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![George Harrison, George Harrison - All Things Must Pass [DIGI-PAK EDITION]](product_images/1366000/1366184_thumb.jpg) | George Harrison, George Harrison - All Things Must Pass [DIGI-PAK EDITION] |
 | "Bloated" | 2008-05-19 |
I would have given this 2 1/2 stars if I could. I would like to see a "naked" version like they did with Let It Be. Make this a one CD release with all of Specter's horrible production removed. Harrison can write some great tunes, but he is hit and miss--mostly miss.
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![John Mayall - The Turning Point [Bonus Tracks 2001]](product_images/1383000/1383493_thumb.jpg) | John Mayall - The Turning Point [Bonus Tracks 2001] |
 | "Instrumentally Good" | 2008-05-01 |
The band on this CD is great. I saw them live when they toured promoting this CD. My problem with this recording is that Mayall is an especially lame vocalist. I also agree with the reviewer who said that the lyrics were weak. Mayall has a great ear for talent, its too bad the didn't use that ear to hire a vocalist. In spite of the lyrics, I like most of the songs; although, "Room to Move" is all flash and no substance. It's showy and fun (especially live), but the harp playing is really nothing to write home about and the song is just a recycled "Tequila" riff played over and over again.
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 | Van Morrison - Moondance |
| "Weak lyrics" | 2008-04-29 |
I like Van, and this is a pretty good CD,I guess. I just find that I'm not that motivated to listen to it very often. Moondance has been played to death and the rest of the songs are just okay to me. Actually, most of Van's stuff is just okay. This CD's best songs are at the beginning, the songs diminish in quality as the CD progresses. As usual, the lyrics are never beyond servicable. Van has a tendency to write rhymes instead of interesting lyrics. "These dreams of you. So real and so true", "Everyone, everyone, everyone ,everyone", "And it stoned me to my soul, stoned me just like going home". Not very inspiring, or interesting. It's a nice Sunday morning CD, I suppose, but not as good as Astral Weeks--another CD with its share of bad lyrics. "As I venture in the slipstream between the viaducts of your dream." Pretentious and sometimes, unintentionally funny. You're better off downloading individual songs form Van's catalog. His CDs are just too spotty.
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 | Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview |
| "The Lion Has Little To Say" | 2007-09-20 |
Trust me, you are not going to listen to "Listen to the Lion" and "Almost Indepencence Day" more than once. Van sings these songs and then tries to stretch them out with improvisation and "scat" singing. Believe me, Van is no scat singer. He grunts and groans as if he is turning into the lion he sings about. It is pointless and irritating. When someone becomes as respected as Van; his fans start cutting him breaks when he makes bad decisions. I think it should be just the opposite. We should hold him to a higher standard. Most of the music on the CD is either uninspired or self-indulgent. When Van sticks to songs, he's great. When he tries too self-consciously to make "art", he fails miserably. Download "Jackie Wilson Said" and skip the rest. This is Van at his worst.
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 | Deep Blues |
| "Dull" | 2006-10-03 |
I'm a big fan of the blues. I even play a little country blues on the guitar. That being said, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I have found this to be a really dull read. The book just seems to ramble along, trying to romanitize the blues instead of just giving the facts. I already understand the magic of the blues. I didn't need a book convincing me of that magic. It was also difficult to keep track of the chronology of the development of the music.
The author talks a lot about African rhythm when, in fact, African rhythms have little to do with the blues. Discussions of rhythm would be more appropriate in a book about jazz. I found myself skipping ahead in hopes of finding something interesting. Alas, I did something I don't often do once I start a book--I stopped reading it.
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 | George Benson - Best Of George Benson: The Instrumentals |
| "Elevator Music" | 2005-11-26 |
Don't be fooled by the reviews. If you're looking for some jazz, don't buy this album. This is a CD of easy-listening music. If you're looking for some jazz guitar, check out the early CDs like George Benson Cookbook or the stuff he recorded with Brother Jack McDuff. I guess this stuff is okay to put on while watering the plants, but there is no substance to this ear candy. What a waste of talent. And George QUIT SINGING YOUR GUITAR SOLOS. It's bad enough that you sing, but singing during a solo just diminishes both the singing and the guitar playing. YAWN!
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 | Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now |
 | "Montovani on Acid" | 2005-04-09 |
This is really pretty horrible stuff. Joni tries to tackle some old standards and fails miserably. The backing is mostly overblown string arrangments that are brooding, pretentious and cloying. I don't know who would be interested in this recording. If you are a Joni fan, buy one of her old records. If you like old standards, buy the originals or albums of covers by stylists like LInda Ronstadt. More depressing than introspective.
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