Rimsky-Korsakov - Sheherazade (2002)

Valery Gergiev conducting the Kirov Orchestra.

I'll be honest: I bought this CD because 1) it was cheap in the clearance bin, 2) it's a SACD, and 3) I like Sheherazade (also spelled Scheherazade), so why not? Turns out to be a fantastic interpretation, made that much better by the SACD format. This is the fourth CD I own that contains Sheherazade, but this disc includes two new pieces to my shelves, In The Steppes Of Central Asia (Borodin, 1880) and Islamey (Balakirev, 1869). So we've got three of "The Five" represented here.

Recorded under live conditions but without an audience in St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, this Scheherazade is the most red-blooded, exciting account of Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral warhorse that I know, helped by full, immediate sound of a richness rare in Russian recordings.

excerpt from https://www.gramophone.co.uk/

I'll second that. I'm not an expect on SACD by any means, but I've noticed a distinct difference between "native" digital recordings and older recordings subsequently transferred to DSD. Also listening on quality headphones makes a difference. But back to the music itself...

Tracks: I think one of the reasons I'm drawn to Sheherazade is Rimsky-Korsikov's amazing orchestration. What a master. He should write a book on the subject (spoiler: he did).

I hadn't heard In The Steppes Of Central Asia in many years. When I was studying music back in the 1980's, the piece was commonly played at orchestra concerts (particularly as a concert opener) but seems to have fallen out of favor over the past few decades - as have orchestras, but that's beyond the scope of this meager blog. And don't get me started on the many symphony fiascos here in San Antonio over the past 6 years. Anyhoo, it's nice to hear Steppes again. It is a programmatic piece written in 1880 for an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the reign of Tsar Alexander II and dedicated to Franz Liszt. The composer himself provided the following program note:

In the silence of the monotonous steppes of Central Asia is heard the unfamiliar sound of a peaceful Russian song. From the distance we hear the approach of horses and camels and the bizarre and melancholy notes of an oriental melody. A caravan approaches, escorted by Russian soldiers, and continues safely on its way through the immense desert. It disappears slowly. The notes of the Russian and Asiatic melodies join in a common harmony, which dies away as the caravan disappears in the distance.

However, it is an enjoyable 8 minutes whether you know the program or not. Fascinating side note: Borodin was a chemist and physician who wrote a little music in his spare time.

Islamey is a new piece for me. Originally written for piano in 1869, it is quite difficult and known as a virtuosic showpiece. The symphonic version heard on this disc was transcribed/arranged by Sergei Lyapunov. We're treated to three brief sections: 1) Allegro agitato, very busy and intense, 2) Tranquillo – Andantino espressivo, a slower, more romantic section that introduces a new legato theme, and 3) Allegro vivo – Presto furioso, which returns to the main theme. An exciting listen but I imagine is even more fun to perform.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: For more on my initial adventures with SACD, check out this earlier Béla Bartók post.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Scheherazade/Capriccio Espagnol/Russian Easter Overture (1995 compilation)
Scheherazade (1994) Ernest Ansermet L'Orchestra De La Suisse Romande (Ansermet)
Scheherazade/Capriccio Espagnol (1984) Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Dutoit)

Ike Quebec - Bossa Nova Soul Samba (1962)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2007 Rudy Van Gelder Edition with three bonus tracks.

According to a brief note in CashBox magazine, this album was the first Bossa Nova album released on the Blue Note label. Not particularly innovative, but quite good. Very similar to Getz albums of the time, except when Kenny Burrell gets a solo turn, then everything seems to kick up a notch.

Sadly, this was the last album Quebec recorded before his death in January 1963, at the age of 44, from lung cancer.

Quebec - tenor saxophone
Kenny Burrell - guitar
Wendell Marshall - bass
Willie Bobo - drums
Garvin Masseaux - chekere

Original liner notes by Nat Hentoff.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard (★★★★): "deserving of some attention."
• DownBeat (★★★½): "a pleasant, unpretentious set of pretty ballads played with assurance and quiet passion."
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★½
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: My favorites are Lloro Tu Despedida, Me 'N You, Shu Shu, Blue Samba, and Linda Flor. Unusual for the time, there's nothing on this album written by Jobim.

Bonus tracks: alternate takes of Loie, Shu Shu, and Favela.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Easy Living (1987)
It Might As Well Be Spring (1964)
Blue & Sentimental (1963)
Heavy Soul (1962)

New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2025 two disc "Definitive Edition" reissue.

Slant magazine called this album "the real beginning of New Order’s career" and I must concur. Leaving behind the "Joy Division music with New Order vocals" sound of Movement, we start to hear the group's take on the emerging synth-dance music coming out of the UK at that time. They added their own spin on that sound and this album ended being highly influential. The music seamlessly combined post-punk, synth-pop, and dance music into a style that influenced alternative rock, indie dance, and electronic music for decades. The influences of records such as this often end up sounding somewhat obvious not because they lacked imagination, but because everyone else spent the next few decades borrowing from them. Somehow I never had a copy on my shelves; an oversight corrected with the purchase of these CDs.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone (★★★★): "This record is a quantum leap over Movement, the band's first album, and over most of the music coming out of Britain lately."
• Smash Hits (6½ out of 10): "mainly murky and dull"
• Billboard: "insistent, danceable rhythms and melancholy harmonic colors coexist"
• Trouser Press: "a distinct improvement over New Order's debut album"
• Robert Christgau (B+): "I find it relatively gentle and melodic in its ambient postindustrial polyrhythms, their nicest record ever. I also think it sounds pretty much like the others."
• New Musical Express: "I suspect it'll prove one of the best records made in England this year."
• Record Mirror (+++): "a severe disappointment"

Power, Corruption & Lies placed at #262 on the 2020 edition of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and, in 1989, was placed at #94 on that magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s, calling it "a landmark album of danceable, post-punk music."

I call bullshit on this reissue for not including
"the HIT Dance Single 'BLUE MONDAY b/w THE BEACH' (FACTUS 10)."
Those tracks were originally on the cassette and
there's plenty of room on these two discs ferchrissakes.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: I gravitate towards the dancier stuff which, to my ear, is Age Of Consent, The Village, Your Silent Face, and Ecstasy.

Bonus tracks: I can't resist the siren call of bonus tracks, particularly if the reissue carries a designation such as this "Definitive Edition." It's just too much for the collector in me to pass up. Unfortunately, all we've got here are demos which they've titled "writing session recordings" and they're about as exciting as reading the unedited first draft of a young adult novel. The exceptions here are tracks 7-10, the John Peel session from 1982. The band delivers more relaxed versions of four tunes: Turn The Heater On, We All Stand, Too Late, and 5-8-6. Turn the Heater On (a Keith Hudson cover) and Too Late were only ever recorded for the Peel session and neither were ever performed live.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I have a particular memory of this album and the first time I held an import copy back in late '83, but that tale is rather mean-spirited and I gain nothing from sharing it here. I'll just mention that all involved were knuckleheaded teenaged boys and leave it at that.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Waiting For The Sirens' Call (2005)	Republic© (1993)
Get Ready (2001)	Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)
(the best of) New Order (1995)	Brotherhood (1986)
(the rest of) New Order (1995)	Movement (1981)

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - 662 (2021)

The second release from this blues phenom who was only 22 at the time he recorded the album. From the album's press release:

Ingram describes 662 (the number is northern Mississippi's telephone area code) as "a presentation of my life in and away from the Delta." The album overflows with hard-hitting original songs, jaw-dropping guitar work and deep, soul-possessed vocals.

Right up my alley. This Mississippi rockin' boogie blues with hooks galore is perfect for summer driving and/or just sittin' and sippin' on the porch in the South Texas heat and humidity (speaking from personal experience).

The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Kingfish and the album won five(!) awards at the 29th Annual Living Blues Awards from Living Blues magazine. Speaking of magazine awards, DownBeat magazine named it as Best Blues Album in its 70th Annual Critics Poll:

Press of the time:

• Living Blues: "each note sounds right, each string-bend and grunge-flecked wail appropriate in its place"
• Blues Blast: "No longer the 'future of the blues' - as Guitar Player magazine once called him, Kingfish’s time is NOW!"
• Blues Rock Review (9 out 10): "Ingram shows that he has only sharpened his ability to cut, soar, and amaze with nothing more than a couple of choice guitar licks, or a flurry of emotive runs."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Blues: #1

Tracks: Unlike many blues albums, there's enough variety here to make this a top-to-bottom listen. If pressed to pick favorites, today I'll go with 662, Another Life Goes By, Not Gonna Lie, I Got To See You, and the autobiographical Something In The Dirt.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I picked up my copy of this CD in an autographed digisleeve at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi in October 2025 when my wife and I traveled parts of the Mississippi Blues Trail.

Billy Joel - Fantasies & Delusions, Op. 1 - 10 (2001)

Performed by Hyung-ki (Richard) Joo, half of the comedy duo Igudesman & Joo.

Listening to whatever this is, I'm reminded of the following quote from Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton:

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” ― Dr. Ian Malcolm

Yeah, Joel could attempt some "serious" composition, but should he? As it is, he just joins the other pop/rock songsmiths that have tried the thing with similar undemanding, lackluster, disappointing results (I'm looking at you Sir Paul and Joe Jackson although I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting at present).

Press of the time:

• Washington Post: "little more than a garland of homages to some important masters -- not quite mimicry, but pretty close."
• Billboard: "ambitious, impressionistic"
• Rolling Stone (★★★): "for the most part, Joel doesn't let his delusions get the best of him."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #83
• Billboard Classical: #1

Tracks: It's all derivative of Debussy, Chopin, Faure, and other European composers from the late 19th/early 20th century. He's got the harmony down, but it lacks in melody and form.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this CD when released, quickly traded it in, then inherited today's CD from my father upon his passing. Or did I give him my copy instead of trading it in and now it's returned to me in some sort of karmic retribution? Anyway...

Previously revisited for the blog:

My Lives (2005)	The Nylon Curtain (1982)
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000)	Songs in the Attic (1981)
To Make You Feel My Love (1997)	Glass Houses (1980)
River Of Dreams (1993)	52nd Street (1978)
Storm Front (1989)	The Stranger (1977)
The Bridge (1986)	Turnstiles (1976)
An Innocent Man (1983)	Streetlife Serenade (1974)
	Piano Man (1973)

Tom Scott - Them Changes (1990)

Some oldtimers might remember that Pat Sajak had his own late-night talk show on CBS from January 1989 to April 1990. Sajak's house band was led by Tom Scott and that's the band we've got playing on this CD, including guitarist Eric Gale and a young Dave Koz (then billed as David Koz). I can't say I ever watched the show as I preferred NBC's one-two punch of Carson/Letterman. In any case, this isn't a bad album although it consists primarily of cover versions, including two Scott originals he had previously recorded on earlier albums. I'm guessing these were tunes the band played regularly on the show?

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #21
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #13

Tracks:

1. Zoot Suit - upbeat original written by David Koz and Jeff Lorber
2. Pick Up The Pieces - originally released by the Average White Band on the album AWB (1974)
3. Chester & Bruce - originally released by guitarist Pat Kelley on his album I'll Stand Up (1989)
4. Desire - originally released by Scott on his album of the same name (1982)
5. Them Changes - originally released by drummer Buddy Miles on his album Them Changes (1970)
6. Too Hot - originally released by Kool & The Gang on the album Ladies' Night (1979)
7. Serpentine Fire - originally released by Earth, Wind & Fire on the album All 'N All (1977)
8. Dahomey Dance - originally released by saxophonist John Coltrane on the album Olé Coltrane (1961)
9. We Belong Together - originally released by Scott on the album Apple Juice (1981)

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Smokin' Section (1999)	Desire (1982)
Night Creatures (1995)	Apple Juice (1981)
Reed My Lips (1994)	Blow It Out (1977)
Keep This Love Alive (1991)	Intimate Strangers (1978)
One Night/One Day (1986)	Street Beat (1979)
Target (1983)

The Beach Boys - Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971 (2021)

Here in sunny South Texas it's been a relatively cool summer, with high temperatures in the 90s instead of the usual 100s. And while any time is a good time to listen to the Beach Boys, their music seems especially suited to summer, so let's spin this two-fer this morning.

A 2 CD set consisting of expanded reissues of the "comeback" albums Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971); the title is taken from the Surf's Up track Feel Flows (track 6 on disc 2 here). I bought these discs back in 2023 after listening to a few of the tracks in a Beach Boys box set. Metacritic rates this reissue at 87/100 which falls within their "universal acclaim" parameters. To be honest, I was completely unfamiliar with these two albums before inheriting the aforementioned box set and I was pleasantly surprised after taking a chance on this two disc set. The original albums get playing time around here, the 34(!) bonus tracks not as much.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #83

---

SUNFLOWER (1970)

The band's 16th studio album and their first on the Reprise label. It sold poorly, but would later gain appreciation as many fans today consider Sunflower to be among the group's finest post-Pet Sounds albums. The band functions as a band with Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love, and Al Jardine emerged from Brian Wilson's shadow as songwriters. Nevertheless, we're still treated to the Beach Boys' trademark vocal harmonies mixed with elements of soft rock, soul, and sophisticated pop.

#380 in the 2003 version of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and #66 in the 1997 version of The Guardian's 100 Best Albums Ever.

Press of the time:

• Record World: "They stay very close to the fluid, close harmony songs they used to sing when they first started out."
• CashBox: "Brian's back, the group is happy and the album shows it."
• Billboard: "Chart hits for the tapping."
• Robert Christgau (A-): "Maybe they weren't really surfers or hot rodders, but they were really Southern Californians, and that's what their music was about. It still is, too, only now they sing about water, broken marriages, and the love of life. Still a lot of fun, too."
• Rolling Stone: "the Beach Boys have finally produced an album that can stand with Pet Sounds."

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #151

Tracks:

Four singles were released from the album but only one charted, Add Some Music To Your Day peaked at #64 on Billboard's Hot 100. By 1970, I imagine the general public might have been suffering from overexposure to the group and was somewhat fatigued on their sound. Admittedly, I'm coming to the album decades later, but a few favorite tracks have come to stand out: Slip On Through, This Whole World, It's About Time, All I Wanna Do, and Forever.

Bonus tracks: Listed above. B-sides, alternate takes, promos, live versions, outtakes. As with most bonus tracks of this ilk, interesting to hear once or twice, but I really only want the first 12 tracks. For completists only, I'd say. Trying to be a completist is a dangerous game that is seldom winnable and I'm trying my hardest to retire from that game. Fingers crossed.

---

SURF'S UP (1972)

In which Brian Wilson helped invent indie rock. Plus, the album ends with two songs that are the most beautiful things Wilson ever wrote outside of God Only Knows. Rather than celebrating California surf culture, the album explores themes of mortality, nostalgia, environmental responsibility, and disillusionment. Plus, there's a song about feet. I prefer Surf's Up to Sunflower but I'm only comparing the two because they put them together in this set.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "This is a good album, probably as good as Sunflower, which is terrific"
• Record World: "songs that alternate between high class bubble gum and contemporary social comment. Hit."
• CashBox: "Beautiful."
• Robert Christgau (B-): "the songs on the first side are all right...but the pop impressionism of side two drags hither and yon."
• Stereo Review: "It's a great album."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #29
• CashBox: #25

Tracks:

In addition to 'Til I Die and Surf's Up, my preferred tracks on this album include Long Promised Road, Disney Girls (1957), and Feel Flows.

The Australian edition of Rolling Stone placed Student Demonstration Time (an altered version of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Riot in Cell Block Number 9" with new lyrics by Mike Love) at #7 on its 2025 list of 50 Terrible Songs on Great Albums. I concur.

Bonus tracks: as above.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was going through some stuff in August 2023 and the songs 'Til I Die & Surf's Up played on repeat helped me through it. Today, they continue to bring me comfort, not so much in the lyrics but the beauty of the music.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The SMiLE Sessions (1967/2011)
That's Why God Made The Radio (2012)
20 Good Vibrations: The Greatest Hits (1995)
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years Of The Beach Boys (1993)
Pet Sounds (1966)