Let me tell you about Let Me Tell You About the Blues, a series of three-disc packages (several of which are available on eMusic) that attempts to trace the evolution of the music by focusing on geographic areas. Results are mixed, as they almost always are on compilations, in this case due largely to the fact that anything recorded in a specific city or region is defined as belonging to that area. To cite one… more »
After Elvis went into the Army and before the British Invasion, the years 1958-63 were rock's forgotten years. But they were the years that shaped the musical tastes of baby boomers and of acts from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Bruce Springsteen and the Ramones. Hear the dance sensations, the one-hit-wonders, the girl groups and doo-wop singers, surfers and rockabilly twangers, the birth of Motown, the evolution of R&B into soul and so much… more »
It used to be easier to pretend that an album was its own perfectly self-contained artifact. The great records certainly feel that way. But albums are more permeable than solid, their motivations, executions and inspirations informed by, and often stolen from, their peers and forbearers. It all sounds awfully formal, but it's not. It's the very nature of music — of art, even. The Six Degrees features examine the relationships between classic records and five… more »
Driven by Jackie Wilson’s biggest latter-day hit, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” this 1967 LP offers great performances (from vocalist and band) and a variety of material. Though original LPs surely aren’t the best place to start for Wilson, fans of the nearly irresistible Brunswick sound will find much here to like, from the propulsive “You Can Count on Me” and “Open the Door to Your Heart” to the classy Impressions-style “When Will Our Day Come” and the ballad “Those Heartaches.” Wilson’s performances are excellent as usual, making Higher and Higher one of the better original albums of his career. – John Bush
