The Holmes Brothers- Speaking In Tongues (2001) ****
Bruford/Borstlap- Every Step A Dance, Every Word A Song (2004) **1/2
Traffic- Far From Home (1994) **
The Holmes Brothers- Where It's At (1991) ****
Elvis Presley- Spinout (1966) ***
Roy Harper- Valentine (1974) **1/2
Rush- Roll The Bones (1991) ***1/2
Yes- Steven Wilson Remixes: A Personal Compilation (2018/2026) ***1/2
Shaun Cassidy- Wasp (1980) ****
A few records caught my eye as I scrolled through various websites, blogs and social media accounts this weekend, and I included them on my daily playlists.
I was a bit of a Holmes Brothers fanatic for a while, and their records from 1991 through 2007 got tons of play at NYCD and at home. But it's been years since I thought about them, so going to fix that this week.
I had totally forgotten about the Traffic reunion record and four songs in, I realized why. It's a Traffic record in name only. What it sounds like is a mediocre Winwood solo record. Traffic would never have used that awful 80's synthesizer sound and Steve shouldn't have been using well into the 90's. This record is a bore and sounds more dated than Traffic's classics sound now. I shut it off after four songs.
Also still in a Rush phase thanks to this tour. Nothing will beat the run from "Fly By Night" to "Moving Pictures," but the records I've dismissed for years are sounding much better these days, including "Roll The Bones." Those later records aren't bad, they are just different.
There was a Shaun Cassidy post on Power Pop today, so of course I had to listen to the "Wasp" record. A few of the covers on this record teeter on the unlistenable, though the cover of The Who's "So Sad About Us" is sublime, regardless of what a few Power Pop readers had to say. The Todd originals written for this project are actually terrific, and if you are a Todd diehard, you will recognize riffs and melodies on these songs that became other songs on follow-up Utopia records. This is a fun record...if you're a Todd fan. And I actually love this record now. I didn't for a long time.
6 comments:
Also a fan of the Holmes Brothers and have seen them live at folk festivals a few times. They do a version of That's Where It's At with Van Morrison that is great as well as Amazing Grace done to the tune of House of the Rising Sun perfect for a Sunday morning gospel set at the folk festival.
rs
I plan to revisit Hold Your Fire, Roll the Bones, Test For Echo, Counterparts, etc. before the tour hits Atlanta in November. It's been years and I don't remember much about them
I went on a Holmes Brothers tear about a year ago. I especially like their covers of Gillian Welch’s Everything Is Free and Nick Lowe’s Peace, Love, and Understanding.
Did they used to play down at Dan Lynch on Second Avenue? Or am I misremembering?
Saw the Holmes' years ago at the once great bar/music club, The Old Point. Was such an amazing concert.
Yes, Dan Lynch and Nightingale Bar.
Is the Old Point still open? I haven't thought about that place in years.
Post a Comment