The Blue & Gray in Black & White

The Blue & Gray in Black & White

Track Listings

1. Battle Cry of Freedom

2. Dixie's Land

3. Thedford Saga: The Bonnie Blue Flag/Cumberland Gap/Home Sweet Home

4. Goodbye

5. Lorena

6. O I'm a Good Old Rebel

7. Tenting on the Old Campground

8. Glory Hallelujah Suite: Say Brothers Will You Meet Us?/Glory! Glory!

9. There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood

Tracks:

Either Way
You Are My Face
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Side With the Seeds
Shake It Off
Please Be Patient With Me
Hate It Here
Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
Walken
What Light
On And On And On

Amazon.com

After their wild experimental streak of the past decade, Wilco's sixth studio album might feel like a bit of a comedown. Sky Blue Sky is mellow, moody, and uncharacteristically monotone, opening with a pleasant jangle and Jeff Tweedy singing a simple song: "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away." He doesn't even follow it up with a barbed punchline. Could it be that the restless Chicago band has settled back into its gentle Americana roots--or does this sudden mid-career reappraisal represent Wilco's gutsiest move yet? Mostly written in the studio by the full band, it's certainly the group's most cohesive album in ages, presenting a dense song cycle padded with intricate guitar work, brushed rhythms, and '70s soft-rock accents. In places it sounds like Wings ("Hate It Here"), in others Harry Nilsson ("Walken"), and in the middle it goes a bit Grateful Dead ("Shake It Off"). At the same time, there's a distinct sense of hearing a band finally at ease in its own skin. Sky Blue Sky represents the sound of Wilco finally pulling through its petulant adolescence. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

"Sky Blue Sky" has hints of early-seventies Southern California folk-rock sweetness in the harmonies. The album is filled with brash guitar solos that take songs like "You Are My Face" and "Shake It Off" in unexpected directions.

Customer Reviews:

My opinion- SBS.......2007-08-02

I am a huge Wilco fan--- own all the albums, and all the bootlegs etc.--- In my opinion- this band (Tweedy) composes the best music available today. They are also a tremendous band to see live. That said- SBS is a let down for me. It is a good album-- but not a great album. One of the things Tweedy does well is leave the listener wanting a little more--- he never "over-does it"-- and doesn't pound the listener with the same melodies and choruses the way most artists do. However- SBS leaves me famished--- the songs could be so much more. The melodies are so soft and subtle- that you need to really reach for them- and once found-- they quickly float away. A couple of other concerns--- the album is very soft-- even the guitar work- which is quite good- is soft-- and the drum work is held back vs. previous work. Next-- no "pop" songs. Though Wilco rarely gets radio play- they have traditionally had tunes that are real "toe-tappers"--- Late Greats, War on War, Hummingbird, etc.--- there is nothing like that on this record. At the end of the day- it is a good album--- the songs are still well written and much more interesting than most music being produced today--- but not what I hoped for.

Hooray For Me.......2007-07-29

I like Ghost and YHF fine, but I selfishly wished they would strip back their production to reveal the simple beauty of their songwriting, lyrics, and vocals. This is my album, and I love it. It's not the most terribly original thing, but it is very very pretty. Turns out someone in the band is even a good guitar player; I listened to the solo on the first cut several times, I find it tasteful and wonderful. Anyhoo, don't know if this album is better than the last two, it just happened to be more to my personal taste. Lucky me, I guess.

More 'Being There' less 'Foxtrot'.......2007-07-27

If you love Wilco, like I do, you will love this album. It is their most accessible album in over a decade. Summerteeth and Foxtrot rank as my favorites, but Ghost is my least favorite, and I'm glad this is a departure from that. Think A.M. and Being There, with a little more wisdom and professionalism.

I've grown to love this album.

Love those VW ads..........2007-07-25

Wilco is unquestionably one of the best bands of our time, and this is certainly worth a listen.

This is very different from Ghost / YHF in that the songs are much more direct, with less elaborate mixes / elusive lyrics than their prior two masterpieces. Sort of hearkens to Being There, but with less of an alt-country sound.

One of the best of 2007 - but not quite as good as at least this fan was expecting (check out Cassadega for the best to date this year).

Simply just good music.......2007-07-21

I know it's hip to scrutinize a band's intentions, personal backgrounds, blah blah blah, but whatever happened to just listening to the music? Yes, Wilco has been experimental, using dissonance and space to create compelling noise. This time, they wrote songs that could actually be played on the radio (the nerve!) and listened to while mowing the lawn (how dare Wilco make a fun record!). I am a Wilco fan from the beginning. First record, OK. Second, became a great American band. Third, tried too hard. Fourth, became pretentious to their success. Fifth, remained pretentious to their detriment. Sixth, made a very thoughtful, cool record. Remember when Radiohead made "The Bends" and we could all sing along? Then Thom Yourke decided he should change the world and use an Atari 2600 to write "songs"? Let's hope Tweedy realizes that his fans like to hear the great songs only Wilco can write.

Average customer rating:

One of Vega's finest albums with a diverse sound filtering through jazz and folk elements
It just keeps getting worse!
The best so far?
She's Like A Fine Wine, She Gets Better With Age
Arrest this Woman! - More Pointless Music from Vega

Beauty & Crime
Suzanne Vega
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000H6SU9A
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

Zephyr & I
Ludlow Street
New York Is a Woman
Pornoghrapher's Dream
Frank & Ava
Edith Wharton's Figurine
Bound
Unbound
As You Are Now
Angel's Doorway
Anniversary

Amazon.com

With a career spanning more than two decades, Suzanne Vega has long stressed quality over quantity. It's no surprise, therefore, that her first release in six years is more than worth the wait. Her eye for detail, laconic vocal cool, and thematic focus on New York City continue to distinguish her artistry, but the sonic sheen applied by British producer/multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Hogarth sparks a musical renewal. Crisp guitar riffing recalls the streetwise work of fellow New York chronicler Lou Reed, while chamber strings, electronic atmospherics, and multitracked background vocals lift the results well beyond the folk realm. Vega writes from a perspective of memory and maturity, recalling the New York of old on "Zephyr & I" and "Ludlow Street," showing the musical sophistication of bittersweet seduction on "New York Is a Woman," applying a musical Brazilian wax to "Pornographer's Dream," and contemplating her life as a wife on "Bound" and as a mother on the lullaby "As You Are Now." The results are richly satisfying throughout. --Don McLeese

Amazon.com

On Beauty & Crime, Suzanne Vega's Blue Note Records debut, the Manhattan native uses New York City as the backdrop for a collection of eleven new songs that juxtapose acoustic guitar-driven melodies with coolly synthesized beats; intensely personal lyrics with compelling, short story-like narratives; images of today's scarred cityscape with memories of Vega's old Upper West Side 'hood and Lower East Side haunts. The past commingles with the present, the public with the private, familiar sounds with the utterly new, just like the city itself. Making her first new studio album in six years, Vega says, "I feel like I really stretched my limits. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone--to sing in keys I wouldn't have sung in before, to work with different textures, to be unafraid of doing what ever sounded good to me. I wanted to make a modern classic."

Suzanne Vega Photos

Album Description

2007 album produced by Jimmy Hogarth. She is accompanied by an eclectic group including Will Malone, Gerry Leonard, Lee Renaldo, Mike Visceglia and Doub Yowell. EMI.

Customer Reviews:

One of Vega's finest albums with a diverse sound filtering through jazz and folk elements.......2007-08-03

Suzanne Vega may be an acquired taste but after you've taken a drink of her latest album, you'll find it both intoxicating and difficult to give up. Admittedly there are those who dislike her hushed vocal delivery (which sounds at times like a female Lou Reed with echoes of Bob Dylan/Leonard Cohen where she isn't trying to "sing" the material so much as "discuss" her observations). I love Vega's delivery so sue me. She's a literate songwriter whose lyrics provide a nice constrast to the music which veers from folk, jazz, elements of techno sometimes within the same song.

"Beauty and Crime" is one of her best albums musically. This concept album about her adopted home New York is a loving and sometimes blunt assessment of the city that surrounds her and has been her muse off and on over the past twenty years. Vega has often taken stylistic detours sometimes off the beaten path like her flirtation with the techno elements that decorated "99.9f" and the smooth samba beat that showed up on "Nine Objects of Desire". Unlike those two albums the production of Jimmy Hogarth is less distracting and self-conscious than those two albums allowing the quality of the songs to shine through. For those that are interested the Japanese release has one extra song that comes in at just under two minutes. It's a good song but you won't miss it (unlike "Golden" from "Songs of Red and Gray) if you purchase the U.S. release of the album.

"Zephyr & I" and "Ludlow Street" have some of the most inviting melodies/arrangements since Vega's breakthrough album. "New York is a Woman" uses a pretty plain metaphor to describe a visitors first visit to the Big Apple. Vega's presentation is pretty straight forward folk outside of the occasional use of horns to decorate the song. "Poronographer's Dream" has an inviting beat and arrangement that echoes nightclub jazz. "Frank & Ava" and the lilting "Bound" are two other highlights. "Unbound" features the type of arrangements that were characteristic of "99.9F" but they are less obtrusive here,

As much as I have enjoyed all of her albums, "Beauty and Crime" is probably one of her most consistent, inviting and musically rich since her first two albums. "Days of Open Hand" was good but didn't extend much beyond "Solitude Standing". "99.9F" played with her sound providing her songs a great diving board to leap off into varied and different musical terrain. That continued on the stylistically diverse and often beautiful "Nine Objects of Desire" and "Songs in Red and Gray". "Beauty & Crime" brings all of this together but, more importantly, does so with the strongest batch of material she has written to date.

For those fans that are interested Vega's website also has a live album recorded for the "Songs in Red and Gray" tour available. It's also available for download from Itunes.

Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne VegaSolitude Standing
Nine Objects of Desire

It just keeps getting worse!.......2007-07-28

Ugh...I loved Suzanned Vega and then she married some fat old guy. Her music sucks to put mildly but fortunately it is a free country so you don't have to buy it...'nuf said

The best so far?.......2007-07-22

Trying to objectively assess any record a matter of weeks after its release is difficult, particularly when it's from such a complex artist as Suzanne Vega - as her previous albums show, her inherently "catchy" songs need time register for their underlying strength and hidden depths to be revealed... but, with time, it's quite possible that this could well prove to be the best release from this supremely gifted artist. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy another pure 5 star outing.

She's Like A Fine Wine, She Gets Better With Age.......2007-07-20

When I picked up Suzanne Vega's seventh studio release "Beauty & Crime", I did what a lot of people do these days - I ripped MP3 files for my computer. When I saw that the total time of the songs was only 34 minutes, I was a little disappointed because I have waited 6 years for her follow-up to the terrific "Songs in Red and Gray". But then I played the songs. Wow! The lady still has the magic. Although the songs are pretty short (only one exceeds 4 minutes and I actually think that song - "Bound" - drags on a little too long), they pack a punch. Personal favorites are "Edith Wharton's Figurines", "Unbound" and the one everyone seems to like, "New York is a Woman", which is about a suburban man's first trip to New York City. As a suburban man who will soon take his first trip to New York, I feel like Suzanne just gave me a tour!

I thought the CD was great and I hope she sees enough success with it that we'll hear from her again, hopefully sooner than 6 years from now. I'm looking forward to seeing her for the first time live later this year.

Arrest this Woman! - More Pointless Music from Vega.......2007-07-20

You know, I love acoustic female singer-songwriters as much as the next person (which isn't saying a whole lot), but I also know trash when I listen to it. This, unfortunately, falls into the latter category. I had highly anticipated this release, alongwith the new Sinead O'Connor record, but Sinead eventually let me down with her tepid double album of a release. Vega somehow manages to outdo her with this certifiable doozy of an album, which is a pity, since her last studio album was rather pretty.

"Beauty & Crime" (Suzanne evidently has very little of the former, and she has committed the latter here), is Suzanne's "Ode to New York" (did we really need another one?). I think Tori Amos did it best when she limited her political consciousness to one song about New York on her "I Can't See New York" from the "Scarlet's Walk" album. Well, this album is no "Scarlet's Walk". In fact, its not even "99.9F", which is amongst the weakest of the Vega albums. On its own, its an oddity with no definable purpose - which is OK if the music was great. But when the recently mangled Bjork record has more replay value than this monstrosity, I don't know what to say.

Lets consider the track "Ludlow Street". Even if you're a Vega fan put aside your love for this woman for an instant. On this track, her songwriting abilities are on par with lets say, Lindsay Lohan or Jojo. I kid you not. Here is a sample:

L"ove is the only thing that matters.
Love is the only thing that's real.
I know we hear this every day.
It's still the hardest thing to feel."

And thats just the FIRST VERSE!

Things only get worse on "Pornographers' Dream", which as a tune is acceptable enough (but then again, so were "The Garbage Pail Kids"). Here, Suzanne is apparently talking about a mans' pornographic muse or something - it isn't especially clear (or interesting):

"Bettie Page is still the rage
with her legs and leather;
she turns to tease the camera, and please us at home,
and we let her."

The problem then, if we turn from the lyrics, is the abject disrespect that Vega has for the listening audience. Granted, her tinny voice isn't exactly a selling point, but she is known for making harmlessly average folk-pop songs. What she's done here however, is bewildering. Even if you're a past fan, or a lover of music by Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann etc, theres nothing here of any worth, really.

Whats even worse is the cover photo that does nothing to elevate this beyond a vanity project of the most ill conception. I hate getting personal about artists, but in this case, one has to wonder how the record company could greenlight something so abjectly pedestrian. Its Vega after all, so its not like we expected anything groundbreaking (how could we?), but still - this is beyond whatever low expectations you had coming in.

"Frank and Ava" is a song that is again a mis-step. I have to wonder, is THIS the New York that Vega is observing? Its not terribly inviting. At best, this is like someone took the concept of sitting in a cozy Starbucks drinking a cup of coffee, and reverse engineered it on the premise of "how bad could we do this". I kid you not.

People, there have been only three great albums this year. "American Doll Posse" by Tori Amos, "Release the Stars" by Rufus Wainwright, and "Paige Aufhammer" by Paige Aufhammer. This record is nowhere near the top (read the critical reviews), and I would advise Vega from avoiding the recording room like the plague, in the future. This woman is not a musician, has no right recording music, and her place can be taken by someone more deserving. Sorry, but thats the truth.

Worst female album of the Year. Avoid.

Average customer rating:

LOVE IT!
The Voice and the Soul
Not as strong as the her first two releases
Not her best
Insipid and inoffensive, uninspired and uninspiring

Not Too Late
Norah Jones
Manufacturer: Blue Note
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000KCHZK6
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Wish I Could
Sinkin' Soon
The Sun Doesn't Like You
Until The End
Not My Friend
Thinking About You
Broken
My Dear Country
Wake Me Up
Be My Somebody
Little Room
Rosie's Lullaby
Not Too Late

Amazon.com

Although the music of Norah Jones continues to blend pop, soul, folk, and country with a seasoning of jazz, her third album for Blue Note is the first where she's written (or collaborated on) all the material. Beneath the smooth surface lie darker strains on the album-opening "Wish I Could" (about a boyfriend lost to war), intimations of mortality in "The Sun Doesn't Like You," and the post-election horrors of "My Dear Country." The last seems to channel the inspiration of Brecht/Weill, while the equally bleak "Sinkin' Soon" is set to a jaunty Dixieland rag. Throughout, Jones's vocal intimacy and melodic warmth remain as disarmingly understated as ever. The soulful "Thinking of You," the countryish "Wake Me Up," and the syncopated "Be My Somebody" reflect the captivating style of her previous work. Although too much in the same midtempo mode becomes a dreamy lull, cut by cut, Jones's voice is irresistible. --Don McLeese

From Blue Note

Album Details

1. "Wish I Could" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitars; Julia Kent: pizzicato cello; Jeffery Ziegler: bowed cello

2. "Sinkin' Soon" (Lee Alexander-Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, piano; Daru Oda: vocals; M. Ward: vocals; Jesse Harris: guitjo; Kevin Breit: mandolin; J. Walter Hawkes: trombone; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums, slit drum, pots and pans

3. "The Sun Doesn't Like You" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, piano; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitar; Adam Levy: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums; Paul Bryan: Chamberlain keyboards

4. "Until The End" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer, piano; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitar; Adam Levy: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums; Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ

5. "Not My Friend" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitars; Adam Levy: backwards electric guitars; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: marimba, cymbals

6. "Thinking About You" (Norah Jones-Ilhan Ersahin): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer; Chuck Mackinnon: trumpet; Rob Suddith: tenor sax; Lee Alexander: bass; Tony Mason: drums; Devin Greenwood: Hammond B-3 organ

7. "Broken" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, electric guitar; Julia Kent: outro cellos; Lee Alexander: pizzicato, bowed basses

8. "My Dear Country" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, piano; J. Walter Hawkes: trombones; Jose Davilla: tuba; Bill McHenry: tenor sax; Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ

9. "Wake Me Up" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, acoustic guitars; Lee Alexander: bass, lap steel; Andy Borger: drums

10. "Be My Somebody" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer; Richard Julian: vocals; Tony Scherr: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums; Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ

11. "Little Room" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, acoustic guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Daru Oda: whistle

12. "Rosie's Lullaby" (Norah Jones-Daru Oda): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer; Daru Oda: vocals; Adam Levy: electric guitar, vocal; Robbie McIntosh: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums

13. "Not Too Late" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, piano, Mellotron; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums

Produced by Lee Alexander

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Come Away with Me
Feels Like Home
New York City

Customer Reviews:

LOVE IT!.......2007-07-19

What's not to love about Norah? She once again gives us super music on this cd. Can't think of anything bad to say about it.

The Voice and the Soul.......2007-07-15

Bought this CD after hearing "Wish I Could" on the radio; this is a gorgeous, hauntingly beautiful, moving song.

I too am surprised to see the strongly negative reviews here. Her 3 CDs have sold more than 39 million copies worldwide, so there is clearly a strong fan base somewhere! The added plus on this third CD is that Norah wrote or co-wrote every song, so we are gaining a glimpse into her musical soul as well as hearing the beauty of her voice.

There are some real gems here. "Sinkin' Soon" evokes 1930's jazz with its honky-tonk piano (played by Norah) and its wah-wah trombone. "Until the End" has country roots. "Not My Friend" is a mellow, dreamy, wistful song with dagger-sharp lyrics. "My Dear Country" is a lament about what election day hath wrought. The final title cut, "Not Too late," winds things up on an optimistic note.

It is not surprising that Norah has good musical genes. Her father, Ravi Shankar, brought his sitar to the Beatles and Indian music to a global audience. Norah's seamless blending of country, jazz, blues, pop, and folk brings great talent and aural delight to a new musical generation.

Not as strong as the her first two releases.......2007-07-11

In my opinion, this CD is simply not as strong as her first two CDs. Most of the songs are fine, but forgettable. A couple are just a bit weird-sounding for my taste. Out of her 3 CDs, I preferred "Come Away With Me", although I understand that Ms. Jones feels that her current CD is a truer reflection of her musical style.

Right after I bought this CD, I was privileged enough to see her in concert. She is clearly talented, and has an accomplished band. The concert was wonderful and was over before I knew it. Her performance got rave reviews in the local newspaper the next day.

I look forward to her next release, mostly to see how her artistic style evolves.

Not her best.......2007-07-11

I own all three of her CDs. Come Away with Me is the best IMO. Her passion and talent shine through. Each song was worthy to be on the CD. In Feels Like Home, it seemed she relaxed a bit, had a little more fun, but lost some of the passion, a couple of the songs were not up to what I expected, but passed as entertaining. This third CD is the worst. My impression was that now that she has made a name for herself she can put any track on a CD without much scrutiny. I have listened to it a few times, but it just doesn't do anything exciting for me. A big disappointment.

Insipid and inoffensive, uninspired and uninspiring.......2007-07-08

That's about the highest praise I can muster for this effort. It isn't that it's BAD, but it just never achieves "lift off."

I wish I could wax enthusiastic, but after quite a few listens at this point, I don't think my opinion is likely to change appreciably.

Time for Ms. Jones to find her passion. It isn't evident on this CD.

Average customer rating:

So good only Van could have picked the songs
great new album
Great Value
Great selection
Continuing writers block

The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3
Van Morrison
Manufacturer: Manhattan/EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000IY0FDA
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

Cry For Home
Too Long In Exile
Gloria
Help Me
Medley: Lonely Avenue/4 O'Clock In the Morning
Days Like This
Ancient Highway
Raincheck
Moondance
Centerpiece
That's Life
Benediction
The Healing Game
I Don't Want To Go On Without You

Tracks:

Shenandoah
Precious Time
Back On Top
When the Leaves Come Falling Down
Lost John
Tupelo Honey
Meet Me In the Indian Summer
Georgia On My Mind
Hey Mr. DJ
Steal My Heart Away
Crazy Love
Once In a Blue Moon
Little Village
Blue And Green
Sitting On Top Of the Wolrd
Early In the Morning
Stranded

Amazon.com

Navigating Van Morrison's extensive catalog since 1993 is a formidable task even diehard fans might not want to attempt. The Irish icon has flirted with blues, jazz, country, pop, Celtic, and his own style of indescribable into-the-mystic spiritually-oriented poetic folk on his numerous releases, making for quite a thorny culling assignment. So the EMI brass were probably ecstatic when the singer took the job himself. He weeds through a dozen or so albums released since Volume 2's mile-marker, and adds a clutch of previously unavailable mixes, rarities, and live tracks. The result: a nearly two-and-a-half-hour, 31-track double-disc set as sprawling, eclectic, and tenacious as Morrison's vision and discography. From occasionally rambling but spirited duets with veterans Bobby "Blue" Bland, Junior Wells, Georgie Fame, Lonnie Donegan, B.B. King, the Chieftains, Ray Charles, and even Tom Jones to concert versions of hits such as "Moondance" and an impressive take on Sinatra's classic "That's Life," along with hidden gems like "Steal My Heart Away," this is a beautifully assembled and sequenced collection. It presents most of this multitalented auteur's facets and softens his often crusty exterior by showing his appreciation for the journeymen that helped develop the trail that Morrison then blazed in his own distinctive style. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

The new 2-CD collection, compiled by Morrison himself, offers a comprehensive overview of his later material. The set's 31 tracks include previously unreleased collaborations with Tom Jones and Bobby Bland, as well as duets with John Lee Hooker, B.B. King and Ray Charles.

Customer Reviews:

So good only Van could have picked the songs.......2007-07-31

You either love or hate Van the Man. Over 40 years he has given the world some of the most heartfelt beautiful music ever recorded. This best of provides a stunning glimpse into the breath and depth of what he is capable of delivering. Showing respect to those who came before him, this collection is absolutely outstanding from start to finish. In the hands of the recording company this offering could have been a diaster. Thanks Van for giving us your gems for this collection.

great new album.......2007-07-24

I was excited to hear that Van had out a new album. I've been a huge fan since the 70's.(that's dating myself, isn't it). This album is a nice mix of music and includes some duets with other artists. I'd like to see some brand new music from Van, but this one is great.

Great Value.......2007-07-23

This is a 2 disc CD with lots of great songs. I really like the mix of songs and definitely recommend this to Van Morrison fans.

Great selection.......2007-07-12

I won't call this definitive, but the collection's got some previously unreleased and seldom heard numbers that merit the price and hype. This is a very listenable CD that's something you can just stick in the changer and let it play. Definitely worth the money.

Continuing writers block.......2007-07-10

Despite having most of this already I paid out my money and what did I get? A reasonable overview with some obscurities, one of which "Blue and Green" is worth the cost on its own. While the music is all first class the compiling has created some jarring between tracks. I've always loved The Skiffle Sessions album but Lost John between Leaves Come Falling Down and Tupelo Honey sounds bizarre. Nearly all the tracks he has re-recorded are done better in their original incarnation and one gets the feeling that with this, the movie "best of" and the country abomination Pay The Devil before them that he has nothing to say at present. I love Morrison's music and sincerely hope there is more of it to come, its now been a fair number of years since there has been an album of original material and he is overdue for his muse to return.

Average customer rating:

one of the best CDs I own
Simply addictive!
Haunting sounds
The phenom Ms Jones
Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!

Come Away with Me
Norah Jones
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Feels Like Home
Not Too Late
Taking The Long Way
Corinne Bailey Rae
Continuum

ASIN: B00005YW4H
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Tracks:

Don't Know Why
Seven Years
Cold Cold Heart
Feelin' The Same Way
Come Away With Me
Shoot The Moon
Turn Me On
Lonestar
I've Got To See You Again
Painter Song
One Flight Down
Nightingale
The Long Day Is Over
The Nearness Of You

Amazon.com

It is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her 22 years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" alone are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit, and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael Ross

Amazon.com

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Not Too Late
Feels Like Home
The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

one of the best CDs I own.......2007-07-25

Other reviewers have gone into a lot of depth about this CD already, so I'll keep my endorsement short and to the point. The CD is fantastic and is one of the best that I own. You will never get tired of listening to this one.

Simply addictive!.......2007-07-12

This is her best album!
Her voice is unbelievable, the delivery is amazing and the lyrics are stunning!

Haunting sounds.......2007-07-06

For 3 months, my Norah Jones CDs have taken over my car stereo. This woman is very talented!

The phenom Ms Jones.......2007-06-27

This is such an outstanding production, so much better than the later(I think) CD. Miss Jones should be careful which guitar players back her up. She should stick to Bill Frizell or maybe she should try Mark Knoffler, if she can get him away from Emmy Lou.

Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!.......2007-06-20

I knew that Nora Jones was good music but i had no idea just how good...My sister-in-law bought me this CD for Father's Day...i have listened to it 3 times today. The way i would describe her lyrics and delivery is equal to "Musical Rose Petals". So smooth and so inviting is her voice. I really love the Piano work also. Her birth name being "Geethali",Nora Jones along with the likes of Michael Buble have added a nice,new,fresh selection of music to today's currently enemic sound. This album made her only the second artist ever to sweep the "Big Four" being Album,Song,Record,& Artist of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2003. Standouts for me include: "Come Away With Me","Don't Know Why", and i really like her rendition of Hank Williams SR.'s "Cold,Cold Heart". With her throw back to Billie Holiday/Roberta Flack days voice coupled with a very welcomed piano based style, Nora Jones can take me away anytime! If you've waited to give her a listen ,as did I, do yourself a favor and don't wait any longer.

Average customer rating:

Kind of Blue
The Pinnacle of Jazz Music
Shades of Blue
feeling blue...
Classic with a slight engineering problem

Kind of Blue
Miles Davis , John Coltrane , Cannonball Adderley , and Bill Evans
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Love Supreme
Time Out
Birth of the Cool
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
Mingus Ah Um

ASIN: B000002ADT
Release Date: 1997-03-25

Tracks:

So What
Freddie Freeloader
Blue In Green
All Blues
Flamenco Sketches
Flamenco Sketches (Alternate Take)

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the one jazz record owned by people who don't listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis's masterful casting skills, if not of God's existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on "Freddie Freeloader," Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Coltrane's astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley's funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis's men's hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. --John Szwed

Customer Reviews:

Kind of Blue.......2007-07-12

This CD is a must for all the JAZZ lovers out there. The mood setting makes for a night of yesterdays (the good days). The sound of the horn from Miles makes you want to cling to every note and have them just lay next to your soul. It will take you into the minds eye where you will see and feel the greatness within you and yours. This is a must share CD. I mean you must share the mood with that person of rare bread of taste. This is ome CD that the five pleasure zones will be thankful.

The Pinnacle of Jazz Music.......2007-07-12

Well this is THE album to have in your music collection. Its been said many times, but if you only have one jazz album then this is the one to get. This is perhaps the most referred to document of jazz in the history of music, and it does live up to expectations.

Miles Davis was a genius, and both he and his collection of musicians were at the top of their game when they recorded this body of modal work.Timeless in appeal, perfect for background and just as interesting for the astute late night listener. 'Moody' doesn't do the album justice, and neither does any review. If you like jazz, then you simply MUST HAVE this album. If you don't like jazz then grab this out of interest, and watch how it subliminally grows on you.

I cannot recommend this album enough, it deserves more stars than I can give it. A am in reverence of this album, and it is one of the albums that I cannot do without. It will be hard pressed for you to find a bad review regarding this album, and I think that says it all.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Shades of Blue .......2007-07-08

Miles Davis always composed like a painter.....layering shades of color on a canvas, injecting a little light in the center, a bit of darker in the corner. He cops to it with "Kind of Blue", infering that the musical journey may include shades of blue, or other colors that complement. The mood might be kind of blue as well; or maybe not.

The sound waves on "Kind of Blue" play like a rainfall pattern, a rolling brook, a waterfall, many incarnartions of water free-flowing. Perhaps that is where the blue theme came in. "So What", the opener, is probably one of the most recognized jazz standards, re-produced by many artists over the years. It evokes the sight of someone looking like "The Thinker", turning around and asking " I'm deep in thought... so what?" This seamlessly moves into "Freddie Freeloader", a tune that really does depict the lovable mooch of a friend, plying you with smooth talk and subtle requests. "Blue in Green" does seem to speak to a lover, almost a feeling of sadness combined with a little self-righteous jealousy. Truly, these emotions and nuances can be heard in the melodies.

It would require much more space to describe the remaining songs, so I will leave it to the buyer to explore and interpret on their own. Suffice to say, "Kind of Blue" has attained classic status for good reasons. Music is one of the best forms of art, and when a recording achieves the task of being audio and visual, as well as emotional, there is something to touch all sensibilities. "Kind of Blue" delivers.

feeling blue..........2007-06-20

a rainy day...I pop in 'Kind of Blue'...problems with my lover I pop in 'Kind of Blue'...feeling wistful...I pop in 'Kind of Blue'...Miles Davis on trumpet..John Coltrane on tenor sax..Cannonball Adderly on alto sax..Paul Chambers on bass..Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly on piano..drummer Jimmy Cobb..compositions composed by Davis and Evans..in an attempt to move away from bepop which dominated jazz at the time this is the first full jazz album using the modal approach which is basically composing music with a series of scales using improvisation, the results are 'Kind of Blue' one of the most influential jazz albums of all time, also recognized as one of the top albums of all time.

Classic with a slight engineering problem.......2007-06-12

This album never sounded this good before with one exception. Davis's trumpet is in the center channel and ONLY in the center channel. No bleed whatever right and left. Likewise the drums are only right and the piano only left. That is not the way I hear in a live setting. This is obviously a direct conversion from the original three-track master with out-of-phase info added for the surrounds, but the recording obviously acoustically isolated each player. Still, it's minor and shouldn't prevent you from buying. SACD, if you have a good system, is the next step up in CD reproduction.

Average customer rating:

Brerakfast in Bed
You can't go wrong.
News from VT
Exactly as advertised
Joan O. has got it

Breakfast in Bed
Joan Osborne
Manufacturer: Time Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pretty Little Stranger
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Are You Listening
West
Beauty & Crime

ASIN: B000O78KZG
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

I've Got To Use My Imagination
Ain't No Sunshine
Midnight Train To Georgia
Baby Is A Butterfly
Breakfast In Bed
Cream Dream
Natural High
Heart Of Stone
Sara Smile
Eliminate The Night
Break Up To Make Up
I Know What's Goin' On
Alone With You
Kiss And Say Goodbye
Heat Wave
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted

Amazon.com

On Breakfast in Bed, her first release on Time Life Records (yes, that Time Life) Joan Osborne tackles a crop of hand-picked soul and R&B favorites with equal parts sass and sensitivity. Long an underappreciated artist, Osborne is a performer with the wisdom to exercise vocal restraint for an effect that's more Dusty Springfield than Christina Aguilera. Her fine previous outing interpreting soul standards was aptly titled How Sweet It Is, and witness her contribution to the terrific 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, where Osborne's astute readings of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Heatwave" outshone performers like Ben Harper and Gerald Levert (happily, both songs are included here). The title track and Hall and Oates' "Sara Smile" are both canny choices that play to her strengths in delivering credible blue-eyed soul, and six new Osborne-penned songs fit neatly into the record. If her compositions pale a bit next to the classics she covers (with the sultry and slithery exception of the excellent "Eliminate the Night"), give Osborne credit for bravely placing herself side-by-side with songwriting luminaries like Holland-Dozier-Holland and Bill Withers. Breakfast in Bed makes for a leisurely listen on a sunny Sunday morning, so put up your feet and stay awhile. --Ben Heege

Album Description

Joan Osbourne's recently recorded album pays homage to the great Soul and R&B songs of the late '60s and early '70s. The album features a unique combination of unforgettable interpretations of timeless R&B classics. Her first single to radio will be "I've Got to Use My Imagination."

Customer Reviews:

Brerakfast in Bed.......2007-07-27

Okay if you like love songs with kind of an R&B rhythm. (which the entire cd is) I love Joan Osborn's other work, but this is not one of them . . . Excellent artist ~ poor song selection.

You can't go wrong........2007-07-25

This intriguing mix cover songs and originals make this a very enjoyable collection, although the covers are not as varied as say Annie Lennox's Medusa but still engaging all the same. The tracks seem to pull you in more and more with each listen. "Baby is a Butterfly", "Sarah Smile" and "Cream Dream" were all particularly absorbing the first time through. The production is very good and clean. Her voice is as mesmerizing and sensual as always. You can't go wrong.

News from VT.......2007-07-24

Since I first heard Spiderweb on the radio before Relish was widely released I knew I was going to like this woman's work. Over the years I've collected pretty much all Joan's recordings including trades of several soundboard live recordings. With Breakfast in Bed Joan delivers again. She's always doing a change up from release to release.
Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers is the only cover ever I've heard that even rates. My sister and I wore Bill's 45 out 2 or 3 times when we were kids. The originals powerful bass line is absent here but Joan's production showcasing drums and of course, her voice makes my memory of Bill's version fade. Joan redefines it without overshadowing it. This is true for many of the covers. The title track I could do without though. Breakfast in Bed was a walk through. A strong cup of coffee....and. Eliminate The Night would work for me as a title tune and an opener. I've Got to Use My Imagination, Midnight Train to Georgia and Sara Smile are renewed and fresh. Heat Wave and What Becomes of the Brokenhearted are repeated from Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Take note of this CD with other Motown covers by Ben Harper, Chaka Khan and Bootsy Collins among others.
Originals Baby Is a Butterfly, Eliminate the Night & I Know What's Goin' On are ones I've heard live before and they have matured.
I'd like to hear a raw & nasty version of Eliminate the Night live. She's playing Concord New Hampshire's Capitol Center for the Arts this November. It's a small venue that's perfect for Joan to showcase her work. Think about getting her Early Recordings CD before you go. If you haven't seen her headline a show in the past and live in New England then take the trek, you won't be disappointed.
I hope she hasn't let Andrew Carrillo get away. Her guitar player on much of her past work has appeared in recent live shows but he's missing here. He joined his brother Frank Carillo & The Bandoleros on their 2005 release Bad Out There. Well worth a listen.
Breakfast in Bed doesn't suffer any though I wonder what's up. He gets my vote for the title "Master of the Telecaster", given to greats Roy Buchanan, Keith Richards, Albert "The Iceman" Collins, Danny Gatton and few others. The "Tele" was the first solid body electric guitar mass produced and while it's design has been copied and modified over the years the standard set-up used by Andrew defined much of Joan's earlier work.
When I hear Joan's new CDs one or two tunes demand notice. Further listens and the whole work becomes seamless.
Joan takes her time between releases. There could be two CDs here. A few more originals could be made into to one CD and the covers working separately as another disc. I don't know if it's production advice, recording contracts or a lack of confidence by Joan on about her own writing but a real Joan Osborne collection hasn't been released since Righteous Love. Relish and Righteous Love mixed in covers but little enough that Joan's own songs made a greater statement. I'm going to make compilations of all her work when I figure out how to use my Ipod.
I have to admit a big bias here. I see Joan Osborne music or concert listings and shell out cash. It's a shame that when I mention Joan I am met with blank looks. Who? Mention What If God Was One Of Us people take note. Really the least important of her work it now sounds like weak pop to me. It may sound as familiar as Stairway to Heaven to many who don't even recognize her name. That song seems to pop up everywhere. If you love this CD and haven't heard others check out her collection. Start with Early Recordings, Relish Righteous Love, or How Sweet It Is.
I do look forward to seeing some more raw, throaty and hard driving music by Joan. But, in 1975 I was listening equally to Carly Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd. My friends thought I was nuts!
Don't miss Breakfast in Bed but, take care of it or buy two you might wear this CD out and end up asking yourself what happened to Bill Withers?

Exactly as advertised.......2007-07-22

As one reviewer noted, this release is somewhat monotone. Still, it's a relaxing and quality release from Joan that my wife really likes. Getting "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" is a bonus.

A couple of the originals are really excellent, stay in your head tunes. I'd say if your having Breakfast in Bed, it works. But it's not an all occasions, "hey check this out" kind of release.

Joan O. has got it.......2007-07-19

I'm becoming a bigger fan of Joan every day. I loved her last album, Pretty Little Stranger, even though it was a bit country for her, and I'm not a country music fan. I'm interested in checking out this collection of her covering pop hits. She does covers well, and her voice is so obviously hers, that even though it might be a song you have heard enough times already in your life, hearing the "Joan" version is always a treat. I'm sorry this is not a review of this album in particular, I do plan to get it soon. I'll let you know then! I'm giving 5 stars based on the Amazon video and audio samples. What I can say is that her previous albums are all great, and her live shows are awesome, especially if you can be lucky enough to see her in a smaller venue.

The first time I saw her was pretty much by accident. I wound up crossing through the front of a very large crowd between acts at a Woodstock reunion in Bethel, NY (not Pepsistock in Saugeraties), in the late 90's. Then Joan and her band came on and I'm front and center and she blew me away with St. Teressa or something like that. I've been a fan ever since.

Average customer rating:

A great introduction to Mingus

Cornell 1964

Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings
Pilgrimage
Change
My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport
The Trio of Doom Live

ASIN: B000R7G77G
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

Opening
ATFW You
Sophisticated Lady
Fables Of Faubus
Orange Was the Coulour Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk
That the 'A' Train

Tracks:

Meditations
So Long Eric
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Jitterbug Waltz

Amazon.com

The band that Charles Mingus, the doyen of jazz's mercurial polymaths, pulled together for his early-1964 European tour was phenomenal—and here they are playing 130 minutes worth of live music no one's ever heard. Pianist Jaki Byard, alto saxophonist/flutist/bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy, tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, trumpeter Johnny Coles, and longtime drummer Dannie Richmond came together for the Mingus tour knowing that Dolphy would be staying in Europe after their gigs—he died tragically just 12 weeks after this gig. And Coles would come perilously close to death himself with a stomach ulcer within a month of the band's Cornell date, forcing him off the tour. So the music here is particularly special and musically resplendent. There is considerable overlap with the The Great Concert of Charles Mingus, but that 2-CD set is sans the ailing Coles, who fattens the sound here: playing beautifully as "Johnny O'Coles" on the unlikely "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." But Eric Dolphy, his every breath is poetry: from his palpitating bass clarinet on the pugnacious "Fables of Faubus" to the tipsy, whirling flute he plays on "Jitterbug Waltz," a tune he loved playing. The sound here is less crisp than The Great Concert, thick in the middle and ill-defined when it comes to Richmond's drums, leaving the group's interplay like an ear-magnet. "Take the 'A' Train" pays soulful, blossoming homage to Billy Strayhorn even as you can hear the band tightening their grip collectively, learning to fly as a unit. Unheard music of this caliber demands a listen, and here the rewards are bountiful. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

A great introduction to Mingus.......2007-07-25

Like the 2005 releases Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 (Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker), Cornell 1964 is a newly-discovered concert recording. And as with those 2005 releases, the performance just happens to be extraordinary. I'm past the two-dozen mark when it comes to buying Mingus recordings, and I think that Cornell 1964 is the most exciting Mingus music I've heard.

What a concert those lucky students were given:

"ATFW You": Jaki Byard's fleet, witty parade of Art Tatumisms and Fats Wallerisms.

"Sophisticated Lady": for bass. Mingus never stopped paying tribute to Duke Ellington.

"Fables of Faubus": A Weillian send-up of Orval Faubus, segregationist governor of Arkansas. The lyrics here are, alas, inaudible. (A sample: "Two, four, six, eight, they brainwash and teach you hate.") A very lengthy "Fables," dipping into various streams of musical Americana along the way. Here, as elsewhere, Mingus and Richmond are the most inventive bass-and-drums pairing in jazz, changing tempos and textures and thereby pushing soloists to dig deeper: the rhythm section as personal trainer.

"Orange Was the Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk": One of Mingus's most beautiful compositions, with overtones of Ellington, "Blues in the Night," and "Body and Soul."

"Take the 'A' Train": I think that it's here that everything rises to a very high level of energy. As Clifford Jordan begins his second chorus, Mingus calls to Johnny Coles and Eric Dolphy: "Join in," and the band takes off. Jordan is the great surprise on this performance and on the rest of the recording, playing with greater intensity and freedom than on the European tour recordings (or at least the ones that I've heard). And Coles, who missed much of the European tour with a stomach ulcer, is brilliant here and elsewhere. I'm only now realizing that he was an influence on Lester Bowie, one of my favorite trumpeters.

"Meditations": like "Orange," a composition in markedly different sections. Particularly powerful solos from Byard and Dolphy (bass clarinet).

"So Long Eric": Twelve-bar blues. Mingus plants the endpin of his bass in the floor, and not for the first time: "Well, we got several holes now." The tempo here is slower than on other recordings of this tune. Mingus calls to Johnny Coles: "Come on, Johnny." He calls to Jaki Byard: "By yourself," and bass and drums drop out. No problem: Byard turns into Art Tatum and Erroll Garner. It's Clifford Jordan's turn to solo: "I know you swing," says Mingus. And before Dannie Richmond's solo: "Go!"

Two encores follow, the first featuring "the only Irishman in the band," "Johnny O'Coles." (Note the concert date.) And finally, a giddy, slightly wobbly "Jitterbug Waltz," the elegant Fats Waller melody that Eric Dolphy loved to play.

For a newcomer to Mingus' music, Cornell 1964 is a perfect start: three major Mingus compositions ("Fables," "Orange," "Meditations"), some blues, some strong evidence of Mingus' reverence for his musical ancestors, and a charming novelty, all played by what many listeners regard as Mingus' greatest band.

Van Morrison At The Movies: Soundtrack Hits

Average customer rating:

Not my favorite
Great CD...Van's The Man
Brilliant Collection
Van the Man at the Movies
Absolutely awesome album

Van Morrison At The Movies: Soundtrack Hits
Van Morrison
Manufacturer: Manhattan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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West
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Freedom's Road
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Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)

ASIN: B000KQF748
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Tracks:

Gloria - (Them)
Baby Please Don't Go - (Them)
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)
Domino
Moondance (live) previously unreleased version
Queen Of The Slipstream
Wild Night
Caravan (live)
Wonderful Remark
Brown Eyed Girl (re-recorded)
Days Like This
Into the Mystic (live)
Hungry For Your Love
Someone Like You
Bright Side Of The Road
Have I Told You Lately
Real Real Gone
Irish Heartbeat (w/Chieftains)
Comfortably Numb (live)Recorded live at the Berlin Wall in 1990 with Roger Waters

Amazon.com

If Hollywood's marriage with pop music is too often a marketing-driven shotgun affair, there remain musicians whose artistry can't help but elevate whatever film project they're associated with. This 19-track compendium underscores that notion, gathering a career-spanning collection of the Irish rock-R&B legend's contributions to an eclectic body of films that stretches from Pope of Greenwich Village's effusive early solo hit "Jackie Wilson Said" to the unlikely live collaboration with Roger Waters on "Comfortably Numb" that seasons Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated The Departed. The collection serves as a concise primer to the high points of Van Morrison's mercurial career, from the gritty career-breakout hits ("Gloria," "Baby Please Don't Go") of his British Invasion band Them through such early solo touchstones as "Wild Night," "Brown Eyed Girl," "Domino," and the collection's fine, previously unreleased live version of "Moondance" from An American Werewolf in London. But, as tracks like "Wonderful Remark," "Bright Side of the Road," "Someone Like You," and his Chieftains collaboration "Irish Heartbeat" ably argue, it's also an invitation to explore less heralded, if equally seductive, corners of the singer's rich oeuvre. --Jerry McCulley

More from Van Morrison

Moondance
Astral Weeks
The Best of Van Morrison
Into the Music

Customer Reviews:

Not my favorite.......2007-07-23

I am a huge Van Morrison fan, and really like most the songs on this CD, but they are not my favorite version of the songs. A lot of the songs are live, and I expected the studio versions.

Great CD...Van's The Man.......2007-07-19

This is a great CD if you like Van Morrison...Kind of like a greatest hits album really from the various stages of Van's Career....Did not realize how many different movie soundtracks Van has appeared on..My only issue was that the studio version of Into The Mystic is not on here..they used the live version which does not have the same impact on you...still a recommended CD

Brilliant Collection.......2007-07-13

Just got this in and it's a great collection. It pulls together some very famous Van performances (like Caravan from the Last Waltz) and mixes it up with his best studio efforts. It's great.

Van the Man at the Movies.......2007-07-10

As Michael Heatley notes in the excellent accompanying booklet, when Van came in at The Last Waltz, it kicked that last concert of The Band up a notch, and the ensuing energy never came back down. He has that effect and, I think, in general, helped the films his music accompanied, rather than the other way around. This compilation ranges from "Gloria" with Van's early band, Them, to a duet with Roger Waters on Pink Floyd's The Wall of "Comfortably Numb". The question is, however, how well does it hold up for general airtime in the CD player?

Quite well. If you already have The Best of Van Vols one and two CDs, you already have most of the best songs this disc leaves off. Heatley makes the choice of soundtrack songs for the films seem so much a matter of director's decision, that rather than lionizing them for what they did include, you wonder why they left off your favorites. Where's "Full Force Gale"? "When Will I Ever Learn (to Live in God)"? "And It Stoned Me"? One could go on and on. Change of tactic, therefore, to celebrate what is included rather than decry what is not.

This disc ranges over what might be considered the various Van periods, which are distinctive musically. Hungry For Your Love" comes from what Heatley calls the "often overlooked" Wavelength album, which hails from the era of horns and gospel vocal back-ups. Astral Weeks, yes, but I think Wavelength is one of Van's best albums ever. Some songs exist in alt/ live versions here, to good effect, as with the best known classics, "Domino", "Caravan". "Moondance" and "Into the Mystic". The studio versions are easily available but most fans will enjoy hearing the new takes. Van handles them confidently, and drops into his effortless live groove, slurring the words of "Into the Mystic" which, like these other songs, can survive any number of interpretations. "Bright Side of the Road" comes from another Wavelength era overlooked album, Into the Music, which unveiled the amazing "Full Force Gale", the latter conspicuous by its absence. '90s Van appears with the standout "Real Real Gone" and "Days Like These". Two songs will already be familiar to non- van fans, having been hits for John Cougar Mellencamp and Rod Stewart.

As I write, Van still hasn't gotten the Nobel Prize, although he's done more to bring enjoyment and harmony than almost anyone on the planet, with the possible exception of Mother Teresa, who already did get it, so it's Van's turn. But until that oversight is addressed, at least there's this compilation which shows he's not only raised the bar for music but also significantly improved the movies.

Absolutely awesome album.......2007-07-03

A great Van Morrison album for someone who really loves Van Morrison and his legendary sound. It's in my CD player all the time.

Average customer rating:

slice of heaven...
Moondance
polished gems.....
another morrison masterpiece.
MOONDANCE IS A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

Moondance
Van Morrison
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Astral Weeks
The Best of Van Morrison
Tupelo Honey
His Band and the Street Choir
Into the Music

ASIN: B000002KHF
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

And It Stoned Me
Moondance
Crazy Love
Caravan
Into The Mystic
Come Running
These Dreams Of You
Brand New Day
Everyone
Glad Tidings

Amazon.com essential recording

Van Morrison went a long way towards defining his wild Irish heart with his first two classic albums: the brooding, introspective Astral Weeks (1968), and the expansive, swinging Moondance. If the first was the work of a poet, its sequel was the statement of a musician and bandleader. Moondance is that rare rock album where the band has buffed the arrangements to perfection, and where the sax solos instead of the guitar. The band puts out a jazzy shuffle on "Moondance" and plays it soulful on "These Dreams of You." The album includes both Morrison's most romantic ballad ("Crazy Love") and his most haunting ("Into the Mystic"). "And It Stoned Me" rolled off Morrison's tongue like a favorite fable, while "Caravan" told a tale full of emotional intrigue. Moondance stood out in the rock world of 1970 like a grownup in a kiddie matinee. --John Milward

Customer Reviews:

slice of heaven..........2007-06-22

She looked at me with those dark, mysterious eyes of hers and asked me to put on my favorite music. It didn't take but a moment for me to slip in MOONDANCE and so the night only got better from there. Smooth, mellow, rocking, with more soul then a Southern Baptist Church on a Sunday afternoon. No fillers here. Every song with a legacy of it's own. If music is the food of the gods then this one is a gift from the gods. Give it a listen and feel the rapture.

Moondance.......2007-05-03

This album came after "Astral week" I find "Moondance" every bit as good, in fact more enjoyable to listen to. It has a timeless quality about it, and it really dos not sound like it's 37 years old. Overall it has a good fel to it. The first song,"And it Stoned Me",reminds me a lot of the band, and the brass, which is used throughout. The album has a very soulful vibe. On a couple of the songs there's even a gospel flaver ("come running" and 'crazy love"). When he sings"iI want to rock your gypsy soul" in "into the mystic", he makes it sound like tere is nothing mor important in the world. The best moment on the whole album is"Turn it up? Turn it up? Turn it up? a little bit higher" in caravan.
If people listen to the album a few times, the songs will stay with them forever.

polished gems............2007-02-25

Every cut on this album is a polished gem; there are no fillers. "Stoned Me" starts the journey; "Moondance" still retains its sparkle (especially for Libras in October); "Into the Mystic" still haunts.

My personal favourite, "Brand New Day" still inspires me like a reverant hymn. Join Mr. Morrison for a quiet journey that soothes the senses.

another morrison masterpiece........2007-02-13

"and it stoned me," and "into the mystic" are two of the greatest songs of the early 70's in my heart. and the entire album is almost equally as fantastic. after "astral weeks" and "veedon fleece" this is my third favorite van morrison album. music full of emotion, joy and spirit, this should not be missed out on by any audiofile.

MOONDANCE IS A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. .......2007-01-24

Readers and reviewers, I will be writing a review on the legendary masterpiece album entitled "MOONDANCE" by one of Rock's most spiritual voices and one of Ireland's favorite son's, his name is VAN MORRISON. "MOONDANCE" was originally released in 1970 on vinyl/LP and 8-Track on the Warner Brothers Records label. I purchased one of the very first releases of this album on Compact Disc and the matrix or ID number is 3103-2. As always, if I hear any new additional information concerning this legendary album, I will edit this review immediately so that you the consumer will get the best informative and most accurate review possible.

VAN MORRISON is a true legend. MORRISON will always be remembered in Rock history as being one of the most gifted spiritual singers of all-time. MORRISON is actually having a spiritual experience while he is singing his songs. He not only sings to you, but he makes you feel the song along with him. U2 frontman Bono paid tribute to his fellow countryman by saying "America has the legendary Jim Morrison, and Ireland has the legendary Van Morrison." I couldn't have said it better myself. VAN MORRISON started his career as lead singer for the 60's Irish group "THEM" and scored international hits in 1965-66 with "Here Comes The Night," "Mystic Eyes" and "Gloria." MORRISON would begin a solo career in 1967 and score a top 5 U.S. hit with "Brown Eyed Girl." In 1968, MORRISON signed with Warner Brothers and released the album "ASTRAL WEEKS" followed by "MOONDANCE" in 1970. "MOONDANCE'S" themes of mysticism, romance and the personal quest are found in classic compositions such as the title track "Moondance," "And It Stoned Me," "Caravan," "Into The Mystic" and "Brand New Day."

Rather than list and describe all the songs in full detail, I am going to descibe one song in this whole album that really tells the full story and personality of this album. If there was ever any one song that makes the whole album worth while and worth listening to, it is the classic song "Into The Mystic." When I listen to this song, it makes me feel alive, and at peace with myself. The soothing mellow music makes you feel like you're home. "Into The Mystic" actually makes you feel like you are having a spiritual experience of joining your whole body and soul with your spiritual being. I love "Into The Mystic" and I hope you will love it too.

I highly recommend this album for those who are really deep into soul searching. This legendary album will stand the test of time and will always be around to be enjoyed and cherished for many years to come, NOW AND FOREVER.

In closing, VAN MORRISON is here to stay. Rock n' Roll needs a great spiritual singer to give Rock n' Roll the spiritual roots and rejoicing sounds it desperately needs in order to keep the spirit of Rock n' Roll alive. In my opinion, VAN MORRISON has accomplished these goals and more. Heres to you Van. And as the saying goes, "AND THE REST IS ROCK N' ROLL HISTORY," am I wrong? Thanks for reading my review and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for your reading pleasure. I also hope that you will read all of my other reviews in the near future when time permits. VAN MORRISON RULES. Long Live Rock n' Roll. Rock out always and take it easy. Forever in Rock, John L.

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