Each week I try to find at least one title I plan to buy, or at least one that mildly interests me. Most weeks it's been easy. Some weeks, like this week, it gets tougher. When I can't find anything for myself, I try to find something for you. When that doesn't work, I at least try to warn you away from the rubbish. With that, we go once more into the void...
Cheap Trick
The Latest
I mention this one more for you than for me. I know we have some regular readers who are Cheap Trick fans. I find myself more casual about them. I have Budokan! and a couple other albums. I like a good fistful of singles from them. That's about it, for me. Anyway the album that was the latest before The Latest, Rockford, got some outstanding reviews when it was released in 2006 so these guys clearly haven't lost their touch. If you're of a mind, you might need to check out The Latest.
Bo Diddley
Ride On: The Chess Masters, Vol. 3 - 1960-1961
Hip-O Select has been doing some great re-issues of some of the classic material from the classic artists who recorded for Chess. We've gotten two massive volumes of Chuck Berry, a massive volume of Little Walter, and two big scoops of Muddy Waters. Now we get the third installment of Bo Diddley. This isn't going to be the place for beginners as this will drown listeners in alternate takes and previously unreleased material and this set is going to be pricey. For the Bo Diddley devotee, those alternate takes and previously unreleased tracks are going to be pure gold.
Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs
Under The Covers, Vol. 2
They put Vol. 1 in the title the first time they paired up so you had to expect a second installment would show up and indeed it has. It was a pleasant collaboration but felt a bit unnecessary. How much less necessary is this second outing? The song selections are slightly less obvious than the first volume but not because Sweet and Hoffs got creative but because it would have been damn near impossible to get more predictable. I can't imagine this actually being bad, nor can I imagine myself listening to this one.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
You overlooked Lorne Green "The Man." It's a must-have. Go to Amazon and give it a listen and tell me I am wrong
2 - Tom Johnson
And the best release of the week, Bill Frisell's Disfarmer. Truly beautiful music. Not to be missed.
I gotta pick up the Cheap Trick - if it's anywhere near as good as Rockford, it's going to be an instant favorite.
3 - Josh Hathaway
Meant to mention the Frisell, will have to investigate Lorne.
4 - JC Mosquito
Ian Hunter's Man Overboard - from the samples I could find on the net, it sounds like as good an effort as he's ever put out. Another example of an aging rocker who's not ready to roll over and die yet - he just turned 70 last month. And isn't there a multi-night Mott the Hoople reunion coming up in October?