Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall CD

Live at the Royal Albert Hall buy CD music Adele's 2009 debut album, 19, was a Grammy-winning smash hit that revealed the British singer/songwriter's knack for bittersweet soul and folk-infused love songs that brought to mind an infectious mix of Dusty Springfield and Terry Callier. The album earned her a ton of fans, and interest was high for the inevitable follow-up. In many ways, her sophomore album, the similarly age-appropriate-titled 21, is a continuation of the sounds and themes Adele was working with on 19. She is still the bluesy pop diva with a singer/songwriter's soul and seemingly bottomless capacity for heartbreak. The best thing the album does is to showcase Adele's titanic vocal ability, which -- more than a few times on 21 -- is simply spine-tingling. Last time around we got the gauzy, Callier-esque folk-soul ballad "Daydreamer" to slowly draw us into the album; here, Adele immediately injects us with the propulsive gospel fever-blues anthem "Rolling in the Deep." While the track certainly owes a heavy debt to the punk-blues of Beth Ditto and the Gossip, it is also ridiculously sexy and one of the best singles of any decade. Elsewhere, we get tracks like the blues-inflected Ryan Tedder co-write "Rumour Has It" and the old-school-style soul cut "He Won't Go," which are terrifically catchy, booty-shaking numbers and exactly the kind of songs you want and expect from Adele. Similarly enthralling is the centerpiece of the album, the mega-ballad showstopper "Take It All." Co-written by her "Chasing Pavements" partner Francis White, the song begins with Adele proclaiming "Didn't I give it all?" Delivered starkly at first with Adele set against simple piano accompaniment and later backed by a gospel choir, it's an instant-classic sort of song in the tradition of "The Rose," "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going," and "All by Myself" that could stand over the years as a career landmark for the singer and a cathartic moment for fans who identify with their idol's Pyrrhic lovelorn persona. Ultimately, Adele does give us her all on 21, and for now that is enough. ~ Matt Collar Editor: Dana Nielsen. Photographer: Lauren Dukoff. Personnel: Adele (vocals). Recording information: AirStudios, London, England; Angel Studios, London, England; Eastcote Studios, London, England; Harmony Studios, West Hollywood, CA; metropolis Studios, London, England; Myaudiotonic Studios, London, England; Patriot Studios, Denver, CO; Serenity Sound, Hollywood, CA; Shangri La Studios, Malibu, CA; Sphere Studios, London, England; Wendyhouse Productions, London, England.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall CD music Recorded between 1974 & 1997. Includes liner notes by Jim Jenkins, Jacky Smith, Andy Davis, Phil Symes. With Queen officially enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Hollywood Records reintroduces the band yet again with the release of Platinum Collection, Vols. 1-3. While Vols. I & II are full of Queen classics you already know by heart, the third cobbles together odds and sods from the far corners of Queen's canon along with solo cuts from Freddie Mercury and Brian May. Opening with the operatic rock classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's easy to hear not only how this British quartet achieved the kind of global acclaim that ensured they'd be enshrined alongside the likes of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. When they weren't dabbling in playful, '50s-flavored rock & roll ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love"), catchy glam ("Killer Queen"), or hard-edged funk ("Another One Bites the Dust"), Queen was capable of delivering heartfelt love letters ("You're My Best Friend"). The band's '80s output is equally intriguing, ranging from the hard-hitting "Headlong" to duets with David Bowie ("Under Pressure") and soaring movie anthems ("One Vision"). The third volume features more movie themes ("Princes of the Universe"), Freddie Mercury covering the Platters ("The Great Pretender"), and cameos by contemporary artists like Wyclef Jean, George Michael, and Elton John. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Producers include: Queen, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, David Richards, Mike Moran. Queen: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon. Additional personnel: Elton John, George Michael, David Bowie, Montserrat Caballe (vocals); Wyclef Jean, Pras (rap vocals). 3 CDs

Live at the Royal Albert Hall songs Director: Charlie Robins. Photographers: Stephanie Methven; Josh Burton; Bao Nguyen; Rune Hellestad. Arranger: Chris Elliott. Personnel: Adele (vocals, guitar); Matt Allchin, Ben Thomas , Michael Tighe, Ben Thomas (guitar); Neil Cowley (piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Jason Silver (keyboards); Sam Koppelman (glockenspiel); Tom Driessler (bass guitar, tambourine); Stuart Zender (bass guitar); Seb Rochford, Louis "Kayel" Sharpe, Pete Biggins, Louis Sharpe (drums); Liam Howe (programming); Jack Peņate, Life Gospel Choir (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Tom Elmhirst; Loz Brazil; Jim Abbiss; Richard Wilkinson.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall album for sale Few modern singers understand the phrasing of singing the way Tony Bennett does. This second installment of his Duets pairs him with Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, and the late Amy Winehouse, among many others. Audio Mixer: Dae Bennett. Recording information: Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Andrea Bocelli's Home Studio; Avatar Studios, New York, NY; Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ; Ben's Studio, Nashville, TN; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Manhattan Center Studios, New York, NY; Mariah Carey's Home Studio. Photographers: Josh Cheuse; Kelsey Bennett.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall CD music Fans of guitar master Joe Bonamassa will be delighted that 2011 was such a prolific year in his career. First came the fine, rootsy Dust Bowl, then 2, the second chapter in his Black Country Communion project's catalog. Don't Explain, a collection of soul, blues, and jazz-oriented covers in collaboration with vocal firebrand Beth Hart marks his third entry this year. The ten-song set of blues and soul is a logical extension of her vocal contribution to "No Love on the Street" from Dust Bowl. Opening is a thoroughly raucous contemporary blues reading of Ray Charles' "Sinner's Prayer," followed by a quirky version of Tom Waits' "Chocolate Jesus," and an unusual cover of contemporary jazz-pop singer/songwriter Melody Gardot's "You Heart Is as Black as Night." On this cut, a string orchestra adds a touch of perversity; it offers the impression of a femme fatale singing a Brecht-Weill number in a smoky cabaret in front of a moody string orchestra, buoyed by a brooding electric blues quintet. "For My Friends," a Bill Withers' tune, is a big, nasty, jagged blues number that keeps the funky groove intact. The title track, a number closely associated with Billie Holiday, falls flat. Hart tries too hard to employ Holiday's phrasing, the string orchestrations are overblown, and Bonamassa's crew is too reverent. This formula also mars the remake of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way" that closes the set. Far better are readings of Etta James' signatories "I'd Rather Go Blind," and "Something's Got a Hold on Me." Hart's emotive, throaty delivery is perfectly suited to both songs, and she resists trying to ape James' phrasing. Since they follow one another directly, the musical difference between them also showcase's Hart's diverse abilities. The former is a soul burner, the latter a gospel blues. Bonamassa and band accent her every phrase with requisite rowdiness, sting, and grit. The pair's only vocal collaboration is a burning read of Delaney & Bonnie's "Well, Well." With Anton Fig's breaks and rim shots underscoring Arlan Scheirbaum's electric piano fills, Bonamassa's burning leads, the chunky, rhythmic foundation from guitarist Blondie Chaplin, and Carmine Rojas' bassline, Hart and the lead guitarist trade whip-smart call and response vocals with enough raw country-soul to bring the song to a new audience. While not a perfect recording, Don't Explain is a good one, whose strengths are numerous enough to warrant a second go round. ~Thom Jurek Liner Note Authors: Laura Grover; Beth Hart. Recording information: Village Recorders, West L.A. Photographer: Mike Prior. Personnel: Joe Bonamassa (vocals, guitar); Beth Hart (vocals, piano); Blondie Chaplin (guitar); Arlan Scheirbaum (keyboards); Carmine Rojas (bass guitar); Anton Fig (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Kevin Shirley.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall buy CD music For only the second time in her career, jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall deviates from her tried, true m.o. of covering easily identifiable jazz standards. On Glad Rag Doll she teams with producer T-Bone Burnett and his stable of studio aces. Here the two-time Grammy winner covers mostly vaudeville and jazz tunes written in the 1920s and '30s, some relatively obscure. Most of the music here is from her father's collection of 78-rpm records. Krall picked 35 tunes from that music library and gave sheet music to Burnett. He didn't reveal his final selections until they got into the studio. Given their origins, these songs remove the sheen of detached cool that is one of Krall's vocal trademarks. Check the speakeasy feel on opener "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye," with Marc Ribot's airy chords, Jay Bellerose's loose shuffle, and Dennis Crouch's strolling upright bass. Krall's vocal actually seems to express delight in this loose and informal proceeding -- though her piano playing is, as usual, tight, top-notch. The shimmering sentimental nocturnal balladry there gives way to swing in "Just Like a Butterfly That's Caught in the Rain," which stands out because of the interplay between Ribot's ukulele, a pair of basses, and Bellerose's brushes. Krall's vocal hovers; she lets the melody guide her right through the middle. On the title cut, her only accompanist is Ribot on an acoustic guitar. Being the best-known tune in the bunch, it's easy to compare this reading with many others, but Krall's breathy vocal fully inhabits the lyric and melody and makes them her own. A few tracks stand apart from the album's theme. There's the modern take on Betty James' rockabilly single "I'm a Little Mixed Up," which allows Burnett to indulge himself a little and showcases a rarity: Krall playing rock & roll piano. The atmospheric reading of Doc Pomus' "Lonely Avenue" is somewhat radical, but is among the finest moments here. Burnett gets his obligatory reverb on here, but the weave of his and Ribot's guitars (and the latter's banjo) and the mandola by Howard Coward (Elvis Costello in one of several guest appearances) is arresting. The arrangement also contains an odd yet compelling reference to Miles Davis' "Right Off (Theme from Jack Johnson)"; Krall's piano solo is rife with elliptical, meandering lines and chord voicings. But vocally she gets inside the tune's blues and pulls them out with real authority. Glad Rag Doll is not the sound of Krall reinventing herself so much as it's the comfortable scratching of an old, persistent itch. The warmth, sophistication, humor, and immediacy present on this set make it a welcome addition to her catalog. ~ Thom Jurek Audio Mixer: Mike Piersante. Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY; Beautiful, Vancouver, Canada; The Village, West Los Angeles, CA. Editor: Mike Piersante. Illustrator: Edwin Fotheringham. Photographer: Mark Seliger.