While there have been previous, not to mention extensive, archival reissues of Elvis Costello’s discography in recent years, the third one begun earlier in 2007 may end up being the best of the lot. At least if subsequent titles demonstrate the comprehensive logic of My Aim Is True 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.
The title track that opens Delta Moon’s Clear Blue Flame is a song about moonshine. Yes, it’s that kind of album. The subject matter, however, is of little importance. This is an album where the gritty blues rock riffs, country twang and trademark duel slide guitars are at the forefront.
The folks over at KEXP, that venerable institution of all things musically cool, have put together a third mix tape, culled from their back catalogue of live, in-studio performances.
The recently announced late 2007 New York appearances of Sly and the Family Stone will no doubt focus attention on the re-mastered limited-edition catalog titles released earlier in the year.
"5 Times Out of 100" should please longtime fans and while it would easy to point out several other standout tracks, it may just be easier to go ahead and recommend Happiness as the best of Hot Hot Heat's career.
Some bands cover songs, others rename songs, but Magnet School has made an album out of a song.
Listen My Friends, a twenty track Moby Grape compilation, is arguably superior to the now out-of-print double-cd Vintage simply because this one focuses solely on the group’s strengths.
Appreciating Mighty High means allowing for Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule to indulge their recent surge of interest in dub and other reggae flavors. There's a lot to like on Mighty High and a lot to discard. Even haters of the CD–some Mule fanatics have called it un-listenable, and they're not totally wrong, should feel comfortable knowing the band has no plans for a holding pattern with this musical output. Trust in that.
In over 40 years of performing, Van Morrison has released records on a variety of labels. Until now, there has apparently not been a best of culled from his entire catalog. Still on Top is a single volume anthology of Van the Man's hits ranging from his time in the mid-60s with Them up to 2005's Magic Time. As such, it is a bit inconsistent as were the times.
Warren Zevon invaded the mainstream only briefly during his career but in so doing forged a memorable persona with the public. Preludes, a double disc package of unreleased demo recordings combined with an interview on cd, illustrates how much more there is to the man than the combination of comic absurdity and latent violence in songs such as “Excitable Boy” and “Werewolves of London.”
