Archive for September, 2017

Chicago, “Woman Don’t Want to Love Me” from Chicago VII (1974): Saturdays In The Park

Chicago, “Woman Don’t Want to Love Me” from Chicago VII (1974): Saturdays In The Park

The fact that “Woman Don’t Want to Love Me” is a lesser song on ‘Chicago VII’ is a testament to how strong the rest of the album really is.

Vinyl

Philipp Gerschlauer and David Fiuczynski – Mikrojazz: Neue Expressionistische Musik (2017)

Philipp Gerschlauer and David Fiuczynski getting together for ‘Mikrojazz: Neue Expressionistische Musik’ took microtonal music to new places, and there’s never a dull moment.

Vinyl

Here’s Chippy – Things We Left Behind (2018): Something Else! Sneak Peek

Hooky hard-rocking tunes, loaded with nifty noodlings, humming with momentum and good timing is where Chip Muellemann’s heart and soul resides.

Vinyl

Bob Dylan’s Trouble No More: I Haven’t Heard It, But I Already Have Issues

Columbia Records touts the gospel-focused ‘Trouble No More’ as the “definitive retrospective of a pivotal period” in Bob Dylan’s canon. It’s not.

Vinyl

Michael McDonald – Wide Open (2017)

‘Wide Open’ may well be Michael McDonald’s most musically dense and compelling studio project – and that’s saying something.

Toto, “Home of the Brave” from The Seventh One (1988): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “Home of the Brave” from The Seventh One (1988): Toto Tuesdays

Toto’s “Home of the Brave” isn’t just a song. It’s the storming crescendo of 1988’s ‘The Seventh One.’

The Beatles, “Not a Second Time” from With the Beatles (1963): Deep Beatles

The Beatles, “Not a Second Time” from With the Beatles (1963): Deep Beatles

“Not a Second Time” may be a hidden gem off ‘With the Beatles,’ but it has also become famous for two other words: “Aeolian cadence.”

Vinyl

Barry Altschul & The 3Dom Factor – Live In Kraków (2015)

A galvanizing performance on stage makes it three for three for Barry Altschul and his 3Dom Factor. We could stand for another one after ‘Live In Kraków,’ however.

Chicago, “Call on Me” from Chicago VII (1974): Saturdays in the Park

Chicago, “Call on Me” from Chicago VII (1974): Saturdays in the Park

Combining a catchy melody, a good story, amazing brass and prominent percussion, Chicago’s “Call on Me” is a purely enjoyable listen.

Steely Dan’s Aja at 40: Still the pinnacle of jazz-pop sophistication

Steely Dan’s Aja at 40: Still the pinnacle of jazz-pop sophistication

Steely Dan’s ‘Aja’ set the bar for finesse in pop and rock music, and that bar hadn’t been cleared yet.