Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack CD

Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack songs 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.

Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack CD music Audio Mixer: Mike Plotnikoff. Author: Eddie Trunk. Buckcherry: Keith Nelson (guitar); Jimmy Ashhurst (bass guitar); Xavier Muriel (drums); Josh Todd, Stevie D. Personnel: Josh Todd (vocals); Stevie D. (guitar); Mark Watrous (keyboards).

Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack buy CD music Once the straight country-rock of his single "Cocky" struck a chord with the public, Kid Rock seemed more interested in filling the shoes of Southern rock pioneers Lynyrd Skynyrd than upholding his throne as hip-hop's white trash punk. His 2007 album ROCK N ROLL JESUS completes that transition. A big album that bowls straight up the middle, ROCK N ROLL JESUS is Kid's homage to the grits and gravy of classic rock, a 21st-century update of FM radio fare from the 1970s. Gone for most part is his hip-hop posturing and in-your-face putdowns; in their place are invocations of Skynyrd, Bob Seger, Steve Miller, and the like. "All Summer Long," a bouncy, sunny tune that bears a striking resemblance to "Sweet Home Alabama," is a case in point; while "Roll On" has the smooth-rolling feel of the Eagles' early work. Rock cuts loose, to be sure, as on the head-banging "So Hott," but even these tracks are injected with a retro feel, summoning classic AC/DC more than anything from the '00's. Longtime Rock fans might miss the bad attitude, but fans of classic '70s rock should feel right at home. Rock & Roll Jesus CD Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; East Iris Studios, Nashville, TN; The Allen Roadhouse. Author: Kid Rock. Photographer: Clay Patrick McBride. Unknown Contributor Roles: Paul T. Kwami; Wesley Trigg. Personnel: Kid Rock (guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo, piano, Moog synthesizer, talk box, drums, percussion, programming); Marlon Young (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin); Al Sutton (vocals); Kenny Tudrick (guitar, drums); Jason Krause, Bobby East (guitar); Jimmie Bones (harp, piano, keyboards, background vocals); Connie Ellisor, Karen Winkelmann, Eberhard Ramm, Bettie Ross, Jim Grosjean, Anthony LaMarchina, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, Alan Umstead, Catherine Umstead, Gary VanOsdale, Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen (strings); Rayse Biggs (trumpet, horns); Tim Akers (piano); Lawrence Fratangelo (drums, congas, timbales); Stefanie Eulinberg (drums, background vocals); Aaron Julison, Andre N. Jones, Barbara Payton, Karen Newman, Laura Creamer, Sylver Logan Sharp, Thornetta Davis (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Kid Rock; Rob Cavallo; Al Sutton. Kid Rock

Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack album for sale Santana tackles some of the greatest guitar-based rock tracks of all time, including George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and AC/DC's "Back in Black," with Chris Cornell, Joe Cocker, Nas, and a whole host of other guests. Audio Mixers: Chris Lord-Alge; Andrew Schubert; Brad Townsend. Recording information: Aimeeland Studios, Nashville, TN; Bay 7 Studios, Valley Village, CA; Emblem Music, Calabasas, CA; Indiasong Studios, Atlanta, GA; Lavish Studios, Burbank, CA; Odds On Recording, Las Vegas, NV; Rear Window Recording, Brookline, MA; Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, CA; Sunset Sound Recorder, Hollywood, CA; Sweatshop Studios, Katonah, NY; Tarpan Studios, San Rafael, CA; The Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, NA; The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA. Illustrator: Alberto Seveso. Photographer: Timothy Saccenti.

Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack CD music Left to their own devices on Here and Now, Nickelback have embraced who they are. Chad Kroeger's brow is no longer furrowed, treating rock & roll as an ordeal; he's stepped back a bit, allowing himself to have a good time. Nickelback no longer rely solely on heavy-footed power chords set to lumbering rhythms. True, this signature sound still underpins much of Here and Now, but the group is now loose enough to throw in a disco-rock thumper ("Kiss It Goodbye," another in a long line of anti-Hollywood, anti-plasticity anthems destined to be staples in Hollywood strip clubs) and even dabbles in a bit of power pop on "When We Stand Together," giving it an actual swing, something unheard on previous Nickelback albums, and this isn't an isolated incident. "Gotta Get Me Some" abandons the brutal four-on-the-floor Nickelback signature in favor of an actual groove, and the group even sounds nimble on its power ballads. This, combined with a considerably broader sonic palette -- previous Nickelback albums were on a grayscale; this is defiantly colorful thanks in large part to so many guitar and vocal overdubs that the record sometimes feels like the Mutt Lange job the producer should have given them on Dark Horse -- turns Here and Now into what's Nickelback's easiest album to enjoy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Recording information: Mountain View Studio, Abbotsford, BC, Canada. Editor: Scott Cooke. Personnel: Chad Kroeger (vocals, guitars); Ryan Peake (guitars, background vocals); Daniel Adair (drums, background vocals). Audio Mixers: Chris Lord-Alge; Jay Van Poederooyen; Randy Staub .

Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Soundtrack buy CD music The hit FX Network TV show Sons of Anarchy follows the adventures of a hard-living gang of bikers who have no fear of living on the edge, but their taste in music is a bit more eclectic than one might expect, at least judging from the second album of music recorded for the show, which runs from hard rock to R&B to country and even gospel. Nine of the thirteen selections on Songs of Anarchy, Vol. 2 include the show's de facto "house band" the Forest Rangers, a studio combo led by producers Bob Thiele, Jr. and Dave Way, and featuring guitarist Dave Kushner, bassist Davey Faragher, steel guitarist Greg Leisz, and drummer Brian Macleod; while the band backs up a variety of different vocalists here, the musicians manage to give the music a consistency of tone and mood that's apparent when the material is compiled into an album. The disc's big drawing card is a new version of "Sympathy for the Devil" recorded for the show by Jane's Addiction, but since a couple of the Rangers sit in with the band, it doesn't stand out from the rest of the songs as much as one might imagine, and the group's performance is surprisingly subdued, revealing little guitar firepower from Dave Navarro, and Perry Farrell's voice lacking its trademark upper-end dynamics. Elsewhere, most of the tracks on Songs of Anarchy, Vol. 2 are covers, with Joshua James performing a breathy, mournful interpretation of Herman's Hermits' "No Milk Today" (James also does his own "Coal War"), Alison Mosshart of the Dead Weather swaggering through Iggy Pop's "The Passenger," Franky Perez belting out a raw, spectral version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," Curtis Stigers leading a bar band-sounding take of John Fogerty's "Traveling Band," and Katey Sagal (who plays Gemma on the show) stepping up with a fine, smoky interpretation of Lulu's "To Sir with Love." Noah Gunderson contributes a fine pair of original numbers seemingly modeled after Appalachian folk tunes, and vocalist Battleme pairs up with the Rangers for two original but largely unexceptional numbers. For a set of material recorded for a cable TV series, Songs of Anarchy, Vol. 2 certainly stands out in terms of both quality and ambition, but while most of the performances are good, few seem truly inspired, and the emphasis on covers sometimes makes this seem like a complex way around paying licensing fees for the original versions, as impressive as these recordings may be. ~ Mark Deming Photographer: Frank W. 3 Ockenfels.