21.2.09

Bryan Ferry - The Collection

Bryan Ferry - The Collection
Release: 2005 | Label: Disky/EMI | Number: VI 902523
Genre: Pop/Rock, Art Rock | Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel
Included: EAC + CUE + Flac + Covers | Size: 406 MB
Biography:
While his tenure as the frontman for the legendary Roxy Music remains his towering achievement, singer Bryan Ferry has also carved out a successful solo career which continues in the lush, sophisticated manner perfected on the group's final records. Born September 26, 1945 in Washington, England, Ferry, the son of a coal miner, began his musical career as a singer with the rock outfit the Banshees while studying art at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne under pop-conceptualist Richard Hamilton. He later joined the Gas Board, a soul group featuring bassist Graham Simpson; in 1970, Ferry and Simpson formed Roxy Music.
Within a few years, Roxy Music had become phenomenally successful, affording Ferry the opportunity to cut his first solo LP in 1973. Far removed from the group's arty glam-rock, These Foolish Things established the path which all of Ferry's solo work -- as well as the final Roxy Music records -- would take, focusing on elegant synth-pop interpretations of Sixties hits like Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" and the Beatles' "You Won't See Me," all rendered in the singer's distinct, coolly dramatic manner.
Roxy Music remained Ferry's primary focus, but in 1974 he returned with a second solo effort, Another Time, Another Place, another collection of covers ranging from "You Are My Sunshine" to "It Ain't Me, Babe" to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." His third venture, 1976's Let's Stick Together, featured remixed, remade and remodeled versions of Roxy Music hits as well as the usual assortment of covers. 1977's In Your Mind was Ferry's first collection of completely original material; the following year's The Bride Stripped Bare, a work inspired by his broken romance with model Jerry Hall, split evenly between new songs and covers.
Ferry did not record another solo album until 1985's Boys and Girls, a sleek, seamless effort that was his first "official" solo release following the Roxy break-up. For 1987's Bête Noire, he was joined by former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr on the shimmering "The Right Stuff," and notched his only U.S. Top 40 hit with "Kiss and Tell." Another covers collection, Taxi followed in 1993; Mamouna, an LP of originals, appeared a year later, and in 1999 Ferry returned with a collection of standards, As Time Goes By. Another best of compilation Slave to Love: Best of the Ballads followed in fall 2000.
After years of rumour and innuendo Ferry finally reformed Roxy Music for what appeared to be a last hurrah in 2001, circumnavigating the world in a 51 date tour in the company of original bandmates Phil Manzanera, Andy mackay and Paul Thompson. In 2003 the reformed line-up appeared again for a few US dates.
In 2002 Ferry produced a collection of up-tempo tracks called Frantic which was well-regarded by both critics and the record buying public. In addition, Ferry has recovered his often neglectful attitude to touring, embarking on long world-wide excursions every year since 1999.
Track Listing:
01. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
02. The 'In' Crowd
03. Shame, Shame, Shame
04. Let's Stick Together
05. Tokyo Joe
06. Can't Let Go
07. Slave To Love
08. Don't Stop The Dance
09. Limbo
10. Girl Of My Best Friend
11. Don't Want To Know
12. The Way You Look Tonight
Total Time: 00:50:22
Writing Credits:
All Songs Written By Bryan Ferry except "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" (Dylan), "The In crowd " (Page), "Shame, Shame, Shame" (Reed), "Lets Stick Together " (Harrison), "Don't Stop The Dance" (Ferry/Davies), "Girl Of My Best friend" (Ross/Bobrick), "The Way You look Tonight " (Fields/Kern)
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The Neville Brothers - Brother's Keeper

The Neville Brothers - Brother's Keeper
Release: March 14, 1995/Orig. Year: 1990 | Number: UDCD 626
Label: MFSL /Orig Label: A&M Records | Genre: Hard Rock
Size: 386MB | Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel | Audiophile
Included: EAC Log + Cue + Flac + Covers
Album Notes
Why doesn't more R&B sound like this? Although hampered by a poor mix, Brother's Keeper is nevertheless a classic example of what makes the Neville Brothers so good — and so frustrating. Tracks like the booty-shaking funk of "Brother Jake" or the gospel-tinged "Steer Me Right" are full of soulful vocals and wonderful harmonies. Aaron Neville's timeless voice is displayed beautifully on "Fearless," where he is joined by Linda Ronstadt for one of the strongest tracks on the record. The Neville Brothers' ecumenical spirituality permeates every second of Brother's Keeper, making for a few awkward moments (like the head-scratching opener "Brother Blood," for example), but a few moments of true sublimity (as when Art Neville spits "Pro choice-no choice/We're sending our sons and daughters to their slaughter" on "Sons and Daughters"). The pop material on Brother's Keeper, such as Link Wray's "Fallin' Rain," works well, but other tracks, like "River of Life," seem forced. If the Neville Brothers showed a little discretion with regard to their lyrics and cut a couple tracks, they would have had a much stronger album, which in a way is as good a statement as one could make about their entire career.
Track Listing:
01 - Brother Blood
02 - Brother Jake
03 - Steer Me Right
04 - Fearless
05 - Sons And Daughters
06 - Fallin' Rain
07 - Jah Love
08 - River Of Life
09 - Witness
10 - My Brother's Keeper
11 - Sons And Daughters (reprise)
12 - Mystery Train
13 - Bird On A Wire
Total Time: 00:56:08
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Thanks to antonisgr

14.2.09

Johnny Logan - The Best Of

Johnny Logan - The Best Of
Release: May 6, 1996 | Label: Sony BMG | Genre: Pop
Size: 486 MB | Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel
Included: EAC Log + Cue + Wave + Covers
Biography:
Johnny Logan was born in Frankston near Melbourne, Australia May 13, 1954. He was given the name Sean Patrick Michael Sherrard. His father, the famous Patrick O'Hagan, was an Irish tenor who managed to perform no less than three times at The White House in front of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon respectively.
The family moved to Ireland when Johnny Logan was aged three. He started singing at the age of nine and by the time he was thirteen he had learned to play the guitar and was writing songs. He accompanied his father on tours in Australia and New Zealand as an assistant and dresser as his father suffered from a disease that prevented him from lifting his arms above his chest.
Johnny Logan has no doubt that his choice of profession goes all the way back to these tours where he and his father were killing time by singing together in the dressing-rooms of the great concert halls. Johnny Logan has been singing professionally since the age of fourteen.
Johnny Logan has won the International Eurovision Song Contest three times. In the Netherlands April 1980 with “What’s Another Year” composed by Shay Healy.
He won for the 2nd time in Brussels May 1987 as a singer and composer with “Hold Me Now”. No one else had ever won the Eurovision Song Contest twice as a performer. "Hold Me Now" rose to number 2 in the UK chart and the single sold six million copies. In 1992 in Malmo he won for the 3rd time as a composer with “Why Me” sung by Linda Martin.
Johnny Logan, known and respected for his great talent as a singer and songwriter; has released numerous albums during the years, performed for many heads of state counting The Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, won several awards and appeared on top Television shows throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.
«A collection of songs that demonstrates tremendous vocal dexterity, this compilation brings together some of the best songs of the era. Far more than just a Eurovision one hit wonder, Johnny Logan brings out the best in each song and shows how it should be sung. Living a Lie is a particular gem».----Amazon.co.uk

Tracklisting:
01. Hold Me Now
02. Stay
03. When Your Woman Cries
04. I'm Not In Love
05. Helpless Heart
06. Heartbroken Man
07. Living A Lie
08. Such A Lady
09. Love Letters
10. What's Another Year
11. Ginny Come Lately
12. Lovin' You
13. Love Hurts
14. Take Good Care Of My Baby
15. The Next Time
16. Saturday Night At The Movies
17. When You Walk In The Room
18. Cryin In The Rain
Total Time: 01:11:04

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