Category: Music

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Lightnin’ Hopkins: Live at the Bird Lounge

If you know me, you know that I love the blues (and if you don’t know me, I suppose you know that now). One of my favorite blues artists is Lightnin’ Hopkins. He’s a country blues boy out of Texas, and he sure knows how to sing a good blues tune.

Live at the Bird Lounge is one of my prized vinyl records, purchased for me as a gift from Rozi. This album contains a set of recordings captured while Lightnin’ played (reportedly) all night at the Bird Lounge. Those recording the set selected their favorite songs and put out this album.

If you like the blues, I highly recommend adding this to your collection.

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Soul Brothers

Soul Brothers is an instrumental jazz album featuring Ray Charles and Milt Jackson. This combination is quite stellar and is a frequently showcased in my jazz playlists.

This album shows you Ray Charles in a different light: playing in jazz sets with Milt Jackson. Produced before he was widely known, he gets to showcase his bluesy/jazzy piano skills.

Soul Brothers is a definite must-listen-to classic for my jazz-loving friends.

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Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony

I have been a long-time fan of Gregory Alan Isakov. I was tremendously excited to hear about the album he recorded with the Colorado Symphony: there’s no way that combination can leave me disappointed.

I think the symphony adds tremendous power and weight to his songs. The symphony’s power is perfectly showcased in the opening to the album: “Liars”. The extra emotion I feel when I hear these songs falls on me unexpectedly every time. And while I say “tremendous power”, it is purely in its emotional force: the songs remain well-balanced, and neither the symphony nor the singer overpower the other.

I find this album to be quite stirring, and reserve it for quiet, thoughful moments. I also don’t mind the Gregory Alan Isakov and the Colorado Symphony sending me off to sleep…

Listen to “Liars” from the album:

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It’s Too Late to Stop Now, Vol. 1

I was never really a hardcore Van Morisson fan, but this album may have changed all of that for me. Initially recorded in 1973 and 1974, thanks to Vinyl Me Please, I know own my own copy on vinyl.

A few important notes on my feelings about music:

  • A good cover is like a hit of a good drug.
  • Albums (and playlists) are the proper way to experience music. Somebody has put work into crafting a whole experience.
  • Excellent live music will always be better than the studio version – imperfection, feeling, and experimentation often come out during live performances, while the recorded version is often the “gold master”.

Van Morrison knocks out all three with this release, especially in the cover department. I mean, look at this list:

  • I Believe to my Soul
  • Bring it on Home
  • I Just Want to Make Love to You
  • Help Me
  • Take Your Hands Out of My Pockets

Do yourself a favor and check this thing out.

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Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs

I was introduced to Big Bill Broonzy by way of Vinyl Me Please, who included Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs as one of their featured monthly releases.

I love the blues, but prior to getting this album I did not pay much attention to Big Bill. He was one of those names that I was familiar with, but I couldn’t quite identify any of his songs. After this album, I devoured everything of his that I could find (and I definitely recommend the Big Bill Broonzy Story as a next stop).

This album contains a selection of folk songs that are soulfully sung in a country blues style – nothing from the “standard rotation” is present. The album culminates in my favorite song on the album – “Glory of Love” – for a stellar ending to an enjoyable ride.

Check it out if you like the blues. It got me hooked.

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Big Bill Broonzy Story

Big Bill Broonzy is my favorite blues singer – lucky for me he was quite the prolific artist.

This 3-disk collection was recorded in 1957, a year before his death. Big Bill is playing guitar and conducting an interview at the same time – questions are interspersed between songs. Big Bill provides honest answers, covering the backgrounds of other players, the meaning behind different songs, and what it takes to sing the blues.

As an avid blues fan, I love having this window into the experiences that went into this awesome music.

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A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

Sturgill Simpson may be the most interesting country artist, and this album certainly keeps him going in that direction.

Would I call this country?  No.  But this album is excellent and heartfelt and odd (and took a few listens for me to appreciate).  Framed as a letter from a sailor to his wife and son, there are many times I dig into the lyrics and catch the feels.  Plus, the unexpected cover of In Bloom manages to surprise me each time I play the album.

Check out a live performance of one of the new songs and give the album a listen.  It’s worth it.

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Strange Trails by Lord Huron

Strange Trails is hands down the best album of 2015.

Since adding it to my collection in April 2015, iTunes tells me I’ve listened to the whole album about 50 times – not including the extra plays from adding individual songs to my playlists.  Five of the songs from the album made it into my Top 25 Most Played songs, and all of them made the Top 50 list.

The magic of Strange Trails is that it’s a collection of excellent songs which flow brilliantly into each other. You can get lost in the sound of the music, but if you listen you can also enjoy the story and adventure in each song.  Since the songs flow into each other so smoothly, you often get lost in the middle of the album, only to shocked back to reality as the “The Night We Met” signifies the end of the adventure.

This album managed to revive (for me) the idea of the album as an art form.  We live in a world obsessed by singles, and many laud the new models of purchasing music since they can buy only the songs we like.  But when that happens, we also forget that many musicians craft an album as an author does a book – and it should be consumed in its entirety.