New album releases, week of 8-3-2004

Written by Al Barger
Published August 03, 2004
Part of New CDs

Among all new entries, the only thing that jumps out at me this week is Los Lobos' Ride This: The Covers EP. I'm pretty curious about what they've done with "Shoot Out the Lights." They also cover Elvis Costello's "Uncomplicated," which is not the most obvious of choices.

Rhino is putting out several re-mastered Elvis Costello CDs this week, including Kojak Variety and Almost Blue. Most interesting, though, should be Goodbye Cruel World. These are being issued now as two disc sets, with bunches of outtakes and alternative performances.

Goodbye Cruel World should particularly benefit. This album has been largely disregarded, but it actually has a number of outstanding songs. Seems to me that the arrangements and production of this stuff was not optimal. Alternate takes or just simple demos sound real interesting.

Also, dig on the new now TWO disc version of the Velvet Underground Live at Max's Kansas City on Rhino, which includes the entirety of both sets from this famous August 1970 show at the end of their career.

This week's major releases, from All Music Guide:

Elvis Costello and the Attractions Goodbye Cruel World [Expanded] Rhino
College Rock, New Wave, Singer/Songwriter

The Velvet Underground Live at Max's Kansas City [Deluxe Edition] Rhino
Proto-Punk, Rock & Roll

Mark Anderson/Tamriko Siprashvili Mussorgsky, Stravinsky: Music for Two Pianos (Arrangements) Nimbus
Romantic and Modern Piano Music

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Live [Bonus DVD] Vanguard
Retro Swing

Boney James Pure Warner Brothers
Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Contemporary R&B

Marc Broussard Carencro Island
Americana, Blues-Rock, Swamp Pop, R&B, Soul

Janette Carter Deliverance Will Come Bear Family
Traditional Country, Traditional Folk

Cherie Cherie Lava
Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary

Alex Chilton Live in Anvers Last Call
Rock & Roll, Roots Rock, Traditional Pop

Elvis Costello and the Attractions Almost Blue [Expanded] Rhino
College Rock, Country-Rock, New Wave, Singer/Songwriter

Elvis Costello Kojak Variety [Expanded] Rhino
Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter

Crime Mob Crime Mob Warner Brothers
Southern Rap, Dirty South

Da Capo Chamber Players Dreamtigers: Chamber Music by Judith Shatin Innova
Contemporary Chamber Music

Down to Earth Approach Another Intervention Vagrant
Indie Rock, Emo, Punk-Pop

Galaxie 500 Uncollected Rykodisc
Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock, Dream Pop, Slowcore, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Shoegaze

Vladimir Horowitz Favorite Chopin Sony
Romantic Piano Music

The Isley Brothers The Essential Isley Brothers Sony
Soul, Funk, Quiet Storm

Al Jarreau Accentuate the Positive Verve
Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Contemporary Jazz

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Unreformed hawkish Hoosier hillbilly and sometimes candidate Al Barger runs the still squeezin' down the psychodelic Kentucky moonshine at MoreThings.com, what with the paranoid religious visions and the Pentacostal music and visions of God and anarchy running amok and such. Somebody oughta call the cops to report his out of control freedom of conscience. Till they come to take him away somewhere where he can't hurt anyone else, you can check out his weekly column of NEW ALBUM RELEASES.
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
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Ride This: The Covers EP Ride This: The Covers EP
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Live at Max's Kansas City Live at Max's Kansas City
The Velvet Underground
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Almost Blue Almost Blue
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Forget Tomorrow Forget Tomorrow
Macha
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The Essential Isley Brothers The Essential Isley Brothers
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Green Imagination Green Imagination
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The Very Best of Randy Travis The Very Best of Randy Travis
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Venomous Villain Venomous Villain
Viktor Vaughn aka MF Doom
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Trilogy Trilogy
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Accentuate the Positive Accentuate the Positive
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New album releases, week of 8-3-2004
Published: August 03, 2004
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Section: Music
Part of a feature: New CDs
Writer: Al Barger
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Comments

#1 — August 4, 2004 @ 01:52AM — randy [URL]

I was somewhat disappointed with The Ride, only because I want to hear more of Los Lobos, and less of guest vocalists. In any event, I look forward to hearing Ride This.

#2 — August 4, 2004 @ 05:02AM — SFC SKI

I will have to second that, the Ride was definitely less than I expected, which is a shame because their previous 2 releases really pulled me back into the fold. I will have to check out Ride This, though, I know Los Lobos may stumble, but they never fall.

Almost Blue re-issue is good news, the last of the best of EC's releases, in my opinion. He never got along with Bruce Thompson (sp?) his original bassist, and after he left, the band lost it's propulsive beats and compelling basslines that made the slower songs more than just lyrics sung softly.

#3 — August 4, 2004 @ 12:05PM — Rodney Welch [URL]

Los Lobos was pretty much born to play "Marie Marie" by the Blasters. That's one of those ideas that are so obvious you can already hear it.

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