5 comments about Dreamer.

1. It does not get any better than this, fantastc voice meets young Larry Carlton(!)on guitar. -Peter



2. Together with Little Milton this man has to have one of the most recognizable & imitated voices in music. Take note please because this c.d. is timeless. The songs will leave you breathless from the very first track which is "Ain't no love in the heart of the city"...a song later covered by Dave Coverdales rock band "Whitesnake" and also Walter "Wolfman" Washington. But just listen to this original version because NOBODY sings it like Bobby Blue Bland! Bobby Blands voice was MADE for this song. He smoothly sings about life and it's hardships, the ups & downs, and his lyrics apply to some stage in our lives. This album contains some fine guitar work from a young Larry Carlton.
   "24 Hour Blues" is the real deal as is the title track, "Dreamer". Smoky, growling and sensual.Pour yourself a drink, turn the lights down low, spin this disc and let Bobby tell you about life.



3. Another album of mine which is atypical of my collection in that it is vocal based, but one which is memorable. Bobby Bland smoothly delivers some smokey, husky sounds from 1974 which still measure up. Blues on the edge of soul.



4. This album is a gem.....classic R&B sung by the master himself, Mr. Bobby Blue Bland. Do not let the release date of 1974 scare you...there is absolutely no "disco" sound only pure "sung from the soul" R&B with a fantastic back-up band. Each cut is unique to itself so that it never gets boring; each song is a timeless classic of love lost or of being down and out. When you're feeling blue this is the album to turn to!



5. I bought this album as it featured constantly in critics fave lists over the years (especially remember reading about Dreamer in a Desert Island Collection by Australian music critic Stuart Coupe in an ex-girlfriend's magazine one lazy afternoon). Bobby sings like no-one else. He has this growl that at first seems out of place - it's so unexpected. But he puts such feeling into building up each tune - no song of his starts on high emotion - Bobby likes the slow burn, you dig? When I play his music for my friends they think it's someone having a laugh - sort of like comedian Lenny Henry doing his Theo T Wildebeast routine (especially going by the photos in the jacket too - they're in a classic pimp style). But to true lovers of soul you can tell that Mr Bland is the real thing. Defintitely worth a listen.

1 comments about My Baby.

1. Not the best Lowell Fulson album, but interesting choice of material and the feel is swamp blues/funk. Lowell sounds confident and the band is loose and having fun. If you like this, you'll like some of the Kent stuff like Tramp and Soul. Better and cheaper than the Crazy Cajun set (but that one is good and has more songs).

5 comments about New York City ~The Remix Album~.

1. I may be a kid but I know stinky when I hear it. Who is this guy to so obviously cash in on someone else's talent? I read that Ms. Jones did not even give him permission to put this vile product out. Mr. Malick, you are a loser. Let's see what you can come up with WITHOUT a multimillion seller artist doing all the work for you.
   
   Noah L.



2. Though I don't know much about Peter Malick himself and the music that he makes, he made quite an impression when he released New York City with America's favorite singer, Norah Jones. After hearing the album, I considered it another Jones classic after her first album (Come Away With Me). I never really even knew that there was going to be a REMIX album until I had spotted it one day when I was doing my weekly shopping. The REMIX album was a real big dissapointment when he was lured into saying "yes !" to a remix album in the first place. If you are the kind of person who is into the club scenery of things and really dig the kinds of hard beats and rhythms interpreted into each song that this album brings, then I hope you can enjoy it more than I did after feeling the feeling I got after hearing each of these songs being torn up by hard-driven beats (I mean no offense of course, but this idea was really bad for Malick...Jones as well). I've never even heard of the artist, Split - Vizionz in my life before and I assume he's a "newage" rapper that decided to try and make a debut appearance in the song, New York City.
   
   Stick to the original album folks and don't purchase it unless you really like it.



3. I thought the first album was a fine piece of musicianship, in many ways more enjoyable than the two much hyped commercial releases by Ms Jones.
   
   As a musician I give this an embarrassing thumbs down.
   
   I see they are coming out with another rehash in the chill genre. Go ahead milk it for all its worth.



4. In my opinion, something is only a gimmick for money when the product sucks. Although this album isn't exactly a "required" CD like the unmixed New York City, it's still very, very good.
   
   First off, just because it's "Remixed" does Not mean there's big powerful base lines and wild synths, these aren't club songs. I think the best genre to put this in would be Lounge. Songs like New York City, Deceptively Yours, Strange Transmissions are transformed into brilliant loungey hits while still keeping with the original jazzy theme. "Things You Dont Have To Do" comes with a vocal mix as well as a dub, both reek of summer and have some incredible slap guitar.
   
   I love this cd. It's original, professional, and fun! I love hearing Norah Jones in a setting that isn't as slow and boring as her original stuff. I also find it impression that she can sound just as glorious with a few extra beats and sounds as with her jazz stuff. It just proves that a good voice does well wherever it goes.



5. i'm not going to comment on this album as an original work by norah jones and peter malick, instead i am going to discuss production of remixes. really, all i can say is that lance desardi is a genius of deep house, and regardless of whether you care for norah jones, the vocal sample and the seamless groovy production of his mixes is reminiscent of st germain. as an album of deep house, i would argue that it is marvelous, and should be appreciated for the lush lounge vibe that it imparts. it reminds me of late night hotel rooms. several popular dance mags gave it stellar reviews. so...if you like st germain, dimitri from paris, soulstice, or blue six give this a listen. it's sad that norah doesn't like this type of music, cause her voice and a bass heavy sound, in my opinion, is like heaven.

No comments about Johnnie Taylor - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.

No comments about Taylor Made.

No comments about Be Ever Wonderful.

1 comments about Reaching for the Blues.

1. John Mayall's collection from 1979 to 1981 is a real treat. I know that Turning Point and other, earlier John Mayall records are must-have CDs for John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers fans, but this disc on Purple Pyramid has some real gems on it, like a great version of JB Lenior's blues classic "Talk to Your Daughter" and the cut dedicated to John Lee Hooker, "John Lee Boogie." Mayall fans, even fans who heard "Room to Move" when it was new, won't be disappointed. I think it is a natural companion to his 1999 disc of new material, Padlock on the Blues.

No comments about Trust in Me.

No comments about Watermelon Sampler, Vol. 1.

2 comments about Muddy Waters :Live Gold Collection.

1. A funny thing happened to me about two years ago. I embarked on an adventure to purchase my first Muddy Waters CD (my dad was a huge fan, and I missed hearing the music). I ended up buying a Howlin Wolf CD (I honestly thought I was purchasing a Muddy Waters CD, I'm an idiot, but hey it worked out) and actually ended up having a preference for Howlin Wolf. Two years later, finally out of nursing school, and a little better off financially I purchased my first Muddy Waters CD (dad would be proud). The CD is live, and I have to agree with the previous reviewer who proclaimed that Muddy Waters has better versions of these songs on other CD's (all true). However, the CD was cheap, and honestly Muddy Waters has never really sounded bad (well at least not from my fond memories). In the end this is a solid CD, with fantastic musicianship, and will make it's way into my CD player for years to come (at least until everything goes digital and CD's become like Vinyl). Do purchase a Muddy Waters CD (this one isn't a bad choice). However, do make sure you purchase a Howlin Wolf CD as well. I'm still blown away by that CD over two years later. Best mistake I ever made.



2. This CD should not be your introduction to the blues, or to Muddy Waters for that matter. All the cuts are live from somewhere, at some time, with some musicians playing beside him. But there is absolutely no annotation with the CD, so you don't know who, where, or when. Muddy has better live work out (I like Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live) and the original studio versions of these cuts are better as well. That being said, if you're really into Muddy, he never really had shabby sidemen, and sounded as good in the '70's as he did in the '50's, so this is an interesting little trip.