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SAUL ZONANA |
THE YARDBIRDS |
HERMAN'S HERMITS |
KONGOS |
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LEWIS TAYLOR
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SAUL
ZONANA
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MARIA
MCKEE Late December (Cooking Vinyl) Fate intervened for singer songwriter Maria McKee when her brother, Bryan MacLean passed away in the mid 90s. Now with Arthur Lee also gone from the planet its up to McKee to keep the spirit of Loves adventurous orchestral pop sound alive and well. Regarding her sixth album, released in April 2007, McKee adds, Late December is current for me. It is an album I love to listen to. It is music that I like. Like her brother and Arthur Lee in the fabled Love group back in the 60s, McKee masterfully combines drama with pop melody. Long time fans who yearn for her more country, unplugged style should get out of the way of musical progress. Thank god artists like Bowie was able to make albums like Hunky Dory, and then grow into their own, much like McKee has done on Late December. McKees husband and partner Jim Akinas well as guitarist Jerry Andrewsis totally in sync with McKees orchestral pop vision and her songs work right from the get go. www.cookingvinylusa.com
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THE
YARDBIRDS Live At B.B. King Blues Club (Favored Nations) The
Yardbirds are caught live on a 2007 CD entitled Live At B.B. King
Blues Club. It would have been great to have a studio album of all
new material from drumming legend Jim McCarty and his Yardbirds
revival band but this recent live from NYC disc will please long
time fans and newcomers alike. McCarty and co-founder / original Yardbirds
bassist Chris Dreja rev up the Yardbirds legacy with a 2007
Yardbirds set featuring new guitarist Ben King, who stands in
the place of Beck, Clapton and Page while adding his own vital fretboard
touches. Singer John Idan could never fill the shoes of the late
great Keith Relf but he steps up to the plate with these new
treatments of classic songs The Yardbirds amazed the music world with
back in the 60s while some new tracks brings the bands legacy
up to date. 2007 notes by Sid Barryd brings the story up to date.
www.favorednations.com
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HERMAN'S HERMITS Greatest Hits Live (NoOne) Prog-rockers and jazzers may scoff at the name Hermans Hermits, yet the classic 60s pop sound the Hermits brought to the music world is revived on the 2007 CD release of Hermans Hermits Starring Peter Noone Greatest Hits Live. While Noone never achieved the prominence of singers such as David Bowie, he was the front man for a band that achieved huge success on the charts at the same time as The Beatles, Stones, Dave Clark Five and more. On this recent live 20 track CD of timeless pop, Noone revives the Hermits name in style with a keen rock band and sets the stage for London 1965. Even the most staunchest blues or prog rockers have many of these British invasion classics etched into their brains. I vividly remember my father taking me to Freedomland to see The Four Seasons back in 63 and I feel a similar sense of nostalgia for Noones rocking Hermits tracks. www.peternoone.com
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KONGOS Kongos (Kongos) Speaking of glaring omissions from the Elektra box, 36 years ago, London-based John Kongos released one of that labels most illustrious progressive pop imports. Entitled Kongos, that 71 John Kongos album on Elektra featured amazing production of Gus Dudgeon and excellent guitars by Caleb Quaye. Also simply titled Kongos, this 2007 CD is the debut group recording of Johns four sonsDylan Kongos (vocals, guitar), Jesse Kongos (drums), John J. Kongos (keyboards) and Daniel Kongos (guitars). With their famous father as executive producer and on backing vocals, the 2007 Kongos is a cool and entertaining spin that evokes their dads adventurous 71 Kongos album yet stakes out some new musical terrain one generation down the line. With the Kongos clan all based in Arizona these days, its even more enlightening to witness the inherent wealth and musical aptitude in the new Kongos generation. The songs stick, the vocals are compelling and that Kongos beat can still mesmerize. www.kongos.com
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