Carlos Santana's new cd, All That I Am, follows the highly successful formula that returned him to the top of the charts with his two previous albums: a few latin flavored mostly instrumental numbers, along with some rock/pop songs featuring guest artists from across the spectrum of popular music.
Michelle Branch returns on the strength of her hit with “The Game of Love” from the Shaman album. Her new song, “I'm Feeling You,” also has hit potential. However, just as it was with the last two albums, some of the most interesting songs come when Santana's guitar is mixed with the rap/hip-hop artists. “My Man,” featuring Mary J. Blige and Outkast's Big Boi, is an attention getter; as is “I Am Somebody” performed by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. The latter, along with “Brown Skin Girl” sung by Bo Bice, also have strong possibility as singles.
Other guests include Steven Tyler, Anthony Hamilton, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Sean Paul, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, and Los Lonely Boys. The wide range of styles is one reason that Supernatural and Shaman has such mass appeal. Of course, the songs have to be good as well. This record is all but guaranteed to sell well on release. Whether it continues to do so will depend on the quality of the composition. The performing talent is bona fide.
The Rolling Stones new album A Bigger Bang is their first offering of all new studio music since 1997's Bridges to Babylon. For many Stone's fans, it will be worth the wait. A Bigger Bang sounds more like a blues-based rock band than any record the Stones have made since the 1970's or early 1980's.
There are several possible reasons for this. Charlie Watts' bout with throat cancer may have played a part. Being faced with a friend and bandmate's mortality, and therefore your own, is sure to initiate some soul searching. That is enough to inspire new writing on its' own. It also may be the reason that the “Glimmer Twins” wrote songs together for the first time in a long time. Old enmities seem to have been put behind them for this record. The value in that should not be underestimated; it is, after all, a group effort to record an album.
With sixteen songs lasting for 64 plus minutes, there should be something for every Stones fan on this cd. It is definitely a rhythm-driven work, reminiscent of some of their best early work. Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, along with Darryl Jones on bass, set the pace. Ron Wood provides his usual sterling guitar riffs, including some slide work. Chuck Leavell is on hand for keyboards. Mick Jagger's vocals are also very good here. There is a sense from listening to him that he is happier with the songs than he has been with the small amount of new material released in recent years. He really sparkles on “Streets of Love” and “Laugh I Nearly Died.” Having said this, a quick check of the credits will reveal the band members switching roles on several songs. Jagger does get in some guitar time and Richards plays piano.
Another defining feature of this record is that it was produced with a very clean, clear, almost spare sound. While some of the Stone's later albums were somewhat over-produced, this one sounds, again, like a rock and roll band at its' best. All the instruments and vocals come through, with no one part stepping on another. This is an excellent, tight, Rolling Stones record. Like all Stones albums, it should be played loud!
Eric Clapton has always been comfortable playing blues, blues/rock, or rock/pop. His last few albums have alternated between blues oriented music and the more mainstream popular rock. After recording a tribute to Robert Johnson last year, Clapton has returned with a rock record titled Back Home.
Increasingly, Eric Clapton appears to be a musician too content with his life to sing nothing but the blues. This album starts with a tribute to family life that despite its title, “So Tired,” is an upbeat, uptempo tune. The baby crying in the background indicates exactly what is on Mr. Clapton's mind of recent times. If any further proof is needed, read the dedication inside the cd's sleeve, in which he thanks his wife and children for providing the home he has “always yearned for, and will always hurry back to.” While he does sing songs of love gone bad for this record, there seems to be more conviction in the happy “Piece Of My Heart.” Even the guitar work here has the authority of someone who is sincere in what they are communicating.
There is one song that is infused with the wistful, yearning discontent that Clapton has used to good effect on his past blues albums. The Vince Gill penned “One Day” is one of the standout pieces from this record. Fine vocals and classic Clapton guitar work will make this a favorite.
There are also some outstanding guests on this record: Doyle Bramhall II, Billy Preston, John Mayer, Steve Winwood, and Vince Gill. It may not be Eric Clapton's best album. However, it is still Clapton and his worst album would be worthy of owning.
Fans of the Robert Cray Band will be delighted from the very beginning of his newest release. “Poor Johnny,” the first track on the album Twenty, may be the best Cray tune in years. This tale of a cheating husband who gets caught and "taken down late one night” is vintage Robert Cray. Infectious rhythms, subtle keyboards, and a catchy lead guitar riff are the perfect accompaniment to Cray's soulful, plaintive vocals and smooth poetry.
Another strong contender on this record is the title track. “Twenty” is Cray's haunting tribute to our soldiers in the Middle East. This is one that deserves repeated listenings, which may be necessary to fully appreciate it. There is enough emotion in the voice and lyrics to indicate that it may be a very personal song for Cray.
Most of the album is filled with Cray's trademark tales of broken relationships and lessons learned too late. And why not, he excels in this genre. He does save perhaps the bluesiest number for the end. “Two Steps From The End (last door down the hall,)” features the kind of licks that made him famous. His persona in this song may be down and out, but Robert Cray is still riding high, with another very good record.
For those Train fans who have worried that the lineup changes in the band would seriously alter the music, For Me, It's You should allay their fears. The new album runs comfortably on the same tracks as the first three, with new bassist Johnny Colt and keyboard player Brandon Bush making their presence felt with nuanced grace. Colt alters the group's rhythm section only subtly, while Bush gives them the full time keyboardist they were sometimes missing in the past.
The two do make their presence felt on "Cab," which is positioned to be the first breakout song from the album. "Cab" is singer/songwriter Pat Monahan's ode to loneliness and isolation, and was inspired by his divorce. Monahan has a tendency to write his lyrics in a literal style, and some of his best songs have a stream-of-consciousness type narrative. With "Cab" he chooses instead to employ the metaphor of a New York cabdriver on a snowy night. It works well, conveying the sense of lonesome abandonment inherent in divorce, and doing so without ever threatening to become maudlin. Colt's bass drives the piece, but remains in the background as it should. Meanwhile, Bush's keyboards work with the strings to add beautifully textured layers of sound behind Monahan's vocals.
Another song likely to be a fan favorite is the title track. "For Me, It's You" seems to be written for Monahan's new love. The lyrics are classic Monahan, written in his trademark style of unpretentious poetry: "Everybody's got something they want to sing about, laugh about, cry about it's true...for me it's you." As the last song on the album, it allows the listener to come away with the feeling that Monahan's life (or at least someone's life, if this album is not strictly autobiographical) has come full circle again. He sings of the loss of his marriage, his love for his kids ("Skyscraper,") and of the apparent new love that fills the void.
Other ear-catching songs on the album include "Give Myself To You," about a man who is struggling to let go of a love lost so that he can give himself completely to a new one. "All I Hear," to Monahan's credit, is the only song that lets a touch of bitterness creep in. That is no small feat. Many rock stars have used their microphones as a bully pulpit to trash their former flames. Kudos to Pat for taking the high road. "All I Hear" is followed by "Shelter Me," a song of recovery and another potential hit if it is released as a single. "Shelter Me" is possibly the most guitar driven song on For Me, It's You, and one of the most pleasing musically. It is up-tempo, and allows Brandon Bush to show just how much a little bit of rock and roll piano can add to a song. "Explanation" is another very strong tune, with an irresistible hook: "What's your explanation...Cause everybody got one." Monahan's poetry soars here with lines like: "Are you one to fly with the creatures that always burn up in the flame, Or are you one to sing with the creatures that make up the rules to the game." A little cryptic, maybe, but fascinating.
As to the new version of Train, it would be wrong to say that the loss of two talented musicians has no effect on the music. But part of Train's strength lies in the versatility of the members. Those who remain of the originals all play multiple instruments, which eases the transition. The new bandmates were selected because they also have talents worthy of being in this successful group. And of course, the band has always been flavored largely by its powerful front man. Train fans will not likely be disappointed by this new offering.
