June Carter and Johnny Cash each have new multi-disc anthologies this week, Keep on the Sunny Side: June Carter Cash - Her Life in Music and The Legend tespectively. Start with June's two CD set. It's a beauty. See full review.
Johnny's four CD set seems to have all the hits, and is comprehensive of everything except his American recordings. It may be the best place to start if you for some odd reason do not own any Johnny Cash records. And what's with you non-Johnny owning people anyway, are you communists or what? Still, you probably have some Johnny, but no June. Fix that now.
My beloved Alice Cooper has a new album this week, Dirty Diamonds. I'm not really expecting much from Alice at this point, but maybe he'll surprise us with a late career renaissance.
When I think of a stupid drunk whining bitch in some country bar who wouldn't know real country music if it bit her in the ass, boo-hooing about some ex, I naturally think of Faith Hill. If I'm describing you, you may wish to check out her new Fireflies album. I'm sure you'll think it's the berries.
There's a Public Enemy hits album, but it's only 10 songs, three of which are from the classic Fear of a Black Planet. You'd probably be better to just buy that instead, with used copies on Amazon as cheap as $3.50.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases, courtesy AMG:
June Carter Cash Keep on the Sunny Side: June Carter Cash - Her Life in Music Sony
Country-Folk, Traditional Country
Johnny Cash The Legend Columbia/Legacy
Country Gospel, Rockabilly, Country-Pop, Cowboy, Traditional Country, Rock & Roll
Faith Hill Fireflies Warner Bros.
Contemporary Country, Country-Pop, Adult Contemporary
Michael Penn Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947 Spin Art
Singer/Songwriter, Pop Underground, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Amadou & Mariam Dimanche a Bamako Nonesuch
Afro-Pop, Worldbeat
Piotr Anderszewski Karol Szymanowski: Piano Sonata No. 3; Metopes; Masques Virgin Classics
Modern Piano Music
Natasha Bedingfield Unwritten [DualDisc] Sony
Dance-Pop
Douglas Boyd Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (Chamber Version) Avie
Post-Romantic Orchestral Music
John Coltrane The Bethlehem Years Bethlehem Archives
Hard Bop, Experimental Big Band
Sarah Connor Naughty But Nice Epic
Club/Dance, Contemporary R&B
Cook, Dixon & Young Volume 1 RCA
Musical Theater, Vocal Jazz, American Popular Song
Article comments
1 - Aaman
The Gustav Leonhardt - William Byrd sounds very interesting - 16th century composers are not common, methinks
Love yr Faith Hill opinion - heh
2 - Al Barger
Thanks Aaman, just trying to keep it real vis a vis Faith Hill. I mean, I got a 20 for her, but it sure wouldn't be for one of her crappy records.
3 - Aaman
That reminds me of the song by "Pray For the Soul Of Betty", "Truck Stop Sally" - you should check out the band - features Constantine Maroulis of Idol near-fame
4 - Tan The Man
Well, this new Faith Hill record is supposed to more country than her previous albums. I think it won't be bad, but it might not be that good either.
5 - Al Barger
And while Truckstop Sally Hill is earning her 20, we could listen to some real music- KD Lang, perhaps.
6 - Al Barger
Tan, Faith Hill's album might be good- if it's a copy of the June Carter collection that she's just purchased at the store. Again, this would be good to listen to while she plies her natural trade.
7 - Tan The Man
Hah.
8 - todd
Leave Faith Hill alone! She's soft and warm and special and pretty and, aw shucks.
All kidding aside, I have heard lots worse Pop country.
She at least got her start the kinda right way: working as a waitress and playing the Bluebird at night, where she was discovered. So the story goes.
9 - Aaman
Must've made a lot of 20s
10 - visualsimplicity
I recommend Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten for this weeks release. Good stuff imported from the good ol' UK.
11 - godoggo
There was lots and lots of beautiful music written during the Renaissance. Byrd was I guess the major British composer during the period, although German and Italy and I guess maybe France was where it was all happening.
I've found you pretty much can't go wrong with Renaissance choral music; the intrumental stuff I've heard seems limited by the primitive instruments of the time; I'm not even sure I've heard any keyboard music of the period.
12 - gonzo marx
Mingus and Alice....sweet
the rest i either have in other forms (the Ellington and PE), or could care less..
thanx fer the list, big Al...did ya ever listen to the Tool i sent ya?
Excelsior!
13 - Thom White
If you want to hear a great freaking album check out rock legend Alice Cooper's new album. Very old school, I love it.