Alanis Morissette JAGGED LITTLE PILL 10 YEAR COMMEMORATIVE ACOUSTIC EDITION. Maverick
When I received this particular CD I immediately thought, ‘Oh No!’ Why would anyone try to replicate an album that sold millions ten years ago? And especially since several of the songs from JAGGED LITTLE PILL have been previously released in unplugged versions. It seems I was not alone amongst reviewers in thinking this was a brash, young marketing exec’s stupid idea. Well, after listening to the album several times I’ve decided I was wrong to jump to such critical assertions.
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Nancy Wilson Sings Songs Of Lost Love and Great Blues Ballads
Nancy Wilson GUESS WHO I SAW TODAY - WILSON SINGS SONGS OF LOST LOVE. Capitol
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Co-Exist SURGICAL REMOVAL OF TEETH… Undergroove
SURGICAL REMOVAL OF TEETH, TOENAILS AND THE DRILLING OF THE KNEECAPS
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V Festival Weston Park. 20-21 August 2005
On its tenth anniversary the V Festival at Weston Park, Staffordshire beckoned to savour its radio-friendly ambience. The fact that it is almost within earshot of my home base was a strong incentive to attend, especially after experiencing dire overnight stays in cars and tents at previous events (most recently at the Download Festival where the ground was so hard, and the passenger jets coming in to land so frigging loud). The V Festival’s musical menu was predictable comprising mainly of the hyper-hyped and over-sold. But there were also a few surprise inclusions that made this an unusually diverse festival.
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Sonic Youth GOO - DELUXE EDITION. Geffen
A few years ago I covered the Witnness music festival in Dublin. As I trekked through churned mud to the next performance Glen Hansard of top Irish band the Frames flew past me. Trying to grab an opportunity to poke a few questions at him, I shouted if he could pause for a minute. He replied, “sorry mate, Sonic Youth is about to perform. Gotta see ‘em.” Taking his lead, I hastily changed direction and followed in his muddy wake to catch my first Sonic Youth live performance. I was pretty well blown away by a band that performed in near-darkness to a capacity Irish audience. When I returned to the UK I immediately started to fill this gaping void in my music collection with GOO being my first (and ultimately most prized) acquisition.
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Stephen Fretwell MAGPIE. Polydor
It must be over two years ago when I caught a Fretwell live performance in Liverpool or Manchester. He was second support to I can’t remember who, but I liked the performance, and remember having to hurriedly extricate my camera from a zipped bag to take a few pictures. He then disappeared as mysteriously as he had arrived, and has now reappeared with a large label contract and a pretty fair new album.
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Jazz The Best Of The Best: New Blue Note Releases
It’s been a strange year for rock releases. There have been some exceptional albums but I cannot remember a year when the vast majority have been so poor. And a year when even Coldplay couldn’t light my fire. It’s at times like these that I look to modern jazz for inspiration, along with some serious table-thumping and carpet-tapping. And right now I’m surrounded by the contents of one treasure chest of a padded postal packet.
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DPK: Digital Press Kit |
Shakenstir Photo Supplement |
Portico Quartet '09 |
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