Judee Sill - Live In London (BBC recordings 1972-73)

Rating: 4/5

Review:
A very good live collection

This is a very good collection of recordings at the BBC by Judee Sill.  These recordings (including a typically spiky interview with the great Bob Harris) show her at her best, playing and singing with her distinctive voice and unusual style, and it's a fine collection

I have to say that I have never quite subscribed to the "Lost Genius" school of thought about Judee Sill.  I still remember hearing her for the first time, on the BBC in 1972; she played Jesus Was A Crossmaker (not the recording here) and I went straight out and bought the album – which I still own.  Sadly, I found the rest of the album a bit disappointing (which was a real blow at a time when I couldn't afford to buy many albums) and although I like her music, I don't think it's all brilliant.  At her best, she was very good, though, and these are generally very good, distinctive songs and performances which are all very well recorded (unlike quite a lot of vintage live material being released), and any Judee Sill fan will be very well rewarded by this album.

Peter Frampton - I'm In You

Rating: 3/5

Review:
Not a great album

Although I still have great affection for Peter Frampton's earlier music from my teenage years, I have to say that this solo effort hasn't worn well. 

I'm In You is well produced and the performances are very decent, with some starry guests like Stevie Wonder and Mick Jagger, but really the result is inoffensive but pretty uninspiring.  The material isn't up to much, and blends into the sort of generic late-70s sound that filled a lot of rooms, but with no-one listening much.  From a man who made such a lot of good stuff with Humble Pie especially, and the classic Frampton Come Alive, it's a disappointment really.

This isn't a bad album, but it's not a particularly good one, either, and for me it's for nostalgic purposes only nowadays, I'm afraid.

Mary Gauthier - The Foundling

Rating: 5/5

Review:
An outstanding album

What a fantastic album! This is a work about Mary Gauthier having been given up for adoption when very young, the pain the knowledge of it has brought her and her attempt to contact her birth mother. It is a superb work, with one fabulously evocative song after another - each one lyrically haunting, musically wonderful and beautifully arranged and produced with strong influences from Gauthier's native New Orleans.

The whole thing is extremely moving, but the two central songs on the album are exceptional, I think. The sheer pain in her voice as she sings "Blood Is Blood" will pierce your heart and "March 11, 1962," which is half spoken and half sung, reduced me to tears. Very, very few songs have ever done that. I found real understanding and personal resonances here, so although it is about a desperately sad subject I didn't find it depressing at all. I think Mary Gauthier gives real insight in these songs and they do what good songs are supposed to - they convey deep human feelings and experiences from one person to another.

Not one to play to get you in the mood for a wild night out, that's for sure, but a truly outstanding album and one that deserves to become a classic. Very, very warmly recommended to anyone who likes an intelligent, thoughtful and tuneful collection of songs.

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A fine album from Damon Albarn

He's good, that Damon Albarn, isn't he? I've known and liked his work for years, but I can't claim to be a real Albarn aficionado so others may have more informed insights into this album. For what it's worth, though, I think this is a very fine album. It has a rather laid-back, often jazzy feel to it, reminding me of some greats of the 70s and 80s. I was reminded of people like Robert Wyatt, Paul Weller, Pink Floyd in Grantchester Meadows mode, even the more mellow side of Lou Reed...you get the idea. It's great stuff, beautifully produced with pretty stripped-down backing but a lovely rich sound.

The songs are a varied and interesting bunch. As you'd expect from Albarn they are melodically and harmonically excellent and have enjoyable and intelligent lyrics. If there is an overall theme it is the dehumanisation of modern life and how we interact with electronics more and each other less. The album's opening line, "We are everyday robots on our phones..." and lines like, "It's hard to be your lover when the TV's on..." strike home well, I think.

I've listened to this album a lot and am continuing to do so with great pleasure. It will be part of the soundtrack to many people's summer, I suspect, but there's real meat here and I think it will last a lot longer. I'd recommend it very warmly.

Eric Clapton - Slowhand at 70

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Great stuff

This probably doesn't need another review from me, but after the disappointment of Old Sock for me,  it is worth saying that this is an outstandingly good live set.  Everything is here – gems from throughout Eric's stellar career with great blues tracks, other gems from Eric's career, fine acoustic numbers, a superb, tight band and brilliant playing and singing from the man himself.  He's always been a great live performer (I saw him at the Albert Hall on the Journeyman Tour, two decades and more ago!) and this is a fine record of it.

Don't hesitate – this is great stuff from one of the true giants of the last 50 years.  Very warmly recommended.

Wailin' Jennys - Firecracker

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Excellent

Just to add my voice to the chorus of praise for this excellent album.  It's a set of really good songs, beautifully sung and played by three very fine musicians.  I have retro-discovered the Wailin' Jennys after loving Ruth Moody's These Wilder Things, and I think this is just as good.  No-one with any interest in this genre could possibly be disappointed; it's a bit of real class, I think, and warmly recommended.

Blind Willie McTell - Scarey Day Blues

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Great Blues

This is a very good album of recordings by one of the great old bluesmen.  Blind Willie McTell doesn't really need a critique from me, but plays and sings superbly here.  Bob Dylan said in his tribute song to the man: "And I know no one can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell."  Enough said, I think.

These tracks were all recorded in Atlanta, Georgia between 1927 and 1931 and they sound really good.  I don't know what cleaning-up has been done or by whom, but they've made a really good job of it.  It still sounds authentic but the sound is clear and distinct so Blind Willie's singing and particularly his playing really shine out.

Quite simply, if you like the Blues, don't hesitate.  This is a very good set of recordings of great performances.  Very warmly recommended.