Young Gun Silver Fox - West End Coast (2015)

I can't think of anything to add to what I've already written about this wonderful neo-yacht band. The duo's debut album is fantastically smooth; I dig the thing and have for over a decade. If you're of a certain age (born sometime in the 1960s) and listened to pop music in the late '70s (preferably on AM radio), you should check out any music from this duo. But don't take my word for it, let's see what the brain trust over at Amazon has to say about this album:

• "Just like a 70's mix tape but modern!"
• "Close your eyes and you'd swear you are relaxing on a California beach circa 1978 with a record player going in the background"
• "What a blissfully laid-back, summer vibe album"
• "Planning a garden party? Use this as a background sound experience."
• "The music is based on its idols but does not reach the originals."

The bloggers liked it, too:

• Spill Magazine: "Hands down, West End Coast is sonic gold."
• Written In Music (★★★★): "perfectly executed pop"
• Sonic Soul Reviews: "Absolutely fantastic."

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

Tracks: It's all delightfully derivative and on most tracks they perfectly capture the tones, instrumentation, and production of the era. One can easily listen to any of the ten tracks here and think, "that sounds like [insert name of '70s soft rocker]." For example, if track 4, Distance Between Us, doesn't immediately remind you of the 1977 Player tune Baby Come Back, then you're at the wrong blog. I can't pick any favorites here, just press play.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Pleasure (2025)
Ticket To Shangri-La (2022)
Canyons (2020)
AM Waves (2018)

The Amazing Bud Powell. Vol. 2 (1954)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2001 Rudy Van Gelder Edition with 7 bonus tracks. Originally released as 8 track, 10-inch LP in 1954, this album was reconfigured and re-released as a 12-inch LP in 1955.

This CD reverts back to the original 8 track sequence, then adds one extra track and six alternate takes. All tracks recorded at WOR Studios, New York City, on August 14, 1953. Curiously, this recording session was engineered by Doug Hawkins and not Rudy Van Gelder. It appears as a RVG edition having been remastered by Van Gelder in 2001.

Like Volume 1, this album is superb. The trio plays with a combination of precision and looseness (if that dichotomy is possible - evidence here suggests it is). I hear Powell thinking in real time, moving from his bebop roots to something new. The chord substitutions and extensions are fascinating.

Powell - piano
George Duvivier - bass
Arthur Taylor - drums

Original liner notes by Leonard Feather. 2001 liner notes by Bob Blumenthal.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★★★): "worth repeated listening"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★

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

Tracks: My top picks today are Beets And I, Collard Greens And Black-Eyed Peas, Polka Dots And Moonbeams, and I Want To Be Happy.

Bonus tracks: I’ve Got You Under My Skin is a great take and it's omission on the original release is obviously a matter of Blue Note having limited space on the 10" record. The other bonus tracks are alternate takes that simply illustrate that the label could have used any take and it would have been the right call.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Inner Fires: The Genius Of Bud Powell (1982)
The Amazing Bud Powell. Vol. 1 (1956)

Squeeze - Trixies (2026)

Note: the CD I listened to was the "enhanced 2CD + Blu-ray edition" which includes the album, a second CD of demos & live cuts, and a Blu-ray of 24-bit HD audio masters & the album mixed by Bob Clearmountain in Dolby Atmos. All packaged in an quadfold digisleeve.

Edited from the band's website:

Although ‘brand new’ may not be entirely appropriate; written by the teenage Chris Difford (19) and Glenn Tilbrook (16) at the very start of their songwriting partnership, when concept albums and rock operas were de rigueur, the songs are a collection of stories set in a fictional night club, Trixies.

“We fully committed ourselves to songwriting but this was three or four years before we even got to make our first record. Long story short, these were songs that we just didn’t have enough musical experience to record properly” explains Chris.

Under the guiding production hand of Squeeze’s bassist Owen Biddle, this collection of songs finally gets to enjoy its moment in the spotlight. “The songs that we wrote then astound me. I’m proud of them now, and I’m particularly proud that it was young us that did that. These are very much the same songs that we wrote then,” says Glenn, “The only difference is that now I can teach the songs to the rest of the band. Back then, I didn’t even know what the names of the chords were!”

Well, considering the age and inexperience of the boys when these tunes were written, they're not terrible. But coming back to them decades later? Maybe not the best idea. I've got an old play script I wrote when I was 17 years old but I sure wouldn't stage a production of it today.

Anyway, I knew that some Squeeze tunes require multiple listenings before appreciation, but that didn't do the trick for me with these tracks. Then I heard the songs live (see below) and that didn't help, either. So this probably won't get many spins in the future, if any. And a three disc set was indeed overkill. Metacritic has the album rated as 83/100 so I'm obviously missing something. And I'm OK with that.

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

Tracks: 13 tracks, almost all midtempo or slower. The best track on the album is You Get The Feeling, followed at a distance by Hell On Earth. I usually skip the attempt at Bowie glam rock, The Place We Call Mars and The Dancer, which is terribly repetitive.

CD 2: 11 demos from 1974 plus 2 live tracks from 2024. Nothing worth hearing more than once, if that.

Blu-ray: the 13-track album in Dolby Atmos. Good news: I think Atmos mixes sound terrific. Bad news: what that means for my bank account.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: My lovely wife and I caught the band September 22, 2026 on their "Tried, Tested and Trixies" tour, which I've dubbed their "Maximum Hubris" tour because of the questionable decision to play Trixies in its entirety:

• Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
• Up the Junction
• Another Nail in My Heart
• Is That Love
• *The entire Trixies album*
• Hourglass
• Black Coffee in Bed
• Third Rail
• Goodbye Girl
• Slap & Tickle
• Cool for Cats
• Tempted
• Take Me I'm Yours

Glenn Tilbrook was in fine voice and the band was tight. However, playing the whole album sucked the life out of the crowd for 40 minutes. Songs ended without applause. Band members looked miserable trying to fake enthusiasm while rushing through the set. Concertgoers headed to the bar/restrooms/exits. Fortunately, the band ended strong, what was left of the crowd came alive, and I'm glad we stayed with it (although the whole reason I bought the tickets was to see the opening act, Haircut 100, and they were great).

Previously revisited for the blog:

The Knowledge (2017)	Babylon and On (1987)
Cradle To The Grave (2015)	Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti (1985)
The Complete BBC Sessions (2008)	Difford & Tilbrook (1984)
Domino (1998)	Singles: 45's and Under (1982)
Ridiculous (1995)	Sweets From A Stranger (1982) and 2008 reissue
Some Fantastic Place (1993)	East Side Story (1981)
Play (1991)	Argybargy (1980) - 1987 reissue and 2008 Deluxe Edition
A Round And A Bout (1990)	Cool For Cats (1979)
Frank (1989)	U.K. Squeeze (1978)

Los Angeles Philharmonic - Bach: Transcriptions (2000)

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic, recorded at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles on October 6-7, 1999.

I inherited this CD from my father and when I came across it, I contacted my college buddy who played percussion in the LA Phil for 30 years. He confirmed he is on this recording, so that's kinda cool. It's not a CD I would have picked out for myself, but I find myself liking some of the tracks. Salonen selected transcriptions by musicians who are famous for their own compositions and/or conducting, giving the CD programming a nice twist.

• Toccata & Fugue in d minor, BMV 565, arr. by Leopold Stokowski
• Fantasy & Fugue in c minor, BWV 537, arr. by Sir Edward Elgar ✔
• Ricercare No. 2 from The Musical Offering, BWV 1079, arr. by Anton Webern ✔
• Prelude & Fugue in E-Flat Major "St. Anne," BWV 552, arr. by Arnold Schoenberg
• Fugue in g minor "Little," BWV 578, arr. by Stokowski
• Suite for Organ, Harpsichord & Orchestra (from Orchestra Suites Nos. 2 & 3), arr. by Gustav Mahler ✔

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Great Organ Works (1996)
Empire Brass - A Bach Festival for Brass & Organ (1986)
Brian Slawson - Bach on Wood (1985)
Glenn Gould - The Goldberg Variations (1955)

Susan Tedeschi - Back to The River (2008)

Yeah, this is considered a "blues album," but it's more of an Americana roots album that encompasses blues, soul, gospel, funk, and Southern rock. I guess it's a nod to almost all American musical traditions and there's strength in the diversity. Plus there's riffs aplenty and I dig the thing. I don't think Tedeschi will ever escape vocal comparisons to Bonnie Raitt and her Telecaster speaks for itself.

Press of the time:

• DownBeat (★★★★): "Tedeschi stands tall with superior material"
• Sounds of Blue (7/10): "What is immediately obvious is how mature Tedeschi's vocals have grown, as well as her songwriting abilities."
• Offbeat: "she truly sets herself apart from her peers, sheds the fair-weather comparisons to Bonnie Raitt, and cements her place at the table"
• All About Jazz: "a well-rounded CD that showcases Tedeschi's talent as a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist."
• Jambands: "this is a great album"
• BBC Music: "Gritty, wood smoked, and with its heart pinned in the right place on its sleeve, Back To The River is a record for singing loudly along to in the car. And if you don't do much loud singing in your car - it probably isn't for you."

Good news! I'm a guy who does a lot of singing in my car and I only have two volumes: loud and off.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #71
• Billboard Blues: #1

Tracks: I enjoy it from top-to-bottom, but things start cookin' in the middle. My top picks are the title track, Love Will, People, Revolutionize Your Soul, and There's A Break In Every Road. Track 9, True, was released as a radio single and the only chart action I can find is on the Radio & Records "Triple A" chart in late November, 2008.

True has a slight Latin feel to it (à la Santana's Smooth) and it is radio-ready for sure with fantastic solos on keys and guitar.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but now I'm thinking a concert pairing of the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Marc Broussard would be a helluva double bill.

Pages - Future Street (1979)

Japanese import

After discovering the self-titled 1981 Pages album, I slowly dove into their back catalog, which included this Future Street album. Comparisons to Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, and Ambrosia are appropriate. The band was still refining its sound - they can't all emerge fully-formed like, say, Boston or The Cars.

More on the band can be found in a 'New Faces To Watch' feature from the November 17, 1979 issue of CashBox magazine. The group would eventually split and band members Richard Page and Steve George would form Mr. Mister, seeing major chart success in 1985.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "commercial, musical wonderment"
• Billboard: "At times the band sounds like a hybrid between the Eagles and Steely Dan, though it is not nearly as distinctive as either."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• CashBox: #183

Tracks: A brief release, clocking in at only 34½ minutes. The lead track, a Toto-ish rocker titled I Do Believe In You, was released as a single, peaking at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100. The best track, however, is Who's Right Who's Wrong, featuring Michael Brecker and Kenny Loggins. In fact, Loggins released his own version of Who's Right Who's Wrong almost simultaneously on his Keep the Fire album and then Al Jarreau, Randy Crawford, David Sanborn, & Pages themselves recorded a fantastic live version of the tune on the Casino Lights album. I struggle to understand how that song was never a hit for somebody. The other tracks here are hit-or-miss. Heck, let me go ahead and rank 'em.

1. Who's Right, Who's Wrong
2. The Sailor's Song
3. Two People
4. I Do Believe In You
5. Keep On Movin'
6. Future Street
7. Take My Heart Away
8. Chemistry

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but the overall sound of this thing takes me back to Spring 1980 real quick even though I never heard this album until decades later. Funny how the mind works.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Pages (1981)
Pages (1978)

Bob James - 12 (1984)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by a CD.

Now here's an impulse buy that I made purely for reasons of nostalgia. It's good not great, but I picked up a used LP while I was a college freshman in early 1985, playing it in my drafty dorm room on the Fisher stereo my parents gave me to celebrate my graduation from high school the previous year. You get the picture. Sometimes a nostalgic reunion with sorta familiar music from your distant past is exactly what you need.

The album is particularly notable for being the recording debut of saxophonist Kirk Whalum. Whalum's contributions were enough to make me seek out some of his later solo albums, including his 1985 solo debut, Floppy Disc. Definitely of its time, 12 is overproduced and heavily relies on mid-eighties studio tropes. The result is fairly safe music; one of those albums where good musicians were 'professionally' prevented from making waves.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "reliably tight, accessible crossover fare built around strong pop melodies with gusts of r&b and funk."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #136
• Billboard Jazz: #5
• Billboard R&B: #67
• CashBox: #129
• CashBox Jazz: #5
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #5

Tracks: The opener is a hard-driving shuffle that falls just short because of the overly-busy arrangement. I was previously familiar with the second track, Courtship, from its in inclusion on The Official Music of the XXIII Olympiad Los Angeles 1984 compilation album. It's the best track on the album. The two later tracks that feature Whalum are very good as well: Ruby Ruby Ruby and, in particular, Midnight. The worse track is Moonbop.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: See above. I don't remember playing this album after my freshman year, so it brings back particular memories of those two semesters. (More on those times here and here.) Looking back, I feel I was well-prepared for college academically and emotionally. However, I was socially immature and very much so. I was particularly ill-prepared for the onslaught of women at the time seeking their "MRS degree." Somehow, I slogged through that year, had a great summer in 1985, and things improved greatly in the fall of 1985 when I started dating my future wife, who was in no hurry to get married. In fact, we never even discussed marriage until I proposed in March, 1989. A lack of communication and planning probably isn't the recommended way to start a marriage, but since we've been wed for over 37 years, that method somehow worked for us. But I happily digress...

Previously revisited for the blog:
Playin' Hooky (1997)
with Earl Klugh - Cool (1992)
with David Sanborn - Double Vision (1986)
Rameau (1984)
with Earl Klugh - Two of a Kind (1982)