David Grisman - "The David Grisman Rounder Compact Disk"

Rounder records is the record label that put this album out. They are the main label for bluegrass artists today and I have a lot of albums from various artists signed to them. Gor those of you who don't know, David Grisman is a mandolinist who started playing bluegrass back in the early 70s, which is when these tracks were recorded, and eventually hybridized it somewhat with Django Reinhardt styled hot jazz. I bought this album with some gift card money a few years ago. The album has a definite bluegrass bent, but shades of jazz show through and make for an interesting listen. There are a couple of weak tracks, but for the most part this is a solid album. I don't listen to it a whole lot, largely because it's best enjoyed all at once, and I tend to listen to music in bits and pieces as I'm driving. You can check it out at Amazon.

O Brother, Where art Thou? - Movie Soundtrack

From favorite movie comes one of the most influential cds of my collection. I bought the soundtrack after loving the music in the movie. As a result, I started checking out some of the artists featured on the soundtrack and eventually found my way into bluegrass music. This cd is responsible for a large amount of my music collection, and thus also indirectly responsible for my mandolin purchase and my attendance at various bluegrass events. Before buying this album my exploration of new music was largely non-existent. Since then, I spend a lot more time seeking out new music, largely of the acoustic genre. I love this album, though it's not for everyone. Listen to some of that old timey music at Amazon.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "The Sky Is Crying"

I have been anxiously awaiting this album's turn. I bought this back in high school, and it was, to drop a pun, instrumental in making me the guitar player I am today. The album was released after his death. It starts off with the wailing slide tune "Boot Hill", with a man telling his woman to go get his gun so he can kill her. The tune sounds as dark as the lyrics. It continues with one of SRV's signature tunes, his take on Elmore James' "The Sky is Crying". This album also contains the epic remake of the Hendrix tune "Little Wing". The end tune of the album is a simple 12 bar blues acoustic number about his battle with drugs and alcohol titled "Life by the Drop". This is one of my favorite albums and I listen to it fairly often still. I own the tab book and have learned to play several of the songs, although I'm sure I hardly do them justice. Have a listen to an amazing work at Amazon.

Stray Cats - Greatest Hits

I picked this album up a decade or so ago. I got it as a result of getting into the Brian Setzer Orchestra. I knew a few of the Stray Cats' songs, and seeing as Brian Setzer was the guitarist I figured I'd pick up their greatest hits album. I like about 1/2 of the 10 tracks on it, and typically skip the rest. Most people will know the songs, "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut". They style is rockabilly, and Setzer and bassist Lee Rocker are both exceptionally talented. Overall it's an ok album that I listen to fairly infrequently. Still, sometimes it's fun just to pull it out and listen to the tracks that I like. Amazingle enough, Amazon doesn't sell this album, but I did find it at Circuit City.

brewer and chase - "jokes for birds"

Chase was a student at my school and graduated last year. He and one of his friends had a "band", which was basically just vocals and a guitar. They write all of their own stuff, mostly mellow pop. It's pretty good considering their experience. It's not something I listen to all that much, but I'm still glad I bought it. I don't have a link for thi album, but you can hear some of their new stuff at cdbaby.

Gene Krupa - "The Best of the Big Bands: Gene Krupa"

Originally part of the Basie Band, Gene Krupa later started his own big band. Familiar to most people for his drum work on the hit "Sing, Sing, Sing" while playing with Goodman, Krupa also had hit with his own band, notably "Rhumboogie" and "Boog it". I bought this album a few years ago and I don't listen to it all that often. That's mostly because I ripped the songs off of it and distributed them throughout various swing play lists on my computer and mp3 player. So, I do listen to most of the tracks pretty regularly, just not the complete album. Boog it at Amazon.

The Mask - Movie Soundtrack

I saw the movie "The Mask" when it came out in theatres back in 1994. I liked the music and decided to buy the soundtrack. It's sort of an odd mix between neo-swing and dance club type of songs. It's a good soundtrack with a pretty broad range of songs. There's a song on here by the Brian Setzer Orchestra called "Straight Up", which is what actually got me to buy their first album. I've never actually listened to this album a lot, largely because there's such a broad feel in the music that it's not the sort of thing to listen to straight through. I used to pull it out on a regular basis and sort of skip through various tracks. Check it out atAmazon.

Van Halen - "Live: Right Here, Right Now"

Van Halen was the rock band of my early childhood. I still remember when Brian Waltz got the "1984" lp with the smoking cherub on the cover. We made guitars out of cardboard and garden stakes and practiced Eddie's moves to Jump and Panama. When Dave left the group we were terrified that was the end of Van Halen. Somehow I made it high school before I bought a Van Halen album, that being "Live: Right Her, Right Now". I went with this one because it had most of their songs on it that I really liked. I listened to this album a lot in high school, and a decent amount in college as well. I even learned a few of the songs from it. There are good and bad parts of the album. Some of the solos go on for too long, and a few tracks, such as "Spanked" and "Dreams" and even "Jump" are a little weak. Considering how formative of a song "Jump" was to me, it's disappointing that this version of it lacks any real impact. However, these low points are largely made up for by outstanding versions of "One Way To Rock", "Finish What You Started", "Top of The World", and an amazing cover of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again". Hear the rest of the tracks at Amazon.

Led Zeppellin - (4)

I bought this album in high school for one reason...Stairway. Yes, the song that ended every single dance at my high school. A couple of years ago someone started at the bottom of the stairs of Strands Beach and wrote the lyrics line by line, on the front face of the steps, so that as you climbed the stairs you climbed the stairway to heaven, or something. That song alone would make this album worth owning, but when you throw in "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll" and "Misty Mountain Hop" it becomes an album worth killing for. Though not as popular as the previously mentioned tracks, I also really like the haunting "When the Levee Breaks". The album is short at only 8 tracks, but the sonic grandeur is overwhelming. There is a reason that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are considered one of the most potent duos in rock, and it's certainly not for nothing that Led Zeppelin is widely considered to be the father of the heavy metal genre. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while, and I've been missing out. This one is back in the regular rotation. You too, can get the led out at Amazon.

Lonesome River Band - "Carrying The Tradition"

I bought this album a few years back, along with several other albums from the same group. This is probably my least favorite of their albums that I own. There just aren't many songs on it that grab me. They're still a great bluegrass band, but I have better albums from them. As a result, I don't listen to this one much. You can hear samples at Amazon.

ali ali oxen free (self-titled)

I bought this album my freshman year of college. I went to a concert of local bands, and these guys were one of the groups playing. They played an awesome acoustic songs called "Seesaw Simplicity" and I decided to buy their album. Unlike their concert, the album is very hippie-ish. The music is driven by two acoustic guitars, but there are a lot of various instruments included on the tracks. The vocal are mostly harmonized with a male and female voice and the melodies and harmonies, not to mention the lyrics, make me think more of San Francisco in the 60s than Provo in the 90s. I don't really listen to this album much, because there are only two tracks I really care for, both of which, and I don't know of these means anything, were recorded live. The album has actually received quite a bit of play, because Jen liked it and listened to it fairly regularly. No link for this one.

Eric Clapton - "From the Cradle"

I bought this album during my freshman year of college. I listened to it a lot that year, as did several other guys on the floor who either had their own copy or borrowed one from someone who did. There are two songs on this album "Five Long Years" and "Groaning the Blues" that I tend to skip to, mostly because they both have great solos. I listened to this album regularly for a number of years, but when I got into bluegrass music I sort of stopped listening to blues. The odd part about my experience listening to it today was that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It's no longer something I really enjoy listening to. Whether that's due to changing musical tastes, or that the album just doesn't stand up to a long term test of time, I don't know. You can listen and try and decide for me by going to Amazon.

Peter Nero - "Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington"

Several years ago I was driving to work listening to the radio. I tend to flip through my presets, one of which is 88.1 KKJZ, also known as K-Jazz. A song was just starting, and I recognized as an arrangement of the Duke Ellington hit "I'm Beginning To See the Light". It was a small combo, just piano bass and drums, and the pianist was amazing. His runs were so smooth and his playing so dynamic and expressive that I nearly pulled the car over to just listen. After the song the dj announced the previous handful of songs, and gave the pianists name as Peter Nero. As soon as I got to work I got on the internet to see if I could find the album the song was on. I quickly found the Peter Nero is the conductor/director of the Philly Pops orchestra and has been a professional pianist since the 50s, which goes a long way in explaining his talent. I also found not only the name of the album, but that nobody had it for sale. I spent the better part of my prep period (good thing I don't work an office job) tracking down a used copy.

The album is short, with just 6 songs. Most of them are quite long, but the album is still just over 30 minutes long. It's a fantastic 30+ minutes, however. I love this album and listen to it regularly. The first track on the album is the aforementioned "I'm Beginning To See the Light" and it's my favorite. One of these days I'll do a bit more exploring of Peter Nero's music, but the sheer size of his recorded output makes it a daunting task. Unlike when I first went looking, you can now get this album on Amazon, although you're still buying from an outside seller because the album is out of print.

Jonathon Stout and his Campus Five - "Moppin' and Boppin'"

This is the album that I bought along with "Crazy Rhythm". I don't have much to add as compared to the earlier review of "Crazy Rhythm" as it's largely the same style and sound. This is the more recent release, for what it's worth. The nice part about having this cd is I dance better when I hear them live, because I know their arrangements. I heard them a couple of weeks ago when they played for the SoCal College Swing Cup and they're the live band next week for the Jack & Jill finals at the weekly Wed dance that I go to. Samples of this album can be found at campus five.com

Aerosmith - "Pump"

I bought this album in high school after buying the previously reviewed "Get a Grip". I had scattered memories of hearing Aerosmith songs from this album on the radio, namely "Love In An Elevator" and "Janie's Got A Gun", that I liked. This album, more than most, typifies sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. The lyrics, while probably safe from a parental advisory - explicit lyrics sticker, are certainly suggestive past the point of a lot of early rock n' roll, which I maintain is some of the dirtiest stuff ever to receive radio play in terms of sexually suggestive lyrics. I haven't listened to this album in a while, which is a shame because it's a really good album. It's the sort of stuff that's perfect for a road trip, if you plan on speeding most of the way or going Thelma and Louise. Get your 80s rock on at Amazon.

Neil Young - "Unplugged"

Let me start by saying I'm not that big of a fan of Neil Young. However, I really liked his "Harvest Moon" album. Is was a big departure from his electric based rock, with a much mellower sound and more introspective lyrics. Due to the popularity of that album he played on MTv's show, unplugged, the same one that had earlier led To Eric Clapton's hugely successful album. I bought this album back in high school, a few years after buying "Harvest Moon". This is a solid album and I listened to it regularly for years. In the ensuing years I've picked up a lot more acoustic albums and Mr. Young's playing just doesn't hold up when compared against other acoustic guitarists. The charm of this album is the harmonica, and his best work is when you uses it to highlight a sweet melody, such as on "Stringman", my favorite track. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while, largely because I just haven't been in the mood that works so well with it. It's hard to describe what mood that is, but you may get it after listening to a little of the album on Amazon.

John Mayer - "Heavier Things"

Let the critics and music snobs say what they want about John Mayer. I like his music. I bought this album back in 2004 I think. I've listened to it quite a bit, but not so much in the last year or so. I like it enough that it gets a spot on my mp3 player and for a while it was a regular in the car as well. My favorite songs bookend the album, which is nice because it makes for a great start and end when listening to it. The only song that I don't really care for is "Home Life". The album taken as a whole has a very different feel from his earlier stuff. Whether that's good or bad largely depends on whether or not you believe an artist is defined by "their" sound. I like his acoustic guitar stuff, and I like this more electronic stuff as well. You can hear it on Amazon and decide for yourself.

Timepieces Vol. II - 'Live' in the Seventies

I actually forgot I owned this album. I pulled it out, and for a second thought I had the other "Timepieces" album that I wrote about a few days back. I don't remember buying it, although the BMG stamp says it was late in high school, and I don't remember ever listening to it. As such, it was like listening to a new album. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. There is a reason I don't remember it, and that reason is because there isn't really anything worth remembering on it. It's mostly forgettable songs. There is another version of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" that I liked, but that was about the only bright point. Perhaps it's also telling that Amazon doesn't provide audio clips from this album.

ZZ Top - "Antenna"

I bought this album back when it came out in 1994. It, like many other albums from this time, was part of my BMG collection. I got it largely because I liked most of the ZZ Top songs I had heard up to this point. I can't remember why I just didn't buy one of those earlier albums. Maybe BMG didn't have it available. I never really listened to this album much, and it's probably been a decade since I last listened to it. I've been missing out. They didn't have any hits off the album, and a few of the songs, such as "Fuzzbox Voodoo" sound like they belong to an earlier decade, but the album is solid. The legendary fuzz tone of the guitar alone makes the album worth a listen. I will probably be listening to this one on a more regular basis now. You can preview it on Amazon but the compression algorithm just kills the guitar tone so you're not going to hear it the way it really sounds. You'll have to trust me that the cd, played on a good system, will make you wish you played a big fuzzy guitar.

Bruce Springsteen - "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions"

I put this album on my Christmas list back when it first came out. I'm not really a Bruce Springsteen fan, but this isn't his typical music. Basically, it's a weekend jam session that got recorded; an eclectic group of musicians playing songs brought into popular culture by Pete Seeger. Unlike a lot of jam sessions, the musicians stay together and don't step all over each other. There was, I'm sure, some arranging done, but the feel of the music is still very loose. The songs are stellar Americana, and most people will recognize at least a few of them. I love the music. The banjo intro to "Froggy Went a Courtin'" is one of my all time favorite music sections. This is one of my favorite albums. It was kept in my car and listened to on a very regular basis up until a few months ago when it lost out to some newer music, but it still gets listened to regularly. I've been looking forward to grabbing this one. See how many of the songs you know by checking it out at Amazon.