| The
Crossing - September 2005 Edition
Music. It’s our lifeblood.
It traces the river of life. It lets us know that someone else is feeling
the same thing that you’re feeling...thinking the same thing that you’re
thinking. We share it with the artist as much as the artist wants to share.
The more the artist shares, the more we take from it. And the more we take,
the more fans can give back letting the artist know he or she is doing
a good job. It has all of the moods under the sun and it provides a reflection
of people and how they live and the times they live in. It’s also therapy.
Whether it was Bruce Springsteen
or Steve Earle, September 11th was dealt with through song. The recent
devastation in the Gulf Coast will eventually be dealt with in the same
way from a great city known for it’s musical heritage. Until then, the
long list that follows is merely that, a list that hasn’t fully flooded
to contain everyone’s individual stories. The pain and suffering of the
Gulf Region is still fresh, but in days to come the healing will begin
for the survivors and eventually be documented in song.
For now, we have the current
crop...tons and tons of artists doing what they do so well. I’d like to
mention two of special note this month.
ARTIST(S) of the MONTH:
First up, out September 13th,
is the new disc from Austin, Texas native Charlie Sexton. You may have
seen him in the film “Thelma & Louise” way back when as the singer
in the bar band in the opening scenes or you might have seen him recently
in Bob Dylan’s touring band as his main guitarist and all-around ‘he can
play anything’ guy. Not to mention seeing his name in production credits
for recent Lucinda Williams’ albums. The new album, entitled “Cruel And
Gentle Things”, is the long-awaited followup to one of the best albums
of the 90’s “Under The Wishing
Tree” released in 1995. The only question here is whether or not Charlie
can possibly top that album.
He’s got his work cut out
for him, but I think he will manage just fine. I highly suggest finding
a copy of that 1995 album. If you like Americana, roots-rock mixed with
hints of blues and folk you would love this album. It plays like an indie
film and I usually think of the great Texas based John Sayles film “Lone
Star” for some reason whenever I listen to it. If “Cruel And Gentle Things”
gets anywhere close to reaching the great achievement of “Under The Wishing
Tree”, we might very well have the Album of the Year right here.
Another album that fans,
far and wide, are waiting for this month is the newly titled “Ogre Tones”
from the fantastic Texas based power trio King’s X. The members of this
band come from far and wide and they’ve got a sound that stretches musical
boundaries everytime they plug in. Main singer and bassist Doug Pinnick
from upstate Illinois, guitarist and occasional lead singer Ty Tabor from
Mississippi and drummer Jerry Gaskill from New Jersey. They met up at school
in Springfield, Missouri and the rest is history. Forming King’s X and
releasing their debut album in 1988, named after a C.S. Lewis novel, King’s
X was poised to conquer the world. Well, that didn’t happen exactly, but
they’ve got a small, but extremely loyal fanbase that follows whatever
the guys do whether it’s releasing solo projects that
the guys are involved in,
touring non-stop, or releasing new King’s X albums. This new album, available
September 27th, is especially highly anticipated because it’s got an outside
producer for the first time since the Ear Candy album back in 1996. Michael
Wagener, who has produced tons of bands, should give the guys an outside
ear that they could desperately use. Not since Ear Candy and the previous
five albums have King’s X really put out a truly great and solid album.
The ponderously titled “Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous” came close in the
year 2000, but it was too cryptic lyrically to really match the early greatness
of King’s X. The equally ponderously titled
“Ogre Tones” may get King’s
X back in the race for good as one of the all-time great bands. Also a
candidate for Album of the Year...
Now, buy what you must. Provide
for your family and give to charity what you don’t need....that’s pretty
much the rule-of-thumb these
days....
Let’s get to it:
Recently released and not
mentioned in last edition:
* Bob
Dylan - “No Direction Home” (2 CD set of rarities, demos and live tracks
of classic Dylan songs compiled for a Martin Scorcese film.)
* John
Wesley - “Shiver” (A great singer/songwriter from the Tampa, Florida area;
Check out his website.)
* The
Europeans - “Recurring Dream” (Steve Hogarth’s pre-Marillion band.)
* Andrew
Peterson - “The Far Country”
* Death
Cab For Cutie - “Drive Well, Sleep Carefully” (DVD.)
* To
Kill A Mockingbird - DVD reissue.
9/6
* The
Rolling Stones - “A Bigger Bang”
* The
Proclaimers - “Restless Soul” (The twins return with their sixth album.)
* Kate
Campbell - “Blues & Lamentations”
* Kate
Rusby - “Girl Who Couldn’t Fly” (import.)
* North
Mississippi All-Stars - “Electric Blue Watermelon”
* Sarah
McLachlan - “Bloom” (Remix album.)
* Peter
Himmelman - “Mission Of My Soul: Best Of”
* Bill
Staines - “The Second Million Miles”
* Joan
Baez - “Bowery Songs”
* James
McMurtry - “Childish Things”
* Robin
& Linda Williams - “The First Christmas Gift”
* Fern
Jones - “The Glory Road”
* Jose
Gonzalez - “Veneer”
* Dreamside
- “Spin Moon Magic”
* The
Leaves - “Angela Test”
* Richard
Thompson - “The Old Kit Bag” (Dualdisc reissue.)
* Richard
Thompson - “Grizzly Man” (Soundtrack.)
* Beth
Hart - “Live At Paradiso”
* Ian
Brown - “Greatest Hits”
* Plumb
- “Chaotic Resolve”
* Ben
Taylor - “Another Run Around The Sun”
* Richard
Hawley - “Cole’s Corner”
* Peasall
Sisters - “Home To You”
* New
Model Army - “Carnival”
* Howard
Jones - “Revolution Of The Heart”
* The
Strawbs - “Live At Nearfest 2004” (Import.)
* Daniela
Cotton - “Small White Town”
* Various
Artists - “Rockin’ The Corps”
* The
Police - “Synchronicity Concert In Atlanta” (First time on DVD.)
* Bruce
Springsteen - “VH1 Storytellers” (DVD; 90 minutes, unedited.)
* Crash
- DVD
* Toy
Story - DVD (10th Anniversary.)
9/13
* Paul
McCartney - “Chaos And Creation In The Backyard”
* Charlie
Sexton - “Cruel And Gentle Things”
* David
Gray - “Life In Slow Motion”
* Switchfoot
- “Nothing Is Sound”
* Dar
Williams - “My Better Self”
* Tracey
Chapman - “Where You Live”
* Simple
Minds - “Black And White 010105”
* Rob
Dickinson - “Fresh Wine For The Horses” (ex-Catherine Wheel singer and
did you know? First cousin of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson. True.)
* Blue
Rodeo - “Are You Ready” (US release.)
* Patty
Loveless - “Dreamin’ My Dreams” (Covers Richard Thompson, Steve Earle and
Buddy & Julie Miller.)
* Bonnie
Raitt - “Souls Alike”
* Trisha
Yearwood - “Jasper County”
* Tim
O’Brien - “Cornbread Nation” and “Fiddler’s Green”
* Sigur
Ros - “Takk”
* Santana
- “All That I Am”
* Blues
Traveler - “Bastardos”
* Spin
Doctors - “Nice Talking To Me”
* The
Sun - “Blame It On The Youth”
* Rusty
Anderson - “Undressing Underwater”
* BB
King & Friends - “Eighty” (Duets include Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton
and Billy Gibbons.)
* Freakwater
- “Thinking Of You”
* Super
Furry Animals - “Love Kraft”
* Dandy
Warhols - “Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars”
* The
Like - “Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking”
* Devendra
Barnhart - “Cripple Crow”
* Antigone
Rising - “From The Ground Up”
* The
Fray - “How To Save A Life”
* Nada
Surf - “The Weight Is A Gift”
* Sonic
Youth - “Goo” (Remastered reissue.)
* Institute
- “Distort Yourself”
* Dave
Davies - “Chosen People”
* George
Jones - “Hits I Missed...and One I Didn’t”
* Genesis
- “Platinum Collection” (Reissue of the 3 CD set covering their entire
career.)
* Black
‘N Blue - “4 CD Boxset” (Very Limited; 1000 copies.)
* Rough
Cutt - “2 CD Collection” (First two albums.)
* Thumbsucker
- Soundtrack featuring Elliott Smith.
* Elizabethtown
- Soundtrack for the new Cameron Crowe movie.
* Jimi
Hendrix - Live at Woodstock” (DVD.)
* The
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy - DVD
* Fever
Pitch - DVD
* Rock
School - DVD
* Palindromes
- DVD
* Madison
- DVD
* Nobody
Knows - DVD
* Empire
Falls - DVD
9/20
* Neil
Young - “Prairie Wind” (w/DVD.)
* Old
97’s - “Alive & Wired” (2 CD live set from Gruene Hall.)
* Calexico
- “In The Reins” (EP.)
* Echo
& The Bunnymen - “Siberia”
* Pieta
Brown - “In The Cool” (Guests Greg Brown, Iris DeMent and Bo Ramsey.)
* Peter
Malick & Norah Jones - “New York City: Chill Album”
* George
Clinton - “Best Of Live”
* Ray
Charles - “Genius And Friends”
* Ray
Charles - “Complete Atlantic Recordings 1952-1959”
* Barbara
Striesand & Barry Gibb - “Guilty Pleasures”
* Billy
Joe Shaver - “The Real Deal”
* Jerry
Douglas - “The Best Kept Secret”
* Kathy
Mattea - “Right Out Of Nowhere”
* Townes
Van Zandt - “Be Here To Love Me: Soundtrack”
* Boz
Scaggs - “Fade Into Light”
* Apollo
Sunshine - “Apollo Sunshine”
* Biff
Rose - “The Thorn In Mrs. Rose’s Side”
* Tim
Fite - “Gone Ain’t Gone”
* The
Brakes - “Give Blood” (import.)
* Bastard
Sons Of Johnny Cash - “Mile Maker”
* Bon
Jovi - “Have A Nice Day”
* Anthrax
- “No Hit Wonders 1985-1991”
* Bob
Dylan - “No Direction Home” (2 DVD companion set.)
* The
Pixies - “Sell Out” (DVD.)
* Born
Into Brothels - DVD
* The
Longest Yard - DVD
* Mindhunters
- DVD
* Turtles
Can Fly - DVD
* It’s
All Gone, Pete Tong - DVD
* The
Adventures Of Shark Boy And Lava Girl In 3D
9/27
* King’s
X - “Ogre Tones” (New title.)
* Natalie
Merchant - “Retrospective 1995-2005” (Available in 1 and 2 CD versions.)
* Fish
- “Bouillabaisse” (a noun meaning a highly seasoned fish stew; 2 CD best
of; import.Check out one of the best lyricist’s of all-time at: http://www.the-company.com/.)
* The
Waterboys - “Karma To Burn” (Import; Live CD; new date.)
* David
Wilcox & Nance Pettit - “Out Beyond Ideas - Songs For Peace”
* Ryan
Adams - “Jacksonville City Nights” (a honky-tonk, country type album.)
* Big
Star - “In Space”
* Bruce
Cockburn - “Speechless” (Instrumental album not surprisingly.)
* Elbow
- “Leaders Of The Free World”
* Sheryl
Crow - “Wildflower”
* Blind
Melon - “Best Of”
* Idina
Menzel - “Still I Can’t Be Still”
* David
Phelps - “Life Is A Church” (I don’t know this for a fact but I virtually
guarantee that the title song was written by Marcus Hummon.)
* Kendall
Payne - “Grown”
* Barlowgirl
- Another Journal Entry” (I’m not related to these girls but I probably
wouldn’t mind if I was.)
* Ric
Ocasek - “Nexterday”
* Sam
Cooke - A few reissues.
* The
Corrs - “Home” (Import.)
* Wolf
Parade - “Apologies To The Queen Mary”
* Rock
City Angels - “Young Man’s Blues” (reissue.)
* Adrian
Smith - “Silver And Gold” (reissue.)
* Vivian
Campbell - “Two Sides Of If”
* Calla
- “Collisions”
* Jello
Biafra and The Melvins - “Sieg Howdy”
* Spock’s
Beard - “Live in ‘05 - Gluttons For Punishment” (2 CD set.)
* Robert
Pollard - “Music For ‘Bubble’” (Soundtrack EP.)
* Roger
Waters - “Ca Ira” (A 3 Act Opera about the French Revolution.)
* Chronicles
Of Narnia - Soundtrack
* Just
Say Sire: The Sire Records Story - (4 CD boxset.)
* The
Band - “A Musical History” (Five CD’s and 1 DVD Boxset.)
* Elvis
Costello - “Right Spectacle - Best of Videos” (2 DVD set includes one hour
live concert.)
* Robots
- DVD
* Lords
Of Dogtown - DVD
10/4
* Franz
Ferdinand - “You Could Have It So Much Better”
* Fiona
Apple - “Extraordinary Machine”
* Liz
Phair - “Somebody’s Miracle”
* Melissa
Etheridge - “Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled”
* Nickelback
- “All The Right Reasons”
* Bobby
Bare - “Moon Was Blue”
* James
Blunt - “Back To Bedlam”
* Cross
Canadian Ragweed - “Garage”
* Journey
- “Generations” (US release.)
* Cream
- “Live at Royal Albert Hall May 2005” (Reunion album.)
* Queen
w/Paul Rodgers - “Return Of The Champions” (2 CD live set.)
* The
Talking Heads - “Brick” (Boxset.)
* Cinderella
- DVD (the Disney classic.)
* The
Interpreter - DVD
* Amityville
Horror - DVD
10/11
* Jackson
Browne - “Solo Acoustic Volume 1”
* Dolly
Parton - “Those Were The Days”
* Jerry
Garcia - “Ladder To The Stars: Garcia Plays Dylan” (2 CD unearthed set.)
* Kingdom
Of Heaven - DVD
* The
Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants - DVD
* Kicking
And Screaming - DVD
* Unleashed
- DVD
10/18
* Depeche
Mode - “Playing The Angel”
* Batman
Begins - DVD
10/25
* Bryan
Adams - “Stripped” (All acoustic.)
* Voivod
- “DVOD - 1” (All of their videos and concert clips.)
* Leolo
- DVD (a great film from 1993; first time on DVD.)
* House
Of Wax - DVD
* Bewitched
- DVD
10/31
* TNT
- “All The Way To The Sun”
* Guided
By Voices - “Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow” (4 CD Boxset.)
11/1
* Wilco
- “Live”
* The
Tragically Hip - “Hipeponymous” (4 CD plus
DVD boxset; import, Canada.)
* Trey
Anastasio - “Shine”
* Star
Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith -
DVD
* Aliens
Of The Deep - (DVD; James Cameron documentary.)
* Dear
America - Letters Home From Vietnam - (First time on DVD; 1988 documentary.)
11/8
* Bob
Seger - “Face The Promise”
* Patti
Smith - “Horses” (Expanded edition reissue.)
* Live
8 Concerts - Four DVD Set.
11/15
* Guided
By Voices - “Final Show at the Chicago Cabaret Metro” (DVD.)
* Green
Day - “Bullet In A Bible” (DVD; concert film.)
11/22
* Live
- “Songs From Black Mountain”
* Polar
Express - DVD
11/29
* Millions
- DVD
* Mr.
And Mrs. Smith - DVD
12/6
* Cinderella
Man - DVD
LYRIC of the MONTH:
“I’ve got the ways and means
to New Orleans. I’m going down by the river where it’s warm and green.
I’m gonna have a drink and walk around. I’ve got a lot to think about...”
Johnette Napolitano (Concrete
Blonde) from the song
“Bloodletting (The Vampire
Song)” off the album Bloodletting.
Stay safe. Stay well. Say
your prayers. Count your blessings. Never forget. See you next month...
Chris Barlow
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