Richard Marx - Night Out with Friends CD

Night Out with Friends CD music How a good-looking Jewish boy from Brooklyn discovered the secret of success in an updated form of mariachi music is perhaps beyond our scope. Then again, it might not be such a mystery after all. Aside from the obvious example of exotica, much easy listening depends upon more than a touch of ethnicity to maintain its musical roots. What Herb Alpert found in Mexican street bands was a previously untapped source of south-of-the-border melody and rhythm. With its unlikely combination of Alpert's cool Chet Baker-like trumpet and the blocky cadences of a marching band, the Tijuana Brass produced a lively, colorful mix that managed to appeal to hips and squares alike. WHIPPED CREAM & OTHER DELIGHTS was Herb Albert's most successful album, helped--no doubt--by its highly provocative cover art. The tunes are mostly unknown originals or, in the case of Lieber & Stoller's "Love Potion #9," so transformed by the Tijuana "treatment" as to be almost unrecognizable. Special mention must go to guitarist John Pisano and marimba man Julius Wechter, both of whom round out the sharp corners of a potentially raucous sound. Additional Tracks Audio Remasterer: Ernie Grundman. Liner Note Author: Josh Kun. Recording information: Gold Star Recordings Studios. Arranger: Herb Alpert.

Night Out with Friends songs Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were rolling right down the middle of the American pop scene like a locomotive in 1966 -- and this album captures them at the peak of their exuberance. By now, there really was a live, touring edition of the Tijuana Brass, and there was an easily identifiable TJB sound, with its strummed Latin American guitars, twin trumpet leads, delicate marimba or vibes (played by Julius Wechter of Baja Marimba Band fame in the studio), and strong grooves rooted in Latin American music, jazz and rock. Alpert's family of sidemen and composers were busy generating their own catchy hits, like Wechter's deadly infectious "Spanish Flea," and the tragically short-lived Ervan Coleman's wonderfully goofy "Tijuana Taxi." The bossman's trumpet could be joyous, mocking and melancholy in turns, and his choices of tunes totally unpredictable; who else would dare juxtapose "The 3rd Man Theme," "Walk, Don't Run," "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and "Zorba the Greek" on one record? No other TJB record has as much unbuttoned fun and humor as this one -- and not surprisingly, it spent six weeks at number one in 1966. ~ Richard S. Ginell Liner Note Authors: Herb Alpert; Josh Kun.

Night Out with Friends buy CD music With this album, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass settle into their hitmaking groove, the once strikingly eclectic elements of Dixieland, pop, rock, and mariachi becoming more smoothly integrated within Alpert's infectious "Ameriachi" blend. They sound more like a band now; along with Alpert's now-indelibly stamped trumpet sound, we can recognize jazzman John Pisano's distinctive rhythm guitar, Lou Pagani's piano, the droll Bob Edmondson's dulcet trombone, etc. Pisano, who debuted as a composer on Going Places, comes up with a memorably whistleable song "So What's New," and the rest of Alpert's songwriting brigade (Ervan Coleman, Julius Wechter and Sol Lake) chime in with some lively, catchy tunes. There is also an assortment of pop, film, and Broadway standards of the day, all impeccably arranged by Alpert, whose production instincts grew sharper and surer with every release. Result: another hugely entertaining hit LP, one that stayed at number one longer than any other TJB album (nine weeks). ~ Richard S. Ginell Audio Remasterer: Bernie Grundman. Liner Note Authors: Herb Alpert; Josh Kun. Arranger: Herb Alpert.

Night Out with Friends album for sale Ten years separate World Gone Crazy from Sibling Rivalry, their last studio album, but the bigger news about this 2010 release is that it sees the Doobie Brothers reuniting with Ted Templeman, the producer of their breakthrough `70s hits. With Templeman at the board, the Doobies wind up with a tight album that recalls all of their glory days -- even the smooth blue-eyed soul of Michael McDonald, who graciously guests on "Don't Say Goodbye" -- in a mere 11 songs. The Doobies certainly mean to evoke the past, but they never sound forced when they indulge in some "Black Water"-styled fingerpicking, ease back for a little bit of boogie, or even re-create the AOR thump of their late-`80s comeback, "The Doctor." Some credit must go to the old pro Templeman, who certainly knows how to pull out the best from a band, but Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, John McFee, and Mike Hossack are in fine form, writing solid songs and giving relaxed, lived-in performances, all adding up to a surprising strong album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine There's no separating the unparalleled legacy of The Doobie Brothers from their upcoming release "World Gone Crazy." The Doobie Brothers have honored the broader, 40-year band's legacy with a new studio album that grows in unexpected directions. Founding members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons are joined by longtime members John McFee and Mike Hosack. Ted Templeman, the producer behind the band biggest hits and other classics(Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Carly Simon, etc) returns to reignite the special chemistry that audiences have embraced for the past four decades. Recording information: Glenwood Place; Lizard Rock Studio; Nrg; Paia Town Studios; Studio D, Sausalito; Sunset sound; The Boogie Motel; The Village. Editors: Nigel Lundemo; Jose Alcantar. Photographer: Richard McLaren. Personnel: Pat Simmons, Tom Johnston (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); John McFee (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric slide guitar, resonator guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin, background vocals); Michael Hossack (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Ross Hogarth.

Night Out with Friends buy CD music In the 1980s, Richard Marx embodied a successful brand of pop/rock that combined the gritty American Heartland sounds of Bob Seger and John Mellencamp with the smooth production style and heart-on-the-sleeve romanticism of the Barry Manilow/Leo Sayer set. Marx continued to work steadily into the early 2000s with other artists, finding prosperity as a songwriter and producer for N Sync, Josh Groban, and other chart-toppers. In 2003, he won a Grammy award for his co-authorship of the Luther Vandross hit "Dance with My Father." Marx's MY OWN BEST ENEMY is a comeback album of sorts, and finds the multi-talented vocalist in as strong a form as ever. Straight-up AOR pop with a hint of twang, the record alternates between mid-tempo, groove-oriented songs ("Nothing Left to Say," "Again") and the majestic power ballads for which Marx is so well known ("Ready to Fly"). The disc is also a showcase for Marx's dark, slightly left-of-center lyrical bent, which often stands in subtle and effective contrast to the music's sunnier tone. A welcome return from an oft-underrated artist, MY OWN BEST ENEMY reveals Richard Marx as an unusually complex musician reaching the peak of his creative powers. Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Capitol Studio B; Noise In The Attic; ocean way; Renegade Studios, Chicago, IL; Seventeen Grand Studios, Nashville, TN; The Blue room; Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Clay Patrick McBridge. Personnel: Richard Marx (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, keyboards, bass synthesizer, background vocals); Richard Marx (vocals, guitar); Shane Fontayne (guitar, electric guitar); Stephen Balderston (guitar); Bruce Gaitsch (acoustic guitar); Connie Ellisor, David Davison, Gerald Greer, Connie Heard, Chris Teal, Mary Kathryn Van Osdale, Pamela Sixfin, David Angell, Catherine Umstead (violin); Jim Grosjean, Kris Wilkinson, Gary VanOsdale (viola); Sari Reist, Stephen Balderston, Carl Rabinowitz, Anthony LaMarchina (cello); Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Matt Laug, Matt Walker (drums); Michael Thompson (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Michael Landau, J.T. Corenflos (guitar, electric guitar); Keith Urban (guitar, background vocals); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); David Cole (keyboards, synthesizer); Gary W. Smith (keyboards); Gregg Bissonette, Steve Brewster (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); John Blasucci (drum programming); Jessica Andrews (background vocals). Audio Mixer: David Cole.

Night Out with Friends songs This DVD/2 CD set includes an acoustic album featuring several songs from Richard's previous albums in newly recorded acoustic versions. It is his second album of acoustic reworkings of his previous hits. The first CD features an acoustic version of Marx's new song "When You Loved Me." The 2nd CD features re-imagined recordings of 11 Marx's hits plus the studio version of "When You Loved Me." The DVD features Marx's concert at Shepherd's Bush in London, England. While he might not have graced the Top 40 in the U.K. or U.S. since 1994's "The Way She Loves Me," '80s adult contemporary balladeer Richard Marx has since become a prolific songwriter behind the scenes for artists as legendary as Barbra Streisand, Ringo Starr, and Luther Vandross, in addition to sporadically recording material for his own underappreciated solo career. Following 2008's triple whammy of Sundown, Emotional Remains, and Duo, a collaboration with Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell, Stories to Tell combines the best of both worlds, with a series of stripped-back reworkings of tracks from eight of his studio albums alongside newly recorded versions of songs he originally penned for other artists. With Marx accompanied by just an acoustic guitar and the occasional flourishes of piano, this 18-track collection gives a new lease on life to the likes of early U.S. hit "Should've Known Better," old-school R&B ballad "Keep Coming Back," and his cleverly open-ended tale of murder, "Hazard," while the faithful renditions of "Now and Forever" (dedicated to his wife, Cynthia Rhodes) and Billboard chart-topper "Right Here Waiting" show that Marx's soft rock vocals remain just as emotive and impassioned as they were in his heyday. But it's the seven "covers" that provide the most intrigue, allowing Marx to provide his own interpretations of contemporary hits that only those who scan the sleeve notes would be aware he penned. His performances of Josh Groban's soaring ballad "To Where You Are," the driving post-grunge of Lifehouse's "Had Enough" and Daughtry's "On the Inside," and Keith Urban's Top Five country hit "Everybody" remain faithful to the originals. But elsewhere, Marx ramps up the rock guitars on his version of Travis Tritt's hoedown "Never Take Me Dancing," adds a sense of melancholy with his piano-based reworking of Cliff Richard's "The Best of Me," and -- best of all -- turns the schmaltzy bubblegum pop of *NSYNC's "This I Promise You" into an anthemic slice of slick Nickelback-esque AOR, all of which prove that Marx is just as convincing a recording artist as the acts he's writing for, even if the record sales suggest otherwise. Released in the midst of an unexpected purple patch, Marx's fourth album in two years is an understated and well-selected showcase of one of America's unsung songwriting talents. ~ Jon O'Brien Recording information: Iron Works, Los Angeles, CA; Renegade Studio, Chicago, IL; TThe Tin Ear Studios, Sound Stage, Nashville, TN.