This CD got me through a nasty summer last year. This is the latest addition to the list of 100. Stevie Williams is a bass player from Manchester UK. I got exposed to this release last year while working at the internet jazz station that Dvaid Meyers headed. I immediately fell in love, it took my CD player captive and it didn't let go till I hit Nashville. From the title track to "Low Fi", Every thing on this CD really cooks. Tasty arrangements and wonderfully crafted tunes make this a late entry into the top 100. This is the best release of 2007 from someone you have never heard of.Performance A That's a bass? Really?
Songs B+ Just as tasty as could possibly be. Who is this guy?
Sound A "Lo Fi" with its intended record scratches is a very nice touch. Well done.
Production B+ Crisp, clean and mean
Staying Power B- Who knows? No one knows this guy anyway.
Continuity B+ Maybe one song. Maybe. 
You should have seen the look on my fathers face when I brought THIS one home. He took one look at the cover and shook his head. "Frankenstein" did not sound like anything else being played on the radio. Holy cow, what was that sound? Everyone I knew loved the song and the big bad synthesizer deal. I loved Ronnie Montrose's playing, Dan Hartman's singing and the rest of the package. well produced, well done and just a damn fun record when you were 17. "Free Ride" is everywhere and maybe the best Doobie Brothers song ever. "Hangin' Around " summed up to me what this album was about. Fun stuff and my first exposure to Ronnie Montrose. He rocks and so does Edgar on this one. Too bad their weren't more hits, there should've been.
You should have seen the look on my fathers face when I brought THIS one home. He took one look at the cover and shook his head. "Frankenstein" did not sound like anything else being played on the radio. Holy cow, what was that sound? Everyone I knew loved the song and the big bad synthesizer deal. I loved Ronnie Montrose's playing, Dan Hartman's singing and the rest of the package. well produced, well done and just a damn fun record when you were 17. "Free Ride" is everywhere and maybe the best Doobie Brothers song ever. "Hangin' Around " summed up to me what this album was about. Fun stuff and my first exposure to Ronnie Montrose. He rocks and so does Edgar on this one. Too bad their weren't more hits, there should've been.Performance A "we all had a real good time.."
Soungs and songwriters B- tight ass power pop here
Sound A Rick Derringer produced it.
Production A- Very well done. Sounded great on the 8 track.
Staying power A Are ya kidding me?
Continuity B+ "Autumn" was about the only filler tune.
This may be one of the classiest recordings ever. How can a guy keep re-inventing himself over and over? He took a break after recording "Talking Back To The Night" in 1982 and then blew my face out with this. There is really not one bad song on this album. A stunning example of a craftsman at his finest and counting on his friends (Joe Walsh, Nile Rogers, Chaka Khan), to bring out the best in him. Funk (Higher Love), rock and roll (Freedom Overspill), one of my top 25 songs of all time (The Finer Things) and heartache (My Love's Leavin) make this one of the best albums of the last 25 years.
Performance A+ Top notch musicianship everywhere here
Songwriting A Exquisite stuff with great variety.
Sound A Bingo almost perfect, Also available on MFSL gold disc.
Production A Steve and Russ Titelman produced this
Staying Power B+ Should be better than this, but only "Finer Things" gets much airplay
Continuity A+ Absolutely no filler. Nada
Bubbling Under The Top 100
Steve Winwood-Arc of a Diver
Johnny Winter-Still Alive and Well
3 comments:
EWG's "Frankenstein" was actually a production nightmare. The final product was so cut up and pasted back together, so unrecognizable from what they had played in the studio, that they named it "Frankenstein". Keep this in mind next time you hear it and you can actually catch some bad edits if you pay attention.
Any Steve Winwood fan MUST check out the album "GO" by Yamashta-Winwood-Shreive. In my opinion Winwood at his best. It's kind of early electrified new age music. It was called "space jazz" back in the day. Very ambient, open stuff.
Probably around 1979-80 somewhere.
GO is one of my top 20 albums of all time. Different for sure, but a masterpiece of ambient music, and for some reason an album that's always looked over when people discuss Steve Winwood.
randy - who is the top cd?? your album pics didn't transfer - i'm curious
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