Tanita Tikaram - Songs of Love and Sobriety

Tanita Tikaram is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter. She achieved chart success with the singles "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, Ancient Heart became top 10 hits around Europe and the album sold around 4 million copies worldwide. She was only 19 years old. Both the single Twist In My Sobriety and Tanita were nominated at the 1989 Brit Awards for Best British Single and Female Artist categories respectively. She is known for her powerful, husky voice, and poetic and somewhat obscure lyrics. Her follow-up albums did not achieve the same commercial success, but she has remained a powerful voice for her art and she has always been able to deliver some great songs throughout her career.

 

JamesTaylor - Oddities & Rarities

James Taylor’s music embodies the art of songwriting in its most personal and universal forms. He is a master at describing specific, even autobiographical situations in a way that resonates with people everywhere. In 1971, Taylor was on the cover of Time magazine, heralded as the harbinger of the singer-songwriter era. Over four decades later his warm baritone, introspective lyrics and unique guitar playing still blaze a path to which young musicians aspire. He has sold over 100 million albums throughout his career and has earned 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, multiple Grammy Awards and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. His songs have had a profound influence on songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life: “Fire and Rain,” “Country Road,” “Something in the Way She Moves,” “Mexico,” “Shower the People,” “Your Smiling Face,” “Carolina In My Mind,” “Sweet Baby James,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “You Can Close Your Eyes,” “Walking Man,” “Never Die Young,” “Shed a Little Light,” “Copperline,” “Enough to be On Your Way,” “Caroline I See You,” and many more. In the summer of 2015 Taylor released Before This World, his first new studio album in thirteen years, which earned him his first ever #1 album on the Billboard Charts and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. Recorded at his home studio TheBarn, in Washington, MA, Before This World explores many of the themes that have absorbed Taylor throughout his career.

In a career marked by artistic triumphs, the past few years for Taylor have been notable for both creative virtuosity and recognition of exceptional achievement. In 2011, Taylor was honored with a Carnegie Hall Perspectives series, which consisted of four concert evenings presented by Carnegie Hall and featuring Taylor and personally selected musical guests. In 2012, he was awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government and in 2011, was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. Both medals are their Nation’s highest honors for artistic excellence recognizing “outstanding achievements and support of the arts.” In November 2015, Taylor was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor.

In December of 2016 Taylor received the Kennedy Center Honors, which are presented annually to individuals who have enriched American culture by distinguished achievement in the performing arts.
This playlist celebrates his collaborations and rarities not found on his own albums.

The Williams Brothers - Harmony Hotel

The twin nephews of crooner Andy Williams, Andrew and David Williams born in 1960 released a few albums throughout the early 70s as they tried to appeal to teen audiences. In the early 80’s they began backing up artists such as Brian Setzer and Joe Ely and even played in T-Bone Burnett's band during a European tour. In 1987 simply as The Williams Brothers they released "Two Stories" followed by "The Williams Brothers" in 1991, which enjoyed moderate success. But in 1993 they released their true gem "Harmony Hotel", which consolidated the duo as a mature, strong, original, contemporary folk-rock act with a sound of their own. This album grows on you listen after listen with its close harmonies and its sweet but tough sound enhanced by a great compositions, hearty lyrics, a beautiful recording and most appropriate instrumentation and production. Simplicity is portrayed as an achievement in virtuosity. Musicians: Andrew and David Williams on vocals and guitars, Denny Fongheiser on drums, Scott Babcock on percussion, Kenny Edwards on bass, Marvin Etzioni on guitars and mandolin, Greg Leisz on pedal and lap steel guitars, Phil Parlapiano on mandolin, accordion, euphonium and harmonium, Paul Buckmaster as string arranger and conductor, Jon Clarke on oboe, Laura Griffin on harp, Trey Henry on bass, Lili Haydn, Jacqueline Brand, Katia Popov and Sayuri Kawada on violins, Martin Tillman on cello and cello arrangements and Dan Neufeld on viola.

Track Listing:

1. Friction (sampled above)

2. Don't Look Now

3. Man of the House

4. Silver

5. Harmony Hotel

6. Where Would I Be

7. Love Is the Language

8. Broken Things

9. Long Ago Last Night

10. Wonderful Blues

Buy Harmony Hotel at Amazon (cheaper than downloading it)

Francis Cabrel - Samedi Soir Sur La Terre

The music of Francis Cabrel has always been characterized by simple elements, great songwriting, an acoustic guitar and a gentle voice. Cabrel is the French equivalent of a mixture of James Taylor and Mark Knopfler. His contemporary folk style incorporates elements of rock, blues, jazz and French pop rock. His second album, “Les Chemins de Traverse”, released in 1979 penned the single "Je l'aime à mourir," which earned him the recognition of worldwide audiences and the song even got translated to other languages as covered by other artists. His songs are carefully crafted and infused with a variety of influences and his renowned lyrics are sharp and poetic. “Samedi Soir Sur la Terre” is an Amazing example of all these characteristics smoothly brought together by beautiful instrumentation, great musicianship while the main focus is kept on Cabrel's voice, his guitar and his amazing songwriting enhanced by appropiate production and a beautiful recording. This is a master at his trade. Musicians are: Francis Cabrel on vocals and acoustic guitars, Michael Francoise and Denys Lable on guitars, Bernard Paganotti on bass and vocals, the great Manu Katché on drums, Gérard Bikialo on keyboards, Michel Gaucher on flute, piccolo and saxes, Denis Benarrosch on percussion, Nicolas Reyes of the Gipsy Kings vocals on “La Corrida”, Jean-Louise Roques on accordion, Thierry Caens on trumpet, Bruno Flahou on trombone, Andre Gilbert on tuba, Jerome-Julien Laferriere on clarinet, Eric Vernier on horn and Marina Albert, Carole Fredericks and Debbie Davis on background vocals. This album was mix by the great engineer James Farber.

Track Listing:

1. La Corrida (sampled above)
2. Assis Sur le Rebord du Monde
3. La Cabane du Pêcheur
4. Samedi Soir Sur la Terre
5. Je T'Aimais, Je T'Aime, Je T'Aimerai
6. Les Vidanges du Diable
7. L' Arbre Va Tomber
8. Octobre
9. Le Noceur
10. Tot Ou Tard S'En Aller
Buy Samedi Soir sur la Terre at Amazon or

Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True

Prior to his untimely passing in 1996, Kevin Gilbert just finished the final touches on this fabulous concept album, which would become his posthumous rock opera entitled “The Shaming of the True”. An ambitious project, the tale of a fictional rock & roller named Johnny Virgil who gets signed and dropped by a soulless record company, “The Shaming of the True” is epic, cinematic, loaded with rock-solid performances, cynic, temperamental, sharp, dark, funny, frank and infectious enough to grow on you listen after listen. The protagonist's hopes and disillusionments become tangible through Gilbert’s complex lyrics, biting commentary, insightful and heartfelt observations about the record industry as they relate to human nature. All these elements are eloquently mixed with his amazing writing, instrumentation and productions skills, which had earned him the respect of his peers. Gilbert again makes you take a look at yourself through perhaps the autobiographical heartfelt story of Johnny Virgil. Gilbert’s cynical view of the record industry, which never diminished his love for the music he created or collaborated on, was probably enhanced after being out-cast by then girlfriend Sheryl Crow from her breakthrough success "Tuesday Night Music Club" and after his run-offs with the record company regarding the promotion of the Toy Matinee release. Crow’s "Tuesday Music Club" was crafted around the songs and spirit of a group of friends who would gather on Tuesday nights to drink beer, jam, and write songs at producer’s Bill Bottrell's studio. Gilbert and Bottrell were hired to re-shape Crow’s already finished production after the record company had spent half a million on it without favorable results (read San Francisco Chronicle article by Joel Selvin). Gilbert co-wrote and appears on many of the songs on that album, including 1995 Grammy Record of the Year "All I Wanna Do". After Crow broke through, she dumped the club’s collaborators. At the time of his death “The Shaming of the True” was an incomplete masterpiece with a pile of tapes and handwritten notes by Gilbert. A few months after Gilbert’s passing, recording engineer John Cuniberti and Spock’s Beard drummer and close friend of Gilbert's, Nick D'Virgilio, who had been working along with Gilbert on this production, were asked by manager and friend Jon Rubin, to archive and catalog all of Kevin's recordings for his estate and thus finish “The Shaming of the True” based on the existent tapes, Gilbert's album planning notes and rough mixes as kind of blueprints along with the constant question: what would have Kevin done? (Read John Cuniberti’s article). Thanks to their hard labor of love we can enjoy this masterpiece. Personnel are: Kevin Gilbert on vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, drums and percussion, Nick D'Virgilio on drums, percussion, guitar, bass, keyboards and backing vocals, Brian MacLeod on drums, Robert Ferris, Jennifer Gross, Skyler Jett, Claytoven, Sandy Sawyer, Jon Rubin and Timothy Dumbar on backing vocals and Tommy Dumbar, Ross Parish, David Levita and Bill Bottrell on additional guitars plus horns by The Le Petomane Ensemble.

Track Listing:

1. Parade

2. The City of the Sun

3. Suit Fugue (Dance of the A&R Men)

4. Imagemaker

5. Water Under the Bridge

6. The Best Laid Plans

7. Certifiable #1 Smash

8. Staring into Nothing

9. Fun

10. From Here to There

11. Ghetto of Beautiful Things

12. A Long Day's Life (sampled above)

13. The Way Back Home

14. Johnny's Last Song

Buy it at Kevin Gilbert’s webpage (and help his state & family)