Review: Genre-defying trio Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto - their bassist Lewis Wharton is the third one, if you're wondering - have created an album brimming with explosive energy and diverse influences fusing rock 'n roll, deep funk, jazz, and fuzzy atmospherics. Barrie Cadogan (guitar/vocals) has played with everyone from The The to Primal Scream, but this LP moves well away from indie templates, employing a freeform approach, experimenting with tempos, volumes and textures. Tracks like 'Spektator' and 'Sick 8' showcase their ability to build subtle momentum and then let it slip back, allowing space for intricate instrumentation and lots of vivid expression.
Review: British outfit Little Barrie - guitarist Barrie Cadogan and bassist Lewis Wharton - team up with Malcolm Catto, known for his experimental edge as producer and drummer with Heliocentrics, on this raw-edged collaboration. Cadogan and Wharton, whose distinctive sound helped define the opening notes of Vince Gilligan's own-right spinoff Better Call Saul, bring their tightly wound energy into Catto's sonically unpredictable world. What emerges is a tense, scorched blend of overdriven guitar stabs, thicketed percussion, and eerie atmospheres that play like a weather report from a collapsing city. Catto's rhythmic instincts create a fractured foundation where Little Barrie's gritty melodies can unravel or coil without warning. Far from polished or predictable, the record thrives on friction and volatility, capturing three musicians testing the limits of structure and sound.
Woke Up This Morning (My Baby She Was Gone) (4:21)
Ten Years Gone (6:40)
In My Time Of Dying (9:41)
Your Time Is Gonna Come (5:56)
Remedy (5:14)
The Lemon Song (9:02)
In The Light (9:17)
Shake Your Moneymaker (4:26)
Sloppy Drunk Blues (6:06)
Shapes Of Things (5:17)
Nobody's Fault But Mine (4:45)
Heartbreaker (5:56)
Bring It On Home (5:20)
She Talks To Angels (5:43)
Oh Well (4:06)
Band Intros (1:00)
Hey, Hey, What Can I Do (3:36)
You Shook Me (7:20)
Out On The Tiles (4:52)
Whole Lotta Love (5:44)
Custard Pie (Soundcheck) (5:14)
You Shook Me (Soundcheck) (8:09)
The Lemon Song (Soundcheck) (8:47)
Ten Years Gone (Soundcheck) (10:51)
Jam (Soundcheck) (10:39)
Review: The chemistry between Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, caught here live in AL in 1999, produces a dynamic performance that brings fresh life to classic rock anthems. Tracks like 'Celebration Day' and 'What Is & What Should Never Be' are delivered with incredible precision, each riff from Page cutting through the mix, while the Crowes' rhythm section provides a perfect backdrop. Chris Robinson's vocals are raw and commanding, particularly on 'Heartbreaker,' where he channels the energy of the original while adding his own emotive twist. The blues covers, like 'Sloppy Drunk' and 'Mellow Down Easy,' show off the band's versatility, giving a loose, electric vibe that contrasts beautifully with the more structured Zeppelin classics. A live performance that captures both the spirit of the originals and the fire of the setting.
Review: The 2024 release of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Live At Fillmore East, 1969 captures the iconic band's electricifying energy during their fourth show in two days at the Fillmore East. Rhino's 2xLP set is a newly discovered multi-track recording of the September 20, 1969, concert, featuring both acoustic and electric performances. The setlist includes early versions of future classics from the Deja Vu and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere albums such as 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' and 'Down By The River'. Highlights include Stephen Stills' stirring solo performance of '4 + 20' and Graham Nash's heartfelt rendition of 'Our House', dedicated to Joni Mitchell, while Neil Young also revisits his Buffalo Springfield roots with 'I've Loved Her So Long'. The electric set intensifies with expansive versions of 'Wooden Ships' and 'Sea Of Madness'. The show closes with 'Find The Cost Of Freedom', offering a powerful finale. The audio, mixed by Stills and Young, boasts impeccable quality, with AAA lacquer-cut vinyl ensuring superior fidelity. This release is a treasure for CSNY fans, capturing a pivotal moment in the band's history.
Just The Two Of Us (feat Grover Washington Jr) (3:58)
Who Is She (& What Is He To You?) (3:12)
Oh Yeah! (4:01)
Hello Like Before (5:22)
I Want To Spend The Night (3:39)
Heartbreak Road (3:09)
Review: For anyone Withering away at the lack of good music in their lives, wilt no more - this latest collection of Bill Withers' greatest hits captures some of the Virginian songster's earliest and best moments. 'Grandma's Hands', 'Harlem' and 'Lean On Me' all feature on the A (exploring early Withers, largely centred on his first album Just As I Am), while the B explores later Withers, leading with the undeniable classic 'Lovely Day'.
Review: In October 1999, the Black Crowes joined Led Zeppelin's legendary guitarist Jimmy Page for shows in New York, Los Angeles, and Worcester, and that resulted in the live album Live at the Greek on TVT Records. Due to contractual issues with Columbia, however, the album didn't include any Crowes songs performed with Page. This collaboration led to a summer 2000 tour with Page and The Who and on July 10, 2000, they performed at Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, New York, and served up what was considered one of the tour's standout shows. Featuring sixteen Led Zeppelin classics, Black Crowes tracks, and blues covers, this FM broadcast recording is a real must for fans of these rock icons.
Review: Nina Simone has rather been written out of popular music history because of quite how confrontational and proudly Black she was. She was just as far ahead of her times musically too and this legendary album Baltimore shows why. It arrived with no promotion and no lead singles and so it was an utter commercial failure, but the sleuths of the internet have rediscovered it over the 45 years since its release and helped to make it a cult favourite now regarded as one of the best in her oeuvre. It has distinctive reggae production and of course plenty of beautiful vocals from Simone as she tackles songs written by Judy Collins, Hall & Oates, and Randy Newman.
Review: As part of Rhino Records' Start Your Ear Off Right series - which consists of reissued versions of classic albums by Dream Theater, Fleetwood Mac, The Ramones, ZZ Top and many more - comes this fabulous new version of Allen Toussaint's Southern Nights. Originally released in 1975, this is a celebrated album, showcasing Toussanint's signature blend of funk, soul and r&b. One of many records to put Touissant on the map as a soul songsmith, and to associate him with the rich musical tradition of New Orleans, the record is well-known and much celebrated for its bold and unexpected use of orchestral arrangements, unusual for New Orleans r&b at the time.
Review: Originally recorded in 1966 during his remarkable comeback - he'd been playing since the 20s but was rediscovered by various musicologists and found a new audience at Newport and Philadelphia's folk festivals in 1963 - this album demonstrates why he became a beloved mainstay of the folk revival. Unlike traditional bluesmen, Hurt's style is rooted in melody and intricate fingerpicking, making him a profound influence on the folk musicians of the 60s. His dexterous guitar work, often feeling as if multiple players are involved, pairs seamlessly with his soothing, almost meditative voice. Tracks like 'Pay Day', 'Louis Collins', 'Spike Driver's Blues', and 'Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor' showcase his ability to transform folk and blues traditions into something uniquely personal. He even delivers a rare but successful slide guitar performance on 'Talking Casey'. A particularly stunning moment comes in 'Beulah Land', where his intricate cross-rhythms add new emotional depth to a traditional song. Every track exudes a gentle, comforting presence, as if Hurt himself is sitting beside the listener, easing their troubles. His voice, often described as a balm for the soul, remains as rich and warm as ever, untouched by time. A beautiful, healing and profoundly moving experience that continues to impress more than half a century later.
Review: The Hermanos Gutierrez return with another album-lenfgth bang - Sonido Cosmico - hearing the sonorous siblings abandon the desert for the cosmos, having established a firm arenaceous grounding on their prior record El Bueno Y El Malo. Artfully produced by Dan Auerbach, the album brims the fiery 'stones: suspenseful, analogue-treated guitar dialogues - the crux of the brothers' project - all while playing up an arid Western aesthetic, with a stargazing propensity. Lead track 'Sonido Cosmico' indeed comes with a music video that finds the brothers atop a desert mountain observatory, surrounded on all sides by cacti and UFOs, and sporting telescopes and dowsing rods when they're not playing guitar. An album of dreamy instrumental delights; the planes of Arenillas indeed are a prime location to take alien flight.
Review: In October 1999, the Black Crowes performed with Led Zeppelin's legendary guitarist Jimmy Page in New York, Los Angeles and Worcester, leading to the live album Live at the Greek on TVT Records. However, due to contractual issues with Columbia, the album omitted Crowes' songs performed with Page. This collaboration sparked a summer 2000 tour with Page and The Who, highlighted by a standout show on July 10, 2000, at Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, New York. Featuring sixteen Led Zeppelin classics, Black Crowes tracks, and blues covers, this FM broadcast recording is a must-have for fans of these rock legends.
Review: Sacred Mushroom's debut is a blues-rock gem that shows the raw energy and talent of the Cincinnati-based quintet, led by Larry Goshorn and his brother Danny Goshorn. While their name might hint at psychedelia, the album leans heavily into blues traditions, paired with tight arrangements and flashes of rock ingenuity. Originals like 'Catatonic Lover', have an infectious energy and intricate chord progressions reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane, while 'All Good Things Must End' delivers a soulful Chicago blues waltz enhanced by Rusty Work's spirited harmonica. The funky opener, 'I Don't Like You', brims with dynamic harmonies and sharp guitar work that sets the tone for the album. Covers are equally impressive; their rendition of the Kinks' 'I'm Not Like Everybody Else' adds a fresh, acoustic-electric interplay and timeless melodic charm. On the extended 'Lifeline' and the driving 'Mean Old World,' the band channels the electric blues of Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Charly's reissue should bring renewed clarity to this overlooked treasure, revealing a band with grit and versatility.
Bobby Bland - "I've Been Wrong For So Long" (2:19)
Little Junior Parker - "Backtracking" (2:37)
Louis Jones - "That's Cuz I Love You" (2:47)
Little Bob & The Lolllipops - "You Don't Have To Cry" (3:11)
Roscoe Shelton - "Please Think It Over" (2:47)
Ted Taylor - "If I Don't See You Again" (2:09)
Roy Lee Johnson - "Too Many Tears" (2:17)
Elmore Morris - "What Can I Do For You" (2:25)
William Bell - "You Don't Miss Your Water" (3:01)
Joe Medwick - "I Cried" (2:55)
Joe Tex - "Blessed Are These Tears" (2:21)
Earl Gaines - "Best Of Luck Baby" (2:27)
Sam & Dave - "My Love Belongs To You" (2:20)
Fontella Bass - "I Don't Hurt Anymore" (2:10)
James Brown - "Please, Please, Please" (2:46)
Review: The record Store Day releases are coming thick and fast for 2024 and this is a gem in amongst them. It is said that the so-called "Golden Age of Southern Soul" lasted from about 1962 to 1975, after which point it was disco that shot to prominence and took all the headlines. Although the ensuing fusion of country, gospel, and r&b from the legendary Memphis and Muscle Shoals in the '60s appeared groundbreaking, southern soul drew from diverse influences. Horn lines from Louisiana's swamp pop, blues' lyrical themes, country music's melodies, and profound inspiration from black churches all contributed. As part of the 'History of Soul' series, this LP uncovers southern soul's musical roots with insightful notes by John Ridley, so prepare to be captivated by a truly authentic narrative and electrifying sounds.
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