Not only does it sport one of the greatest album covers of all time, but 1968’s ‘The Bottom Of The Bottle’ is also one of the very finest of Porter Wagoner’s legendary string of concept LPs. Alcoholic cautionary-tales fashioned from pedal steel, string bass and pure pathos – Porter’s cast of inebriates shuffle from barstool to gutter to grave. ‘Wino’ opens proceedings with surreal back-alley sound-scapes and heart-rending narration, ‘Daddy And The Wine’ charts the downfall of a heart-broken man and ‘One Dime For The Wine’ a rural man’s obliteration in the faceless urban jungle.
In 1973, or thereabouts, Nico, Mike Oldfield, Mike Ratledge (from the Soft Machine), Michael Giles (ex-King Crimson), Geoff Richardson (from Caravan) and many others lined up to help Kevin Ayers have his final stab at greatness, THE CONFESSIONS OF DR DREAM, which was released in 1974…
Talent: what would it be without motivation to back it up? Along with the ancient proverb about creativity being one-percent inspiration and 99-percent perspiration, that concept describes the crux facing so many rock star kids, who, even if they actually have talents of their own, rarely possess the ambition and determination of spirit (read: empty bank account, desperate need to find a girlfriend, etc.) to replicate their famous parents' success. This is the dilemma lived by gifted guitar player Dweezil Zappa, who, as the son of one of rock's most prolific and eclectic geniuses, could have been the reincarnation of Mozart himself, and still probably never get the respect due him for his own merits.
Celebrating sixty years in show business, the iconic Liza Minnelli is about to release the most intimate and revealing recording of her career, Confesssions, available everywhere on September 28th (Decca). A collection of American classics, Confessions features some of Minnelli's favorite songs of all time, arranged simply and elegantly, with accompaniment by her long-time pianist Billy Stritch.
The Confessions Tour is the second live album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 26, 2007 by Warner Bros. Records. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the album chronicles Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour and includes the full version of the television broadcast special The Confessions Tour: Live from London. It was recorded at Wembley Arena during the London dates of the tour, and was released in both CD and DVD format…