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 P.F. SLOAN |
 ROD STEWART |
 GILBERT O'SULLIVAN |
 LOS STRAITJACKETS |
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SEAN LENNON
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P.F.
SLOAN
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PETTY Highway Companion (American)
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ROD
STEWART Still The Same (J)
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GILBERT O'SULLIVAN A Scruff At Heart (By Gum)
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LOS
STRAITJACKETS Twist Party (YepRoc)
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As
Sean's brother Julian Lennon pointed out to me in my 20th Century Guitar
interview with him in 1999 (an interview currently on 
One
of the great ‘60s pop composers, P.F. Sloan is back in at age 60
with a killer rock album that borrows the spirit of the ‘60s and
infuses it with some well earned pop smarts. Sloan’s track “Eve
Of Destruction” was a huge hit for pop icon Barry McGuire back
in late ‘65 and not only has the song maintained its potency but,
revived in 2006 by Sloan and his band, it sounds more ironic and timeless
today. Combining new versions of his most famous hits of the ‘60s,
Sailover also features a catch of new songs that proves P.F.’s
still got the knack to bowl you over with a solid hook and complex lyrics.
For the 2006 release of Sailover, Sloan receives backing from
a tight band of players including co-producer / guitarist Jon Tiven.
There
are good Tom Petty albums then there are great Tom Petty albums. Clearly,
Petty’s 2006 CD on American, Highway Companion is one of
his great albums. With a memorable batch of tunes and ready to rock,
Tom links up with long time guitarist Mike Campbell and long
time Traveling Wilburys cohort Jeff Lynne. Between the three
of them, they turn L.A. pop to gold on a dozen tracks that glisten like
silver cacti on a desert highway. Clearly Petty and Lynne had George
Harrison, and to some extent Dylan and Orbison, in mind with much reverence
when they cut these tracks as Harrison’s spirit as both a singer
and guitarist, lingers here like a fog upon L.A., echoing those timeless
Wilburys spirits. 
Assisted
by a range of top players including guitarists John Shanks (who
also produced), Greg Leisz, Dean Parks and Tim Pierce,
Rod Stewart returns with his first roots rock covers album. Featuring
stately Stewart versions of classics by renowned songwriters John Fogerty,
Pete Ham, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, Bonnie Tyler, Elvin Bishop, Bob
Dylan, The Eagles and more, Still The Same: Great Rock Classics
Of Our Time rocks steady. On this 13 track pop covers CD, Stewart
comes across like he was meant to reinterpret these rock evergreens.
Few
musicians can captivate an audience with just a piano accompaniment.
In the spirit of keyboard rockers like Elton John and Paul McCartney,
Gilbert O’Sullivan reemerges in fine form with the 2006 CD release
of A Scruff At Heart. If you can find it on Ebay, check out the
gorgeous Japanese pressing with superb gatefold cover art and lyrics
booklet. For the 2006 release of A Scruff At Heart Gilbert has
penned batch or memorable rockers that sound great with spare yet tasteful
backing from strings, woodwinds and brass. The first track “Take
Your Foot Off My Toe” is a toe tapping intro to an album that sounds
better spin after spin. 
Renowned
for their rockabilly style surf to outer space instro and beyond, Los
Straitjackets team with the ‘world famous’ Pontini Sisters
and vocalist Kaiser George for a sound best described as
David Byrne meets Booker T. & The MG’s. The CD half of this
2006 CD/DVD set features the band with George while the DVD features
dance instruction videos from the slightly ‘twisted’ and scantily
clad sisters. Stuff like this was coming out left and right 25 years
ago. There’s a great instro (with Munsters style sound effects)
called “Mad Scientwist” while a set closing cover of “Peppermint
Twist” sounds like a cut from a Joey Dee & The Starlighters
meets The Raybeats Lp that never happened. 
