1 comments about Daytrippers: Songs of the Beatles.

1. Looking for something new for the Beatles fan/fanatic in your life? This UK import includes 19 Beatles covers from the Atlantic and Warner Jazz vaults. [At least that's what it says on the cover. A quick look at the artist roster and it's evident that they also raided the soul and R&B vaults as well.]
   
   The cover includes a still from the Beatles early-Sixties cartoon show and most of the music contained within was originally recorded between 1964 and 1971. [The lone exception is jazz pianist Brad Mehldau's rendition of "Dear Prudence" from his 2002 album LARGO.] The music is divided almost evenly between vocal and instrumental performances. Some of the interpretations are quite good. Clarence Carter does an inspired version of "Let It Be," Arthur Conley adds some funk to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and flautist Herbie Mann turns in a stunning performance of "Come Together." [And at 10:06, it is by far the longest track on the album.] And Aretha Franklin's take on "Eleanor Rigby" was a No. 17 hit in 1969. [Note: There is also a wonderful version of "Eleanor Rigby" done by Vince Guaraldi, but it is only available as a bonus track on the 2-LP vinyl version.]
   
   But there are clunkers here, too. The worst offender is Johnny Harris's rendition of "Give Peace a Chance." [Technically a John Lennon solo number, but they also include Marion Williams' version of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord."]
   
   Certainly not an essential purchase, but enough good material to entertain even casual fans.

1 comments about The Best of Atlanta Rhythm Section.

1. Well, well, well. What is it with ARS that it's so hard to get satisfaction when it comes to a "Greatest Hits" collection? Unlike many other discs, which offer at least TWO different rerecordings of ARS tracks, this one does contain the originals, just the way you remember 'em. BUT-- and this is one big but-- incredibly, this one manages to omit (arguably) the biggest hit, "Imaginary Lover"!! Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, right? Especially since two other songs come from the same album! Hmmm.
   
   The "20th Century Masters" collection is the one I'd get. Funny, because I usually find that series unsatisfying. Go figger.

5 comments about Hurry Sundown.

1. after 31 years. I love the Outlaws debut album but I think I like this one overall even better. "Gunsmoke", "Hurry Sundown", "Cold and Lonesome", "Holiday" and the one that grew on me more and more over the years until it became my favorite tune from this disc--"Night Wines"(RIP Billy Jones--this was your best song--and the line "It makes my heart hunger, To make my years younger" still speaks to me)---all great songs still. If you like Southern Rock--try this disc.



2. My first LP of The Outlaws was a cut-out of "Hurry Sundown" at MusicLand at the local mall when I was 17. I was blown away by the LP's sound. The only southern rock I had heard was, well, I don't even recall. I listened to the album over and over and turned all of my friends onto it. Of couse, some of them didn't get it - they were only into acid rock. I was then, and still am, into every kind of music (except for contemporary, mainstream country, sorry). The Outlaws are a MUST for anyone who loves southern rock, classic rock, rock 'n roll, blues, great music, intelligent music, and of course my personal favorite, beer-drinkin', foot-stompin', hootin' music! Enjoy enjoy enjoy!
   
   I want to let every person who has already written an intelligent, informative review that they have helped me make my choices on which CD's to purchase, especially for ANYTHING by the Oulaws. What a find The Outlaw CD's have been for me! THANK YOU AMAZON - not only do you have the music, but at the best prices I have found (and I do comparison shop) with FREE shipping!



3. The Outlaws hit their peak with this album. They had the best personnel on this LP, and showed the polish of a band that's learned the ropes through 2 previous albums. Henry Paul, who was the main country-western influence, left the band after this album. On all subsequent albums, their 'twang' was gone and they deteriorated into being an average metal band with no market differentiator.
   
   Billy Jones got more vocals on this album than on their first 2 albums, which is another good thing. In my opinion, Hughie Thomasson's vocals are average on a good day, and Billy had the unique Neil Young-like voice that could have really differentiated these guys (they way they differentiated Neil Young himself). Holiday is an amazing song, which really shows off Billy's vocal abilities. It should be mentioned among the ranks of Lynyrd Skynyrd's greatest rock anthems.
   
   Not sure why The Outlaws don't get the airtime of Marchall Tucker, Allman Bros, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even the Pure Prarie League. They are at least as good, and maybe someday they'll get their due. Until then, this is an outstanding LP which plays like a "Best of" album -- not a bad track to be found!



4. Their first album was good and got radio play and had the classic Green Grass. Second album was ok. This was the classic. Even the 2 Billy Jones songs, usually shakey high voice ballads, are ok on this album. Everything else on this cd is excellent. A must have of southern rock.



5. Before Henry Paul (of Black Hawk fame more recently) left the Outlaws to form the very credible Henry Paul Band, he, Hughie Thomasson, Billy Jones (RIP), Harvey Dalton Arnold, and Monte Yoho contributed what many feel is the quintessential Outlaws album: Hurry Sundown. The band had pulled off two incredible albums with the eponymous debut and the sophomore effort "Lady in Waiting", both of which featured music that would often lean more in the country direction (and done superbly) whereas "Hurry Sundown" began a deliberate shift to a harder rocking style. Of course, Country is a portion of the recipe that made Southern Rock great and it isn't completely forsaken here as such songs as the title track,"Hurry Sundown", "Hearin' My Heart Talkin'", "So Afraid" (sung by bassist Harvey D. Arnold; has banjo in it!), and Gunsmoke (sung by Henry Paul) all have strong country elements but are country with lots more "sting" in the guitar department. I think the departures of Henry Paul and Harvey Dalton Arnold later were incidentally the departure of the "country" element from the band and it virtually disappeared after this release, sadly. Hughie Thomasson is a guitar God, though, in my opinion and one of the most overlooked talents in the music world, and I, for one, am glad his stint with Lynyrd Skynyrd is over as the Outlaws are back out there kicking up dust and Paul, Thomasson and Co. are doing what they NEED to be doing: Outlaw Music!! Fortunately, Buddah Records, in association with Arista, re-issued the first 3 (and by far the best) Outlaw albums on CD back in 2001, I think, and they need to be YOUR collection!! Let the "Florida Guitar Army" take your breath and transport you to a time when the South had truly "risen again"!

5 comments about Get Right with the Man.

1. This cd, like all new cd's from Sony, will infect your computer with a virus that cannot be removed. If you have already played this cd on your computer, the only way to eliminate the virus is to remove the hard drive and throw it away. Or better yet, mail it to Sony and tell them you want a new one. For more information search Sony xcp. This is a great cd, but unfortunately the Van Zant's record label is in the virus writing business.



2. Ok this CD is really great, it's a mix of southern rock and country, and it's turned out as a hard-rockin country cd.But what else would you expect from the Van Zants? The whole Sony thing that went on, yeah that was wrong, but why blame these guys? They didnt do it. They just made the usic. They went to the studio and recorded it. That's all they did. They didnt put the software on the cd. SONY did! Blame Sony. Not a couple of hard workin' guys who had no clue! Here's what Johnny said and I totally agree.
   "It's kind of unfair to us," Johnny Van Zant said of the whole affair, no doubt echoing the thoughts of other Sony BMG artists whose albums are now UNFAIRLY (ALBIET SOMETIMES HILARIOUSLY)TRASHED,TAGGED OR WHOLLY IGNORED IN FAVOR OF COPYRIGHT BICKERING AT Amazon.com.
   
   Here's what Donnie said
   "Look, what we do is write music, we make music," said Donnie Van Zant, who like most artists had no idea what sort of security features, if any, his label would place on the album. "I really don't even know what DRM means, to be honest with you.
   
   They didn't know,ok? Don't boycott them. Sony has pulled the cd's there are new cd's without the XCP junk. Buy that. Don't blame it on them, blame it on Sony.I definitely reccomend this cd. It is great. It's the best thing that's hit country music since Johnny Cash.So sto acting like jerks and buy the new cd that doesn't have XCP.



3. Call it rock-a-billy, southern rock or country rock, it is alive and well. This cd is well worth the wait and the price. It fits well in te tradition of the Van Zant family.



4. Much has been written about the awful software included on this CD. However, I'm surprised by the rush to let Van Zant off the hook. Many (8?) months have passed since the album was first released this way, and nearly two months have passed since a security researcher finally discovered what this CD did to people's computers. Everyone seems to assume that they are deeply upset about the mistreatment of their fans by the record label, but simply lack the courage to speak out against it.
   
   I guess this could be true, but if it is I'll never be able to listen to their music in the same way. Please tell me they aren't really just cowards who put on an act to sell music! I think I'd rather believe they are fine with sticking it to us. Or better yet, maybe they will still turn around and speak out against what is happening here like many other bands in the same situation have already done. In the meantime, I for one am not impressed with Van Zant's handling of the issue.



5. An update on the "rootkit" issue with this CD. Sony (and VZ, on their web site) have produced two or more "patches" that claim to address the security holes found in this CD. You should understand that security researchers have so far found that all of the patches so far released install ADDITIONAL security holes in your Windows computer. Details demonstrating the damaging effects of using this CD on a computer are available here:
   
   http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/07/1343236&tid=233
   
   It is irresponsible for Sony and VZ to continue producing this item, as it can leave your computer deeply vulnerable to being overrun by computer hackers.

5 comments about Dixie Chicken.

1. Mixing blues, New Orleans jazz and rock 'n' roll in a potent mix, Dixie Chicken proved to be a watershed album for the band. Their third album was, along with "Feats Don't Fail Me Now", one of their finest without a single weak track. Opening with the title track and then following immediately with the soulful "Two Trains" (which Lowell George later re-recorded for his only solo album "Thanks I'll Eat It Here"),and then drifts into acoustic blues with "Roll Um Easy" (available as a re-recording by George on the Little Feat box set "Hotcakes and Outtakes" an unreleased track from his solo album as well).
   
   The song is probably best known for "Fat Man in The Bathtub" and while that IS a great song, there's so much more here to be heard that if that's the only Little Feat song that you've heard, you're depriving yourself. The album closes out with the George-Billy Payne collaboration "Lafayette Railroad" a potent mix of Payne's slide guitar and percussionist Sam Clayton on congas.
   
   The original CD sounds terrific. It was mastered for CD by Lee Herschberg who focused on recreating the crisp sound of the original LP as much as possible while playing to the sonic advantages of a CD. It's a pity that there are no bonus tracks on the CD (there are outtakes that are available on the "Hotcakes & Outtakes" box set that would have fit in here just fine but that came out AFTER this was released and, to be honest, when this was originally released on CD in 1990 it was rare but not unheard of to find bonus tracks on re-releases)but other than that minor complaint (and the fact that they could have provided lyrics for the songs), this is a terrific one to get. Is it better to get the CD in a replica of the original LP sleeve that Warner has been putting out via its Japanese division? Not really unless you want that replica along with a replica of the artwork recreated from the original label on the CD? That's you're call but the music--which matters--is the same.



2. At the time of the release of this album and Feats Don't Fail Me Now, Little feat got a lot of airplay on WHFS in Washington DC. When they rolled into town, it was usually at a small venue called the Warner Theater..I am trying to recall the exact place I saw them first. The reason it comes to mind is at that very concert, which opened with The Meters and Allan Toussaint, a lot of musicians of the DC area were in attendance. That is the kind of band Little Feat was, and having a band like The Meters opening for them showed the kind of music a Little Feat concert was, and where their love of music lay. I never failed to get tickets to go see them. Lowell George had to have been one of the best slide guitarists that ever graced the planet as well as a terrific songwriter and great sense of humor. But it was not just him when it came to that band, it was the interaction of all of them...Paul Barrere, Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney, Richie Hayward, Sam Clayton...they made a sound so tight and so improvisational. Each album had it's own feel to it, getting more complex with the progression and path they took in the years of Lowell George. Sailin' Shoes was the first album I bought and was more than enough satisfaction in their music to buy Dixie Chicken. I named my cat Dixie at the time.
   Deep Purple has their historical Appreciation Society...One should be made for Little Feat showing their various incarnations and changes the band has gone through. It is unfortunate they had pockets of popularity by region such as DC and Baltimore with all that talent. But the band is still around...I admit I am partial to the Lowell George and Craig Fuller years but this is a great band. One does not go wrong buying this album and any of their others. They are musician's musicians.



3. Just flipping through my AMG guide to Blues one day I decided to read about Little Feat and became especially interested when i saw that it had Lowell and Estrada (former Zappa musicians)... after picking this disc up at the store and listening to it, I simply could not believe (though i guess it's not the 1st time that such has been the case) that such an excellent group could be so little known! This is really an extraordinary album; I can't wait to check some of their other work!



4. I bought this on a whim after hearing the song "On Your Way Down" on the radio. I was really impressed with the blues inspired slide guitar playing which had unusual riffs. Even though this album is 35 years+ old this song sounds quite fresh and original. There is a distinct cajun influence felt on "Dixie Chicken". Overall, the effort was very good. I much prefer this album to Sailin' Shoes which other reviewers felt was the other must have Little Feat album. They sound a little like the Allman Brothers with a sense of humor, and a little more subdued slide guitar. Some songs on this album are forgettable but "On Your Way Down", "Two Trains" and "Dixie Chicken" are keepers.



5. Dixie Chicken is Little Feat's third album and is regarded among longtime fans as their best work. Like their previous albums, Little Feat and Sailin' Shoes, Dixie Chicken would garner much critical acclaim but slow sales. The album also showed a change in direction in their music. While Sailin' Shoes was steeped in country, blues, and boogie music, Dixie Chicken is laid back and funkier. This would also be the album to debut longtime Feat members Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, and Kenny Gradney. Barrere, in particular, would play a pivotal role in the band, gradually writing more songs with their later releases and would be the major voice of the band when they regrouped in 1988.
   
   But Lowell George was still the star of the show on Dixie Chicken, writing most of the songs and adding those gruff distinctive lead vocals to every track. As for the songs, they're all very good although I believe the tracks on Sailin' Shoes are slightly better overall. The title track is to this day the band's best and most memorable song, featuring clever wordplay and slide guitar from George and a memorable piano hook from Bill Payne. Country superstar Garth Brooks would later do a respectable cover of this in the `90s, in effect introducing the greatness of Little Feat to a whole new audience. "Fat Man in the Bathtub", another one of George's great story songs, is arguably their second best track with Richie Hayward lending the opening hook with his busy drum line. While the rest of the tracks aren't as widely known, they're all very strong. Songs like the funky "Two Trains", the rollicking "Walkin' All Night", and the dark blues of "On Your Way Down" show George in all of his glory with some of the sweetest slide playing you'll ever hear and the female backing vocals, performed by future superstar Bonnie Raitt among others, providing a nice touch. Another great track is "Fool Yourself", which was written by Fred Tackett, who would later join Little Feat when they reunited for the Let It Roll album and continues to play a major role in the band. "Lafayette Railroad" is a cool instrumental that the band continues to play live while "Juliette", with its arrangement and solemn flute line, recalls a livelier version of Traffic. "Roll Um Easy" and "Kiss It Off" are both very laid back tunes with George's vocals providing the perfect accompaniment. All told, Dixie Chicken is one of the best works from one of the finest American rock bands. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Just Before the Bullets Fly.

1. JUST BEFORE THE BULLETS FLY, Gregg Allman's second solo album for Epic, is just as good as I'M NO ANGEL, his first for the label, and even though neither album is quite up to the standards of the Allman Brothers Band albums of the 70s, Allman's 1973 solo effort LAID BACK, or the reunion efforts, but they're worthy efforts in their own right. It's hard to say which of the two is better, as both have their own charms, which are easily appreciated if you don't come expecting "Wasted Words" or "Southbound."



2. IMHO Gregg's best recording and true High Fidelity. In the 70's I used to trudge around The Last Record Album to audition speakers for bass response (the days before subs were invented). 2 minutes of One Love Stand would tell my ears all they needed to know. Night Games on this CD will do the trick. If Dan Toler don't get you air guitarin', you got nothin'. Highly recommended.



3. This is definitely a guitar players album. There's not a single song that doesn't have an outstanding guitar part. "Demons" is the first cut and Dan Toler's guitar just rocks all the way through till "Every Hungry Woman", the last cut which is a great remake from the Allman's first album. The guitar playing is so awesome that it's easy to tell that Gregg really appreciated his guitar players talents too and just decided that he was going to step aside and let him do his thing. Dan Toler, probably highly under-rated, is no doubt one of the best in the business. If you really like to rock, you're going to really love this album...if you're a guitar player, you're going to be totally blown away!



4. For the Allman Bros fan, casual or hardcore, this is a great CD. Along w-"I'm No Angel", two of my favorites! Greg's solo work has always been more on the soul or R&B side as opposed to pure rock. Theres a little bit of everything here along w/that distictive voice! The song "Oceans Awash With Guns Wail" is one of my all time favorite songs. The guitar solo totally nails the classic AB style. A great cd for grillin & chillin on the porch. Still sounds fresh all these years later!



5. I haven't gotten it yet, but had it on cassette a long time ago. Know it's VERY good. Am very eager to receive it.

No comments about Best of the Allman Brothers Band: Green Series.

No comments about Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs, Vol. 2 [Limited Edition].

1 comments about Amazing Grace.

1. This is a collection of unissued tracks, alternative takes and rare issued material from the Gotham gospel mastertapes. While it's great for collectors, it should still apply to people who are considerably new to this type of music, and would like to explore more of it, because of it's happy, joyous sound and catchy tunes at times.

   The first song, "I found the Lord", features Tommy Ellison on what is his earliest known recording. He was a member of the group during the early 50's and later sang with the Chosen Gospel Singers before joining the Five Singing Stars and becoming one of the most popular figures in contemporary gospel.

   The second and the fifth song are done by a group called The Evening Star Quartet with Joe Cook who later found fame with "Little Joe and the Thrillers". Here they do two excellent and beautiful acapella cuts.

   Song number eight and nine are done by The Echo Gospel Singers of Baltimore and are both lively uptempo numbers. "I'm gonna have a happy time" especially generates considerable energy.

   The next two songs, number ten and eleven are also very joyous and lively and are performed by one of the most respected groups in gospel: The Davis Sisters. The mainstay of the group was Ruth Davis whose deep, almost manly, voice can be heard on "Get away Jordan".

   So you need not be afraid of this music if you like old, traditional gospel. Though it's rare it's not too hard to digest!

1 comments about A Walk on the Blues Side.

1. 30 great recordings, some are not strictly "blues" but this is a rewarding compilation. The album sleeve implies that the two Band songs and "Gatemouth" Brown's are "recent recordings" but are really from earlier albums. I would still highly recommend this CD set, many different styles are represented from rock oriented blues to rootsy acoustic to gospel, etc.