Music » Instrument Music

No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: EVANESCENCETitle: FALLENStreet Release Date: 03/04/2003

The Gorillaz claim to have found their motley crew of cartoon characters sleeping in Leicester Square, but Blur's Damon Albarn (a.k.a. 2-D) and cult cartoonist Jamie Hewlett (Murdoc) aren't fooling anyone. As the ultimate experiment in manufactured image, the Gorillaz are a virtual cartoon-character-based hip-hop band who bring together witty, silly lyrics and talented musicians. Infectious old-school hip-hop rhythms, rhymes, and effects courtesy of Deltron 3030's Kid Koala and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (Russel) are combined with Albarn's passion for chugging lo-fi and edgy melodies to create a seemingly raw but ultimately slick blend of styles. This is nowhere more evident than on the hit single "Clint Eastwood," which is carried along by the sound of 2-D's slurred voice and a bluesy harmonica melody interrupted by Russel's punching rhymes. But the surprises don't stop there: Ibrahim Ferrer's appearance on "Latin Simone" could have come straight from Buena Vista Social Club but for the obvious Blur-influenced piano style, while the spooky intro to "M1 A1" wouldn't sound out of place on Michael Jackson's Thriller. Backed by Jamie Hewlett's death-wish character on bass, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori (Noodle) on guitar and occasional hyperactive vocals, and produced by Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, it's hardly surprising that Gorillaz is marked both by a sense of playfulness and a passion for experimentation. --Caroline Butler

Release Date: 1990-10-25, Audio CD, Sony

Marriner's evergreen 1972 recording of favorite shorter works by Vaughan Williams has yet to be surpassed for warmth of conception and smoothness of execution. The soloists in these accounts (among them William Bennett in the Greensleeves Fantasia and Iona Brown in the Lark Ascending) are all first-rate, and the Academy's strings play with polish and great beauty of sound. The analog recording is excellent, and Marriner's remarkable empathy for the music comes across effortlessly. Some listeners may prefer the richer sonority and arrestingly mystical manner of Marriner's 1993 digital remake of the Tallis Fantasia for Philips, but this disc offers the most desirable coupling of other works and remains a first choice for those interested in getting to know the composer's finest short essays. --Ted Libbey

Detroit-bred rocker/rapper Kid Rock has reason to be "cocky," as 1998's multiplatinum Devil Without a Cause established the multifaceted artist with the Southern rock influences as a generally likable braggart able to back up his boasts musically. Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker backup band also spawned a successful solo career for DJ Uncle Kracker, who wrote songs for--but whose turntables aren't on--Cocky. With a little help from fab friends, including actor David Spade, and musicians Sheryl Crow and Snoop Dogg, Cocky covers a m?lange of styles, from rap to country, utilizing organ, pedal steel, and harp as well as metallic guitar solos. Ultimately, though, the 14 songs are schizophrenic and not always successful: on "Lonely Road of Faith," Kid Rock turns in a anthemic ballad nearly worthy of Lynyrd Skynrd, whose "Freebird" he samples in the laid-back R&B-flavored "You Never Met a Motherf**ker Quite Like Me," while Crow's vocals on the gentle, country tune "Picture" and the plodding "Midnight Train to Memphis" contrast with the metallic riffs of "I'm a Dog," the nasty "sex rhymes" of "WCSR," and the rapped boasts of the narcissistic title track. Cocky? Indeed. Commendable? Dubious. --Katherine Turman

At the ripe old age of 19 Mozart wrote five violin concertos, and they represent his coming of age as a composer of orchestral music. From here on, it's basically one masterpiece after another. Though not difficult works, technically speaking, they partake in full measure of Mozart's uniquely sensual brand of melody. That means that successful performances must know how to spin out a singing musical line, while at the same time making the most of the rare opportunities for soloistic display. Taste and musicianship are more important qualities than virtuosity, and that makes these pieces ideal vehicles for Arthur Grumiaux's aristocratic temperament and technical polish. --David Hurwitz

180gm vinyl LP pressing. This album, Erroll Garner's first live concert to ever enter the market, was one of the pianist's most acclaimed and best selling recordings from the moment of its release. The combination between Erroll Garner's and the audience's enthusiasm certainly makes it a lively listening experience. Jazzbeat. 2008.

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: STILLS,STEPHEN
Title: MANASSAS
Street Release Date: 12/12/1995
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

If, after hearing my songs, Lehrer says in this disc's liner notes, "just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while." Makes him sound like a modern punk, eh? Not so, though. Lehrer, ever the king of jolly vitriol, recorded these still potent parodies in the '50s--and the best of them, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," "The Masochism Tango," and "The Elements" (which joins science with Gilbert & Sullivan) remain both nasty and striking. Musically, Lehrer comes across like a demented Cole Porter, wrapping sophisticated, showy tunes around his acerbic jokes. Lyrically, he's a clear forebear to folks like Phil Ochs and Barry Crimmins, who also cloak their commentary in comedy. --Michael Ruby

Release Date: 1989-08-07, Audio CD, Sony