Fortune's Favor
Great Big Sea
Warner Music Canada 2008.
Great Big Sea's latest release, Fortune's Favor, departs from the previous release (The Hard and the Easy) and returns to the pattern of previous albums such as Play.
Where the Hard and the Easy was entirely the folk songs of Newfoundland, the majority of the songs in Fortune's Favor are rock or folk rock in sound. There are a few of the traditional types of music, such as the songs England and Banks of Newfoundland.
I personally prefer the Irish folk songs of The Hard and the Easy, so while this album does not have as many of those, there are enough to keep me happy. The rock songs are decent, not bad by any measure, just not what I listen to Great Big Sea for. If you are a fan of Great Big Sea I do not think you will be disappointed with this album, as it is more of what they do best. If you like folk rock or east coast folk music you should give this album a listen to as well. If on the other hand you are into more modern "Urban" style sound, then this album is not for you.
Beauty & Crime
Suzanne Vega
New York : Blue Note, p2007.
Her name rendered in an Art Deco typeface, Vega poses on the cover of her Blue Note debut in a chic trench coat and bright red lipstick. Yes, it's an album of torch songs--but the lover she's pining for is the NYC of her past, from the formerly gritty Lower East Side ("Ludlow Street") to "the 27th floor above the midtown roar" ("New York Is a Woman"). The brushed drums and acoustic guitars of "Anniversary" allow her whispery voice room to breathe; elsewhere, club rhythms and stabs of violins conjure up an exultant roar of their own. A-
Review from Entertainment Weekly - Sean Howe
High School Musical 2
Burbank, CA : Walt Disney Records, p2007.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try ... whoops. Disney did succeed with "High School Musical," to the tune of 7 million albums sold worldwide, a catalog of DVDs, a concert tour, stage and ice shows, and lyrics that every teen on the planet knows by heart. "High School Musical 2" doesn't dance too far off the beaten path. The full-cast opener, "What Time Is It," even references its predecessor's closing "We're All in This Together" as it sends the kids of East High School off for a summer vacation filled with the requisite romantic tribulations, light class warfare and, yes, a Midsummer Night's Talent Show for everyone to strut their stuff. The music again skews toward hip-hop beats and hooky pop melodies, and such tracks as "Work This Out," the sports-themed "I Don't Dance," "Bet on It" and "All for One" make you feel like Backstreet's not only back, but never left.
Review from Billboard - Gary Graff, 8/18/07
Underclass Hero
Sum 41
Montréal : Aquarius Records, p2007
"Weird Al" Yankovic may have stolen a bit of Sum 41's thunder when he wrote "Canadian Idiot" for his latest album. The Great White North (now L.A.-based) trio's fourth full-length is, wittingly or not, something of a homage to Green Day's "American Idiot," from its thematic (though not narrative) "us against them" unity to the fierce political sloganeering of "March of the Dogs" to the sophisticated arrangements that bolster Sum 41's punk roots with references to Queen, Weezer and Linkin Park. And with its acoustic guitar and strings, "So Long Goodbye"--a paean to departed guitarist Dave Brownsound--ends the album on a decidedly "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" note. But don't write off "Underclass Hero" as mere imitation; its growth feels genuine and, unlike Sum 41's punk peers, its musical maturation doesn't come at the expense of that all-important snotty 'tude.
Review from Billboard - Gary Graff,7/28/07.
Absolute Garbage
Garbage
Santa Monica, CA : Almo Sounds, p2007
Check Catalogue Availability
A newly recorded Garbage single, "Tell Me Where It Hurts," will be included on an upcoming best-of collection, "Absolute Garbage." Due July 17 via Geffen, the CD/DVD set includes 17 audio tracks on its first disc, a second disc with 14 remixes and a DVD with 15 music videos, live clips and behind-the-scenes footage. Among the acts chipping in with remixes on the bonus disc are UNKLE, Massive Attack, the Crystal Method, Todd Terry and Felix Da Housecat.
Review from Billboard - Jonathan Cohen.
Zeitgeist
Smashing Pumpkins
[United States] : Reprise, p2007
The long, weird saga of the Smashing Pumpkins opens a new chapter with "Zeitgeist," their first disc since splitting in 2000. The group was always primarily a fancy name for Billy Corgan anyway, so this quote-fingers comeback, which features only he and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin from the glory days, is actually more genuine than most. It's still a mess, though an ambitious and grandiose one. Corgan certainly hasn't forgotten how to make a Pumpkins record, as gleaming serrated guitars, fantastic torrents of drums and twisting layers of vocals dominate. But though his celestial indulgences are still in place (especially on "United States," the record's end-times centerpiece), Corgan's rock tracks sound weirdly thin, an odd development coming from Queen vet Roy Thomas Baker. He's more disarmingly effective on tracks like "That's the Way (My Love Is)," a pop gem that leaps off the record, and the "Mellon Collie"-referencing closer "Pomp and Circumstance."
Review from:Vrabel, Jeff. "The Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist." Billboard 119.28 (July 14, 2007): 43(1)
Both Sides Now
Mitchell, Joni.
Scarborough, ON: Distributed by Warner Music Canada, p2000.
Review from Christian Science Monitor - Norman Weinstein
Three decades ago, an obscure Canadian folk chanteuse by the name of Joni Mitchell recorded 'Both Sides Now,' an original, wistful tune she hardly imagined at the time would become a hit.
Eighteen albums later, Mitchell has re-recorded 'Both Sides Now' with 70 members of the London Symphony Orchestra backing her. And the song finds solid company with jazz and pop standards about love and its discontents drawn from the last half-century on Both Sides Now (Reprise). Its release Feb. 8, in a special limited edition with three of Mitchell's original lithographs, was timed for Valentine's Day. The regular CD issue will be available after March 21.
While Mitchell is far from the first female pop vocalist to nostalgically mine old romantic standards backed by a huge orchestra - Linda Ronstadt's collaborations with Nelson Riddle come to mind - hers is the most movingly accomplished recording marking a major stylistic shift from pop vocalist to dramatic torch singer.
Following in Billie Holiday's footsteps
Part of her success needs to be credited to arranger and conductor Vince Mendoza, whose thickly voiced and finely detailed arrangements do for Mitchell what Ray Ellis's similar arrangements did for Billie Holiday's final recordings. The sumptuously rich massing of strings and woodwinds brings a symphonic richness to songs that are mini-dramas largely about lack and loss.
The connection between Mitchell and Holiday is immediately apparent when hearing Mitchell's version of 'You've Changed,' a song identified with the end of Holiday's career. Both singers understate the agony of lost love while surrounded by strings that ironically counterpoint the lyrical expression of emptiness with a powerful, full sound.
To read the rest, visit the database Canadian Reference Centre. (You may be prompted for your library card number.)
Revelations
Judd, Wynonna.
Willowdale, ON: MCA Music Entertainment, p1996.
WYNONNA'S `REVELATIONS' IS LESS THAN DIVINE
A portrait of an artist in transition, Wynonna's REVELATIONS (Curb/MCA) is a disappointing album that still manages to underscore all of this gifted singer's talents. The collection, Wynonna's first since 1993's Tell Me Why, starts off strongly enough with 'To Be Loved By You,' already a country hit single for the way she snakes her voice in and out of its slippery melody. But too many of revelations' songs remain at the same medium-tempo of 'To Be Loved,' giving even the better vocal performances an air of repetitiveness.
The primary revelation I had listening to this set was that Wynonna has, for such a young old pro (she's 31 and a new wife and mother), become much too mannered far too quickly. Back when she and mama Naomi were still the Judds, it was a happy shock to hear the way Wynonna could, in the middle of one of the duo's catchy little ditties, lower her voice to an Elvis growl. Now, Wynonna pulls this trick without a trace of humor; the melodramatic rumble is, far too often, the only way she communicates yearning and sensuousness. This is what makes supposed rockers like 'Somebody to Love You' and 'Old Enough to Know Better' such hollow experiences.
Wynonna's most obvious mistake was to include her version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird.' Not only is it floridly low-flying, but it's also overexposed, having been included on a 1994 salute to Skynyrd. Her less obvious mistake is 'Dance! Shout!,' a would-be gospel rave-up that closes revelations. Although the singer knows the effect she's striving for--you can hear the way she has studied Aretha Franklin's gospel phrasing and testifying--the tune is weak in spirit. Drawing on a pool of songwriters that includes dependables like Mike Reid, Gary Nicholson, and Delbert McClinton, Revelations has a startling paucity of crisp, memorable melodies. Much of the music is nice, but "nice" isn't up to the standards of the possessor of one of country's strongest voices. Next time, Wynonna needs to let loose: fewer attempts at revelation and more at revolution. C
Review from Entertainment Weekly -- Ken Tucker, 2/16/96.
Blood Red Earth
Aglukar, Susan.
Winnipeg, MA: Arbor Records, p2006.
Once again, Susan Aglukark shares her beautiful melodies and uplifting rhythms in her latest release entitled Blood Red Earth.
This 12-track love-immersed CD features contemporary pop music arranged with unique blends of traditional Inuk folklore, combining to create a truly soothing sound.
Aglukark's captivating and pure words heard in 'Songbird' evoke emotions from within that should be shared with others and released so they too can share the inspirational feelings the song invokes.
The Inuk singer and songwriter has been producing her heartfelt music since 1993 and has sold more than 400,000 copies of her previous albums Arctic Rose, Christmas, This Child, Unsung Heroes and Big Feeling.
Aglukark's engaging performances have caught the attention of many notable and influential people. She's performed for Queen Elizabeth, given unforgettable performances for former Canadian prime ministers Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney and has sung for French President Jacques Chirac and Nelson Mandela.
The three-time Juno Award winner is also making a name for herself as an inspiring motivational speaker and workshop facilitator who reaches out to both youth and adult audiences in a commanding manner. She talks about her culture but also addresses issues such as social and health problems in Aboriginal communities.
Blood Red Earth has once again garnered the attention of the Juno Award judges. The CD is nominated for a Juno in the Aboriginal Recording of the Year category. The awards will be handed out in Saskatoon on April 1.
OUR PICK
Artist -- Susan Aglukark
Album -- Blood Red Earth
Song -- Songbird
Label -- Arbor Records
Producer -- Chad Irschick
Review from Windspeaker (AMMSA Alberta Multi-Media Society), March 2007.
The Arockalypse
Lordi
[United States]: The End Records, p2006.
- Tracks:
- SCG3 special report
- Bringing back the balls to rock
- The deadite girls gone wild
- The kids who wanna play with the dead
- It snows in hell
- Who's your daddy
- Hard rock hallelujah
- They only come out at night
- Chainsaw buffet
- Good to be bad
- The night of the loving dead
- Supermonstars
If Beavis, Butt-Head, Jack Black and Ronnie James Dio sat down together to imagine their ideal band, the end result would probably be something a lot like Lordi. Never seen out of its lords-of-the-Klingon-underworld get-ups, the Finnish band powered onto the scene last year when it won the fifty-year-old Eurovision Song Contest, which usually rewards the likes of Abba. Guest spots by Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French and Kiss' Bruce Kulick are obvious nods to Lordi's costumed predecessors, but this band seems much more in on the joke than those groups ever were. 'Bitch, who's your daddy?' bellows singer Mr. Lordi, employing an almost dance-rock chorus against Judas Priest-style guitar riffs. The one Lordi will be remembered for, though, is 'Hard Rock Hallelujah,' a bombastic tribute to rock & roll, complete with a demonic backing choir, Dio-like banshee wails and killer lines, including "On the day of rock-oning, it's who dares wins." The day of rock-oning has arrived.
Review from Rolling Stone -- Andy Greene