Totally 80s

Frank Zappa - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore. Vol. 1-6 [Purple Box] (1995) {Rykodisc}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 5.40 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 186 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995 Rykodisc / The Zappa Family Trust | RCD 10561~72
Rock / Experimental Rock

To simplify my life considerably, I'm going to combine the "reviews" of all six Stage releases into a single entry, even though they were released individually. Also, to save a lot of time and effort, I'm not going to give complete track listings of the twelve discs, or do song-by-song reviews (hey, we're talking over 800 minutes of music here, give me a break). If you need to know the track listings, they're probably available through an on-line music sales site like CDNow, or an information site like the All Music Guide. There's probably a few other Zappa sites that list them as well. Maybe one day when I have the time, I'll come back and expand this section to really cover all twelve discs in detail. Until then, I'll just give some general facts and opinions, focusing on highlights and material unique to the Stage series.

In Concert features the Iceman, guitarist Albert Collins, live on Germany's 'Ohne Filter - Musik Pur' TV music program taped on October 27th, 1988. The man they call the Master of the Telecaster, or the Iceman, was already one of the biggest US blues stars in the sixties with his funky, jangly guitar sounds. Albert Collins was one of Jimi Hendrix' idols and has since been asked to collaborate in the studio with John Lee Hooker and Gary Moore. On stage, the Texan delighted his audiences with his famed guitar walks.

Albert Collins, "The Master of the Telecaster," "The Iceman," and "The Razor Blade" was robbed of his best years as a blues performer by a bout with liver cancer that ended with his premature death on November 24, 1993. He was just 61 years old. The highly influential, totally original Collins, like the late John Campbell, was on the cusp of a much wider worldwide following via his deal with Virgin Records' Pointblank subsidiary. However, unlike Campbell, Collins had performed for many more years, in obscurity, before finally finding a following in the mid-'80s.

This 5xCD box set from Cherry Red offers a compelling look at shoegaze's prime era. Still in a Dream takes a wide trawl approach to its genre, which has upsides and downsides. As with Rhino’s goth box A Life Less Lived, shoegaze is generously interpreted to include antecedents and formative influences, which bulks up the quality.

A totally wonderful little compilation – one that starts with a great array of 70s and 80s spacey soul, then throws in a few sweet AOR cuts, and even a few contemporary numbers too – all in this laidback, mellow-grooving style that's totally great! The whole thing's way different than the usual funk or soul compilation – and different than some of the recent AOR retrospectives, too – in that compiler Tony Monson really goes for a special vibe here, and hangs together tracks you wouldn't expect to fit so well – thanks to lots of jazzy currents and a deep blend of electric and acoustic elements.

Bobby Hutcherson - Cruisin' The 'Bird (1988) {Landmark LCD-1517-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 290 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 126 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 13 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1988 Landmark Records | LCD-1517-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Vibes

Throughout his career, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson has recorded one rewarding set after another, always being quite consistent. This date (which as usual can be considered advanced hard bop) finds Hutcherson (who doubles on marimba) interacting with saxophonist Ralph Moore (heard on tenor and soprano), pianist Buddy Montgomery, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis. Together they perform four of Hutcherson's unpredictable originals plus a trio of standards (including "Come Rain or Come Shine"). Fine music.

Slade may have never truly caught on with American audiences (often narrow-mindedly deemed "too British-sounding"), but the group became a sensation in their homeland with their anthemic brand of glam rock in the early '70s, as they scored a staggering 11 Top Five hits in a four-year span from 1971 to 1974 (five of which topped the charts)…

Commercially, pop-metal hair bands and Gothic fantasy metallers suffered the same fate around 1992-93, when Nirvana and Pearl Jam hit the jackpot and alternative rock became mainstream. All of a sudden, it was no longer fashionable for new headbanger combos to play either hair metal à la Poison, Bon Jovi, and Winger, or Gothic-themed fantasy metal à la Iron Maiden and Ronnie James Dio. Some '80s survivors have continued to make a fortune touring …

Few bands in the history of rock & roll were riddled with as many contradictions as the Who. All four members had wildly different personalities, as their notoriously intense live performances demonstrated. The group was a whirlwind of activity, as the wild Keith Moon fell over his drum kit and Pete Townshend leaped into the air with his guitar, spinning his right hand in exaggerated windmills. Vocalist Roger Daltrey strutted across the stage with a thuggish menace, as bassist John Entwistle stood silent, functioning as the eye of the hurricane.