New CD Releases

70s CD: Chicago XXX (yep, their 30th album) releases tomorrow!

2006-03-20T17:08:00Z

When Chicago exploded onto the music scene with their stellar 1969 double-LP debut, Chicago Transit Authority, the band's innovative fusion of up-front horns in a rock 'n' roll context and impeccable pop sensibilities was an instant smash. Chicago rank among the all-time most successful American rock group. On their 30th album, and first new studio album in 10 years-the band's songwriting mastery and world-class musicianship shines on a collection of tracks ranging from signature ballads to funked-up grooves to solid rockers.

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80s CD: Latest from Prince - 3121 ships tomorrow!

2006-03-20T16:54:00Z

Prince follows up his multi-platinum Musicology with "3121", which appears to be his strongest output this century and possibly dating back to 1996's sprawling 3-disc masterpiece Emancipation. If this CD doesn't put Prince back on to chart success, he simply doesn't have it in him anymore.

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Very Best of Prince
A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music
The Prince Of Egypt: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
25 Wedding Favorites

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80s CD: Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat (2006) releases tomorrow!

2006-03-13T16:49:00Z

The first solo album in 13 years from Donald Fagen, Morph The Cat is another contemporary classic from half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Steely Dan. With Fagan's adventurous musical depth, uniquely layered lyrics and entertaining subject matter (from a conversation with the ghost of Ray Charles to a romantic liaison with an airport security guard named Joan), Morph the Cat is the newest chapter chronicling the most sophisticated music in rock.

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Donald Fagen - Concepts for Jazz/Rock Piano DVD
[LP Record] The Nightfly - Donald Fagen

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70s CD: Latest Kris Kristofferson - This Old Road (2006) ships tomorrow!

2006-03-06T17:53:00Z

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Here is a review from Amazon.com:
Though Kris Kristofferson has long seemed ageless, the approach of his 70th birthday plainly has the songwriter looking back, taking stock and coming to terms with his legacy and his mortality. The result is his most consistently compelling release in decades, as well as his most stripped-to-the-bone intimate. The spare production by bassist Don Was captures Kristofferson in all his rough-edged, plain-spoken, and big-hearted glory, with occasional support from guitarist (and longtime Kristofferson compatriot) Stephen Bruton and drummer Jim Keltner putting the focus on songs that combine the poetic grace of Kristofferson's early classics with a conviction that has grown stronger with the passing years. "Wild Americans" offers a roll call of outspoken heroes--from American Indian activist John Trudell to country maverick Steve Earle--while "In the News" lambastes the very concept of a holy war. Yet it's the spiritual side of Kristofferson that really touches the soul, from a father's wonder at the "Holy Creation" of his children's birth to the bittersweet benediction of "Thank You for a Life." With the title cut, "The Last Thing to Go," "The Show Goes On," and "Final Attraction," he takes a look back at the life of a troubadour and decides that, for all the bumps, this road has been one of incomparable rewards. The listener shares the riches. --Don McLeese

The Essential Kris Kristofferson
16 Biggest Hits-Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson - All Time Greatest Hits
Sings Kris Kristofferson
The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson

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70s CD: Latest Van Morrison - Pay the Devil (2006) ships tomorrow!

2006-03-06T17:51:00Z

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There’s a reason they call Van Morrison the Belfast Cowboy. Now with Morrison’s latest album Pay The Devil, that good reason has resulted in a great new album. From the start, the deeply soulful sounds of the American South helped inspire Morrison to one of the most enduring and consistently impressive careers in music history. For forty-years, he’s drawn upon the greats of Rhythm & Blues to create his own distinctive and influential blend of soul and Celtic influences. On Pay The Devil, Morrison explores his inner cowboy more than ever before -- recording a compelling mix of his favorite country compositions as well as a few equally strong originals that more than earn their place among such distinguished company. And just as Morrison’s longtime hero Ray Charles did once upon a time on Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music, Morrison has taken some enduring, endlessly relevant songs of the south and somehow made them all his own. Those who have been following Van Morrison for years might praise him for his remarkable range in taking this turn down a country road. Recent years have seen Morrison cover the musical waterfront with recordings that touch upon traditional Irish music, jazz, skiffle and other musical forms that move him. But the secret of Morrison’s ongoing artistic success is that he has never followed fashion in the slightest. Rather he continues to be a working musician who simply follows his own soulful muse wherever it may lead him. The outstanding, plainspoken songs on Pay The Devil range from the familiar, like Morrison’s impressive take on Hank Williams’ "Your Cheating Heart" and Webb Pierce’s "There Stands The Glass" to somewhat less familiar Country & Western gems. It is a true tribute to Morrison’s genius as a vocal stylist that he can take a song as often covered as "Half As Much" -- recorded over the years by everyone from Hank Williams to Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris – and manage to make it feel new all over again. He does so by clearly connecting with country’s timeless themes of love and loss and life, sin and salvation. Through it all, Morrison proves to be one hell of a fine, subtle straight-ahead country singer in the grand tradition of George Jones. Indeed, one of Pay The Devil’s many highlights is Morrison’s take on "Things Have Gone To Pieces," a dark gem written by Leon Payne that Jones made famous. Then there’s "What Am I Living For?" -- an old Chuck Willis number. Listen to how ! Morrison delivers Rodney Crowell’s early masterpiece "Til I Gain Control Again" -- one of the more recent copyrights included here and a standout effort on an album full of them. Yet even among such high standards, Morrison’s originals here are among the highlights – including "Playhouse" a sly, infectious song that one wishes the Genius of Soul had lived to record, and the title track – a reflection on making the devil’s music and a fine reminder that "one man’s meat is another man’s poison" To listen to Pay The Devil, one might naturally assume that Morrison has traveled to Nashville and handed himself over to Music City’s finest players and producers. Remarkably, Morrison has done nothing of the sort – recording Pay The Devil in Ireland with the same wonderful musicians who have been playing with him for years now with exceptional results. Even more remarkably, it turns out that Morrison has never even been to Nashville before. Regardless of that, he has made a classic album that sounds like Nashville at its finest and stands as tall as anything that’s come out of the town in recent years. Pay The Devil is not just great country music, it’s great music – whatever country you happen to come from. We’ve come to expect no less from Morrison. Finally, the Belfast Cowboy has come home.

The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3
Van Morrison At The Movies: Soundtrack Hits
The Best of Van Morrison
The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 2
The Best Of Van Morrison

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