Maybe it's because the labels decided to hold back on the big guns knowing that the election probably means smaller crowds than usual at the record store. Whatever the reason, there is no way to sugarcoat the fact that this week's lineup of new releases is a likely frontrunner for weakest we've seen this year.
No way around it. This is gonna' be a short column.
Brad Paisley is probably the strongest contender of the lot to make any kind of impact on this year's holiday sales chart. The country guitarist extraordinaire sticks to what he does best on his new one, which is appropriately titled Play. This is an instrumental album which allows Paisley to show off his considerable chops on both solo and duet performances with people like B.B. King, Keith Urban, and Steve Wariner.
Q-Tip makes his return to the record store with The Renaissance, which is the first album in nearly a decade from the celebrated hip-hop producer and founding member of A Tribe Called Quest.
Lou Reed's Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse is the CD companion piece to his concert DVD where Reed performs the Berlin album live for the first time in 30 years. Travis' new album Ode to J. Smith is reportedly the result of a whirlwind recording session which finds the Brit-popsters sounding edgier.
ZZ Top are, well ZZ Top on Live from Texas, which is also the companion to a live DVD. This week's holiday greetings are brought to you by Harry Connick Jr. and Sarah Brightman.
Before we turn you over to Mark Saleski, NAR reminds you that if you aren't going to be in the record store, make sure you at least go vote.
Here's what I know: this is saxophonist Peter Brötzmann with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. It was recorded in an "industrial urban warehouse district." It's on the Atavistic label (read: not easy listening).
Brötzmann scares me. He claims to be playing a saxophone but half the time it comes out sounding like a flame cutting machine gone wrong. You should be scared too.
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Article comments
1 - Pico
I must have the Brötzmann.
2 - zingzing
second that.
hrm, i thought at first pico wrote the article. sounds great, no? but what does it sound like?
3 - Mark Saleski
i must have the Paisley.
4 - Mark Saleski
no...really!
5 - Tom Johnson
I have to admit that Paisley album sounds pretty cool. That's the kind of guitar album that is right up my alley. I could do without the vocal tracks (save for the BB King one - that sounds fun from the preview) but that's the handy thing about the Ipod - uncheck 'em in Itunes and never hear 'em again. Sounds a bit like a cross between Danny Gatton and Eric Johnson in places. Strangely intriguing.
6 - Mark Saleski
he's a great guitar player. and yeah, i an do without ALL of the singing. i mean, nice voice and all...just not my thing.