Van Morrison - Still on Top: The Greatest Hits CD

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits songs A surprise best-seller when it was first released, this mostly improvised pairing of singer/keyboardist/producer Al Kooper with two major guitar heroes of the day sounds fascinating all these years later precisely because of the distance of time--nobody makes records like this any more. The material runs the gamut from folk pop (covers of Donovan and Dylan), to blues ("Albert's Shuffle," "You Don't Love Me"), to heady jams ("His Holy Modal Majesty"), to big-band jazz ("Harvey's Tune"). All the tunes make effective templates for the kind off-the-cuff music-making that in less capable hands might have resulted in simple noodling. In fact, although Bloomfield and Stills don't play together on any of the cuts (Bloomfield played on one side of the original LP, Stills on the other), all three principals get off lots of good licks and producer Kooper has some interesting tricks up his sleeve, as in the over-the-top phasing he lavishes on "You Don't Love Me." The only real disappointment here is that Stills, a far better singer than Kooper, never opens his mouth. Those familiar with the Live Adventures album these two recorded at the Fillmore West know how brilliant they could be on stage, and here's another gem, recorded at the Fillmore East this time and featuring 'One Way Out,' 'It's My Own Fault' (with Bloomfield trading licks with Johnny Winter...Johnny was signed to Columbia after this gig!). Newly remastered & now with 4 bonus tracks, 'Albert's Shuffle' (2002 Remix w/o Horns), 'Season of the Witch.' (2002 Remix w/o Horns), 'Blues For Nothing' (Studio Outtake) & 'Fat Grey Cloud' Previously Unreleased Live Track). Features 12-page booklet with unpublished photos from the recording session, new liner notes by Al Kooper & the Rolling Stone Hall Of Fame review by David Fricke. 60 scintillating minutes! 13 tracks. Colunbia/Legacy. 2003. Includes liner notes by Al Kooper, Michael Thomas. Includes liner notes by Michael Thomas. Full performer name: Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Steve Stills. Personnel: Mike Bloomfield (electric guitar); Al Kooper (vocals, 12-string & electric guitars, piano, organ, ondioline); Steve Stills (electric guitar); Barry Goldberg (electric piano); Harvey Brooks (bass); Eddie Hoh (drums). Personnel: Mike Bloomfield (electric guitar); Al Kooper (piano, organ, ondioline, vocals, 12-string & electric guitars); Steve Stills (electric guitar); Barry Goldberg (electric piano); Harvey Brooks (bass); Eddie Hoh (drums). Reissue producer: Bob Irwin.

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits buy CD music THE VERY BEST OF includes a 46-page booklet with pictures and track information. "Hole In The World" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. The Eagles' founders Don Henley and Glenn Frey were forthright in their desire to bring then-emerging country rock to new heights of commercial success. Formed in Los Angeles in 1971, they learned from their observations of the scene around them, and subsequently took their music to the top of the charts. They stayed there throughout the '70s, becoming synonymous with the sound of Southern California rock. The band's first hit was with a song by Jackson Browne, and their first album also included a cover of "Ol' 55" by Tom Waits, but the bulk of the material they're known for was penned by Henley and Frey. This two-disc set wisely expands the original VERY BEST OF collection with important album tracks that have also long been band staples and favorites (such as the aforementioned Waits tune and a number of other songs from their pre-platinum first three releases). As is often the common industry-wide practice, there's also a new song, "Hole in the World." A 2-CD retrospective from the multiplatinum superstars whose 1976 "Greatest Hits" is the #1 album of all time! Special Limited Edition bonus DVD included with a music video, outtakes from the video and backstage pass to Farewell 1. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD. Recorded between 1972 & 2003. The Eagles: Bernie Leadon (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, mandolin); Don Felder (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, steel guitar, keyboards); Glen Frey, Joe Walsh (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, keyboards); Randy Meisner (vocals, guitar, guitarron, bass); Don Henley (vocals, drums, percussion); Timothy B. Schmit (vocals, bass). Producers: Glyn Johns, Bill Szymczyk, Eagles, Elliot Scheiner, Rob Jacobs. Compilation producer: The Eagles. Eagles: Don Felder (vocals, guitars, slide guitar, steel guitar, keyboards); Bernie Leadon (vocals, guitars, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, mandolin); Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh (vocals, guitars, slide guitar, keyboards); Randy Meisner (vocals, guitarron, bass guitar); Timothy B. Schmit (vocals, bass guitar); Don Henley (vocals, drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Steuart Smith (electric guitar); Al Perkins (pedal steel guitar); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Jim Ed Norman, Willie Hollis (piano); Jay Oliver (keyboards); Scott Crago (drums, percussion).

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits album for sale Those who find the pairing of '70s rock god Robert Plant with contemporary bluegrass queen Alison Krauss unlikely have probably not been paying attention to Plant's latter-day work, which is full of intimate, acoustic-flavored balladry. While the organic-sounding, low-key Plant/Krauss collaboration, RAISING SAND, is a far cry from Led Zeppelin's stadium rock, it offers up some hauntingly moody textures that should appeal to "Battle of Evermore" admirers. Consisting mostly of sagely chosen cover tunes, the album finds Plant and Krauss bringing their warm-but-eerie harmonies to everything from Townes Van Zandt's nihilistic folk poetry ("Nothin'") to the crumbled beauty of latter-day Tom Waits ("Trampled Rose"). Determined not to rest on their laurels or cater to expectations, the 59-year-old icon and his junior partner craft a subtle and intriguing sound built on their shared love of folk forms and gift for interpretation, bringing to light esoteric gems by late Byrds visionary Gene Clark and the Everly Brothers along the way as well.

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits CD music Today the most recognition the Animals get is "House of the Rising Sun" being played on oldies radio, but in the mid-1960s they were a powerful part of the British Invasion, often reckoned on a par with the Beatles, the Stones, and the Who. Like those bands, the Animals had strong roots in blues and R&B, but, in their original incarnation, they stayed closer to those roots than their peers did. This definitive compilation, masterfully assembled by the ABKCO think tank of Teri Landi and Jody Klein, shows the tough, uncompromising use to which the Animals put their American influences. John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" is recast as a raw garage rocker glazed with Alan Price's sinister organ riffs, and the aforementioned "House of the Rising Sun" is transformed from a traditional folk lament to an urgent, ominous piece of churning tumult. Of course, the group skillfully expanded those roots (with the help of some great writers), and turned out some classic working-class-rebel anthems ("We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "It's My Life"). By '67, the original lineup disbanded, and Eric Burdon led a new batch of Animals into a psychedelic West Coast sound ("San Franciscan Nights," "Monterey"). The Animals may not be given pride of place in the rock history books, but RETROSPECTIVE shows that they fully deserve it. Audio Remixers: Eddie Kramer; Gary Kellgren; Vic Briggs. Liner Note Author: Jim Bessman. Recording information: Kingsway Recording Studio, London, England (01/22/1964-??/??/1970); Mayfair Recording Studio, New York, NY (01/22/1964-??/??/1970); RCA Studios, Hollywood, CA (01/22/1964-??/??/1970); Sunset-Highland Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (01/22/1964-??/??/1970); Wally Heider Recording Studio, San Francisco, CA (01/22/1964-??/??/1970). Arrangers: Vic Briggs; Horace Ott; Dave Rowberry. The Animals: Alan Price (keyboards); Chas Chandler (bass instrument); Eric Burdon, John Steel , Hilton Valentine. Personnel: Eric Burdon (vocals); John Weider (guitar, violin); Vic Briggs (guitar, piano, vibraphone); Howard H. Scott, Hilton Valentine (guitar); Charles Miller (flute); Royal Scots Guard Pipe And Drum Marching Band (bagpipe, percussion); Lee Oskar (harmonica); Alan Price (piano, organ); Lonnie Jordan, Dave Rowberry (organ); Barry Jenkins (drums, percussion); Harold Brown, John Steel (drums); Thomas R. Allen, Jr. (percussion). Additional personnel: War.

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits buy CD music Initial pressings of THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION included a limited edition bonus disc featuring four previously unreleased tracks. Recorded between November 1964 and June 1982. Includes liner notes by Matt Kent and Andy Neill. When it comes to a ground-breaking, iconic band like the Who, dubbing an anthology THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is no small claim. The kicker here is that it happens to be the truth. Without venturing into the realm of the box set, there's never been such a definitive batch of Who tunes all under one roof before. Virtually all the bases are covered here, from such attitude-laden mid-'60s mod anthems as "My Generation" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" to the conceptual expansiveness of TOMMY-era tunes ("I'm Free," "See Me Feel Me"). We get the full-on long-haired, bare-chested glory of the early '70s ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as well as the tapered, synth-flecked smartness of the early '80s ("Eminence Front," "You Better You Bet." For someone looking for an entry point into the work of this larger-than-life group, or just somebody who wants a great all-purpose who disc, THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is truly a case of truth in advertising. Get one. Keith Moon, Kenney Jones (drums). Additional Tracks The Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals, harmonica); Pete Townsend (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); John Entwistle (bass, background vocals); Producers include: Shel Talmy, The Who, Kit Lambert, Glyn Johns, Jon Astley. Compilation producers: Andy McKaie, Bill Levenson.

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits songs Track Listing of songs: DISC 1: Doctor My Eyes; Jamaica, Say You Will; Rock Me on the Water; Take It Easy; These Days; Redneck Friend; For Everyman; For a Dancer; Fountain of Sorrow; Late for the Sky; Before the Deluge; Your Bright Baby Blues; Pretender, The; Here Come Those Tears Again; Load-Out, The; Stay; DISC 2: Running on Empty; You Love the Thunder; Boulevard; Somebody's Baby; Tender Is the Night; Lawyers in Love; In the Shape of a Heart; Lawless Avenues; Lives in the Balance; I Am a Patriot; Sky Blue and Black; I'm Alive; Barricades of Heaven, The; Looking East; Naked Ride Home, The; Night Inside Me, The;