Sam Rivers- Dimensions & Extensions (1967/1986)- ****
(1967 session that remained on the shelf until 1986. This is an excellent hard bop showcase for both Rivers and Donald Byrd. It occasionally wanders off into free jazz territory, which makes it all the more exciting for me.)
v/a- Ultra-Lounge One The Rocks, Part One (1997)-***
(I know many find muzak and swingin' pop versions of rock and soul classics sacrilege, but for reasons I can't fully explain, I find some of the arrangements really appealing. I don't recommend a regular diet of this, but once in a while, it's fun.)
Willy DeVille- Backstreets Of Desire (1992)- ****
(One song, "Chemical Warfare," is a major speed bump on an otherwise brilliant record. Unquestionably, Willy's best.)
R.E.M.- Collapse Into Now (2011)- ***1/2
Mink DeVille- Coup De Ville (1981)- ****
(Really enjoying Willy today.)
Mississippi River Revival- Live At NOLA Funk Fest, October 2025 (2026)- ***
(Supergroup featuring Stanton Moore & Rob Mercurio from Galactic, Roger Lewis & Gregory Davis from the DDBB, Big Sam, Luther Dickinson and Jennifer Hartswick. I bet this was fun in person. On tape, it seems very bland, with the usual NOLA covers and extended jams.)
R.E.M.- Reckoning (1984)- ***1/2
The Replacements- Live At City Gardens, 1984 (2025)-***1/2
Mink DeVille- Cabretta (1977)- ****
Johnny Thunders- So Alone (1978)- ****
Mink DeVille- Le Chat Bleu (1979)- ****
(An inadvertent chronological trifecta of brilliant junkie music!)
4 comments:
I anticipate much DeVille in my immediate listening future. Thanks for the guidance.
Dude responsible for “Storybook Love” for the The Princess Bride soundtrack gets a free pass. And how great are those Mark Knopfler 80’s soundtracks? Perfection.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/storybook-love/331059559?i=331060707
Also, I’ve never listened to Collapse Into Now, so I’ve got that to look forward to.
Thanks for the help with the soundtrack to my day, sir. Cheers :)
You were being extremely generous and kind in your description of ‘Chemical Warfare’; played the track last and it was still shocking how it diminished everything that came before (will edit out next time). Before that, it was brilliant! Think Coupe de Grace was the favorite.
Thanks again for the suggestion. Enjoy your week, sir :)
Junkie music is an under-appreciated genre. And you describe my relationship to lounge music to a "t."
Thanks for the Willy Lagniappe.
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