Duets (Emmylou Harris) – Album Review

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A '90s Picture Of Emmylou Stands As The Cover Of The Album

A '90s Picture Of Emmylou Stands As The Cover Of The Album

As I mentioned in the general introduction, this was the first album by a country artist that I ever bought. Leaving aside the sentimental value that I consequently attach to the CD, I must say that it is consistently good – even when I know that it was assembled more or less in a hurry to capitalize on the success of the “Trio” album.

Emmylou’s duet partner include Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, John Denver, Roy Orbison and Ricky Scaggs along with The Band and Southern Pacific (the band Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival was to join shortly).

The highlights of the record are undoubtedly the three songs that hit the top 10 upon their respective release dates: “Love Hurts” (with Parsons),”That Lovin’ You Feelin” (with Orbison) and the duet with John Denver on “Wild Montana Skies”. Continue reading →

Emmylou Harris – General Introduction

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A Young Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris In The '70s

Emmylou Harris was born in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama. She was discovered by Gram Parsons and assumed vocal duties with the man who we now deem as one of the fathers of country rock, cutting the timeless duet “Love Hurts”. She was to eventually establish herself as one of the most distinguished female performers within country music along with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton, and as a true point of reference within music as a whole. Continue reading →

Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (Billy Joel) – Compilation Album (Part 2)

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Only two Billy Joel compilations that span two CDs have been issued so far. I have reviewed the first one here – it is the one named “Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II”. The second definitive compilation was issued in 2001, and it is the one entitled “The Essential Billy Joel”.

Essential Billy Joel

“Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II” has 35 tracks. “The Essential Billy Joel” has 36. The latter covers every single album he released, the former reaches up to “An Innocent Man”. His three final albums are not covered.

There is a very glaring omission as far as the “Essential” compilation goes: “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” has been neglected. The song is beloved by fans, and while it was never released as a single (the only justification the compilers have for the omission) its relevance within Joel’s catalog is something which can never be disputed. Continue reading →

Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (Billy Joel) – Compilation Album (Part 1)

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Billy Joel Hits

The Front Cover

At the time of its release (1985), “Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II” was the definitive Billy Joel collection. All his major works are covered (no less than 6 compositions are culled from “The Stranger”), and two new tracks were included to appease long-time fans that already had all the hits.

The first disc opens with his by now standard “Piano Man”, and culminates with the highlights from “The Stranger”. Included is “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant”, a true favorite of Joel’s fans along with the title-track and a song that topped the charts and which Billy doesn’t particularly like: “Just The Way You Are”. Continue reading →

Billy Joel – General Introduction

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Sing Us A Song, You're The Piano Man

Sing Us A Song, You're The Piano Man

I discovered Billy Joel through his connection with Sir Elton John. Obviously, I had been on very good terms with songs like “Piano Man” and “Uptown Girl” long before I ever bought my fist Billy Joel record, and I recall that the one song of his that had me buying that album (a compilation) was “She’s Always A Woman”. I know the Elton/Billy comparison is a frequent one, but having listened to the output of both artists I can tell you it is a bit of a gratuitous comparison.

To begin with, Billy not only sings and plays the piano but actually writes the music and the words to his songs. Elton (as you probably know) writes only the music. That might be one of the reasons why Billy Joel only released about a dozen albums while Elton has released over 50 and counting.

But the main difference to me seems to lie in the actual subject matter. Simply put, Elton’s career has a somehow farcical value attached to it by many. Personally, I don’t like to use that expression when talking about Elton but it is the one that best defines a significant part of his career, and (most tellingly) the one that made him a star. And a fact is a fact: there is not an album within Elton’s discography that has the cultural significance of something like “The Nylon Curtain”, nor a song like “We Didn’t Start The Fire”.

Since Billy’s career has been shorter than Elton’s (he quitted recording rock and roll after releasing the “River Of Dreams” album in 1993), it is easier to get acquainted with his work and the filler is less abundant. Continue reading →

Month In Review – September 2009

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This was quite an interesting month for a number of reasons. First of all, MusicKO became 100 post old this month. In addition to that, one of my favorite sites on the WWW (Chalkhills, a huge repository of information devoted to XTC) linked back to me and I am very grateful for that.

I am also glad I added a band I love to MusicKO: The Goo Goo Dolls. Moreover, I reviewed some great compilations like Crystal Gayle’s “All-time Greatest Hits” package and a ZZ Top’s greatest hits album. Continue reading →

All Guitar Chords – For All Aspiring Guitar Heroes

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Name: All Guitar Chords
URL: http://www.all-guitar-chords.com

Looking back at the resources for musicians and music lovers I have covered so far I realize that I have not featured a single one that teaches people how to play an instrument. There is a good reason for that – I believe that playing an instrument (any instrument) is something innate. Still, a helping hand does not go amiss, and the site I am reviewing now is as good as any other to these effects.

In this particular case, it all revolves around guitar chords and scales. More than 200 of the former and 80 of the latter are featured for you to start emulating David Gilmour. Well, maybe not, but these are enough chords to play any song within the repertoire of The Kinks, The Jam or The Who. Continue reading →

Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (The Goo Goo Dolls) – Compilation Album

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The Cover Of The Compliation

The Cover Of The Compliation

If you have already gone through the general introduction I penned yesterday, you know I bought this CD more or less accidentally and how it hit me like nothing else the moment it started playing.

This compilation focuses on the Goo Goo Dolls’ commercial peak, heralded by the smash song “Iris” from the movie “City Of Angels” and the album “Dizzy Up The Girl” up to the song “Before It’s Too Late” from Michael Bay’s debatable big-screen adaptation of the classic 80s’ show “Transformers”. Three albums are covered: “Dizzy Up The Girl”, “Gutterflower” and “Let Love In”. These are albums that more or less follow the pattern set down by a song that was originally featured on the album called “A Boy Named Goo” (1995), and which was entitled “Name”. It was their first successful excursion into a territory much mellower than what many fans were accustomed to, and it signaled the commencement of their surge in popularity. That song has been re-recorded for inclusion on this compilation. There is not really that much of a departure – the role the acoustic guitar plays out is the only noticeable difference between the old and the new version of “Name”. Continue reading →

The Goo Goo Dolls – General Introduction

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Left To Right: Robby Takac, John Rzeznik & Mike Malinin

Left To Right: Robby Takac, John Rzeznik & Mike Malinin

One of my greatest projects is the eventual realization of a mini-series revolving around the lives of five friends who are in a band together, and who enter a music contest. The viewer gets to see them as they learn what matters in life through music, and I have spent a truly inordinate amount of time working the soundtrack out to the point that music has become the true protagonist of the series.

One day, I caught a song called “Sympathy” on the radio. I liked it and downloaded it. The song became part of the soundtrack I assembled. And I have a rule: if I ever come across a CD containing any of the songs I have included in that soundtrack, I buy the album immediately. When I was shopping one day, I spotted the Goo Goo Dolls “Greatest Hits” CD and I purchased it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but a rule is a rule. Continue reading →

All-Time Greatest Hits (Crystal Gayle) – Compilation Album

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The Cover Of The CD

The Cover Of The CD

The youngest sister of country luminary Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle has had career that began at the age of 16 (as part of the Loretta Lynn Show) and which has lasted to this day, yielding no less than 18 number 1 singles.  This cut-cost compilation (first issued by Curb in 1990) boasts a representative number of them along with songs that nearly topped the charts like “When I Dream” (a top 3 hit) and “I’ll Do It All Over Again” (which hit number 2 back in 1977).

I am glad that my two favorite songs by Crystal are included – the adorable “Talking In Your Sleep” and “Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For”. Both compositions were number 1 smashes – the former was the first song of hers I ever listened to, and the latter is one of the faster songs included here in terms of tempo, and one that provides a nice break from the overall mood of the album, which is mostly middle-paced. I am also very fond of the song “Somebody Loves You” – a top 10 hit, and one that melds a bouncy melody with a set of lyrics that are simple but incredibly effective, portraying attachment and loss very deftly indeed. Continue reading →