarnation of X and was also involved with the movie "Walk The Line. To that end. "Hard Times In A Babylon" reflects Eliza's legacy. Like Lucinda Williams' "Gravel Road" CD, this album has a great deal to do with the drive to create, with the pitfalls, the hope and the redemption.

I saw Eliza play a show with Casey Chambers and Patty Griffin, and was enchanted by the two songs she played from "Hard Times In Babylon." First was "Beauty Way," which charts the course she took after her father. The best line is the description of the lure of fame and the disappointment of the illusion in the distance: "By the time I hit L.A. I was hotter than a pistol, but you're never hot enough." She introduced the song during the show by describing how her Father wrote for "The Jungle Book." "'Bear Necessities' paid for my braces...."

The second is the tender title track, mourning the loss of a friend. Again, touching on the joys and hardships in the creative soul, Eliza asks "Woody you could have called out/There's not a man or a woman here in the big house tonight/who wouldn't have run to pull you through."

Those are my two favorites from this hard edged folk singer. There are plenty more to enjoy on "Hard Times In Babylon." For me, they are "Engineer Bill" with its snaky lead guitar, and gospel inflected "Sanctuary," which ends the album on a hopeful note. If you enjoy Casey Chambers, Nanci Griffiths, Patty Griffin of even the Dixie Chicks, you'll probably enjoy Eliza Gilkyson.

Rockin' Folkie.......2005-08-28

I was buying gas during a long road trip through Wyoming. Song number five was playing on my truck stereo while I was pumping gas and a beautiful woman in a nearby gas bay started staring at me. Hark, a clue, I thought... I must not be the only one who likes that song a lot. It's a great song.

My favorite of Eliza.......2004-12-11

Have had the privilege of hearing Eliza in very intimate local venues and she's got the most outstanding honey-and-whiskey voice. That voice always takes center stage with simple arrangements backing. This is an amazing album, covering everything from sinning to salvation. "Hard Times in Babylon" according to Eliza is autobiographical of the worst times in her career. "Sanctuary" is a beautiful hymn no matter what spiritual affiliation you have. While Eliza's newest "Land of Milk and Honey" has been nominated for a Grammy in the Folk Category this year, I think "Hard Times" is a very good place to start listening to Eliza's music.

Hard Core Emotions.......2004-06-15

To me, this album was a breakthrough for Eliza Gilkyson. I can see by some people's reviews that they miss the more folksy side of Eliza. But if I could only keep one Eliza Gilkyson album ... I personally would choose this.

These songs are daring! Not just lyrically with such great lines as "I've got a foolish heart, but I'm not an idiot." and "Be still, my beating heart" in reference to not quite wanting to go on today. But it's also musically extraordinary. The opening song is catchy as anything. And then, she moves to ballads, hard rock-n-roll beats, sultry numbers, experimental formats. What remains consistent throughout the album is the hard core emotional honesty.

Lyrics always take center stage on this album -- she annunciates clearly, and no matter what's going on musically, you can always hear the words plainly. I like that.

And these are some serious words! Backed by husky expressiveness.

This is an album that challenges you to explore the emotional realms -- and not just the cheery ones.

I loved her previous albums. But to me -- this one is art.

Thoughtful and Soulful.......2002-10-24

Who said good songs can't be intelligent and thoughtful, and still tug at your heart and fill your soul? Eliza has a one of a kind voice, is a lyrical, poetic songwriter, and bares her soul in her songs. Sometimes things get a bit cryptic, but in this CD the heart is on the sleeve. I wouldn't say it is an uplifting CD, it has its dark side, but I wouldn't call it depressing either. The darkness just gives the music an edge that feels good. Every song has been played over & over on the repeat feature of my CD player. I immediately went searching for more. Her latest, "Lost & Found" lives up to the promise of this stellar CD.

Average customer rating:

Hard, Raw, Honest Texas Blues-Rock
Raw Texas Blues

Hard Times in the Land of Plenty
Omar & the Howlers
Manufacturer: Austin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Texas Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Texas Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

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ASIN: B000062R9W
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty
Dancing In The Canebrake
Border Girl
Mississippi Hoo Doo Man
Don't Rock Me The Wrong Way
Same Old Grind
Don't You Know
You Ain't Foolin' Nobody
Shadow Man
Lee Anne

Customer Reviews:

Hard, Raw, Honest Texas Blues-Rock.......2007-03-06

HARD TIMES IN THE LAND OF PLENTY is a hard, raw, honest Texas blues-rock CD by Omar & The Howlers, featuring soulful vocals and hard-charging guitar playing from leader Omar Kent Dykes. The lyrics, obviously, were written from a working-class perspective, but are universal enough in their meaning that even a rich guy living in Cape Elizabeth, ME or Lake Oswego, OR can relate to them. Dykes' advocacies of sanctions against Indonesia in retaliation for that country's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist, increased funding for law enforcement, and capital punishment for kidnappers makes HARD TIMES IN THE LAND OF PLENTY an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.

Raw Texas Blues.......2005-11-16

Bought this "CD" on cassette tape when it originally released.
I'm happy to see it's now on CD. Nice original songwriting with coarse, butt kicking delivery. Fans of SRV would probably like this. Give it a listen.

Average customer rating:

additional comments to previous reviewer; reissue minus 1.
A Good Mix, But Note...

Jazz for the Quiet Times
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Savoy Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Jazz for a Lazy Day
Jazz for Romantic Moments
Jazz for a Summer Night
Jazz for Those Peaceful Moments
Jazz for a Mellow Morning

ASIN: B000089J0A
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Tracks:

Blues In My Heart - Sonny Chris
My Romance - Houston Person
The Good Life - Sonny Stitt
Lament - Bobby Hutcherson
Whisper Not - Bobby Hutcherson
Body And Soul - Al Cohn & Zoot Sims
Send In The Clowns - Pat Martino
You Don't Know What Love Is - Russell Gunn
Smooch - Wallace Roney

Tracks:

One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - David 'Fathead' Newman
I Remember Clifford - Houston Person
Spring Is Here - Bobby Hutcherson
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You - Sonny Stitt
I Cover The Waterfront - Jack McDuff
I'm Glad There Is You - Kenny Burrell
Emily - Al Cohn & Zoot Sims
Everything Must Change - Richard 'Groove' Holmes
Both Sides Now - Pat Martino

Customer Reviews:

additional comments to previous reviewer; reissue minus 1........2006-01-25

In addition to the comments made by the other reviewer, I'd like to add, if you compare the original 32 Jazz release (which I have) and the Savoy Jazz release, it is minus one song (Savoy's) "Estate".
That probably meant, if included issuing it as a 3 disc set.
I'm sure on the Savoy reissues, Estate shows up somewhere.
Still, not a bad set.

A Good Mix, But Note..........2004-01-14

This CD is a slightly extended version of the same release by 32 Jazz (the one with supermodel Leticia Casta on the cover). Where the 32 Jazz release has 11 songs on one CD, this new release contains 19 songs on 2 CDs. The song blend is superb; a great Sunday morning disc. Just wanted to give the original 32 Jazz owners a little heads up about this new collection. The choice is yours to invest in another, very similar CD, or stick with the one you already have.

Tracks:

That's What the Good Book Says - Bobby Nunn
Hard Times - Charles Brown
Nosey Joe - Bull Moose Jackson
Flying Home - Amos Milburn
Gloom and Misery All Around - Roy Hawkins
Bam Balam - The Du Droppers
Real Ugly Woman - Jimmy Witherspoon
Mainliner - Little Esther
Kansas City aka KC Lovin' - Little Willie Littlefield
Lovin' Jim - Little Mickey Champion
Too Bad Sweet Mama - Sam "Highpockets" Henderson & His Orchestra
Ten Days in Jail - The Robins
Squeeze Me - Milt Trenier
I Smell a Rat - Big Mama Thornton
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - Joe Liggins
Come a Little Bit Closer - Willy & Ruth
It's a Miracle - Honey Bears
Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin') - The Cheers
Riot in Cell Block #9 - Vicki Young
Hound Dog - Freddie Bell & The Bellboys
Whadaya Want - Jack Cardwell
Down in Mexico - Ella Mae Morse
Hot Dog - Young Jessie
What About Me - Larry Evans
Tears of Joy - Etta James
Ruby Baby - The Drifters
If It's the Last Thing I Do - Frankie Marshall
Homme a Moto - Edith Piaf

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
Incredible..Worth 30 stars
Superb singing matched with superb arrangements
Beautiful music
Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here

Blue Wheat
Stephen Foster , John , American Traditional , Spiritual Traditional , and Dale Warland Singers
Manufacturer: American Choral
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Harvest Home
Christmas With the Dale Warland Singers
Cathedral Classics
December Stillness
Christmas Echoes, Vol. 1

ASIN: B000003M4T
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

Oh, Shenandoah (Traditional)
He's Goin' Away (Traditional)
Skip To My Lou (Traditional)
Steal Away (Spiritual)
Wayfarin' Stranger (Traditional)
Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me? (Traditional)
Pretty Saro (Traditional)
Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
Black Is The Color (Traditional)
Red River Valley 9 (Traditional)
Nelly Bly (Stephen Foster)
My Lord, What A Mornin' (Spiritual)
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (Stephen Foster)
Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)
Single Girl (Traditional)
Deep River (Spiritual)
Buffalo Gals (Cool White [John Hodges])
The Water is Wide (Traditional)
Black Sheep (African-American lullaby)

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-06-06

Robert De Cormier's remarkable arrangement and Marie Spar Dymit's and Lynette Johnson's pure vocals of "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" are well worth the price of the entire CD.

Incredible..Worth 30 stars.......2007-05-16

The Dale Warland Singers are my benchmark by which I judge all other choirs. The uniformity of sound, blend, and precise entrances, uniformity are incredible - almost inhuman. Excluding the all male Chanticleer from the roster, this was the finest choir in America. Now that they have broken up, buy all of their CD's you won't be disappointed!

Superb singing matched with superb arrangements.......2004-07-03

A project like this one inevitably highlights the skill of arrangers, and Dale Warland has selected some of the most talented anywhere. Most of these selections will be familiar to listeners, but I doubt most people have heard, for example, "Red River Valley" in Carol Barnett's haunting version here, and ditto for her magnificent "Deep River."

The disc opens with a spectacular, panoramic "Shenandoah" that takes maximum advantage of the Dale Warland Singers' refined sound, and things only get better (if that's possible). Other favorites are a cheery, fizzing "Nelly Bly" and Mark Keller's strong reworking of Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More."

Throughout the recording, the freshness of the arrangements is matched by the irresistible singing. This group is known for its outstanding performances and recordings, but this must be counted as one of their all-time best. The sound quality is terrific, capturing the gorgeous blend and precision of the group in a natural-sounding acoustic. Just stunning.

Beautiful music.......2003-07-03

I bought this CD after hearing a few of the recordings on our local NPR radio station. I was not disappointed in any of the selections. Very beautiful.

Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here.......2003-01-13

The Dale Warland Singers (DWS) are among the relatively few musical professionals, who by their aesthetic standards and demonstrated artistry, have taken the less traveled and narrow road to exemplary artistic excellence.

The sound quality and acoustics are excellently engineered in this 20-bit original recording. The most delicately blend and inflection of the singers' voice can be heard. This sheaf of choral works has once existed in real space and time in the kaleidoscopic folklife of past generations. In recording the "Blue Wheat", the 40-member DWS, the creme de la creme of professional choral ensembles, has elevated the common oral tradition of American folk music into a rarified choral art form a capella "in the style of the chapel."

If the soul of the DWS is a capella singing, then Warland and the arrangers are the wings of the same soul. Among the kapellmeisters whose arrangements have graced this folksong anthology are the late Norman Luboff and Roger Wagner. Also included in this album are contemporary arrangements by other esteemed composers: John Rutter (conductor of The Cambridge Singers), Carol Barnett (the DWS resident composer from 1992 to 2001), and Stephen Paulus.

Gertrude Stein is famous for saying of her childhood home, Oakland, California, "When you get there, there's no there there." Purportedly, Stein opined this city by the San Francisco Bay lacked a defining sense of place. Bel canto notwithstanding, the folk melodies of "Blue Wheat" invoke a longing for something no longer possible. The abyss between the America today and the its past is impossible to bridge. Already, we have yielded to the abstractness of political correctness. Our past is either neglected, actively destroyed, or selectively museumed. We do not live in an understood land and culture. There is no there here in the presence of this music. It is only the poignancy of the moment that these beautifully rendered tunes live in our mind. We have to accept this reality as part and parcel of our rootlessness.

If the Oakland Raiders do make it to and win the Superbowl in 2003, there is a there there for some in the football community, albeit fleeting.

Music Info: