Carla Bley - Carla's Christmas Carols (2009)

When the world lost Carla Bley in October 2023, I dealt with my grief by finally hunting down a copy of this CD, which had been on my wish list for a few years. According to the label website it is out of print, but I was able to eventually locate a copy on the secondary market for a very reasonable price (see below). Said label website describes this release thusly:

Christmas music has been an enthusiasm of Carla Bley’s for decades, and traditional and non-traditional seasonal pieces are here subjected to her offbeat wit and idiosyncratic arranging skills. The pleasure that the musicians find in the material is unmistakable and, perhaps particularly after a glass of mulled wine, contagious.

If the term 'idiosyncratic' didn't already exist, someone would have had to coin it to describe Bley's work. This is mostly traditional tunes interpreted by a brass quintet with Bley on keyboards and her partner Steve Swallow on bass. This ain't no Christmas party disc - having this on as background music might drive you and your guests crazy. It requires active listening. You might hear a key change mid-phrase, a jazz solo in the middle of a traditional brass quintet arrangement, plunger mutes, a traditional tune in an odd meter (they can really make a 5/8 swing), a tuba solo, or a song usually heard in a major key changed to a minor one or a mode (maybe Locrian? It's been a while since I studied modes). Bley's exquisite yet unique arranging skills are on full display throughout. I'm happy to add it to the annual Christmas rotation here at blog headquarters.

Reviews, ratings, etc.:

• All About Jazz (★★★★): "leave it to pianist/composer/arranger Carla Bley to produce an album that's as reverentially in the spirit of the season as it gets, while being musically deep enough to fit within her substantial discography with complete relevance"
• Tom Hull: B+ 
• ECM Reviews: "Bley offers an album of original arrangements that speak to the heart of every song while drawing out something long-concealed by the artifice of commercialization."
• Allmusic: "While the argument that there should be a moratorium on Christmas recordings is a good one in the 21st century, Carla's Christmas Carols provides a powerful counter to that view. She has added so much to these songs without taking away any of the warmth, joy, and nostalgia inherent to the season or their place in it."
• DownBeat didn't review the album but instead ran a short feature on it: Carla Bley jump-starts a new holiday tradition

Tracks: At the least, it's all very captivating, but I think the better tracks are The Christmas Song (brass only), King Christmas Bells, the New Orleans jazz arrangement of It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, a reggae version of Jingle Bells, and O Holy Night, a tune I normally don't enjoy. There's two original tunes from Bley on the album, the swinging Hell's Bells (incorporating Santa Claus Is Coming To Town) that segues into a rearrangement of Jesus Maria originally heard on Bley's Musique Mecanique album.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I found the disc for $10.99 from an eBay seller, quickly ordered the thing, and the seller posted a USPS delivery tracking number. After a month, I hadn't received the disc, so I dejectedly requested a refund. The seller (a big resale company, not an individual), immediately refunded my money with no questions asked. Of course, the disc arrived in my mailbox the following week. My stupid conscience made me contact the seller and offer payment, but the case was closed, so end of story. Merry Christmas to me, I suppose. :)

Previously revisited for the blog:
Selected Recordings :rarum XV (2004)
Heavy Heart (1984)
Social Studies (1981)
Musique Mecanique (1979)

Norah Jones - The Fall (2009)

A few years back, a friend o' the blog gave me the nickname Soft Rock Kid. Anybody with that nickname would like this album. Lots of mid-tempo beauties with gorgeous melodies and simple orchestration, no production tricks. The best description comes from Rolling Stone's ★★★½ review: "avant-roots music that rocks, albeit gently." I could use a little more of Jones' piano, but that's picking at nits. Simply put, this is Jones' best album since Come Away With Me and perfect for listening in the gloaming.

Luv ya, Norah! Call me!

Peak on the US Billboard 200 chart: #3
Peak on the US Billboard Digital Album chart: #3
Peak on the US Billboard Top Rock Albums chart: #1
Peak on the US Billboard Tastemaker Albums chart: #4
Peak on the US Billboard Top Album Sales chart: #3
[note: enough already with the different charts, Billboard]

Tracks: an album in the true sense - a collection of similar songs whose whole is more than the sum of its parts. Listen from top-to-bottom with no skips, no shuffle. I'd list some highlights, but my preferences change every time I spin this thing. And that's a good thing. However, I'll list the US singles and Billboard chart data:

	AA	Jazz	AC	Rock
Chasing Pirates	1	7	13	38
Young Blood
It's Gonna Be	11

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
...Little Broken Hearts (2012)
Feels Like Home (2004)
Come Away With Me (2002)

Down to the Bone - Future Boogie (2009)

While Down to the Bone are still considered to be an acid jazz outfit, the musical mind of of the group's chief composer, producer, and arranger Stuart Wade has gotten a lot funkier as he's gotten older. To me, that's a good thing. Lots of horns, handclaps, and funky basslines to be had. Lots of solid soloing, particularly Neil Angilley's turns on the Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, and other various keyboards. They do what they do quite well; the only downside is that this group of tunes, like most DTTB releases, can't fight their sonic similarities and start to run together after a while. However, I always enjoy it when a DTTB track turns up on a shuffle, particularly at work: a mid-day chair dance is always welcome at that place.

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

Tracks: The title track wouldn't be out of place as a deep cut on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I also like the syncopated beat of Spiderlegs and the closing groove of We've Always Got The Music. The two collaborations with Hil St Soul are good and I don't normally enjoy vocal tracks on a mostly instrumental jazz album. My least favorite track is Get On It.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: none

Previously revisited for the blog:
Supercharged (2007)
Cellar Funk (2004)
Crazy Vibes and Things (2002)
The Urban Grooves (1999)

The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (2009)

An ill-advised purchase for my wife and sons. After listening, I find myself agreeing with the allmusic review:

The Black Eyed Peas make effective pop/crossover music, but with all the limitations of the form -- vapid lyrics, clumsy delivery, vocals smoothed over by Auto-Tune, and songwriting that constantly strains for (and reaches) the lowest common denominator. The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) is a mess of pop/dance/rap crossover.

I can't overstate my hatred of Auto-Tune. Maybe I'm too old.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #1 (2 weeks between June 27 - July 11, 2009)

Tracks: I hate to admit it, but I Gotta Feeling is catchy. So that's one decent track out of 15.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Today is the first time I've listened to the entire CD from start to finish. It is very long.

Spyro Gyra - Down The Wire (2009)

Fortunately, the music is much better than the album cover art. I've often written that my favorite Spyro Gyra music comes from albums released in the late '70s and early '80s. The allmusic review sums up this music nicely: "there is no fluff on this 65-minute CD, which finds the Spyro Gyra of 2009 acting a lot like the freewheeling Spyro Gyra of the '70s and early '80s." That's all I need to hear. The more energetic, upbeat sound and solid writing that the band brought back on Good To Go-Go is also a welcome presence on this disc. It also sounds like Tom Schuman dug up some old analog synths to use and I like that. Sure, some of this sounds like instrumental pop music you might hear on The Weather Channel or at the supermarket, but I enjoy it so that's all that matters to me.

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

Tracks:  Top cuts are the title track, Unspoken, and What It Is. La Zona Rosa has its moments as well. There's a straight-ahead neo-bop tune, The Tippin' Point, which is fine on its own, but disrupts the flow of the album. Skip the final track, a funk tune with needless vocals titled Make it Mine.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Access All Areas (1984)
In Modern Times (2001)	City Kids (1983)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Morning Dance (1979)
Fast Forward (1990)	Spyro Gyra (1978)
Point Of View (1989)

Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (2009)

The last DMB CD I purchased and, by that, I mean it will be the last DMB CD I purchase. I either love or hate the band's songs, which wouldn't be a problem if I loved more of the songs and hated less of them. As it is, with the possible exceptions of Stand Up or Everyday, I usually only enjoy about ⅓ of each album. So I think it's time to end this love/hate relationship. I hope we can still be friends, Dave.

Metacritic has the album ranked at a 67 out of a possible 100.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #1 (1 week, June 20, 2009)

Tracks: The ⅓ of this disc that I like are the songs Shake Me Like A Monkey, Why I Am, Squirm, and Seven.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Weekend on the Rocks (2005)
Stand Up (2005)
Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado (2002)
Everyday (2001)
w/Tim Reynolds - Live At Luther College (1999)
Before These Crowded Streets (1998)
Crash (1996)

Zero 7 - Yeah Ghost (2009)

Disappointing. It's probably unfair to compare this CD to the duo's previous albums, but they set their own standard, they have to live with it. I realize the downbeat fad is past and the market for that music isn't what it used to be, but this thing is too experimental and inconsistent for me. Not a fan of the new singer's voice. Ah well, you can't get a hit every time at the plate. In the words of Alan Ranta from PopMatters: "Fans coming to this expecting a Zero 7 album will likely find it thoroughly disorienting and/or frustrating, which is the opposite effect their first three albums produced." Metacritic has it rated at 59 out of 100.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #142 (Oct 17, 2009)

Tracks: Most are unlistenable - the opening track is just studio experimentation and that's followed by Mr McGee and later by Medicine Man, both which sound like something from Britney Spears. Where's the downbeat stuff I expect from Zero 7? The tracks worth ripping to iTunes are Swing, Everything Up (Zizou), Pop Art Blue, and The Road.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This one doesn't get many spins.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Garden (2006)
When It Falls (2004)

Keb' Mo' - Live And Mo' (2009)

A curious release combining 6 live tracks interspersed with 4 studio tracks. This his first release on his own Yolabelle label and I guess he wanted to get something out quick and make some money on his older catalog at the same time. In any case, I can't get too upset because I'm a fan of Keb's blend of blues, jazz, and pop. I will complain about the lack of liner notes that might explain the decision to put this out. We don't know where the live tracks were recorded and they could have at least put in some dates so we'd know when songs were written. Overall, this is a laid back mid-tempo release that leans more towards folk pop than blues. However, listening to this really makes me want to see Keb' in concert.

Tracks:

• Victims Of Comfort (studio, originally on Keb' Mo')
• More Than One Way Home (live, originally on Just Like You)
• Change (live, originally on The Door)
• Shave Yo' Legs (live, originally on Keep It Simple)
• Hole In The Bucket (studio)
• One Friend (live, originally on Keep It Simple)
• The Action (live, originally on Just Like You)
• Perpetual Blues Machine (live, originally on Just Like You)
• Government Cheese (studio)
• A Brand New America (studio)

Best are the live tracks More Than One Way Home and Perpetual Blues Machine. Of the studio songs, I like Hole In the Bucket and Government Cheese. The children's choir on the last track, A Brand New America, is bit much.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This is a difficult CD to acquire, but it is readily available for download. I had given up hope of finding a copy when I just happened to come across this one at the local Hastings.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Peace...Back by Popular Demand (2004)
Just Like You (1996)

Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear (2009)

Bernard Sumner has been in 3 bands with great band names: Joy Division, Electronic, and New Order. When Peter Hook left New Order in 2008, Sumner formed Bad Lieutenant, which may be one of the worst band names ever (the name was taken from the 1992 film). Even though I wasn't blown away by the early single releases streaming online, I bought this album out of curiosity. One of my favorite resources, Metacritic.com, gives this a rating of 59 out of 100. I have a difficult time giving albums a numerical rating, but I might have given this around a 50, so that's pretty close to Metacritic's 59.

Good but not great. Middling. Just OK.

The band isn't as good as New Order and relies more on guitar than synth, which is a throwback to early New Order days in some ways, but the songwriting just isn't as exciting. Almost more Britpop than technopop - if I wanted an Oasis album, I'd buy one. This music doesn't really call for much active listening. I keep waiting for something to grab me, make me stop what I'm doing, and listen. Good for non-distracting background music, though. I probably won't purchase any future Bad Lt. albums [ed. - no worries, there haven't been any], preferring to go back to my old New Order CDs. To be fair, I shouldn't always be comparing this band to New Order, but it's human nature [shrug].

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Heatseekers chart: #29

Tracks: The 14 tracks all blend together for me. None stand out and none are horrible.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Pet Shop Boys - Yes (2009)

Note: this is the special edition which includes a second CD with a bonus track as well as 6 dub mixes.

The Boys returned to their normal dance synth pop with this release after 2006's so-so album, Fundamental. Here are the clever lyrics, the drum machines, the bouncy synths layered over pads. Typical PSB. In other words, it's easy to listen/dance to. While I'm sure this would work well in a dance club, I'm too old for that mess so I choose to listen to this poolside; it works there, too.

Metacritic has it rated at 71 out of 100.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #32 (May 9, 2009)

Tracks: I like Love Etc., Beautiful People, Did You See Me Coming?, and Pandemonium. I also dig the slow groove of King Of Rome. The duo chooses to butcher Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite in their song All Over The World. They should have left that one alone (the remix on disc 2 isn't any better). That track, along with Building A Wall and Legacy, are the tracks here I want to skip.

Bonus disc: This starts out with This Used To Be The Future, a great song with guest vocals by Philip Oakey of The Human League. Don't know why this wasn't included on the album. The 6 remixes are pretty much what you would expect from dance music, i.e., more concerned with beat than music and lyrics. I will admit that I enjoyed the remix of The Way It Used To Be (Left Of Love Dub).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Purchased as my youngest son was going through a PSB phase, the first disc of this set got a lot of play time in my truck when it was released.

The City Champs - The Safecracker (2009)

Memphis trio of guitar, B-3 organ, and drums. This instrumental trio has embraced their roots and are doing their part to keep traditional Memphis soul alive. They play in the tradition of the Bar-Keys and Booker T & the MGs. You need more soul music in your life so check out some of this stuff. For this particular CD, the trio had a vision of recording an old LP. On the track listing, they actually break the songs down into Side One and Side Two and the total time is under 40 minutes. I'd rather have 40 minutes of solid tunes like these than to have a 60 minute CD with 20 minutes of filler. Good choice, guys. Some liner notes woulda been appreciated, though.

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

Tracks: Of the original tunes, I like Takin' State and Poppin'. An interesting cover of Amy Winehouse's Love is a Losing Game is actually one of the better tracks, sounding like something of an old '60s Grant Green album on Blue Note. The CD ends with a slow cover of the standard Comin' Home Baby.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I love visiting Memphis and any type of Memphis soul music makes me fondly remember my trips there. Originally from north Mississippi, I was in Memphis many times as an infant, but only twice as an adult as of this writing: in March 2007 (for family vacation over spring break) & December 2010 (to run in the St Jude Half Marathon). Here's a picture of me at the "new" Stax studios in '07.

Marshall Crenshaw - Jaggedland (2009)

Crenshaw may be the best '80s artist I didn't hear about until the mid-'90s. That may be a good thing - I'm not sure if I would have appreciated his music when I was 15. His "hit" Someday, Somewhere appeared on a compilation CD I bought and from that song I sought out more of his work, eventually buying a greatest hits CD in the early 2000's. He's aged gracefully: With this release, Marshall Crenshaw has progressed from simply a great singer/songwriter to become a mature popster. (On a good day, I like to consider myself a mature popster.) Crenshaw's songs have unconventional chord progressions, so it usually takes a few listenings to appreciate them.

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

Tracks:
Like: Passing Through, Someone Told Me, Never Coming Down, Sunday Blues, and Live And Learn.
Dislike: Gasoline Baby and Jaggedland.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this in June 2010 so I'd have new music to listen to on a flight to London. I didn't listen to it until I got back to the US. My mistake was not buying this upon its release and listening to it immediately.

Bebel Gilberto - All in One (2009)

It's hard to describe Bebel Gilberto's musical style: Brazilian bossa meets electronica meets pop meets downbeat meets... I don't mind hearing Bebel sing in English, but when she sings in her native Portuguese, the songs are absolutely breathtaking. All 12 songs on this disc are very different, but the CD is cohesive at the same time - great sequencing. I find it all very relaxing while being interesting enough to demand your attention.

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

Tracks: There's a nice take on the classic Bim Bom, and I also like Canção de Amor, The Real Thing, and Segredo. There's no track that makes me want to hit the skip button.

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."

Booker T. - Potato Hole (2009)

This is an awesome experiment. Booker T. is the same Stax keyboardist of Booker T & The MGs (Green Onions) fame. For this release (his first since 1981), he teamed up with Neil Young and Drive-By Truckers. As a result, there's not only a lot of Hammond B-3 organ, there's even more guitar - up to 5 guitarists on a single track. I was expecting some modern soul music but these instrumentals are much fuzzier, grungier and heavier, almost a Southern rock sound. It's not what I was expecting, but it is a fun listen. The B-3 may be one of my favorite instruments on the planet.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #135 (May 16, 2009)

Tracks: The jewel here is the cover of Hey Ya. Booker T takes a great song and makes it his own. Native New Yorker definitely has some Neil Young influence, but Young respectfully stays in the background and lets Booker do his thing. Other favorites included Warped Sister, Reunion Time, and the title track.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I traveled to England in June 2010 and this CD is one of those I bought so that I'd have new music to listen to on the train between London and Brighton.