Kirsty MacColl - Tropical Brainstorm (2000)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2001 US release, an Enhanced CD with three bonus tracks and a video track. Tropical Brainstorm was released in the UK on March 20, 2000, but the US release was April 24, 2001, after MacColl's tragic death.

from the CD back insert

Songwriting so good that you'd like this album even if you didn't care for Latin-tinged music. But I do indeed appreciate that genre, so I enjoy this thing. But please hold off on the cries of cultural appropriation. To her credit, MacColl didn't try to make an authentic Latin album, saying "I didn't want to try and fail at being the Buena Vista Social Club. I wanted to succeed at being Kirsty MacColl."¹ Instead, she tackles and adds a modern twist to many of the various Latin styles - tango, samba, salsa, bossa, batucada, etc. - much to my delight. Writing for Playboy magazine, Robert Christgau called the album "loose and raunchy" and while the lyrics can get saucy at times, the performances are anything but loose. But the only adjective you really need to describe this album is "outstanding." Grab a fruity drink and enjoy.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "highlights her love of Latin music, and the sensual rhythms provide the perfect setting for her tales of romantic wheeling and dealing."
• CMJ: "it's the 'English lass kicks off her shoes' vibe that makes the album such an ironic treat."
• Robert Christgau (A-): "she soars like she never has"
• Billboard: "a stunning testament to MacColl's powerful songwriting and passion for Latin culture."
• Entertainment Weekly (A): "As usual, her songs express endless disappointment in love matched to melodies that won’t quit."

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

Tracks: It's all good, but for me the cream of this bumper crop is In These Shoes?, which sets itself apart both musically and lyrically. Other favorites include Mambo De La Luna, Nao Esperando/Alegria, and Designer Life. 

Bonus tracks: Unlike many bonus tracks, these three are quite good, which shouldn't surprise me considering they come from MacColl. I'll single out Things Happen.

The bonus MPEG track is the promotional video for Mambo De La Luna.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but if I had discovered this album around the turn of the century when I was going through an Afro-Cuban/Brazilian phase of my own, this would have fit perfectly. File this one under "better late than never."

Previously revisited for the blog:
Kite (1989)

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)

Jimmy Reed - Blues Masters (2000)

After releasing 18 various artists blues compilations in the Rhino Blues Masters series, the label then extended the series by releasing a number of compilations that each focused on one influential blues artist. And that's what we've got here.

Born in the Mississippi Delta in 1925, Reed would go on to become among the most commercially successful electric blues artists of the 1950s thanks to his laid-back singing, simple guitar style, and easygoing harmonica playing. Reed's music influenced The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, The Animals, Elvis Presley, and Steve Miller, among others. Highly accessible; I dig.

Reed was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Liner notes by Cub Koda.

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

Tracks, with Billboard chart peaks:

	Title	Year	R&B	Pop
1	High And Lonesome	1953
2	You Don't Have To Go	1955	5
3	Ain't That Lovin' You Baby	1955
4	I Ain't Got You	1955
5	You've Got Me Dizzy	1956	3
6	Little Rain	1957	7
7	Honest I Do	1957	4	32
8	Odds And Ends	1958
9	Ends And Odds	1958
10	Going To New York	1959
11	Take Out Some Insurance	1959
12	Baby What You Want Me To Do	1959	10	37
13	Hush-Hush	1960	18	75
14	Big Boss Man	1961	13	78
15	Bright Lights Big City	1961	3	58
16	Oh John	1962
17	Shame Shame Shame	1963		52

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Volume 2: Postwar Chicago Blues (1992)	Volume 7: Blues Revival (1993)
Volume 3: Texas Blues (1992)	Volume 8: Mississippi Delta Blues (1993)
Volume 4: Harmonica Classics (1992)	Volume 15: Slide Guitar Classics (1993)
Volume 6: Blues Originals (1993)	Blues Masters Sampler (1993)

Take 6 - Live (2000)

Note: this CD released using HDCD encoding. Recorded live at the Blue Note in Tokyo, Japan, October 4-6, 1999.

Not much to say about this one. If you like Take 6 (I do), you'll like this live recording (I do). And if you wonder if they can bring the close a cappella harmony vocals in a live setting, the answer is yes.

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

Tracks: My top picks today are If We Ever Needed The Lord Before (We Sure Do Need Him Now), How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You, and Mary.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I once had tickets to see the group and something came up so I gave the tickets to a friend. That was most likely in 2017.

Previously revisited for the blog:

The Standard (2008)	Join the Band (1994)
Beautiful World (2002)	He Is Christmas (1991)
Greatest Hits (1999)	So Much 2 Say (1990)
Brothers (1996)	Take 6 (1988)

The Corrs - In Blue (2000)

A very enjoyable release from this family group, one of Ireland's most successful musical exports. Above average adult contemporary soft rock with just a touch of edge on several tracks. A little more popish than folkish, although I also like the slightly more traditional folk sound of their 1995 release. The change paid dividends for the quartet as the album sold platinum and hit #1 in several countries plus gave the group their only Top 40 hit in the United States with Breathless.

Breathless was nominated for a Grammy award in the category Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, eventually losing to Cousin Dupree by Steely Dan. Track 15, the more traditional Rebel Heart, was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, eventually losing to Caravan by The Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Peak on the US Billboard 200 chart: #21

Tracks: The disc kicks off with three strong tracks: Breathless (#7 adult pop, #34 pop), Give Me A Reason, and Somebody For Someone. Other top tracks include All The Love In The World (#24 adult pop), Irresistible, No More Cry, and Rebel Heart. I don't think it's a coincidence that Breathless, All The Love In The World, and Irresistible are the three cuts on the album produced by Mutt Lange (and, yes, I'll admit they sound like Shania Twain releases of the time). I think the album would have been a fantastic, tight CD if they'd pared it down to about 10 cuts, but with 15 tracks it goes on a bit long for me.

But the music isn't even the most interesting thing about this CD to me. This is the only CD I currently have on my shelves labeled as a "HyperCD."

From what I can tell, this short-lived brand of software was designed to work by simultaneously utilizing data from three separate locations: 1) downloaded software stored on the users' computers, 2) data contained on the disc itself, and 3) the Internet. This technology was marketed to consumers as "an exciting new hybrid CD technology that delivers high quality video and CD-quality audio via the Web without any of the quality loss of streaming or the lengthy download times associated with the Web at large." However, to the record labels, it was marketed as offering "fully trackable offline/online marketing solutions." In other words, direct marketing plus offline data collection opportunities.^[source]

And while date mining is commonplace now, it was relatively new and controversial at the time. So consumers got wind of the suspect data collection and there goes your HyperCD (along with the increased availability of broadband service plus there was a problem with forgetting to renew the registration of the HyperCD domain name. Oops. See Broadbridge Media, L.L.C. v. Hypercd.com (2000)). Anyhoo, here's an archived list of HyperCD releases as of July 9, 2001: http://www.broadbridgemedia.net/partners.html. Maybe there's a few on your shelves right now?

The HyperCD bonus content on this particular disc was apparently the video for the song Breathless. I couldn't get the thing to play on my desktop, but I didn't put in much effort because the video is readily available on YouTube if ya need it.

Thanks to longtime friend o' the blog Dirk Digglinator for alerting me to the existence of the HyperCD format. Go raibh míle maith agat! ☘

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Forgiven, Not Forgotten (1995)

Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin - Two Worlds (2000)

In which two very talented musicians who made their reputations in the jazz, pop, and soundtrack genres tackle some lite classical music and a few originals in the same vein. I'll take a pass on this one, but let's check out what the ever-reliable reviewers over at Amazon have to say:

• "I'm donating it to my local library."
• "I listened to this album as I was doing some household chores and doing the dishes."
• "smooth and romantic...dim the light"
• "This is a great CD. For me - it makes me feel alive."
• "perfect for my daughter's waiting room--she's a family councilor." [sic]

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover chart: #6

Tracks:

I enjoy track 6, a Ritenour original.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

---

Lee Ritenour

Rit's House (2002)	On The Line (1983)
This Is Love (1998)	Rit/2 (1982)
Stolen Moments (1990)	"Rit" (1981)
Festival (1988)	Rio (1979)
Larry & Lee (1995)

---

Dave Grusin

Collection (1989)

Out Of The Shadows (1982)

---

Together

Amparo (2008)

Harlequin (1985)

Various Artists - Casino Lights '99 (2000)

Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland, July 13 & 14, 1999 ("additional recording" later in LA). Also available on DVD.

So I've been listening to the original 1982 Casino Lights release quite a bit and while chasing that rabbit down the internet hole, I only recently discovered that Warner Bros. tried to catch lightning in a bottle again in 2000. The only performer to appear on both releases is guitarist Larry Carlton, but there are a lot of big names here from the world of smooth jazz, including supergroup Fourplay.

A huge festival like Montreux offers unique opportunities for collaboration - Larry Carlton and Kirk Whalum, George Duke and Gabriela Anders, and the jam sessions that end each disc.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #14

Tracks: 14 tracks, over two hours of music. Always There is worth the price of admission. Other top picks include Mind Games, Wayne's Thang, Cold Duck Time, Notorious, Brazilian Love Affair, and Watermelon Man. For a live recording, it's very fairly homogenized, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Casino Lights (1982)

St. Germain - Tourist (2000)

St Germain released a new album this year and I heard about it on NPR. In that review, they referred back to this 2000 album thus:

Built on and based around loops, his tracks were precision-tuned, smooth-motoring creations, loose and tight at once. Their spaciousness allowed for quirky improvisations and sonic events that wandered off-script — indeed, the constant shift between lockstep pulse and random outburst made Tourist seductive to both jazz people and denizens of clubland, tribes not usually known for their overlapping tastes. It sold more than three million copies, and won Victoires de la Musique awards (the French equivalent of Grammys) for Best Jazz Album and Best Electronic Album. Navarre toured behind it for more than two years, at times performing in the company of such jazz luminaries as Herbie Hancock.

This release had passed beneath my radar, but upon reading that blurb, I immediately located a copy of the CD because 1) it was released on the Blue Note label, and 2) it sounded like it would hit my turn-of-the-century acid jazz sweet spot.

Well, yes, no, maybe, and sometimes. While he does sample/create interesting grooves, most are all stagnant on one chord, which gets old to my ears fairly quickly. The soloists work hard to solo over the one chord, but my ears keep waiting for a change of some sort. After a while, it just becomes hypnotic background music, which is enjoyable on its own merits (that's the trance music all the rave kids were talking about 15 years ago?). John Bush over at Allmusic puts it best in his ★★★★½ review: "Occasionally, Navarre's programming (sampled or otherwise) grows a bit repetitious -- even for dance fans, to say nothing of the jazzbo crowd attracted by the album's Blue Note tag." While the above sounds a bit negative, I actually like the album and am glad I made the purchase.

One of the more interesting things about this album is the always-changing mix. One minute the percussion (for example) is way back in the mix, then it slowly comes to the fore only to fade away again. And St. Germain (French producer Ludovic Navarre) does with many instruments throughout the album. It came to my attention as I was driving in my truck listening to the disc and I noticed my stock speakers were suddenly vibrating from the bass drum for about a minute before they stopped as the mix changed.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1

Tracks:  My picks are Rose Rouge, Land Of.. (which bears a strong Memphis soul influence rather than jazz), and Latin Note. Weaker cuts include Montego Bay Spleen and La Goutte D'Or.

Writing credits are vague, but according to the collective knowledge of the Internet, here's the samples:

• Marlena Shaw (excerpts from Woman Of The Ghetto from her Live At Montreux used in track 1, Rose Rouge)
• Dave Brubeck's Take Five as the drum and bass loop for Rose Rouge.
• Miles Davis & John Lee Hooker (Elements from Harry's Philosophy, from The Hot Spot soundtrack, used in track 6, Sure Thing)
• 100% Pure Poison (Windy C provides the main sample for Sure Thing)
• Scientist (excerpts from First Dangerous Match, from Scientist Wins the World Cup, used in track 2, Montego Bay Spleen, as well as Laser Attack, from Scientist Meets The Space Invaders.)

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Kirk Whalum - Unconditional (2000)

A fine example of turn-of-the-century smooth jazz: a few original pieces, a few covers, and a couple of vocal tracks thrown in among the mostly instrumental cuts. Unfortunately, there's also a number of credits for "drum programming" in the liner notes, but that sterile programming is the only thing that really dates the sound of the album. Overall, the songs have a slight gospel tinge to them and the album title refers to God's unconditional love, so it's not surprising that I find the album as a whole to be uplifting. No downers here.

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

Tracks: The centerpiece of this album is the funky tribute to Grover Washington, Jr. titled Groverworked & Underpaid. Other quality tracks include the title cut and Playing With Fire; the latter cut featuring some tasty guitar work from Peter White. Of the two vocal tracks, I like the slow funk groove of Real Love, which features Wendy Moten on vocals. The other vocal tracks (featuring Shai) is a fairly generic quiet storm R&B track - not great, but not terribly out of place here. The worst cuts are the 'N Sync and Macy Gray covers because those were played far too safe for my liking (and weren't that great songs to begin with).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I first became aware of this album in 2006 when I caught Whalum in concert and the highlight of the show (for me, at least) was Groverworked & Underpaid, which was stretched into a 20 minute encore. That's probably not any where close to the actual truth, but that's how I've chosen to remember it.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Babyface Songbook (2005)
Floppy Disk (1985)

Sade - Lovers Rock (2000)

No offense, Sade, but this album makes me sick. Not long after this album was released, I became suddenly ill (a combination of a sinus infection, allergies, poor diet, stress, and exhaustion, among other possibilities) while taking down Christmas lights in the front yard. Thinking I should rest, I shuffled inside, put on this CD, and fell back on the couch, feeling nauseous. I recovered after a few days, but could never listen to this album again, particularly the opening track, without a wave of nausea coming over me. I'm getting through it today, but that's about all I can tell ya. This could be Sade's best album ever (it won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, Metacritic gives it 78), but I couldn't say since I can't listen to it anymore. The mind works in weird ways, doesn't it?

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #3

Previously revisited for the blog:
Love Deluxe (1992)

Rubén González -Chanchullo (2000)

After the 1997 release of the Buena Vista Social Club movie and album, there was flurry of solo releases by members of the group. I'm sure the impetus behind this flurry was money, but the record company involved (Nonesuch) did us all a big favor by recording these great artists while they were still living. Legend has it that González hadn't owned a piano in over ten years when Ry Cooder found him and got him playing again. After hearing such fluid technique and deft touch, I'm thankful Cooder looked him up and got him in front of a piano. This whole album is a delight - you can tell González is having a blast, and even though he was an octogenarian when this was recorded, his performances are fantastic. Great, authentic takes on Afro-Cuban standards. There's nothing groundbreaking here and sometimes there's some sloppy playing, but I could care less. Truth be told, I prefer González's solo albums and his work with the Afro-Cuban All Stars to the Buena Vista Social Club stuff (although that fact won't keep me from digging out my BVSC DVD and re-watching that movie this afternoon).

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

Tracks:  It's all good stuff, I particularly like the descarga (jam) tunes: Chanchullo, La Lluvi, and Pa' Gozar. My least favorite tunes are Central Constancia and Isora Club, but they add a welcome bit of variety to the album, so I rarely skip them.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Introducing Rubén González (1997)

Larry Carlton - Fingerprints (2000)

Carlton is an exceptional guitar player, no question. However, his material here is so weak that we rarely get a chance to hear what he's capable of. The music here seems to value groove above melody and chord structure. Perhaps seeking help for the material, Carlton calls in some markers and has some great guests on this album, including Michael McDonald, Kirk Whalum, and Vince Gill. It's well-produced and sounds clean, but he's just playing it safe with this one.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #4

Tracks: The best two tracks are the last two, Gracias (a guitar duet with Vince Gill) and Crying Hands. As for the rest, its so bland that it doesn't excite, but it doesn't offend either.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Picked this up from a used CD bin for background music at work. It certainly fits the bill for that.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Collection (1990)
Larry & Lee (1995)

Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo Remixes (2001)

BRAZIL WEEK (FEBRUARY 4-10, 2013)

Gilberto is one of my favorite Brazilian singer/songwriters. Her brand of modern bossa nova coupled with a silky smooth voice is always a relaxing treat for me. For this remix CD, thirteen remixers (is that a word? should I call them producers? DJs?) worked with source material from Gilberto's lovely 2000 album, Tanto Tempo. The result is a fairly decent dance album, but not really what I'm looking for when I want to hear some Bebel. Accordingly, this disc doesn't get much playing time around here because I'd rather hear any of her other CDs over these remixes. This might be a good choice for background music at your next poolside cocktail party.

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

Tracks:  All 11 original tracks are far better than these 13 remixes. However, the remix of Samba da Benção by 4hero and both the Trüby Trio and the Sin Plomo remixes of Sem Contenção are good dance tracks. The remix of August Day Song by King Britt is a nice way to close the album. My least favorite remix is Alguém remixed by Ananda Project.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  Every time I listen to Bebel Gilberto, I inevitably think, "I need to listen to Bebel Gilberto more often."

Previously revisited for the blog:
All in One (2009)
Momento (2007)
Bebel Gilberto (2004)
Tanto Tempo (2000)

Various Artists - A Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan Lins (2000)

BRAZIL WEEK (FEBRUARY 4-10, 2013)

With the possible exception of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ivan Lins is probably the most well-known Brazilian musician/composer to American audiences. In Brazil, his music is categorized as Música Popular Brasileira (MPB), but his use of jazz chord progressions and voicings have made his music appealing to many US jazz artists. However, categorizing Lins' songs do them an injustice; they should be individually taken on their own merits. This all-star line up of musicians is one of many collaborations Lins has made with American artists in an attempt to get Lins a wider audience here in the States. I think it may be a little late for that and that's a shame because this is a great album. We're treated to 11 tracks of Lins' songs: 2 instrumentals, 8 with English lyrics, and a final track sung in Portuguese by Lins himself. Excellent liner notes including the story of how this compilation came together written by keyboardist/arranger/producer Jason Miles.

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

Tracks:

1. She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa) - Sting
2. Love Dance - Vanessa Williams
3. Camaleao - Grover Washington, Jr.
4. Answered Prayers (E De Deus) - New York Voices
5. So Crazy For This Love (Cru-Cre Corroro) - Chaka Khan
6. You Moved Me To This - Lisa Fischer & James "D Train" Williams
7. Nocturne (Noturna) - Brenda Russell
8. Elis (Leva E Traz) - Peter White
9. I'm Not Alone (Anjo De Mim) - Freddy Cole
10. Sweet Presence (Doce Precensa) - Dianne Reeves
11. Somos Todos Iquais Nesta Noite - Ivan Lins

I like them all; this disc is strong from start to finish. Today, my favorites include Lin's most popular song, Love Dance, performed by Vanessa Williams, You Moved Me To This sung by Lisa Fischer and James "D Train" Williams, and Lins singing his Somos Todos Iquais Nesta Noite. The weakest track is I'm Not Alone (Anjo De Mim) not because it is a bad song or because Freddy Cole is a bad singer because neither of those assertions is true. His voice simply isn't suited to the song; it's a bad pairing.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was listening to a smooth jazz radio station out of Houston when I heard Sting singing She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa). I thought it was the best Sting song I'd heard in 10 years, so I searched out this disc. After I purchased the CD in 2003, it was my constant office companion for about a year.

The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious (2000)

Around the turn of the millennium, Sweden provided us with an update to The Kinks. Lots of energetic fuzzed guitars playing punk-infused garage rock with chord hooks you can't ignore. I almost hesitate to call them punk at all because the lyrics aren't angry enough - The Hives would rather party than tear down the establishment. It's along the lines of The Strokes, but I prefer these guys. It's a short album; 12 tracks in only 28 minutes. Normally, I'd complain about the length, but that's about all I can take in one sitting. I hear the band is great live, but I'm way too old for that mess. Metacritic rates this album at 84 out of 100 - sounds about right.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #63 (July 6, 2002)

Tracks: Not exactly versatile, the band produces very similar songs, but the standout track is Hate To Say I Told You So. The attempt at variety is Find Another Girl, which, of course, turns out to be the weakest song on the album.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  My buddy Jim gave me a copy of this one. I used to listen to it in my car, but stopped because I was afraid it might lead to road rage (singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist yells a lot and gets me worked up).

SHeDAISY - Brand New Year (2000)

My wife doesn't often ask for CDs, so whenever she does ask, she gets whatever she wants. So she asked for this and I don't think I've heard it until today. I don't know anything about this country music trio other than the fact that are attractive and their voices blend together well (from what I'm reading in the liner notes, I'm guessing the three are sisters). What really catches my ear is the fact that country music produced around the year 2000 sounds a lot like '80s music with a steel guitars and fiddles in place of a horn section - we even get a song written by Richard Marx. The producer, Dann Huff, likes to throw in some Beatleseque production touches as well. Yeah, it's a mixed bag and it falls apart after 6 or 7 tracks, mainly because of the quality of the material (obscure tunes from old Christmas movies are usually obscure for a reason). I'm not looking to buy any more of this trio's album and I won't listen to this one too often, but it is a interesting change of pace from the usual Christmas fare.

Warning: after three minutes of silence, the last track contains a dreaded "hidden track." Just list the damn track, people.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #92 (Dec 23, 2000)

Tracks:  The girls give us a nice take on the seldom-heard tune, That's What I Want For Christmas, but they do some strange things to the other traditional Christmas tunes - sometimes they work, more often not. Skip the originals Santa's Got A Brand New Bag and Twist Of The Magi.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Boney James & Rick Braun - Shake It Up (2000)

A better than average smooth jazz collaboration. I've never been a huge fan of either one of these guys, but they play off each other well. When it comes to this pairing, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is better than any of their respective solo stuff. Still, any CD I own by one of these artists was purchased used. For those of you that follow smooth jazz, you'll recognize Paul Brown's production style immediately.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #78
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1

Tracks:  Grazin' In the Grass is one of my all-time favorite instrumentals. There are two versions here (a needless version with vocals, and a better one without), and while the instrumental is my favorite cut on this disc, it don't come close to the standard set by the Hugh Masekela version. The title cut is also good.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Boney James - Body Language (1999)
Boney James - Sweet Thing (1997)
Rick Braun - Beat Street (1995)

Various Artists - Music From The Motion Picture Charlie's Angels (2000)

I won't comment on the movie, but this soundtrack is an enjoyable, if pointless, smorgasbord of seemingly unrelated pop music from the years 1972-2000. Listening to it reminds me of listening to an iTunes shuffle (which had yet to be invented in 2000). Because of this, over half of the tracks have been ripped to my iTunes, a respectable number for a movie soundtrack.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #7 (Nov 25 & Dec 30, 2000)

Tracks: I prefer the songs that could have been heard on the radio when the original TV series was on: Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel by Tavares, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by Leo Sayer, Barracuda by Heart, and Got To Give It Up by Marvin Gaye which gets my vote for best track on the disc. I also enjoy Baby Got Back and Groove Is In The Heart. Of course, I have the '80s tunes (True and Turning Japanese) on several other CDs. I could do without the tracks from Destiny's Child and Aerosmith. The worst part of the disc is comedian Tom Green "singing" an intro to Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) during his 15 minutes of fame.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: My sons were ages 7 and 3 when this movie came out and it was totally inappropriate for them to watch, but my wife and I inexplicably allowed it. My wife bought this soundtrack and listened to it quite a bit in the minivan. In retrospect, subjecting two little boys to Baby Got Back wasn't the best idea. Now, I can't listen to Baby Got Back without thinking of the Richard Cheese cover.

Amy Borkowsky - Amy's Answering Machine (2000)

A spoken-word comedy CD which is a collection of actual answering machine messages from Amy's overprotective mother. It is definitely funny, but, like most comedy CDs, doesn't stand up to much repeated listening. You can find some representative samples here. It's a short CD; clocking in at just over 28 minutes. It's interesting that Amy takes the credit when all she did was save her mother's messages. It's her mother that's hilarious.

Volume 2 was released in 2003. Don't have that - one is enough.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I caught Amy promoting this CD on the Today Show and quickly bought copies for my parents and father-in-law. Don't remember their reaction to the CD, though.

Lloyd Cole - The Negatives (2000)

This album, recommended to me not long after its release by my friend Jim, was my introduction to Lloyd Cole. I've since gone back and revisited his early releases with his band The Commotions which I should have discovered in the '80s. The whole ordeal makes me rather upset I had never heard of Cole until 2000. We're treated here to a lot of mid-tempo songs with bouncy bass lines and arpeggiated guitar chords that give the album a mid-'80s indie feel which, to be honest, is probably why I like it so much. Cole doesn't get much attention in the US, which is a real shame. This is a hook-laden, very comfortable set of pop songs from an undervalued singer/songwriter; it's easily the best thing Cole has released since The Commotions split.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "he still has a flair for crafting clever (and often more than that) love songs."
• No Depression: "The Negatives is Coles strongest work in a decade, and shows an artist who may at last be comfortable with himself creatively."
• Metacritic: 75

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

Tracks: My picks are Past Imperfect, What's Wrong With This Picture, and Too Much E. The weakest cuts are Vin Ordinaire and Tried to Rock, but, at just 41 minutes total, I usually listen to the whole album start-to-finish.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This got a lot of playing time in my car in 2000 and 2001 which is probably why I don't listen to it now as much as I probably should. This CD kept me company on many trips to Portland to see the aforementioned Jim and to Victoria for grad school classes.