07/30/07
KARI ON PRODUCTIONS
GREG CHAKO/Paint a Picture Tell a Story: Chako has established himself as a guitar man to be reckoned with. On his latest outing, he ropes in some dead solid cats that round out the sound and make his work even more of a jazz record than a busman’s holiday. Immersing himself in a group identity, the cats he’s brought on board raise his game and he’s there for the challenge. A hard hitting date from a guitarist that’s making sure he has a place in jazz that will be remembered.
88 (Chako Productions)
UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES
SQUEEZE/20th Century Masters: Hot on the heels of the great “East Side Story” reissue comes this collection of Squeeze singles that is everything the casual new wave fan could want in a single artist singes collection that really echoes the era. Showing the gang in the top of their top form, this collection will make you want to want them to start hitting the mall parking lots in summer to bring it all back. A first class trip down 80’s memory lane.
8507 (A&M)
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND/Live 20th Century Masters: The Allman’s made their early bones as a live act and their first few live albums gave enough fodder to make loads of these single disc collections. Since there were no real singles and it was about the lead guitar, all you have to do is pick the stuff that made you happy and let the good times roll. There’s a few standard tracks here, but the others seem to have been saved for future repacks on this theme. Beats that cheapo stuff they package for Costco.
9090 (Mercury)
LYNYRD SKYNYRD/Live 20th Century Masters: Pulled from these free birds playing live in 1976 so you know it’s the real group with the original members kicking it out in the wake of their early success that had them riding high. Loaded with key tracks from their first few sets, the energy is hot and high and this is a solid look back at an era that left it’s mark.
9089 (Geffen)
QUIET STORM Gold/various: Oooh, did I hear The Ladies Man coming around here? A double disc of pure seduction music kicked off by the Smokey Robinson track that named the whole vibe. Smartly tracked and programmed, if this ain’t made for love then grits ain’t groceries. Certainly it’s old skool, but if you first went down to love town in the 70’s, you are sure to want this to relive your youth, in more ways than one.
8545 (Hip-O)
SUMMER OF LOVE Gold/various: Double disc set that veers from lite sounds to hard rock with some stops in soul and other places that made up the mix when hippies were in flower. While always keeping to the commercial side of things, this rounds up the good, bad and the ugly in a neat package that might have you rolling you eyes a few times but will never leave you really grimacing. The names and songs all come together for one groovy package.
(Hip-O)
Volume 30/Number 272
July 30, 2007
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
(c)2007 Midwest Record