sábado, 28 de marzo de 2009

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)

Track List
  1. Crucify
  2. Girl
  3. Sillent All These Years
  4. Precious Things
  5. Winter
  6. Happy Phantom
  7. China
  8. Leather
  9. Mother
  10. Tear In Your Hand
  11. Me And A Gun
  12. Little Earthquakes

With her haunting solo debut Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos carved the template for the female singer/songwriter movement of the '90s. Amos' delicate, prog rock piano work and confessional, poetically quirky lyrics invited close emotional connection, giving her a fanatical cult following and setting the stage for the Lilith Fair legions. But Little Earthquakes is no mere style-setter or feminine stereotype — its intimacy is uncompromising, intense, and often far from comforting. Amos' musings on major personal issues — religion, relationships, gender, childhood — were just as likely to encompass rage, sarcasm, and defiant independence as pain or tenderness; sometimes, it all happened in the same song. The apex of that intimacy is the harrowing "Me and a Gun," where Amos strips away all the music, save for her own voice, and confronts the listener with the story of her own real-life rape; the free-associative lyrics come off as a heart-wrenching attempt to block out the ordeal. Little Earthquakes isn't always so stomach-churning, but it never seems less than deeply cathartic; it's the sound of a young woman (like the protagonist of "Silent All These Years") finally learning to use her own voice — sort of the musical equivalent of Mary Pipher's Reviving Ophelia. That's why Amos draws strength from her relentless vulnerability, and that's why the constantly shifting emotions of the material never seem illogical — Amos simply delights in the frankness of her own responses, whatever they might be. Though her subsequent albums were often very strong, Amos would never bare her soul quite so directly (or comprehensibly) as she did here, nor with such consistently focused results. Little Earthquakes is the most accessible work in Amos' catalog, and it's also the most influential and rewarding.

by Steve Huey

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Now playing: Tori Amos - Crucify

viernes, 27 de marzo de 2009

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1959)


Tracklist:
  1. "Giant Steps" – 4:43
  2. "Cousin Mary" – 5:45
  3. "Countdown" – 2:21
  4. "Spiral" – 5:56
  5. "Syeeda's Song Flute" – 7:00
  6. "Naima" – 4:21
  7. "Mr. P.C." (Mr. Paul Chambers) – 6:57

History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated. Giant Steps bore the double-edged sword of furthering the cause of the music as well as delivering it to an increasingly mainstream audience. Although this was John Coltrane's debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and recording with Miles Davis. Within the space of less than three weeks, Coltrane would complete his work with Davis and company on another genre-defining disc, Kind of Blue, before commencing his efforts on this one. Coltrane (tenor sax) is flanked by essentially two different trios. Recording commenced in early May of 1959 with a pair of sessions that featured Tommy Flanagan (piano) and Art Taylor (drums), as well as Paul Chambers -- who was the only band member other than Coltrane to have performed on every date. When recording resumed in December of that year, Wynton Kelly (piano) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) were instated -- replicating the lineup featured on Kind of Blue, sans Miles Davis of course. At the heart of these recordings, however, is the laser-beam focus of Coltrane's tenor solos. All seven pieces issued on the original Giant StepsIra Gitler accurately dubbed "sheets of sound." Coltrane's polytonal torrents extricate the amicable and otherwise cordial solos that had begun decaying the very exigency of the genre -- turning it into the equivalent of easy listening. He wastes no time as the disc's title track immediately indicates a progression from which there would be no looking back. Line upon line of highly cerebral improvisation snake between the melody and solos, practically fusing the two. The resolute intensity of "Countdown" does more to modernize jazz in 141 seconds than many artists do in their entire careers. Tellingly, the contrasting and ultimately pastoral "Naima" was the last tune to be recorded, and is the only track on the original long-player to feature the Kind of Blue quartet. What is lost in tempo is more than recouped in intrinsic melodic beauty.
are likewise Coltrane compositions. He was, in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solos -- the 180-degree antithesis of the art form up to that point. These arrangements would create a place for the solo to become infinitely more compelling. This would culminate in a frenetic performance style that noted jazz journalist

by Lindsay Planer


Otro clásico infaltable del jazz, no necesita introducción.

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Now playing: Ella Fitzgerald - I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues

miércoles, 18 de marzo de 2009

Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow (1975)


Tracklist:
  1. "You Know What I Mean" (Jeff Beck, Max Middleton) – 4:05
  2. "She's a Woman" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:31
  3. "Constipated Duck" (Beck) – 2:48
  4. "Air Blower" (Beck, Phil Chen, Middleton, Richard Bailey) – 5:09
  5. "Scatterbrain" (Beck, Middleton) – 5:39
  6. "Cause We've Ended as Lovers" (Stevie Wonder) – 5:52
  7. "Thelonius" (Stevie Wonder) – 3:16
  8. "Freeway Jam" (Middleton) – 4:58
  9. "Diamond Dust" (Brian Holland) – 8:26

Músicos:
  • Jeff Beck - guitarra
  • Max Middleton - teclados
  • Phil Chenn - bajo
  • Richard Bailey - batería, percusión
  • George Martin - producción

Blow by Blow typifies Jeff Beck's wonderfully unpredictable career. Released in 1975, Beck's fifth effort as a leader and first instrumental album was a marked departure from its more rock-based predecessors. Only composer/keyboardist Max Middleton returned from Beck's previous lineups. To Beck's credit, Blow by Blow features a tremendous supporting cast. Middleton's tasteful use of the Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and analog synthesizers leaves a soulful imprint. Drummer Richard Bailey is in equal measure supportive and propulsive as he deftly combines elements of jazz and funk with contemporary mixed meters. Much of the album's success is also attributable to the excellent material, which includes Middleton's two originals and two collaborations with Beck, a clever arrangement of Lennon and McCartney's "She's a Woman," and two originals by Stevie Wonder. George Martin's ingenious production and string arrangements rival his greatest work. Beck's versatile soloing and diverse tones are clearly the album's focus, and he proves to be an adept rhythm player. Blow by Blow is balanced by open-ended jamming and crisp ensemble interaction as it sidesteps the bombast that sank much of the jazz-rock fusion of the period. One of the album's unique qualities is the sense of fun that permeates the performances. On the opening "You Know What I Mean," Beck's stinging, blues-based soloing is full of imaginative shapes and daring leaps. On "Air Blower," elaborate layers of rhythm, duel lead, and solo guitars find their place in the mix. Propelled by the galvanic rhythm section, Beck slashes his way into "Scatterbrain," where a dizzying keyboard and guitar line leads to more energetic soloing from Beck and Middleton. In Stevie Wonder's ballad "Cause We've Ended as Lovers," Beck variously coaxes and unleashes sighs and screams from his guitar in an aching dedication to Roy Buchanan. Middleton's aptly titled "Freeway Jam" best exemplifies the album's loose and fun-loving qualities, with Beck again riding high atop the rhythm section's wave. As with "Scatterbrain," Martin's impeccable string arrangements enhance the subtle harmonic shades of the closing "Diamond Dust." Blow by Blow signaled a new creative peak for Beck, and it proved to be a difficult act to follow. It is a testament to the power of effective collaboration and, given the circumstances, Beck clearly rose to the occasion. In addition to being a personal milestone, Blow by Blow ranks as one of the premiere recordings in the canon of instrumental rock music.

by Mark Kirschenmann


Un clásico esencial para todos los amantes del jazz rock setentoso y el rock instrumental.


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Now playing: Jeff Beck - Scatterbrain

miércoles, 11 de marzo de 2009

Dave Matthews Band - Crash (1996)



Tracklist:
  1. "So Much to Say" – 4:06
  2. "Two Step" – 6:27
  3. "Crash Into Me" – 5:16
  4. "Too Much" – 4:22
  5. "#41" – 6:39
  6. "Say Goodbye" – 6:12
  7. "Drive In, Drive Out" – 5:55
  8. "Let You Down" – 4:07
  9. "Lie in Our Graves" – 5:42
  10. "Cry Freedom" – 5:54
  11. "Tripping Billies" – 5:00
  12. "Proudest Monkey" – 9:11

It's tempting to label the Dave Matthews Band as torchbearers of the Grateful Dead's moderate rock fusion and send them off on the next summer tour featuring either Blues Traveler or the Spin Doctors. But there is more at work here, particularly on the band's second major-label release. Crash pairs soothing sounds (flute, acoustic guitar, six-string bass) with a dark emotional undercurrent. The South African (by way of Virginia) frontman reveals a rare intensity on the title track and the free-form "41," while the group shows that it's not afraid to let loose on songs such as the stirring "Too Much." Producer Steve Lillywhite adds an impressive sheen to the recordings. --Aidin Vaziri

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Now playing: David Bowie - Warszawa

miércoles, 4 de marzo de 2009

The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)



Tracklist:
  1. "Son et Lumière" – 1:35
  2. "Inertiatic ESP" – 4:24
  3. "Roulette Dares (The Haunt of)" – 7:31
  4. "Tira Me a las Arañas" – 1:28
  5. "Drunkship of Lanterns" – 7:06
  6. "Eriatarka" – 6:20
  7. "Cicatriz ESP" – 12:29
  8. "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed" – 4:58
  9. "Televators" – 6:19
  10. "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" – 8:42

La forma más simple que se me ocurre para describir la música que como una suerte de mezcla entre King Crimson mezclado con ritmos latinos y punk/hardcore. Es un disco bastante oscuro (lo cual es entendible conociendo la historia que relatan las letras), original y experimental.


Formato mp3 320kbps

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Now playing: The Mars Volta - Cicatriz Esp