I’ve always loved the six degrees of separation concept as it relates to my musical discoveries. The career of Joni Mitchell is a perfect example of that I didn’t discover Joni because of her much revered albums, Blue or Hejira.
I mentioned last week in my look back at Joni Mitchell’s album Wild Things Run Fast that it was her first album for Geffen Records and one which left a major impact on me. Mitchell’s subsequent release, 1985’s Dog Eat Dog was not only my first experience with the singer but left an even more lasting impact.
Joni Mitchell ended her tenure with Geffen Records with the lovely and understated Night Ride Home. The album is a stark contrast to its predecessor, 1988’s Caulk Mark In A Rainstorm, in many respects. The album leans heavily on Mitchell’s jazz guitar phrasings intertwine with coproducer Larry Klein’s 5 string bass.
Let me start off but stating the obvious. Vast talent does not equate to popularity. Fortunately in singer, songwriter and keyboardist Kiki Ebsen’s case, her vast talent has led to a string on elegant albums and respect of her musical contemporaries.
Did Fagen hit his high watermark with track number 4 on Morph The Cat? The song “Brite Nitegown” beats the listener over the head with Fagen’s rhythm stick. The writer producer/finally gets his drummer and bassist to work up a steamy sweat.
I love when a “new” Neil Young album comes out. Neil Young’s Live at The Cellar Door harkens me back to a time when Young was a the height of his power. No I’m not talking about the 1970 period Live at Cellar Door represents, I’m talking about Neil Young’s Geffen Records years from 1982-1987.
I have a deep love for Walter Becker’s second solo effort, 2008’s Circus Money. It’s a love that far surpasses any other solo effort to date by Donald Fagen or Becker himself. Yes, a love even bigger than the highest charter of the lot, Kamakiriad, or the solo debut by Fagen, The Nightfly? Heresy? I […]
Out now on Lateralize Records, Jo Harrop’s ‘The Path Of A Tear’ combines her wonderfully emotive vocals with her dazzling song-craft to produce an album more than the sum of its parts. The album, produced by noted producer Larry Klein, has eight originals from Harrop and three diverse covers.
The Dark Monarchy, with four complete studio albums and as many E.P.s, has seen a steady progression of their music. ‘Weight Of The World,’ the latest release from the band consisting of Prog-Metal multi-instrumentalist Mark Anthony K and Joe Bailey, continues the band’s upward progression. The five-song album continues with the adventurous bass runs by […]
Long-time Protocol leader and former Toto drummer Simon Phillips returns with multi-instrumentalist DarWin’s self-titled group. He joined Preston Frazier to discuss ‘Five Steps on the Sun’, future DarWin projects and a few key cuts from his tenure in Toto: PRESTON FRAZIER: How you get involved with DarWin? SIMON PHILLIPS: It started like many of these projects do nowadays: […]
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