On The Air 2009

Jewel “Lullaby” (2009): Sweet! Something different but well fit, poetic intimacy. New tunes, familiar tunes, all sung with that angelic voice. You may not fall asleep listening to it but you’ll certainly find it easier to settle down after a busy, stressed, even lonely, day. A

“Yankee Doodle Dandy” MPS (2002): Hoorah! This is a special edition motion picture soundtrack, from one of my Most Favorite [Historic] Films. The tracks are taken, re-engineered, directly from the film. In addition to the numbers heard in the film, featured on this album are out-takes, interviews, auditions, rehearsals and a few numbers which were recorded for but cut from the film. A

“Sweeney Todd [: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]” MPS (2007): Excellent! This motion picture soundtrack created in me a brand new fondness for the film! I now count the film as one of my Most Favorite Films! In parts the tracks are a bit mis-engineered, leaving the vocals difficult to hear. Still the sheer madness of the subject matter and the quirky delight of the lyrics is a shining joy. A

Lucinda Williams “Sweet Old World” (1992): Wonderful! Brother Wease introduced me to this talented singer-songwriter with an on-air recommendation and free radio play. An old soul with a weathered voice and hard sound, this album is one of her earliest and it did not disappoint. I look forward to listening to more of this talent. B

Melissa Etheridge “Yes, I Am” (1993): Cool! One of her most revealing albums. This lady’s sound is wonderful, emoting pain and pleasure with such honesty, no ear could deny it. B

Joan Osborne “Little Wild One” (2008): Wild! This album is further proof of a talented musical artist’s perseverance. While the public at large may not consider her a musical star and few radio stations play her tunes, this lady has never disappointed a CD buyer or a venue. B

Sweeney Todd [: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street] Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack (1979): Included with this special edition CD is the entire libretto and a [formatted-to-size] complete playbill. These tracks seem to have been recorded live-on-stage; unfortunately, these recordings either weren’t re-engineered or were poorly re-engineered from the original source; so, this CD can be difficult to enjoy. Still, if you turn the volume up and lend a careful ear to the sound [or a quick eye to the libretto] you’ll get swept away by the tale. C

Lucinda Williams “Live At The Fillmore” (2005): Wow! The only thing that could have made this double-disc set better would be attending the show in person. A

Celtic Woman “A New Journey” (2006): Nice! The ladies come together in joyous harmony and musical celebration. With this album we say hello to two new woman and farewell to one other, changing the roster hasn’t changed the talent. Many of the tracks on this album are familiar but some are presented for the first time and all are sheer wonder. B

Reel Reviews by Josef
11 May 2009