Late

Track Listings

1. Tsip Tsap

2. Isdj08

3. Facing It

4. Tour Okada

5. Wenig

6. Nochwas

7. Disko+Bett

Late,Duo 505,Bernhard Fleischmann,Herbert Weixelbaum,Morr Music / M.M.,Electronic,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop

Late

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:

Im feelin it
Trash.
Wild Card
Genius, par extreme
Good album but something is missing

Late Registration
Kanye West
Manufacturer: Roc-a-Fella
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009WPKY0
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Wake Up Mr. West (:41)
Heard 'Em Say featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5 (3:24)
Touch The Sky featuring Lupe Fiasco (3:56)
Gold Digger featuring Jamie Foxx (3:27)
Skit #1 (:33)
Drive Slow featuring Paul Wall & GLC (4:32)
My Way Home featuring Common (1:43)
Crack Music featuring Game (4:31)
Roses (4:05)
Bring Me Down featuring Brandy (3:19)
Addiction (4:27)
Skit #2 (:31)
Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) featuring Jay-Z (3:53)
We Major featuring Nas & Really Doe (7:28)
Skit #3 (:24)
Hey Mama (5:05)
Celebration (3:18)
Skit #4 (1:19)
Gone featuring Consequence & Cam'Ron (5:33)
**BONUS TRACK**Diamonds From Sierra Leone (3:58)
**HIDDEN TRACK** Late (3:50)

Amazon.com

For haters eager to see Kanye hit a sophomore slump--no such luck. Late Registration can't replicate the novelty of last year's College Dropout, but otherwise, this is an impressively more mature and labored-over album. Lyrically, Kanye's only improved a notch but musically, the album sounds incredible, especially with co-producer Jon Brion helping polish the songs to perfection. Tracks like "Heard 'Em Say" (featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine) and "Hey Mama," are richly textured in their soulfulness while the flint-edge of "Crack Music" and "Gone" (feat. Cam'ron) will appeal to the street-oriented. There's a few duds on here--the sickly-sweet, syrupy "Bring Me Down" (feat. Brandy) being one of the worst offenders--but when the album's good, it's very, very good. In short, Kanye's detractors may not be swayed in their resistance to his charms but not only will his past supporters be rewarded but Late Registration has enough appeal to earn new crowds of fans. --Oliver Wang

Customer Reviews:

Im feelin it.......2007-06-26

Wit the exception of songs like gold digger , drive slow , and diamonds which were the singles of this album ? The rest is the album is tight. Good production and k. west's lirycs are truly sharp as an mc i must add. Idk why west chose to work with Paul wall ? he's super wack.Anyways i highly recommended its original as hell. Late registration is worth a purchase .

Trash........2007-05-29

When people start calling Kanye West one of the best new artists of the 21st century, you know something's wrong.

Wild Card.......2007-03-18

Kanye West proves one thing if nothing else: Not all rap is created equal. Like many other achievements in popular music, West takes elements from soul, jazz, and pop, to mix with his bright, witty lyrics. Fun but also formidable, Kanye takes on the trappings of American material culture and understandably finds much to mock. With different meters and measures, Kanye West makes all other efforts seem stale. Giving snatches of wit, his rapping inspires some real laughs. While inserting the soundtrack of a seductive siren voice singing "Diamonds Are Forever," he tears off about the divide between American dreams and their (too often) unattainment. On 'Late Registration' the joker's wild--and often wise.

Genius, par extreme.......2007-02-15

I have seen the future of music, and his name is Kanye West, the singular genius who embodies the new generation of music. More of an innovator than a synthesizer of past forms, West's name will stand with other giants of musical innovation, including Monteverdi, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Wagner, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Armstrong, Parker, Coltrane, and Davis. Musically, this album rivals the best work by any 20th century artist, and is sure to set the course for many generations of composers, not only in the hip-hop sphere, but also so-called "art music," whose latest incarnation is mired in serialism verging on a complete divorcement from musical tradition. The album sounds amazing, with such tracks as "Heard 'Em Say" (featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine) and "Hey Mama." "Crack Music" and "Gone" (featuring Cam'ron) rivals the most delicious in straight-up gangsta'. It's good to hear Brandy back on the wax with the duet "Bring Me Down." Peace, and a big shout out to my Detroit boyz'!!! Yaaah, son!

Good album but something is missing.......2007-01-26

Kanye's first album going triple platinum might have went to his head. Even though he was the rookie of the year with College Dropout, this album is pale in comparison. The production for the album is just as tight as it was on his first album but some of the guest appearances were pretty tame. Standout tracks: HEARD EM SAY, TOUCH THE SKY, DRIVE SLOW, CRACK MUSIC(he could have let Game spit a verse on here), ROSES, BRING ME DOWN(dope track but the corny verse that goes /hater n****s marry hater b***hes and have hater kids/ might be a cause of concern), ADDICTION, DIAMONDS FROM SIERRA LEONE REMIX(The remix is superior to the original, not the other way around but I understand your confusion when you let a Cracked Magazine clone like XXL tell you what's what) and HEY MAMA(nice tribute to his mother). Filler: Gold Digger(the worst track Kanye ever made!), We major(nice beat but YAWN!), Gone, Celebration(its a funeral b***hes), Diamons From Sierra Leone and the bonus track Late sucks! Also the Broke Phi Broke skit is just plain cheesy. Bottom Line: Late Registration is a highlight album of 2005 but is pale in comparison to College Dropout. Its not a garbage album by a longshot but it lacks the oomph that the first album had.

Average customer rating:

Life Saver
Masterpiece of a joyous, sorrowful prophet for a generation
Close to the end.
REMASTER ????
my favorite jackson browne album.

Late for the Sky
Jackson Browne
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002GXU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Late For The Sky
Fountain Of Sorrow
Farther On
The Late Show
The Road And The Sky
For A Dancer
Walking Slow
Before The Deluge

Amazon.com

His third album, and arguably his finest, Late for the Sky continues Browne's sincere self-analysis into positively grim territory. The title track concerns the lingering effects of a dead relationship and was featured in Martin Scorcese's film Taxi Driver. While "For a Dancer" confronts death head-on, "Farther On" explains the difficulties faced by us dorks who live life through books, films, or music; and "Before the Deluge" forecasts environmental gloom and doom. Guitarist David Lindley adds terrific counterpoint to Browne's musing, supporting the tracks with tasteful slide and fiddle work. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Life Saver.......2007-07-28

This CD saved my life!! Jack at his best! If I had a penny for everytime I played it.........

Masterpiece of a joyous, sorrowful prophet for a generation.......2007-07-25

One would feel driven to write regarding this extraordinary album regardless the acclamation of many others, and for only one or two of its fine qualities, even if all its other fine qualities were missing, which they are not. From the first gorgeous David Lindley riff of the title tune--remember that headstock carved like an eagle's head?-- to the final fiddle arpeggios of "After the Deluge", this album help me rapt in 1974, and it still does, as few albums do. If you are going through a painful breakup, and your woman has fled to Colorado with her too-cool lover, this is also the album for you. "How long have I been sleeping, how long have I been drifting alone through the night, ...dreaming I could make it right...to be the one you'll need?" There are few times a composer has used such a rhetorical question to such effect, and one quickly sees that Browne is absolutely perfect in his word choices, in his tones, in all his arsenal of talent, throughout this album. Wise enough, fun enough in its rockers, "Walking Slow", and "The Road and the Sky", absolutely heartbreaking in its sense of loss, lovers, youth, illusions, and its absolute refusal to stop dreaming nonetheless, this may have been one of the finest albums of a long decade, full of revelations, excess, and genius. On a less elevated plane, Browne's voice, his piano work, along with (I believe) Tai Winding, and the stellar slide/picking technique of David Lindley, all combine to produce a very rounded, mature, practiced sound, like that of a comeback band of veterans. Yet these guys were all this good the first time round. Buy this, and I guarantee you, you will not be disappointed for one single beat. The album cover, with its reference both to lines of a song, and Rene Magritte, deserves much study after a helping or two of some sort of cerebral stimulant of your choice.

Close to the end........2007-07-05

When I was a kid, I didn't know much about celebrity's personal lives and never realized that this music was the result of the loss of Mr. Browne's wife. Re-visiting it all these years later is just as good as it sounded then. I only wish I still had the vinyl and the original alblum cover full size.

REMASTER ????.......2007-04-11

Fantastic work again from Jackson! My main purpose for entering this "review" is to plead with the label for a REMASTERED version....

my favorite jackson browne album........2007-03-24

mr browne has many fine recordings out there, but none of them match this masterpiece. this is contemplative singer/songwriter stuff of the highest order. "for a dancer," is an all-time classic; a haunting meditation on death that is about as moving as soft rock gets. his vocals here are aching and gorgeous in their delivery, with that trademark phrasing that is so singularly his own. david lindley's guitar work adds a stunning beauty to the whole thing, as well. a wonderful album. one of the true highlights of the early 70's.

Average customer rating:

Not Too Late
Norah Jones is superb
Disappointing Trend
Norah In General
No Mere Grammy Guzzler

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

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Not Too Late
Feels Like Home (CD+DVD)

ASIN: B000KRN07S
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
Rosie's Lullaby
Not Too Late

Amazon.com

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

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

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

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

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

Produced by Lee Alexander

Deluxe DVD content includes:

1. "Thinking About You" (Music Video)

2. "Until The End" (Music Video)

3. "Sinkin' Soon" (Music Video)

4. Interview with Norah

5. "Thinking About You" (behind the scenes at the video shoot)

6. "Sinkin' Soon" (behind the scenes at the video shoot)

PLUS two live bonus tracks from Rehearsals.com filmed in Burbank, CA, in November 2006.

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Come Away with Me
Feels Like Home
The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

Not Too Late.......2007-05-13

The product is what I expected. It arrived on time and in the condition advertised.

Norah Jones is superb.......2007-05-06

I bought this CD / DVD right before attending her show here in Boston. It is a great CD. I haven't watched he DVD yet.

Disappointing Trend.......2007-03-23

I loved Norah's first album, her second was good, but not as good, the third had me wondering and this last album is a real disappointment. I think Norah believes she has to have dark and somber themes in order to be considered a serious artist, but her strength lies in her soothing, comforting, sensuous, "wrap me in a warm blanket" voice, which is largely absent from this work.

Norah In General.......2007-03-17

This album is another solid performance from one of my favorites.
I have listened to it many many times and I like it better as listen to it more. Once again we have the voice and the piano. There are a few new moves she shows us but nothing heart stopping.
At the end of the day I don't think most of us care what she sings frankly, her voice is addicting and is like a drug to us. Oh you say you wish she would sing something different and stretch her talent and grow and yada yada but most of us would listen to her no matter what she sings because you become so addicted to the voice and sound that it doesn't really matter if she is singing an old country song like Cold Cold Heart, an early rockabilly like Love Me (from the Little Willies) a Bob Dylan number or somthing of her own composition. In the end it is just the soothing that we want and that is what she does. Her music is sometimes interesting, sometimes a little boring but always soothing. Even if she is talking about a broken heart and lost love she is making us feel like with her voice to hang on to we can make it.
So I love her and listen to whatever she puts out. I am not enough of a music expert to judge her artistically, I like what I like and if it sounds good to me I say it is good. Norah..you are as good as it gets.

No Mere Grammy Guzzler.......2007-03-13

Like her 2004 sophomore effort, "Feels Like Home," Norah Jones' latest maintains the sound that brought her national acclaim while still furthering her artistic endeavors.

"Not Too Late" proves she is not given to relying on a cash- cow formula; she not only continues to add inflections of country like last time around, but she eschews the American songbook in favor of a uniformly original array of songs -- all of which she co-wrote. This aids the record's warm, intimate atmosphere, which glimmers and glows despite the absence of the late legendary producer, Arif Mardin.

The slinky blues of "Thinking About You" is the ideal lead single. With its plaintive melody, organic jazz horns and restrained yet expressive vocals, it is musical chocolate cake. "Sinkin' Soon," meanwhile, is the most perplexing track. With its curious lyrics ("Like the oyster crack in the stew/The honey in the tea/Like the wheel of cheese high in the sky/We're gonna be sinkin' soon), the song sways and jerks with Jesse Harris (writer of her monster hit "Don't Know Why") on banjo and drummer Andy Borger working pots and pans. It continues the theme of fame's fickle nature that began with "Carnival Town" on her last LP.

In spite of her popularity with white collar right-wingers, Jones is not afraid to infuse her music with passionate liberal beliefs. With its lush, nervous mix of pianos and guitars, "Wish I Could" is the story of a lonely war widow and even lonelier other woman ("She says love in the time of war's not fair/He was my man but they didn't care/I don't tell her that I once loved you too"), while "Broken" finds a soldier irrevocably hardened by war ("He's got blood on his shoes and mud on his brim/Did he do it to himself or was it done to him?").

"My Dear Country," with a cabaretlike interlude, waxes on a terrifying election and a "deranged" politician without naming names:

"I cherish you my dear country/I love all the things that you've given me/And most of all that I am free/To have a song that I can sing/On election day."

The soothing "Wake Me Up" appropriately follows with its resigned, world-weary attitude, bringing in sounds of the heartland that continue in "Rosie's Lullaby" and the fun-loving "Be My Somebody," the latter marked by cheeky lyrics: "Last night was a record to be broken/It broke all over the kitchen floor."

"Little Room" attempts to shed her fuddy-duddy image with sexual undertones, while "Not My Friend" finds her safe in her own company -- not content to maintain a relationship with someone who wishes her unhappiness.

"The Sun Doesn't Like You" and "Until the End" are full of grace and character, and "Not Too Late" closes the disc with spare piano/vocal simplicity. Its optimistic message provides a perfect conclusion and its overwhelmingly pristine melody makes it an instant classic.

If "Come Away With Me" was rich, delicious comfort food, "Not Too Late" is more complex and sophisticated. Making artistic leaps and bounds, Jones proves that she is not a Grammy guzzler laughing all the way to the bank -- she is an artist's artist.

This limited-edition version contains a DVD jam-packed with goodies, most notably the eye-popping video for "Sinkin' Soon," while iTunes has an exclusive alternate version of the aforementioned track available.

Average customer rating:

It's all led up to this
Too Good For Corporate American Radio
Holy Glam Rock! Maria McKee Saves Rock N Roll
Maria does it again...and again...and again...and again
A Sheer Sonic Delight

Late December
Maria McKee
Manufacturer: Cooking Vinyl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000MRA88A
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

Late December
No Other Way To Love You
A Good Heart
Power On, Little Star
Too Many Heroes
Destine
My First Night Without You
Scene Of The Affair
Cat In The Wall
One Eye On The Sky (One ON The Grave)
Bannow
Straving Pretty

Amazon.com

Even in the early days of her solo career, Maria McKee had a penchant for penning dramatic melodies that seemed more conducive to Broadway than to contemporary radio. In fact, the former Lone Justice frontwoman makes reference to criticisms of that theatrical style in between songs on her "Live Acoustic Tour" CD. Pandering to no one, McKee continues to distance herself from her country roots on her sixth studio release, Late December, writing what might be best described as 'pop-ras,' miniature contemporary pseudo-operas sung in open-throated vibrato. "Destine" is a prime example, echoing Queen's "A Night at the Opera" with it's dramatic vocals and grandiose guitar solo. "Scene of the Affair" evokes a similar sensibility, as McKee mournfully sings "Four walls and a bed/best to let the dead rest with the dead." Those who prefer the old Maria will find a handful of songs to satiate their thirsty musical pallet. "My First Night Without You" has a soul/country cross that allows McKee to vocally shine; other notable moments include the gospel-infused ending to the title track and the infectious '60s Motown styling of "No Other Way to Love You." The one song that will likely please fans of both musical camps is McKee's inclusion of "A Good Heart," a track that she wrote at 18 years of age which became a worldwide hit for an Irish artist named Feargal Sharkey. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

It's all led up to this.......2007-07-13

If you saw Lone Justice back in the day, you're a Maria Mckee fan. But thought she was always one of the great live performers, and an enormously talented songwriter, the recordings (both LJ and her own) were, by almost all accounts, an eclectic and mixed bag.

But here she is, part Edith Piaf, part Freddie Mercury, blasting through an outrageous set of operatic pop-rock that is about the most startlingly bold CD in recently memory. Hearing it is like when you first heard Jeff Buckley's "Grace": ohmygodohmygod, this person is out of his/her mind, shooting for the stars, and talented enough to pull it off. Wow.

This is the one we've been waiting for. And it's thrilling that in her forties, she is doing, without a doubt, absolutely her barking best work.

The gorgeous space of the opener, "Late December," sets you up. Then she rollicks along with the almost Motownish "No Other Way to Love You" (though the Rob Halford screeches mark it as a song only Mckee could sing). We're all glad to finally have her own studio recording of the classic "A Good Heart." And the next three only get better, with McKee out-Queening Queen on "Destine."

I could go on... every song is excellent, and the flow is dramatic and compelling.

If you're looking for a safe listen in a particular style you like to be able to ignore while you do something else, take a pass. But if you appreciate what can happen when a great songwriter, performer, and student of pop goes completely for broke, check it out.

Too Good For Corporate American Radio.......2007-06-17

Continuing her penchant of putting out great albums (this being her third studio album since returning in 2003 after a seven-year studio hiatus) that are too good for corporate radio, Maria McKee's LATE DECEMBER is another stunning work from one of the finest and most painfully underappreciated (at least by the public) vocalists of the last thirty-plus years.

In contrast with 2005's PEDDLIN' DREAMS (a rustic acoustic folk/country/rock affair that sort of harkened back to her Lone Justice days), LATE DECEMBER harkens back to the power-pop/rock eclecticism of her 2003 comeback HIGH DIVE. Her voice soars on all twelve tracks, written either by her alone or in collaboration with her producer husband Jim Akin, in such a way as to make her perfect for Broadway. But there's the R&B influences as well, on the title track and "No Other Way To Love You." And there is also the kind of cautionary note on "One Eye On The Sky (One On The Grave)", which is faintly reminiscent of HIGH DIVE's "From Our TV Teens To The Tomb."

What this album, and all of those in Maria's canon, dating all the way back to Lone Justice, shows is that she has always had the goods in every facet and has always had a hugely eclectic musical pallet--and, unfortunately, has also been far too good to be accepted on corporate radio in America. This is why it is best to pick up this CD and experience this tremendously gifted and youthful lady who still packs a vocal punch in her early 40s.

Holy Glam Rock! Maria McKee Saves Rock N Roll.......2007-05-09

Holy Glam Rock! Maria McKee saves Rock N Roll single handedly with this glam rock explosion! What an amazing power-pop record. The second song, No Other Way To Love You sums up what Rock has been missing. Life is sweet, indeeed! This album has restored my faith in Rock!

Maria does it again...and again...and again...and again.......2007-04-28

Ahhhhh Maria. Still not doing what everyone expects of you. Why doesn't she play this? Why doesn't she record that? Why doesn't each new record sound like the last one? How do we solve a problem like Maria?

You little diva indeed.

In my opinion, the new album is flippin' brilliant. My favourite so far, I think. Truly. Amazing. No Other Way to Love You may be the most gorgeously perfect pop song she's ever recorded. I am 3 months sober and Power On, Little Star leaves me shaking and in tears. I LOVE Destine - killer hook in it. Would love to see her play it live. And Starving Pretty is rich and full and melodic and...again...Maria breaks my heart. Did I mention Late December? Uhhh, goosebumps. The end of a relationship? The end of a career? The end of a life? But still, the hope of starting over. Maria sees the bleakness but holds onto hope.

This woman is a genius. I cannot believe we have been blessed with five (count 'em, five) Maria albums since 2003. Around year 2000, I seriously wondered if we would ever hear from her again. I believe that LD is a more accomplished, cohesive album than High Dive. The production is stellar and exciting and Maria seems to understand now that, no matter what, her voice needs to stay front and center in the mix. She and Jim have done a remarkable job with this one.

Thank you, Maria, for a lifetime of music and passion and hope.

Life is sweet.

Caution: Rant ahead:
Why? Why? Why does every song/album that Maria records HAVE to be compared to some other sound/singer/genre, blah, blah, blah? Has the world not figured out yet that she is her very own universe, guided by her own insane muse? It's obvious. It's been obvious for a long time. She's not interested in doing the same thing twice. Ever. Let's all get over it. She's never doing an album of Bob Dylan covers. Ain't gonna happen! Record critics are truly out-to-lunch. Thank God for Thom Jurek!

A Sheer Sonic Delight.......2007-04-27

As my wife can attest, I am a mark for all things Maria - and have been since buying that first Lone Justice album back in 1985. Yes, of course, through the years she's evolved, exploring different musical terrains and challenging us fans - as all artists should. As far as this album: it's a sheer sonic delight that echoes the likes of David Bowie, the Drifters, Laura Nyro, Queen, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen and many others. Yet, as with all of her albums, the end result is 100-percent Maria: eccentric, heartfelt, theatrical and ... just plain addictive.

The finger-snapping title cut, about love on its last legs - or maybe just the fear of such ("baby, when can we start over?") - conjures NYC in winter with its bed of Nyro-like vocal flourishes and "Walk on the Wild Side"-esque spoken-word interludes. Another favorite: "No Other Way to Love You," which builds from its "On Broadway"-like intro to become ... well, I already used the word "addictive," but I'll use it again. It's a sweeping, hypnotic song about giving one's self over to love in total: "Want to talk about your wild horses/and the strength of 100 men/Attila and all his forces/couldn't keep me away from him ...." You'll feel Maria's sweat flying from the speakers, guaranteed. (Check out the guitar work on it, too.)

Other highlights: her cover of her own "A Good Heart," originally a hit for Feargal Sharkey way back when; the aching "My First Night without You"; the utterly poetic, operatic rocker "One Eye on the Sky (One Eye on the Grave)," in which she demonstrates why she's sometimes called "a punk Edith Piaf"; and the closing "Starving Pretty," in which she sings a song for starving artists everywhere: "lean on me, baby/we're going to make it/we're paperthin/we're gonna win...." The most challenging song, I suppose, is the oddball "Cat in the Wall" - but (as often is the case with Maria) there's a metaphor at play there. In a way, it's a bit like having a cat knead you - it's wonderful even though the tips of its claws dig a bit into the skin.

Of course, having singled out those seven songs, I feel compelled to single out the other five. I won't but, suffice it to say, "Late December" is an album that demands repeated plays; and, as all great albums, gets better with each listen.

Average customer rating:

Takacs...what amazing musicians
Sublime Playing
MORE APPRECIATION
Takacs Complete Beethoven Quartets (part 3)
Defective Decca set of Takacs Late Quartets

Beethoven: The Late String Quartets
Ludwig van Beethoven , and Takacs Quartet
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: String Quartets
Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 18
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Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet
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ASIN: B00067R3BG
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

Maestoso - Allegro
Adagio ma non troppo e molto cantabile
Scherzando vivace
Finale
Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
Allegro molto vivace
Allegro moderato
Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Piso - Andante moderato e lusinghiero - Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice - Allegretto
Presto
Adagio quasi un poco andante
Allegro

Tracks:

Assai sostenuto - Allegro
Allegro ma non tanto
Heiliger Dankgesang e.Genesenden an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart.Molto adagio -. Andante - Molto adagio - Andante - Molto adagio.
Alla marcia, assai vivace - Piegro - Presto
Allegro appassionato
Allegretto
Vivace
Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
Der schwer gefae Entschlu(Grave - Allegro - Grave ma non troppo tratto - Allegro)

Tracks:

Allegro con brio
Allegretto ma non troppo
Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato
Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
Presto
Andante con moto ma non troppo. Poco scherzando
Alla danza tedesca (Allegro assai)
Cavatina ( Adagio molto espressivo)
Overtura (Allegro) - Meno mosso e moderato - Allegro - Fuga
Finale (Allegro)

Amazon.com

Some Quartets, like the Busch, Italiano, and Talich, have come close to the inner core of these supreme masterpieces. The Takács Quartet now joins those select few. From the opening chords of the Op. 127--firmly stated, perfectly blended, just gruff enough while still sounding beautiful--you know you're in safe hands during this journey into the deepest, most timeless works in the repertory. Slow movements are always a major test here, and if the Takács doesn't surpass some of the above-mentioned groups, they are superior to their present-day peers in conveying Beethoven's deepest thinking while also attending to surface beauties. The Takács surpass the Emersons and Alban Berg Quartet(admirable as those performances are)in their interpretive insights and ensemble sound. But these masterpieces are so rich and dense that admirers need more than one version. The Takács are masters of Beethoven's quick-changing contrasts, making them sound logical, even inevitable. While their playing is full of drive and forward motion, it's never excessively energetic or overly lean. Of course, the Grosse Fugue is included, along with Beethoven's substitute finale Opus 130 and the Opus 95 Quartet, making for three well-filled discs recorded in excellent sound. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Takacs...what amazing musicians.......2007-07-23

Perhaps the best chamnber music group of our time, I was eager to purchase the CD after hearing them perform live a few months ago with the newest member of their group, Geraldine Walther (the best violist the San Francisco Symphony has ever had and lost). Listening to them in person, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately with this piece the energy did not reach me in the same way. It is still an amazing performance, but I need to know my Beethoven better so I can be more selective in my purchases. I am committed to purchasing all future recordings from them, however, and if you have a chance to hear them live, do so!

Sublime Playing.......2007-03-02

I have come to enjoy and appreciate string quartets much more in recent years, and my collection of recordings embraces Mendelssohn, Schubert, Haydn, Shostakovich, Borodin and Britten; but not Beethoven. I had some old LP recordings of the quartets several years ago (long disappeared) and I felt it was time to hear them again. So I was approaching this set of quartets as something new.

I bought these recordings having read several reviews of the Takacs Quartet's recordings of the Beethoven Quartets; indeed they have been so glowing that I could not help but be curious. These are not easy works to understand and I have heard the music a few times and feel that I am just beginning to learn about them. I would have to say that my favorites are the Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 "Quartetto Serioso" the Quartet in B flat, op. 130, the Grosse Fuge, op. 133 and the Quartet in F major, Op. 135. These works had an immediate appeal and the playing of the Takacs is luminous. The Quartet in E flat, Op. 127, Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131 and Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 have extended slow movements that are intimate and somber, and can become somewhat tiresome. When I was playing disc one with the Op. 127 and Op. 131 quartets my wife said it was the most boring music she had heard. Well, this is music that requires multiple hearings to understand and I do not plan to get rid of this set.

As has been pointed out by several reviewers, the late Beethoven quartets are not works for light listening. However, even the most challenging of the quartets contains music that I found appealing. For example, the Scherzo and Allegro from the Op. 127 quartet are brilliant and even the C sharp minor quartet with its beginning dark and somber adagio eventually brightens as the music unfolds. I usually listen to CDs with a headset and I found that the sound and balance of these recordings are second to none. The playing of the Takacs is fabulous and I highly recommend this set, even if some of the music may require some patience.

MORE APPRECIATION.......2006-12-01

To be honest, I have never really understood or appreciated Beethoven's Late String
Quartets finding them very difficult to decipher and really not too enjoyable to listen to. (In reality, I honestly feel that they are very "private" compositions of Beethoven that are reflective of the inner turmoil of his life at the time of their composition) Although I don't feel that I really understand them now (nor do I ever expect to), I have enjoyed them more in this recording that is played by the exquisite Takács Quartet than I ever have enjoyed them. To me, the Takács Quartet has some semblance of understanding of these monumental works; they indeed seem to understand them or in the very least they indeed play them most beautifully neither being too gruff or too sentimental. Their sound is simply gorgeous making for a most enjoyable listening experience. Coupled with Decca's exquisite recorded balance and sound, (the recording also includes the Grosse Fugue in this 3 disc set) I now almost like and appreciate the works.

In conclusion, I don't still even pretend to consider Beethoven's Late String Quartets as some of my favorite compositions, however, I indeed do intend to return to this recording often hopefully garnering more of an understanding of these most important compositions by Beethoven.

Takacs Complete Beethoven Quartets (part 3) .......2006-08-28

This is the 3rd part of my full review of the Takacs Beethoven string quartets. Part 1 is for the Opus18 Quartets and Part 2 for the middle quartets.

I am a Busch Quartet Lover (as are the Takacs players themselves) so those quartets loom in the back of my mind as the standard against which other performances are measured. Since the Busch performances were loved against years of listening to many other quartets as well, it is high praise for the Takacs that I consider the Takacs often their equal, and on some occasions (op59 no3) even superiour.

With the late quartets the Takacs come into competition with a well recorded (for 1930s) Busch performance on every quartet (except the full No13). Fortunately, the Takacs took these on at the last, and their style and insight has certainly matured. The "crescendo effect" I complained about in my other reviews is mostly gone here, and they generally seem more in touch with the emotional centre of the music. Furthermore, Duisinberre has for the most part laid off the heavy vibrato he sometimes brought to slow movements on the earlier discs.

The Takacs popularity is in large part to the variety of qualities they bring to the music. Many quartets have strengths in certain areas, such as great fire, sublime sensitivity, immaculate technique, superb dynamics...but very rarely does a quartet come along that is strong in so many of these areas at once, as the Takacs are. In my previous reviews I complained that their only "lack" was that they sometimes seemed distant to the essence of the music in a way my favourite quartet, the Busch, never seems to be.

In this final set of their cycle, they mostly correct this, and their performances for the most part take on the great authority of classics. Still, they are not (most of the time) in the same league as the Busch yet, either in emotional depth or, in particular, their ability to play in unison when called for. The uncanny way the Busch can blend into one sound at certain moments really gives them an extra edge when they need it. At those moments I often found myself slightly dissapointed with the Takacs when, remembering a moment where the Busch pulled out an extraordinary sonority for great effect, the Takacs, though playing with all their heart, still sounded like 4 individual instruments scraping away in not an entirely sure fashion.

Op95 starts off chock full of Takacs strengths: lively phrasing, varied textures, rippling fire, immaculate technique and dynamics. The first movement does not quite have the ripping tragedy that the Busch do, but still is very gripping.

No12 manages to outdo the Busch at times in sheer power and masterful melodic articulation. The long slow movement is very beautifully done and the scherzo amazes with its ferocity. The last movement slightly dissapoints near the end. The Busch make great use of their unified textural sonority to sustain the wild arpeggios, such that the piece ends leaving one exhilarated. The Takacs leave dynamic gaps here and the music sort of lurches to the finish in a dissapointing way.

No13 is only available in a poor Sony recording from 1943 by the Busch, one that omits the Grosse Fugue as well. Poor recording and all, noone has ever come close to understanding the first part of this quartet in the way the Busch do. The natural tempos and phrasing of the lonely 'horn calls' in the first movement makes the development section like falling into a well of amazing emotional depth. The Takacs are altogether more pensive, almost sweet. They try to turn this movement inward, rather self conscious and psychological, and it really pales compared to the Busch.

Great firey 2nd movement from Takacs as expected.

3rd movement gets it typical laid back Schumannian whimsy from the Takacs. O how infinitely better is the natural Busch rendering, with Adolf catching that wild central gypsy melody on the wing such that you won't get it out of your head for days. Takacs are snoozers here.

The Takacs catch up on the slow movement. Perhaps taking the warning that Beethoven called this short piece "my greatest work of chambermusic" they give it great gravitas and concentration, shaping the alternating passages with loving intensity. That sweeps forward into a nearly hysterical, and amazingly played Grosse Fugue, after which the monster quartet is finished off with Beethovens alternate ending. The Takacs really fly through this piece and its brilliant, much more becoming than the Busch laid back tempo.

So, if for quartet No 13 I could have the Busch upto the slow movement, then Takacs the rest of the way including the fugue, I would be in bliss, but life is not so simple!

I'd like to continue but am running out of space. Basically quartets 14 and 15, while not quite in the same league as the Busch for some of the aforesaid reasons, are still very great performances, ones that complement the Busch very well and are occassionally better. For slow movement lovers, the variations from no14, while very fine, misses alot of the profound emotional transformation that the Busch capture in the silences and amazing pure tonal sonorities. The Heilegen Danksang from No15 is just wonderfully done by the Takacs, perhaps even as good as the Busch, which is saying alot. No16 is as good or even better than the Busch. I think the Takacs make even more sense out of it. Rather like the 8th symphony it is full of Beethoven at his most wierdly personal and subtle and overall the Takacs catch the spirit of the melody better than the Busch.

All in all, a mostly triumphant finish for the Takacs. For a complete set with a modern recording the Takacs would certainly be my first choice, though as I have often stated the old Busch recordings (of half the quartets) for the most part still scale this music the highest.

But we are spoilt for choice. We can own all sorts of recordings of this wonderful music, wandering all the interesting and unique ways to the one musical core.

Defective Decca set of Takacs Late Quartets.......2006-05-01

I purchased this set yesterday, and it has the same defect noted by others: Disc 3 is correctly labeled but is an exact copy of the music on Disc 1. Obviously Decca has a quality control problem and seems to lack the integrity to do a recall.

Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch

Average customer rating:

Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch...
Zappa got into a lot of unsuspecting teenagers' minds with this album...hehehehe
Zappa's best release
Metallica Ten Years Before
"We're talking Lord God King BU-FU..."

Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Man from Utopia
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ASIN: B0000009T4
Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

No Not Now
Valley Girl
I Come From Nowhere
Drowning Witch
Envelopes
Teen-Age Prostitute

Customer Reviews:

Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch..........2007-06-04

Frankly, I bought this album for the Song, "Valley Girl" which was a hit in the early 80's from Frank's daughter Moon! I had forgotten about his level of musicianship - that man had skills! Four stars!!

Zappa got into a lot of unsuspecting teenagers' minds with this album...hehehehe.......2006-09-24

One of the greatest things about this album is that, thanks to the song Valley Girl, a lot of people who would never even think about owning a Zappa album bought one. So all the teenagers who really dug the Valley Girl song actually got to listen to 5 other great Zappa tracks. Granted, there's probably a few of them out there who played the album once, and never played it again. But they always say to themselves "what was that really long song on side two? I never heard anything like that. I can't get it out of my head! AARRGGHH!!!!" The stuff got inside their heads, and stayed there. I do rather like this album, especially the title track (the 12 minute one) and No Not Now. Envelopes is OK (I prefer the LSO version), and I do like Valley Girl.

Zappa's best release.......2006-03-31

(of the four I have)
I can't say that I am a diehard Zappa fan, but I immensely enjoy this album. Frank Zappa is amazing at writing music.

The album:
No Not Now: Probably the worst on the album, but it is a good listen every once in a while (whenever I find the time to listen to the album all the way through). 3/5

Valley Girl: Frank Zappa's hit song. Insanely funny. I've heard that this song is where the term Valley Girl actually comes from. Wouldn't surprise me if Zappa had coined it. He was an extremely unique and influential guy. 5/5

I Come From Nowhere: The lyrics are decent (although the first stanza is excellent). The real star here is the music, which is excellent. 4.5/5

Drowning Witch: The star of the album. The lyrics are pretty good, but again, the music is what makes the song great. 5/5

Envelopes: Zappa can really write instrumentals. This is one of his best that I've heard so far. 5/5

Teen-Age Prostitute: A decent end to the album. It's kinda cute. 4/5

An excellent album put out by Zappa. 5/5

Metallica Ten Years Before.......2004-12-15

I always wished Zappa could have kept the sound and intensity he achieved in "Ship Arriving Too Late ..." for at least one more record.

The first song, "No Not Now" has ridiculously stupid lyrics and an excellent blues/doo-wop melody straight from "Cruising with Ruben and the Jets" welded to an infectious hardcore popping bass riff.

Valley Girl has one of the most crushing bass and guitar parts heard then or ever in semi-popular music. because moon zappa's vocal is so funny and off the wall it is easy to forget contemplating the weirdness of this song charting in the top 40 at the end of the 1970s with such a heavy and grinding musical chassis.

There is a very surfy California sound to this entire album, part in the rhythm, the guitar sound, bass sound, the drum sound, and the lyrics. In some ways the sound and attitude reminds me of California bands like Agent Orange and the Minutemen and the Dead Kennedys. It's a light and carefree sound but also deceptively serious. Because Frank Zappa was practically a southern California native, a desert rat Army brat from deep in the Mojave, I like to think that he had this sound in his skin and bones and on Ship Arriving Too Late ... it just oozed out of his pores.

"I Come From Nowhere" has always been one of my favorite Zappa songs. It fuses some of Frank's most aggressive speed metal rhythm and solo guitar playing, an astoundingly tight rhythm section, a completely insane vocal delivery with lyrics that are as funny and disturbing as "Who Are the Brain Police?"

The opening section of Frank's guitar solo is as violent a piece of music as can be found anywhere and his guitar tone rips your head off. Patrick O'Hearn's astounding bass playing takes the song into a whole different category.

It would take nearly a decade, until Metallica, before music this intense, abrasive and highly structured found any audience.

Side two of Ship Arriving Too Late is a 17 minute medley that defies description. Typical of Frank during this period, it contains a continental plate collision of loosely improvised and difficult, highly rehearsed music all performed live, with Steve Vai all over it on some of the weirdest and hardest live guitar parts ever recorded. Scott Thunes on bass deserves huge accolades for anchoring this bizarre concoction, as does drummer Chad Wackerman. This type of stuff shouldn't work but I love it. Frank sarcastically named a bunch of live CDs "You Can't Do This on Stage Anymore" but hearing this stuff I think he was just telling the truth.

"We're talking Lord God King BU-FU...".......2004-04-17

SATLTSADW is a short [34 min.] album introducing future-regular time-keepers Chad Wackerman and Scott Thunes; Wackerman plays drums throughout, and Thunes plays bass on four tracks. The album features both studio and live-material, and often both at once (yes, there are over-dubs). It's another album where Steve Vai is credited for "impossible guitar parts", which are performed in e.g. the instrumental composition "Envelopes", and in the heavy-metal-opera-like "Teen-Age Prostitute"; songs that give this album a lot of status, as does the guitar-solo on "Drowning Witch" - it proves that Zappa did right when deciding to keep this drummer and bassist together until the end of his rock'n'roll-band years.
Feminine voices dominate the album; Moon Zappa plays the part of the "Valley Girl" (a hilarious tune), and Lisa Popiel plays the part of the "Teen-Age Prostitute".
The album isn't a must, but is recommended to regular FZ fans, since it--with the exception of "Drowning Witch" and "Envelopes"--only features songs that cannot be heard on any other Zappa album. However, the versions of the two above mentioned tracks are here performed at their best.

Kiss Me, Kate (1948 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Wish I had seen the actual Show!!!!
The best and maybe the last CD of this great musical.
Beautiful remastering of historic original cast recording
the peerless original cast
Who Put The Shake In Shakespeare?

Kiss Me, Kate (1948 Original Broadway Cast)
Cole Porter , Alfred Drake , and Patricia Morison
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000007OHT
Release Date: 1998-06-02

Tracks:

Act I: Overture
Act I: Another Op'nin', Another Show
Act I: Why Can't You Behave?
Act I: Wunderbar
Act I: So In Love
Act I: We Open In Venice
Act I: Tom, Dick Or Harry
Act I: I've Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua
Act I: I Hate Men
Act I: Were Thine That Special Face
Act II: Too Darn Hot
Act II: Where Is The Life That Late I Led?
Act II: Always True To You (In My Fashion)
Act II: Bianca
Act II: So In Love (Reprise)
Act II: Brush Up Your Shakespeare
Act II: I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple
Act II: Finale: Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate Overture

Amazon.com

Opening at the tail end of 1948, Kiss Me, Kate became an instant classic--and amazingly didn't receive a full-scale revival until 1999. All the more reason to revel in its original version. With its cunning play-within-a-play premise (a musical update of The Taming of the Shrew reverberates in backstage feuds), brilliant mix of high and low comedy, and of course some of Cole Porter's better-known songs--"So in Love," "I Hate Men," Too Darn Hot," "Always True to You (In My Fashion)"--Kiss Me, Kate remains a funny, zesty hall of mirrors. Hard as you may try to find a fly in the ointment, there's no fault with the cast either--Patricia Morison, for instance, is a perfectly petulant Lilli Vanessi. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Wish I had seen the actual Show!!!!.......2007-08-01

I wish I was about 20 when Kiss Me Kate opened so I could have witnessed this body shaking, gut bursting work of Cole Porter. This is the first time I've heard it. I can still feel the voices and music pumping through my blood stream with pleasure. You have to get it to get it so get it. You'll be more than greatful you did. Pardon me, I'm going to listen to it again!

The best and maybe the last CD of this great musical........2006-02-20

Now is the perfect time to buy the CD of this.

Sony's transfer engineers used state-of-the-art restoration software to remove the roughness and surface noise from the originals, but (thankfully) they resisted the urge to tart-up the sound with artificial reverb, faux stereo, and thundering bass. This is by far the best-sounding CD of this ever released, and it may be the last.

The age of music ownership in America could be drawing to a close. Five years from now, this music may only be available by download, you might only be "borrowing" it, and it probably won't come with the the authentic cover art or the 26-page booklet.

(See also the original broadway CD of Out of This World.)

Beautiful remastering of historic original cast recording.......2004-05-24

Recorded in January 1949, this album of KISS ME KATE has remained in print adn a steady best-seller for over 50 years now.

The sound on this newly remastered CD is crisp and clear and easily surpasses all previous issues. Sony even uses the original artwork from the very first LP release.

The performances remain as fresh as ever. Alfred Drake was Broadway's top leading man and sounds just glorious. Pat Morrison had less of a career but sounds just perfect as Lilli. Lisa Kirk is wonderful as Lois, and Harold Lang makes the most of his few moments on the record as her boyfriend, Bill. In an unusual move these peopel reunited 10 years later to re-record the score for Capitol in true stereo. They still sound great on that recording (on CD as part of the Broadway Angel series) but the performances are fresher on this recording made just 2 weeks after KIS ME KATE had opened on Broadway to rave reviews.

The CD booklet has good info about the show, though curiously, no synopsis. There are, however, a half dozen pictures of the original production. This edition featureds longer takes of "We Open in Venice", "I Hate Men" and "Too Darn Hot" though the total extra music adds but a minute to the album's running time. A bonus track of the Overture dates from a 1958 stereo recording by Lehman Engle.

KISS ME KATE was the first Tony Award winner for Best Musical (1949). The 1999 revival won a Tony for Best Revival.

the peerless original cast.......2004-03-04

KISS ME KATE is still regarded as Cole Porter's greatest musical; a charming backstage story detailing feuding ex-spouses Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham as they star in a musical version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew".

Very rarely has the score been bettered than the original 1949 cast album, reissued here on the Columbia Broadway Masterworks label. Patricia Morison plays Lilli, with Alfred Drake (OKLAHOMA!, KISMET, GIGI) as Fred, the feuding, ego-ridden leads. Lisa Kirk (ALLEGRO, MACK AND MABEL) is the sexy young starlet Lois, with Harold Lang (PAL JOEY) as her caddish boyfriend Bill.

KISS ME KATE opened at the New Century Theatre on Broadway in 1949, making history in its run of over 1000 performances. Patricia Morison is perfectly-suited to the role of Lilli. She offers a glowing rendition of "So in Love", whilst her duet with Alfred Drake in the tongue-in-cheek "Wunderbar" is sublime. Lisa Kirk gets three of the big showstoppers ("Why Can't You Behave?", "Tom Dick or Harry" and "Always True to You in My Fashion"), and nails each and every one. Harold Lang was a better dancer than he ever was as a singer, but is quite good on this disc.

A must-own.

Who Put The Shake In Shakespeare?.......2001-04-11

Who put the 'shake' in 'Shakespeare'? Cole Porter, of course! Kiss Me Kate is the best of his musicals, and this recording is the best of the recordings! The original Broadway cast performs with much old-style, vaudeville jazz!

The story is set in a Baltimore theatre where a divorced couple, Fred Graham and Lilli Vannessi, are in the two leading roles of a musical version of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Fred currently dates a colorful light-heart named Lois Lane, while Lilli is about to head off to get maried in the south. Lois, by the way, will 'always be true' to her boyfriend, the gambling player Bill Calhoun. The story takes off from there!

The show originaly opened on Broadway in 1948. It's timelessness has still not worn off after so many years. The classic script by Bela and Sam Spewack, and the best music of Cole Porter, we cannot fail! The show has been performed since then in many many countries, and has been performed in many languages! It has only recently been revived on Broadway.

Kiss Me Kate has become a staple of classic Broadway, and this is the cast that will not be outdone. Patricia Morrison is a perfect, operatic, Lilli Vanesi. She is strong, yet thoughtful. Her voice fills the CD with a lively 'Wunderbar' and the raging 'I Hate Men.' Alfred Drake is a manly and appealing Fred Graham who will have you laughing out loud! His 'Where Is the Live...?' is yet to be surpassed. Harold Lang is a sexy, and hypnotic Bill Calhoun. He takes the role for himself, and his 'Bianca' is done to the point of perfection! His voice is misty and self-confident, and has the qualities all Bill Calhoun's should. And of course, there will be no one as good as Lisa Kirk for the role of Lois Lane! Her tongue-in-cheek performance on this CD is flawless! She is teasing, sympathetic, funny, and has the right voice to win her part! I can't imagine anyone who can do what she has done with 'Alway True to You' and 'Why Can't You Behave.' The classic character songs are very nice! The balladic, and melodic 'So In Love' will ring in your head. 'We Open In Venice' will make you dance! And 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare'(performed with much humor by Jack Diamond and Harry Clark) will give you a laugh the next time you read 'Romeo.' You won't be disapointed!

The nostalgic quality of the 40's is alive and well in this recording. Columbia has done a great job restoring the work, and the scratching that were a part of the original releases. The sound quality is crisp and clear, and the music sounds wonderful! The magic hasn't worn out yet!

There have been a few more recordings of the work, including a complete London recording, and the new Broadway revival cast. None can do as well as the original recording, however. In the revival recordng, however, they come close. Brian Stokes Mitchell has the voice for Fred, but runs through his lines a bit fast, and without much enthusiasm. And the orchestrations for the new recording are a bit overdone, and they sound more like PBS's Jazz, than Broadway.

Altogether, this is great recording. I was very pleased with my buy, and hope that you will add it to your collection right away! It's time to Brush Up Your Shakespeare!

LateNightTales
Average customer rating:

Great CD I imagine

LateNightTales
Nouvelle Vague
Manufacturer: Late Night Tales UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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LateNightTales: Belle & Sebastian

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Back to Mine

ASIN: B000L42HWO
Release Date: 2007-02-12

Tracks:

(What I Like Most About You Is Your) Girlfriend) - The Special A.K.A.
Come on Eileen [Exclusive Cover Version] - Nouvelle Vague
Baby - Os Mutantes
Unless - Pale Fountains
San Francisco Is a Lonely Town - Charlie Rich
Movement of Fear - Tones on Tail
Chaos - Phoebe Killdeer
Urban Serenade - Avril
And I Love Him - Shirley Horn
Vespertine Park - Gavin Bryars
Fire in the Forest - David Sylvian
Civilization - The Art Bears
You're My Thrill - Peggy Lee, Sy Oliver,
By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Glen Campbell
Poisson des Mers du Sud - Isabelle Antena
Last Trick - Anja Garbarek
Nicole - Camille, Les Petroleuses
Phoenix - Cibelle
You and Your Sister - This Mortal Coil
Lonely Girl - Julie London
What I Ate - David Shrigley

Album Description

The Late Night Tales CD series (formerly Another Late Night) is one to kick back to while you expand your horizons. This edition is compiled by Nouvelle Vague, who usually perform cover versions of '80s hits with a Latin lounge flair. This set follows on from compilations by Belle & Sebastian, The Flaming Lips, Fourtet, Jamiroquai, Nightmares on Wax, Turin Brakes, Sly & Robbie, Groove Armada and others. Includes tracks from The Specials, Os Mutantes, Pale Fountains, Tones On Tail, Julie London and an exclusive Nouvelle Vague track, their cover of Dexys Midnight Runners' 'Come On Eileen'. Azuli. 2007.

Album Details

Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux Are the Pair of Pop Subversives Responsible for Nouvelle Vague, the French Band Whose Self-titled Debut Album Won Hearts (And Soundtracked Movies) in 2004. The Duo Took 13 Songs from the Post-punk Era and Re-imagined them as Bossa Nova Tunes; The Lightness of Touch and Deft Production Somehow Lifting the Project from the Land of the Kitsch and Placing it Firmly Where it Belonged: Midway Twixt Avant-garde and Pop. In Fact, an Album that Would have Happily Sat in the Ztt Catalogue 20 Years Ago. If You Want to Know Where the Heads of Nouvelle Vague Are At, "Late Night Tales" Gives You a Wee Glimpse Through the Twitching Curtains of their Lustrous Minds. If Acid House Had Exploded in a Fetid Basement in Rue Hachette Rather Than the Repressed and Sweaty Confines of Thatcher's Britain, it Might have Sounded Something Like This. Torch Songs, Songs of Redemption and Remorse, Heartbreak and Uplift. Mood Music of Elevators and Elevation.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD I imagine.......2007-03-01

Hi, my name is Jayson, and I am 13 and a half years old. I was over at my friend Brian's house, and his sister was listening to this CD. She is cool but she is a private person. She didn't like us practicing karate, so she turned up her stereo, and my friend Brian and I ended up practicing karate to the CD. I think everyone should own this CD, and I would like to get a copy for my birthday. 5 stars.

Average customer rating:

I'm just not diggin it
Disappointing
The Best!!!!!!!!

Late in the Night
Rick Holmstrom
Manufacturer: M.C. Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NI3FJC
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

Peculiar Hop
I'm Leaving
One Last Chance
77 Red V8
Tutwiler
Better Way
On The Vine
Descanso
Dig Myself A Hole
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Hey Johnny
Wham-O
In The Night

Amazon.com

Great blues guitarists are about tone, mood, and style. Being nimble helps, but intensity and passion more often exist between the notes. Rick Holmstrom revels in this abundance on his first album in five years. A West Coast veteran who backed harp greats William Clarke, Billy Boy Arnold, and Rod Piazza, Holmstrom can swing with the best of them. But 2002's controversial drum-loop-powered Hydraulic Groove showed the guitarist expanding blues boundaries rather then repeating past sounds. His fourth solo release retreats from those techno trappings, concentrating on a tough yet loose vibe driven by a stripped-down band of bassist/sax player Jeff Turmes and drummer Stephen Hodges, best known for his work with Tom Waits. Holmstrom kicks off with one of the album's five fiery instrumentals, slinging out resilient, ragged lines that build until finally exploding into the immortal riff from "Rumble," a nod to Link Wray, also no stranger to gristly tone. There's a sure sense of balance and tension as Holmstrom expertly weaves his gripping solos between the taut rhythm section's own dusky rumble. John Lee Hooker, another master of atmosphere, is the reference for "'77 Red V8" and a raw, instrumental take on Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"--one of only two covers--gets an unusually sleazy treatment thanks in part to Turmes' strip-club-style sax. Holmstrom is an effective, unfussy vocalist with an understated croon perfect for this album's dusky quality. But it's his guitar that really sings on Late in the Night, as it takes us on a rain-drenched stroll to the dodgy side of town. --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews:

I'm just not diggin it.......2007-08-07

I picked this CD up yesterday and to be honest with you I'm just not enjoying it.

As a guitar player myself, the whole thing sounds like he just started learning how to play a couple of years ago. The solos aren't fluid, his tone is horrible and most of the licks sound like every other blues CD I've listened to. Maybe it's just me, but after spending hours listening to Joe Bonamassa and Larry Carlton I guess I'm spoiled? I dunno, just sounds like nails on a chalkboard. The CD drags on and has no momentum either. Is one of his other CDs better perhaps that I could listen to?

Disappointing.......2007-08-02

After Hydraulic Groove I bought his earlier work, which is more like this. Really not much point in the addition. Get wacky again, dude. Get yer groove back.

The Best!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-18

Greazzy blues, swinging roots rock, TONES to die for.
Just buy it already. Best MUSIC release in years if you ask me.

If you're thinking about buying it, you already know Rick's stuff...you already know he's one of the best in the world.

BUY IT

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