Music CDs Reviews - Page 7

The apple doesn’t fall far from the musical tree in this collection of classic rock and pop songs performed by the now-grown children of the stars who originally made them famous. These second-generation versions of Santana’s “Evil Ways,” Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle,” James Taylor’s “Bartender’s Blues,” The Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” and 10 other tunes make for a charming Father’s Day soundtrack. (Available exclusively at Target)
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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These three early albums from one of country music’s most uniquely talented superstars were first marketed between 1971 and 1974. Remastered and re-released with additional bonus songs not included in the originals, they present a fascinating portrait of her homesickness for the Appalachian upbringing that would always be a part of her musical makeup, spotlight her professional split with Porter Wagoner (“I Will Always Love You” is the bittersweet breakup song she wrote as both a salute and a sign-off to her mentor and singing partner) and herald her emergence as a prodigiously gifted singer and songwriter.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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The iconic Man in Black never tried to hide his troubled past, but neither did he shy from the gospel music that was always so close to his heart. These 24 hymns, spirituals, washed-in-the-blood evergreens, Cash originals and Carter Family gems, culled together for the first time from his numerous albums over a 40-year span, reveal the depth of the spiritual roots that kept him anchored during many a storm. Tracks include “There’ll Be Peace in the Valley (For Me),” “Amazing Grace,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord),” “How Great Thou Art” and “The Great Speckle Bird.”
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Two of country’s top hats join Margaritaville’s coolest cat for this high-spirited, mix-n-match concert romp recorded at a 2004 event in Dallas. The tuneful threesome sound like they’re having a grand old time, and the crowd laps up every honky-tonk dollop of “Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Murder on Music Row,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and 12 other tracks.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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The ‘60s folk-singing matriarch is saluted in song by an eclectic slate of all-star fellow musicians, including James Taylor, Prince, Sufjan Stevens and Elvis Costello, performing a tasteful selection of her well-aged classics and a handful of more tucked-away tuneful treasures. But without “Both Sides Now” and “Big Yellow Taxi,” two of her signature songs, this Tribute seems to be missing a couple of cornerstones.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Last of the breed, indeed—there aren’t many singers around anymore like these three purebred Country Music Hall of Famers, who hitch together as a trio for the first time to dust off some of their all-time favorites from the classic country songbook. In addition to such jukebox gems as “Pick Me Up on Your Way Down,” “Why Me Lord,” “That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine,” “Heartaches by the Number” and “Lost Highway,” a couple of newer tunes by Haggard and Nelson also snuggle comfortably into the honky-tonk saddlebag.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Bluegrass titan Skaggs and piano-pounding power balladeer Hornsby bring out the best of each other on this creative, collaborative cross-pollination that finds them merrily re-tooling Hornsby’s 1987 hit “Mandolin Rain,” hard-charging into several new tunes each wrote for the project, getting into the gospel groove of “Come On Out,” spinning through the old-time reel “Sheep Sell Corn” and even turning ‘80s funkmeister Rick James’ classic “Super Freak” into a high-spirited hoedown.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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If you think you can name a bluegrass song that’s not in this sweeping, 120-song collection, knock yourself out—while the rest of us happily tap our feet to “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Uncle Pen,” “Mountain Dew,” “Dueling Banjos” and a bountiful barn full of other classic tunes by the titans of the genre, including Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and Ralph Stanley, plus stars of today such as Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent and Alison Krauss
- Neil Pond, American Profile

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Movie fans will love this ear-pleasing roundup of seven decades’ worth of classic big-screen themes, Oscar-winning soundtrack numbers and other songs that have become part of our collective cultural scrapbook. Fifty-seven tracks rewind your memories to unforgettable scenes and other golden moments from more than 50 all-American film treasures, including Gone With the Wind, The Pink Panther, Midnight Cowboy, M*A*S*H, Rocky, The Wizard of Oz, Fame, Arthur, Show Boat, West Side Story, Carousel and Camelot.
- Neil Pond, American Profile

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On his 12th solo album since the pop duo of Simon and Garfunkel went their separate ways in 1970, Garfunkel drapes his delicate tenor over these American-songbook standards, casting an easy-listening glow on “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “It Could Happen to You” and nine other classics from the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin and George Gershwin.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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