ALBUMS

• MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL: 1957: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: This was from recordings made in 1949 and 1950 but only a few of the tracks had ever been released. This album is considered an important- and influential album in the development of cool jazz. I have always found Miles Davis’s work the most accessible of all the great jazz performers. One of the musicians who played on this recording-is still living- alto saxophonist Lee Konitz- still with us at 91. Album is on the 1001 albums to hear list.

• ELVIS COSTELLO: BLOOD & CHOCOLATE: 1986: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Six months after King of America- EC returned to the studio with The Attractions- it would be eight years before they would work together again. They hadn’t been on King Of America- also old EC producer Nick Lowe was back on board. This was a return to the old rock sound of the early Elvis years where as King Of America- equally great in my book- was more of an Americana sounding album. On this one Elvis sounds angrier than he has been in years. Is on the 1001 albums to hear list.

• JEFF BECK: BECK-OLA: 1969: 3 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Not as successful or as good as the previous years “Truth”- seven songs-  it is only a half hour in length. It does have Rod Stewart still on board singing. A couple Elvis covers in Jailhouse Rock and All Shook Up.

• NILSSON: A LITTLE TOUCH OF SCHMILSSON IN THE NIGHT: 1973: Harry does an album of standards- arranged by Sinatra’s old arranger Gordon Jenkins. Harry was ahead of the curve here- this has become a popular thing to do in recent decades but Harry did it in 1973. It got mixed reviews but I really like it- because Harry had such a great voice- and was such a good singer- he pulls it off well.

• ELVIS COSTELLO: SPIKE: 1989: 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Around this time Elvis and Paul McCartney got together to write some songs. I have always liked the results- it’s too bad they haven’t done that again. Some of the songs ended up on Paul’s Flowers In The Dirt. Two of them ended up here- Veronica and Pads, Paws and Claws. Veronica would become Elvis’s biggest US hit #19. A couple political songs on here- Tramp The Dirt Down- a song against Margaret Thatcher got a lot of attention and Let Him Dangle- a song against capital punishment.

• ELVIS COSTELLO: OUT OF OUR IDIOT: 1987: 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: A collection of  21 rare and unreleased songs going back to 1979. It doesn’t play like a regular album like the previous “Taking Liberties” did- but it makes available songs that any Costello completest would need to have. Was only available in the US on import.

• THE ROLLING STONES: THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST:  1967: 3 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: It took me a long time but in the past year I am starting to come around a bit on this album. I used to hate it- now it’s an alright. The Stones at the end of 1967 with their psychedelic album- their ‘Sgt. Pepper” The Beatles were much better at it than The Stones were. I have always viewed this album as a break in the middle- that separates the early Stones -before this album and the classic period afterwards- where Brian Jones was losing both his influence and soon after his life.

• JOHNNY CASH: AT SAN QUINTIN: 1969: 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Johnny Cash’s second live album- following his iconic At Folsom Prison album the previous year. This is good stuff- but not quite Folsom Prison. This was Johnny’s first album without guitarist Luther Perkins who had recently died. Cash wrote the song San Quintin the day before the concert so this was the first concert performance of that song- and his “A Boy Named Sue” too. Album is on the 1001 albums to hear list.