The Bill Evans Trio - Moonbeams (1962)

Tracklisting:
1. Re: Person I Knew
2. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
4. Stairway to the Stars
5. If You Could See Me Now
6. It Might As Well Be Spring
7. In Love in Vain
8. Very Early

Review: "Bill Evans is a musician you never tire of listening to. He has the ability to play a tune freshly, every time. This recording is, in my opinion, his finest. The first date after the untimely death of Scott LaFaro, this album is beautiful ,melodic and haunting. Every tune is
played with typical Evans genius, but on this session he seems to be expressing his musical ideas with even more flavor and emotion. The first cut is the most expressive and emotive I have ever heard in the trio setting. I am sure it was dedicated to LaFaro, even though it supposedly is an anagram for the producer of the date, Orrin Keepnews. Evans expresses his passion, joy and grief for his young bassist in every note and the result is, to my mind, stunning. I love Chuck Israels' bass lines and the chords Evans plays quietly over the bass solo are beautiful and ephemeral. Every tune on this CD is wonderful, the playing of everyone is at such a high level of creativity that this music will live on forever. This is a can't miss choice if you like piano music." (kenneth maclean)

The review above is quite spot on. Contains "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" a personal favorite of mines. A little late for Sunday, but close enough.



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The Curious Mystery - Rotting Slowly (2009)

Tracklisting:
1. Preparations
2. Black Sand
3. Dragon's Crotch
4. Teeth Of All Types
5. Go Forth And Gather
6. Gone In Time
7. Nicaragua
8. Strong Swimmers
9. Outta California
10. It's Tough
11. Wrong Way
12. The Community Bed

Review: Psychedelic blues rock. I'll be damned if no one else agrees with me that the female vocalist in this band sounds just like Chan Marshall of Cat Power. It was the initial draw for me. I can't say too much for this record, the tracks drag on - sometimes much too long. It's alright for what it is, but I kind of feel the part of me that would usually dig this is lost amidst all these new expectations of what real good stuff should sound like. Oh, well. I'm sure someone else can pick this up and enjoy it more than I have. "Strong Swimmers" and "It's Tough" are high points.


"Black Sand"

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The Field - Yesterday and Today (2009)

Tracklisting:
1. I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet
2. Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime
3. Leave It
4. Yesterday & Today (feat. John Stanier)
5. The More That I Do
6. Sequenced

Review: If the debut From Here We Go Sublime showed any indication where minimal techno/house producer the Field was going, it was in a direction where only beautiful things would occur. In most ways, Yesterday and Today is not all together much different from the debut. However, having more of the same is never a bad thing with the Field. You might say, 'well wait a tick, the last few reviews you wrote, you complained about repetition!'. That is true, but the context is different here. And at the same time you might be damned right. In either case, just listen to this! Then listen to the others previously mentioned. Tell me which you'd prefer to hear, which makes you move and dance, which exudes a strong emotional quality - and not just sequenced looping of the tried and true pop song format. Throwing in a fantastic Beck cover, from one of my favourite movies of all time and you've got a fucking golden record. I could dance to "Leave It" at the end-of-the-world party forever. This album is just too amazing for words.


"The More That I Do"

Previously:
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

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Popular Computer - Senso Data (2009)

Tracklisting:
1. Subject To Love
2. Missing In Action
3. Girl(s)
4. Darling
5. Lost And Found (Featuring Pacific!)
6. An Answer
7. Otaku
8. Summary
9. I'm On The Line
10. Di Solito
11. Schizo Time

Review: A decent electro pop album. The album starts strong but takes a nose dive into repetition and lack of direction. I had high hopes after hearing multiple remixes from Popular Computer (the Pacific! and Shinichi Osawa tracks to name a few). The song "Girl(s)" is probably the strongest track on the record, sound very much like a particular Daft Punk song. The album loses it's charm once you've heard about seven songs that just repeat sentences like 'missing in action' or 'I'm on the line' ad nauseum. There are a few great tunes and ideas thrown around, but it's just not enough for me to recommend it seriously. But give it a listen first, I'm sure it'll grow on you as it might with me.


"Darling"

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Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1972)

Tracklisting:
1. Let's Stay Together
2. La-La For You
3. So You're Leaving
4. What Is This Feeling
5. Old Time Lovin
6. I've Never Found A Girl
7. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
8. Judy
9. It Ain't No Fun To Me

Review: Whenever the Reverend Al Green is mentioned, I get the chills. Something about the soulful R&B this man produced makes every day worth living. Let's Stay Together is a classic soul record and belongs in your collection if you have any appreciation for the vocal abilities of humankind or our potential to groove. If you are an extraterrestrial, well, shit. You've got me.



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