Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominoes. Now, singing the praises of an album as well-known and well-regarded as this one is a bit like saying "Food tastes good" or "I like to breathe air," but I'll be damned if I break my tradition of meticulously describing every album I talk about in this thread. Because I'm just a rebel like that. Yeah, next I'm going to be revealing the shocking opinion that the Beatles were really, really good. And so with that being said, I'll just plow right ahead and tell everyone what they already know.



Without a doubt Clapton's best effort outside of Cream, every inch of this album simply oozes raw passion. Eric was pining for Patti Boyd at the time (who, as all truly knowledgeable music-lovers know, was married to his best friend George Harrison). The result sounds as if Eric simply cut open a vein and bled right on record.

Songs like "Layla," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Anyday," "Have You Ever Loved a Woman," and "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?" all convey a sense of genuine agony and desperation. Bobby Whitlock also contributes the mournful album-closer "Thorn Tree in the Garden," which provides a moving and appropriately low-key coda to the title track. The band is great, too, delivering terrific renditions of the old blues standards "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" and "Key to the Highway," while also serving up the terrific jamfest "Tell the Truth." There's also a beautiful cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" that never fails to move me.

As everyone with even a passing familiarity with classic rock knows, Dwayne Allman plays on this record. And his contribution makes this record even better. Would "Layla" be as beloved as it is today were it not for his amazing slide guitar solo? He compliments Clapton perfectly without entirely overshadowing him (though there is a case to be made that he's a better guitarist - I don't think it's fair to compare the two, though). The claims that Clapton doesn't play very well on this album are a load of crap - the people saying that clearly have never heard "Keep On Growing." Layla is strong in every respect, even if Clapton does play better live than in studio (which he most certainly does).

In closing, it is my opinion that this album rules (shocking, I know).

Saturday Sitting by the Fire Random 10:

Sing, Sing, Sing- Benny Goodman

Nadine- Chuck Berry

Continental Trailways Blues- Steve Earle

Saving Grace- Tom Petty

Do You Wanna Dance- Dave Edmunds

Rosie- Tom Waits

Funplex- The B-52s

I Asked for Water- Howlin' Wolf

Into the Night- Santana

Challengers- The New Pornographers

As usual, there is a Chuck Berry (no surprise given that I have most of the boxed set loaded onto the computer), a Tom Waits song, and a good blues tune ( the Howlin' Wolf).

If you are into the more rockabilly style of country music, I highly recommend the Essential Steve Earle. The whole album is more listenable than most of his others (even Copperhead Road). As for the rest- eh, what can I say? I have varied tastes.

My favorite album, ever. So I guess I'm trying to say that I, too, enjoy breathing air.

I just downloaded this a few days back. For free, totally legally, because Jay Bennett (formerly of Wilco) is giving away this very fine album full o' folky tunes. In particular I enjoy the 4th and 5th tracks ("The Engines Are Idle" and "How Dull They Make The Razor", respectively) and the closer, "Little Blue Pills". The writing is pretty nice (though someone who is hardcore anti-indie rock would probably find fault) and Bennett's singing is a great fit for the music. And did I mention that it's free?

I've been watching/listening to this video a lot, lately. It's The Doors playing "Five to One"--my favorite song of theirs, mostly because I love Robbie Krieger's guitar work on it. Hearing his solo on this track is really a "wow" moment for me, every time. I don't know how much technical virtuosity it takes to play it, but I do know that it sounds stunning, especially in tandem with Jim Morrison's dark lyrics/vocals. Amazing song, and a good live performance captured on video.

Update: In yet another day of working on job applications, sometimes I need a little moment of zen. Or you know, in this case, rocking the [bad word] out. This is that moment, courtesy The Black Keys.

Kill Rock 'n' Roll by System Of A Down

You sir, are a good man.

S.O.A.D. are the best.

This week I've been listening to Canaan - The Unsaid Words having finally tracked it down. Awsome cd, I really like their sound.

I've been listening to a lot of Johnny Cash lately, like Hurt and the Ring of Fire.

I received a $125 gift card to Amazon.com for X-mas... you know how much music that can buy? Oh man, I was expecting a gift card to Amazon, but when I saw the number ($125!) I think my eyes just about bugged out.

But I'm not going to rush my purchases. Do I intend to stretch it as much as I can? Yes indeed. So far I have only bought one new album, and that is Susan Tedeschi's Back to the River, which is some very fine blues/soul fusion. Hot damn but the woman can sing... and she plays a nice blues guitar to boot.

Northern Lights - Southern Cross by the Band. If I were to rate my favorite Band studio albums in order, their self-titled sophomore album would be my pick for first place. Next would be Music from Big Pink. And third would be this one, a magnificent work that constituted their last truly great studio album (with Stage Fright and Cahoots rounding out the top five). Sure, they only released one studio album after this, but never mind that.

And it really WAS great - there are songs on here that equal the quality of the first two albums. "Ophelia" is an infectious Dixieland-type romp, and "Acadian Driftwood" is a story that, much like "The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down," tells a sad tale of one of the "losers" of history - in this case, the Acadians who were forcibly deported from their homes by the English. The latter is certainly intended to be the centerpiece of the album, and it certainly works in that regard. "It Makes No Difference" is another deserved classic.

But there's more to this album than just these three songs. Make no mistake, there isn't a single stinker on this album. They're all good. They also try some new stuff here - they actually used synthesizers on some songs! So, if you don't have this album, and you have even the slightest amount of affection or even tolerance for roots rock, I highly recommend this album.


"Sais tu, A-ca-di-e, j'ai le mal du pays
Ta neige, Acadie, fait des larmes au soleil
J'arrive Acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle ooh"

i´m listening to Soviets national anthem, both in english and russian. i´m also listening to the red army choir.

Highway Companion by Tom Petty. Much as its title suggests, this is a great album to listen to while driving. This does not, however, mean that the content is lightweight or even, God forbid, mildly pleasant background music. It is actually quite introspective and personal. Yet this fits quite perfectly with the notion of driving miles of open road, alone (or perhaps with friends) on a long trip, staring at the vast plains and rolling hills. Perfect for all those camping trips I used to take down to Lake City, Minnesota.

Anywho, most people who have any familiarity with this album at all will be quite familiar with the opener, "Saving Grace," a high-energy "La Grange"-esque blues shuffle. The album shifts musical gears pretty quickly, though, with the much more subdued "Square One." Though it's not my favorite song on here, some of the lyrics here hint at some of what's to come.

"Last time through I hid my tracks
So well I could not get back
Yeah my way was hard to find
Can't sell your soul for peace of mind"

It becomes pretty clear early on that Petty is using the setting of a driving album to create an artistic statement about life's journey, and how the passage of time affects people and changes their perspective, written from the viewpoint of someone who is getting older. In this vein, "Flirting with Time" is one of my favorite songs on the album. It is very maturely written and also has a good melody.

There is also a decent amount of variety present here. We also have more upbeat and jaunty songs like "Jack" and "Big Weekend," slow, swampy, shuffles that evoke the atmosphere of songs like "You Don't Know How it Feels" or "Mary Jane's Last Dance" ("This Old Town" and "Turn This Car Around," respectively), and quiet, moody pieces like "Night Driver" and "The Golden Rose."

Overall, this is easily Petty's best album since Wildflowers, and as far as his solo sans-Heartbreakers stuff goes, it's comparable to Wildflowers and Full Moon Fever in quality (though possibly slightly less amazing). If you're a Tom Petty fan, you already own this album and know what I'm talking about. If you are only casually and vaguely aware of Tom Petty and liked what little you heard, I'd recommend starting out with either the two aforementioned solo albums, Damn the Torpedoes, or their debut, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. However, I would also very much recommend this one as well. It is a terrific album and doesn't have a single bad song on it. (I know I've used this praise a lot in this thread, but I mean it - this is one of the important criteria by which I judge great albums).

Darkness Deepens

Listening to Darkness Deepens ... awesome rap Mil.



Now listening to Brucie & Gianni:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8A8IDk_Hd8

Taylor Swift Fearless

Has my favorite song by her (Love Story) and many other good songs on it. Some of my favorites are Tell Me Why, You're Not Sorry, and Forever and Always.

My favorite album in the entire world and probably will be for awhile.

I've recently bought albums by Indigenous (blues-rock band with a heavy Stevie Ray Vaughan influence), Crooked Still (folk group), and Bon Iver (folk-indie-pop solo artist with a minimalist sound and odd-but-great falsetto vocals). Also bought Metric's Old Word Underground, Where Are You Now? about a little while back.

Edit: Here is Indigenous playing my favorite track off their new album Broken Lands, entitled "Waiting". It's fantastic. If you like blues and/or blues-rock, and especially if you like Stevie Ray Vaughan, I pretty much guarantee that you'll love this.

I'm listening to some music from the Skies of Arcadia soundtrack. Truly beautiful music from what I consider to be the best game soundtrack ever (and best game ever but I won't start or I'll be here all day).

Heres an example

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=c1LAhY_uRnI

Mars - starts up as blood drenched screaming and ends up as sorrowful, melancholic guitar instrumental.

I just bough the live version of Knights of Cydonia by Muse off itunes.

It's quite possibly the most intensely awesome song ever. I know what I'm going to listen to when I right battle scenes from now on.

I love Soulfly. Been listening to their newest release, Conquer quite a bit. "Touching the Void" really stands out to me. It's a good slow, heavy, Sabbathy tune that has a dark droning sound.

But at this precise moment, I'm listening to rap classic "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre.

I'm listening to MGMT's Oracular Spectacular. It is Spectacular!

I also recently put U2's Rattle and Hum and a "The Who: Live!" album on my Mp3 player, so I've been listening to those on and off.

Well I'm currently to my dad's vinyl copy of Pink Floyd's "The Wall". While I never felt compelled to buy any music by them personally, I find myself enjoying quite a few of the songs on the album.

I gotta take a moment and gush about an album that I think that a lot of you folks would like, especially if you enjoy some folky/americana style music, much of which is fairly minimal acoustic stuff but really beautiful in it's melancholy. That album would be "A Grave Is A Grim Horse" by Steve Von Till. You can get 1 minute samples of the album at this link: Steve Von Till.

This was my second favourite album released last year (only Pharaoh's latest could top it). This album completely stunned me, and it's not even remotely metal either. Just one man and his talent. There's a few covers spread among the original songs; there's a Nick Drake cover and a Lyle Loveitt cover that I remember off the top of my head. Great stuff. If you can find a way to listen to the song "The Willow", you'll know.

Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones. I mean, really, what is there to say? It's the Rolling Stones. You know these guys.

This is one of their best studio albums (really, only Let it Bleed and Beggar's Banquet are better, in my opinion - though they released a couple others that are at about the same quality level). There's a lot of variety on it - I mean, would someone who listened to "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and "Wild Horses" be able to tell that they were on the same album?

I think not.

I just reviewed Dan Auerbach's new album, Keep it Hid, on my Facebook page.

------------------------------------

For the uninitiated, Dan Auerbach is the guitarist and lead singer of the blues-rock power duo The Black Keys (Patrick Carney plays drums). Keep It Hid is Auerbach's first solo record, and while the recording aesthetic of Keep It Hid is very much in the "Mid-Fi" tradition of The Black Keys, this is distinctly Auerbach's. Working across a panoply of styles, the one constant is the singer's signature growl. This nowhere more evident than in the title track. It perfectly captures my favorite blues tropes--dirty sex and going to hell--while featuring piercing guitar work against a soporific bass march.

Keep It Hid can feel a bit uneven. The grimy title track is immediately followed by the uptempo and comparatively upbeat "My Last Mistake", which is an excellent song in isolation but a little jarring in the transition. The album also features a couple of country tracks, some psychedelia, a couple of classic rock-inspired ballads and the 50's rock-inspired "Whispered Words". Everything is quite fine in isolation, especially with Auerbach's inspired singing and guitar work, but if you like your albums seamless, Keep It Hid may not be for you. All others can be assured of a pleasurable, if eclectic, listening experience--and it should go without saying that for fans of The Black Keys this album is a must-buy.



Sweet lyrics: "If they ask you, darling, about what I did/Baby you got to keep it hid" --wonderful blues hook!

--------------------------------------

Edit: The more I listen to this album, the more I like it. Really phenomenal singing and guitar work. That's what ties it all together.

Good review Canis, and I love Mr Auerbach's beard.

Right now I'm listening to Turn it Again on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album Stadium Arcadium. I've come to the conclusion that this song should get on Guitar Hero at some point.

They do have some really, really wierd lyrics, don't they.

I'm listening to the Immigrant song by Led Zeppelin.
BIG UP THE VIKINGS!!!!

I like Vikings.

I'm currently spinning the new SerpentCult album, "Weight Of Light" on my turntable at the moment. They're a female fronted Doom Metal band. I personally think they have a bit of a modern take on the genre with the ultra sludgy sound they use. Plus I think the album art is awesome. Just take a peek:

I forgot how good that felt.

I'm listening to Rage Against the Machine's album, Rage Against the Machine (original, eh?). They seem very angry about something .

Here's a question for y'all. Why are Rage Against the Machine called Rage Against the Machine? The first person to give the right answer gets a cookie.

And no using Wikipedia!

Soul to Squeeze-Red Hot Chili Peppers, I know many people don't like them but John Frusciante (Their guitarist) is my idol.

And is Rage Against the Machine named so, as they saw the government as a machine, and to rage against it was to oppose it?

Correct Ahrenil. Have a cookie. Though when I first heard the title I had the rather odd mental image of a man shouting at a car.

And Red Hot Chili Peppers are AWESOME!!

*Sniff* My second post earned me a cookie....

I'm so happy!

I know what you mean about shouting at cars, though I had an image of the revolutionaries in Britian who went smashing up steam powered looms for taking their work...

I'm strange like that.

P.S Nice to see another RHCP fan here

Well we are known as a warm and fuzzy forum for a reason.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome, relax, take the shoes off, Minque has the flinn and I have mazte.

That was also rage against the machine. Proper association.

"And so you see that I'm completely crazy
I even shun the south of France
The people on the hill, they say I'm lazy
But when they sleep, I sing and dance"

- Pete Townshend, "Blue, Red, and Grey" (from The Who by Numbers)

I found a old favorite of mine: Roger Pontare. So right now i´m just listening to his music.

Follow-up to my Dan Auerbach review...

Studio version of "The Prowl"

Live performance of "Trouble Weighs a Ton"

I've got this song stuck in my head right now. Certainly a good song to have stuck in your head. You really can't go wrong with the Band, sez I.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfzNtZzWyD8

My new theme song.

Right now I'm listening to The Neighborhoods - Parasite

Definitely one of my "good for listening while dying" songs

Listening to The Skins by the Scissor Sisters. Does anybody know what happened to this lot? One time they were really big, and now they're just, well, gone.

The Scissor Sisters are awsome, as far as I now their third album is due out fairly soon. But yea they had their time on the big stage but they're still around.

Just chilling out to some Isis. Good old reliable Isis. Looking forward to hearing their new material in May I believe.

This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb6V0Grtub4

I'm listening to Muse's live album, Haarp. I've decided they are the best live band I've ever heard.

I would say the opposite but oh well, we all have different tastes.

Everybody does, after all.

*Plots to capture Daedroth and 're-educate' him*

I kinda' dance around with my music. One month I may like metal, the next I'll become obsessed with j-rock, then punk rock and then outta' the blue maybe some garage or grunge and so on.

Right now I'm listening to Ellegarden though who are an english/japanese rock band. I strongly suggest you give 'em a try cos they're awesome .