Legacy Recordings

The Essential Carole King

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Were you to take a random sampling of the average music listener and say to them: “Quick, hum a few bars of "One Fine Day." Now, "(You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman." Great. Now who wrote them? Chances are most people could belt out the entire tune for you right on the spot, but few would be able to identify Carole King as the songwriter.

Partially, this phenomenon has to do with how we view musicians. We love the sparkly, charismatic lead singer, but care less about the bass player keeping the beat, and even less about the person who created the music in the first place. Celebrity culture loves performers, not writers. But this also has to do with what we think of songwriters when we do give them a few moments consideration. The average Joe you asked about the songwriter might take a stab at it: Bernie Taupin? Neil Diamond? Not many of us can pinpoint who wrote the pop songs we love, but we often assume it’s a man behind the curtain.

This collection will blow you away. The Essential Carole King is divided into The Singer and The Songwriter giving us a huge sampling of King’s catalogue. The first CD is perfect reflective, comforting music to turn on after a long day at work. Admittedly, songs like "The Reason" (yes, a duet with Celine Dion) and "Sweet Seasons" cross the line into “easy listening” and make you wonder if King was just sort of churning out radio-friendly tunes. But hey, we’ve all got to make a pay check. Not to worry, classics like "I Feel the Earth Move" and "You’ve Got A Friend" are the bread and butter of this collection, a perfect compilation of unpretentious well-crafted lyrics and unique but catchy piano riffs.

If anything, the problem with this album is that The Songwriter CD can’t quite match the genius of the songs Carole performs herself. The dated, high-pitched Monkees singing "Pleasant Valley Sunday" seem sort of silly after listening to "It’s Too Late," and The Everly Brothers crying in the rain isn’t anywhere as authentic as King singing "So Far Away." None the less, there are a lot of good quality songs here that most of us have heard on the radio a million times. Dusty Springfield’s "No Easy Way Down" is a welcome rediscovery.

Any serious music lover should own this collection. Next time you attend a wedding and "The Loco-Motion" inevitably comes on, you can shimmy up to your fellow dancers and remind them this song was written by a female songwriting legend.

Written by: Jennifer Burgess, July 8th 2010

The Deluxe Anniversary Edition

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:01:00 +0000

By Whitney Houston

Legacy Recordings

I came of age in the days of AM radio. I can still remember listening to Casey Kasem counting down the Top 40 hits on Sunday nights before FM radio, the Internet, blog radio, and terms like market segmentation became part of our lexicon. In the space of twenty or so minutes, you could hear a song by Barbara Streisand, Journey, The Bee Gees, and maybe something by Johnny Cash as well.

I like to think growing up in the '70s made me more open minded as a person because we had to listen to everything that was played on the radio. We didn’t have the choice to opt out or create our own digital world of favorites the way teenagers do today. My theory is not born out of reality, however, because my twenty-one-year-old niece is much more culturally aware and sophisticated about the world than I was at her age.

As I was listening to this deluxe anniversary edition of Whitney Houston’s greatest hits, I felt some nostalgia for those seemingly less complicated days of my youth. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion because you find yourself remembering an idealized time of your life that is lost forever. I couldn’t help but remember how Houston ruled the airways for most of the '80s and part of the '90s with her powerful renditions of songs like “The Greatest Love of All,” “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “Hold Me,” and “How Will I Know.”

Houston was a child prodigy. She began singing at a very young age (she’s the daughter of soul singer Cissy Houston and the cousin of singer Dionne Warwick, so I guess the singing genes run in the family) and her career took off when she was barely out of her teens. She was discovered by the legendary Clive Davis while performing in a New York nightclub.

Houston is a groundbreaking crossover artist who appeals to all demographics with her gospel influenced, pop-soul musical style. She is the only artist with seven consecutive multi-platinum albums. Her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” is the highest-selling single of all time. She was also the first African American woman to receive regular play on MTV; her “How Will I Know” video paving the way for such artists as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker.

Although Houston is one of the greatest female singers of her generation, I never followed her career that closely, but I am aware of the personal and professional highs and lows she has experienced over the years. As I listened to her effortlessly belting out some of her trademark hits on this album, I found myself revisiting memories of where I was when I first heard a particular song. Houston's music, like her life, has become indelibly linked with our triumphs and tribulations. When I think of Whitney Houston and how she continues to endure despite her setbacks, I can’t help but root for her all over again.

Written by: Gita Tewari, April 10th 2010

Gaudi (1987 Expanded Restoration)

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:26:00 +0000

By The Alan Parsons Project

Legacy Recordings

The Alan Parsons Project music can be defined as mainly rock. They create concept albums revolving around different ideas or people, such as Edgar Allan Poe, and for this particular concept album Antonio Gaudi served as the inspiration. Gaudi was a Spanish modernist architect whose buildings still stand as monuments of his genius. Among his very impressive work is La Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, which is considered his masterpiece even though it remains unfinished. Several musicians and singers contribute to the Project’s vision. It is for a very specific audience as the music varies.

This project was originally released in 1987 and you can definitely tell. It’s filled with power rock ballads, and not the timeless type of power rock. Traditionally, The Alan Parson’s Project has several artists contribute to the albums, not the album as a whole but to individual songs. The Gaudi project is no exception. This amalgam of talent can prove divisive and incoherent yet at the same time it works. As a whole the album does have too many styles but if taken individually, the songs are good within their own right.

The Gaudi project can be described mainly as power rock. Some tracks are instrumental but what’s consistent is the intensity that keeps building. The lyrics are a bit obvious, sticking to the main theme, Gaudi and his work La Sagrada Familia. In fact, the album begins and ends with an eight-minute instrumental track by the same title. None of them really seem to capture the magnitude and complexity of Gaudi’s work. The last song “Paseo de gracia” is perhaps the only one that obviously reflects their inspiration. It features an acoustic Spanish flamenco style that is reminiscent of their inspiration while remaining conceptual. As for the other tracks, they are all very different and the lyrics seem to take the idea in a more liberal sense.

The Alan Parsons Project’s Gaudi is an album that established fans probably will truly enjoy, but it might be a bit difficult for those not familiar to understand.

Written by: Jessica Sánchez, May 18th 2009

From the Heart

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 22:59:00 +0000

By The Isley Brothers

Legacy Recordings

The Isley Brothers have been making fantastic and varied music since the 1950s, or as their DefJam website says, creating “Baby Makin’ Music.” Personally, I would prefer listening to From The Heart with a glass of wine while chopping vegetables, making dinner rather than babies. But that’s just me.

Considering the pervasive presence of The Isley Brothers in American music, especially funk, rock and roll, and R&B, it would be difficult to not recognize the rhythm and high melodic voice of the Isleys. From The Heart is mellow, a far cry from “Shout” or “Fight the Power,” but more like “This Old Heart of Mine.”

Don’t slip this disc into the player expecting the rock and roll of the sixties, or the funk of the eighties. One might categorize it as adult contemporary. These reissued songs are all love songs, hence the title From The Heart (which seems to be a frequently used album title in the music industry, from Billie Holiday to Dolly Parton).

Several of the songs on this album are truly fun. I like “Choosey Lover,” and the cover of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay” is beautiful. Some of the songs’ lyrics are reminiscent of Teddy Pendergrass and Marvin Gay, but don’t quite work, such as in “Hello, It’s Me.” And if you’re looking for feminist lyrics, this isn’t the place.

The Isley Brothers are so important to American music, one can’t completely dismiss anything they do. These men have influenced so many contemporary artists, as well as musical genres overall. “Lay Lady Lady” might just make this album worth your while, and will remind you of the place The Isley Brothers have in American culture. And not just as "baby makin' music."

Written by: Claire Burrows, May 2nd 2009

From the Heart

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:29:00 +0000

By Etta James

Legacy Recordings

Discovering new music from a classic artist makes you feel like you’re getting to know an old friend a little bit better. The picture of them in your mind feels more complete and well-rounded. By compiling fifteen tracks of previously recorded songs in From the Heart, Legacy Recordings introduces us to new a new side of one of our old favorites, Etta James.

Unlike other recordings, this album exposes her more soulful R&B talents that are rarely associated with her. Legacy proves that there’s more to this expressive diva than her famous cover of “At Last.” This is most evident in her cover of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Try a Little Tenderness.” James’ classic brassy baritone oozes over the smooth beats and creates sounds that are entirely different from her well-known jazz croon.

Don’t worry though, Legacy doesn’t skimp on the old stand-bys. Listeners will get their James jazz-fill with tracks like “My Man” and “My Funny Valentine.” Etta James is currently experiencing a second wind in the media spotlight because of the film Cadillac Records and a new, svelte figure. This album serves as just another reminder of how talented and versatile she is as an artist. Like a surprise phone call from an old friend, James is letting us know that she’s still here and remains one of the greatest female jazz and blues artists of her time.

Written by: Sara Custer, April 13th 2009

From the Heart

admin — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:25:00 +0000

By Billie Holiday

Legacy Recordings

Legacy Recordings released digitally remastered versions of fifteen Billie Holiday songs for Valentine’s Day, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate. From the Heart is a collection of some of Holiday’s loveliest work: classics such as Ray Noble’s “The Very Thought of You,” Marks’ and Simon’s “All Of Me,” Cole Porter’s “Night and Day,” and my personal favorite, J. Fred Coots’ “You Go To My Head.” The album is a part of Legacy’s From the Heart series, which includes nine artists.

For those poor souls who have never experienced incomparable jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday, the emotion and humanity of her voice, and the pure élan of her delivery are her trademarks. Both of those are in full effect here. Sadly, many of her recordings are marred by a scratchy sound due to their age and poor quality, but Legacy has done a marvelous job restoring the songs on From the Heart. The voice of “Lady Day” shines through beautifully, with the lush backup of piano, horns, drums, and guitar.

From the Heart is no “Best Of"; for a broader swath of Billie’s work with edgier songs like “Strange Fruit” or “Long Gone Blues,” look elsewhere. However, if you are in need of some pleasurably romantic music for slow dancing and romantic evenings, From the Heart will work just fine. For Valentine’s Day, or any other day, sit down with your sweetheart, break out the bubbly, and enjoy.

Written by: Jennifer Wedemeier, March 29th 2009

From the Heart

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:29:00 +0000

By Aretha Franklin

Legacy Recordings

Aretha Franklin's From The Heart compiles sixteen love songs from the Queen of Soul's exhaustive, five-decades-deep discography. Ranging from the very sentimental to the very funky, it's too short to be a hits compilation, and too erratic for a proper seduction.

It's also largely rooted in the eighties, with several cuts culled from 1982's Jump to It and Get It Right. The former, her first entrance into the post-disco commercial pop sound, was also a celebration of her longevity, marking a transformation of sound and a renewed sense of vitality. This album's songs, namely "Love Me Right" and "I Got Your Love," embrace the funk, and Aretha sounds almost giddy as she playfully maneuvers within the new sound. The call-and-response of her big God-fearing voice and the Me Decade's signature slap-bass makes the listener want to saunter onto the dance floor and wrestle with a new formula herself.

But more songs come from Get It Right, almost universally derided as mediocre. Where Jump to It's lyrical content took a backseat to Aretha's sheer presence, here the schmaltzy balladry is front and center–and Aretha doesn't seem too enthused. She coasts indifferently above cheesy and dated melodies, occasionally breaking into over-the-top vocal theatrics that fail to make up for the otherwise tepid delivery. Save "Every Girl (Wants My Guy)," in which Aretha smartly "breaks it down" to a girlfriend over the phone, the work from this album is, indeed, phoned in.

From The Heartworks best when it reaches all across Aretha's vast career, from the very old to the most recent. The selections off of 1998's A Rose Is Still a Rose, notably the Lauryn Hill-produced title track, find Aretha embracing a more urban sound, and establish her as a voice not only of empowerment, but wisdom. Elsewhere, the jazz standard "Misty" sounds almost appropriate for the Porgy & Bess soundtrack, the music bluesy and timeless, her voice guttural and raw. It's a side of Aretha I feel unacquainted with, and a side worth exploring.

The most memorable cut is possibly the least fitting. In her 1964 version of "Unforgettable," the ingenue sings over a full orchestra; while her voice doesn't carry the power she would develop later in her career, it's certainly evidence of things to come. The young Franklin's greatness is inherent, and the huge, swelling instrumentation seems simply fitting, elevating but not enhancing.

See, Aretha doesn't need help. She just needs to be inspired. Beside her gospel-trained voice, Aretha's longevity stems from her ability to own a song. Much of her best work, including the anthemic "Respect," is penned by men. By the same token, much of her best work is about men. In wrenching these simple love songs from other singers and showing them how it's done, she reiterates two-fold her power. She embodies the feeling, establishes her independence, and earns our respect.

From The Heart, however, doesn't quite capture this. Largely uninspired and listless, much of this seems from the pocketbook or from the depths of a too-long recording contract. Only rarely does it sound, truly, from the heart.

Written by: Sarah Jeanne Lombardo, March 26th 2009

From the Heart

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:42:00 +0000

By Frank Sinatra

Legacy Recordings

Think back to a time when the art of "wooing" someone was appreciated, a skill that was improved and mastered over time. This was a time when walking hand-in-hand with your beloved was considered a milestone in a relationship. In this era—mid-twentieth century America—From the Heart was born, traveling through time, space, and dimension to sweep us off our feet.

This is the loveliest assemblage of Sinatra's early work. With a focus on magnificent orchestrations best exemplified in the opening track "Blue Skies,” this compilation inspires the listener to be a little more graceful and formal in their daily life. That bygone era, for all of its negative connotations and realities (from World War II to institutionalized racism and sexism), gave the world a new vision and, in the end, placed a silver lining on the clouds that loomed large on the horizon. Such silver linings are much needed, maybe even more so today.

The fourth track, "Dream (When You’re Feeling Blue)" prompts the listener to lift her proverbial chin, and recognize that hope reigns eternal. The classic "I've Got a Crush on You" is the last track on the album, and it reminds one of the deliciousness of "crushing" on someone; that giddiness that you get in just thinking about your prospective love.

This collection of music is delightful in its simplicity and heartwarming in its orchestration. There is something very special about new beginnings, and this collection of songs brings us back to the early stages of Sinatra's career. I highly recommend From the Heart for those moments of nostalgia that are even better when shared with those you love and who love you back.

Written by: Susan G. Reyes Vasquez, March 15th 2009

From the Heart

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:15:00 +0000

By Dolly Parton

Legacy Recordings

Imagine all of your favorite Dolly Parton songs, packaged together on one CD for instant listening pleasure. Wouldn’t it be nice to just pop that CD in and hear all of her best songs, spanning her entire career? Well, imagine no longer; Legacy Recordings has created precisely this album! Just another Best Of? No; this is more like an Ultimate Dolly Parton Playlist, for country music diehards and occasional listeners as well.

From the rocking beat of “Islands in the Stream” to the lilt of “You Are,” the variety of songs on this album will keep listeners interested and entertained. As is true for so many of Parton’s songs, the overarching theme of this album is love and relationships. “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You” celebrates staying true and honoring commitments, “Here You Come Again” focuses on lust and attraction, and “Love is Like a Butterfly” describes the emotional experience of being in love. Any love-themed collection by Dolly Parton wouldn’t be complete without “I Will Always Love You,” which proudly occupies a spot on From The Heart’s playlist.

Dolly Parton’s distinct voice is beautiful and strong on its own, but as fans know, she has worked with Kenny Rogers on two unforgettable chart-topping duets (“Islands in the Stream” and “Real Love”). Both of these songs are on From The Heart, further rounding out its representation of Parton’s style.

Couples looking for a great date album to set a romantic mood will definitely want to check out this album; Parton’s playful personality shines through while reflecting on the importance of love and its different stages. Parton seems to sing directly to each individual, touching on universal themes and real-world situations. As the last track plays, listeners will find themselves glowing with hope and love.

Written by: Amanda Moss, March 10th 2009

From the Heart

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:21:00 +0000

By Miles Davis

Legacy Recordings

If you are a hardcore Miles Davis fan, you won’t get much satisfaction from this 12-track nostalgic tribute to Davis classics like “Round Midnight” and “Blue In Green.” Groundbreaking Kind of Blue is Davis’s milestone killer album and From the Heart pales in comparison.

It’s likely that each song in this album was chosen as part of a slick marketing scheme to create a compilation of Davis’ most accessible and romantic jazz classics. While it is clearly Miles Davis 101, From the Heart is also a reminder that Davis is the master of elegant understated post-bop smooth improvisation. Davis’ jazz is large because of his disciplined restraint and attention to small details, such as the gentle silences between blasts of pure crystal-clear trumpet notes tiptoeing gently into the air, exemplifying the credo that less is definitely more.

The bulk of the songs on From the Heart hail from Davis’ early collection of '50s and '60s classics, such as Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” and “Bess, You Is my Woman Now.” As the album draws to a close, the listener is treated to Miles' super-smooth version of funky Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” followed by the inevitable standard “My Funny Valentine”.

Davis’ interpretation of Lauper’s contemporary hit is a delightful jazz gift from Miles and my personal favorite of the selections featured here. _ From the Heart_ is a tribute to Davis’ pre-acoustic jazz mastery and is a smooth, cool, terrific, and reasonably priced introduction to the work of Miles Davis.

Written by: Rachelle Nones, March 8th 2009