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This is a live album, recorded at the Roxy and elsewhere, a bit of a giveaway. Together with the 1988 touring band, the 1973-74 ensemble was probable the technically most gifted bunch of musicians Frank ever worked with. Frank was well into his jazz rock phase at the time (check his studio albums of...

After Night at the opera and Day at the races Queen had to think of a new album title. Not too much of a problem, and I don’t really mind the new title: it’s long (unlike Jazz , the next one), it’s pompous and grandiose and suggests that great things are happening. And in a way they are. Queen also ...

Mike Oldfield is mostly famous for Tubular Bells in various versions over the years, and some other side long or album long instrumental epics. However, at the beginning of the 1980’s, he scored a few crossover pop hits: Moonlight shadow, Shadow on the wall and To France . The first two can be found...

… or any other day of the week, I would not listen to this. Mr. John Mayer has taken the meaning of the concept of being overrated to a whole new level, possibly without being able to do anything about it. As music goes, the performance is mostly OK, but unless you are a fifteen year old boy or girl...

Daniel Lanois is somewhat of an Eno clone (although they’ve worked together on occasions) (and Nigel Godrich would be a Lanois clone). His is mainly known as a producer and as such he is famous for adding ethereal buzzes and beeps, strange percussion effects and somewhat alienating atmospheric sound...

As far as singer songwriters go, this album may have coined the term ‘meandering’. Boy, is this album meandering. Apart from the song Bitter with the sweet , which has a somewhat disco groove, all songs gently flow in and out of your ears. This is so utterly harmless that it was difficult to stay aw...

Dr John has been around for ages, under his nom de plume since the late 60’s, but as a pianist and composer since the late 50’s. His music is strongly influenced by New Orleans, and this record is more or less a comeback album in the sense that he revisits his major influences. The songs range from ...

IZZ still is, although they have not been terribly successful. Their music is complex, something between Genesis and Emerson Lake and Palmer, but with a second drummer, some female vocalists and generally, a little more variety. The musicianship is uniformly great, but the song writing is not, unfor...

Herbie Hancock grew up in groups by trumpeter Miles Davis in the 1960’s. He’s a jazz musician. He plays the piano. So buy this album if that’s your cup of tea. Sorry, that’s a poor joke, because this album sounds nothing like you would expect from that info. This is actually more a funk or jazz rock...

When you ask members of the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Run Westy Run, Big star and Wilco to mix their sounds you would not be surprised if you got something like this. If you like any of these bands, especially the Jayhawks, you cannot go wrong with this record. Heavy on the electric guitar, mainly in a...