Ellis Paul - Essentials CD

Essentials album for sale Photographer: Fabio Lovino. Personnel: Mark Knopfler (vocals, guitar); Mark Knopfler; Richard Bennett (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar); Dan Dugmore (acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, 6-string bass); Stuart Duncan (violin, fiddle); Jim Horn (horns); Guy Fletcher (piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Jim Cox (piano, organ, keyboards); Glenn Worf (bass instrument); Danny Cummings (drums, tambourine); Bill Ware (triangle); Emmylou Harris (vocals, acoustic guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Glen ...

Essentials buy CD music Throughout this 46-track compilation, the honey-voiced Ronstadt showcases her interpretive skills on vibrant covers of songs by Randy Newman ('"Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad"), Fred Neil ("The Dolphins") Johnny Cash ("I Still Miss Someone"), and James Taylor ("You Can Close Your Eyes"), to name but a few artists. Ronstadt would play genre hop-scotch in the years to come, but these four early albums are an example of some her finest, most focused efforts, and a quintessential document of the Laurel Canyon sound. Import-only two CD compilation of Linda Ronstadt's early solo recordings for the Capitol Records label. This double disc set includes all four of Linda's solo LPs released between 1969 through 1974, as well as five previously unreleased studio and live tracks. Contains the groundbreaking album Hand Sown.. Home Grown (1969), Silk Purse (1970), Linda Ronstadt (1971) and Heart Like A Wheel (1974), which is generally considered to be Linda's greatest album. 46 tracks including the hits 'You're No Good', 'When Will I Be Loved?' and many others. EMI. A two-disc set that presents four of Linda Ronstadt's earliest albums in their entirety, THE CAPITOL YEARS also takes the extra step of including a number of bonus tracks. While HAND SOWN...HOME GROWN and SILK PURSE find the young California-based singer, formerly of the Stone Poneys, working in a more straightforward country/folk vein, her 1972 self-titled record and HEART LIKE A WHEEL reveal an artist who has found her niche in the breezy, country-tinged rock of the era. (In fact, Ronstadt's backing band on her eponymous outing soon became the Eagles.) Personnel: Linda Ronstadt (vocals).

Essentials CD music Josh Rouse's follow-up to his critically acclaimed album 1972 ventures still deeper into the territory of mellow, nostalgia-tinged '70s FM radio, and this time the results are a little less Philly soul and a little more Laurel Canyon. The gently lilting "Winter in the Hamptons" and "Saturday" find Rouse nestled comfortably between the Rolling Stones' "Tops" and Bob Dylan's "Sweetheart Like You" on the jukebox, while "Carolina" is so light it could make James Taylor cry into his lemonade. Tinkly piano floats under Rouse's breathy vocals on "Sad Eyes" in a manner sure to enhance any romantic yearning to the point of pain, while a boogie-woogie vibe turns up on "Why Won't You Tell Me What." It's great to see this Nebraska singer/songwriter stepping unashamedly into the AOR-ready troubadour mold left empty for decades, and it's a role he inhabits beautifully and proudly. Incidentally, the title of the album refers more to geography (Rouse lived in Nashville for a decade), than rhinestone-spangled cowboy style, though some nice pedal-steel guitar does sweeten up a few tracks. Live Recording Recording information: Alex The Great Studios, Nashville, TN. Photographers: Josh Rouse; Joe Pisapia. Personnel: Josh Rouse (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards); Josh Rouse; Marc Pisapia (vocals, keyboards, drums); James "Hags" Haggerty (vocals, bass guitar); Al Perkins (pedal steel guitar); Brad Jones (piano, double bass, upright bass); Daniel Tashian (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Curt Perkins (vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Joe Pisapia (vocals, keyboards, drums, background vocals); Chris Carmichael (strings). Audio Mixer: Brad Jones .

Essentials songs True talent often doesn't get its due in the eyes of the general public unless it's a posthumous acknowledgment. Warren Zevon was one of these talents--his wry and oftentimes cynical brand of songwriting earned him a substantial cult following and the admiration of many fellow musicians. A number of these peers come together to honor his memory with the 2004 tribute album, ENJOY EVERY SANDWICH. This collection takes its name from Zevon's philosophy of living life, which he spoke of before dying of lung cancer at the age of 56. Some usual suspects are involved, including David Lindley and Ry Cooder (a loping "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse"), Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt (the rollicking "Poor Poor Pitiful Me") and Don Henley (a doo-wop-inspired "Searching for a Heart"). Among the many pleasant surprises are the performances of actors Adam Sandler and Billy Bob Thornton ("Werewolves of London" and "The Wind," respectively) and a snarling Pixies rendition of "Ain't That Pretty at All." (This song marks the first studio track the band released on album since breaking up in 1993.) There's also a live reading of the bittersweet "My Ride's Here" by Bruce Springsteen that includes a touching spoken intro to Zevon's legacy. A.Sandler/D.Henley/Pixies/B.B. Thornton/P.Yorn/Dylan/J.Browne

Essentials CD music Released eight years after the actual event, Rhino's A Tribute to Nicolette Larson: Lotta Love Concert compiles highlights from two concerts at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in February 1998. Larson passed away in December 1997, and a group of her friends and colleagues in the California soft rock and singer/songwriter scene gathered together to pay tribute. So, the concert featured such heavyweights as Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Dan Fogelberg, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Walsh, Little Feat, and, of course, Crosby, Stills & Nash. Many of these artists, but not all, had Larson sing on their records and the songs here do not necessarily reflect songs that featured Nicolette on backing vocals. Instead, this is an all-star concert where the stars sing their all-star songs: Walsh does "Rocky Mountain Way," Browne does "Running on Empty," Ronstadt does "Blue Bayou," CSN do "Southern Cross," and Buffett does "Margaritaville." In other words, no real surprises, other than that the performances are infused with a genuine sense of warmth and love that's rare on superstar concerts like these. Perhaps that's because these two concerts functioned as a public wake for a singer who was an integral part of the Californian scene in the '70s, and her friends are celebrating her life and music while re-creating that '70s spirit for a brief time. Whatever the case, there's a real feeling of love and affection on this tribute, which makes it not only a fitting tribute, but a record worth hearing for anybody who's had deep and lasting fondness for the sound of Southern California in the '70s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Tributee: Nicolette Larson. Personnel: Graham Nash (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, background vocals); Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills, Crosby & Nash (vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Dan Fogelberg, Bonnie Raitt (vocals, acoustic guitar); Jackson Browne (vocals, electric guitar, piano); Jimmy Buffett (vocals, electric guitar, background vocals); Paul Barrére (vocals, electric guitar); Joe Walsh (vocals, slide guitar, background vocals); Michael Ruff (vocals, piano, background vocals); Carole King (vocals, piano); Richie Hayward (vocals, drums); Sam Clayton (vocals, percussion); Rosemary Butler, Valerie Carter, Linda Ronstadt (vocals, background vocals); Rudy Guess, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Farris (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Fred Tackett (electric guitar); Jon Cleary (flute, electric piano, synthesizer); Craig Doerge (piano, electric piano, synthesizer); John Gilutin, Mike Finnegan (electric piano); Joe Vitale, Russ Kunkel (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); Mary Kay Place, Sherry Kondor (background vocals). Liner Note Authors: Paul R. Gurian; Russ Kunkel. Recording information: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (02/21/1998/02/22/1998). Authors: Emmylou Harris; Graham Nash; Paul R. Gurian; Peter Max; Jackson Browne; Jimmy Buffett; Paul Barrére; Dan Fogelberg; Linda Ronstadt; Bonnie Raitt; Carole King. Editor: Sheryl Farber . Photographers: Henry Diltz; Joel Bernstein.

Essentials buy CD music Just because Wilco ended up getting all the press and the Jim O'Rourke hipster cred, that doesn't mean Son Volt should remain forever destined to be the "other" Uncle Tupelo spin-off band. In fact, hardcore UT fans should feel a strong attachment to the latter, as they stayed closer to the spirit of Tupelo's post-modern country-rock. RETROSPECTIVE does an excellent job of chronicling the group's first five years. All the key tracks from the first three albums are here, from the surprisingly heavy rock of the breakout hit "Drown" to the acoustic-guitar-and-pedal-steel lilt of "Creosote." Most attractive to Son Volt aficionados, though, will be the wealth of rare and previously unreleased tracks. There's a wide variety of cover tunes, with sources including Big Star (the funereal "Holocaust"), Leadbelly (an oddly elegiac "Ain't No More Cane"), and Bruce Springsteen (a countrified "Open All Night"). Equally compelling are SV leader Jay Farrar's solo acoustic demos of his own tunes "Tear Stained Eye" and "Loose String." An essential document of the mid-1990s alt-country renaissance, this collection makes a strong case for Son Volt as that movement's vanguard. Encompassing two-thirds of the original lineup of Americana roots-rock trailblazers Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt arrived in 1995 with the stellar debut album Trace. Powered by the songwriting, guitar and evocative vocals of group leader Jay Farrar, it launched them as icons of the emerging alt-country movement championed by the then-fledgling mazazing No Depression, who featured Son Volt on the cover of their very first issue. The band issued two more acclaimed albums before Farrar took a hiatus for solo work...this, their first-ever compilation, pulls from the Son Volt catalog and also features rarities, unreleased tracks, demo tracks, and more! Warner. 2005. Includes 5 previously unreleased tracks. Son Volt: Jim Boquist (bass instrument); Mike Heidorn (drums, percussion); Dave Boquist, Jay Farrar. Personnel: Jay Farrar (vocals, guitar, dulcimer, harmonica, keyboards); Kelly Willis (vocals); Dave Boquist (guitar, lap steel guitar, dobro, banjo, violin); Dan Newton (accordion); Jim Boquist (piano, background vocals); Michael Heidorn (drums, percussion); John Maloney (drums). Audio Mixers: Brian Paulson; Keith Keller; Jay Farrar; Christopher Williams; David Barbe; Jack Joseph Puig; John Agnello; Mark Haines ; Mike Martin; Peter Coleman. Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot. Liner Note Author: Ed Ward . Recording information: Acoustic Cafe, Ann Arbor, MI; Chez Flames, New Orleans, LA; Echo Park, Blooomington, IN; Emerald Sound Studios, Nashville, TN; Jajouka Studio, Millstadt, IL; Pachyderm Studio, Cannon Falls, MN; Salmagundi, Northfield, MN; Sixteenth Avenue Sound; Solid Sound Studios, Ann Arbor, MI; WXPN Studios, Philadelphia, PA. Photographer: Peter Grant .