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Great début

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 26 April 2007 08:53 (A review of Dire Straits)

Dire Straits' début album was only a preview of the splendour of what was to come. This album reveals the band in their most stripped down and basic pub rock sound of all of their releases. Knopfler's gifted guitar skills are showcased beautifully throughout the album, sometimes slick and slippery on such songs like “Down to the Waterline,” “Sultans of Swing,” “Wild West End,” “In the Gallery,” and “Six Blade Knife,” but we also hear the sharp, rough side of the guitar on “Setting Me Up” and “Southbound Again.” Illsley's bass is really quite amazing on “Six Blade Knife,” setting the mood of the song much in the same way he later introduced “So Far Away.”

My favourite tracks are “Sultans of Swing,” (of course) “Six Blade Knife,” and “Down to the Waterline,” “Water of Love,” “In the Gallery,” and “Wild West End.” The only song that has yet to grow on me is “Lions.”

The album artwork is completely plain white, save photos and text. The liner booklet features one photo of each band member (as seen on the back of the case) and a grayscale group shot on the first page. Credits are on the last page. Unfortunately, the printed lyrics deviate numerous times from the actual vocals, little words left out here and there, there's even a typo, and lines from “Southbound Again” and “Wild West End,” are flat-out wrong - those are just the mistakes I've noticed. However, I won't mark down the music for mistakes in the liner.

Overall the début is a great album for this once little pub band. I would recommend the album of course to Knopfler fans and people who enjoy stripped-down, relatively laid-back rock with some blues influences.

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Good and bad

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 23 April 2007 10:38 (A review of The Lion King (1997 Original Broadway Cast))

Note: I have not seen the musical itself, only listened to its music.

Having been a “The Lion King” fan since it was released, I listened to this album optimistically. While I would never trade the wonderful African songs for anything, I was very disappointed in the adaption of the songs from the film. Originals “The Morning Report” and “Chow Down” are needless and rather cheesy. The other songs from the film fail to meet the quality of vocals, instrumentations or pure magic of their film counterparts.

However, not all of the CD is a disappointment. The English original “The Madness of King Scar” is quite good and rather funny, if you get a chuckle out of subtleties and sarcastic tones of voice (such as me). The songs “Shadowland” and “Endless Night” are really quite beautiful, soulful takes on the melodies of the film, with original English lyrics written for the musical. On the other hand, if you hated the English songs the African songs make the CD all worthwhile. “Rafiki Mourns” is a rousing, chilling dirge sung by the power-voiced Tsidi Leloka herself. The other songs such as “Grasslands Chant,” “The Lioness Hunt” and “One By One” are each unique and lovely songs.

The liner booklet includes lyrics for all of the songs, and features side-by-side translations of the African songs. It also includes lovely African motifs and full cast and credits.

Overall, it's a good album for musical fans and definitely Lion King fans.

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Electic perfection

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 23 April 2007 09:36 (A review of Sailing to Philadelphia (CD & DVD Audio))

“Sailing to Philadelphia” is one of those albums that is just about perfect. Eclectic, varied, and very relaxing, “STP” is a masterpiece that I couldn't live without. I purchased this album without hearing eleven of the thirteen tracks (US release) and when I listened to it, I was so pleased with my purchase and happy for days. The overall feel of the album is quiet and in true fashion of any Knopfler album. The themes include love, gambling, winning, celebrity and a little history. My favourite tracks are “Sailing to Philadelphia” with James Taylor, “The Last Laugh” with Van Morrison, “Prairie Wedding,” “Wanderlust,” “Baloney Again,” and “Speedway at Nazareth,” though each song is really quite enjoyable – not one disappointing track.

As this is the special CD and DVD edition, I have yet to try the surround sound out but the CD sounds fantastic on both my computer and my home theatre. The DVD includes a very educational and well-made documentary on Knopfler's history and how he wrote some of the songs, as well as on-screen lyrics. The CD and DVD formats are separated onto one disc for each, not DualDiscs. It includes the liner booklet from the regular edition and is contained in a cardboard package. My only complaint about the liner booklet is an entire block of lyrics is omitted from “Silvertown Blues,” but otherwise the lyrics are written down pretty correctly. It's a great deal for the money.

I wouldn't know who to recommend this to specifically, because it's varied but if you like introspective music you'll probably like this album.

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Atmospheric

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 22 April 2007 09:30 (A review of The Ragpicker's Dream)

"The Ragpicker’s Dream" is Mark Knopfler’s atmospheric tribute to the impoverished yet noble working man. Through this album we see lost love, family, travelling entertainment, salesmen and even an ethereal dream (that for some reason reminds me of the Oz books). The songs are rooted in folk rock and the entire album is really very relaxing. I immensely enjoy pretty much every song except “Coyote,” (which I’m still not crazy about) though I highly recommend “Hill Farmer’s Blues.” The album is a great listen for a rainy, overcast day.

The liner booklet is quite nice, bold white sections mixed with rough abstract images such as grungy walls and wet wood planks, it really evokes the working man feel of the songs. I absolutely adore the cover photo. All of the lyrics are pretty much correct without any omitted words.

I would suggest this album to lovers of quiet, thoughtful, introspective music. If you enjoy folk rock, there’s a good chance you too will like this album.

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Classic comedy

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 21 April 2007 03:56 (A review of What About Bob?)

“What About Bob?” is one of those films that I grew-up on, and still it brings back nostalgic memories of watching it whenever it aired on television (those were the days). It features Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray in fantastic roles of doctor and patient. Bill Murray is the neurotic afraid-of-everything man in need of love, and if you’re not careful, Murray’s performance can appear to outshine Dreyfuss’ quieter control-freak psychiatrist character, who too delivers a great performance filled with nuance and subtleties, and is quite different from his more well-known roles. Surprisingly for a comedy, it is very well-made and includes the beautiful sights of New England. The film is filled with laughs and is quite entertaining – one of my top favourites.

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Good folk renditions

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 21 April 2007 02:44 (A review of Bob Dylan)

At first, Bob Dylan's début album may sound unassuming and not quite matching his future albums, but you must listen to it as an interpretation of old folk standards. All of the tracks are more southern blues than true bluegrass folk songs. His voice, nasal and sounding about forty five, fits the rough words and haunting melodies. Featuring only his voice and his guitar, this then twenty-year-old opened his life-long career with this little folk album.

The stand-out track is "House of the Risin' Sun," but I am also fond of "In My Time of Dyin'," "Song to Woody," "Fixin' to Die," "Pretty Peggy-O" and "Talkin' New York."

The liner booklet is coloured in lovely brown earth tones (always wins in my book), and a history of his musical influences and a brief, condensed biography. It also includes a review of the album from 1961, and classic photos of Dylan from recording sessions. Unfortunately the booklet excludes the lyrics to all of the songs, even his original compositions.

I would recommend this album to folk and old blues fans, and any Bob Dylan fan needs this.

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Live near-perfection

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 21 April 2007 01:49 (A review of One Take Radio Sessions)

Having already heard the songs from Shangri-La, I bought this EP because it was cheap – and boy, I’m sure glad I did. Mark Knopfler is without a doubt a masterful musician with amazing skill, and he really shines when performing live. Comprised of seven songs from Shangri-La and one song from Golden Heart, he brings new life to his songs. Using his own words, there is a warmth brought to songs when they are recorded live.

The liner booklet consists of two pages: a track list and credits, no lyrics. The art for the entire package is quite grungy and lovely.

My favourite tracks are “The Trawlerman’s Song,” “Boom, Like That” and “Donegan’s Gone.” I would give it a tenth star, but I’m not crazy about “Rudiger,” otherwise it’s perfect. I really highly recommend this album to any fan of live music, and every Knopfler fan needs this in their collection.

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Quiet achievement

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 28 January 2007 04:41 (A review of All the Roadrunning)

"All the Roadrunning" is an album that grows on you, that you must listen to intently to really absorb everything it has to offer. It's a folk rock production, with plenty of guitar and Mark's signature songwriting – when you listen to the songs Emmylou wrote, Knopfler's style is clearly evident. The album includes twelve songs recorded over the past seven years, though you wouldn't know it listening to it. The best song on the album is “I Dug Up a Diamond,” so haunting and chilling but other great tracks are “Beachcombing,” “Rollin' On,” “Love and Happiness,” “Right Now,” and “Beyond My Wildest Dreams.”

I must say that the package art (including liner) is really quite beautiful, very grungy, some of the best I've seen for a CD. The liner includes a few photos, printed lyrics, credits and lots of artistic motifs that evoke an abstract country feel. The lyrics are pretty much spot on correct.

It is truly a beautiful achievement of the two great musicians and I am proud to own it. I would suggest this album to fans of both artists, and to people who enjoy higher class, more original and well-thought out country inspired tunes. None of these songs are what you would find on your typical country station.

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Raise your voice

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 28 January 2007 04:11 (A review of Signs)

“Signs” insults your intelligence. It is a film that lifts enough elements from other science fiction films to madden you. The film was not scary, suspenseful or even “horror.” Instead, I laughed through the entire viewing, and the characters whispered to boot. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, generally great actors, were flat and useless.

I felt it was a stupid film that ripped off my favorites.

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Perfection

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 28 January 2007 02:39 (A review of Jaws)

There is not much to be said about a film as perfect as “Jaws.” The story is simple yet amazingly well-told. The film does not have a single slow spot - it keeps your attention the entire way through. It possesses all of suspense, thrills and humour and probably one of the most misquoted lines in film history. And while the story may be simple, there is more to it than just the horror elements. Instead it’s the characters that make the film so different. The characters are deep and developed, particularly the main three men. And if Quint’s Indianapolis speech doesn’t send chills down your spine, then I don’t know what would.

Overall, it’s a fantastic and very enjoyable film and I could watch it at anytime.

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