MIKE PATTON

MIKE PATTON
MONDO CANE (2010)
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Mike Patton is about as predictable as the mood swings of someone with a severe case of bipolar disorder. The prolific Faith No More frontman is releasing Mondo Cane, via his own Ipecac Records, on May 4. It's not just another Patton project; it's a collection Italian oldies, which shouldn't surprise Patton disciples, since he was married to an Italian artist and is said to be fluent in the language.
Mondo Cane features as 40-piece orchestra, a choir and back- up band. Patton sings a host of Italian-language songs from the '50s and '60s. The disc also features a several covers: Blackmen's "Urlo Negro," which was recorded in the '60s and is about the struggle for civil rights; Gino Paoli's "Senza Fine," which was also recorded by Connie Francis four decades ago; and "Deep Down," written by Ennio Morricone for the 1986 film, Danger: Diabolik.

1. Il Cielo In Una Stanza
2. Che Notte!
3. Ore D'Amore
4. Deep Down
5. Quello Che Conta
6. Urlo Negro
7. Scalinatella
8. L'Uomo Che Non Sapeva Amare
9. 20 KM Al Giorno
10. Ti Offro Da Bere
11. Senza Fine

PETER GABRIEL

PETER GABRIEL
SCRATCH MY BACK (2010)
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No one can accuse Peter Gabriel of being short of a concept or three. The art rocker's latest wheeze is an album of cover versions, to be followed by an album of their composers covering his work (hence the title). The thought of that second album doubtless influenced the final cut from the 100 songs Gabriel shortlisted; among those interpreting his work will be Neil Young, Regina Spektor, David Bowie and Elbow. Handy!
Gabriel's own covers are theatrical pieces of baroque pop without guitars or drums. Gabriel's voice, grainier these days, takes centre stage, while arranger John Metcalfe spins rich, sometimes cinematic settings from his orchestra. The dominant mood is wistful and melancholic, the dominant pattern a slow beginning with big booming climaxes.
Mostly, it works well. Intriguingly, Gabriel fares better with more recent material. Elbow's Mirrorball becomes a hushed, midnight meditation with prog styling (the ghost of Genesis is never far away). Bon Iver's Flume is transformed from cabin folk to big ballad, while a sweet-sour take on the Magnetic Fields' Book of Love already has cult status following its role on the Scrubs soundtrack.
Less exciting are versions of Bowie's Heroes, Lou Reed's Power of the Heart, Randy Newman's I Think It's Going to Rain Today and Young's Philadelphia, all of which reprise, rather then re-create, the mood of the originals. At the other extreme, turning the enthused African pop of Paul Simon's The Boy in the Bubble into forlornness seems downright wilful, and even drastic deconstruction can't make much of the unconvincing angst of Radiohead's Street Spirit.
Still, there's more right than wrong about Gabriel's audacity. With Talking Heads' Listening Wind he hits his mark sweetly, turning David Byrne's jittery original into a dreamy, scary account of terrorism. For that, Dave owes Pete a good 'un.

1. Heroes
2. The Boy in the Bubble
3. Mirrorball
4. Flume
5. Listening Wind
6. The Power of the Heart
7. My Body Is a Cage
8. The Book of Love
9. I Think It's Going to Rain Today
10. Après Moi
11. Philadelphia
12. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

BADLANDS

BADLANDS
A TRIBUTE TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S NEBRASKA (2000)
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There was a time when nobody besides Manfred Mann really bothered to cover Bruce Springsteen songs. All that changed once Born to Run turned the New Jersey singer-songwriter into a pop icon. Still, it was in the bleak character studies of 1982's Nebraska that he reaffirmed himself as a literate everyman steeped in the tradition of John Steinbeck and Flannery O'Connor, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. And that's the side of Springsteen that clearly appeals to Johnny Cash, Los Lobos, Hank Williams III, and the dozen other artists who participate in this remake of Nebraska. Chrissie Hynde, Ani DiFranco, and Deana Carter all deliver haunting performances, but as far as the men folk go, the album's most striking covers are "bonus" tracks that were recorded for but not released on Nebraska: "I'm on Fire" sounds even creepier with Cash's craggy vocal; Raul Malo brings out the pop sheen of "Downbound Train"; and "Wages of Sin," in the hands of Damien Jurado and Rose Thomas, shows Springsteen can be just as depressing as your favorite emo idol. All of which makes this a fine companion to the original recording.

1. Nebraska - Chrissie Hynde And Adam Seymour
2. Atlantic City - Hank III
3. Mansion On The Hill - Crooked Fingers
4. Johnny 99 - Los Lobos
5. Highway Patrolman - Dar Williams
6. State Trooper - Deanna Carter
7. Used Cars - Ani DiFranco
8. Open All Night - Son Volt
9. My Father's House - Ben Harper
10. Reason To Believe - Aimee Mann And Michael Penn
11. I'm On Fire - Johnny Cash
12. Downbound Train - Raul Malo of the Mavericks
13. Wages Of Sin - Damien Jurado And Rose Thomas

PAUL DESMOND

PAUL DESMOND
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (1970)
REMASTER
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Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water was the hottest album in the land in 1970, and Paul Simon's tunes from that and their earlier albums unexpectedly find a congenial advocate in Paul Desmond. Against the odds as determined by bopsters, Desmond finds something beautiful, wistful, and/or sly to say in each of these ten tunes, backed by Herbie Hancock's Rhodes electric piano and a set of ravishing, occasionally overstated (as in "America") orchestrations by Don Sebesky. "The 59th Street Bridge Song" is given a jaunty, carefree rendition, adapting quite well to a jazz treatment (after all, Desmond's old teammate in the Brubeck quartet Joe Morello played drums on S&G's original record) and Desmond even does some cascading overdubs on his solo part. "Cecilia" is a fast samba, Desmond cleverly works his old "Sacre Blues" into the solo on "El Condor Pasa," and the title track has a breathtakingly pretty fadeout. Hancock's solos often reflect where he was personally at in 1970, with ideas transferred from his progressive electric Sextet. A curiosity certainly but a nice one.

1. Condor Pasa
2. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
3. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
4. Mrs. Robinson
5. Old Friends
6. America
7. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her
8. Scarborough Fair/Canticle
9. Cecilia
10. Bridge Over Troubled Water

LAIKA FATIEN

LAÏKA FATIEN
MISERY, A TRIBUTE TO BILLIE HOLIDAY (2008)
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It's quite a risk for any jazz vocalist to record a tribute to the great Bill Holiday especially when songs like "Strange Fruit" and "Gloomy Sunday" are featured. Laïka Fatien, born in 1968 of Ivory-Coastian and Moroccan descend but born and raised in Paris, manages it with wit and taste. Audacious and assertive as well as repectful of tradition, this album created quite an enthusiastic buzz in French jazz circles when it came out. And it, indeed, is a wonderful collection where her wild and sensual voice does wonders. Exquisitely accompanied by Robert Glasper (piano), Daryl Hall (bass), Gregory Hutchinson (drums) as well as French saxophonist extraordinaire David El-Malek on 3 tracks, she offers us a classy and moving tribute to one of the goddesses of the blue note. A must hear.

1. Strange Fruit
2. Lady’s Back In Town
3. Don’t Explain
4. You Can Loose a Broken Heart (feat. David El-Malek)
5. What’s New (feat. David El-Malek)
6. All Of You
7. How Deep Is The Ocean
8. Lover Come Back To Me
9. Misery
10. You Turn The Tables On Me
11. Gloomy Sunday
12. Left Alone (feat. David El-Malek)

THE VILLAGE

THE VILLAGE
A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF GREENWICH VILLAGE (2009)
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429 Records has brought together a stellar roster of artists for a project titled THE VILLAGE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF GREENWICH VILLAGE a musical homage to an influential scene that thrived during an incomparable era in the history of rock music. The Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City in the 1960 s was ground zero for a musical, political and social evolution-- McCarthy and the Red Scare era was over, the Vietnam War was simmering and poised to explode, and the civil rights movement was gaining steam just as singers like Peter Seeger, Bob Dylan and Odetta were hanging out and composing fierce and fearless songs that reflected the social conscience of a generation. The neighborhood was symbolic of a shared inspiration with artists worldwide gravitating to the vibrant streets and clubs and as such helped change the course of popular music.
Says Susan Rotolo author of the recent bestseller 'A Freewheelin Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties' and writer of THE VILLAGE liner notes: 'The performers from that time, and the songs they wrote, made a notable contribution not only to the legend of Greenwich Village but also to music in general. No one who is young, making music and hanging out, thinks in historical terms, but the passage of time allows for such a perspective. Cultural history was made.'
With THE VILLAGE, modern day artists look back and pay tribute to the artists and songs that helped nurture and shape them as successful musicians in their own right. Shelby Lynne gives a musical shout out to Dylan with her version of 'Don t Think Twice, It s Alright,' Cowboy Junkies perform their heartbreaking version of Tim Buckley s 'Once I Was' and Bruce Hornsby checks in with a stunning version of The Lovin Spoonful s 'Darlin Be Home Soon.' THE VILLAGE also features performances by Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, Rachael Yamagata, Amos Lee, Sixpence None the Richer, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rocco DeLuca, John Oates, The Duhks, and Los Lobos.

1. Subterranean Homesick Blues (Rickie Lee Jones)
2. It's All Right Ma (The Duhks)
3. Positively 4th Street (Lucinda Williams)
4. Wayfaring Stranger (Sixpence None the Richer)
5. He Was a Friend of Mine (John Oates)
6. Guantanamera (Los Lobos)
7. Violets of Dawn (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
8. Darlin' Be Home Soon (Bruce Hornsby)
9. Little Bit O' Rain (Amos Lee)
10. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Shelby Lynne)
11. Once I Was (Cowboy Junkies)
12. Both Sides Now (Rachael Yamagata)
13. The Ballad of Hollis Brown (Rocco DeLuca)

THE FLAMING LIPS

THE FLAMING LIPS
STARDEATH AND WHITE DWARFS
WITH HENRY ROLLINS AND PEACHES
DOING "THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON" (2009)
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I won't comment on this one except to say that it's a delight through and through to hear the Flaming Lips cover Pink Floyd's cult album. I cannot think of any other band more apt to the task (and certainly not Dream Theater who, if I'm not mistaking, already did it) as The Flaming Lips are one of the best psychedelic-related acts to roam the face of the earth. Just get it, listen to it with an open-mind and... enjoy the ride. (only available for download on I-Tunes)

1. Speak to Me/Breathe (feat. Peaches and Henry Rollins)
2. On the Run (feat. Henry Rollins)
3.. Time/Breathe (Reprise)
4.The Great Gig in the Sky (feat. Peaches and Henry Rollins)
5. Money (feat. Henry Rollins)
6. Us and Them (feat. Henry Rollins)
7. Any Colour You Like
8. Brain Damage (feat. Henry Rollins)
9. Eclipse (feat. Henry Rollins)

CISCO HOUSTON

CISCO HOUSTON
SINGS THE SONGS OF WOODY GUTHRIE (1963)
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Cisco Houston is sometimes more remembered for his association with Woody Guthrie than for his gift as a folksinger. His smooth, deep baritone was interpreted by many folk purists as "commercial," thus inauthentic, and unlike Guthrie, he preferred interpreting other writer's songs as opposed to writing his own. Released two years after Houston's death, Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie finds the singer once again stepping out of the limelight to pay deference to his famous friend. The surprising thing to anyone unfamiliar with traditional folk music, however, is how enjoyable and accessible this collection is. Indeed, Houston's vocals on classics like "Deportees" and "Buffalo Skinners" are much more pleasing musically than Guthrie's dry, Oklahoma rasp. If one compares Houston's take on "Pastures of Plenty" with Guthrie's version on The Asch Recordings, for instance, Houston's version comes across as more inspired and more respectful of the lyrics. While this comparison would not hold true on Houston's versions of "Pretty Boy Floyd" and "Do Re Me," his interpretations are more than proficient. Perhaps the best way to understand his contributions to folk music is to understand him as a prophet of sorts, a John the Baptist spreading the word about another great folksinger who — because of Huntington's chorea — could no longer sing his own songs. Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie is a lovely tribute to a friend by someone who understood the significance of his music.

This Land
1. Pastures of Plenty
2. Ship in the Sky
3. Deportees
4. Grand Coulee Dam
5. Sinking of the Reuben James
Curly Headed Babies
6. Curly Headed Baby
7. Ladies Auxiliary
8. Taking It Easy
9. Hard, Ain't It Hard
Big Men
10. Jesus Christ
11. Buffalo Skinners
12. Pretty Boy Floyd
13. Philadelphia Lawyer
Lone Wolves
14. Old Lone Wolf
15. Talking Fishing Blues
16. Ranger's Command
17. Do Re Mi
18. Blowing Down That Old Dusty Road

KIND OF LIKE SPITTING

KIND OF LIKE SPITTING
LEARN, THE SONGS OF PHIL OCHS (2005)
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Phil Ochs is to Bob Dylan as Kind of Like Spitting is to Bright Eyes. You will no doubt recognize this is an oversimplification--if not hyperbole--but the fascinating story behind this recording, indeed the lives and art of said musicians serves up manifold associations illuminating themes of discovery, rivalry, and tragedy, ultimately posing foundation-shaking questions such as: “What is art?” “What are songs for?” “How does one live a meaningful life?” and most importantly perhaps, “What can one learn from the past?”
Recorded at the Gene Autrey Theater in Los Angeles on Autrey’s vintage two track machine in 2004, Kind of Like Spitting (here consisting solely of Ben Barnett and David J) deliver a selection of songs from the Phil Ochs catalog. In the months preceding the recording they took to performing six song intermissions of the not-too-well-known folk singer’s music inside their own sets on stages across the country, interweaving the songs with biographical insight and contemporary relevance. This recording aligns itself with the production of Ochs’ early, seminal records (All The News That’s Fit To Sing [1965] and I Aint Marching Anymore [1966]) consisting solely of acoustic guitars and vocals. It also documents a transformation in the lives and art of Barnett and J, having taken to Ochs as a musical father figure early on, identifying with his underdog status and trumpeting his songwriting nerve and brilliance, only to come to accept him as a brutally narcissistic person who suffered from manic depression and alcoholism, ultimately taking his own life in 1976 in relative obscurity after a spectacular downward spiral, witnessing his peers Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell rise to superstar status.
As Kind of Like Spitting approach a ten year milepost, having committed well over one hundred songs to tape (in the same ballpark as Ochs at his death) over six albums (with as many different label imprints) and a handful of EP’s and singles, Barnett and his rotating cast have paid their dues and seen their share of hard knocks for living a life devoted to music. For his effort Barnett has engendered a fierce loyalty from his fan base, not unlike the generation before who saw a light in Phil Ochs. At the turn of the millennium no one would have been able to predict that in five years time Bright Eyes would go on to play a caustic protest song on The Tonight Show, while Kind of Like Spitting would be stalled, sparring with a well known independent label over the “commercial viability” of a long awaited follow-up to 2002’s Bridges Worth Burning. Looking back, one can trace the steps of artists sprouted in similar pop culture movements and posit reasons for their mass acceptance or marginalization, but these roads are precarious and opinions are fickle and fleeting. With Learn: The Songs of Phil Ochs Kind of Like Spitting has performed no mean feat: Together David J and Ben Barnett have felt the catharsis of bearing the torch of a musical ancestor. They have, by internalizing the art of Phil Ochs, learned the value of songs that didn’t top the charts, and accepted for themselves a responsibility to persevere in music, as in life, despite the psychic tolls exacted by pop culture gatekeepers, despite the meaningless of artificial rivalry, despite the sacrifice of safety and commerce. They’ve looked into the art and life of Ochs with the same sense of hope and dread as looking into a mirror, and they’ve come out okay.

1. Tired
2. You Can't Get Stoned Enough
3. Draft Dodger Rag
4. That's What I Want To Hear
5. Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends
6. Where Were You In Chicago
7. When I'm Gone
8. I Ain't Marchin Anymore
9. Remember Me

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND
WHAT'S GOING ON (2006)
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Recasting Marvin Gaye's iconic 1971 album What's Going On for an America torn apart by the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina, the ceaseless, bloody war in Iraq, a sense of intense paranoia about our nation's government, and skyrocketing gasoline prices might seem like a timely, if foolish errand on the surface. But The Dirty Dozen Brass Band would probably argue that not much has changed in the three decades since Gaye laid down these nine, now classic tracks. Like so many New Orleans residents, the six members of the band had their lives shattered by the events of Aug. 29, 2005 and, in an odd bit of serendipity, it just so happened that most of them had separately turned to Gaye's What's Going On for emotional comfort; it was decided that reinterpreting the seminal piece of R&B social commentary would be both a meaningful artistic sentiment and cathartic distraction from the hellish horrors of their hometown. (Appropriately, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each copy is being earmarked for the Tipitina's Foundation, benefiting the music community of New Orleans.)
A band renowned for its forward-thinking fusion of R&B, gospel, soul, and jazz, What's Going On, stylistically, makes sense for this sextet. Perhaps even more surprising is that The Dirty Dozen Brass Band doesn't lock itself into literal updates of Gaye's masterpiece, instead choosing to honor the spirit of the work. Chuck D. lends a tense edge to the modern take on "What's Going On," name checking a laundry list of grievances that brings the song down from its falsetto roots to a more urgent place. Bettye LaVette's reading of "What's Happening Brother" is a weathered delight, while G. Love's crack at "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" slinks out of the speakers, dripping dirty funk. The most potent works of art are those which speak to each generation in their own, unique way; Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, a searing, relevant masterwork very much of its time is sadly, but unsurprisingly, as necessary now as it was some 35 years ago.

1. What's Going On - Featuring Chuck D
2. What's Happening Brother - Featuring Bettye LaVette
3. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)
4. Save The Children
5. God Is Love - Featuring Ivan Neville
6. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Featuring G. Love
7. Right On
8. Wholy Holy
9. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Featuring Guru

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

JUST LIKE HEAVEN
A TRIBUTE TO THE CURE (2009)
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2009 tribute to Robert Smith and Co. Just Like Heaven features 16 new cover versions of Cure songs by The Wedding Present, The Brunettes, Devics, Dean & Britta (Luna), The Submarines, The Rosebuds, Grand Duchy (Violet Clark & Black Francis), Joy Zipper, Elk City , and many others. Produced by Joe Spadaro and Gwen Hysler and original album art and design by Rhode Island Illustrator Melinda Rainsberger . Early press is fantastic for this one. Brought to you by the same label who produced the critically acclaimed Neil Young benefit CD Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity, and the popular 80's tribute High School Reunion - a tribute to those great 80's films!. Highly recommended for Cure fans or any of the bands covering the Cure on this excellent tribute compilation.

1. Just Like Heaven - Joy Zipper
2. The Lovecats - Tanya Donelly, Dylan In The Movies
3. Lovesong - The Brunettes
4. In Between Days - Kitty Karlyle
5. Friday I'm In Love - Dean & Britta
6. Jumping Someone Else's Train - Luff
7. Boys Don't Cry - The Submarines
8. Close To Me - Elk City
9. The Walk - The Rosebuds
10. Pictures of You - Elizabeth Harper, The Matinee
11. Let's Go To Bed - Cassettes Won't Listen
12. Catch - Devics
13. A Night Like This - Julie Peel
14. 10:15 Saturday Night - The Poems
15. A Strange Day - Grand Duchy
16. High - The Wedding Present
Bonus Track
17. Lovesong - Dala

ABBEY ROAD NOW!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
MOJO PRESENTS:
ABBEY ROAD NOW! (2009)
320 KBPS

FREE CD! ABBEY ROAD NOW! The Beatles' 1969 classic re-recorded by the likes of Cornershop, Robyn Hitchcock, Gomez, The Low Anthem, Glenn Tilbrook, Noah And The Whale and many, many more!
Not just many more, you see: many many more. So? Well, it's not so much hit and miss as 'miss and hit'; or even 'miss, miss, hit, miss and hit'. Covering famous songs is a tricky business. There's little point, for instance, in covering an original track with such stars-in-their-eyes pedantry as to produce a track almost indistinguishable from the original: which is what Robyn Hitchcock's 'I Want You' and Cornershop's 'Mean Mr Mustard/Polythene Pam' are, here. Then there's a mumbly, too-slow 'Come Together' by The Invisible, a messy half-arsed 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' by Let's Wrestle, and a schmaltzed-up 'Golden Slumbers' by Blue Roses that takes an already oversweet song and stirs in three pots of syrup and many tumbling cubes of white sugar. In similar vein, Karima Francis's singing over-emotes on 'She Came in Through the Bathroom Window', which spoils an otherwise pretty pluck-squeaked acoustic guitar version of the song. And I found, after several listenings, that a very little of Noah and the Wyle, sorry, Noah and the Whale's Sparklehorsey-soundylikey 'Carry That Weight' goes a long, long way.
Still, let's not be too negative: Glenn Tilbrook treats 'You Never Give Me Your Money' as a Squeeze song and it works fine; Charley Dore and Martin John Henry make decent fists of 'Here Comes the Sun' and 'Because' respectively, and Gomez are the best of the pick with a genuinely brilliant cover of the (you-might-think-but-you'd-be-wrong) unpromising 'Sun King'. Whatever happened to Gomez? I had and liked their first several albums, but I've lost track of them since then. I ought to get back on the Gomez pogostick and give it a bounce. I really ought.

1 Invisible - Come Together
2 The Leisure Society - Something
3 Let's Wrestle - Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4 Broken Records - Oh! Darling
5 Jeffrey Lewis - Octopus's Garden
6 Robin Hitchcock - I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7 Charlie Dore - Here Comes The Sun
8 Martin John Henry - Because
9 Glenn Tilbrook With Nine Below Zero - You Never Give Me Your Money
10 Gomez - Sun King
11 Cornershop - Mean Mr Mustard_Polythene Pam
12 Glenn Tilbrook With Nine Below Zero - She Came In Through The Bathroom
13 Blue Roses - Golden Slumbers
14 Noah And The Whale - Carry That Weight
15 Loose Salute - The End
16 The Low Anthem - Her Majesty

JAKE E LEE

JAKE E LEE
RETRACED (2005)
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Jake E. Lee landed his first big break as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne in the early to mid 80's. After the Ultimate Sin album he moved on to form Badlands. There he explored and created some of the best classic hard rock known to man! Unfortunately, the Badlands material is long out of print, and very hard to get. What about Retraced? Like the Badlands material, Jake creates a classic rock sound that will quench any thirst for good rock n roll that modern rock has taken away! Jake's playing is a return to form, and basically sounds like he's never taken any time off! The vocalist, Chris Logan, was flat out born to sing this type of music. He has a very smokey, gritty, blues rock, kind of voice. In other words, he's very easy to warm up to, if you like blues or southern rock. In addition, Mr. Dunbar and Tim Bogart round out the lineup, making for great chemistry among the four band members.
Retraced is an album full of not so well known classic rock tunes, with Jake's signature playing. There's not a weak moment on the entire album, making for a consistent effort! Hopefully, Retraced will lead to Jake putting out more material and more often! I'm convinced that Jake E. Lee has his own style and can embark on a very worthy solo career among the likes of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson. Retraced comes highly recommended, and should become an essential classic for those of us that enjoy the traditional roots of rock n roll!

1. Whiskey Train
2. Evil
3. Way Back To The Bone
4. I'll Be Creepin'
5. Guess I'll Go Away
6. Love Is Worth The Blues
7. I Come Tumblin'
8. Woman
9. A Hard Way To Go
10. I Can't Stand It
11. Rock Candy

UKULELE FORCE

VARIOUS ARTISTS
UKULELE FORCE (2005)
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Much of the charm in tribute productions is in the incongruity between the sound you associate with favorite songs and the sound delivered on the recording. What could be more incongruous than playing the music for Star Wars - perhaps the most well known orchestral music of the 20th century, big, bold, and brash, with blaring trumpets, soaring strings and pounding percussion - on an instrument with a thin, delicate sound and associations with Polynesian culture?
Ukulele Force is a 2005 release from Japan's Geneon Entertainment, one of several in a series of ukulele tribute projects covering Ultraman, Gibli Studios, Elvis, The Beatles and Mozart. All but one of the seven featured artists are Japanese; perhaps the two best known being conductor, composer and arranger Akira Miyagawa, and ukulele/guitar player Kiyoshi Kobayashi, who contribute one track each. The lion's share of the music comes from Ukulele Cafe Quartet (3 tracks), a group that grew out of an early 90's amateur ukulele practice and performance club called Ukulele Afternoon, and Kuricorder Quartet (4 tracks), a group active since 1994 that has recorded its own projects as well as music for film and television.
On some songs the arrangements and instrumentation seem quite fitting, such as the Cantina Band song played hot swing gypsy style (think Django Reinhardt on ukulele); Leia's theme as a Hawaiian lullaby, with ukulele playing melody over guitar chords and harpsichord accents; or Across the Stars (the love theme from Attack of the Clones) as a ukulele duet given a slight Latin shading with castanets, and in the middle section a dreamy, theremin-like sounding pedal steel.
But then there are the jaw dropping, laugh-out-loud moments of incredulity, like the Tie Fighter Attack, with a thumping tuba and ukulele chorus playing the orchestral string sections while a ukulele plays the lead brass line. Or the Imperial March played on tuba and recorder, an amusing contrast in sound and tone that conjures up cartoon images of big and small, like Laurel and Hardy, or Yogi and Boo-Boo.
My congratulations go out to whomever it was that had the audacity to propose a ukulele Star Wars cover project and to Geneon for taking the risk. Most record companies would have probably turned it down. Don't make the mistake of writing this off a frivolous commercial project. Sure, Geneon is counting on Star Wars fans to cover their costs, but they've provided music fans with what has to be one of the most amusing tribute albums ever recorded.

1. Twentieth Century Fox Trademark - Ukulele Cafe Quartet
2. Star Wars - Main Theme - Akira Miyagawa & the Galactic Ukulele Orchestra
3. Tales Of A Jedi Knight - Kuricorder
4. Mos Eisley Spaceport - James Hill
5. Princess Leia`s Theme - Kiyoshi Kobayashi & the Ukulele Swing Gang
6. Here They Come - Mikihiko Matsumiya
7. The Imperial March - Kuricorder
8. Han Solo And The Princess - Hajimeni Kyoshi
9. Yoda`s Theme - Kuricorder
10. Anakin`s Theme - Mikihiko Matsumiya
11. Love Theme From Attack Of The Clones - Ukulele Cafe Quartet
12. Augiez's Great Municipal Band - Ukulele Cafe Quartet
13. The Throne Room And The End Title - Kuricorder

THE UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN

THE UKULELE ORCHESTRA
OF GREAT BRITAIN
ANARCHY IN THE UKULELE:
ROYAL ALBERT HALL, AUGUST 18TH 2009 (2009)
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The ukulele may not be the biggest or the most dynamic of musical instruments out there, but when eight of them, and their pluckers, gathered in a small semi-circle upon the stage of London's majestic Royal Albert Hall two nights ago, six thousand promenaders and thousands more radio listeners were totally enthralled.
And when it came to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's rendition of 'Anarchy in the U.K.' they damn near blew the roof off. So the jumping flea made the big time. And what a gig it was!
Promenaders were encouraged to take their own ukes along for a participatory number.
And when over a thousand ukes play Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' with the other five thousand promenaders clapping along it truly is a joy to behold.
But of course the collective's real strength lies in their genre subversion. Bowie, The Beatles, The Stones, Shirley Bassey, The Who, Talking Heads, Robbie Williams, Hot Chocolate and more all get the subversive uke treatment. The segue of 'Ride of the Valkyries' into Hawkwind's 'Silver Machine' is just pure bloody genius. And if you haven't heard their version of Kate Bush's 'Wuthering Heights', well, that is well worth the download alone.
So, no matter where you are, what you're doing or what you're into; this is guaranteed to place a right big grin across your chops. And let's face it, we could all with a bit of cheering up, right! And believe me, you'll be humming 'Puffin' Billy' for ever.

1. Puffin' Billy (Edward White)
2. Anarchy in the U.K. (The Sex Pistols)
3. Ride of the Valkyries/Silver Machine (Richard Wagner/Hawkwind)
4. Life on Mars medley (David Bowie)
5. Thunderball (John Barry/Tom Jones)
6. Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus)
7. Danse Macabre (Camille St Saëns)
8. And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time a.k.a. "Jerusalem" (William Blake)
9. Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
10. Ode to Joy (Extract Beethoven's 9th: Choral)
11. Pinball Wizard (The Who)
12. Dambusters March (Eric Coates)
13. Sympathy for the Devil medley (Rolling Stones)
14. Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush)

PIAF/FREHEL [REQUEST]

PIAF-FREHEL
MA GRAND-MERE EST UNE ROCKEUSE (1992)
320 KBPS

In 1992, the independant French rock/punk label Boucherie Productions released a tribute to two great tragedians of the classic French Chanson : Piaf and Fréhel.
Many of the label's bands took part in it along with friends from the scene. Here you have the famous french pop artist Etienne Daho, the parodic belgian duet Stellla, the fun punk rockers Les Wampas. The quality is uneven (as it always is on tribute albums) but some gems do save this peculiar compilation and make it worth a listen even if Piaf and Fréhel are not your "Cup of Beaujolais".

1. Pigalle - Pauvre Grand (Fréhel)
2. Etienne Daho - Mon Manège A Moi (Piaf)
3. Elmer Food Beat - La Goualante Du Pauvre Jean (Piaf)
4. BB Doc - Ohé ! Les Copains ! (Fréhel)
5. Sttellla - Tel Qu'Il Est (Fréhel)
6. Les Garçons Bouchers - Où-Sont Mes Amants (Fréhel)
7. Les Tétines Noires - Pleure (Fréhel)
8. Les Rosemary's Babies - Les Hiboux (Piaf)
9. Corman et Tuscadu - Tout Change Dans Ma Vie (Fréhel)
10. Les Wampas - J'ai Dansé Avec L'Amour (Piaf)
11. Les Betty Boop - Bravo Pour Le Clown (Piaf)
12. Woodentrucks - Les Trois Cloches (Piaf)
13. Bangkok Paddock - La Môme Catch-Catch (Fréhel)
14. Happy Drivers - La Foule (Piaf)
15. Bernadette Soubirou Et Ses Apparitions - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Piaf)

HELLSONGS

HELLSONGS
HYMNS IN THE KEY OF 666 (2008)
320 KBPS

Metalheads beware! Here is an album that is going to charm your midnight-black pants off, leaving you floating carefree and blissed out on little fluffy clouds of surprisingly seductive gorgeousness. That's if it doesn't provoke you to acts of savage, indiscriminate violence.
Hymns In The Key Of 666, the debut long-player from stylish Swedish threesome, Hellsongs – vocalist Harriet Ohlsson, guitarist Kalle Karlsson and Johan Bringhed on keyboards – takes the pedal right off the heavy metal to deliver startlingly laidback, low-fi and instantly likable covers of what would otherwise be deafening 'volume-up-to-11' rock classics. Hell has never seemed so soft, silky and beguilingly beautiful.
As musical homages go, what Hymns in the Key of 666 lacks in volume it more than makes up for in illuminating inventiveness. So, Black Sabbath's Paranoid suddenly becomes a thing of bittersweet beauty, Twisted Sister's We're Not Gonna Take It acquires a surprisingly level-headed plangency and AC/DC's Thunderstruck is transformed into a velvet-enveloped fancy that even your granny would want to sashay along to. Even Megadeth's apocalyptic Symphony Of Destruction is tamed and made to sound, for all the world, like Regina Spector jamming with the Scissor Sisters. And very good it is, too!
Throughout, Hellsongs work their loungemetal magic on songs by Iron Maiden, Europe, Slayer, Metallica and Saxon with alchemical ease. Particularly admirable is just how effortlessly assured it all sounds. And how sincere it is. This is categorically not the Mike Flowers Pop Orchestra. There's no post-modern irony, no tongues stuck knowingly in cheeks, and no winking campness here.
Ohlsson has a voice as sublime as moonlight falling on silk – a little like early Stina Nordenstam but decidedly less tentative and fragile – that is elegantly cushioned by the eloquent precision-tooled accompaniments of Karlsson and Bringhed. If this is how Hell sounds, I'm off to start sinning straight away!

1 The Trooper (Iron Maiden)
2 Symphony of Destruction (Megadeth)
3 Rock the Night (Europe)
4 Seasons in the Abyss (Slayer)
5 We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
6 Blackened (Metallica)
7 Thunderstruck (AC/DC)
8 Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden)
9 Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
10 Princess of the Night (Saxon)

HELENA

HELENA
FRAISE VANILLE (2007)
320 KBPS

After three very different but equally successful albums, Helena released her 4th album which is a tribute to songwriter Serge Rezvani. A multi-talented artist (also a writer, actor and painter), Rezvani is better know for the songs he wrote for the movies "Jules et Jim" (François Truffaut, 1962) & "Pierrot le Fou" (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965).
Helena, a big fan of the songwriter, has decided to pay tribute to her childhood memories by covering some of Revzani's best bits. A proud pop singer, Helena gives the songs her personality which results in a sweet pop sound where her voice fits the bill perfectly.
Not an ambitious album by any means, "Fraise Vanille" is a sweet little album that can be a perfect companion to a sunny sunday afternoon seeping lemonade. A joy for the ears (while Helena is also a joy for the eyes) which you don't want to miss.

1. Le Tourbillon
2. Les Mots De Rien (Helena Noguerra & Vincent Delerm)
3. Adieu Ma Vie
4. La Vie S'Envole
5. Tout Morose
6. La Vie De Cocagne
7. Les Autoroutes
8. J'Ai La Mémoire Qui Flanche
9. La Peau Léon
10. Moi Je Préfère
11. A Travers Notre Chambre
12. Jamais Je Ne T'Ai Dit... (Helena Noguerra & Marie-France)
13. Caresse-Moi J'Adore ça
14. Notre Folle Jeunesse
15. Minuit Orly
16. Les Mensonges
17. Nous Vivions Deux (Helena Noguerra & Serge Rezvani)
18. Blues Indolent (Vague Vague)
19. La Bécasse (Helena Noguerra & Katerine)

MARTY FRIEDMAN

MARTY FRIEDMAN
TOKYO JUKEBOX (2009)
320 KBPS

Marty Friedman is a man with two faces. Of course, one is that as an amazing musician famous as the former lead guitarist of the legendary metal act Megadeth, on the other hand, he has another face as a J-Pop mania. As a zealous evangelist of J-Pop, he is extremely active in a range of works including hosting of a TV program, publication of books, and various serializations. New album "Tokyo Junkebox" might well be called a summarization of Marty's recent activities. He covered lots of popular J-Pop tunes along with his skilled playing of the metal guitar, such as "Polyrhythm (Perfume)," "Tsume Tsume Tsume (Maximum the Hormone)," "Yuki no Hana (Mika Nakashima)," and 2008 theme tune of Ichiro (Seattle Mariners), "Amagigoe (Sayuri Ishikawa)." Tunes included on the album have been selected based on fan votes and favorites of Marty are included as well. Listening to this album, lots of people will discover how mixture of Metal and J-Pop really is an exciting concept.

1. Tsume Tsume Tsume
2. GIFT
3. Amagigoe
4. Story
5. Polyrhythm
6. Kaeritakunattayo
7. TSUNAMI
8. Yuki no Hana
9. Eki
10. Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana
11. Romance no Kamisama
12. Asu e no Sanka

GIL EVANS

THE GIL EVANS ORCHESTRA
PLAYS THE MUSIC OF JIMI HENDRIX (1974)
256-320 KBPS

Gil Evans will forever be remembered as the arranger for those classic Miles Davis orchestral albums, but Evans led his own orchestra from the '60s until his death in 1988. A true fusion of jazz's free-ranging leanings and Hendrix's psychedelic and blues jams, Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix is a masterstroke for Evans, who was actually supposed to do an album with Hendrix himself. Evans completely revamps classics like "Crosstown Traffic," "Voodoo Chile," and "Little Wing," twisting these tunes in a way that might even blow Hendrix's mind. Rather than turning the session into guitar wank fest, the horn-heavy group (which prominently features saxophonist David Sanborn) really comes up with something different. And although the early synthesizers and production aesthetic makes this sound dated, it should still appeal to a new generation of fans. People have rediscovered producer David Axelrod--Gil Evans is just as skilled at mixing jazz and rock, but he's even further out (as the crazed tuba solo on "Voodoo Chile" attests).

1. Angel
2. Crosstown Traffic
3. Medley
4. Up From The Skies
5. 1983-A Merman I Should Turn To Be
6. Voodoo Chile
7. Gypsy Eyes
8. Little Wing