Rock, reggae, and jazz mix on this album of striking urban songs that are both confessional and confrontational. Includes "Wild in the Streets."

(by William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide)

Mit ihrem zehnten Album "Nick Of Time" gewann die amerikanische Musikerin Bonnie Raitt eine Menge neuer Fans, denen ihr früheres Werk nicht bekannt ist. Der Großteil dieser LPs - sämtlich bei Warner Brothers erschienen - ist inzwischen auf CD neu herausgekommen. Das Debüt "Bonnie Raitt" (1971) war ihren Vorlieben entsprechend noch ganz in einem erdigen Rhythm & Blues- und Blues-Rahmen gehalten, belegte aber bereits eindrucksvoll die Qualitäten der Kalifornierin als Sängerin, Gitarristin und Songschreiberin ("Thank You"). Mit "Give It Up" (1972) und "Takin My Time" (1973) wurde auch ihr Gespür für hervorragende Songschreiber (Jackson Browne, Eric Kaz, Randy Newman) deutlich. Für das Repertoire von "Streetlights" (1974) und "Home Plate" (1975) übernahm Bonnie Raitt in zunehmendem Maße Rock- und Pop-Elemente -und die auf dem grandiosen "Sweet Forgiveness" enthaltene rockige Neufassung von Del Shannons 60er-Jahre-Hit "Runaway" bescherte ihr schließlich 1977 einen Verkaufserfolg. "The Glow" (1979) konnte diesen Coup trotz gleichbleibend hohem musikalischem Niveau allerdings nicht wiederholen. Zwei weitere Warner-Brothers-Alben, "Green Light" (1982) und "Nine Lives" (1986), wurden bisher noch nicht als CD aufgelegt."

(Stereoplay)

Bonnie has demonstrated through the years that she can sing many different styles of music, all of them brilliantly – mainly blues and rock but also including pop, folk and even (on the Urban cowboy soundtrack) some country. This album does not show everything that Bonnie can do but it shows most of her major influences. The most famous song here is surely Runaway, a cover of Del Shannon's early sixties classic. Yet the song is almost unrecognisable compared to the original, which was a typical slice of rock'n'roll. Bonnie re-interprets the song, slowing it down to convert it to a blues-more…rock ballad. It works brilliantly and was an American hit for Bonnie.Bonnie has sometimes been compared to Linda Ronstadt. I regard them as very different singers but there are a few songs that both of them have recorded. On this album, you can hear one of these songs, Louise. However, Linda recorded the song on one of her early albums so her own music had changed quite a lot by the time Bonnie recorded the song.Elsewhere, Bonnie delivers fine versions of Three time loser (Don Covay), Taking my time (Little Feat), Home (Karla Bonoff), Gambling man (Eric Kaz) and My opening farewell (Jackson Brown).This is a fascinating album that all Bonnie Raitt fans should own.

From the opening moments of Season of Lights, as the band slides smoothly into "Money" from Laura Nyro's then-current album, Smile, you know that this record was cut at the perfect moment in Nyro's career -- her performance combines the understated sense of release of someone who is back from a long sabbatical (in this case, five years away from recording or performing), and the cool, smooth professionalism of a natural performer who has found a perfect accompaniment, in this case mixing elements of pop and light jazz. She gave listeners fresh reconsiderations of ten-year-old works like "And When I Die," which she does in a slow, lyrical, yet slightly funky manner, as though neither she nor any of her audience had ever heard of Blood, Sweat & Tears -- talk about reclaiming a song for herself, once one hears this rendition it's difficult to take David Clayton-Thomas' performance of it seriously ever again -- and "The Confession." "Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp" becomes the vehicle for Nyro's introduction of the band, before she begins stretching her upper range, accompanied by Jeanie Fineberg's flute, John Tropea's guitar, and Michael Mainieri's vibraphone. "When I Was a Freeport (And You Were the Main Drag)" is the kind of song that, ideally, should only ever have been presented live, showing off Nyro at her most gently beguiling and accessible, teasing the audience with the play of her words and her voice, an approach that she emulates on "Captain St. Lucifer." The original ten songs from the original LP were a decent representation of where Nyro was at the time, though one can bet that if Clive Davis had still been president of Columbia Records, Season of Lights would have been the double LP that was intended. [In 1995, Sony Music of Japan issued an expanded edition, and complete versions of the concert appeared in the 2000s.]

(by Bruce Eder, All Music Guide)

Kicking off with a great cover of the Kinks' "I Need You," this solid, unpretentious debut album belongs in the home of every fan of English R&B from the Yardbirds to the Pretty Things to Dr. Feelgood. Guitarists Johnny Guitar and Zenon de Fleur keep it tight and simple, never wasting a note, and vocalist Dave Tice is so macho, it's enough to make you laugh. The originals are OK if somewhat predictable blues-based rave-ups, but the energy and good cheer more than make up for the album's derivative nature. Not a deep album by any stretch of the imagination, just good dirty fun.

(by John Dougan, All Music Guide)

The thing that seems to distinguish Chiswick from the other record companies of the same type is that they're prepared to totally play to their hunches. Unlike, for example, Stiff, it seems that anybody who signs with Chiswick is regarded as an album artist, and to prove it, artefacts are upcoming from Johnny Moped, the Radiators From Space, Skrewdriver, and best of all, from the compulsively athletic Radio Stars, which will go alongside this first album on the label, and its companion Motorhead. That's faith, and such a commodity is sadly lacking among other record companies at the moment.

So why don't I particularly rate the Count Bishops? Well, it's probably to do with the fact that I, along with Malcom Mclaren (or so I've read), used to go and see the Stones up to four times a week around this time fifteen years ago (Sunday afternoon at Ken Coyler's, Sunday evening at the Crawdaddy, for which I still have my membership card, Monday night at the Marquee, and Wednesday at the Eel Pie Island, if they were on).

In those days the stones were about a million times more exciting and accessible than they are now, and they've never recaptured even one per cent of that excitement since about 1964, the year I saw the Paul Butterfield Blues Band at the Golders Green Refectory (to which the same applies).

What's wrong with the Count Bishops for me is that they seem to be very like a 1969 Stones, or the Pretty Things at almost any point in their career, except they don't have the distinctiveness of either.

A lot of that's to do with their songs, which are generally indifferent. That's the originals of course, because lots of bonus points are scored by anyone who reurrects the Standells, even if they got the title wrong, although covering Savoy Brown almost erases this advantage. There are five originals out of twelve, and only one, 'Stay Free' by guitarist Zenon de Fleur (a likely story), is better than wallpaper, with guitar not unlike Quiver's 'Reason For Staying'. Happening to meet Zenon at the Nashville, I expressed my opinion that his group's writing doesn't cut it yet, and he seemed a bit disgruntled. Hardly strange, I suppose...

If it's of any interest (and it probably isn't), I suggest more careful choice of songs next time. EG, if you're determined to do a Chuck Berry, how about 'Our Little Rendevous' or 'Don't Lie To Me' instead of boring stuff like 'Down Te Road Apiece'? And why do Elmore James when the Fleetwood Mac reissues are flooding the market? The Kinks isn't such a great idea either, but I'll be waiting for you to do 'Dirty Water' on the next album. So don't let me down, Zenon...

(Album review by John Tobler - First published in Zig Zag #76, Sept 1977)

On their debut, the Rumour play laidback pub-rock in a style (predictably) not too dissimilar to their work with Graham Parker, though it is looser and more in the style of later Brinsley Schwarz. Max is probably most noteworthy for the clear high point, the band's cover of Nick Lowe's "Mess With Love" (a song he wouldn't get around to recording himself until 1982's Abominable Showman), although the album is packed with some terrific music.

(by Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide)

Als John Martyn 1978 "One World" einspielte, war er längst nicht mehr der Zupfhansel von einst, sondern ein zerrissener Düstermann, der mit perkussiver E-Gitarre, Effektgeräten und heiser hechelndem Gesang Psychedelia, Soul, Folk und Funk zur Kernschmelze brachte. Jetzt liegt der große Wurf remastert vor. Ergänzt wird das Album um eine komplette CD mit Live-Aufnahmen und Demos - Grundprinzip der grandiosen "Deluxe Edition"-Serie von Universal, die Klassiker der Pop- und Rock-Geschichte erst aufarbeitet, dann wunderbar verpackt und per Bonus-Album in einen historischen Schaffenskontext stellt. Der dritte Schub umfasst zudem Doppel-CDs der Beatles mit Tony Sheridan ("First"), Lloyd Cole & The Commotions (den Geniestreich "Rattlesnakes"), The Wailers ("Burnin'"), Cream (das zeitlose "Disraeli Gears"), INXS ("Kick"), Nine Inch Nails, ABC und The Cure. Das darf so weitergehen, gern mit offenem Ende.

(Kulturnews)

After Sunday's Child, John Martyn took an extended break from studio recording. By late 1975, feeling he was close to going "completely round the bend," he had also stopped touring. To put some distance between himself and the pressures of the business and to recoup his creative energies, he went to Jamaica. There, after meeting dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, Martyn sat in on sessions by other artists and contributed to Burning Spear's Man in the Hills. Martyn returned to the U.K. reinvigorated and began recording One World in summer 1977. Produced by Island boss Chris Blackwell and featuring Dave Pegg, Morris Pert, John Stevens, Danny Thompson, and Steve Winwood, among others, One World combines the experimental tendencies of 1973's Inside Out and the more conventional song structures of Sunday's Child. While tracks like "Couldn't Love You More," "Smiling Stranger," and "Certain Surprise" display some continuity with the rootsy, jazzy folk-rock of Martyn's previous albums, this record has a stronger commercial feel than his earlier work, crossing over into pop territory. Especially memorable in that regard is the electrified swagger of "Big Muff," a number co-written by Perry that would become one of Martyn's live staples. But One World's understated explorations of mood are even more compelling; the experimental nature of dub -- of which Perry was a legendary exponent -- clearly resonated with Martyn. Since the early '70s, he had displayed a keen ear for sonic manipulation, using effects like Echoplex and a phase shifter to craft drifting, hypnotic textures. Here, the lazy title track and the synth-pulsing "Small Hours" exemplify Martyn's knack for mesmerizing, smoky grooves. Those looser, atmospheric numbers notwithstanding, most of One World signals the more slick pop direction John Martyn would take in the '80s starting with Grace & Danger (and with increasingly mixed results).
[In 2005, Island released a Deluxe Edition of One World that included five live tracks and 10 alternate versions of songs from the initial release.]

(by Wilson Neate, All Music Guide)

Das Konzept-Album „Eli" war das Ergebnis einer Kollaboration zwischen zwei der Output-stärksten Musiker in der holländischen Musik-Geschichte. Nachdem er die Prog Helden Focus Mitte der Siebziger Jahre verließ, tat sich Gitarrist Jan Akkermann mit Kaz Lux, dem Sänger der gleichberechtigt legendären Band Brainbox zusammen. „Eli" feiert den Folk, den progressiven Blues und Funk, zusammengehalten vom virtuosen Gitarrenspiel Akkermanns. Vor fast 50 Jahren wurde er vom Melody Maker zum besten Gitarristen der Welt gewählt.

Der 1995 verstorbene Kult-Jazzer Don Cherry hat der Welt viel Gutes gebracht. Und damit sind nicht nur seine Kinder Eagle-Eye Cherry und Neneh Cherry gemeint, sondern auch seine grandiosen, zwischen Jazz und Worldmusic pendelnden Alben.

Selbst wenn »Brown Rice« der einzige Beitrag des Trompeters zum Jazz gewesen wäre, sein Platz im Pantheon wäre ihm bis heute sicher. Das Album von 1975 ist ein fettes Stück psychedelischen Jazz-Rocks, das Blues- und Funkelemente, sowie afrikanische, indische und nahöstliche Einflüsse enthält.

Neu remastert, Liner Notes des angesehenen Jazz-Autors Stanley Crouch.

A stunning, breakthrough album, one which would change the complexion and range of bluegrass music forever. Even after hearing the instrumental numbers on The Rounder Album, few people could have predicted the radical innovations on this album, a full-blown transistion into a new acoustic jazz. The debts to old jazz greats such as gypsy swing guitarist Django Rinehardt and instrumental pioneers like Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang, yet the album also oozes with a rich hillbilly traditionalism. The musical themes are exquisitely developed, with a combination of delicacy and drive; solo after solo soars past, bouyed up by intricate, puzzlelike arrangements. Those of a critical bent could pick this apart for its sugary character, or too-perfect aspirations, but really this record is an exhiliarating revelation. Highly recommended!!

For those unfamiliar with "Dawg" music it's a little from column A and a little from column B. A basis in bluegrass with an affinity for jazz and then a whole lot of heart and soul thrown in for good measure. The instruments themselves, with their history and patina of age, could stand alone as the stars here were it not for the clever hands playing them. Each player giving his all and carefully avoiding the feet of his fellow dancers. Grisman may write the letter, but it takes all five members to deliver it successfully. The cover photos, simple as they may be, capture all you need to see. The quintet don't hold back much, what you see is pretty much what you get.

(Tralfaz-Archive)

Gwendal's third album begins fairly innocently with the traditional pieces "Rainy Day," "Cam Ye O'er Frae France," and quot;The Walls of Liscarroll," which feature fiddle, acoustic guitar, and whistle along with electric bass (which gives these selections a slight modern touch). The fourth number, "Butterfly," errupts into a jazzy, swing fiddle piece with more emphasis on drums and bass. The final track, a 17-minute Gwendal original, presents a drastic shift for this short five-track album. It incorporates jazz, funk, progressive rock, and folk in a free-form manner, never settling on a strict identity but foreshadowing the eclectic sounds that lie in the wait for this French group.

(by Dave Sleger, AMG)

For those of you looking for some funky, chunky, Jaco Pastorius jams, this isn't the place. For those looking for extremely free playing where Mangelsdorff's trombone runs wild and chaotic, this isn't it either. For the fusion freaks entranced by Alphonse Mouzon's skittering drum work that stops and starts on a sliver of light, best look elsewhere. For the rest, who are seeking great jazz in any configuration, this just might be your ticket. Recorded at the Berlin Jazz Days in 1976 and originally issued on LP while Pastorius was at the height of his tenure with Weather Report and playing an all-Mangelsdorff selection, this trio delivers an inspired performance that relies on timing, virtuosity, and a little humor for its bread and butter. The title track is the opener, and its slight abstraction is quickly replaced by Pastorius suggesting the frame of the melody to his counterparts, who pick it up and glide. On "Zores Mores," knotty little post-bop lines are woven into an easy framework of Mouzon's dancing hands and a solid yet very flexible interplay between the trombonist and Pastorius' ever-inquisitive basslines. The shimmering tension between the trio's members is all heat on "Accidental Meeting," the closest piece to pure abstraction here, but Mangelsdorff insists on, at the very least, the articulation of jazz formalism. "Foreign Fun" starts out like surreal circus music, but quickly walks the razor's edge between Weather Report's more adventurous material and noirish jazz. The set closes with the groaning humor of "Ant Steps on Elephant's Toe," a bumping, bubbling, dub-style cut that features Mangelsdorff blowing fully out of the blues and Pastorius playing the very best Aston Barrett he can. The dub effect gives way to funk about halfway through, and Mouzon becomes animated, doubling and tripling his cohorts in a joyful dance of curiosity and discovery. This cut is street-tough, plenty nasty, and leaves the audience — and listeners too, no doubt — begging for more.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

Michael Rother was the guitar and keyboard playing half of the groundbreaking Krautrock group Neu, and earlier, a founding member of Kraftwerk. Flammende Herzen (Flaming Heart) is his first solo album, recorded by and produced by Conny Plank in 1976 and issued at the dawn of punk in 1977. Flammende Herzen is, in a sense, the complete and utter flowering of a vision Rother held from Kraftwerk through his work with Klaus Dinger in Neu and through his short-term collaboration with Moebius and Roedelius in Harmonia. Rother's signature guitar sound is twinned with an analog delay, the simple mechanical or "motorik" percussion all wound around simple, yet transcendent, melodies that are nearly anthemic in their strident execution. With percussion assistance from Jaki Leibzeit of Can, Rother crafts a driving, soaring ride into the sonic abyss that is rich with melody and rock & roll rhythm. For Rother, music is a thing filled with light, and tracks such as the title, "Zyklodrom," and "Karussell" feature a cylindrical weave of electronic and organic percussion, opaque but insistent synthesizers playing chord progressions, and, of course, acoustic and electric guitars either chiming in single- and double-string Brucknerian motifs or churning on two or three chords hypnotically into the ether. While some of the themes presented here later became the foundation for a ponderous kind of new age disc music, there is plenty of spaced-out psychedelia and churning rock & roll ellipsis here ("Feuerland") for fans of early Krautrock. This remains one of Rother's strongest and most visionary records. The CD reissue features two remixes of the title track from 1993.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)