After a stint in prison, David Crosby (guitar/vocals) emerged from his year-long incarceration a completely clean and sober (gasp!) man. His revitalization was marked by a period of unbridled creativity, yielding his second solo effort Oh Yes I Can (1989). Crosby was supporting the album during the spring 1989 tour that produced the material on this disc. The set was recorded live at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia and backed by a powerhouse combo that included longtime CSN bandmate Michael Finnigan (keyboards), Dan Dugmore (guitar), Jody Cortez (drums), and Davey Farragher (bass/vocals). Indeed, abstemiousness suits Crosby as his powerful, emotive vocals, and strident fretwork have rarely been as well defined or as energetic as they are here.
After spending nearly nine months as a guest of the Texas penal system, veteran rocker David Crosby emerged from his incarceration sober and brimming with ideas that had previously been stunted due to decades of substance abuse. In many ways Oh Yes I Can (1989)—Crosby’s second solo effort during his two-decade-plus career—is a musical rebuttal to his equally vital debut effort, If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971). Even the album’s title appears to indicate his newly achieved success and freedom from the haze that so indelibly influenced the earlier compositions.
This two-CD set has the first 42 recordings of Fats Waller with his Rhythm. The brilliant stride pianist/vocalist/ composer/personality became very popular due to these 1934-35 recordings which feature either Herman Autrey or Bill Coleman on trumpet, Gene Sedric, Ben Whitted, Mezz Mezzrow or Rudy Powell on reeds, guitarist Al Casey and a rhythm section. All of Waller's Victor recordings have been reissued on CD and this two-fer (which includes such memorable numbers as "A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid," "Serenade for a Wealthy Widow," "How Can You Face Me," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Believe It, Beloved," "I Ain't Got Nobody," "Oh Suzannah Dust Off That Old Pianna" and "You've Been Taking Lessons in Love") is a perfect place to start.
A spotty but basically worthwhile three-disc set, Collectables' 1966-1967 Unreleased Masters Collection scours the International Artists vault for previously unreleased songs, alternate takes, rehearsals, and demos of songs that appeared on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators and Easter Everywhere, and a couple of live cuts for good measure…