Long time no review but reviews will be coming soon. Stay in touch.
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This post was somehow purged while doing the transfer and so here it is. Around 1999 I used to work on contract for Medstat, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I will never forget this person who also used to work on contract with them because when I befriended him he would tell me that though he was born a Christian only what was mentioned in the Upanishads meant anything to him. The other thing he would ask me was Sitar music. He would ask me if I had any good album that was sitar based. I wish I had recommended Ananda Shankar’s fusion debut album but I think the perfect one would have been this one from Prem Joshua titled “Sky Kisses Earth“. Use it for your Yoga, meditation, relaxation or for pure enjoyment and this album will not disappoint. Sitar was the indian instrument that wooed the west and Prem Joshua takes it to another level with modern sounds and delivers one beautiful, sublime and smooth album. Here’s a review of the songs. 1. Sky kisses earth – Long but smooth and not certainly boring but not the best song on the album. 13 minutes long. The vocal tune was lifted by Malayalam music director M Jayachandran for one of his songs. Vocals plays an important role in this song and comes with a nice flute solo. 2. Remember this – Lovely flute on the song with minimal percussion including marimba? Some stringed support is provided and at 2.41 min sitar blends in to create that real soft and relaxing feel. 3. Dakini – My No.1 song from the album and one that lasts over 13 min. Here is music for reflection, meditation and prayer. Starts with a mini intro solo on the sitar and then other instruments blend in. Lovely use of bass enhances the beauty of this number. Santoor is also used and so are vocals. 4. Night train – Soft and sad notes of the sitar, this beautiful song also uses the tabla (Indian percussion instrument) and at 1:45 min more modern percussion and flute are heard. Santoor joins in later 5. Seventh eclipse – Synthesized bass and tabla start the song, santoor plus another instrument that I am not able to recognize join in. Sitar then comes in and later flute and keyboards join in too to make a pleasing number. 6. Earth kisses sky – Song that is played more briskly then the rest of the songs on the album. The Piano is beautiful and santoor, flute and vocals compliment the song. Lovely flute solo in the song too. For the second sitar solo, only keyboards (strings) are used. Worth every listen. Hello friends. I finally settled for the customizable Atahualpa theme from Bytes for all. Just loved the theme. I also customized it by making a collage of the album covers into images (three so far) that will rotate randomly for the different pages. I still need to put Prem Joshua’s review back and more tweaking to be done. I did the move yesterday to another host but there is work to be done including the new theme. I also lost my post on Prem Joshua’s. Luckily I had a copy of the review. Hoping to bring back the blog in all its new version soon. Keep watching this space. It has been a long time since I posted here. Happy New Year to all of you. I am searching for a new widget enabled WordPress 2.7 theme and when I am done with that my new post will go out. This is one is dedicated to the lovely music of the guitar and it is called guitar-appreciation.com. Feel free to read the posts and comment.
I would not have imagined in my wildest dreams I would be listening to an album as this when I picked up Fleetwood Mac’s Future Games at the MBH store in Singapore in the late nineties. I am not sure if the store exists but it is one of the best in Singapore where they let you try a zillion CD’s before you can buy. Future Games, released in 1971 is the album where Fleetwood Mac’s musical offering outlasts vocal performances. Though more acoustic singing and lyrics aren’t compromised. The entire album is beautiful and has a sometimes depressing, sometimes haunting, sometimes happy feel to it all through the album. Even the instruments are played that way. Mind you, this is Pre Lindsey Buckingam-Stevie Nicks – Fleetwood Mac. The album is released at a time when two of the leading members Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer leave the band and newcomers Bob Welch and Christine McVie join the band. This gives Fleetwood Mac a new makeover in their sound and songs. A review of the lovely songs Woman of a Thousand Dreams – Lovely rythm guitar and lovely singing…the line Woman of a thousand years is sung so well by Danny Kirwan who also pens the lyrics. Lovely guitar solo parts from Danny and Bob. Morning Rain – Time for the pianist of the band and Christine McVie to take over singing in that unmistakable and melancholy voice. The nice lines of the song are: ..how can you know till you try… What a shame – A small bluesy instrumental featuring the saxophone. Future Games – Bob Welch’s contribution and what stylish singing and guitar playing, “Simply too good” would be an understatement. The lovely lines: I did a thing last night …But baby it’s alright and so have faith ….How many people sit home at night The beautiful haunting guitar takes over giving the nostalgic feeling that only the typical Fleetwood Mac guitar is capable of. Check the lovely singing at …Well I know I’m not the only one…. More nice lines. …You better take your time Sands of time – Another Danny Kirwan beauty and my favorite song of the album. The way the music is played is so smooth and beautiful, no wonder it was an FM staple with lovely vocals. The colourful lines: The magic of a blackened night Although my love, will drive away the sunshine The song’s pace quickens. More beautiful lines: And the falling sands of time The musicians take over and revel and entertain beautifully and softly with their instruments. Sometime A love song from Danny Kirwan not very impressive but not boring either. Nice and sad guitar licks. Let it all down Faster, heavy rocker with some fiery solos, the only song that seems out of place in mood on this album. Show me a smile What a sweet song, its lyrics are worth reproducing here. Christine McVie shows you why she could make lovelier songs later on F.Mac’s later popular albums like Fleetwood Mac and Rumours. The mood lost in the previous song is re-generated by this one and a beautiful song to end the album with the signature Feetwood Mac melancholy guitar sound. Take everything easy The lovely album cover of the two children, earlier had yellow instead of green. Some more information about the band during the release of the album – Jeremy Spencer departed for Christ. He was in India during the 90′s and even confessed that he left Rock after just one reading of The Bible. The famous Santana hit “Black Magic Woman” is in fact a Fleetwood Mac song of the Peter Green Era. Buy the CD, Future Games by Fleetwood Mac from Amazon.com. Better still try and see if you can download the album for free at UnlimitedDownloadCenter.com.
More than a month ago Chennai’s popular newspaper “The Hindu”, had this album reviewed and I just couldn’t wait to get my own review out although I had planned mine a long time ago. I am not sure how many of you lived in and around Atlanta, GA around the end of the previous milleneum (1999-2001) and used to watch Indian programmes on the NPR (I think it was that) and similar channels on T.V. Most of these (Indian Movies and other Indian programmes) were a weekend thing and not of consistent great quality but being nostalgic about life back home in India we would watch them anyway. However I had another reason to watch these programs, the small 10 sec or so CRY (Child Relief and You) advertisement. It could have also been from CRY America. Anyway, it was an advertisment asking people to contribute to CRY and be aware of the sufferings and things happening to underpreviliged children in India. The ad didn’t carry any video but only black and white images including one of the founder the late Rippan Kapur. As the images would flash across the screen a very haunting guitar tune would play in the background. Only the guitar was heard with a little percussion as the advertisement concluded. The hauntingly beautiful tune was so soulful that I would wait every week to listen to this small 10 second ad. I was desperate to find which band or guitarist was playing that irresistable tune. Which was the album it came from? I was only groping in the dark thinking I may never find out. Several months later I moved to Eagan, Minnesota. I used to frequent the Madras Cafe there. Over the music system they would play songs from popular Hindi and Tamil films. On one ocassion they were playing popular songs which I recognized as ones performed by the Pakistani band Junoon. After a couple of songs there was an interesting guitar and tabla instrumental. The sound of the guitar rang a bell in me but I was not able to find out why. At that time I was under the impression that song could have been a Junoon instrumental. I checked with the guy at the restaurant only to receive a blank reply saying someone had burnt an assorted CD for him. But providence has other things in store for you when your yearning is strong. I started checking Indian guitarists and Indian fusion bands on Amazon.com but not with much luck. I then came across Sanjay Mishra, an India guitarist living in the U.S whose three albums Amazon was selling. A name like Sanjay Mishra would have hardly rung a bell but I decided to just check out the album “Blue Incantation” purely becuase Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead had collaborated on the album. I first clicked on the Monsoon song and I instantly recognized it as the one they played at Madras Cafe. Something then told me that the tune I heard on the T.V ad in Athens, Georgia was almost there and that the wait was over. I then click on the song “For Julia” and I couldn’t believe my ears. I had finally stumbled upon the song, album and artist I was longing to find out for several months. How many times I heard the little sample on Amazon I cannot recall. Honestly Jerry Garcia’s part is the one where the guitar playing distracts although there’s not much of him in this collaboration. Garcia’s electric guitar sometimes interjects unnecessarily when compared to Sanjay’s finger picked nylon classical (I am sure Sanjay’s classical guitar has been made electric too, I mean connected to an amp). Except for Noturne/Evening Chant I thought the rest of the songs could have done away with Garcia. Sanjay could have filled those Garcia-played parts with this own better compositions. Garcia collaborates only on three songs and that’s a reason to forgive his parts. A review of the songs. For Julia – Clearly the number one song of this album and one that you must listen to first. This is the song that has made Sanjay Mishra and his music famous. Once you listen to “For Julia”, you are going to keep getting back to it an incredible number of times. Extremely haunting, soulful and beautiful. Just two instruments, the guitar and Tabla do it all although I find traces of other instruments such as bass and percussion. For Julia also appears on two other albums one of which is the award winning soundtrack for the film Port Djema. Monsoon – Not the second best song but a faster number, fastest on the album. Lovely playing reminding you of the wet rainy weather. Beautiful guitar playing though he sometimes settles in the background to let Garcia take the limelight. Passage into Dawn – The longest song on the album and vocals are used. The tabla works in unision with the guitar tunes to produce a soft and beautiful effect. At 3:33 min the tunes of the guitar changes evoking an even deeper feeling of serenity. This song can be used for Meditation, relaxation, doing Hatha Yoga etc and it will compliment the activity perfectly. Self Portrait – The smallest song but it so beautiful you could listen to it over and over again. It too has a haunting feel to it. Bach in Time A variation of a Bach composition played melodiously on the guitar with the support of Tabla as percussion. Allegro – Faster song, not as fast as Monsoon but moves beautifully. Sanjay plays beautiful tunes on his guitar against the steady Tabla rythm. Towards the end tabla and guitar combine well for some interesting moments. My Meditation – A beautiful opener, a pleasant number indicating the style and sound that is to come. Nocture/Evening Chant – Light vocals can be heard in the background as Sanjay weaves his majic for an evening chant a title befitting the relaxing sounds of the guitar and other instruments. Clouds – Beautiful duet between Sanjay and Garcia. A longer song, slow, soft and lovely with Sanjay taking more of a support role and Garcia doing more of the solos. Tabla gradually join in. If not for Garcia’s guitar this could have been another good song in line with “Passage unto dawn”. Before the summer rain – The concluding song on the album and one where the flute is also used. Sanjay provides the lovely support as the flautist does most of the solo. Soothing number to end the album. In conclusion a great album. Blue Incantation is also a must-listen if you are a learning or practising guitarist. Listen to MP3 clips of the songs here. There are a couple of videos on Youtube though they aren’t the masterpieces. Here is one of them. Sanjay has other gems from his earlier and new albums but “Blue Incantation” must be your place to start. Sanjay’s site at www.mishra.net. Buy the CD, Blue Incantation by Sanjay Mishra from Amazon.com. Better still try and see if you can download the album for free at UnlimitedDownloadCenter.com.
Chicken Noodles II by Buckethead and Travis Dickerson If you thought you didn’t get enough with their first offering of melody jam from their album “Chicken Noodles”, Buckethead and his friend Travis Dickerson offer you more of the jam in a sequel titled “Chicken Noodles II”. This time they have a longer album with more songs than the first. A review of the songs: 1. The chicken or the egg – Sounds bluesy; nice intro jam 2. Ovum Prophecy – Good song, reminding you of chicken noodles 1; faster one but shorter. 3. Concentric Motion – Long song. Starts lovely and melodious and towards the end comes with and nice string arrangements (programmed into the Rhodes?). Sounds Mark Knopflerish but this one is from Buckethead. The soulful playing starts well then gets into a fast pace and then sounds like shredding but just when you think it is going out of control or boring both the instrumentalists come back to end beautifully. 4. Oyster Crackers – Rockier riffs, bluesy notes, long song but doesn’t get boring and you can just let it play. 5. Heat and Save – A song with guitar chords at the beginning and towards the end of the song. Good small song you wonder why it wasn’t accompanied by vocals but the instruments sing instead. 6. Let it cool – Keyboard doubles as bass – Lovely Mark Knopflerish and bluesy sounding guitar for this blues instrumental. 7. Chicken Nostrils – More chords played in this song than single notes but song has an intriguing feel, at 3.45 more single notes are played. Buy Chicken Noodles II by Buckethead and Travis Dickerson from Amazon.com. Better still download the album for free at UnlimitedDownloadCenter.com.
In its heydays the album reached no.5 on the American Billboard Album charts but even that rank doesn’t make Al Stewart a household name as other albums that reached the same or lower status on the popular albums chart. It may have gathered interest in the 70′s but today this album is almost forgottten. Who wants to remember an album that went to no.5 on the U.S charts in 1977? Engineered by Alan Parsons and recorded at Abbey Studios, 1976 this was Al Stewart’s finest and most popular work. Though considered a folk artiste I would like to put this album under the “Pop” category as it appeals to more that category or the pop-rock category. Al Stewart is known fo his mellifluous voice, poetry like lyrics (which can be a pain after a while), using numerous and varied musical talent on his albums. Jimmy Page played on one of his earlier albums. Other greats with whom he had collaborated are Rick Wakeman, Peter White and Richard Thompson. Al Stewart’s lyrics are often related to historical and cultural events and people. All said, if there is one album of Al Stewart that you should be listening to, it must this one, “Year of the Cat“. A review of the songs: 1. Lord Grenville - Beautiful opener for the album. Such soft singing is rare these days. Lovely string arrangements laced with melancholy. Lovely ending with melancholious guitar licks and the strings in the background. 2. On the border - One of Al Stewarts most popular songs. Good keyboards almost replace the strings as background music. Nice acoustic guitar too. Tamil movie music listeners may recall Shankar-Ganesh the popular music duo of yesteryears who had a knack of lifting popular tunes. Their song “Unakkaga engum intha pithanamma” a hit in the early 80′s was based on this song of Al Stewart. And writing about lifting tunes their “Devi Koondhalo Brindavanam…” from Hermans Hermit’s “Happy Together”. Even “Meghame” their evergreen hit for singer Vani Jayaram was tune for tune copy of Jagjit Singh’s popular song “Tum Nahin”. Here is a video of Al Stewart and his boys playing “On the border”. Check out Peter White’s solo on the classical guitar and his shirt on stage. Really sweet. 3. Midas Shadow - A slower song with soft and lovely singing with a lovely keyboard solo. 4. Sand in Your shoes - Happier songs, starts rhymey but still makes for a lovely listen. An O.K guitar solo but well played accordion in the background. 5. If it doesn’t come naturallly, leave it - Faster paced song than the two previous songs. Good song. Lots of piano work on this one and a decent guitar solo. 6. Flying Sorcery - Good song. I love the harmonica on this one and it has a lovely guitar solo too. 7. Broadway Hotel - Violin on this one with a lovely solo at the end. 8. One Stage Before - Lovely guitar solo on this one and I like the bass on this one. 9. Year of the cat - Longer song, 6 min plus, co-written by the late Peter Wood this song reached No.8 on the US Billboard chart making it Al Stewart’s most successful single. Is also the longest song on the album with piano, acoustic guitar, background strings, lead gtr; keys and saxophone solo’s makes it a befitting final and title song to end the album. Here’s Al Stewart on the “Old Grey Whistle Test” performing “Year of the Cat” with his talented friends. The personnel on the album – Al Stewart (vocals, keyboards); Tim Renwick, Peter White (guitar); Graham Smith (harmonica); Phil Kenzie (alto saxophone); Peter Wood, Don Lobster (keyboards); George Ford (bass); Stuart Elliot (drums, percussion); Marion Driscoll (triangle); David Pack, Tony Rivers, John Perry (background vocals). Al Stewart can get stale over repeated albums but certainly he is no one-hit wonder. Listen to MP3 clips of the songs here. Buy the CD, Al Stewart’s Year of the cat from Amazon.com. Better still download the album for free at UnlimitedDownloadCenter.com. |
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