Artist: Michael Buble

Oh so smooth sir, 2008-05-15
This is my favourite play at the moment, I guess that I am a little late in trying Mr Buble's music, but I am a convert. Think of a nicely warmed, quality single malt, good crystal glass, this is that smooth, just slides down, leaving a pleasant glow behind. Good in the car, great on the MP3 player, nice in the background during dinner with friends. This album has a great selection of tracks, well known classics of the genre, and others, new to me at least. Just try it!

Artist: Katie Melua

not US compatible, 2009-01-04
The Katie Melua Collection (CD + BONUS DVD) doesn't appear to be formatted for the US. Both the picture and the audio are out of sync which is such a shame.

Artist: Miles Davis

This is the one jazz record owned by people who don't listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis's masterful casting skills, if not of God's existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on "Freddie Freeloader", Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Coltrane's astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley's funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis's men's hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. --John Szwed
Check the version....., 2009-01-05
At first hearing you think the CD is good. Repeated listening makes you realise it is exceptionally good! Make sure though that you get the post 1997 remastered speed correct version made from the studio backup tape if you want it to do justice on a modern hi fi system - eg the Sony CK 64935 CD. Thoroughly recommend it - not just for Miles Davis but the excellent sensitivity of the accompanying musicians too.

Artist: Nitin Sawhney

A great Nitin album, 2008-11-11
I saw Nitin play in Bristol in early November 2008 and he gave the best performance of the 5 times I have seen him. A delicate and sensitive gig, with Nitin mainly playing acoustic guitar, accompanied by some sublime cello playing and indian flute and tabla playing - all mixed with dreamy singing. This album reflects all that. A true concept album - a 45 minute journey through life today. Such a wide variety of influnces - how wrong the last reviewer is! This is a great Nitin album,and I've loved him from the start. Turn it on, lie back on the sofa and let yourself drift away.

Artist: Michael Buble

Michael Buble's assured debut and the tireless year of globe-trotting touring he spent promoting it elevated the 20-something Vancouver native into the first rank of pop crooner revivalists. His sophomore studio follow-up largely turns on the same formula that helped make his considerable vocal prowess so attractive to mainstream audiences, mixing the nigh flawless, if expected Sinatra-channelling ("I've Got You Under My Skin") with more playful and inviting renditions of pop standards like the Gershwin's "A Foggy Day in London Town," "Feeling Good," "Try A Little Tenderness" and Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin." But it's the eclectic mix of more contemporary material the singer seasons them with--apt tribute to Buble hero Bobby Darin--that keeps him walking the narrow tightrope between artistic intrigue (a blues-tinged vamp of Holland-Dozier-Holland's "How Sweet It Is," Leon Russell's lovely "Song For You," with a guest turn by Chris Botti) and the kitsch-laden abyss ("Quando, Quando, Quando"'s Euro-centric duet with Nelly Furtado, a ring-a-ding-fling with the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" that echoes fellow Canadian crooner/rival Matt Dusk's more successful flirtation wi...
It's Bublé!, 2007-12-12
This is the second main album from Canadian Virgo, Mr Michael Bublé.
It lasts 49 minutes 17 seconds, doesn't come with song words and contains 13 songs:

1. FEELING GOOD - 3:57. A slow song - 10/10.
2. A FOGGY DAY (IN LONDON TOWN) 2:32. A fast, big band number with a fabulous ending! - 9/10.
3. YOU DONT KNOW ME - 4:14. A slow song - 9/10.
4. QUANDO, QUANDO, QUANDO - 4:45. A duet with Ms Nelly Furtado - 10/10.
5. HOME - 3:45. Bublé's own composition, a great driving song - 9/10.
6. CANT BUY ME LOVE - 3:15. A song with lots of tempo changes - 8.5/10.
7. THE MORE I SEE YOU - 3:48. A long intro, but it's worth it! 10/10.
8. SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME - 3:39. Up-tempo! 10/10.
9. TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS - 4:06. A slow, beautifully orchestrated song -8/10.
10. HOW SWEET IT IS - 2:59. # I needed the shelter of someone's arms, And there you were, I needed someone to understand my ups and downs, & there you were, With sweet love and devotion, Gently touching my emotion # 11/10.
11. A SONG FOR YOU - 4:43. Excellent vocals and excellent musicianship - 8/10.
12. IVE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN - 3:40. # I've got you deep in the heart of me, So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me. # 8/10.
13. YOU AND I - 3:55. A slow song - 8/10.

This album contains a thank you from Mr Bublé to his fans, which reads - "I have the greatest fans in the world, thanks for being there, enjoy!"

If you or someone you know adores the big band sound, or you're just a fan of fabulous music, then this album is for you.
Bublé makes all the songs on this album his own, and even people who aren't fond of the Rat Pack sound will definitely be converted!

Any or all of his music would make perfect Valentines Day / anniversary gifts,

Utterly fabulous!

Artist: John Williams

At long last, Indy gets the Star Wars / Lord of the Rings treatment!, 2008-11-27
I've been a soundtrack enthusiast since I was a boy, and as with many who share my passion the Indiana Jones soundtracks have long been amongst the most beloved and yet still frustrating albums I have owned.

Of course, John Williams' classic mix of brassy heroism, muscular action and broad romantic motifs need no introduction - a perfect mix of 1930s musical idioms and contemporary pace and styling. But for so long we had to endure cut down selections on album, with so many great cues missing.

Admittedly the DDC/Silva reissue of Raiders did much to correct this for the first score, and the original Last Crusade album pushed the limits of the original CD release and felt moderately complete, but Temple of Doom was always the weak link.

Not any more. Now all three original films get the expansions they have so long deserved and fans have so long desired - and all with punchy, pristine remasters.

Raiders, having been issued in a vastly expanded form already, only gets three new cues, admittedly short but all key (the first introduction of the Ark theme for example, which chills to the bone). Last Crusade has a number of minor cues added, plus at last the complete train chase sequence and the wonderful main theme segue from River Phoenix to Harrison Ford - but it is Temple of Doom that truly impresses!

Always my favourite of the Jones scores, the original album missed so many wonderful pieces - the pilotless plane sequence with its huge musical flourishes, the Indian village with its ominous ethnic sounds, the whooping horns and clattering percussion of Pankot Palace, massive tracts of action music from the Thugee mines, the little Raiders swordfight gag, the final battle of the rope bridge and arrival of the troops... At last all are here!

Disc four is the least exciting, featuring the standard album of Crystal Skull, which I review elsewhere (Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). This is a shame, as while it is fairly complete, little cues like the military convoy at the beginning would have been nice additions.

This is actually a five disc set, and disc five is a bonus that rounds up minor cues that couldn't be fitted on the main discs - mostly from Last Crusade, including the Zeppelin sections - plus some audio interviews.

The packaging is superb - a faux-leather box with gold embossing, and matt-varnished digi-pak style sleeves for each main album that use the original album covers. Disc five is relegated to a simple card slipcase, as if it was an afterthought, and the booklet and CD inserts are disappointingly brief and shallow compared to efforts like the Lord of the Rings complete editions or the superb Superman FSM box set.

But, with Amazon now doing this for sub-£25 what excuse does any soundtrack fan have!? Time to retire your older, shorter albums, as beloved as they might be, because remember - it's not the years, it's the mileage, and this new set has plenty of that!

Artist: Nina Simone

Love it, 2008-04-04
Keeps-you-smiling music! One of the best voices that ever graced the music business. My 17 year old thinks she's as amazing as I do.

Artist: Various Artists

'Jingle jazz, jingle all the way', 2008-11-29

While maybe not the `Ultimate' Christmas Album from Classic FM - they have for many years released a new festive selection and I'm sure this won't be the last - this is certainly one of the most innovative thanks to its combination of traditional classical hymns and a selection of familiar festive music arranged jazz style, one disc being dedicated to each style of music.

The `jazzing up' of Christmas hits is nothing new to the pop music world, and certainly forms part of the recording repertoire of most jazz musicians, but it's rarer to find a combination of the two on one album release of greatest hits, and in this case some truly great, all American, artists. Names like Louis Armstrong, Eartha Kitt, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Count Basie and many more endorse the quality of the jazz versions of familiar `chestnuts' (in the kindest festive sense of the word) such as `Santa Claus is Coming to Town' and `Jingle Bells'.

The Classics too offer a set of tried and trusted favourites, plus a few contemporary songs by Patrick Hawes and John Rutter, and as with the Jazz disc are performed by well established household favourites like Katherine Jenkins, Jonathon Ansell, Aled Jones, Lesley Garrett, Hayley Westenra, All Angels, the great Pavarotti and loads more.

Its great too to see Russell Watson's name on the tracklist and back in the Classic FM `good books', but I guess they could hardly leave him out considering he won the title of `Nation's Favourite Male Singer' in a 2008 listeners poll by the radio station!

An excellent pairing of styles, complementing each other rather than contrasting, and well worth a venture even for those with only a slight interest in jazz music.

Artist: e s t

EST - the last post, 2008-10-13
Just magnificent! A wonderful tribute to the work of a trio who pushed the boundaries of jazz. A wall of sound for the 21st century.

Artist: Damon Albarn

You could never accuse Damon Albarn of resting on his laurels. Whether it's forming supergroups (The Good, The Bad & The Queen), working with cult animators (The Gorillaz) or making music with musicians from Mali, the former Blur frontman has nurtured a restless, questing spirit not normally encountered in Britop stars. As if to underline his diverse interests, he now turns his attention to Chinese theatre. Monkey: Journey to the West is a theatrical collaboration between Albarn (music), Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz fame (designs, costumes) and Chinese opera specialist Chen Shi-Zheng. The show itself is an explosive 90-minute circus featuring Chinese acrobats, martial arts experts and contortionists, though the album condenses the experience into 22 songs lasting an hour or so. Recorded in London and Beijing with a mix of European and Chinese musicians, Monkey ... is a genuine attempt at East-West fusion. Featuring a dizzying array of instrumentation--rock guitars, electronics, harps, mandolins, drum machines, strings, plinky-plonk keyboards, giggling girls, chants, even pigs--it's the sort of project that could so easily have gone awry. Yet Albarn, who allegedly mastere...
Listen to this properly!, 2008-11-30
Back ground music this is not! This album is full of extraordinary sounds and feelings that are powerful and strange. It is impossible to listen to this as background music, but if you enjoy music for the range of emotions and physical experiences it evokes you will love this album. Yes, there is the trademark Albarn waltz underlying "I love Buddha", and the more westernised tracks tend to be underpinned by thumping Gorillaz baselines, but this album is as strange and different as it should be. There is no English, but Mandarin, many of the instruments are strange, and the melodies are rooted in Chinese folk traditions. You will either find this album wierd and inaccessible, or utterly exhilerating. Deserves to be listened to properly and loudly!!